Chapter 24
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Roman
I'm caught up in a call with Anton until late at night when I manage to break away from paperwork, transports, and problems. All we've managed to find out is that the Russian company financing the Irish was established by an associate of the pakhan in Russia, Ilya. At thirty-nine, he's a leader respected by all his soldiers, and I can't understand why an associate of his would want to get involved in our business here.
That's why I had to make a call. Ilya knows how much it matters for Moscow that things remain as they are. Since Damien and I took power in Chicago, we've brought many opportunities to the Russian mafia. All of our Asian transports go through them. We opened up the art dealing market for them here, not to mention giving them direct access to all the cartels down south. So, a lot of commodities.
His reaction was exactly as mine would have been. Calm. Rational. But as one predator always senses another, I know some serious interrogations will follow.
And much blood.
Something was strange about the way he talked about one associate in particular, Rastovski. I could have sworn I heard hatred in his voice when speaking, but as long as he takes care of keeping order in Russia, it's enough for me.
When I enter the bedroom, I see Luna's form under the blankets and a warm feeling sneaks into my chest. Earlier I saw red when she compared me to that pathetic excuse for a man. Logically, I understand her fear. I'm the head of a criminal organization. It's normal for her to be fearful.
But the strange part was realizing that her arguments didn't bother me rationally. They hurt me. In an organ I thought had only one function, namely to pump blood. In the part of me that was only moved each time I saw Victoria coming out healthy after a hospital check.
I know the beast in me wants to keep her locked up, to let no one else have access to her, but I realize that would only make her hate me.
I didn't lie when I told her why I want her to have protection non-stop. There's something in me that falters just at the thought that she could fall into my enemies' hands.
As I slip in beside her, I notice that it becomes increasingly difficult to keep my eyes open.
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It's seven in the morning, and when I feel a breath at the base of my neck and look down, I can't stop the smile forming on my face.
Luna is sprawled on me, the strands of her hair contrasting with her skin, and my heart squeezes strangely in my chest.
I've heard others talk about soulmates and never understood the term. How can there be a person who is, from every point of view, made for you?
Is that what she represents for me? Why I was so fascinated by her from the first second I saw her?
Looking at her, how peaceful she is in sleep next to me, I can understand what they meant. The desire to ensure she's safe again causes that sensation in my chest that cuts off my breath.
My hand automatically tenses, and I feel her stir slightly beside me. I kiss the top of her head, again a form of affection I didn't know I had in me for anyone besides Victoria.
With Luna it's not a necessity. It's not something she asks for. It's something I want to do. I can smell her perfume even now, something with a trace of chocolate, and I watch her stretching slightly beside me.
"Morning," she says, and the weak morning light falls right on her freckles. I have to suppress a sound that gets stuck in my throat at the sight of her pressed against me.
"Morning, moya dusha." The term of endearment escapes without thinking.
"Mmm, you've called me that before. What does it mean?" she asks in a sleepy voice that wakes up other parts of my body that want to press her into the mattress and hear what sounds she can make when having an orgasm.
I desire this woman like I've never desired anyone, but until I have the certainty that she's mine, with all her soul and mind, I don't want to take that step. Even though my demons whisper how easy it would be to get lost in her.
"My soul." I clear my throat when I answer.
My voice is normal, but she raises her gaze to look at me.
"Roman."
One word, but it has so much emotion in it.
"I'll look for a nickname in Russian for you too," she tells me with conviction.
I've never offered anyone a term of affection nor received any. The only reason I know the word is because I know Russian and I hear it from my soldiers when they talk to their families. But an endearment from Luna just for me? The demon I keep locked up grins at the idea that it will be something that's just mine from her.
I thought I was possessive with my businesses, with Victoria's safety, with my men's loyalty, but with Luna? I want all her emotions for myself, I want all her upsets, I want to be her first and last thought when she wakes and when she goes to sleep. I want every cell to vibrate only for me.
I'm in trouble.
"I need to go to the office today, and I'd like you to come with me," I tell her while reluctantly pulling away from her.
She doesn't ask for more details, just gets out of bed and gets ready too.
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At breakfast, Victoria stares at me, grinning from ear to ear.
"Did you get stuck?" I ask while pouring coffee.
"Seeing you relaxed and next to your girlfriend, in our kitchen, drinking coffee? Obviously I'm stuck. Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" she asks me, the last sentence said in a skeptical tone while pointing the butter knife at me as a threat.
A laugh escapes me and I ruffle her hair. She sticks her tongue out at me and her freckles, more diminished in the autumn months, now stand out against her skin.
Luna is red in her chair, drinking her coffee. I step toward her and bend to hold her waist. The smell of jasmine floods my nose, and I close my eyes, trying to memorize it. All her perfumes please me. Today jasmine, yesterday chocolate, a few days ago something like exotic fruits. Any perfume that envelops her seems enticing, and apparently my erection feels the same.
I down the coffee and leave quickly, with Luna following me, so I don't give in to the temptation to return to the bedroom with her and solve the problem in my pants.
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The drive is quiet, and I manage to confirm with Niko that he's already there. When I get to my office, I see Felix wearing another one of his weird suits, purple and green this time.
"The boss demon is waiting for you in your office," he tells us and hands Luna and me each a coffee.
"Felix, I never asked how you know how I take my coffee." Luna's voice is curious.
Felix narrows his eyes at her and then looks at me, as if asking permission to tell her. I don't bother giving him a sign, instead just answering her myself.
"He knows from me. I told him."
I gesture toward the office for us to go in. Damien isn't good with waiting.
"Call Niko to my office too," I throw at Felix before opening the door, seeing Damien sprawled on my couch. With his feet on it. The look I give him is enough to make him laugh.
"But good morning to you too, Roman!" Then his voice cuts suddenly when his eyes land on Luna.
"Tygrysek?" Damien's voice is more of surprise and...admiration?
"Damien, what are you..."
But before she can finish, I'm already on Damien, almost strangling him.
"You just called my girlfriend ‘little tiger’?" I know he sees the fury in me.
"Roman, what the hell!"
Luna is beside me and instantly grabs my hand. Of course the idiot Damien starts grinning like a fool.
"Well, well. Jealousy suits you, Ro," the jackass tells me, laughing.
His gaze moves to Luna, who's trying to pull me away from him before I hit him. Damien pushes me away and, straightening his shirt, measures Luna from head to toe.
"Glad to see you're still alive, tygrysek."
"You bast—" But before my hand can grab his throat, Luna is there, putting herself between us.
"Please," she whispers softly, looking at me with an imploring gaze.
"And I'm glad to see you without owing you any debt, Damien," she throws at my friend, turning toward him.
"And that's why you're tygrysek. Explain that to your boyfriend before he twists my head off," he tells her and stretches out on the couch with a laugh.
This is my ‘friend,’ who seems to have a desire to meet his Creator earlier than he should.
Right then, Niko enters the office and looks at us, confused.
"I feel like I interrupted something," he tells us and nods to Damien in greeting.
"Just your brother being a lovesick idiot, thinking I'm hitting on his woman," Damien answers in the proud tone of a child who's done all his homework.
I'm going to strangle him. I can revive him afterward if I still need him. Niko laughs and moves next to me, grasping Luna's hand and bending to kiss her cheek.
What the hell is wrong with everyone today?
I pull Luna away just before Niko's lips can touch her skin, and Luna lets out a sound of surprise.
"ROMAN!"
Her voice sounds annoyed, but doesn't she understand I'm trying to protect her? Who knows where Niko's mouth has been in the last few days? And Damien? Better not to know.
"Okay, okay. We don't touch Luna. Morning, Luna. It's nice to officially meet you," Niko says in an amused tone while moving toward Damien.
"Good. Now that we've settled the matter of unauthorized touching, want to explain to me why Luna had to pay you the debt of a vermin?" My tone shows my irritation, and Damien's face becomes serious.
"She was put up as collateral for a debt, Roman. I couldn't just let her go. You know as well as I do that setting a precedent like that is a dangerous thing. She came with a deal, and I kept my part of the bargain," he tells me as his gaze falls on Luna again.
"Not well enough, considering her ex still sends her messages from a private number and I'm convinced he's following her," I tell him as my gaze surely burns holes in his head from how loathingly I'm looking at him.
Damien looks at Luna for a second, frowning, and takes out his phone and sends a message.
"You know where he is?" he asks while continuing to text.
"No. Lev can't find him," I answer, and now both he and Niko look at me.
I know how this sounds. Something's not right.
"This man doesn't have the necessary resources to disappear, Ro. Someone's helping him."
Damien is confirming my suspicions, because that's exactly what I thought too.
"I understand we have some information about that Russian company that's in cahoots with the Irish," Niko speaks now.
From the corner of my eye, I see Luna sitting in the same armchair where she worked before and starting her laptop. The fact that she’s behaving so naturally in the middle of this discussion makes me feel proud. Another woman would have asked a thousand questions and interrupted us by now, but not her.
My woman knows when to listen, and the fact that I trust her enough to bring her here to hear what I discuss with Niko and Damien is my way of showing her that, for me, there are no doubts when it comes to this relationship.
"From what I could find out, he's a predator who's made connections at high levels, so no one comments on what he does. What's more worrying is that he's one of Ilya's associates in Moscow," I tell them, relating my conversation with Ilya.
Something isn’t adding up. We're missing some pieces of this puzzle.
"Until Ilya does his job and we find out why someone with connections in the Russian mafia in Moscow wants to eliminate us from business, I need you, Niko, to find out everything you can about Rastovski. Damien, I want you to put your men on Aidan's trail," I tell them and, without meaning to, my gaze slides to Luna, who's looking at me, with the laptop in her arms.
With those glasses and that look full of... No. I don't want to presume her feelings. Maybe I'm wrong.
"Are you sure?" Damien asks me, and I know what it means that I'm asking him to do this.
"Yes. Meanwhile I'll ask Anton to question his informants further. Maybe we'll find Devin and get rid of a problem," I tell them, sitting down at my desk.
Both nod and prepare to leave. Niko waves to Luna, but of course the idiot Damien moves next to her. I'm already standing when I hear him whispering.
"I'm sorry I disappointed you, tygrysek."
Damn hearing. I can't deny the name suits her though. With her cinnamon-colored curls, with her moments of rebellion and all she's endured, my love is a little tiger.
Luna smiles at him, an honest and real smile.
"You did what you could, Damien. I appreciate the months of peace I had," she answers him, and of course she thanks him.
Because that's Luna. Always good. Always empathetic.
"Find him, Damien," I tell him from my desk.
In my tone, you can feel the promise that I'll destroy the man who dared to make her afraid to walk down the street.
"I promise not to skin him until he gets to you," Damien tells me and leaves.
For a few minutes, I go through the paperwork Felix gave me to review and sign. The legal part of our business is as big as the illegal one and requires just as much work.
I feel a presence beside me and the smell of jasmine floods my senses. I turn toward Luna automatically, my hands grabbing her waist and pulling her into my lap.
A sound of surprise escapes her when she lands in my arms.
"You didn't have to be so harsh with Damien," she whispers, and I know she can feel how I tense at the mention of his name.
She’s right. I know Damien did what I would have done. He couldn't leave Luna, not when she was the one who offered the deal. You can't offer favors without asking something in return. But the fact that she had to do this in the first place is what angers me.
"He could have killed Aidan," I tell her through my teeth.
"He killed Igor for what he did to my back," she tells me in a low tone that I feel like a caress.
I wish he hadn't killed Igor, so I could have the pleasure of dealing with him myself. I would have created my own masterpiece on his entire body. I can't resurrect the dead, but I can take care of the living who hurt her. And I will.
It's a vow I make to her without words. This feeling when I look at her face and see each freckle, each reflection in her green eyes behind her glasses, each curve of her lips that I want to memorize…I know what it is.
I can't help thinking she's too good for my world, too good for me, a man who can go to a party in the evening and then shoot someone between the eyes a few hours later. It's a world with much blood, and I feel how my heart makes that strange squeeze it always does when she's around, but it's this world that allows me to protect her.
"I want to be able to kill every enemy of yours. Every person who looked at you wrong and harassed you. Everyone who abandoned you when you needed someone beside you," I tell her, looking into her warm eyes, eyes the color of a forest bathed in sunlight on a summer day.
She presses closer and kisses me slowly. The softness of her lips and the taste of coffee on her tongue fill my senses as I close my eyes. It's easy to get lost in her. In the quiet and calm in my head when she's next to me. In the small sounds she makes when my tongue touches hers or when I bite her lower lip in an attempt to mark her as mine.
"Promise me you'll be careful not to get hurt," she murmurs against my lips.
Victoria's and Anuska's concern have always affected me, but knowing that this woman, whom I've wanted from the first moment I laid eyes on her, worries about me puts the stupidest smile on my face.
Luna frowns and pokes my chest with her index finger threateningly.
"I'm serious, Roman. I prefer to live with the idea that Aidan walks this earth but that you'll come home every evening," she tells me, and I hear the vulnerability in her voice.
I don't tell her there's no world where she'll breathe the same air as her ex, but something else makes my eyebrows rise and my smile grow.
"Home? Only if you'll wait for me there, love."
I see her blush at the fact that my house is home for her now, and I can't help but kiss her.
I'd like to take her home and stay like this with her all day, but she and I both have things to finish at work. And after today's discussion with Niko and Damien, one thing is clear to me.
Something bad is coming.