Page 4 of Spring Awakening

“There were three, only one tattoo on each of them. I’m sending photos now.”

“The fucking Croatians? They are cockroaches. Every time we think we’ve gotten them all, more appear. Fucking hell. A cleaning crew is on its way, as is security. They’ll remain hidden from nosy biddies. How is Aunt Sonya?”

“She was ready to take them out on her own with that bat Daniil gave her in one hand and my gun in her other hand.” As Kostya chuckled, I rubbed my eyes. “Kostya, Dina was with me. She had no clue who I was. I hadn’t told her yet. It was our first date. What if she wants nothing to do with me? How do I convince her I would never hurt her or allow anyone to?”

“Fuck. Be honest. If she’s to be a part of this family, she deserves to know. If she walks away, let her, but show her every day what you feel. If she’s meant to stand by your side, she’ll accept all of you. I’ll be in contact soon.”

As my Pakhan hung up, I sighed heavily. Bracing for the worst, I walked to the safe room and entered the code to open the door. Before it was open all the way, Dina had thrown herself at me. She buried her face in my neck and held me as tight as she could. I held her close as Mama walked by and patted my arm and spoke in Russian. “Vanka, she worried about you and only you. We spoke about the family and the truth of things. She is a good woman. I’m going to bed. This old body can’t handle these late-night escapades.”

“Night, Mama.” I carried Dina into my bedroom and sat in a reading chair by the large window.

“Zhizn moya, you are safe, everyone is safe. They will never hurt you or your family.”

She pulled back and punched me in the arm. “I know that, but you, you were injured and could have been killed. Your mom said you were Bratva. What does that mean? Are you mafia? Why Wintervale? Why me?”

Wiping her tears away, I held her face tenderly. “Yes, I’m Bratva. The whole family is Bratva. We didn’t move here to bring Bratva to Wintervale. Mama was sick a lot where we were living. Wet, humid air was bad for her. We moved here for her to be healthy and happy. It’s just me and Papa asked me to take care of her before he died. That is why Wintervale.

“As for why you, what I told you on the hill was the truth. I have never lied to you. I didn’t want you to find out like this, but I would have told you after a few dates.”

“I’m scared, Ivan. This is so much, so fast. I’m so scared.”

“I know, baby. How about I take you home? Let the cleaners take care of the mess here. You can sleep safely in your bed.”

She nodded softly as I continued to hold her close. “Ivan, can you come over after the cleaners are done, please?”

I kiss her softly before picking her up and say against her lips, “I would love to, but it may be late.”

“I don’t care. I just need you with me. My bedroom is downstairs.”

“Then I’ll be there as soon as I can be to hold you and make you feel safe.”

~~*~~

She was so fucking beautiful. Her soft breaths fanned the hair that’d fallen across her cheek as she slept. The blankets were pulled up over her shoulders, and were thick, so I knew she was warm. Perfectly warm.That soft, soft skin, the heat of sleep relaxing all her muscles.

Dina made a soft sound, and my body went taut. She shifted, her eyes squeezed closed, and another murmur worked its way out of her chest. My left foot lifted, readying myself to reach out and comfort her. But before I could step my leg forward, Dina’s eyes popped open in a gasp. I carefully lowered my foot back to the carpet as I held my body completely still.

“Ivan.” Her whisper felt like a shout with the way it hit me and reverberated around in my skull. She lay there for a moment, looking at the ceiling, and I wondered the best way to announce my presence. There was no way for me to let her know I was standing there, in the dark, without scaring her, and she’d been scared enough.

My cock was hard as rock after hearing her whisper my name. I needed to let her know I was there. She wanted me to be there. She wanted me to hold her in her bed. I held back because knowing she could have been hurt tonight made me want to keep her safe, even if that meant safe from me.

~~*~~

Dina

I held my breath when I sat up in bed. And even though I knew he’d be here, I was still startled. He moved closer and sat on my bed. The only hint of light is coming from behind him, so he appeared as a silhouette. But there was no mistaking that it was Ivan. I wish I could see more. I wanted to run my eyes overevery inch of him. His shoulders rose as he took a deep breath. “Closer,” I whispered, my voice pleading.

“Zhizn moya, I should stay away from you. Keep you safe and away from my life.” His voice was rougher than I remembered. The depth of it filled the room. “Tell me no, tell me to stay away.”

It felt like my heart was beating straight through my ribs. I should be smart and responsible and listen to him. I should put an end to this madness while I still could. But that wasn’t what I wanted. For the first time in my life, I was going to throw safe and responsible out the window. I wanted this man with every beat of my heart. I moved closer, trembling all over. Not a single doubt crossed my mind. I took a breath and answered him. “I can’t do that, Ivan. You’re the one person I want here with all of my heart.”

A low sound rumbled from his chest. His shoulders rolled back, like he was fighting himself to not move. “Zhizn moya, strip for me. Show me all of you.”

Every word out of his mouth hit me in the chest before it glided down, straight to my core. This was what I wanted. My fingers were unsteady, but the top button on my shirt finally pushed through, coming undone. I’d never let anyone see me naked. And I’d certainly never stripped for an audience. My body stayed perfectly still until the final button slipped free. The material parted an inch, but remained clinging to me.

“Dina..” He sounded almost angry as his hand reached out and grazed my skin as my shirt slipped free from my body. The groan that slipped free from him sounded almost painful. Then with one quick motion, I shoved my shorts down my hips, and when they reached my knees, Ivan took hold and pulled them free.

His breathing was audible in the still room. And I could almost see the tension crackling in the space between us. His hands reached out and caressed my skin from my feet up my legs, caressing my hips until he leaned over me, and looked into my eyes. “Last chance, baby. I’m not a good man, but I will always be good to you. Once you let me love you, I won’t be able to let you go. I already need to, like I need air to breathe.”

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