Chapter 13 - Oleg

Raisa has been pacing around the house looking very frustrated these last few days. We are still deciding what the best way will be for her to approach the discussion with her brothers. But in the meantime, she seems to be impatient and agitated, acting like a caged animal.

It started the day after she saw Anya. But I guess, in reality, it started the day I kidnapped her and forced her to marry me.

Her and Anya got on so well and I wonder if Anya might be able to give me some insight into Raisa’s thoughts and how I can make things better for her at home. I want her to be happy here.

She doesn’t speak to me enough for me to know how to help her with that. Apart from the obvious—letting her go—which I can’t do.

I pick my phone up off the desk and lean back in my home office chair.

Dialing Anya’s number, I press the phone against my ear and wait for her to answer.

“Hey, big bother. What’s going on with you?” she sings into the phone in her usually happy manner.

“He,y kiddo. I wanted to ask for some advice from you—or insight. Whatever you want to call it.”

“You need advice from me? Oh, this should be good. How’s Raisa by the way? She’s so awesome.”

“Raisa is the reason I’m calling.”

“Oh? Is everything ok?” She sounds worried.

“Yeah, everything is fine. But Raisa seems down and I was wondering if you maybe spoke to her about something when you were here—something that is bothering her—or something that she needs or wants that I can get for her to make her happier?”

I clench my jaw, feeling like this is a long shot.

“Mm. Actually. Definitely, yes.”

“Oh. Are you serious?” I say really excited to know.

“She seemed a bit upset because she got accepted into some big university here, to study medicine, and now she can’t go because of everything that happened. I think it’s a dream of hers and I’d be pretty miserable if I had my dreams taken from me.”

“She wants to study. Ok. I didn’t even think about that but I remember her telling me it’s one of the reasons she was so excited to come to the city.”

Anya and I chat a little longer, mostly about Raisa and how things are going between us—then I say goodbye and make another phone call.

I have some contacts that will be very useful right now.

My good friend runs a private university and I know they offer online courses. I want to find out if he will accept Raisa.

After giving him her details, he does a search and finds out she has an incredible academic record and he would love to have her studying through his university. He will send me all of the study material she needs to get started this afternoon.

This is excellent news.

I decide to hold off telling Raisa until the study books arrive.

I have to admit I am really excited to see her reaction.

I hope Anya was right and that this will help Raisa.

That afternoon, a courier arrives with a box of books. I carry it inside and put it on the dining room table. Raisa and I have been having dinner together every night and I really enjoy that time. So, I have decided to give her the surprise then.

At six, the chef confirms that the food is ready and I go upstairs to call Raisa. She is curled up in the sunroom, reading a book on the sofa.

“Dinner is ready,” I say, smiling at how comfortable she looks.

“I’ll be right down. I just want to finish this page.”

By the time she walks into the dining room, I am ready and waiting.

I can’t help the stupid grin on my face. I just want to make her smile.

“What’s this?” she asks, pulling her chair out and sitting opposite me.

“This is something for you.”

“For me?” She reaches out to touch the box, curiosity traced over her face.

“You can open it now if you want to.”

She stands up and drags the box towards her side of the dinner table. “Oh, it’s really heavy.” Now she’s confused. This is actually fun.

She lifts the lid off the box and stares down into it and the neatly packed text books. Tilting her head and frowning deeply she looks up at me. “I don’t understand.”

“Read the letter.”

Opening the crisp white envelope, she unfolds the page and reads out loud.

“Dear Raisa, you have been accepted to study at our online university. You will find all the first semester study material delivered along with this letter, and should you have any questions at all—contact your assigned tutor.”

She looks up at me again with her jaw open, her perfectly shaped lips catching my gaze.

“I can study?” she asks, completely shocked. “You arranged it so that I can still attend university?”

“Yes, I wanted to make sure you could still follow your dream. This year would be online and after that we can look at how things have changed and you can continue online or attend university. For now, at least you are moving forward.”

Tears spill from her eyes, flowing freely down her face. She runs around the table and throws her arms around my neck. I sit in complete shock. I figured she would be happy about this but her reaction takes me by surprise.

“Thank you so much! Oh, my word. You have no idea what this means to me.”

I grin, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her close to me to return the hug. “It’s my pleasure, Raisa. And in the future, if you want something or you need something, just ask me.”

“I will,” she says happily, then lets me go and returns to her seat.

Her entire mood seems lifted as she talks excitedly about starting her studies the very next day.

And she does.

She dedicates herself to those text books during the day and in the evenings, we sit together and have dinner, chatting, getting to know each other and having a laugh.

We have somehow developed a little routine that works for both of us with the evenings at dinner at being my favorite part.

Tonight, it’s Friday, and Raisa has completed her first assignment, which got submitted this afternoon. She is excited to see how well she did, and we have opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate the start of her studies.

Raisa is on her third glass and her cheeks are glowing bright pink. She is giggling and looks relaxed.

“Anya told me that your brother Alexei is the naughtiest of the lot, and she said that you are the one who stays out of trouble.” She grins at me.

“And—do you think she’s right?”

Raisa nods with a little giggle. “I believe her. You do seem like someone people can depend on. It’s nice to feel that way about someone. My brothers are all pretty different, too. I mean—growing up, they would get into a lot of trouble—oh—this one time, we were all allowed to go to a carnival and we were supposed to stick together. But my sister and I snuck off because the boys only wanted to play the shooting games and we wanted to win teddy bears. Ruslana and I got distracted along the way and we went into a mirror maze. Oh. My word. We got stuck in there. Everywhere you turn, you can’t find your way out because everything that looks like a way out turns out to be a mirror. Ruslana started crying. Do you know what my brother Rodion did? He smashes down three walls of mirrors to get us out of there.”

Raisa is laughing at the memory. “It was such a mes,s but Ruslana was so relieved. They wanted to keep my brother there, but we all made a run for it and escaped the security guards. We could never go back to that carnival again even though it came through our little town every year.”

“You were very close to your family growing up?” I ask.

“Yes, we were close then and we are still close now. Even though I am not interested in the Bratva life—my family still means the world to me. I would do anything for them.”

“I’m the same. I’m also not interested in this Bratva life. I would have chosen something else for myself, but I do it because my family needs me,” I sigh.

She looks up at me, her bright blue eyes are so beautiful tonight. They seem to be glowing, perhaps it's the champagne, perhaps it’s the way she is smiling.

“You don’t seem like you fit the lifestyle. I mean, you have to kind of be an asshole to be good at running a mafia family.”

“I can be when I have to be, but I will go out of my way to find a solution that doesn’t involve violence.”

She nods. “I agree. People need to learn to negotiate more before things get that far. I want to be a doctor so I can help people. It’s hard to know some of the things my brothers do because of our Bratva bloodline.”

“When did your parents pass away?” I ask, wondering if it’s too sensitive a topic.

“I was too young to know them. Rodion has always been like a father to me. He’s pretty scary when he’s angry.” She giggles and ends up snorting a little.

I start chuckling at how red her cheeks go.

Then, we both end up laughing loudly.

Raisa has another glass of champagne during dinner, and when the plates are cleared away, I can see she is a little unsteady on her feet.

I walk around the table to wrap my arm around her waist. “Come on, little flower, let me get you to bed. I don’t want you to have a hangover tomorrow and blame me.” I laugh.

She giggles and leans into me.

“I want to go dancing,” she says excitedly.

“That is not happening. I bet the moment you lie down, you’ll want to sleep.”

“Pfft.” She grins.

In the bedroom, she clumsily pulls her top off over her head and stands in her lace pink bra, looking for the oversized t-shirt she likes to sleep in.

I can’t help staring at her. She is gorgeous.

My body responds to the sight of her and I try to push the thoughts away.

She turns towards me and I quickly drag my eyes up to meet hers.

She bites her lower lip, her eyes filled with mischief. I can see that she no longer cares about finding her t-shirt. She wants the same thing I do.

Raisa steps up close and presses against me, her hands brushing over my chest, onto my shoulders, and around the back of my neck. Everywhere she touches me, it sends bolts of electricity racing through me.

“Hi,” she whispers, her eyes glistening.

“Hi, you,” I reply, knowing that this is wrong.

I shouldn’t even be thinking about doing something with her when she is in this state. It wouldn’t be fair of me. That’s not who I am.

But she’s leaning against me, and she clearly wants this.

I close my eyes and tilt my head as I growl escapes my chest.

You need to stop this, Oleg.

She stands up on her tiptoes as my hands run over the naked skin of her back. “Raisa,” I say with warning. “I don’t think—,“ she presses her lips against mine and kisses me.

It’s a fierce kiss, filled with heat and need. It sends my blood racing and fire pulsing through me.

I wrap my hand over the back of her head and deepen the kiss. My mouth locked over hers.

Fuck.

I want her so badly.

But I can’t let this happen.

This is not how it should be.

I pull away from her, still holding her steady.

“Raisa, this can’t happen tonight. Not after so much champagne.”

“Why?” She pouts her bottom lip out and I shake my head, grinning at her.

“Because you need to sleep. I told you—I won’t be blamed for your hangover tomorrow.” I lift her in my arms and put her on the bed. She wiggles up to the top and tugs her pants off, throwing them over the side of the bed. I hand her the t-shirt, continuously telling myself to keep my eyes to myself.

She slips the t-shirt on and I pull the blankets over her.

“Get some rest, beautiful girl. I’ll bring you some water,” I whisper, staring down at her as she closes her eyes with her face snuggled into her pillow.

I brush the hair away from her face, admiring her beauty.

Then, with a tight sigh, I walk away, even though all I really want to do is slip beneath the blankets and hold her naked body against mine.