Page 44 of Marked (Russian Sinners 1)

“Why did you stop?” Dimitry’s question had me turning my heat at this enigma of a man. I raised my eyebrow not understanding what he meant. “Why did you stop dancing?”

I took a deep breath. After my mom died, I threw away all my ballet stuff.

“I couldn’t dance without thinking about her,” the words were a gentle choke in my throat. “I… I just couldn’t do it without getting upset so I stopped.”

Because I killed her.

Chapter Seventeen

Dimitry

Seeing firsthand Anastasia work on Sergei made me realize her professors were right. She was brilliant. The fact she ensured Sergei would be alright made me like her even more.

She kept him talking and engaged, giving pieces of herself that I knew she kept away from people. I was a bastard for feeling jealous she was giving it to Sergei. I wanted her only for myself, all of her only for me. She wasn’t even trying to capture me, and I was completely under her spell already.

When we finally made it to the back seat, I couldn’t resist placing a kiss onto her lips. I could still taste her soft, warm lips. A fucking war zone around us and she worried if I was okay.

While Nikolai, Sergei, and I could own the world, people from her social status wouldn’t care if people like us lived or died. To them we were disposable, the worst kind of sinners. The only reason they tolerated us was because they needed us and our money. But Anastasia actually cared. She didn’t care whether we were orphans, whether we even knew our parents or lineage, she placed her trust in us and took care of one of us. She saw me kill a man for fuck’s sake and she apologized for dragging us back into the world we were born into.

If that wasn’t reason enough to recognize she deserved so much better than what I could ever give her, then I was even a worse sinner… a worse bastard than I thought. But I couldn’t deny that I wanted her.

Thank all the fucking saints that Sergei, Nikolai, and I decided to get the head start and worked with men to get vehicles packed. My gut feeling was telling me we should leave right then and there, but I ignored it. It was the last time that would happen. Thankfully, I got all the men going with packing, and while Anastasia was soundly asleep, I packed up her things and her bag.

“Another two minutes,” Nikolai announced to Sergei and Anastasia.

“When we get there, let’s get Sergei into a room,” she told us. “I want to check him under good lighting to make sure I didn’t miss anything.”

“I’m all better,” Sergei tried to convince her.

“You won’t be fighting anyone tonight,” she replied firmly, then turned her head back to us. “If there is anyone else hurt, I can check them out too.”

“Why?” Sergei asked the question, and I knew it probably lingered in Nikolai’s mind too.

She turned her beautiful eyes to him and frowned. “Why what?”

Sergei watched her seriously. “Why would you help any of us? We are killers; you said it yourself.”

She tilted her head as she studied him pensively. “And why would you help me?” her question was soft, unchallenging but at the same time she sounded a bit offended he would question her.

“We are getting something out of it,” he replied.

“And what is that?” she asked him, then added, “Besides the pleasure of saving my butt.”

I had to chuckle at her reply and Sergei smiled weakly, “Your father would help us legitimize our business.”

And there it was, why it all started and what led me to her. Although I didn’t regret it and now would do anything that was necessary to keep her safe.

“Does that upset you?” Sergei questioned her. He was persistent, waiting to hear her say we were not worth it. It has been ingrained into us. All three of us struggled with the belief that a good woman would find us worthy.

“No, it doesn’t bother me that’s the only reason you helped me,” she replied in a firm but soft voice. “I think we all know by this point you guys went way beyond a standard rescue. I don’t care what you say but all three of you are good men. Just like I told Sonia earlier, usually violence is returned with violence. And there was no way that I can diminish the fact that you all resorted back to violence in order to save me. If anything, I owe you big time. My family and I owe you more than we could ever pay you.”

Anastasia was a fucking amazing woman. I wanted to make her mine; hear promises from her that she’d be mine forever. The words of the witch came back to me.

A woman will bring you to your knees. With her you’ll have what you always craved.

Fuck if I didn’t start to think that gypsy woman knew what she was talking about.

“What do you get out of helping us?” Sergei asked Anastasia.

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