"You have got to be shitting me," this was rumbled in a low voice by the male detective who had just come out of the house, I looked toward him to see both him and his partner, the pretty female detective looking towards a sleek black sports-car pulling up in the driveway behind all the police cruisers. 

I knew who it was immediately, which was why I pushed to my feet on the steps and started running, not even thinking about what I was doing. Dmitri was barely out of his car before I barreled into him, the impact taking him back a step before his strong arms wrapped around me and held me tight to his big frame and that's when I lost it. 

It was silent, but my body shook with my sobs and I clutched onto him as if he might disappear at any second, and when my pain became so strong that my knees fell out beneath me, he swung me up in his arms and leaned back against the hood of his car as he kept me cradled in his arms. I felt his lips against the top of my head, heard him whispering soothing words to me as one of his hands rubbed gently up and down my arm and I pressed my face into his neck and sucked in a huge breath. I had no idea how long he held me like that, comforting me and taking care of me as I cried myself dry, but even when the tears stopped coming and my sobs died away, he didn't let me go until he was sure I wouldn't break down again. 

"Volkov," I was still curled into him, his arms tight around me and I felt him tense as the male detective's voice broke into my breakdown-drama, and I turned to look over my shoulder at the elder detective who looked between me and Dmitri with inquisitive eyes. I wasn't surprised the man knew who Dmitri was, I figured their wasn't a cop in the city of New York who didn't know the name Dmitri Volkov, and that was not because Dmitri was a hero-cop. 

Carefully, Dmitri put me back down on my feet but he kept one arm around my shoulder and twisted me so my body was pressed along the side of his, my head resting on his chest as I looked up at the detective who's name I couldn't remember. 

"Detective Carson," so that was his name, not that I really cared, but since he was obviously the lead detective on my parents case, it was probably good knowledge to store away for later. 

"I take it you two know each other," Detective Carson's eyes shifted between Dmitri and me again, paying close attention to Dmitri's arm around my shoulder before returning his attention to Dmitri. 

Dmitri answered with a question of his own, and when he did, my body tensed against his, "Mikhail and Tasha?" My eyes stayed locked on Detective Carson as he ran a hand through his graying dark hair and blew out a breath, his eyes going over his shoulder where I saw his partner eying us carefully. Carson's eyes turned back to us and they settled on me for a second before he stepped closer and spoke so low I barely heard him, "worst shit I've seen my entire career and I've had a long one, but your girl she saw it all, she doesn't need me to repaint the picture for her." At his words I whimpered because suddenly an image of my mothers beautiful green eyes came to me, only they were devoid of the vibrant light that was always present, and instinctively I pressed myself closer to Dmitri as if he could take the memories away. 

"Elena," Dmitri's soft voice came at me and I tilted my head up to look at him, his beautiful steel gray eyes searched my husky blue, and whatever he saw made his jaw clench and his arm spasm around my shoulders as he pulled me even tighter against his body. 

"She give her statement?" Carson nodded, his eyes soft on me and I swallowed because I was trying really hard not to break down again, but the compassion in his deep blue eyes made it really difficult. "I'm taking her home, you need anything else from her, you tell me," I should probably object to this, I was perfectly capable of answering a phone or taking a trip to the police station, but I didn't because I was just too tired and if Dmitri wanted to take care of that I was happy to let him do it. 

"Right, I'll do that," Without another word, Dmitri turned me around and led me to the passenger side of his car, opened the door for me and helped me in, and he didn't close the door on me until he watched me buckle in. Then I watched as he walked back to the detective, they exchanged words and detective Carson nodded before Dmitri stepped away and rounded the car to get to the driver's side, where he slid effortlessly behind the wheel and turned on the car before backing out of the drive. And as we drove back towards the city, I realized I was never going back to that place, and I was never going to see my parents again. That's when my already broken heart shattered into a million tiny pieces and I was sure it would never feel whole again. 

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I could hear Dmitri out in the hall, he was talking to someone and they were doing it quietly, probably so I wouldn't hear, but I didn't really care. I was in Dmitri Volkov's home, it was a huge three story mansion with a stunning view of the Hudson and large grounds surrounding the property that was mostly borded in by massive acres of trees all around. Absently I wondered how much he'd paid for the property, but I didn't really care about that either, all I knew was that if this was my home, I would have had horses. 

I loved horses, I took lessons when I was little and I still loved it. Sitting on the back of a horse, feeling the wind through my hair and the powerful movements of the majestic animal beneath me, there was nothing like it. I wondered vaguely if Dmitri liked horses, and I knew even as I thought all of this, I was occupying my mind with insignificant thoughts to keep from thinking about my parents. 

The ride to the city had been quiet, most of the time I'd spent staring out the window, feeling Dmitri's eyes on me every now and then and I knew he was gauging my mood and state of mind, prepared to pull over at any second in case I fell apart again. I knew I would eventually, I'd cried myself dry in his arms back in the Hamptons, but eventually my tearducts would start working again and I would have another break down. I suspected I would have a lot of them in the time to come, but they were justified, because Detective Carson had been right, I did not need him to repaint the picture of my parents butchered bodies. 

It was all vividly imprinted on my mind, something I knew would stay with me forever. 

When we arrived at his home, there were armed guards everywhere and as he parked the car outside the steps to his front door, I waited for him to get to me before getting out of the car and he placed a gentle hand on the small of my back as he led me up the steps while at the same time barking orders in russian at his men. 

Through all of this I stayed quiet, both too tired to do anything else and terrified that if I opened my mouth I would break down again. Two women were waiting inside when Dmitri showed me in, one of them I knew was Natalya Volkov, Dmitri's younger sister and the relation between them was evident. Dmitri was well over six feet, around six three or possibly six four, and his sister was tall as well, and she was very beautiful. She had the same eyes as her brother, same dark hair that was at that moment hanging over her shoulder in a long braid and she had sharp defined cheekbones that only made her more gorgeous. The other woman was shorter than Natalya, closer to my height but a little taller, and she had dark blonde hair that flowed freely in beautiful waves around her heartshaped face and down her back. She had a flawless hourglass figure, striking ocean blue eyes and pale skin, and like Natalya, her gentle eyes were trained fully on me. 

"Talya, is the room prepared?" Natalya jumped at the sound of her brothers voice before she gave him an affirmative nod and she came towards me, her arms going around me and I didn't know what to make of this, except her hug was gentle and warm and it felt nice so I hugged her back. 

"I'm so sorry, honey," Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I closed my eyes and hugged her tighter for a second before letting her go and giving her a shaky smile before whispering a quiet, "thank you". As Natalya stepped away, the other woman approached me and she was more hesitant, instead of hugging me she took both my hands and wrapped hers around them, her eyes locking with mine as she spoke quietly. 

"I'm Irina, I'm so sorry for your loss," she had a soft voice, and she seemed sweet, so I squeezed her hands before she let me go and I took a step back.

"Thank you," I murmured again, feeling at a loss over my situation, that was until I felt Dmitri's heat settle at my back and I tipped my head to see him looking down at me. 

"You need to get some rest, angel, I'll take you to your room," I found myself nodding, Dmitri put his hand against the small of my back and guided me through the large foyer towards the stairs to the second floor and I could hear the women trailing behind as they spoke quietly to each other. 

The room Natalya had made up for me was beautiful, something straight out of a fairytale and in any other situation I would have been ecstatic, but I was just so tired that all I could focus on was the huge bed that looked big enough to fit ten people and the dozens of pillows to rest my head on. 

"You have a private bathroom right through here, I've stocked up the cabinets with a variety of products and plenty of towels. I didn't know your size in clothes so both me and Irina put some of our clothes in the dresser right here, we figure something will fit you and we'll go out and get anything else you might need in the morning." Natalya showed me where everything was and I only had the strength to nod as she did so, all the while Dmitri was leaning against the wall just inside the door and he was watching me. 

"Thank you," I mumbled again as Natalya and Irina told me they'd let me get settled and we could talk in the morning, "for everything," Natalya smiled softly, but I noticed Irina watching me carefully before she too gave me a hesitant smile and then they both went out the door and I was once more alone with Dmitri. 

"My room is right down the hall, second door on the right, you need anything you come find me." Again, I was too tired to do anything but nod, and Dmitri watched me do this before he pushed away from the wall, came to me and put a gentle hand on the back of my head and leaned down to brush his lips gently against my forehead. 

"dobroy nochi, Elena", and then he left too and closed the door behind him, and for the first time in hours I was completely alone. 

I didn't waste any time after that, walked over to the dresser and dug through it until I found a light blue night gown left there by either Natalya or Irina, and stripped out of my own clothes before pulling the soft fabric over my head and making my way to the bed. 

I pulled back the soft white sheets, crawled into the bed as exhaustion made my body heavy and settled into the mountain of pillows, but as tired as I was, I still couldn't sleep so I just lay there and listened to the sounds all around me. Finally, as I heard the conversation out in the hall drift away, my lids became heavy and I succumbed to sleep. 

***************************************************************************************************Dmitri

When he closed the door to Elena's room, Irina was waiting for him in the hall, the wife of his second was looking at the door with indecision on her face and finally her eyes turned to him, her voice low when she spoke up in that soft voice of hers that never seized to surprise him. 

"She keeps up a good facade, but she's crumbling Dmitri. It's going to happen, and when it does, it will come on hard and fast and someone needs to be there when it does." 

When Dmitri had first met Irina she was working as a stripper at one of the clubs he owned, and she was the absolute last woman he would have ever thought Vigo to end up with. This was because, despite her profession, Irina was a delicate woman, she had a heart of gold and it was bigger than the state of Texas, but he had underestimated her strength back then and he knew better than to do so now. 

Irina had survived her own brand of hell and come out on the other side a victor, Vigo had a lot to do with that, but in the end it was her own strength of will that had gotten her there and knowing that he decided to take her words as the warning it was. 

"I'm right down the hall, Rina," he reminded her, but the blonde shook her head and gave a jerk of her head, indicating they should move the conversation further down the hall. He followed her until she stopped just outside his room, and her eyes were clear on his as she explained further. 

"After Linc was killed and I was raped, I was alone Dmitri. I had Vigo down the hall, and my sister was in the next room, but when it happened it didn't matter they were close, I was still alone. She found her parents murdered, that is an image that will never leave her no matter how bone tired she is, and if what I overheard Vigo saying is true, what she saw is the stuff of nightmares. I heard you in there, telling her you're just down the hall and to come to you if she needs anything, she won't do that. When that fresh wave of memories hits, you're trapped inside and you can't get out, you don't have the clarity of mind to run down the hall." 

Dmitri didn't know what Elena had seen, but he knew it was the stuff of nightmares as Irina had said, but he didn't see what he could do except wait it out and hope Irina was wrong. 

"I'll take care of her," he assured her and Irina watched him for a second before reaching out to squeeze his shoulder as she passed him.

"You need me, you know where I am" she called over her shoulder and Dmitri's eyes drifted to Elena's door as he took in Irina's words. He hoped she was wrong, that Elena didn't get trapped in her nightmares, but he needed to keep a vigilant eye. 

Later that night, after having a brief conversation with Vigo and Ivan about what Carson had told him at the scene and to put out the feelers to find out who was responsible for Mikhail and Tasha's murders, he lay in bed and thought about everything that had happened from the moment he got Elena's call. 

He could not get the memory of her throwing herself in his arms out his head, her immeasurable pain as she fell apart in his arms, and lastly the dead look in her eyes as he'd closed the door to her room earlier. He would find the person responsible for the Lenkov's murders and Elena's pain, and they would pay with a slow and painful death and he'd see to that personally. 

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Dmitri jerked awake as he heard the piercing scream ring through the walls and he knifed out of bed, throwing open the door to his room he rushed down the hall and pushed into Elena's room. She was pressed back against the headboard, her knees to her chest as the tears flowed in rivers down her cheeks and her body shook with the force of her sobs. Her eyes were wide and terrified, looking at nothing at all and he knew Irina was right, she was back there and she was trapped in her own torturous memories and he had to pull her out. 

Getting in bed with her, he was gentle as he slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her body into his. She jerked against him, her head swinging his way and he nearly flinched at the look in her eyes, complete and utter despair. Wrapping both arms around her, he pulled her as close as he could before sliding a hand under her raised knees and shifting her so she was sitting fully in his lap. 

"Dmitri?" his eyes turned towards the still open door, Talya was looking at Elena, his sister's face a mask of worry and a second later he saw both Irina and Vigo appear behind Talya. 

Elena was still sobbing, but as she did she burrowed closer into his body almost as if she wanted to become part of him and he hugged her closer, hoping his touch would help her get free of the memories that plagued her to such extremes. 

"I have her," he said quietly and locked eyes with Vigo who understood his meaning and pulled both women out of the door before closing it to leave only Dmitri and Elena. It took some time, but finally her sobs stopped and her breathing evened out, only then did he slide them under the covers, Elena's slim body tucked to his side. Her face was in the crook of his neck, one of her arms thrown over his stomach, and one of his were around her waist as the other sifted through her soft ice blonde hair until she fell asleep against him. 

Dmitri did not sleep, not for a very long time, and when he did, Elena was still tucked firmly against his side. 

***************************************************************************************************The third time it happened, Dmitri was not sleeping, he was waiting for it, anticipating it would happen and he knew he needed to do something about it. After the first night, he'd talked Elena into taking something to help her sleep at night, but this did not work. The only thing that calmed her was his presence and he was coming to the conclusion that the only way he could keep this from becoming a permanent nightly routine, was by moving her to his room. 

He had told her this, she refused, but now he'd had enough and he was done with watching her become a ghost of her former self. She was entitled her time and means of grieving, but starving herself and shutting down was not a coping mechanism he would allow. 

This time he did not slide into bed with her, he picked her up and carried her down the hall to his own room, put her in his bed and slid in beside her and she settled instantly, her body going soft against his as she assumed her regular position of her head in the crook of his neck and her arm thrown over his stomach. 

He'd seen the photos of the crime-scene, knew what Elena had seen as she found her parents and even to him it was nauseating and downright sick, twisted and fucked up. In the days since it happened, he'd also learned information that indicated Romero Villanueva was behind it, and the Villanueva-cartel was closing ranks, which ment the intel was good. 

Dmitri had also made it known wide that Elena was under his protection and he would demand retribution for Mikhail and his wife, and if the Villanueva-cartel was involved, this might mean war. 

But, as the woman curved into him tightened her hand around his stomach and snuggled closer he knew he'd risk war, because she was worth it, and the pain she was suffering needed to be rectified and if war was the only way, so be it. 

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A/N

I know this was a little dark and a whole lot of pain, and tears and break downs. But, it is important for the story and I promise there will be much lighter chapters. 

Unfortunately, I don't know when I'll update next seeing as this story runs paralell with Mafia and I don't want to spoil one or the other, I'm going to keep working on Mafia for now and as soon as that story has progressed a little more, I'll get back to this.

Hope you like it and stick around to see what happens, because I already love Elena and Dmitri and I hope you will too!

-L <3