Page 29 of Kidnapped Bratva Virgin

Laughing, I remember how funny Cindy is, and it makes me happy to be spending time with her. “Apparently Dad’s uncle was fond of me, and he left me Raven’s Peak.”

“Shut up! You got a land inheritance?” She flips around, her mouth open at the first tidbit of news.

“Yep, but that’s just the start. The land is about 10,000 acres.”

“Nooo! That’s huge. It’s got to be worth a fortune,” she squeaks forgetting to stir as I point to the smoking cocoa on the stove. She turns back, switching off the burner.

“Shit! My bad. Alright. So, you’re not poor anymore. Are you going to sell?”

Shaking my head, I frown as she pours the steaming hot liquid into the cup adding marshmallows that automatically melt into a sweet goo on top. Licking my lips, I can’t wait until it cools enough for me to drink it.

“No. Come on, let’s sit on the couch. I told you this part on the phone. About the property.”

“No. You didn’t! You missed this part. I knew you were going to the funeral, and you inherited something, but I thought it was like something small or whatever.”

“Probably right. Maybe I told Donna about it and not you.” I sigh heavily, trying to shake off the confusion. “My life has been turned inside out since going to Wisconsin.” Sighing, I hold on to the hot mug. “Yeah, so the property has natural resources which will gain me more in the long run if I hold on to it.”

“Shit! That’s cool. Does that mean you’re a rich bitch now?”

Twisting my mouth, I grin, nodding my head, but shrugging humbly. “Kinda!” We huddle together and clink mugs. Ah, this feels so wholesome. Relaxing, I take a small sip enjoying the rich drink, glad she didn’t offer me a gin and tonic like she normally would if we were going out together.

“That’s too amazing for words.”

“Yeah, well I’ve quit law school. Just for this semester until I figure out what to do?”

Cindy frowns. “Where does Dimitri come into all of this?”

“We met because of Raven’s Peak and came to an agreement because he knows what to do with the resources on the property and I don’t. And I guess we’ve been spending a lot of time together lately….” I smirk, not giving her all the sordid details. “And I thought it would just be business.”

Cindy shakes her head before sipping her cocoa. “You did a lot more than spend time. I can tell. You’ve been bumping and grinding.”

“Cindy! You are so extra.”

“Yes, but that’s why you love and miss me. So, what’s the problem? Sounds like a good deal to me.”

“I don’t know, Cindy. I feel like it’s not the right thing to do. Things are moving so fast, and I can barely keep my feet on the ground. I’m going to all these social events, mingling with all these high-powered, filthy-rich people and I don’t really fit in their world. It’s crazy.”

“Are you sure you need to fit? Just enjoy it!”

Sighing, I stare at the floating marshmallow in the cocoa, ruminating on it. “Maybe I want to be accepted. I think Dimitri and I are headed in the right direction, but I don’t know where I stand with him.” Pausing for a second, I think about whether I should say it out loud. If I do tell her about what I suspect, that means I have to deal with it being out in the open.

“Hey. I get it,” Cindy soothes, tucking her legs in under her on the couch. “We all want to fit in some kind of way, but standing out amongst a bunch of fake rich people might be the reason Dimitri fancies you in the first place. And by the way, how come I don’t have pictures?” Cindy scolds playfully. “You know I need a visual.”

Smirking, I recall that Dimitri tapped my phone at the start, and the fact he might still be doing it, even though he told me he wasn’t. I don’t want to risk sending photos of him through in case he becomes suss about it. He already has jealous tendencies, so it wouldn’t take much to tip him off. “He’s picking me up in the morning, so you’ll be able to see him then if you want.”

“Okay good, but I’ve never seen you so worried about a guy. But hey, granted this isn’t just any guy, he’s a business partner and other things, but is there anything else?”

I crane my neck back wanting so badly to tell her about the test I took, but I’m not ready to admit the truth to myself, so I tell her a lie. “No. I think that’s enough. Anyway, how about you? What’s going on?”

Cindy scrunches up her nose sniffing, and it’s good to have the attention on her and not me for a while. “Umm, same old, same old for me. Nothing new. Just school and crap, trying to make ends meet. It’s a fucking jungle in Chicago.”

“I’m sorry. When the money starts coming from our ventures together, I can help you out if you need,” I tell her, not wanting Cindy to suffer, my sympathies going out to her, as it wasn’t that long ago, that I was on the same struggle bus with her.

“Naw, you’re sweet, bestie. Drink up.” She smiles at me as I hug the cup, sniffing the cocoa.

“Your cocoas have always been like a warm hug to me, tonight this one tastes extra special.”

Cindy laughs laying her head on my shoulder. “Probably because you’ve been missing it and haven’t had it in a while.”

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