"I am a man of my word," Alexi said, walking closer. "And I promise you, Rose, that I will make you mine."
He was pitch black darkness in the grey of her life. He was her solitude. He was her savior.
She was his life.
She was his Rose.
. . .
Ale...
Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All of the people of the world, I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on the outside, inside them they've all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe.
-Neil Gaiman, A Game of You (The Sandman)
. . .
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I would rather have been slapped in the face than have her faint in my arms.
Adam, who was a friend of hers, said that her panic attacks were normal. Yet, he looked worried.
"She gets them every week?"
He nodded, looking down at Rose who I had laid down on a couch. "Yes."
I wanted to ask why, but perhaps it had something to do with her father's death. He had died a few years back from what I had found out. It was a hit and run and his brother now had all of his properties, except this bookstore that Rose's mother was able to keep.
It wasn't hard to tell who had killed her father. From what I knew, this bookstore was the only source of income for Rose and his mother.
Jeffery's mother was her attorney, one of the most remarkable attorneys in New York, but it was clear that there was no beating Conan Candella.
Unless I stepped in and invited Conan Candella to play the Russian roulette. Which was something I was planning on doing soon.
Adam took care of her while attending to the customers. Most of them looked scared of me. This was when none of my scars was visible, especially the one on my neck which was the ugliest.
. . .
She woke up soon. I was tempted to take her to the hospital but apparently, she hated them and 'would have another panic attack waking up there.' Adam seemed close to her.
My phone rang.
"Nikolai."
"Can I shoot some sense into Alisa?" He asked in Russian.
"No," I answered in English, knowing better than to use Russian in public.
He sighed. "Your sister is a fucking demon. Besides, Creeds are closing in. Their men are everywhere. Make sure your mark is hidden."
He worried like an older brother. He was a year older than me. He was there in my room every time the screams of my father's prisoners became too much, or when I returned from one of his cells. I could hear them now, too.
"They are hidden." Even though I fucking hated hiding them, they were hidden. This thing was worth more than my pride. I had promised my mother I'd kill my father and take over the Bratva, perhaps even sign a treaty with the Italians and the Creeds to keep the peace. I'd lost too fucking much because of my father - the last thing I wanted was another war.
After instructing Nikolai about a few more things regarding the placement of our soldiers around the bookstore and around Alisa's apartment, I hung up.
I sensed her before she stood beside me. "So..."
I looked at the reflection on the glass wall in front of us. The night had fallen. She looked tiny beside me - her arms wrapped around herself and eyes downcast.
"I am sorry," I said.
"It's not your fault," she muttered. "Although I would like you to elaborate on what you said."
"Hm?"
"Don't 'Hm' me Alexander. Now that I think about it...I know you were referring to some kinky shit. But I have a boyfriend."
That fucking boyfriend.
"Lose the loser," Adam sang as he passed by us.
"Fuck off, Adam," Rose muttered cutely under her breath.
I smiled. "Need coffee?" Feeding into her caffeine obsession a not a good thing to do, but she seemed more talkative when drinking it.
She nodded instantly. "Let's go."
We walked out of the bookstore. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to me. It was cold today and it was glaringly obvious she wasn't wearing enough clothes. Little idiot.
She didn't protest or glare at me with defiance, making me worry about her a little, and we entered the next door cafe.
We sat at the table we had sat on the last time, but this time she was still tucked to my side.
Which made me worry a little more.
"Rose?"
"I'm so fucking cold, Alexander." She snuggled deeper into me. "Consider yourself my warmer." Her voice sounded a little high pitched. I didn't have to look at her face to know she was blushing.
"Just a warmer?"
"Yeah, with a not bad cologne."
I pulled her on my lap, unable to resist anymore. A little squeak left her lips. "What...what are you doing?" She whispered as I wrapped my arms around her tightly.
"Just being a good warmer. Don't worry, no one is looking."
She peaked up at me, a frown between her brows. "You could have offered your jacket like a gentleman, Alexander."
I brushed my knuckles on the lovely pink on her cheek, loving how it deepened under my touch. "Believe me, Little Rose, I am no gentlemen." My thumb brushed her bottom lip.
She sunk her teeth into it, turning her head. "You can put me down."
"I can do a lot of things."
"You are such a smug asshole."
"Why don't you be a good girl and drink your coffee before it gets cold, hm?" I picked her coffee up, giving it to her. She grabbed it with both of her hands, probably wanting to warm them, and drank deeply.
She picked my coffee up and handed it to me. "Why don't you be a good boy and drink your coffee before it gets cold, hm?" She mocked me prettily with a deep voice.
