24
Grace
We sneak up to my room quietly. I am positive Ruby or Richard will know about this tomorrow morning but, oh well. That’s Future Grace's problem.
As soon as the door is closed, I'm wrapped in his arms and brought to the bed. He lays me down gently and just holds me. I honestly thought this would be dirty fun but he just holds me.
"I don't know what happened with that guy you were talking about but I just want to hold you.
Make you feel safe. Make sure you're here with me.
" He whispers and that's all it takes. I fall hard for Jai.
I feel it in my chest. It's big and warm and to be honest, terrifying. I push it aside to deal with it later.
I'm speechless so I snuggle into him and just enjoy being here with him. We eventually doze off and I wake up with the sunrise.
Jai is still in my bed snoring softly. I'm glad I got to wake up to him. I lay a soft kiss on his cheek before untangling myself and heading for the shower.
I'm washing my hair when the door opens and a certain man joins me.
"Good morning." He mumbles his voice still rough from sleep stepping into the shower with me. It's a sexy voice.
"Good morning, handsome. How was your sleep?
" I ask, rinsing my hair as I admire him.
Good lord, he is beautiful. His heavily tattooed body is a work of art filled with tigers and ocean waves.
All compact muscles holding all that power and then he says such sweet things.
How long was I supposed to hold out on any of these guys? Seriously? I'm only human.
"Wonderful. I got to sleep beside my girl. What's there to complain about? Besides, this is a good view first thing in the morning." He smiles, trailing a hand down my stomach and making me blush. "Can I take you?" He asks his voice low as he steps forward.
"I wish you would," I reply, leaning into him. That's all it takes until I'm pressed against the wall with my legs wrapped around his waist.
"God, I missed you, Grace." He murmurs into my shoulder before sliding into me. Oh, God! "So good."
I pant and clutch at his back as he pumps into me. His hands squeezing into the cheeks of my ass making me arch into him. He kisses down my neck and down to my breasts.
"Jai, oh my God!" I cry out as he kisses back up my neck, continuing his brutal pace the whole time. I find myself approaching a climax when the bastard stops. I let out an embarrassingly needy whine and the fucker laughs as me!
"Hang in there, Princess. I'll take care of you." He sets me down and flips me to face away from him and pushes his hand up my back and grips my hair as I bend to his command.
"Hold on." I have half a second to think, hold onto what?
before he'sinside me again and hands scramble along the tile.
My back arches with the help of his grip on my hair.
His other hand comes down between the front of my legs and he strokes me in small tight circles.
My legs start to tremble and his lips kiss up my neck.
"That's it, Princess. Cum for me." He whispers against my skin.
And I do. With a few hard thrusts, and a quick strike to my clit, my legs liquify and I fall apart in his arms as he cums along with me.
We stay in each other's arms while we recover and he teases my body into another orgasm with sweet kisses and caresses.
"Jai." I sigh at the end of it all. He sets me down on weak knees and makes sure I'm steady before washing me and then himself with my help, of course.
***
"So, are you sure you're going to be okay at the funeral?" He asks carefully as we lay in bed in the morning.
"Honestly? No. I'm not sure at all. I don't know what to expect. I'm not even sure how they died." I admit.
"Shit." He whispers, bringing me back into his arms. "Do you want me to be there for you?"
"That's sweet but no. I- I don't want you to see me like that. It's bad enough Christian is going to be there to witness what's sure to be a shit show. Whether it's because of me or something else." I assure him.
"If you're sure. Even if you change your mind or need a quick escape. Call me, okay?" He offers. God, he's sweet. I nod to assure him I will because I know for a fact I will cry if I talk to him right now.
He leaves me with a long languid kiss before he sneaks out my bedroom window making me laugh. I set out a black dress for the funeral and glare at it for a few moments before heading down for breakfast.
Ruby is already up and cooking up a feast. Her face splits into a grin when I enter and she hurries over bringing me into a warm hug.
"Go get something to eat, sweetheart." She smiles.
I sit down and fill my plate with her glorious food and dig in.
I'm so lost in my head that I don't notice Andras and Christian enter both in respectable black suits while I am in my workout gear.
I know I'm going to need to work out these feelings or I am going to be overloaded and do something I'll regret at the funeral. Preventative maintenance, if you will.
"Grace?" I startle looking up with my hand stopping halfway to a knife when I recognize it's Andras talking to me.
"Sorry, yeah?" I manage. I see everyone's frown.
"Come on, Grace. Let's go work that shit out." Andras says, gesturing for me to stand before bringing me under his arm. That alone almost makes me crack.
We leave everyone and head to the gym. I watch as he takes off his tie and jacket and rolls up his shirt sleeves.
"Come on, Grace. Let's go." He commands bringing his brow down in concentration and his body into a defensive position. I am so lucky to be here.
I charge in and start aiming blows to his chest and arms. He blocks every one of them.
I jump back to reevaluate him and see him charging for me.
I block a hit to my side and a knee to my gut that I take advantage of throwing my foot into his grounded leg making him lose balance.
I hit him again and again and again hitting home every time before I can't see or breathe because I'm crying too hard.
Fuck!
I wipe my face stepping back to collect myself. But arms wrap around me and hold me together.
"It's okay to show this. You're safe here. You can let go with us." He assures me which is apparently the password to unlock the blubbering mess that used to be Grace. My knees give out and Andras comes with me sinking to the mats.
"Tell me what you're thinking?" He suggests.
"How did they die? I don't even know." I admit.
"They were killed because they didn't pay their debts." He explains.
"Who?"
"Bratva." Mr. Chekhov killed my parents? Well, he probably had someone else kill them. I should send him a fruit basket or something.
"How did they die?" I ask before realizing this is his little sister I'm talking about. "I'm sorry you don't have to answer-"
"They were both beaten then shot in the head." He says stiffly and suddenly I know I'm going to Hell because every tense muscle in my body relaxes. It was painful and messy. They got what they deserved. I am awful.
"What did they do to you, Grace?" He asks, holding me closer to him.
"A lot." I hedge.
"Please, Grace? I need to know who I'm burying today." He pleads. I get that. I take a deep breath and hope to all that is good in the world that I'm doing the right thing.
"So, you know the scars you asked about the other day?
" He nods slowly. "The first one. I didn't tell you the whole story.
I was... I was ten when that happened. I needed Mom to sign a form for school.
She was busy with Dad's friend, so she threw a vodka bottle at me, it shattered against the wall and the shrapnel caught me.
I had to pick all the glass out of it while mom stayed on the couch with her.
.. friend." I explain. I feel Andras grow still beside me.
"And the other?" Shit.
"That one is hard for me to explain," I admit.
"Please?" He presses through clenched teeth.
"Whenever I was bad or in the way, I was sent to this guy's house.
And he would... play. He would cut me up and then nurse me back to health.
Later on, I found out that he would buy me for a week to do it so Mom and Dad could buy their drugs.
I was his favourite." I admit my voice is small and full of pain and hatred.
"Fuck. When did he do this?"
"The first time was when I was seven the last was when I was twelve," I admit.
"Fucking... Jesus. I'm so sorry I let that happen!" He says bringing me back into his arms and now we're both falling apart. My tears have renewed.
"You didn't even know I existed. Do not blame yourself. Besides, I have plans for him." I assure him.
"I can't... I'm so sorry." He sobs. We sober at the sound of footsteps down the hall. This time we each take a punching bag. Now we both have emotions to get out.
We start throwing combos as my grandparents arrive.
"I told you we are interrupting," Grandpa says pointedly. But Grandma just scoffs at him and pulls me into a hug. She's all decked out in a black pantsuit and Grandpa is looking smart in his own suit.
"It's time to get ready, you two. The car leaves in twenty minutes." She explains before pushing us out the door. I make my way up to my room, where I find Christian waiting for me.
"Are you okay?" He asks, bringing me into a hug.
"I'm not sure right now," I say honestly. "I may have broken Andras. I told him about some of my scars." I explain.
"Shit."
"Yep."
"Well, it's better that he knows." He shrugs as I head into the bathroom and head in for my second shower today.
"I guess. I just feel bad for ruining his memories of his sister." I explain watching as he sits on the counter.
"I have a feeling that she was a different person for you than she was for him." He poses. He's got a good point. I manage a quick rinse before towelling off and sliding my knives and bra and panties on.
Christian comes up behind me laying a kiss on my shoulder and sliding his arms around my waist. I sink into his embrace feeling loved and safe for... probably the first time in my life.
"Thank you, Christian," I whisper as I tilt my face up to set a quick kiss along his jaw.
I move away and put on my dress. I take a deep breath as I put on my armour for the day.
I'm going to need it. I can't wear my boots so I store a knife between my breasts and find the little necklace I love so much.
It's small and the pendant hides a small blade as well just in case.
When I finally feel prepared enough to face my parents' bodies and all the things that come with them, I grab my purse.
"You look beautiful, Grace."
"Thank you. Can you see my knives?" I ask turning slowly on the spot.
"No, but I'd like to." He grins stepping close enough to press his chest into mine.
"Play your cards right and you just might." I tease him with a wink before I walk away, leaving him to follow groaning.