Page 7 of Possession of the Bratva

She glanced at my hand and then at Oscar before replying. “No, thanks.”

Walking into the stables, I introduced her to some of the horses. Standing before the large gray Friesian, I spoke proudly. “This is Color, my horse. He is a gentle beast. We can saddle him up, and I can take you on a ride.”

Mila glanced at me, that fire blazing in her eyes. “I said no,” she spat and stormed out.

I felt a tinge of frustration push up as I watched her turn and walk out. “Thank you, Oscar,” I said and followed Mila out.

Catching up to her as she strolled past the maze towards the other side of the house, I grabbed her arm. “Mila, what’s wrong? Don’t you like horses?” I asked, breathing in deeply.

She tilted her head to the side. Her eyes narrowed, and a faint frown line appeared on her forehead. Pulling out of my grip, she replied hastily. “Don’t know, never been around them.” Mila turned and walked on.

As we passed the Maze of Roses, the world opened up a little more. “What’s that building there in the distance?” she asked, pointing towards the tree line away from the house.

“That’s the training center and guard barracks,” I responded in a friendly tone. “I’ll show you around there later or tomorrow if you want.”

Mila shook her head and stood staring at the tennis courts and Olympic-sized pool to our right. “Is there anything you don’t have?” she asked.

Letting out a chuckle, I smiled at her. I knew we had most things in life many people only dreamt of. “I think we might just have everything,” I said in a light tone. “But if you find something is missing, please let me know.”

Mila let out a nervous laugh, a sound I never thought I would hear. It wasn’t a full-fledged one, but it was there. Feeling sure I would be able to get through to her, I tenderly took her shoulders, turning her to me.

“I can always teach you how to ride a horse; I’m sure you would enjoy it,” I said softly.

Mila glanced away and gave a shy nod. Even though I found this shy side of her cute, I loved her fierce side more. “I would like to see the training area,” she said, turning out of my hands.

I tried to take her hand as we walked towards the training center and barracks, but she pulled her hands to her chest. It was still early. I would work my way into her heart. Opening the doors, I allowed her to walk in first. Mila stopped just inside. “This is the gym room,” I said, stepping in beside her.

It was fully decked with any and all kinds of equipment one could desire to train with. Walking to a door on the right, I spoke as I opened it. “This is the gun range.”

Mila came over and peeked inside. This room was also fully equipped for any kind of shooting practice. Heading to the door at the back, I called her to follow. “This room is the sauna,” I said, grinning. Mila just stared at it for a moment. “We also have one in the house,” I added, closing the door.

She looked at me as if I was a madman and shook her head. “Come on now,” I said, smiling. “There is a time and place for everything.” Turning to the left wall, I pointed at the last closed door. “That one leads upstairs to the barracks. This way, they are always around should we need them in an emergency.”

I could see she was still in shock. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth hung open. Mila pushed her hands through her glittering red locks, settling her gaze to the floor. “I know it’s a lot, but there is more, my dear,” I said walking to the door leading back to the yard.

We headed around the other side of the house past the pool. Just around the side of the house was the outside bar area. There were also some tables and chairs. “This is where the family hangs out when we get together,” I said. Next to it was the jacuzzi.

As we walked, I noticed she seemed still slightly stunned. I wondered if she was okay. I decided to head back inside. The sun was almost right above us, and the day was hot. I was sure I had surprised her more than enough for one day. But there was one more thing I wanted to show her.

“Come, I think we must head back,” I said, heading towards the front. There was a big glass room before we came to the corner of the house. Stopping, I opened the door. “We’ll go in through here,” I said, waving for her to enter. “This is our greenhouse,” I added proudly as I closed the door behind us. There were rows of herbs, vegetables, and edible flowers.

Mila looked around in wonder as we headed down the one aisle. “The greenhouse leads into the kitchen,” I said as we neared a door. Opening this door, I invited her into the kitchen. Stepping inside, I watched her study every inch of the kitchen. Her awe was astounding.

I knew they lived in a mansion and had been to many of the Morozov family mansions. But it was like she had never seen such things before. I ordered lunch and led her through the kitchen back to the breakfast room. The maid brought us some refreshments while we waited.

Mila sat sideways in her chair, staring out the window. “What activities do you enjoy for relaxation?” I asked. Mila looked at me, raising her eyebrows as if unsure why I would ask. “I wanted to know if you would like to visit the library or movie theater after lunch?” I added.

“The what?” she spat out, turning to face me.

“The library, or the theater, which do you prefer?” I asked again. “Never mind, I’ll show you both, and then you can decide.”

Before we could say anything else, the maid brought our food. We ate in silence, but I could see Mila’s brain was working hard. Once lunch was done, I led her back up the stairs and to the left. “Down this passage is the library, the theater, and entertainment rooms,” I said as we walked to the first door.

Opening the door, I stepped aside and allowed her to enter. “This is the library as you can see.” Stepping back out, we walked to the second door. “Behind door number two is the theater,” I proclaimed as I pushed the door open.

Mila looked numb as she stepped in. She turned her head from side to side slowly. The one wall was covered from side to side with a flatscreen television. Towards the middle was a variety of couches and seats. On the other wall was a self-help snack station.

“This is one of my favorite places,” I said as Mila glanced at me. “But let’s go to the last room here. The entertainment room,” I added, stepping out into the hallway.

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