Page 42 of Ruthless Mafia Daddy

The door opened, and we were ushered into the dome-shaped interior of the facility. Since neither my cousins nor I had deemed it fit to start bearing children, and available kids were still underage, it was mostly empty now with just the caretakers, who I had instructed to make themselves invisible during the duration of my visit.

“Woah,” Arielle exclaimed with wide eyes. “Is this soundproof?”

“Yes, it is. Come on now, you wanted to know about my life, didn’t you?” I replied, holding out my arm for her.

She slipped her slender fingers into my hands, her eyes not leaving the robots at the entrance. “I do. There’s just a lot to take in. Some of us only went to school and got a job after college. Nothing exciting.”

“You think my life is exciting now, huh? A few hours ago, you were barely speaking to me,” I teased, and she shot me a glare.

“I wouldn’t get too comfortable if I were you, Mr. Ivanov. The issue of your forgiveness is still very much under probation.”

I snorted out a laugh, and she playfully swatted my shoulder, causing me to laugh harder. This was what I missed, the ease that came with being around her. It wasn’t something one could find in my world.

Our tour started from the reception to the dormitories, the game rooms, the refractories, the classrooms, and finally, to the spot I was aiming for—the defense area. Ever since the explosion happened and we had to come to Russia, I’ve found myself growing increasingly worried about Arielle’s safety. While I could assign bodyguards to her, she needed to know how to hold her own if it ever came to that.

“There are more guns here than I’ve seen in military movies. You guys are way scarier than the president.” Her eyes bounced from one corner of the wall to the other, taking in the weapons displayed on them.

“Did you learn to use all of these?” she asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity.

“Part of the test was hitting a steady and moving target with every weapon you can see here,” I replied, coming to stand behind her.

The direction our visit takes would heavily depend on my ability to convince her to use a weapon. I had to bring her here to gauge her reaction to weapons before suggesting the idea. And while she appeared curious and full of questions, I noticed her hesitance to move closer to walls or inspect the guns.

“There’s a growing threat on my family, and I’m yet to figure out who is responsible,” I admitted, keeping my eyes glued to her.

Her eyes widened briefly, and the glint of curiosity was replaced with a soft look of concern. “Is this about the explosion?”

“Not just that. Remember the guy from the club?” I asked, the incident leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

She nodded wordlessly, gesturing for me to continue.

“I don’t know how, but I think it’s all linked.”

“I thought you already took care of that?”

“Not quite. I have this strong feeling that they’re linked somehow, and if they’re coming for my business and family, it’s only a matter of time till they figure out what I care for the most. A weakness, as some would call it.”

Her lips took an ‘o’ shape, and her brows slightly lifted. “If this is about protecting your family legacy, I’m sure you can do that,”she said, cupping my face in her palms and slightly wincing when she felt the stubbles.

Her clueless statement brought a small smile to my face.

“I’m talking about you, princess. I’ve always had to only look out for myself. My family can handle themselves, but you—” I trailed off, leaving the statement hanging between us. “I won’t forgive myself if anything happens to you, and Ivan’s little trick opened my eyes to that.”

She went silent for a moment, her fingers still caressing my jaw.

“I’ll be fine, Mikhail. I don’t think anyone sees me as a threat.” She finally said, and I felt my heart clench. She was right. She was harmless, sweet, and really caring. I dragged her into this, and like the selfish fuck I was, I have refused to let her go.

“That would’ve made perfect sense a few months ago, but you’re with me now, and I have lots of enemies, sweetheart, and you could easily become a target.”

She let out a soft gasp, and a look of panic flashed through her eyes so fast I would’ve missed it if I wasn’t paying attention. “Are you trying to break up with me?”

I couldn’t contain the laughter that rippled through me, and if looks could kill, I’d be lying lifeless with the look she was currently shooting my way. Did she really think there exists a world where I’d let go of her? I’d haunt her down if I were a ghost.

“I’m not breaking up with you, princess, nor would I let you break up with me,” I said when my laughter finally calmed.

“Then, what are you saying? You’re making me anxious.”

“I want you to start self-defense training. I was hoping we could start with the guns,” I finally said, and a look of horror engulfed her face.

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