Chapter Seven
Alexei's words froze Natalia in place. She had hoped that by now she would already be outside, crossing the grounds toward the nearest exit before anyone noticed she was gone.
Then again, if she had been thinking clearly, she would have remembered she was nowhere near one hundred percent. Her body still ached from her injuries, every movement draining what little strength she'd managed to regain.
Ever since she’d decided to involve herself with Alexei, her entire life had spun hopelessly out of order.
When he had sat beside her bed, speaking to her in that quiet, gentle voice so completely at odds with the feared Pakhan everyone knew, she had felt something she'd almost forgotten existed. Comfort.
What had she been thinking?
That after ten years, they would somehow have the happy reunion she'd secretly imagined as a girl? That he would smile, she'd smile, and the decade separating them would simply disappear? She should have known better. Those were the naive thoughts of a foolish girl.
“Natalia." Her name rolled from his tongue like a warning. He wasn't shouting, and somehow that made it worse.
She slowly turned to face him. He looked furious. She shouldn’t be surprised by that. Alexei had clenched his jaw tightly. A muscle ticked near his temple, and his eyes were dark with restrained anger.
Yet beneath all of that, there was that emotion again. Real concern. A wave of relief filled Natalia. She hadn’t imagined it after all
"I was hoping," she admitted quietly, "that by the time you returned, I'd already be long gone."
"With your body in that condition?” Alexei gave an incredulous shake of his head. "Come back here before you fall."
So like him to be bossy. Natalia remained where she was. The cold stone pressed lightly against her hip as she glanced over the edge. It was farther down than she'd first realized.
Normally, the drop wouldn't have worried her. She'd climbed buildings twice this height and escaped worse situations. However, today, Natalia doubted she'd survive the landing with what strength she had left.
Natalia kept debating what to do next. Being so indecisive was unlike her. Then again, she never expected to find herself in this situation. Alexei exhaled slowly before rubbing a hand across his jaw.
Alexei drew his brows together in frustration. God, when had he become so unfairly handsome? The awkward teenager she remembered had disappeared somewhere during the past decade. In his place stood a man carved from confidence and command.
His dark hair was slightly disheveled, as though he'd rushed to find her.
A few strands had fallen across his forehead, softening features that were otherwise all sharp angles and dangerous intensity.
His black dress shirt hugged broad shoulders and a powerful chest, the sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms.
Veins traced beneath lightly tanned skin, hands that looked equally capable of comforting someone or breaking them. Hell, even his frown suited him. It wasn't fair, and she hated that she noticed. More than that, she hated how difficult it was to look away.
His expression softened by a fraction. Slowly, carefully, he extended one hand toward her.
"Come here,” Alexei commanded.
Natalia stared at the offered hand, then back at the ground below, and finally back at him. She could jump, although she probably shouldn’t. After several long seconds, pride finally lost the argument.
She slipped her trembling fingers into his. The moment their hands met, Alexei gave a firm tug. She stumbled forward with a startled gasp, expecting to lose her footing completely. Instead, Natalia collided squarely against his chest.
Alexei instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her. She hadn't remembered him being this solid, or warm enough that she became painfully aware of how cold the rest of her body was.
His gaze searched her face. "You're freezing," he murmured.
They stood impossibly close. She could feel the steady rise and fall of his breathing.
She inhaled the scent of his expensive cologne, lingering cigarette smoke, and something distinctly Alexei beneath it all.
He was near enough that if Natalia tilted her head, well. Natalia didn’t think, she simply moved.
Her lips found his. The kiss lasted only a heartbeat before surprise registered between them. For ten years she'd dreamt, and wondered what it would feel like. Whether she'd built it into something impossible inside her head. She hadn't.
Alexei made a quiet sound against her lips, one of genuine surprise before instinct took over. Alexei slid his strong hands to her shoulders, then he kissed her back without a shred of hesitation, and with the same intensity.
The world disappeared. For those few moments, it didn’t matter that he was Pakhan of the Volkov Bratva, and she took a contract on him. Only the proximity of their bodies mattered.
Soon enough, reality crashed back. Natalia broke the kiss first. She stepped back so abruptly she nearly lost her balance again. What was wrong with her? What was she doing, kissing him?
"What was that for?" Alexei asked, blinking at her in disbelief. A slow grin tugged at one corner of his mouth. "I mean ... I'm certainly not complaining."
Heat flooded her cheeks. So he enjoyed that as much as she did.
"I always wanted to do that,” she whispered.
His amusement faded into suspicion.
"Not because you wanted to distract me?” Alexei demanded.
His question stung. Then again, of course he'd think that. Truthfully, it was exactly the sort of trick she would have used to escape, but not this time. She slowly shook her head.
“No, that wasn’t my intention,” she said. "I've wanted to kiss you for a very long time.”
Hearing herself admit the truth made her cringe. For several seconds, Alexei simply stared at her, and his guarded expression softened in a way she'd never seen before.
“So,” Alexei ventured, and she noted his voice had become almost gentle again. "Tell me why I caught you trying to escape."
He took her hand once more, this time with far more care. She didn't resist, whether it was because of the kiss or because she was simply exhausted, she couldn't tell anymore. Every emotion she'd buried for ten years seemed determined to surface all at once.
Without another word, he guided her back inside. The walk to the bed felt far longer than it should have. Once she sat down, Alexei pulled the blanket over her before making sure she was comfortable. Only then did he look at her again.
“Natalia." His voice carried quiet authority. "I want you to promise me you won't try to escape again."
She gave him a tired look. "Am I your prisoner, then?"
"Not exactly."
She frowned. “What does 'not exactly' mean?"
A humorless smile crossed his face. "It means..." He sighed. "I'm not entirely sure what to do with you."
That answer surprised her.
Alexei continued, “My brothers think I'm an idiot for bringing you here."
"Why did you?” She genuinely wanted to know. "You could've left me on the ground.”
"I could have,” Alexei admitted. He sat on the edge of the bed, putting a small distance between them, so he wasn’t quite touching her. “But from the moment you fired that first shot, there was something about you that felt familiar. You intrigued me."
Her heart skipped. It wasn't a declaration of love, yet somehow, it affected her more than one.
"And when I realized it was you..." His voice dropped. "I knew I couldn't leave you behind again."
"So you brought me home like some wounded stray you wanted to keep?” The words escaped before she could stop them.
She had no intention of attempting another escape, at least not yet. Natalia simply wanted to know where she stood in his eyes.
Alexei tightened his jaw.
“No. It’s nothing like that, and you know it,” Alexei said sharply.
He reached for her hand. She should have pulled away, but she let him lace his fingers through hers instead. His hand was still wonderfully warm, like the rest of his body.
"You matter to me, Natalia,” he said, then brushed his thumb lightly across her knuckles. "You always have."
Her chest tightened painfully. Was he telling her the words she wanted to hear, to ensure she would be more compliant?
"But you broke your promise.” The words slipped out before she could stop them. "You said you'd come back for me."
Alexei visibly flinched. The reaction was immediate, real. For the first time since she'd known him, proud, unshakable Alexei Volkov looked haunted.
"I'm sorry.” The apology came quietly, and without excuses. Alexei continued, “I truly am."
Alexei took a deep breath. It was clear he needed to unload his thoughts, so she decided to listen without interrupting.
"I thought the coast was clear.” His fingers never left hers. "I never saw the sniper." As he spoke, he began undoing the first few buttons of his black shirt.
Natalia frowned. "What are you doing?"
Instead of answering, he pulled the fabric aside, revealing an old scar just above his heart. There was no denying what it was. A bullet wound. Natalia had her own share of scars, accumulated through her profession.
Her breath caught. Without thinking, she reached out. She brushed her fingertips against the uneven skin. Instead of stopping her, Alexei covered her hand with his own. He held it there, as though he'd been waiting years for someone to touch that scar without fear.
"One of my father's men found me," he said quietly. "He dragged me back before I bled out. I fought him, tried to get back to you, but I lost consciousness." His gaze met hers. "The first thing I did after waking was send men back.” His voice broke ever so slightly. "You were already gone."
Natalia swallowed hard. So he had come back. He really had. The belief she'd clung to for ten years, that he'd abandoned her without looking back, cracked down the middle.
"What happened to you, Natalia?” His question was almost whispered. “I mean, I’ve read your file, but I want to hear the answer in your own words nonetheless.”
For ten years she'd never answered that question, not for anyone. Secrets kept people alive. The less anyone knew about your past, the fewer weapons they could use against you. However, this was Alexei—her Alexei.
No, cruel voice whispered inside her mind, not yours. Not yet. Taking a shaky breath, Natalia finally told him everything. She told him how Emil had found her huddled in the car. How he'd taken her in, not out of kindness, but because he saw potential.
She spoke of endless years of brutal training, of learning to shoot before sunrise, to disappear into crowds, to kill without hesitation. She told him about every lesson beaten into her, every piece of the frightened girl she had once been stripped away until only an assassin remained.
Alexei never interrupted. He simply listened, as she did before. He absentmindedly stroked the back of her hand with her thumb continually, grounding her whenever her voice threatened to fail. Finally, after what felt like hours, she reached the end.
"When the contract to kill you came—” Natalia paused, and a sad smile touched her lips. "I accepted it immediately."
Alexei lifted one handsome eyebrow.
"I wanted the assignment."
“Why?" Alexei asked.
Natalie met his gaze, and she squeezed his hand ever so slightly. "Because after ten years, I wanted to see you again and maybe find out why you didn’t come back for me.”
“Now that you have your answers, what are you going to do next?” Alexei eventually asked.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Depends on what you’ll decide to do with me next.”
Alexei snorted. “I doubt I could hold you for long once you’re fully healed.”
“You can, if you put me in chains.”
Alexei glowered at her. “That’s exactly the last thing I’d want to do to you.”
Natalia didn’t miss the fact he moved his gaze from her lips to the rest of her, hidden under the comforter. She swallowed because that impulsive kiss she stole from him told her something vital.
Ten long years, she wanted him, still wanted him even when she thought he had abandoned her. Her desire for the mischievous boy who became a powerful Bratva King never changed. It was good to know that he felt the same way about her.
Alexei leaned over her, and this time, it was him who took her lips. The kiss was rough and hungry, exactly the way she imagined the way he kissed. When Alexei saw something he wanted, he took it without asking.
She always liked that about him. When he pulled away, she could feel her nipples hardening under the thin fabric of her shirt, and she felt a little wet between the legs.
If he decided to take her here and now, well.
Natalia didn’t think she’d refused, but Alexei, despite how the city painted him as a savage Pakhan, was a gentleman. To her at least.
“If not that, then what?” She couldn’t help but ask, pleased he was momentarily distracted by her breath.
He grinned all of a sudden, and she knew an idea had finally struck him. “I plan to hire you.”
“I don’t come cheap,” she told him, although privately, she could work with the idea.
Besides, the idea of spending more time with him appealed to her. It could help me understand if the undeniable chemistry between them could mean something more.