Page 62 of Mafia Christmas Vows

My lips curl. “The bigger monster.”

“In this case, just the richer one.”

I notice that he still seems…

Distant.

Well.

Here goes.

I take a deep breath. “Look, about last night. I wanted to tell you that I’m?—”

Alexei puts his finger over my lips, and I pause.

“Wait. Just… Wait…” he whispers.

Uh.

Okay?

I freeze.

Alexei runs around the Christmas tree. He pulls one of the lower branches aside and grabs a little wrapped package.

My heart starts to beat faster, and he brings me the box.

“Here,” he says.

“Alexi. I didn’t get you anything?—”

“Please, milaya,” he whispers. “Open it.”

Silently, I grab the box. My hands shake as I tug at the wrapping. He used a really beautiful red paper that’s shot through with strands of curling silver.

“Did you wrap this yourself?”

Alexei’s mouth tilts into a grin, and some of the playful man that I’ve come to love over the last few weeks is there again.

The sight gives me hope.

“You definitely did a pretty good job with it,” I murmur as I continue to struggle with the wrapping. Eventually, though, I manage to get it off, and it falls onto the floor.

The box is small.

But I kind of recognize it.

I mean. Not this specific box.

But I know what boxes that look like this mean.

Hands shaking, I pull the box open.

I can’t help the gasp that emerges when I finally see the contents.

My eyes snap up to Alexei’s. “Alexei…. I…I don’t…”

“Do you like them?”

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