POV: Dimitri

9 years ago

Two months spent in the company of Adrian Ivashkov felt like a lifetime. It was becoming clear he was incapable of staying idle for more than a few hours. He always had something to do and somewhere to be. When he'd said working for him would be hard, I thought he was referring more to the mental toll of the job. I was prepared for things that'd be difficult to stomach, dirty work in its truest form. However, it turned out he simply meant it'd be exhausting. So exhausting in fact, I couldn't stop myself wondering if he was a machine. McCall and I barely managed to keep up with him and we at least took turns resting. But, he stayed true to his promise, taking care of my family in ways I never could. It made me determined to keep our arrangement intact, regardless of the times I questioned my decision to accept it.

After a while, I'd come to realize the biggest test for my psyche as his employee wasn't at all what I'd expected. Shockingly, with each passing day, I found it more strenuous to resent Adrian. It was almost annoying how likeable he was. Even worse, it was painful how often he reminded me of Ivan. The way he bore himself, confident and stout-hearted, made it seem like he could shape and bend everything and everyone to his will. I couldn't deny that he exuded charm, same kind of charm that instantly made me want to be Ivan's friend. He was just one of those people who could probably convince Satan to be their lap dog if they so desired. Your resistance to him became irrelevant under enough pressure and he knew exactly how to apply it.

"You cut your hair I see", Adrian commented as I walked up to him and McCall who looked like he was about to collapse on the table.

McCall had been on duty for hours and, judging by the slightly dazed look on Adrian's face, most of it was spent in Adrian's bar. It was my turn to guard him and McCall wasted no time taking off. He was probably dying to go to sleep. He exchanged a few words with Adrian while I ordered a cup of coffee, waving me goodbye before he headed out. Adrian toyed with the decorative umbrella in his glass for a while until he decided to add: "Is your new hairstyle meant to show off your tattoo?"

I instinctively brushed my hand over the snake like symbol on the back of my neck, still feeling uneasy it was there before replying: "No."

"You don't talk much, do you?", he asked as if he hadn't figured it out already.

I shrugged and he tittered, eyeing the cup the waiter placed in front of me. He tapped on the rim of his glass, making the poor guy scurry away in an attempt to get him another drink as fast as possible. Since I'd joined Adrian's staff, I never once saw someone disobeying him. People who came in contact with him often clearly knew better than to assume his laid back attitude and deceivingly harmless looks weren't just for show.

"I'll make you a deal", Adrian suddenly spoke up, giving me an odd look, "I'm going to ask you some questions. You'll get a hundred bucks for every answer you give me. And, if your answers contain more than two or three words, you'll get a bonus fifty."

"That's a waste of money."

"It's my money, I get to spend it however I please."

I shook my head and huffed, waving at him to get on with it. His face split into a grin as he chuckled: "That's more like it. So, what's the deal with you and that woman... Natasha, is it?"

"We're friends", I replied, pausing before I decided if I was going to be tortured I'd make the most of it, "We've known each other for a while and, as I told you, I knew she'd be in danger if I left her behind in Russia after what I'd done."

"Friends, huh? Any benefits I should know about?", he prompted, wiggling his eyebrows.

"No. There's nothing you should know about."

"Ha! Man, you're good", he exclaimed, leaning back into his chair, "I like how carefully you pick your words. It's a talent, really. See, now you've earned three hundred bucks and didn't reveal almost anything. I knew I made a good call by choosing you."

"Why did you chose me?"

"That's not how the game works", he warned, shaking his head.

"I'll pay you. It seems I have three hundred dollars to throw around."

"Touche. Alright, well, I've heard things about you."

"What things?", I prompted as his eyes fixed somewhere above our heads.

"That you're a hard worker, dedicated and loyal, honest man—."

"And you thought those were perfect qualities to become a criminal?", I taunted as he glanced back at me with an unreadable expression.

"You being a criminal has nothing to do with me, remember?"

I felt my chest tighten and the energy that was urging me on deflate. I was about to back down when he added: "Your friends apartment wasn't the first time I've seen you, you know? I was there when you participated in those illegal fights. I even bet on you a few times."

My shock was probably visible from another planet and it only seemed to amuse Adrian. He bit his lip before continuing: "I believe it was only a matter of time before you got sucked into this life. Like it or not, you have Ivashkov blood in your veins and that, cousin, means you don't get to live in peace. And, you see, I've learned early on in life to be meticulous about who I chose to fight against or with. So, I did my research and... you know what? I decided I'd much rather have you on my side, regardless of what brought you to it, then wind up on the receiving end of your fists."

I stayed quiet for a couple of moments, thinking over what he'd said, and then mumbled: "I don't think I have enough money to pay for that many words."

He blinked at me with a blank expression before his eyes sparked and he burst into laughter. He hit the table top with his palm, making its contents bounce. His laughter was light and pure. I realized it was the first honest reaction I'd gotten from him. It was a glimpse at what hid behind his smirks and unpredictableness.

When his laughter died down, he exclaimed: "You're actually pretty fun when you want to be."

I shrugged as he looked past me, adding: "Now, where the hell is my drink?"

I peered over my shoulder towards the bar, quickly realizing something was off. Both the waiter and the bartender were nowhere in sight and the only two guests left were the same ones I'd noticed hunched over their tables when I came in. If I'd paid more attention, perhaps I would've sensed the air of sketchiness around them. Their drinks were untouched. They haven't moved from their seats. Their faces were averted from us which I'd interpret as disinterest if the circumstances were different. However, the tenseness of their postures told a different story.

I reached for the gun I was given on my first day, one I hoped I'd never have to use, as I opened my mouth to express my concerns about the patrons that looked more suspicious the longer I watched them. And then one of them moved.

It took me a while to recall all the details of that moment once it was over. All I knew was that I acted out of instinct. In what seemed like a blink of an eye, I was on my feet and so was everyone else. Guns were drawn, bullets fired, things turned over and broken. I reflexively grabbed Adrian and pushed him back. The men who attacked us fell to the ground and it wasn't until later that I'd realized that happened because they were killed. It was after the danger was gone that I felt immense pain in my shoulder while blood seeped through my shirt.

I was shot.

"Hey, hey", Adrian's muffled voice came from behind me.

I turned to look at him and felt his fingers closing over my wound, making me cry out in pain. I tried backing away, but he held me in place while instructing: "Easy. It's a flesh wound, but you should take it slow, alright?"

"I—."

"Take it slow", he repeated, pulling up one of the chairs that was knocked down and nudging me towards it, "Sit. I'll patch you up."

"Do you even know how to do that?", I mumbled, feeling dizzy and disoriented.

"You got another hundred bucks to spare?"

Present day

"Stop fidgeting", I warned, tightening the bandage as Adrian winced.

"Stop torturing me", he replied as he tried to pull his foot away from me.

"Stop whining."

"Stop bickering like an old married couple", Rose peeped, strolling in with a tray containing Adrian breakfast.

Despite his protests, two votes against one meant he was going to be forced into bedrest for at least one day. Some of the glass got stuck pretty deep into his foot which meant it'd take longer for it to heal. I knew better than to think such an injury would keep him down for too long, but I had to make sure it wouldn't get complicated or infected.

"Us? A couple? Funny, you should say that. Because I think you two would—, aghhh, for fuck's sake Dimitri, was that really necessary?", he cried out before I loosened my grip on the bandage when I'd decided he understood my warning.

Rose set the tray down, giving him a proud smile while she announced: "Your Majesty, I present to you the best grilled cheese sandwich you'll ever taste."

"That's awfully confident."

"It's literally the only thing I know how to make so be happy it's what I chose."

"Alright, done", I announced, letting go of Adrian's foot while simultaneously blocking his attempt to get up as soon as he was free, "You're staying here and I'm going to shower. Rose has volunteered to make sure you remain put."

"And was given permission to handcuff you if you disobey", she warned with a dose of playfulness, producing the cuffs she'd ask me to give her.

"Surprisingly, I actually don't want to know how you got your hands on those", Adrian said, his eyes shifting between us accusingly, "Just please tell me you've cleaned them after using them."

"You wish", she laughed, settling into the chair I'd abandoned and plopping her legs on the bed.

"Behave", I warned, not quite sure myself which one of them I was addressing.

I couldn't wait to get under the shower. Sleeping in a half-seated position made my muscles cramp so I welcomed the steamy water, relishing the way it helped my body relax. However, there was another reason of a different nature behind my appreciation. It was the opportunity to get rid of the scent that stuck to my skin like glue. Rose's scent. I smelled of her which wasn't only distracting, but maddening. After the mess Adrian had made, I didn't have time to worry about masking all the evidence of my preceding activities. Though, at first, I thought Rose's presence in his room was what cause her scent to sneak up my nostrils. It wasn't until I left both her and the room behind that I knew I'd soaked her up and carried her with me.

However, I was foolish to think rubbing her off my skin would ease my mind. She undeniably drifted through all of my thoughts and I knew I'd gone in too deep. I couldn't shake her off or run from her. I could no longer deny her to myself. She was a drug and I'd become an addict because, like all addicts, I'd convinced myself I could only try her and then walk away. Falling for someone is putting yourself at their mercy. They can either take you to heaven or send you straight to hell, Ivan's words from a conversation that seemed like it happened decades ago rang through my head, but it's still a ride of a lifetime my friend. I could try to deny it all I want, but I was one foot into that ride and it scared me more than anything. As much as I didn't want to believe it, it was perfectly obvious Rose would be my downfall, one way or the other.

After a lot of self reprimanding and silent cursing at my stupidity, I finally got out of the bathroom. To my surprise and for one long and agonizing moment, I thought all the soap I'd used still proved useless. But then my eyes shot up and I realized Rose was in my room. She was sitting on the foot of my bed, her body angled back and propped on her palms which were flat against the covers. Her eyes wandered towards me lazily, but I didn't miss the way they widened once they landed on my bare chest.

"Was Adrian giving you trouble?", I asked, guiltily relishing how appreciatively she continued to watch me.

"No, he fell asleep again and I got bored."

"So you came here."

"So I came here", she repeated, pushing herself off the bed and strolling towards me.

As she moved closer, images of last night flashed through my head. No woman had ever made me crave her as much as Rose has. I felt like I'd never be able to get enough of her. When she came to a stop before me, I had to fight the urge to reach out to her. She lifted her hand, briefly pausing before touching my chest and I knew my inner battle would soon turn pointless. Only, when her fingers made contact with me, I noticed her eyes filling with as much curiosity as desire that'd been in them seconds ago.

"What's this?", she asked, picking up the necklace I always wore.

It seemed stupid to call it a necklace since it looked like a piece of junk hanging from a chain. Essentially, it was junk, but it held grave importance. When it was given to me, I hated it. It reminded me of what it was like to feel terrified and helpless, reminded me of my weakness which was its exact purpose at the end of the day. But, in time, I'd learned to view this small, round and bulgy piece of lead as something else entirely. It became something that kept me fighting.

"It's a bullet."

She picked it up and rolled it in her hand, running her thumb over the engraved numbers on the back of it while I added: "Adrian started this... tradition of sorts. We wear the first bullet we've dug out of our bodies as a reminder."

"Reminder of what?"

"That we're not invincible", I mumbled, wrapping my fingers around hers when she gripped the bullet tighter and looked up at me, "That this one, tiny thing can end our lives in the matter of seconds."

"And the numbers are—?"

"The date when it happened."

"Jesus", she breathed out, her free hand sneaking up to my shoulder, "You were younger than I am now."

I nodded, giving her a tight-lipped smile. Her hand slid from my shoulder to my neck and she used her hold to pull me closer. When our lips met, I was surprised by the gentleness of her movements. It was a brief and almost chaste kiss. It was unlike any we'd shared before. It made my heart dance to a completely new and unfamiliar rhythm. It made emotions stir up inside me. Emotions that were sure to get me in trouble. When she backed away, her golden-sparked eyes fixed mine and she whispered: "Dimitri, I—."

"Will somebody please bring me some fucking painkillers already?", Adrian's voice boomed through the house, cutting Rose off.

The spell broke and we harshly pulled apart. I couldn't decide if I was angry or grateful he'd interrupted whatever was happening or about to happen between Rose and me. Still, I was undeniably relieved the tension in the room deflated. Rose sighed, clearing her throat before yelling: "I'm coming, you unbearable man!"

"Way to go Dimitri you stud", he shouted back making both of us groan.

"You—?"

"Yeah, I got him", she cut in, rolling her eyes, "You finish up here."

She turned to leave and I called after her, but instead of putting one of the many feelings she'd stirred up in me into words, I winded up mumbling: "Take it easy on him."

"Sure", she replied with a dose of what almost seemed like disappointment.

POV: Rose

"I was today years old when I realized how boring being mafia's kingpin is. How about you?"

"I've been graced with that knowledge a long time ago", Adrian laughed while I leaned over to glance at the papers in his lap.

"What is all of that anyway?"

"Finances", he mumbled, scribbling some numbers on the bottom of the page he was reading before tossing the stack away.

"So even criminals do administrative work, huh?"

"Ha, that we do", he chuckled as I quirked my eyebrow.

"What, no I'm an entrepreneur speech?"

"I think we're past that. Besides, you seem to be liking criminals lately."

"Where the hell did you get that idea?"

In response he gave me one of his teasing smirks, reaching for another file from the pile Mason had delivered. When he moved, his shirt bunched up and I found myself trying to peek under the collar. Aren't you the queen of being discrete?, I scoffed, fully aware I'd been staring at Adrian's chest like an idiot for an hour, attempting to get a glimpse of his necklace. It was probably just a matter of time before he figured out what I was doing or, perhaps, he did it long ago but chose to let me make a fool of myself. Whichever it was, it seemed he'd decided to let me know he was onto me.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say Dimitri's told you about the bullets?"

His eyes flickered up after he spoke, boring into mine until I blushed and looked away. He let out what sounded like an amused snicker, digging into his shirt to pull the chain hidden underneath out. He rolled the bullet over his palm before taking the necklace off and muttering: "Here."

He placed it in my hand and returned to work, leaving me to study it on my own. The bullet looked almost exactly the same as the one Dimitri had. It was all scrunched up, bulgy and discolored, with a date carved on it. As I let the numbers sink in, I gasped: "But I don't understand this means—."

Adrian gave me a somber peek and I felt my throat tightening as I pushed out: "Christ, you were six."

"The wound never faded", he said, pulling his shirt to expose a small circle that marred the skin right above his heart, probably guessing my thoughts since he quickly supplied, "It missed my heart by a millimeter."

"You must have been terrified."

"Not really. I'd seen people gunned down before. It wasn't exactly news to me."

People? His mother and God only knows who else. I suddenly felt sick thinking of how many gruesome and terrible things Adrian had to live through. And do. I might not agree with some of his choices, one of them being him kidnapping me in the most sneaky way possible, but he'd clearly been fighting for survival for the better part of his life. When I was six, I was still playing with dolls. He'd told me numerous times he'd been at war longer than I could comprehend, but it wasn't until now that I'd fully understood what he meant by that. His childhood wasn't spent playing innocent games. It was spent dodging bullets and handling guns. It was something I wouldn't wish on anyone.

"You okay Little Renegade? You seem sad."

I looked up at him, fixing his beautiful emerald eyes and whispered: "I hope this ends soon."

I wasn't sure if he'd understand what I meant, but when his lips twitched into a small smile I knew he could tell what was on my mind. His lips then parted as if he was about to say something before his eyes flickered over my shoulder and he addressed someone behind me instead: "Care to join is?"

"Care to get out of bed?", Dimitri shot as I turned to stare at him in confusion.

"I thought he's supposed to be on bedrest."

"He's supposed to be resting", Dimitri confirmed, moving into the room, "But it doesn't necessarily have to be in his bed. I thought we'd all be more comfortable in the living room."

"You do know you don't have to babysit me, right?", Adrian protested to which Dimitri quirked his eyebrow.

"You want out of that bed or not?"

"You drive a hard bargain", Adrian laughed, pushing his work away to stand up.

Dimitri helped him down the stairs while I followed them, carrying all the files Adrian insisted on needing to finish all the boring parts of business. Once in the living room, Dimitri wiped up a book and settled on an armchair while I went to get something to drink. I returned just as Adrian's phone rang and he answered with an almost cheerful: "Yellow."

"You're one insane son of a bitch and that might be the only reason I don't hate you", Mia's voiced boomed from the speaker.

"That's an eloquent way of saying you love me", he teased, making Dimitri roll his eyes.

"Pfff, don't get carried away."

"Sure thing Darling. So, to what do I owe this emotional outburst?"

"Turn your TV on."

The three of us exchanged confused glances before Dimitri got up and followed Mia's instructions. As soon as the screen came to life, we all turned our focus to the ongoing coverage of what seemed like a series of arrests. Dimitri turned the volume up as the news lady announced: "The painting was authenticated and is indeed the long lost work of Rembrandt. The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, along with thirteen other works of art, had been stolen from Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston on march eighteenth almost thirty years ago. Only this piece has been retrieved, but the men who were in the possession of this lost treasure will remain under investigation—."

Dimitri turned the volume off and glanced at Adrian, saying: "You didn't."

"Oh, I did... I so very much did", he replied with a devilish grin.

"I knew you did it", Mia added, reminding me she was still on the line.

"How did you know?", Adrian questioned while I looked at Dimitri for answers.

"You've gotta be crazy as fuck to pull something like this off and, I mean, have you met you?"

"Sadly, yes."

"Does somebody want to clue me in on what's going on?", I exclaimed to which Dimitri stood up and motioned me out of the room.

Adrian turned the speaker off and lifted the phone to his ear as Dimitir and I left to find somewhere more quiet to talk. He waited until we descended into the sun bathed garden before saying: "Adrian made his first move on Victor."

"Wait, he got him arrested?"

"Not him. Some of his associates", he elaborated as we headed down the path I knew led to the woods, "Adrian likes art. I knew he'd acquired the painting they mentioned on the news, but I'm just as surprised as you he'd parted with it. But, after all, I guess he has more important things to worry about."

"Like sticking it to Victor", I concluded as Dimitri nodded, "But, how?"

"How what?"

"How did he throw the blame on them?"

"Adrian has his ways of—."

"Playing the game", I finished when Dimitri trailed off and glanced at the path ahead, remembering my thoughts from earlier.

We walked in silence for a while, winding up at very spot where we first gave in and dived into lust. Being here again made my body tingle, making me feel like it had been years since Dimitri touched me, not less than twenty four hours. I wondered if he felt the same way when his eyes darted towards me and his lips set in a tight line, almost like he was fighting against those same daring thoughts and memories. We slowed to a stop, our gazes locking while the silence seemed to intensify the tension between us.

"Sooo", I drawled, stepping closer to him.

He didn't move away, but his expression hardened as he said: "Rose—."

"Comrade, if you tell me again that we can't do this", I cut in, waving between us, "I'm going to kick you somewhere you're not going to enjoy."

He sighed and glanced up at the treetops, his shoulders slumping. Seconds later, his hand rose to curl around my neck and his eyes found mine again. He took an unsteady breath before whispering: "You know we shouldn't."

"I know it's what you want to believe. But we made a deal Dimitri. I accept you as my guardian and you compromise. If you don't honor it, neither will I."

"Roza", he growled softly, his eyes closing in what seemed like a lot of effort to stay in control, "Ты сводишь меня с ума."

"Not that I understood anything you just said, but... Roza?", I chuckled dryly as his eyes fluttered open.

"It's the Russian version of your name."

"Hmmm, I like it. It has a nice ring to it."

He leaned away, but thankfully didn't let go of me. It seemed like he sobered up from his brief moment of... whatever it was, his voice sharpening when he said: "Rose, I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you."

"And I'm trying to subtly avoid it."

"There is no point in avoiding it", he warned, but I wouldn't back down.

"There is 'cause, right now, you're letting that soldier part of you that we talked about take charge. I'm gonna wait until that guy's not around and then I'll give you my undivided attention."

"He's always around. You know that."

"Yeah, but sometimes he's more quiet."

"Rose, the more we give into this, the harder it's going to be to walk away. You and I both know it won't end with just a few—", he trailed off, a barely visible brush painting his cheeks.

"Hot and horny sex sessions", I prompted, teasing him so he'd slip out of his unnerving seriousness.

"Rose", he huffed exasperatedly, his hands dropping.

"You do know saying my name repeatedly isn't gonna change anything, right? I do have to admit though, saying my name in Russian again might get you places and if you stop overthinking, you might even enjoy it."

"It won't happen", he snapped, his eyes darkening.

"Whatever you say Comrade", I shot back just as his phone rang. With a huff he dug it out of his pocket as I added: "Saved by the ringing nightmare. I'm gonna take a wild guess and say I have Adrian to thank for that."

"We should head back", Dimitri confirmed, but the look in his eyes told me this conversation was far from over. Or maybe it was over and the finality of it was going to fuck me since he won't.

The road back seemed two times its normal size when spent in ignoring Dimitri and his stormy expression. As much as I didn't want to have this talk with him I still had to admit he was absolutely right about at least one thing. We went from hating to tolerating each other and then it was like we skipped months of what'd be gradually getting closer, going straight into a figurative car crash. I felt as if someone put my entire world on fast-forward and I was tumbling through it with nothing but weak attempts to catch up. You can't fall in love with someone this fast, right? There's no way that's possible. But, was I just after hot and horny sex sessions? Nope. I wasn't and I knew it. Everything within the past two and a half months of my life was insane and extraordinary. Not always the good kind of extraordinary, but still far away from normal occurrences. Maybe that could justify the way I felt about Dimitri. Most of those feelings were hard to put into words, but they were all strong enough to have me holding on for dear life.

"Okay", I blurted out so suddenly I even surprised myself.

"What?"

"Okay, if you don't want anything to happen between us again, it's fine by me."

What the fuck are you doing?, a part of my mind screamed at me. But the other part knew that, if I really considered Dimitri to be more than just someone I was banging, I had to let him decide for himself. Take things at his own pace, even if he took them somewhere I didn't want.

"Is this a... trick?", he asked, eyeing me carefully.

"No tricks. You can fall into my friend category right next to Adrian. It's what you wanted, right? You didn't say it in too many words, naturally, but it's what bothered you when we talked at the engagement party — that I didn't consider you a friend. Now, I do."

His eyes meet mine and I couldn't help but wordlessly grumble: Damn this man and his stone mask. His emotionless expression lingered for several moments and I found myself wishing I could rip some kind of a response or reaction from him. I guess that cliche line, be careful what you wish for, existed for a reason. I should've been very careful because I had no idea how hard it'd actually be to swallow his response.

"Okay then. We're friends."


OMG! Over 300 reviews! You rock people! Big thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favourited, followed and read this story! Your support, feedback and willingness to dedicate your free time to my writing means the world to me and makes this story even more worth writing! THANK YOU! And for this chapter, as all others, please do let me know your thoughts via PMs and reviews!

Question of the week: What's your favourite music genre? Mine is rock (almost all of its variations), but I do listen to many others too (which I'm sure y'all figured out judging by the variety of my song suggestions in my stories XD)!

Songs: Only One King - Jung Youth, Blasé - Kwamie Liv

XOXO T!


Translations:

Ты сводишь меня с ума. = You're driving me mad.