𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 • 16 || ❝𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬❞

>𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃

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𝐌 𝐈 𝐋 𝐀 • 𝐎 𝐑 𝐋 𝐎 𝐕

I'm wearing a pair of comfy joggers and a loose top; my face is covered with heat. The embarrassment is too much. I walk into the living room and find Kristian sitting on the sectional drinking whiskey. I try and be quiet and make my way to the kitchen, grabbing myself a glass of water to wash away the stagnant sick taste, even though I've brushed my teeth and used mouthwash twice.

I walk closer, I can smell a hint of lemon and cedarwood not far from where I'm standing. The blush creeps up my neck and homes itself onto the apples of my cheeks. I don't get embarrassed easily. I stand near Kristian and take a sip of my water. "Um, thank you for earlier." I mutter quietly, I hate to admit I appreciate help. I never wanted or needed it. But being disrespectful? That's the worst kind. Even after everything I put Kristian through, he still had the decency to check if I was okay. Not to mention I was nearly butt naked in front of him, I did notice him keeping his eyes off me, I could imagine it wasn't that difficult seen as he probably gets sex often.

He doesn't even look up at me, he stares down at his whiskey glass as if it was telling him a story. "Welcome." He speaks. I stand here awkwardly. Inching closer and closer. "What are you thinking about?" I enquire.

"Nothing."

A pinch attacks me, he's being short with me. "Why are you being short?" I demand, watching as he stands and looks down at me.

"I'm not." He looks at me, analysing my face.

"Yes, you are." He walks past me and places his glass on the kitchen side. I decide not to give him the light of day and walk away from him, leaving the front room and kitchen all together, storming off.

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I leave Kristian for the rest of Thursday, it's now a mid-day Friday and I'm currently on the hunt to find Leonid seen as I can't find Kristian.

I turn around the corners and around the pillars, I find Leonid on his phone, scrolling and typing. "Leonid." I approach him, he looks at me with a blank expression. He raises an eyebrow indicating me to continue before he walks away.

"Do you know where Kristian is?" I enquire, trying not to look too desperate. The wedding is tomorrow, usually I don't get nervous...But I couldn't feel any worse than what I do right now. The last time I was nervous was probably the day my father didn't come home after a meeting. A meeting, so he says.

"He's out." He growls. Leonid has always had a grumpy personality and aura about him, I almost feel bad for him.

"Out where?" I ask, he sighs and stares at me, wishing I'd be quiet.

"He's just out at a business meeting right now." Elias interrupts, causing me to turn and face him. I stare at him, head to toe, witnessing the fresh buzz haircut with a shaped beard, I look further and stare at his buttoned polo top with smart trousers.

"What are you doing out of bed? Shouldn't you be resting?" He chuckles at me.

"No rest for the wicked Mila, as a member of the mob there is no rest. Even when there is physical rest, there is no mental rest." I suppose he did have a point, but he got shot a few days ago, he's already on his feet with a holster wrapped around his body, tightening on his muscles.

"Plus, I've been through worse Mila." I sign and allow him to follow me around the house, although I don't need guarding right now.

"You're aware there are many members in this house, I don't need guarding at the moment." He stares down at me.

"My duty is to protect you, although I'm not following you, I just need to go and get a drink." I want to kick myself, of course Elias wasn't following me around the house, how could I be so stupid?

"How are you feeling about tomorrow?" He asks casually and out of the blue, taking a glass of water and holding it in his hands, warming it up and sipping it while waiting for my reply.

"Weirdly nervous." I open to him, unsure why.

"It's natural, unlike you, most girls are born to do this, they have no choice but to have that traditional wedding. Forced specifically." He's right. Most females in this world are promised to someone who is double their age when they're around fourteen.

"I suppose I should be more grateful then." I sigh, sitting down on the high chair and rest my arms on the countertop, Elias rests his backside against the other countertop, staring at me and waiting for the conversation to go further.

"Just take it easy, you haven't got it bad by being with Kristian. Plus, you can be divorced in a few months." He takes in another sip of his drink, "I know you think you're not gaining much, but you owe him, just try and remember that." And with that he finishes his drink and leaves me sitting in the kitchen alone. Elias has a lot of love for his boss, they all do.

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I've spent the whole day attempting to occupy my mind, distract myself away from the fact I'll be married tomorrow. I've been reading more of the Russian dictionary, trying to get into a new TV show and feeling sorry for myself on the sofa. Which is what I'm currently doing.

I take a sip of my wine I found in the fridge and look at the blank TV. The noise of a door unlocking suddenly draws my attention. Kristian has been out all day and we haven't even had a conversation about the wedding tomorrow. I jolt up and race up to Kristian, watching as he shoves his keys into the bowl next to the door.

"Where have you been?" I ask sternly and cross my arms over my chest.

"I must say, you're rather infuriating malen'kaya lisa." [Small fox]

"Infuriating? No, I'm infuriated. You've been avoiding me." I point and he looks at me with fury in his eyes.

"Avoiding you? You've been avoiding me in case you've forgotten." He looks at me, closing the space between us. "And I've been busy, what's your excuse other than walking in the complete opposite direction that I do."

"Busy doing what? Murdering people?" His jaw clenches.

"To jog your memory I'm a mafia man, I am head of the Russian Bratva." He leans closer. "I kill people for a living, it's what I do."

I find myself backing away from him and his face, he's clearly angry. "But to be mature adults are we able to have a serious conversation?" His frustration is soon concealed with concern which changes the way I'm viewing him.

We stroll over to the sofa; my space is now cold from my uproar and storming over to Kristian and questioning his actions. He sets next to me, clenching his jaw and tugging on his hair.

"I've been looking into the guy who attacked you all those years ago." Shock consumes me. That's what he's been up to?

"The guy who stabbed you was hired by your father." He says sharply, knowing that the sentence tastes foul on his tongue. But I was still trying to process his words, my father was the reason why I got stabbed. But why?

"Why?" I ask.

"You were getting too close to his truth, your father didn't want you to know who he really was, I'm sorry Mila." He places his hand on my thigh, giving me his sympathy was one thing I never thought I'd see Kristian do, let alone hear the apologetic words leave his lips. I don't cry, I don't feel like crying. For some reason once I found out the real father of mine, nothing seems to surprise me.

Kristian stares at me, waiting for some kind of reaction. But he doesn't receive one. "It's the truth. I tortured the truth out of him." He sighs. I look up at him and feel thankful.

"The day couldn't really get any worse." He looks at me with curiosity. "You know, the wedding being tomorrow, us not talking and now you're telling me that my dad is the reason why I carry this scar around with me every day."

"Is there anything I could do that could help?" I have no idea why he is being so reassuring now, offering help. Maybe it's because he is beginning to care.

"Tomorrow is going to be awkward Kristian." I state the obvious. He sighs.

"I know, we'll get through it, it's something that needs to be done."

"Us holding each other is going to be awkward, the holding hands the kissing." I almost want to cringe at my words. "I want to ask something, I don't expect it from you, but it would help." He nods and stares at me.

"I want to practice." I blurt.

"Practice what?"

"Touching...Kissing." I probably sound stupid.

"If that's what you really want?" It really was what I wanted. I didn't want tomorrow to feel abnormal or weird. I sigh and decide to make the first move. I place my hand on top of Kristian's, smoothing it, feeling his cold veins bump with each movement I make. I smile at him to reassure him that I'm okay. He takes his hand in mine and raises them. Placing his damp lips against my knuckles.

He pulls me closer, feeling the length of my arms and the bareness of my thighs, considering we're in Russia, the mansion has been too warm to wear anything else but shorts. His fingers trace to my waist while mine make their way up to his neck, resting my wrist against the surface.

We look at each other, eye to eye. His beautiful blue orbs don't dare stare away, he's looking at me just in case he's going to forget something, or miss out on something. I find myself smiling at him. He grazes his fingers along my skin up to my chin. The goosebumps erupt on the surface of my skin, causing me suddenly to become chilly. He pulls me close slowly overlapping our lips.

His lips are velvety and damp, he doesn't take this any further, but I do. If we want this to look real, it'll have to be real. I dart my tongue out, tracing it over his pink lips, he growls and attempts to take control of the kiss, but I don't allow it. His tongue strokes mine, not in a rush, but smoothly, we take our time, in no hurry to end.