Page 44 of Possession of the Bratva

Mila was beaming with excitement. “We succeeded; together, we thrashed the enemy today,” she uttered. “Thank you for allowing me to go.”

Pulling her into my arms, I felt relieved to have her safe again. “You did a magnificent job,” I replied, smiling warmly at her. “You are an asset to us, Mila. I won’t forget what you have done.”

Mila rose to her toes and kissed me. I could feel and see the exhilaration coursing through her. It warmed my heart to see her so happy. “We are one step closer to our end goal,” I said as we greeted my brothers and watched them leave.

“Tomorrow, we will plan our next steps,” I whispered into Mila’s ear as we headed upstairs. We watched a movie and went to bed. I fell asleep, feeling her warmth against my bare chest, holding her in my arms.

Chapter 22 - Mila

Standing before the mirror as I brushed my hair, I still felt charged from Aleksandr’s affirmation last night. I had proven myself, and it felt good to be appreciated. Brushing out my hair, I had an idea. Grinning at my reflection, I decided that it was a good one.

Jumping into a comfortable, light pink summer dress with buttons at the front, I nodded at myself in the mirror. “Yes,” I pronounced to the room. “It was time he saw what I thrived on.”

I headed down to look for Aleksandr. I wanted to take him out and show him the things I like to do. I would take him to my regular hangouts and see what he thought about them. He wasn’t inside. So, I went out back to the little garden table where he occasionally enjoyed a cup in the mornings.

Walking out the large doors leading to the backyard, I saw him sitting in the sun, reading his paper. “You already studied the paper yesterday and the day before and the entire year,” I said jokingly as I got close.

Aleksandr lowered his paper and laughed. Folding it and placing it on the small iron table, he replied in a light tone. “It comes out every day, you know.”

Nodding, I sat down opposite him. “Isn’t it boring? I mean, most of the stuff in there stays the same. There couldn’t be that many interesting things happening every day.”

“I could show you what there is…” he started replying.

“No,” I added, interrupting him. “Let’s go out today. I want to take you out. Will that be okay?” I asked.

Aleksandr sat staring at me for a few seconds before replying. “Sure thing. You can take me out if you wish to. Where would you like to go?”

Rising, I felt like a child who had just gotten their wish granted. “It’s a surprise,” I said, heading back in. Turning at the door, I called out. “Come on, slow poke.”

Aleksandr laughed as he moved quicker. I felt light and filled with energy. We headed through to the front door and out to the car. At the front of the car, I stopped turning to him as he unlocked the doors. Holding out my hand palm up, I smiled.

“And now, what do I want?” he asked, opening my side door.

“I’m taking you out, so, I drive,” I replied, standing fast.

Aleksandr shook his head and grinned. Stepping closer, he dropped the keys into my hand. “I can still drive us…,” he started saying when I interrupted him for a second time.

“Nope, get in. I’m driving today.” I hopped around to the driver's side and got in. I waited for him to get in and fasten his seatbelt before I started the engine.

“Are you going to make a habit of this?” he enquired, raising his eyebrows at me.

Laughing, I shook my head. “No, but today I want to show you my world,” I replied, pulling out.

Our first stop was at the mall, my favorite place. As I found a parking close to one of the entrances, I glanced at Aleksandr. “I hope you’re wearing comfortable shoes,” I said. “We’re going to be doing a lot of walking.”

Aleksandr grinned and got out, coming around to my side. Holding the door open, he held out his hand. I took hishand and got out. “I must say, it is nice not having to open my own car door as the driver,” I said teasingly.

“Well, I was raised right,” he replied as we entered the mall.

Taking his hand, I dragged him with me as I moved to this cute little shop in the corner. “First, we have to get a drink here,” I said, entering the shop. “We are going to need loads of energy.”

As we stood in the line to order, I noticed Aleksandr studying the menu on the wall. “Have you been here before?” I asked.

“No, I haven’t,” he replied, smiling.

“You have to try the Fudgecle with me,” I said, holding his arm. “It’s a vanilla milkshake pumped full of fudge. On top, it has loads of whipped cream, and at the bottom, jelly-like balls.”

Aleksandr pulled his nose up, shaking his head lightly as he spoke. “It sounds… different.”

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