Chapter 22
Nina
I’m sweating from all the exercise I’m getting in as I follow Simi around like a shadow.
My child has been shopping for two hours, and I don’t see her stopping anytime soon.
Lifting my hand, I brush my palm over my forehead while I stop to catch my breath. Simi is currently fixated on a child-sized electric carriage.
A freaking actual carriage.
And she’s wearing a crown and princess dress, which she insisted on changing into the instant she laid eyes on them.
“Nina,” Georgi calls, drawing my attention to him. As soon as I glance over my shoulder, he says, “Come sit.”
His tone tells me it’s not a request, so I obey and walk to where he’s comfortable on a couch and take a seat beside him.
“You need to focus on relaxing. I can understand it’s a lot to take in all at once, but you’re missing out on the fun part.”
He’s right.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, my gaze already looking for my child. In the space of a few seconds, she’s disappeared, and two men are carrying the carriage away. “She’s gone!”
“No. She’s on a rocking horse.” Georgi points to the other side of the floor.
I swear it’s so big you could fit an entire house in here.
Simi plays with the horse for a little while before scurrying off and running around the store, before stopping by a display with Steiff collector animals. She points at the biggest bear that’s too high for her to reach, and Madeline quickly takes it off the shelf and hands it to her.
“Look, Mama!”
“I see, milo moe.”
“He needs a family,” she states, her eyes moving over the collection.
“Madeline, give her one of each,” Georgi orders.
“Yes, sir.”
“Simi, we’re taking the whole family,” he informs her before pulling his phone out of his pocket.
“Yay!” my child shrieks before twirling in circles with the big bear she’s still holding onto.
“Hey, Mom… No, we’re fine… Out shopping… Okay… Sure… Love you.” He ends the call, and I notice how he glances right at Simi as if he knew exactly where she was while he wasn’t looking at her.
Santino comes toward us and leans close to Georgi. “The truck is full. Vinny and some guys went to offload everything. They’ll be back in an hour.”
Georgi nods, then looks at the time on his wristwatch. It looks just as expensive as the one Boris smashed to pieces.
My tongue darts out to wet my lips and search for Simi again while nervous tension fills my stomach.
“What’s wrong?” Georgi suddenly asks.
I turn my head to him and quickly reply, “Nothing.”
“You’re tense, Nina. Tell me,” he insists.
“It’s so much.” A breath quivers over my lips. “The toys must cost thousands of dollars.” My hand flutters as my anxiety spikes. “You’re doing so much.”
“Why is that a bad thing?”
“It’s not.” I wipe my palm over my forehead again, sucking in deep breaths of air.
“Santino, eyes on Simi. I’ll be ten minutes.” Georgi takes my hand and pulls me to my feet before leading me to the stairs. He finds the manager and asks, “Is there an office I can use?”
“Of course, Mr. Torrisi. This way.”
We follow the manager, and as soon as we step into the office, Georgi shuts the door. He bends and grips my hips, lifts me, and sits down on a chair with me on his lap.
He presses my head against his chest before wrapping his arms tightly around me.
“Shhh… Take a moment to just focus on your breaths,” he says in a very calm tone. “You’re overstimulated. Count your breaths and only listen to my voice.”
Noticing that my body is trembling, I close my eyes and do as I’m told.
“Breathe in…and out. It’s just us. I don’t want you to think about how much things cost. I want Simi to have everything. Her smiles and laughter are worth every dollar I have to my name.”
My body melts into Georgi’s, and my breathing slows down.
Once it quiets inside of me, I admit, “I’m scared.”
“Why?”
“It’s only been days, Georgi.”
“Us?”
I nod and turn my face more into his chest.
I feel his breath on my hair before I feel him press a kiss to the top of my head. “What about us scares you?”
“That this is all an act, and as soon as I let down my guard, you’ll become just like the rest of them.
” Once the first fear is out between us, the others follow before I can stop them.
“That you’re not in your right state of mind because of the torture, and you’ll realize you’ve made a big mistake by taking Simi and me.
That you’ll change your mind next week, or next month, or next year.
That it will become too much for you to have some woman and her child living with you.
” My voice fails me, and I grip his shirt in my fist.
“You are not some woman to me,” he says, and taking hold of my chin, he forces my head back so I’ll look at him.
“You are the woman. Simi isn’t some child I’ll get tired of.
I know what I’m in for, Nina. I’ve been in Simi’s shoes, and I would never promise her the world only to rip it away from her. ”
Just like last night, his words shift something in my chest, and it feels as if another missing piece clicks into place.
“I’m saying this so you will understand where I’m at.
I don’t want you to feel pressured at all.
” His large hand cups my cheek, and my pulse speeds up dramatically.
“I’m in love with you, Nina. I know it’s fast, but I can’t help how I feel about you.
I will give you all the time you need, and once you’re on the same page as me, we’ll talk again.
I want you to have peace of mind, knowing how much I care about you. ”
I suck in a breath before I ask, “But what if the way you feel is from us bonding under traumatic circumstances and it isn’t love?”
He shakes his head, his eyes drifting over my face with something akin to hunger, and it makes the butterflies return to wreak havoc in my stomach.
“I’ve been with enough women to know when I’m looking at the right one. Since I’ve laid eyes on you, no other woman has entered my mind, and that alone tells me you’re the one. Last night changed things from just caring to falling head over fucking heels for you.”
Seeing the truth in his eyes, all other questions vanish.
I’ve had men drool over me, and Anton was obsessed, but never has anyone looked at me the way Georgi does. The hunger doesn’t feel repulsive, and the affection is…a new experience for me.
When I remain quiet for too long, Georgi says, “Talk to me, moeto hubavo mishle.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I admit.
“Are you okay?”
Am I?
I sift through my emotions before I nod. “I think so.”
Georgi brushes his palm over the side of my head, and his mouth curves into a hot smile. “Are we good?”
Suddenly, I feel the weight of his attention. It doesn’t make shame stick to me like with other men, but instead, hope explodes in my heart and tingles rush over my skin.
I was willing to be his whore, but after rejecting me, he just made it clear that he’s in love with me and wants me to want him.
I’ve never had that before.
Georgi waits patiently until I say, “We’re good.”
He pats my outer thigh, then gets up and helps me to stand.
When he wraps his fingers around the back of my neck and we leave the office, I feel overly aware of the bear of a man beside me.
Two men are waiting in the hallway, and the instant my eyes land on them, the good and fuzzy feelings vanish, and panic returns.
“Santino was worried,” one of them informs him.
Georgi only nods as we pass them. When I glance over my shoulder, he pulls me right against his side. “They’re my bodyguards. You’ll be seeing them a lot, but you don’t have to interact with them.”
Oh, good.
I nod as we climb the stairs to the upper floor.
My eyes immediately land on Simi, where she’s rambling in Bulgarian while pointing at books, and poor Santino is just nodding and loading another onto the pile already in his hands.
“She won’t stop,” I tell Georgi. “I really think that’s enough.”
“Okay.”
I walk to my daughter and crouch in front of her. “Go say thank you to Georgi. It’s time to leave.”
She runs to the man who’s completely changed our lives, and he swings her up into the air before letting her hug him. When she kisses his cheek, I watch as he melts and the powerful mafia boss turns to playdough in her hands.
This is what I wanted for so many years.
Becoming aware of Santino standing near me, I walk closer and say, “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome, ma’am.”
“You can call me Nina.”
He nods, then scans the entire area.
When the manager approaches Georgi with something to sign, I hurry closer and take Simi from him so his hands are free. Just as I turn around, I see the total amount reaching well over three hundred thousand dollars, my eyes go wide as saucers.
“God! That’s way too much.” The words are out before I can stop them.
“I ordered a custom walk-in castle that will be installed in the penthouse, heirloom furniture for her bedroom, and some other collector’s items I thought she’d like,” Georgi mentions casually. “They’re things Raya loved at Simi’s age.”
He signs the bill and indicates with a chin lift to Santino that we’re leaving.
“Thank you for visiting our store, Mr. Torrisi,” the manager says with a wide grin on his face. “Please come again soon.”
Not if I can help it. Holy crap. Georgi practically bought the entire store for her.