SIENNA
"The Zhakarov's are coming next weekend," dad says while we're having dinner.
Mikhail Zhakarov is an important business associate of ours. His family is the one we're dealing most of our weapon distribution with. We both sell and buy weapons from them. If they can't get a hold of a certain weapon, dad can find it for them, and the other way around.
Dad and grandpa never involved anyone from our illegal businesses with our private life, but Mikhail and his family are a lot like ours. Almost exactly like ours. They value their family and treat them well. They get respected and respect others who earn it. Mikhail doesn't let his wife get involved with the dangerous parts, and his son, Roman, is the one who will take over one day, just like Zayden. I have no interest in it since I don't want to involve myself in those parts.
Mikhail and dad have gotten close over the years, and they are here from time to time. His wife Annabella is originally from Italy, so Roman can speak both Russian, English and Italian fluently, but has a Russian accent.
It's kind of hot.
Roman is 26 years old and an MMA fighter. Unlike Zayden, he competes. He's one of the top-ranking fighters in Russia and has been here in America a few times for fights. They always stay at a hotel and I've never been to one of his fights, so I'm not that close with him. The last time I saw him, I was 17 and he was 21. His parents visit more often, so I'm closer with them, but it's been about 2 years since I last saw them.
I had a little crush on Roman before. Nat did too. I think everyone has, because he's hot. Really, really hot.
Russian and Italian. What can go wrong?
But now, I don't want his attention either. Josh kind of took that away from me. That exciting feeling of feeling someone's eyes on you, or having a crush. Someone has to respect the hell out of me and treat me really, really well if I'm going to be able to let someone in. And I don't know if I want to. I just want to focus on work.
"Roman has a fight the weekend after," dad continues. "I told them that they could stay with us since their house isn't quite finished yet. There are only a few details left, so they will probably be able to move in a week after they have arrived."
They started building a house here next to our estate. They are going to be here a lot since Roman has fought and won over every other high-ranking fighter in Russia and wants some other competition. They also need to be here a little more for dad and their business that they are going to expand together. Mikhail and his wife will travel back and forth from Russia a lot, but Roman will be living here for a while from what I've gathered since he's competing here. He has his own coach with him and will use our MMA gym to train in.
I don't know how he gets the time to both compete and run their business along with his dad, but from what dad has told us, he's disciplined as fuck.
Mom and his mom, Annabella, get along well, and Mikhail is a kind man to those who are close to him even if he's strict, but so is dad. Maybe that's why they get along so well. We have a big house so it won't be a problem having them here for a few days. Zayden is really excited about it. He and Roman will probably spend most time at the MMA gym anyway. I can work and do my thing without getting bothered.
I go to the diner the next day and do some work there⸺Dante is with me, of course⸺then go over to the gym in town since it's close. I can usually do most work from home regarding the paperwork, but I have to check up on the businesses too.
Zayden has taken over most of the responsibility over Empire. Dad says that he's getting too old for clubbing, and Zayden doesn't mind. He's not 21, so he can't take full responsibility yet, and he can't drink, but I know that he does anyway.
It's got its perks to own a nightclub.
The gym in town is a little calmer nowadays. More regular customers that only want to work out. All of the fighters have moved to the MMA gym. I'm more comfortable here in town, especially after what happened with Josh.
The next weekend arrives, and so does the Zhakarov's. Mikhail and Annabella come a little earlier than Roman. He wanted to check out the MMA gym with Zayden before coming here.
"Sienna, you've become a beautiful woman," Mikhail says with his thick accent and hugs me.
He's tall and well built, like dad. I'm a little bit taller than mom, but they are tall compared to me, or to anyone.
Annabella is a beautiful woman. She's pretty tall too, so there's no wonder why Roman is such a big guy.
Mom and dad show them to their rooms they will be staying in and I go up to my office to do some more work before dinner.
When it's time for dinner, I walk back down to the kitchen. I see Zayden, and a big broad back that must belong to Roman. He was fit when I last saw him 5 years ago, but he was a bit on the leaner side then. Now, he's really fit.
"Hey, Sienna, are you coming with us to the Empire later?" Zayden asks me when he sees me.
Roman turns around with his arms crossed over his chest, and if I was a 14-year-old girl, I would probably scream like a fangirl and faint.
But I'm not.
His features have become sharper and manlier since I last saw him, and he's gotten tattoos that seem to cover his entire right arm. His light brown hair is in a slicked back undercut, and it looks really good with his olive skin tone. The large muscles between his neck and shoulders are peeking out from the collar of his shirt, and standing with his arms crossed over his chest, makes his biceps and forearms look...really, really big. I don't really know how to describe him other than that he's really, really tall and really, really fit...and really, really hot.
"Hi, Sienna," he says with his deep voice and Russian accent, and smiles at me while checking me out just as much as I just did him. It feels like his hazel eyes are piercing right through me.
"Hi, Roman," I say and give him a quick smile back.
My mind might have swooned over him for a minute, but since the 'incident', my mind puts up a wall toward every man that might possibly be a threat. That includes Roman even if I know that he's a respectable man. At least he's been brought up as one, but I don't really know him, so I don't trust him either.
"So, are you coming?" Zayden asks again.
"No," I say with an emotionless face and walk past them and toward the dining table where our parents are already seated.
We all sit down and eat.
"You're never out anymore, even when Nat asks you. You've become so boring," Zayden says.
"Smettila di tormentarla, [Stop nagging her,]" dad says sternly. "You should be glad that your sister isn't out partying."
"Sorry, sis, but all you do is work nowadays. I'm glad that you're not out too much, but you need to live a little."
"I am. I'm perfectly fine," I say and continue eating without looking at him since I don't want to look into his eyes when I lie to him.
He just shakes his head and starts eating.
They talk and eat, but I can feel Roman's eyes on me from time to time, but it's not an uncomfortable stare like he's checking me out. He looks more concerned, like he's trying to figure me out.
If I've been able to lie to my family for 2 months, I'm sure that he won't notice anything.
"So, Sienna. How do you feel about being out of college and working instead?" Annabella asks me.
"I miss college a little, but I love to work as you might have heard," I say with a smile so they don't start questioning me too and suspect anything.
"Just like your parents," Mikhail says and chuckles. "But it's a good quality. You're making your parents proud."
I smile at him and they start talking about the fight next Saturday. We all have tickets, and even if I don't want to go since Josh will probably be fighting too, I feel like I have to, to show them support. They are our friends.
After dinner. Zayden shows Roman the bedroom he will be staying in. It's the one opposite from my office, so at least I won't be sleeping in the room next to his. My room is on the other side of the second floor.
I walk back to my office to do some more work. I hear the door to Roman's room open and close, and then I hear him and Zayden talking. They are probably off to Empire now, being jumped by girls.
Zayden has no problem getting girls, but he's respectful, like he's been brought up to be. He loves being at Empire since he gets a lot of attention there. Having Roman with him will draw every girl in like a magnet.
I sigh. I want to go there, but I also don't. I haven't been out since I got raped. If it was another club, I might, but I don't want Zayden or our men and guards to suspect anything since I can't act as before around guys. I don't know how I would react if a guy started grinding on me while I'm dancing.
Before, I had no problem with it as long as they weren't too grabby. Not that Zayden or Dante would let them be anyway.
Dante is dad's age, and he's been working for us since I was 7 years old. He steps in as soon as someone gets a little too close, and he would beat himself up so badly if he found out that I got raped during his watch even if it wasn't his fault. I should have locked the door to my office when he wasn't there. I usually do, but that time I didn't.