Page 5 of Deadly Knight
Someone like me.
Since meeting Dimitri, it’s been obvious we come from different worlds. I’m…normal, I guess, if there’s a definition for that word. Nothing special. I grew up with doting parents in the same house I was born into. My childhood felt standard. Nothing was freely given, everything earned. My parents, being middle class, never raised me to be spoiled or provided anythingoverly extra they felt I didn’t need. I strived for simplicity—to get a job and continue the dream of averageness.
Dimitri, even years ago, exuded danger. At first, he seemed like a self-proclaimed bad boy so many fawned over, even when he never gave them the time of day. He drove himself to school in a vehicle easily worth more than both my parents’ plus our neighbours’ cars. He wore clothing brands I couldn’t guess how to pronounce. His house is a mansion, set on a huge piece of property away from everyone else.
When we eventually got close, I learned thewhyof it all. Why his life is how it is. Who he truly is. He’s not at all normal. He leads a life surrounded by people I didn’t realize existed. A family with power most people crave. He wasn’t a self-proclaimed bad boy at all because he was bred to bethebad boy, being the literal definition ofbad. The kind the police hunt down because his family’s business is crimes.
The kind I should have run from rather than to, even though Dimitri felt warm and everything opposite of his family and made me feel like no other girl existed on the planet.
I once had a lot of doubts that “someone like me”could keep his attention. With every day passing, I fell more and more in love, and he never gave me the impression I wasn’t enough. The doubts quickly quelled, but Ivan resurfaces them all as he verbalizes what I admitted to my diary this morning: Outside of school, things will probably change between us. They’ll have to, because he’ll have no choice but to fully join the Bratva, and I have to accept that and everything it’ll mean for us to accept him.
Ivan flicks the cheque, breaking my thoughts. “This could pay for your entire education. No loans would be required.”
I’m only taking student loans because I refused Dimitri paying my tuition. I’m not with him for the Bratva’s insane funds—no matter the form it gets handed to me in.
“Nyet.”
Ivan blinks. “No? I’d think very carefully if I were you.”
“You’re not me. If you were, you’d understand why money can’t buy me off.”
“Miss Terasov?—”
“Papa.” Steps come up behind us, jerking our attention away from one another. Ivan clenches the cheque in his hand, hiding it from Dimitri, who approaches with his gaze lasered on his father as he steps beside me and takes my hand. He looks between the two of us, a question formulating within his hardened statement. “Wasn’t expecting you.”
Ivan clears his throat and shoves his hands back into his pockets, hiding the bribe. “I was congratulating Katya on making it to such a marvellous day. So exciting.” His grin is snake-like, watery, and so easy to see through.
Dimitri looks between us again until I nod, agreeing with Ivan’s lie. At least for now, it’s better. Tonight, I’ll tell him. Or perhaps tomorrow, after the celebrations are over. For today, he deserves to experience normalcy since this will be his final graduation ever.
Dimitri accepts my lie with a blank expression and faces his father. “Staying for the ceremony?” Hope lightly tinges his tone, his dream of a father-son connection seeping out.
Ivan snorts. “I have more important matters to attend to. As do you, Dimitri. It pleases me to know this silly time in your life is nearly finished.”
Dimitri’s hope falters to acceptance, as it usually does when he speaks to his father. “Bye then.” Releasing my hand, he wraps his arm around my waist, tugging me away from his father and towards the crowd of graduates now starting to line up in the formation school administration directs them to.
I feel Ivan’s gaze on us, and it takes a lot of restraint to avoid peeking behind me.
“What was that about?” Dimitri mutters into my ear. “Tell me. What did he say?”
“Nothing.” I force my voice to be level, to not reveal anything before anger potentially takes him away from the day he’s worked for. Instead, I step from his arm and take his hand once more, smiling up at him like all is right in the world and I wasn’t just bribed by his father. “He truly did come to greet me. Everything’s fine.” At least, I hope it will be. I pull us to a stop and lift onto my toes, pressing my lips to his, mumbling against his mouth, “Don’t let him ruin our day.”
It takes him a moment, but he finally kisses me back. It begins slowly and then builds, a heat blooming in the base of my stomach. He kisses me like he believes me when I say it’ll be alright. Like he’s promising it will be. He kisses me like I’m the only thing that matters.
Someone calling his name shatters the wall we’ve formed around ourselves, and it’s with a crooked smirk I adore too much that Dimitri drags me towards the crowd.
I peek behind me, unable to ease the prickle from my neck.
Ivan turns away with a shake of his head.
If there’sone piece of training I’ve taken to living by, it’s to always trust instinct. The body’s natural responses will go into fight, flight, or freeze, depending which the situation calls for.
Right now, I’m stuck firmly in fight.
Or maybe flight, only so I can get Katya away.
It’s stupid to be feeling it now of all times, considering the party around us and the huge bonfire in the centre of the clearing lighting up even the darkest parts of the treeline. The rambunctious bustle of shouts, cheers, and whoops from our fellow graduates should make me feel everything opposite of wanting to run, and I should be right there with them, in a drunken stupor.
Even Katya is three drinks in and sipping her fourth as she giggles with the group of friends she’s surrounded us with. I’m pleased she’s having fun and letting go. She does so infrequently, preferring to remain indoors rather than attend the numerous house parties classmates have thrown over the years.
