Chapter 16 - Sophia
I was nervous as we pulled up to the mansion of the Chernykhs. They were surely just another intimidating, cruel Bratva family. I had no idea what to expect. As we pulled up to the massive gates, I started to fidget with the small frill of the black dress I was wearing.
“What’s wrong?” Kolya asked.
“Nothing,” I replied quickly as the gates opened.
There were quite a lot of cars parked in the driveway. This made me even more skeptical. Kolya had barely stopped when I noticed the two guards coming our way.
He got out and casually greeted them as he came around and opened my door. Placing my hand in his outstretched one, I tried swallowing the lump in my throat.
“Stop fidgeting!” he demanded softly. “Everything’s fine. You’re going to enjoy their company. They’re really nice people.”
“Okay,” I replied. I could hear my voice cracking slightly, but Kolya didn’t seem to notice. The dress suddenly felt too tight. I could feel a sliver of sweat running down my back. Before we reached the door, it swung open.
There stood Clara smiling broadly. I was glad to see her. It may make the day a tad better. This was her family, the one she married into. Next to her stood a big man. His dark blond hair made his shocking blue eyes stand out. He was clean-cut and extremely muscular.
I could see why Clara had fallen for him as he smiled. Those eyes sparkled like gemstones. Glancing at Kolya, I found myself squeezing his hand. He was a handsome man as well. The thin scar on his cheek gives him a bad boy vibe, which I found I liked.
“Hi, Sophia!” Clara exclaimed as we reached them. She stepped closer and pulled me into a tight hug. Her soft laugh was welcoming. “I’m so glad you came. This is my husband, Iosif,” she added as she pulled back and looked at him.
“Thank you for having me,” I mumbled.
Iosif extended his hand as he spoke. “Pleased to finally meet you, Sophia. I’ve heard quite a bit about you.” His tone was warm and inviting.
“Thank you,” I replied, taking his hand. His hand was massive compared to mine. But his grip was soft and warm. He lifted my hand, placing a gentle kiss on it before letting go.
“Please come in,” Iosif said as he placed his arm around Clara and stepped back.
Kolya’s hand was on the small of my back as I moved forward. The two men greeted fleetingly as we passed Clara and Iosif entering their home.
“Come,” Clara said, turning out of Iosif’s grip. “Everybody’s waiting.” Who was everybody? My throat felt like it was closing again, and swallowing was constricted. “You’ll love them, I promise,” Clara added, taking my hand.
I felt more nervous than before as she pulled me with her through the mansion.
Before us, I saw two archways, one of which appeared to lead to an entertainment area and the other to a dining room.
I assumed we were heading to one of those.
But we didn’t. She moved past the glass doors that led outside.
There were quite a few people outside. They were gathered around three round tables to our left. Towards the other side, I saw the giant pool and an outdoor bar area.
“This is Avugst,” Clara announced, pointing at one of the men. “Next to him is Timofey, and that is Zhenya with her husband, Akim.”
It was a mouthful. I wasn’t sure if I’d remember all the names. They all smiled warmly. They greeted me as if they were part of a choir, practically in unison. “Hi there, pleased to meet you.”
I wondered if they had rehearsed it and almost laughed. Avgust came closer, and I bit back the laughter as he extended his hand. Extending mine, he shook firmly as he spoke. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“She’s going to have wine with Clara and me,” the woman she called Zhenya interrupted.
“Okay,” Avgust replied. He smiled and then headed back to join the other men. Clara once again pulled me with her as we walked with Zhenya to the bar. Zhenya looked comfortable as she moved around to the other side and poured our wine.
“I’m so glad the two of you could join us,” she said, handing us our glasses.
“Thanks for having us,” I replied, unsure of what to say.
Zhenya laughed. I wasn’t sure what I had said that was funny. But before I could ask, she spoke. “There’s no need to thank us. You are always welcome here any time. Clara said you’re studying law. Is that correct?”
“I’m actually done with my studies. I was about to complete my training and get my final papers next year after the last exam.” I stated. There was more I wanted to say, but swallowed it back. With all that had happened, I wasn’t sure I would complete my degree.
I hadn’t realized my expression had changed. “Are you okay?” Clara asked. She lightly touched my arm. Looking at her, I could see the concern on her face.
“Oh, yes. I’m good, thanks,” I huffed. Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. I forced a smile.
“We are here, should you need something, just ask,” Zhenya added.
I nodded in agreement, hoping they would let the subject go. Zhenya turned to Clara and started talking to her. I was glad for the change and happy to just listen. Most of the time spent standing there, I was in my head, fighting my thoughts.
I watched Iosif and Kolya standing by the door. They were deep in conversation. I assumed it was work-related as I didn’t know what else they could be talking about.
One of the men came towards us. As he got within hearing distance, he started speaking. “Are you all just going to stand here all day talking between yourselves?” he asked.
Zhenya smirked as she replied. “No, Timofey, we will be joining you all shortly.”
The men pulled two tables together as we walked towards them. Once everyone was settled, I had to ask, as my curiosity was getting the better of me. “What does everyone do?”
Timofey was the first to speak. “I’m a racecar driver. Last year, I won multiple races.” His chest puffed up, and his eyes glistened as he spoke of his dream job.
“We have import and export businesses,” Iosif said, drawing everyone’s attention. I could see he was the leader of this family. The room went quiet as he continued. “We also have alliance companies in real estate and other ventures.”
As he finished, Anton spoke up. “I’m second in charge and run unique dealings.”
“Most of us do our part in different aspects of the family business,” Zhenya added. “But enough about us. Please, tell us more about you.”
“There’s not much to tell,” I replied.
“Don’t be so modest,” Kolya interrupted. “She’s going to be a brilliant lawyer. Her skills are like nothing I’ve seen before.”
I felt my cheeks heat up as a blush spread across them. “She has done so much for us already, I can’t tell you what a difference it makes having her around.” Kolya boasted.
“Well,” Iosif said. “It is good to know. We’ll, keep that in mind.”
“No, misusing my wife,” Kolya replied defensively. Everyone burst out laughing.
We had a fabulous lunch with everyone sharing funny stories of mishaps they have experienced.
After lunch, Avgust and Timofey moved towards the pool.
They stood there talking. Zhenya walked up to them.
Avgust glanced at her as he pulled her into his arms. Throughout the day, I’ve noticed most of them interacting in such a loving way.
It was nice to see the love this family shared. Yet, it made my heart hurt. I didn’t have such a unique bond with my brother, the only family I had left. I stood watching, unaware that I was being watched.
“What’s wrong, Sophia?” Kolya suddenly spoke next to me. He gently touched my arm, turning me to face him. “You look so very sad.”
I glanced up, then turned my gaze down, swallowing hard. “Just a little,” I admitted. “It’s just that the only family I have is my brother. But he has his own family. We’re not really involved in each other's lives.”
Kolya pulled up a chair. “Here, sit,” he whispered. Pulling another one closer, he sat down in front of me. Holding my hands, he spoke tenderly. “It’s okay, dear. You’ve got a big family now.”
Grinning, I wiped the lone tear from my cheek.
“I know. But I miss mine,” I replied. Glancing over his shoulder, I looked at the people gathered around us.
They were all very nice and kind. But not yet my family.
“My brother’s content staying in the suburbs with his wife and daughter.
I became obsessed with working. Wanting, no, needing, success in my career. ”
Looking into his eyes, I saw a tenderness I hadn’t noticed before. “It’s a good thing to have focus,” he said. I could hear the slight tease in his tone.
“Yes,” I agreed. “But seeing your family with the in-laws interacting so well. You all work and have lives at the same time. It has me missing my family.”
“Well, then,” Kolya huffed. “If you feel lonely or want company, then just let me know. We’ll jump in the car and visit someone. We can do it as much as you like. You will never need to feel lonely.”
Laughing lightly, I nodded in agreement. Kolya leaned in and kissed my cheek softly. Rising to his feet, he pulled me up and embraced me.
I sat next to Kolya, and the other women sat with their husbands. I could see the love in the family, not only between siblings, but also between significant others. Having a big family could be nice.
As the day turned to night, everyone started leaving. We also said our good nights and left.
“So, were they the bad kind of people you had imagined?” Kolya asked sarcastically as we drove home.
Glancing at him, I spoke softly. “No, they weren’t. They were all nice.”
“I’m glad to hear that you approve. That you no longer think the family is monsters.” He added.
“No,” I replied. “Thank you for making me come. I am glad I got to meet them.” I was also glad there were no more questions for the rest of the trip home.
We had barely arrived home when I got the first text from Melody for the day. ‘What is happening? Why are you so quiet? I hope you’re not getting cold feet!’ it read. I ignored it, not wanting to spoil my mood.
Heading up, I took a long, relaxing bath. I had left my phone in the room and heard it going off about ten times before I finished. She was getting impatient over the lack of news from my side. Her text kept on insisting that I give her something. She was pestering me about being slow and tardy.
She had done a lot for me. I always gave my best. I was her star intern, then her star assistant.
I had dreamed of becoming her star lawyer.
I felt bad for not giving her something at least. But the pressure of doing so and ruining Kolya’s life was too much to handle.
I wanted to protect him. Hide his secrets. He was a good person.
Sitting down on the bed, I stared at my phone. The guilt traveling through me was eating me alive. I jumped as there was a knock at the door. “Yes?” I said hesitantly. “Come in.”
Kolya peeked around the door before coming in. “Hi,” he said. His tone was soft. “I just wanted to know…,” he stopped abruptly. Turning his head to the side, I could see he was summing me up. “What's wrong? Did something happen at the office? Was it the family? Tell me what is going on, Sophia?”
“No, no, no!” I replied. He sounded worried and slightly troubled. I didn’t want my mood to affect him. “I’m fine, my mind's just been a little preoccupied today. What did you want to ask?”
He turned his head to the other side, his brows rising as he spoke. “I was wondering if you’d like a cup of hot cocoa?”
“Yes,” I replied eagerly. “I’d love to have a cup with you. Lead the way.” Kolya grinned and then turned and walked out. Getting up, I followed.
We headed downstairs to the small living area. Entering, I noticed the fire was burning in the fireplace. It warmed the room but didn’t make it overly hot. On the table stood two cups of cocoa with tiny marshmallows on top. He knew what I liked. Soft music was playing.
I sat down on the couch. Kolya handed me my cup. Grabbing a blanket, he sat down next to me and covered our legs. We sat for a moment staring into the fire. “So,” we both said at the same time. We laughed as we pointed at each other.
“You start,” I huffed after catching my breath.
Kolya placed his cup down before turning to me. He held my shoulder with one hand as he placed the other on my leg. “I have to admit that I can’t stop thinking about you. You have taken over the thought part of my mind,” he said tenderly.
“I’ve been thinking about you constantly,” I admitted. “I thought that I might have done something wrong to push you away.” Lowering my gaze, I breathed out heavily.
Kolya took my face in his hands. Lifting my head, he spoke softly. “You haven’t done anything wrong. I had to work through a couple of things that were weighing heavily on me.”
Leaning in, he kissed me. I had longed to feel his lips once more on mine. Placing my cup down, I got up and sat on his lap. Pushing my hands into his hair, I kissed him hard. I had missed him more than I realized.
As we kissed, I slowly ground on him until I felt his cock harden.
He moved his hands down my back, grabbing my ass.
Moving quickly, He flipped me over onto the couch and lay on top of me.
His hands moved down my legs and back up as we kissed.
Coming back up, he slipped his hands into my top, caressing my breasts.
I breathed out heavily as my body lit up. Then he suddenly stopped and sat up. “What’s wrong?” I asked, sitting up and shifting to the corner of the couch.
Kolya took my hand and kissed my fingers before speaking. “Nothing’s wrong.”
“Why did you then stop?” I questioned. I was feeling confused.
He studied my face for a moment. I felt sure he was considering what to say.
“You can tell me if you don’t want this, or me. Be honest if you don’t like me,” I huffed, feeling my anger building.
Turning to me, he took my face in his hands as he spoke. “You are so beautiful. I want you so badly. But I also want it to be right. The time and place, with the right mood.”
I stared at him, unsure how to reply. Kolya placed his arm around me, pulling me into his embrace.
“Maybe for tonight, we can have a relaxing evening. We can cuddle, watch the fire, and drink our cocoa.” He kissed my forehead before continuing.
“You are amazing and super-hot. Please, don’t think you did something wrong. ”
I felt slightly better knowing I didn’t do anything. Leaning into his embrace, I lifted my feet to the couch and relaxed. I felt pleased knowing he thought so highly of me.