Chapter 5 - Maya
One week later
The cafeteria buzzed with conversation and the clatter of silverware against plates.
The air was redolent with the smell of freshly-baked bread and the citrus tang of orange juice. It was just what I’d ordered, yet I barely touched the food before me; my mind was elsewhere.
It was like I had travelled back in time: the night at the club and what had happened after it; the memory wasn’t like Dominik Sharov’s name—which was etched on the edge of a photograph too faded to make out—it was clear as day, vivid in my mind.
His dark brown hair tickling my skin when he kissed me, those strikingly dark, almost feline eyes of his with their hidden depth, like shaded pools in a verdant forest—the mystery haunted me. My hands roving over the tattoos on his tall, powerful body.
I couldn’t forget his mesmerizing aura of restrained power, the effortless charm he exuded. He was the definition of a labyrinthine puzzle wrapped in a gently-unraveling ribbon.
I’d known I wanted someone mature that night… but Dominik had been almost too mature. His style made him stand out. I wondered if the universe had indeed sent him my way, or if it was mere happenstance. And if it had been a coincidence, then how come my mind kept revisiting his features? Why this burning desire to know him?
Well, he’s much older, I tried to convince myself. But that doesn’t matter, argued another part of me. He was a charming man: suave, sexy, and so damn confident it bordered on arrogance. But even that was so damn hot.
Chuckling, I shook my head; I saw what was happening here—a little devil-and-angel situation. I imagined them situated on my shoulders, whispering wicked words but invisible to the eye.
I knew what I wanted—no, I was sure of what I wanted. A bright future, a successful career… But this guy. It was supposed to have been a one-night thing, so why was my entire body craving another encounter?
Those tattoos on his body… What did he do for a living? Was he part of a brotherhood or something? Where had he come from?
The plastic chair beside me suddenly scraped the floor, pulling me out of my reverie.
“I’ve been watching you,” Jenna said. “You haven’t even touched your food.”
I looked down at my tray with disinterest; I’d completely forgotten about it.
Jenna peered at me, her eyebrows puckered together. “Is everything okay?”
It was just like Jenna to know when something was on my mind, and in this case, I would agree it must be pretty obvious.
Jenna was always like that. She’d been excited when I agreed to a night out and taken it upon herself to decide what I would wear, where we would go to. I was completely ignorant when it came to nightlife, and if I’d been left to decide, we probably would’ve ended up in a library or something.
I shook my head and attempted an unconcerned smile. “I’m okay, Jen. Just distracted.”
Jenna wasn’t fooled. She pursed her lips, tapping her fingers on the table. “You remember when you wore that long look almost all day?”
I raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”
“A question from this particular course had you stumped, and while you were with your friends, your mind was back at that class, going through your notes, trying to figure out what you’d missed. In the end, you told me about it, and I was able to find someone who knew the topic to help you out.”
I rolled my eyes. “Then, he spent the next few months pestering me for a date, but I wasn’t interested.” The guy had made moon-eyes at me, all across campus, for weeks. “I had to rearrange my schedule the next semester because he wouldn’t leave me alone!” I poked her side as she laughed. “So yeah, thanks for that one.”
Jenna wiped her eyes, grinning. “Well, that’s the point, but yeah—my bad. I didn’t know he had a crush on you, honestly!” At my pained expression, she started laughing again. “I promise! When I mentioned you, he literally acted like he didn’t know you. It was only later on that we figured out that he was obsessive.”
“And there is none more dangerous.”
“And there is none more dangerous,” Jenna agreed, her expression growing somber. “My point is, you should tell me what’s up. It’s obvious something’s on your mind. I’ll help you with anything—you know that.”
Relenting, I grinned and quietly thanked God that Jenna and I were attending the same university, and that our paths had crossed. So, taking a deep breath, I told her, “I’ve been thinking about the night at the club.”
Grabbing a roll off my plate, Jenna tilted her head to the side. “What about it?” she asked, tearing a chunk off and popping it into her mouth.
I eyed her as she chewed, but didn’t comment on her bread theft. She was always stealing my food; I’d long ago given up trying to stop her, and I wasn’t eating it anyway. “Well, I didn’t tell you this part, but… you know how I disappeared after a while?”
“Yeah. You had me real worried. If not for your text, I’d’ve been really put out.” Her words were light, but I could see the concern in her eyes.
I put a hand on her arm. “I would never let you go through that stress, seeing how much you care for me.”
Jenna forced a smile. “Good. Now, go on. You never told me his name—unless you didn’t ask?” She nudged me with her elbow, a wicked smirk on her face.
“Ha! You know me better than that.” I grinned. “Actually, I didn’t ask, because he told me before I could.” I sighed. “Jenna, he was every bit what I wanted.”
Smiling eagerly, Jenna nodded, excitement sparkling in her eyes. “Oh?” She wriggled her eyebrows at me. “Blew your mind, did he? Turned you to literal mush, huh?”
I took a deep breath. “That’s it, though. I can’t get that night—or him—out of my head.” Putting my face in my hands, I groaned. “I escaped without leaving my number, like you suggested, but I’m starting to regret it. Like I shouldn’t have run away.”
“You’re making me want him too, now!” Jenna giggled. “Sounds like my ideal guy. So, are you gonna tell me his name? At least describe him for me.” She grabbed my glass of orange juice and sipped from it.
I sighed. “Dominik Sharov.”
Jenna choked, nearly spitting out the juice, and quickly set it on the table and grabbed a napkin from the center of the table. I reached for her, but she waved me off. “Wrong pipe. I’m fine.” When she finally stopped coughing, she looked up, examining me with wide eyes. “Did you say Dominik Sharov? As in, the Dominik Sharov?”
Frowning, I nodded. “Yes.” I felt my forehead wrinkle. “What do you mean ‘the’ Dominik Sharov?”
Jenna locked eyes with me, then spoke in a much subdued voice. “You slept with Dominik Sharov?”
“Yes… what’s the big deal?” Her serious expression made my stomach knot. Curiosity gnawed at me as the silence stretched on. Surely she had some kind of explanation to go with this inquiry!
Jenna looked around and leaned closer. “I know about that family, Maya,” she murmured. “The Sharov family. Not personally—through my father. He’s had business dealings and… interactions with them before. Many have. It’s a name you hear around here growing up.”
Jenna now had my full attention. I kept my gaze on her as she explained quietly, her eyes darting around from time to time as if not wanting to be overheard.
“They aren’t not just a wealthy family, Maya. They’re an empire, and their influence stretches across the globe.”
I leaned forward, whispering, “Is that why you’re being so quiet? I mean, I accidentally slept with someone from a wealthy family who does business globally. How is that a bad thing?”
“That’s just it, Maya,” Jenna said. “The business empire is just a mask they wear to conceal what they really are.”
The knot that had been beginning to vanish in my belly reappeared as I waited.
Jenna locked eyes with me. “Maya, the Sharovs run a Russian cartel.” Her voice was barely audible above the murmur of the cafeteria. “They’re what you could call the Mafia, and they run the show in Russian crime.”
I felt like Jenna had dropped a bucket of ice water on me; I tried to keep it together, but I couldn’t stop the shiver. It seemed to rattle my very bones.
Suddenly, the handsome, intriguing Dominik Sharov wasn’t just an enigma anymore. Now, he was danger, wrapped in layers of mysteries and secrecy that made my heart pound.
“The real reason why I stressed the name Dominik Sharov—”
“Was because of his family,” I interrupted Jenna.
Jenna shook her head. “Not just that, Maya. Dominik is the Sharovs’ leader.”
My eyes grew wide. What?
“Their leader,” I repeated, my tone dull despite the sharp terror tearing its way through my ribcage.
Jenna nodded. “Yes.” Her eyes glinted as she added, “He’s been the leader since he was twenty.”
There was no reason Jenna would tell me that if it weren’t for a purpose. And I could see that purpose coming from a mile away. Even though I didn’t want to say it, I couldn’t stop myself from asking.
“And… how long ago has that been?”
Jenna didn’t look away from me as she answered. “Dominic Sharov is forty.”
I felt my bottom drop, and horror clawed at me with unseen fingers. “Wh–what?”
Dominic was forty? I was barely twenty-three!
Oh god, I had slept with not just a criminal, who happened to be the leader of the Russian Mafia, but he also happened to be seventeen years older than me. Fear uncoiled inside me like a snake, and all my principles of higher standards, my aspirations to be a law student, my dreams of fighting crime and criminals, and my white-knuckled grip on staunch righteousness—they all came crumbling down to nothing.
For someone who studied criminal justice, I’d been really stupid, hadn’t I? I should have realized who he was. I should have suspected something when I saw all those tattoos.
Every bit of me recoiled in horror. Really, it was like a punch to the gut. I was the last person on earth who should’ve been tangled up with a criminal—let alone a crime family. I hated every bit of injustice down to its root… yet I had spent the night with, not just anyone in the crime world or even Mafia, but its actual leader.
Disgust, hate, disbelief, and confusion all seemed to have come over me at once, dressed in shades of different colors.
I put a hand to my head, realizing that I had, indeed, stepped into a world I knew nothing about, a world that demanded more than I’d ever bargained for.
Jenna, oblivious to my internal meltdown, leaned back with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Well, if you’ve slept with a mob boss, you’re way luckier than most, girl!” She giggled, all traces of seriousness forgotten. “I mean, you didn’t hook a normal catch. You caught a big one!”
She reached for my orange juice and took another sip before continuing. “They say he embodies charm itself, the way he smiles and how he laughs—not to mention how handsome he is. From what I’ve heard, ladies up and down the eastern seaboard all want a taste. If you see the company he keeps, honestly, I’m jealous you made it on his list.” She shook her head, draining the last of the juice.
“I wish we could trade places,” I muttered, wishing she hadn’t finished my drink off; my throat was unbearably dry.
Setting the glass down, she cocked her head at me. “Did you say something?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. Just thinking out loud.”
This was all a terrible, terrible nightmare. Nothing about staring into the precipice of this dark abyss called crime was appealing to me. It was obviously one of those twisted ironies of life, a wicked gift from fate, one I had unknowingly made myself available for by setting myself on the ledge.
“Well,” Jenna said, “don’t keep a girl hanging. Tell me about what happened that night. How was it? Was he good in bed? Did he make you come? Tell me, please. Don’t leave it all to my imagination.”
“Um…” I glanced over my shoulder. “I’m going to grab some water. You want something?”
With how horror-stricken I was with Jenna’s revelation of who Dominik is, I really wasn’t feeling like getting into details of that night with her. Yes, I could still remember his lips on mine which now haunted me, and those moments of passion which stretched into the night, leaving us both exhausted.
Jenna shook her head, her eyes narrowing.
Ignoring her expression, I walked past the cashier stand, grabbed a bottle of water from a refrigerated cooler, and went to stand in line.
I didn’t want to tell Jenna what had happened that night, especially about how I’d gotten drunk on the sex and climbed on top of Dominik. The night was a treasure I’d wanted to keep locked away, but now that I knew who Dominik was, those emotions were blackening.
“You are mine.”
How could I tell her that hearing him call me his had made my heart skip, had plagued my wet dreams for weeks after? She may not laugh about it, but for goodness’ sake, he had been way hotter and more experienced than me. But knowing who he was now, I couldn’t find it in me to be giddy. A Mafia boss…
“Cash or card?”
I startled a bit as the smiling student at the cashier stand spoke.
“Um, right. I’m on the meal plan—here’s my ID.”
She took the card, then glanced at the bottle of water. “Just the water?”
I glanced around quickly, grabbing a bag of chips sitting near the register. “These too, please.”
She nodded, swiping my ID, then handed my ID back, along with a receipt. “Want a bag?”
I shook my head, then made my slow way back to the table, dragging my feet as my mind raced.
“You are mine.”Now, remembering those possessive words made my stomach sink. Dominik was no ordinary man, and men like him probably didn’t just say things like that casually.
Oh God, what if he did mean it?
What else did a Mafia leader want with an inexperienced woman? Even now, recalling the dark heat in his eyes when he called me his made my anxiety peak. I hoped it had just been the lust talking. If I’d thought anything special about that night and my encounter with him, now it was poisoned with the reality of who he was.
“I see you don’t wish to share,” Jenna said, eyeing me as I sat down. “It must have been one hell of a special night.”
Avoiding her eyes, I unscrewed the cap on the bottle of water. One hell of a night. Now, there was nothing special about it. I didn’t say all that, though, just shrugged.
“Did you use protection?” Jenna asked.
Nodding, I thought about the pill I’d taken the morning after. “I did,” I said, still trying to process the fact that I had slept with a criminal. “Plan B.”
Jenna exhaled. “Perfect. Won’t be nice to have a little Dominik swimming inside you.”
The thought made me want to puke. I gave Jenna a curious look, only to see she had her gaze elsewhere.
“The semester is winding down, and it is almost time for our annual tradition. Putting on fancy clothes and scraping together just enough money for an outrageously pricey dinner,” Jenna said with dreamy eyes. “Just think—only two weeks! I know everyone is looking forward to it.”
I was. But at the moment, my mind was somewhat still overtaken by Jenna’s revelation, as it kept processing the ideal of me having slept with the leader of a Mafia. It was something that happened in novels and movies, not real life.
“Funny how it became our ritual,” Jenna added. “I think it makes us feel like adults, like we’re part of the glamorous life that exist outside the drudgery of our college walls.”
One thing was certain: We would embark on this extravagant retreat, igniting the finale of our college years. We’d blot out the stark reality that quietly awaited us beyond the walls of this university. All this would be a thing of the past.
If only the truth could be erased as easily as money on an overpriced dinner—life would be far less complicated.
Yet, here I was, gazing out of the cafeteria windows, wondering what to do with the meal I’d been served earlier—at least, what was left of it after Jenna was through. I eyed her warily, stuffing the chips I’d bought into my bag. She sniffed, batting her eyes innocently, but I had seen the predatory gleam in her eyes when I’d brought them to the table.
She grinned at me, but my mind was locked in a private battle with the irony of my situation, bemused by the darkened reality that had barged, uninvited, into my world—forever shifting my perspective, and dragging me unwillingly into the complicated labyrinth of reality. A criminal. Out of everyone in the world, that’s who I had chosen to spend my night with.
Sighing, I shook my head. How insane was this picture turning out to be?