Chapter 20 - Grace
Makari picked me up in his arms as I got out of the truck. Kicking the door closed, he rushed inside. I expected him to take me to his bed, but instead, he entered a small room behind the stairs.
Placing me down, he couldn’t wait to get rid of my clothes. He stepped out of his while he ripped my skirt from my body. “Slow down, tiger,” I said, smiling at him. The air around us was steamy and slightly hot. Turning, I saw the hot tub.
Maraki came up behind me. He placed his arms around me, cupping my breasts. I leaned my head back on his shoulder as he massaged my breasts while kissing my neck. Closing my eyes, I felt the heat rise inside me.
His hands moved to my back. I felt him unclasping my bra. I watched it fall to the floor. My nipples sprang up as the air hit them, and I breathed out softly. “Baby,” I breathed out hard.
He moved around me and pushed me up against the wall. I leaned my head to the side as he kissed my neck. Makari slowly laid kisses down the middle of my body. His hands slid down my back as he went to his knees. They stopped once he got to my hips.
Makari softly folded his fingers into the sides of my panties. He leaned in, kissing my hip bones, then sat back on his haunches as he slid my panties to the floor. Glancing down at him, I noticed he was biting down on his lower lips as he stared at my pussy.
Tenderly, he shifted my legs to the sides, opening me up. Bringing his head in closer, I felt him licking up my pussy.
“Oh, baby,” I breathed out as pleasure surged through me. He lifted my one leg, placing it over his shoulder as he shifted closer.
After another couple of quick licks, I felt him sucking my pussy into his mouth. Grabbing hold of his hair, I let out a loud moan of pleasure. Makari held my pleasure spot between his teeth as his tongue played with it. Flooding with ecstasy, I pushed his head into me. The leg I was standing on started shaking as I rose to a heightened state of bliss.
Makari pulled back and stood up. Taking hold of my chin with one hand, he pushed his other hand's fingers into me as he covered my mouth with his. I breathed heavily into his mouth as his tongue played inside mine.
Pulling back for air, he smiled at me. My breathing was ragged as I tried to fill my lungs with air. Taking me by the hips, he lifted me as he pulled me closer. I wrapped my legs around him as he started turning. He walked into the hot tub before lowering me. Together, we sat down in the hot water.
He moved closer, pulling me back into his arms as we kissed. His hands moved down my back. I gasped as he seized my ass tightly. Moving to the side, Makari lifted me onto the second step. He shifted back slightly as his hands made their way around my hips to my pussy.
Placing my arms out to the sides, I relaxed as he leaned in. He nibbled at my nipples while his fingers made their way over the folds and down to my entrance. He stuck one finger into me, making me groan as another surge of pleasure ran up my spine. Makari sat up on his knees.
He kissed my neck as he inserted a second finger into my pussy. Gently, he moved them in and out. Closing my eyes, I relished the sensations raging within me. I felt my pussy pumping every time he pushed into me.
Opening my eyes, I looked at him as I took hold of his hair. He sucked and nibbled my nipples as his fingers sent my senses into overdrive. My moans grew louder, and Makari pulled out his fingers. Taking hold of my hips, he looked into my eyes.
I could see the lust burning within him. This time, when he pulled me to him, he lowered me onto his joystick. It was firm and pulsing as he entered me. He let out a loud groan as he filled me up.
He lifted and lowered me slowly at first. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I held tight as I whispered in his ear. “Fuck me, baby.”
Moving my hands up his neck, I gripped his hair again, pulling gently. Makari lifted me a bit higher and brought me down with force as he shoved himself into me. Moaning, I leaned back and took hold of my breasts, squeezing them tight every time he pushed into me.
Lifting himself a tad, he shoved harder into me as he pulled me towards him. “Oh, yes, baby,” I huffed.
Makari suddenly lifted me off him. He swung me around and moved in behind me. He pushed my head down. I took hold of the tub as he pulled my ass towards him. He spread my ass cheeks and inserted his cock into me.
Once he was inside, he leaned forward, taking hold of my hands. Pulling me upright, he placed my hands on my hips and covered them with his large hands. His hands comfortably held mine and my hips as he started moving.
Leaning my head back onto his shoulder, I moaned with pleasure as he moved in and out of me. “You are magnificent,” he breathed out over my shoulder.
The faster he moved, the harder I moaned. The harder I moaned, the faster he moved. Makari let go of my hands and gently pushed me forward to the side of the tub. I knelt on one of the steps, placing my hands on the top one.
I felt his fingers closing around my hair as he gently pulled my head back. With his other hand, Makari grabbed my breast. Breathing hard, I firmly took hold of the sides of the hot tub as he started pounding me. My body vibrated as I released. Lifting my head, I screamed as delight tore through me.
Reaching back, I grabbed hold of his tights as I felt all the strain leaving my body. I floated on a cloud of euphoria as I felt him slowing. He gave two deep thrusts and then stopped. He rubbed my back before stepping away.
Makari wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to him. We stood for a moment, breathing hard. As he let go, I turned to face him. Taking his face into my hands, I kissed him hard before sitting down. He sat next to me until our breathing had normalized.
“You want me to take you back, or are you staying for the night?” he asked, getting up.
“I’m quite tired, and it’s late. You can take me back in the morning,” I replied.
Makari nodded as he got out. He held out a towel for me and wrapped it around my shoulders before opening the door. Quietly, we went up to his room. As I lay down, I felt my eyes closing. This is where I belong was the last thing swimming through my mind as I drifted off to dreamland.
Sitting down at the breakfast table, I smiled at Makari, who was sitting beside me. Pavel wasn’t at the table, but I felt sure he would join us soon. He never missed a meal. “Would you mind if we collected my things today?” I asked.
“Collect your things?” Makari enquired, sounding surprised.
“Yes,” I replied excitedly. “I think I’m ready to return to your place for good.” I felt more at home with him, but I wasn’t ready to tell him that.
“Yeah, sure. We can do that,” he said, beaming. “Right after breakfast, we’ll quickly go and get your things at Vadik’s house.”
Nodding, I continued eating. Once breakfast was done, we cleaned up and headed out. The drive to Vadik and Tasha’s home wasn’t long. They stayed quite close, actually. I loved how the brothers shared a tight bond.
I had let Tasha know we were coming. She stood at the door as we pulled up. “Good morning,” she said as we approached.
“Morning,” Makari replied, taking my hand.
“Vadik wants to see you,” she added as we stepped inside.
“Okay, in his office, I take it,” Makari asked.
“Yes, I’ll assist Grace in getting her things while you have a chat,” Tasha responded as Makari headed up the stairs. Turning to me, she smiled as she spoke. “How are you, dear?”
“Better, thank you,” I responded as we moved to the room I was staying in. I hadn’t brought everything, so there wasn’t much to pack. I collected my toothbrush, hairbrush, and a couple of pieces of clothing. Once they were packed, we headed back downstairs.
Makari and Vadik were already waiting at the door. “Morning, you good?” Vadik asked as Tasha and I joined them.
“Morning, yes, thank you for everything,” I replied, giving Vadik and Tasha a quick hug before leaving.
Makari took my bag up to the room and placed it on the bed. “Need help?” he asked.
“All good, but thank you,” I replied.
“No problem,” he said, walking to the door. “I have some things to take care of, but I’ll see you at dinner.”
“Can’t wait,” I called after him as he walked off.
After I had unpacked, I lay down for a bit. With school out of the way, I could relax and focus on my future. I drifted off and only woke just before five. The house was quiet. I wondered if Makari was back yet.
I freshened up and headed down. Pavel was in the kitchen preparing dinner. “Hi, there,” he said as I entered.
“Hey, anything I can assist with?” I asked.
He smiled and nodded as he spoke. “Yes, please. I’m almost done so if you could set the table so long?”
“No problem,” I replied, grabbing the plates and cutlery he had set on the counter. I had just added the glasses to the table when I heard the front door slamming open. Pavel looked up at me as he placed down the salad bowl.
“That must be Makari,” he huffed, running around the table and going to the front door. The look on his face froze my blood. I turned and followed him. Something was wrong, and I had to see what.
Coming around the corner, I saw Pavel moving to his side. Makari looked like he had been in an altercation. Pavel pushed his arm around Makari, holding him up as they trudged towards me. There was a cut above Makari’s left eye running down his cheek.
Blood had stained his grey shirt. But there was too much to be his. “Makari,” I breathed out heavily. “What happened?”
Glancing at me through one eye, he somehow managed to smile. His tone was deep as he responded. “Not much, my tigress. I had a little argument. You must see the other guy.”
Shaking my head, I stood aside as Pavel directed him to the lounge. “Have him sit,” I said, lightly touching Pavel’s shoulder. “I’ll get the kit to clean his wounds.”
Returning with the first aid kit, I gave Pavel orders as I kneeled down beside the couch. “Get a bucket of water and towels.”
I watched Pavel rushing out. Turning to Makari, I lifted his head. “What have you done?” I asked softly.
“What I had to,” he huffed, couching.
Pavel placed the bucket of water next to me and handed me the towel. First, I cleaned the cut on his face to see the damage. It wasn’t as serious as it first appeared. After cleaning the wounds and giving him two stitches, I stood and pulled off his shirt.
I inspected his arms, hands, chest, and back. There didn’t appear to be any other wounds. He was bruised on his sides and had some abrasions, but no other cuts or holes. His breathing had normalized as well. “Thank you, Grace,” Makari said as I got up.
Leaning over, I kissed his forehead. “It’s a pleasure, but please try to stay out of these situations,” I replied.
Makari rose to his feet. He pulled me into a tight hug before speaking again. “I’m going to take a shower, and then we can eat, okay?”
“Right,” I replied, watching him stumble out. “No problem.”
Pavel assisted in cleaning up the mess before we headed back to the dining room. We had just set down the last of the food when Makari entered.
He looked better, but we ate in silence. Having a better understanding of what they did and why was one thing. But living through this was harder than I had anticipated. I knew this wouldn’t be the last time I would be attending to his wounds.
After supper, he took some aspirin and headed to bed. I cleaned the dinner dishes before turning them in. I had not only gotten comfortable living with them, but I was falling for Makari.
Laying in bed, I closed my eyes and imagined returning to my old life. It was hard, as every memory somehow involved Makari.
I woke up to an empty home. Heading down to the kitchen, I checked the rooms. Both brothers were out this time, not only Makari. Entering the dining room, I saw the note on the table. It was sitting on a covered plate. Opening it up, I read it out loud. “Enjoy your breakfast. See you in a while. Thank you.”
Lifting the plate cover, I smiled. The plate was layered with yogurt and berries. I sat down alone and ate. I spent most of the day reading, swimming, and sleeping. When they got home, I was about to lose my mind from boredom.
“Evening,” Makari said as he came in carrying Chinese take-out. “This is going to be a hectic week. Will you be okay staying alone?”
“Yes, sure,” I replied, taking out plates. Makari took his supper into his office. I decided to have mine in the entertainment room. I watched a movie I started earlier. Once it was done, I went to bed.
The next three days were more of the same. I spent my time looking for work and sending my papers to companies. On Thursday, Pavel arrived home before lunch.
“Is my brother here?” he enquired as he stormed into the kitchen.
Turning to face him, I wondered what had happened. “No, I haven’t seen him yet,” I replied, raising my brows.
“Shit,” Pavel huffed, slamming his fist on the counter. He turned and headed out again.
“Pavel,” I called after him. “What’s going on? What happened? Why do you sound so worried?”
He was about to open the front door when I grabbed his shoulder, swinging him around. “Nothing happened!” he grumbled, lightly pushing me back.
“Pavel, please talk to me. Tell me what happened?” I asked desperately. It felt like floodgates to the ocean had opened in my stomach as waves crashed around in it.
He lowered his head and took a deep breath. “We were ambushed and then split up. I lost Makari and don’t know where he is,” he said softly.
Tears instantly burned my eyes as they threatened to run free. Blinking, I tried swallowing the mountain growing in my throat. “What do you mean you don’t know where he is?” I questioned.
Pavel shuffled to the lounge. His shoulders sagged, and he looked like he might collapse at any moment. He flopped down in one of the chairs. Placing his head in his hands, he spoke. I had to kneel to hear him. His tone was faint and slightly jagged. “This was a big mistake.”
“What was a mistake, Pavel?” I questioned in a flat tone. I tried to keep my emotions in check to try and calm him.
He looked up, and I saw the tears in his eyes as he continued. “The job! This fucking job was a mistake. We were ambushed. They knew we were coming, and now everything is just wrong.”
My legs wobbled under me as I stood up and stepped back. My mind swirled like a tornado on the warpath. I wasn’t sure what to make of his words. Grabbing my head, I tried to calm the crazy images floating around.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang as the front door was shoved open. My body seemed to move at its own accord as I turned and stormed to the foyer. Makari stood inside the door. He didn’t look good.
As he stepped forward, he collapsed. “Pavel!” I screamed, running to Makari. His face was covered in blood, and so were his arms and his shirt.
Pavel took one side and I, his other side. We lifted him and dragged him to the lounge. We lowered him carefully. “Get the bucket, towels, and medical kit,” I huffed as Pavel let go. My heart crammed as I lifted his head and started cleaning his face.
“Makari,” I whispered. “Can you hear me?”
Makari grumbled, but I couldn’t tell what he was saying. The cut on his face was open again, but there were two more. Only one of them was deep, though. Once I stitched it up, I applied plasters before moving to his arms and chest.
I didn’t bother to try to remove his shirt this time; I simply cut it off him. The was a deep laceration on his side and what looked like a bullet hole in his arm. “Makari?” I spoke louder this time, hoping to get his attention. “What happened?”
His eyes opened, and for a moment, he looked like he had seen a ghost. “They almost got me,” he said, breathing hard.
“But they didn’t,” I replied, feeling my tears on the verge of erupting. “You’re home, you’re safe now.” My heart was heavy. I couldn’t imagine what I would do if he died trying to protect me. After all, he was in this mess because of what I had seen.
After stitching up his side and cleaning the bullet wound, I noticed the bullet had gone right through. It wasn’t on his arm. That was good, I thought as I closed the wound on both sides.
“I…, I need to…,” Makari mumbled.
“No!” I said sternly. “You need to rest.”
“Yes,” Makari replied, lifting his hand and stroking my cheek.
Pavel came back in. “I called Vadik and informed him,” he said. “Let me help you get him into one of the rooms.”
Carefully, we helped Makari to his feet. Getting him from the lounge into one of the bedrooms took us a while. But once he was comfortable, I went to clean up the lounge. I poured a glass of juice and went back to the room. I sat in a chair by the window, trying to wrap my mind around all that had happened.
Feeling drained, I fetched a blanket from my bed. I didn’t want to leave him alone, so I slept in the chair. I hadn’t been feeling too well the last two days either, and all this stress was making it worse.
He was still sleeping when I woke up. I made a pot of chicken soup and took him coffee. Placing it on the nightstand, I sat on the edge of the bed. “Makari,” I said softly, stroking his cheek. “Makari, wake up.”
He groaned but opened his eyes. “Hey,” he said. His voice sounded hoarse, like he had been screaming at a football match all day.
“Morning,” I replied, smiling. His color had returned. He actually looked good. I assisted him in sitting so he could have something to eat and drink. I cared for him for the next two days until he was strong enough to get up.
On Saturday, he went to see Vadik, and he had a meeting with the Chernykhs. I stayed in bed as I wasn’t feeling well. My stomach was hurting, and I had a light headache.
I heard Makari returning around noon, but I had no strength to get up. Makari peeked around the door. “There you are,” he said, smiling. His smile faded quickly as he walked closer. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” he asked, looking worried.
“Nothing,” I replied quickly. “I think I’m getting a cold or something. I’ve just been feeling weak. Could you get me some medicine?”
“Okay, but first, tell me everything. How are you really feeling?” he insisted.
“I’ve been having some nausea, stomachache, and a headache the last couple of days,” I admitted.
Makari frowned before speaking again. “I think we should rather go see a doctor.”
“No,” I replied quickly. “I don’t think that is needed. Just get me something for the headache. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Okay,” he replied hesitantly as he left. He came back a little later with a glass of juice and two pain tablets. “Right then,” he added, handing them to me. “You get some rest. I’ll be in my office catching up on some work, but I won’t leave today. So, if you need anything, let me know.”
Nodding, I swallowed the tablets and lay down. I watched him leave before closing my eyes.
“Grace,” I heard Makari saying. “Grace, it’s time for lunch.”
I opened my eyes and smiled at him. “I’m not hungry, I replied.
“How are you feeling? Are you still not better?” he asked, placing his hand on my forehead. “You’re not warm, so I don’t think it’s a cold,” he said.
“No,” I said, sitting up. “I’m feeling better. I’m just not feeling hungry.” As I stood up, the world turned. Stretching out my arms, I tried to steady myself.
Makari grabbed me around the waist and lowered me back to the bed. “You’re not fine,” he huffed. “I’m calling the doctor and making an appointment.”
“It’s just a bit of dizziness,” I protested.
“No more,” he added, walking out.
Makari returned ten minutes later. “Come on,” he said, taking me around the waist and pulling me into his arms. “The doctor will see you immediately.”
“Okay,” I replied as we went down the stairs. “But I’m sure it will blow over.”
As he helped me into his truck, he responded. “That’s fine, but we will let the doctor tell us that.”
He drove quite fast. Maraki held me so tightly that he practically carried me into the doctor's office. The woman at the reception desk smiled and pointed to the right. He walked through the first open door. Inside was a table, a desk, and some chairs. Behind the desk stood an elderly man.
He smiled broadly as he spoke. “Come on in and have a seat so we can talk.” He looked curiously at Makari, turning his head to the side and raising his brows.
“It’s not for me, Doc,” Makari said as we sat down. “Grace has been feeling ill, and we’re not sure why.”
“Okay then,” he replied, folding his hands and placing them on the desk before him. “We can do a urine test and blood test if you want. This way we can see what is causing these issues.”
Makari nodded, not giving me much of a say.
The doctor pressed a small button on his phone, and a nurse suddenly appeared. “Come with me,” she said, taking my arm. I walked with her down a short corridor.
She stopped and opened the door to our left. Inside was a bathroom. “Here,” she said, handing me a small cup. “You know what to do with it, right?”
“Yes, I replied, grinning as I entered the bathroom and closed the door. She was waiting outside as I opened the door.
She took the cup from me and placed it on a cart before taking my arm again. “Just one more thing to do,” she added as she led me to another door. She drew some blood and escorted me back to the doctor’s office.
The doctor got up and left as I came back in. I sat down with Makari and waited.
The doctor returned smiling wide. “Well, then,” he stated as he neared his table. “I am glad to inform you that the dizziness is very normal for you at this time.”
“Normal?” I huffed, unsure what he meant. “How can this be normal?”
The doctor smiled as he continued. “For a woman in your situation, it is normal to have headaches, uneasiness, and nausea.”
“Right, doc, just spit it out. What is wrong?” Makari enquired a bit harshly.
“Well,” the doctor said, taking a seat. “She’s pregnant. I can assure you all the symptoms she’s been experiencing are normal during pregnancy. Eating correctly and some exercise will ensure you’ll be back to normal soon.”
Feeling my lungs closing, I grabbed my chest, heaving as I tried to breathe in. My mind was spinning. What was happening? “How…, how,” I uttered. My head felt light. I was sure that I was about to faint. Taking a deep, slow breath, I shook my head, clearing the fog. How could eating and exercise fix this?