Page 14 of Owned By the Bratva

Leon swallowed before replying. “I have a good lead, and should have something to go on by tomorrow.”

There were some more exchanges on the subject at hand that I still didn’t quite understand. I ate in silence, listening to them. I tried to understand the details they sought, but didn’t make much sense.

Leon and I assisted Mila with clearing the table and packing the dishes. As we were about done, Piotr and Konstantin entered the kitchen. “Anyone up for a swim?” Konstantin asked, walking to the doors leading out the back.

“Sure thing,” Mila replied quickly as she turned and headed upstairs. I assumed she was going to change before joining him.

Glancing at Leon, I considered it. “I would, but I don’t have a swimsuit,” I said, looking down at my feet.

“Maybe another time,” Leon huffed as he grabbed my hand and pulled me up the stairs.

“Leon,” I spoke, trying to pull free from his grip, but his hold was firm.

He took me back to the room dubbed mine for now, and locked me in. “Leon,” I spoke loudly, banging on the door a couple of times. “What’s going on?” I didn’t understand why he was doing this; I was trying to fit in as I assumed that was what he wanted.

My heart felt heavy. I didn’t know what he wanted from me. He changed quickly from being friendly to being cruel. It was confusing, and I wished I could just leave. My life might have been simple, but it was my life. Feeling the tears burning my eyes, I lay on the bed and cried.

I awoke startled by Leon’s voice as he spoke. Opening my eyes, he was standing over me. “Cindy, it’s time for supper, sweety.” His voice was soft and filled with care, but I was getting tired of him playing with my emotions.

He walked with me as I made a visit to the bathroom. After doing my business, I washed my face before joining him in the hallway. I pulled away as he tried to take my hand. Leon turned to me as he spoke. “Are you feeling okay?”

Looking down at my feet, I nodded in reply. Leon took me around the waist as he started walking away from the stairs leading down. We passed the library and his office, entering a room on the other side of the hallway.

“This is my room,” he said, closing the door behind us. “I thought we could dine alone and discuss the situation.”

To the left was a small round table and two chairs. The table was set with our plates, glasses, a bottle of wine, candles, and a small bouquet of flowers. The back wall was lined with closets and another door. To the right was his spacious double bed. The décor in the room was dark, as was my mood.

Leon gently pushed me towards the table and pulled out my chair. I sat down reluctantly. I was only trying to be nice, but Leon kept putting me down. How dare he thwart every attempt I made. Glancing at the room, I noticed it was more personal than the one he had initially held me in.

Last night, he abruptly cut the dinner short. He’s been like a hawk all morning, watching my every move. Everywhere I turned, he was there watching me intently. It made me somewhat uncomfortable.

I tried assisting with breakfast and again with lunch. But every time I got close to any of the others, he was there pulling me away. First, he took me to the library and showed me their collection of books, and then later, he showed me around the garden. I had to admit that their home was a masterpiece, but his reasons for showing me around felt false.

Tonight, he brought me to his room for supper. We weren’t dining with the others, and he wanted to talk, which made me more suspicious. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until the delicious smell of the food hit me.

Leon poured the wine and handed me a glass as he spoke. “Cindy, please understand that I am doing this for your protection. You don’t know my colleagues and Konstantin…” He sat down and reached out for my hand before continuing. “He can get pretty obsessive, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Looking at him across the table, I pulled my hand back as I replied. “Safe, you say you want to keep me safe.”

“Yes, sweety, I just want to keep you safe,” Leon replied.

“I don’t know what your idea of safe is, but you brought me here to a group of bad people.” I breathed out before drinking some of my wine. I felt my insides shaking as anger shot through me. Leon opened his mouth as if to say something but then closed it and looked down at his plate.

After taking a couple of bites, he looked up at me. He slowly brought his glass to his lips and took a sip. Lowering it, he cleared his throat. “Cindy, I am sorry for the predicament. You weren’t supposed to be in the lab that night. But, this is where we are now.”

Looking into his eyes, I felt a pull, a spark igniting within me. My mind was momentarily distracted as my gaze fell to his lips. I allowed my eyes to stroll over his strong chin and settle on his broad chest. What’s wrong with you? I rebuked my mind as I forced myself to look down.

I dared not speak as I was sure my voice wouldn’t be stable. I felt a stir in my stomach and shifted on my chair. Leon rose from his chair and moved around the table. I followed his movement but didn’t look straight at him. He filled my glass and sat back down without saying a word. I felt a pang of relief as I wasn’t sure why I was suddenly filled with a desire to touch him.

Once we were done, Leon collected the plates and took them to the kitchen. I stood and walked to the closed door. I peeked inside and saw that it was a bathroom. It was much larger than the one in the hall. Closing the door, I walked to the window.

The air was comforting as the coolness touched my hot skin. My whole life was so focused on making my own path. I hadn’t even gotten past first base with a boy. Here I was, my mind infiltrated by thoughts I never dreamed of having.

I heard the door open and turned to Leon as he entered. He had brought another bottle of wine and filled my glass. Our fingers touched as he handed it to me, sending a tender shiver down my spine. His eyes seemed to sparkle in the moonlight shining in over my shoulder. His smile softened the features of his face, and I caught myself glaring at his full-bodied lips again.

Leon stepped closer and spoke in a husky tone. “Cindy.” I could feel the heat he gave off as he came even closer. I tried moving back, but I was pinned against the windowsill. His breath had a minty odor, causing an image of peppermint ice cream to form in my mind. I couldn’t prevent the grin from forming on my lips.

“Did I say something funny?” Leon asked, breathing in slowly.

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