Waking Up in Mykonos A Soren & Alexei Short Story #3
“I’m almost sorry Gabriel killed off those bastards in your family,” Soren grumbled, his hands tightening on his mug. “I would very much like to torture them slowly, make them regret every evil word, every sneer and threat they ever tossed in your direction. Paint the walls in their fucking blood.”
Alexei’s heart skipped and bounded around his chest at Soren’s words as he ground them between his teeth before spitting them out.
His sweet, crazy cat-burglar boyfriend was not normally the violent type.
He was a sneaky shit who preferred to avoid physical confrontation.
But hearing Soren want to commit horrible violence on his behalf warmed him in ways that probably weren’t normal.
“I wanted the same thing for a while, but I’m glad Uncle Gabriel handled it. He had his grievances against them as well. Grandfather ordered the murder of his first love. It was time for him to get justice for his lover. Besides, I got something better than revenge.”
Soren lifted an eyebrow in silent question.
Alexei giggled. “Uncle Gabriel taught me how to be part of that world and not lose myself. He showed me how to protect myself, take that power and make it mine, while still being your Angel. Because of that, I was in London doing a job that allowed our paths to cross. Being a Krestyanov has never been easy, but if I’d known that it would eventually carry me to you, I would have endured it with a smile on my face. It was worth it.”
His sweet thief reached out and cupped his cheek, drawing him close. Soren gently kissed his lips, showing without words exactly how much he treasured Alexei. “I could do without you suffering at the hands of your so-called family, but I am so glad that you are mine.”
“And it doesn’t bother you that I come from a family of tyrants and cold-blooded killers?”
Soren huffed out a laugh and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. “You are not your family. We don’t get to choose the family we are born into, but we do get to choose the person we become. I love the beautiful, playful, crazy person you are. Never change.”
“I love you too, Soren. With you, every day feels like I’m waking up in Mykonos. I’m free.”
After stealing one more kiss, Alexei pulled away and bounced in his seat. “Okay. That’s my family. Your turn. Tell me about your family and childhood.”
Laughter burst from Soren as a harsh bark. He flopped back in his chair and thrust a hand through his messy hair as a breeze stirred sweetly across the patio. “My childhood? I’m sorry, but you’re going to be disappointed after your interesting story.”
“No, I won’t!” Alexei grabbed his free hand in both of his, tugged lightly at him. “Tell me. I told you about my past.”
“It’s boring. I was born to lower middle-class parents. One was an elementary teacher and the other a tax accountant in Kansas. I had an older brother and an older sister—”
“Had?”
Soren’s smile became a little crooked, and he shrugged.
“The CIA recruited me because of my linguistic skills. When I joined them, I spoke six languages fluently, all of them Eastern European and Middle Eastern. After some training, they decided they wanted to make me a field agent but were worried about my family ties. A few weeks before I was supposed to join my team overseas, there was a car accident in my hometown. They tossed my wallet into the wreckage along with the dead body. I didn’t know what they’d done until two years later.
My family had already mourned my supposed death and moved on. ”
“Are you shitting me? Weren’t you pissed?” Alexei shouted, his face flushing.
“Some. Maybe not as much as I should have been. I wasn’t particularly close to my family, and this way, they weren’t worried about what I was doing with my life.
I could focus on my job. Plus, if someone dangerous tried to trace to my birth identity, they would hit a dead end.
My family was safe from the people I was dealing with. ”
Alexei frowned, not seeming appeased at all. “True, but you were now disposable. There was no one who would look for you if you disappeared, no one to demand justice for you.”
“Yeah, but that’s how the Company looks at all its agents. We’re all disposable. The only thing that matters is the job.”
“Fuck that shit,” Alexei snarled. His hands tightened on Soren almost to the point of bruising. “You’re mine now. Not disposable at all. And I will fight Hell itself to keep you safe.”
Soren’s grin was a big, beautiful thing as it spread across his face, sending Alexei’s heart soaring.
“No one is ever going to separate us, Angel. It’s us against the world.”
“Well, us and our little family of mercenary misfits. I think Charlie, Kairo, Ed, and West would fight pretty hard for you too.”
Soren lifted his eyebrow. “Even Gabriel and Justin?”
“Of course!”
“Ha! Now I’m calling bullshit!” Soren jumped up, pulled Alexei to his feet, and tossed the smaller man over his shoulder. Alexei squealed, his wild cackles trailing after them as Soren carried him up to their bedroom.
They might have each lost the family that raised them, but they’d found something even better—a crazy family of mercenaries, hackers, and assassins who would go to the ends of the earth to keep them safe and happy. No one could ask for more.