Page 42 of Forced By the Bratva

“You okay?” she asked, looking concerned.

Checking around, I nodded as I replied. “Yes, fine, but I would like to go home now.”

“Right,” she said, raising her eyebrows.

I didn’t reply as I had nothing more to say.

“Okay, let me just pay these, and we can go,” she added.

Nodding, I headed to the door and waited for her. Our trip home was done in silence. I had to think. I needed to formulate a plan to pay Jones. As we pulled into the garage, I turned to her. “Mila,” I said. “Are there some of the jobs I could assist with, you know, to make my own money? If you don’t mind?”

Mila studied me before answering. “Yes, sure, I’ll put you in contact with a client you could assist. There are smaller jobs I rarely take that you could dive into to get used to the trade.”

“Thank you,” I replied, smiling. Grabbing my bags, I headed up to the room. Hopefully, I could make enough to pay off Jones in one go. He didn’t state the amount, but I was sure I could estimate.

Chapter 22 - Piotr

Staring out my bedroom window, I wondered why Alyssa had been pulling further and further away. The last couple of days have been strange. I didn’t know what to do. I suspected I had done something to cause her to act this way.

I hoped that it wasn’t me as I wanted her to stay. All morning, I have been going over my actions, trying to find the cause. The more I topped on events, the more I realized there were times I could have handled things differently. I could admit when I was wrong, and that was what I had to do.

As I moved through the house looking for Alyssa, I found Mila and Konstantin lounging at the pool. They appeared to be having a discussion on how the time of day affected the pool water.

Entering the lounge, I saw Alyssa lying on the couch. This was the last place I would have expected to find her. “Alyssa, are you okay?” I inquired as I walked closer.

“All good,” she responded in a chipper tone.

A pang of fear ran through me as I sat down next to her. Was I too late? Has she decided to leave? My mind whirled with reasons for her sounding in such a good mood. None of the ideas appeared to be in my favor, though.

“I’m sorry,” I started saying when she interrupted.

“No, no, there is no reason for you to be sorry.”

“Please let me finish.” Holding my hand up, I indicated that I wanted her to be quiet as I spoke. “I’m sorry for being so overbearing these last couple of days. No, weeks. What I am trying to say, is that I know at times I could have been a lot to handle. I am a man of my word, though, and if you still want to go overseas, you can do so.”

Alyssa sat up, staring at me in shock. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth hung open. “Don’t get me wrong, I am not telling you to leave. But if you still want to, I will support your choice.” As I spoke, I felt my heart sinking as anxiety settled in it.

I felt like screaming from the anticipation of waiting for her to answer. Yet, I knew I had to wait. I couldn’t push her. Patience wasn’t one of my strong points. I kept my eyes focused on her, trying to capture every inch of her so I would never forget. I wanted to take in all she was and store it in my heart.

Alyssa seemed to be studying me as well, and I didn’t know if this was a good sign or not. After what felt like an eternity, she looked away, turning her eyes to the carpet. She cleared her throat softly before speaking.

“Piotr, I don’t want to leave,” she whispered.

“You don’t?” I asked, astounded.

Meeting my gaze, she continued. “No, I don’t. I want to be part of the organization. I want my own spying jobs.”

Slowly, I shook my head. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My heart flooded with joy and a sense of accomplishment even though I did nothing. Smiling from ear to ear, I took her hands in mine as I responded. “Yes, you can do that. I promise to stop tagging along and allow you to prove yourself. If that is what you want?”

Alyssa shook her head intensely up and down. Her face lit up with the brightest smile I had ever seen. An overwhelming feeling of protectiveness washed over me. I had to fight within myself not to allow it to take over.

I wanted to keep her close forever, but she had to make her own choices. Looking into her eyes, I knew making her happy was my first priority. I was determined to let her keep her freedom as it made her happy. But I would have to find a way to keep her safe while she learned to fly.

Alyssa leaned over, giving me a quick kiss. “Thank you for trusting me,” she breathed out as she sat back.

Grinning, I pulled her onto my lap, kissing her fiercely. I wanted her to know how much I cared and appreciated her. As we kissed, I pushed gently with my tongue on her lips. Alyssa let out a little giggle, allowing me access.

Pushing my tongue into her mouth, I tangoed with hers, playing for control. Our tongues were wrestling, making me hot for her. I felt a shiver running down through my body as she ran her fingers through my hair. Gripping a handful of hair at the back, Alyssa tugged tenderly.

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