Page 55 of Virgin Bratva Prisoner

I chuckle. “Alright, I am going to throw the last of my chips and then while they are distracted, we can make a run towards the promenade.”

Raisa grins at me. “If I’m not fast enough—go on without me. Save yourself.”

I pack up, laughing. I love her sense of humor.

We gather our shoes and I count to three, then throw the last of my chips onto the rocks. We both bolt towards the promenade and arrive there laughing and leaning on each other as we glance back at the mayhem of birds fighting for those chips.

We watch them for a while, then I pull her face up towards mine with my hand around her jaw. For a moment, I am lost in her eyes.

Then she smiles and I shake my head, pulling myself back into reality.

“Do you want a coffee?” I ask, sliding my arm around her waist. I’m not ready to end the night yet.

“I’d love one.”

I take her hand and lead her towards the row of food trucks, selecting the one I know makes a great cappuccino. We carry the hot takeaway coffees and find a bench where we can watch the night sky and the people walking around.

Raisa leans into me, resting her head on my shoulder.

It feels comfortable. It’s easy with her. There is no presence and no need to be anything other than who I am.

This evening has really shown me a lot about who she is and how she brings out a part of me that most people never get to see.

“Why did you guys come here? What made your family choose to move?”

“One of my brothers, Leon, he lost his mind a little after my parents were killed. He was obsessed with getting revenge on the man who did it. He spent years just focused on that and nothing else. It forced him to build up the business so that he could afford to carry out his plans. It’s crazy, but that is what motivated him to become really wealthy and really powerful.”

“What happened? Things like that can consume a person.”

“Yeah, it changed him. It wasn’t good. But because the businesses were doing so well, he asked my brothers to move down here and help with it all. We came thinking he was still going to be that angry man hell-bent on revenge. But things changed for him here. He got married. He has kids. He’s a completely different person now.”

“So, things turned out alright.” She smiles warmly. “And your family got a chance to move and have a better life.”

“Yeah, exactly that. I like living here. I just wish I didn’t have to deal with Mafia politics.” I chuckle.

“Well, be grateful that your brother did what he did. It obviously wasn’t nice for him to suffer through that, but it created amazing opportunities for your family.”

“Yes, we are grateful to him and I have a lot of respect for him. I know what he is capable of—honestly, he still scares mesometimes.” I laugh, but remembering how cold and cruel Leon was at one stage—it’s the truth. I know how he can turn. My brothers and I lost him for a long time.

“I’m really happy that everything worked out,” she says softly, resting her cheek against my shoulder again.

“Everything will work out for you too Raisa. Anything you set your mind to—you will achieve it. I can see you are that kind of person someone willing to work for what they want and sacrifice and dedicate themselves to things that aren’t always easy.” I stare down at her.

She has impressed me so many times since I met her.

I didn’t expect my forced marriage to end up like this. Where I have someone I can actually talk to and share parts of my life with.

Someone I can be myself around.

She keeps surprising me, and I’m rather enjoying it.

Raisa shivers slightly and I wrap my jacket tighter around her shoulders.

Our coffee is finished and we had a wonderful dinner on the beach. I think it is time to maybe think about heading back home.

“Are you ready to go home?” I lean close to her and kiss the top of her head.

“I’m ready. This was the most magical evening. Thank you so much for showing me this place.”

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