Page 35 of Hating the Bratva

Delaney

The sound of shuffling wakes me from my deep sleep. I vaguely remember Alek grabbing a washcloth and running it over my bare stomach and in between my legs before I fell back asleep. I turn over to face the source of the noise and wince at the pain between my legs. Alek stands up straight with a duffle bag at his feet.

“Hey,” he says.

“Um…hey.” I pull the blanket closer to my naked body. He goes back to grabbing clothes from the closet and stuffing them into the bag.

“Where are you going?” I ask, confused by the sudden change in his attitude. It’s not like I expected chocolate and roses, but I thought he’d at least still be in bed with me.

“Miami. Business trip.”

A cold draft cuts through the room. Alek’s slept with plenty of women. I’m sure that last night didn’t mean the same thing to him as it did to me, but the thought still feels like a punch to the gut. Last night, I’d asked him to fulfill the promise he made. I shouldn’t be surprised by his sudden change in mood.

“Don’t do that.” He’s stopped packing to look at me.

“Do what?” I ask.

“That look. You’re overthinking something. What is it, Bunny?”

“It’s nothing…it’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid if it’s on your mind. Talk to me.”

I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. How am I supposed to tell him that last night felt like more to me? More than just sex. It felt like we’re supposed to be together.

“It’s about last night, isn’t it? Did you not want—”

“No, I did,” I rush out, interrupting any thought he might have about taking advantage of me. “I’m not one of those stupid girls who falls in love with the first guy I have sex with.”

“Ah,” he says as if understanding everything I’m not saying. Standing to his full height, he walks over to me and grabs my chin in between two of his fingers. “Last night wasn’t just some random fuck for me, and you’re a fool if you think that. I basically signed over my life. If anyone found out about what we did, Ivan would have every right to kill me. And I don’t regret a minute of it.”

I let his words soak into my skin and spread throughout my body. He feels the same way I do. He let go of my chin and stands back up to finish packing.

“Then why are you leaving?” I ask.

“I have business to handle.”

I sit up on the bed and wrap the comforter around me. “Take me with you.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Stop acting like you’re annoyed. Admit it, you’d feel better with me in Miami versus sitting here alone.”

His facial expression doesn’t change as he continues to pack. “Fine. Pack your shit. The flight leaves tonight.”

I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face.

*****

The plane shakes as the tiny wheels hit the runway. I barely move my face from the window as I watch them screech to a halt. I’ve always loved flying. With my father as a senator, I’ve been pretty much flown everywhere. From an early age, we’ve traveled as a family to different events across the country. It wasn’t until I was thirteen that my parents allowed me to stay home with the nanny.

Around that age, I also realized how much I hate the fake plastic life my parents live. Alek grabs our two bags from the overhang, and I follow him off the plane and into Miami airport. The sun has already gone down, and it’s pretty empty compared to how the Boston airport looked when we left. Alek wasted no time getting us first-class tickets and leaving. I barely had time to pack everything. I’m not entirely sure what the rush is, but whatever he came to do in Miami must be urgent.

“Are you sure Mikhail is going to okay watching Harriet?” I ask him. I’d offered Robin to come by the house and watch my new kitten, but Alek insisted Mikhail would be fine. I wonder if Mikhail was in some trouble, to have been put on kitten babysitting duty for Alek.

“He’ll be fine. If he can’t handle bottle-feeding a cat, I’d seriously worry about his competency.”

I guess that makes sense. Alek wraps a hand around my waist and tugs me close to his body. He smells like fresh soap and aftershave. We continue walking out the door, where a black SUV waits for us. I have no idea how Alek has set this whole thing up this morning. A man standing in front of the SUV in an all-black suit takes the bags from Alek.

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