A Treacherous King- Dark Mafia Romance

forty three

Maeve

It turns out the safe house is a lake house on Senezh Lake right outside of Moscow. I had packed my bags earlier this morning, feeling a weight of a thousand stones pressing on me. I knew it wasn't healthy to feel the way that I do. As Caine had stated last night, if I were to stay with him I was going to have to become accustomed to his absence. His pep talk really did nothing but spike my anxiety.

Growing up, I didn't have anyone. Not a single person who cared where I was, or what I was doing. No one cared if I lived or died. Being here, with Caine I realized what it meant to care for someone. To care for someone so greatly, that the thought of being away from them pained you. I realized that what I feel is closely associated with love. A word that I thought too conventional to say to him, but I know it's love I feel wrapping around me in its soft cocoon. It's love that is choking me up with emotions as I see the city pass by through my window.

Caine and his driver Yuri had driven Nadia, Irina, and I out here. Two of his men who were assigned to keep watch over us, followed closely behind. The lake house was situated on the banks of the Senezh, a tall framed structure with high windows and an expansive back deck that touched the water.

I rolled my suitcase up the short gravel drive as Caine typed in a security code at the front door. He pushed the door open and I was met with a sizable living room and kitchen off to my right. A plush gray couch and matching chairs sat in the middle of the room, a large fire place with a big flat screen tv mounted above it filled one wall. But the most eye catching of all was the entire back wall of the living room. It was nothing but paned glass windows and a sliding glass door, offering a perfect view of the crystal waters of the lake.

The two men assigned to us, Sergi and Ioann, help Nadia bring our things upstairs and Irina hurries off to the kitchen to make us some lunch but I know they wished to give Caine and I some privacy.

I walk farther into the room, reaching out to pull the latch on the glass sliding doors leading out to the deck. I could feel Caine's presence behind me. I still had my back to turned to him, not yet ready to face him. Knowing that when I did, it would be to tell him goodbye. I had myself together for the better part of the day, but now my emotions were trying to claw their way up my throat. I walk over to the wooden railing, watching a set of geese glide over the surface of the still water.

"Little rabbit." Caine's rich timbre causes my heart to squeeze. "Don't be sad." He wraps his arms around me from behind, nuzzling his nose into my hair.

"I'm worried." I admit. I want to be strong for him, but it's hard when the fear of losing him keeps threatening to pull me under.

"I know, but you shouldn't be." He reassures.

I turn in his arms to find his stormy eyes clear as they've ever been, not a hint of hesitation in them.

"Everything is going to be okay." He says, trailing a finger down my cheek.

"You don't know that. Don't lie to reassure me. Not now, not ever." I bite. I don't mean to be bitter, especially with this being one of the last in person conversations we will share for the next few days. It's just that he has never sugarcoated shit for me before. He's always been brutally honest with his intentions. I don't want him to start lying to me now

"I would never lie to you." He says sternly. "If everything goes according to our plan, we won't even have to bat an eye." I worry my lip with my teeth, studying our shoes intently. "Look at me." He says, nudging my chin up with his finger. "You're my light Maeve. My reason for being. Without you, I would still be this bitter man who likes to drink and fuck to drown out his troubles."

I scoff, pulling away from him but he grabs my face between his palms and holds me in place. "But then I met you. I met your light, your determination, your boldness, your courage and stubbornness. You gave me a reason to get out of bed in the mornings, hoping to catch a glimpse of you in one of those frilly nightgowns." I laugh, pressing my hands over the backs of his. "And that light is what I will fight to get back to, so I can wrap myself in it and never let it go."

He catches my tears as they fall, swiping them away so tenderly my knees shake. Then he leans in and kisses me gently, as though not to crack my already brittle resolve. I lean into his touch, our lips grazing each others softly.

"I need to go." He says, after pulling away. "There is still a lot to be done before tomorrow night."

I nod, but my hold on him is relentless. He grabs my hand and leads us back into the house, and out the front door to his car parked in the driveway.

"Caine...I."

"Don't finish whatever you're going to say. Save it for me until I get back." He crashes his lips onto mine, a fire erupts inside of me, as he backs me up to the car and runs his hands down my sides. All too quick it's over and he's pulling away. My palm skims down his arm as he backs away from me, and I can feel the fire he created with his kiss leaving my veins with his absent touch.

"Be safe." I say. He nods and gets into the back of the Escalade. I watch as the car backs out of the drive and pulls out onto the narrow dirt paved road. I watch until the taillights disappear around the corner and I'm left with my anxiety swimming inside of me for the next few days.

"Maeve." Nadia's voice sounds from the doorway. "Come inside and eat some lunch." I nod, even though she probably can't see it.

"Come back to me." I whisper into the wind, hoping that it reaches his ears.