LILIANNA'S POV
"What the fuck?!" I grab him by the arm of his shirt and pull him into my apartment before any of my neighbours see his bloodied state.
"What happened?" I ask as the door closes behind us.
"Well I got punched in the face a couple times didn't I?" Seven answers with a roll of his eyes and smirk to his lips as if this is funny to him.
"Do you find this funny?" I fold my arms and lean a hip against the dining table, clearly displeased by what I see.
"I find it funny how worried you are. I'm fine." He insists, coming closer to rest a reassuring hand on my hip. I notice the bruising on his knuckles and the small specs of dried blood still around his nostrils.
"Are you going to tell me why you got punched in the face?" I try my best to keep up my dissatisfied facade, though I can feel it melting slightly just from his touch.
"I went to talk to Sergey." Seven steps another half step closer to me. At first the name is misplaced till my mind clicks as to where I've heard the name before. Sergey is the leader of the rival gang, the same man that sat next to me drunk at a bar talking about my mother. The man my mother originally worked for before she met my father and began working for Seven's father Ivan.
"You what?" My anger simmers. I know Seven talking to such a man is completely crazy and very, very dangerous.
"You could have gotten yourself killed!" I shove at his chest in anger and his purpled knuckles lock around my wrists, holding them to his chest.
"But I didn't. I'm fine, Lil. It was just some rookie that hit me, I'm okay." He insists.
"A rookie?" I look between his eyes, confused by the term.
"Yeah. The guy got three punches in and still didn't manage to break my nose. Rookie." He shrugs like it's no big deal, the smugness clear in the way he sets his lips, trying not to smirk.
"Ugh!" I groan and remove my wrist from his grip, annoyed at how nonchalant he's being about this. I hate that he's here with those marks on his face. I don't like it, not one bit. I turn away from him and walk to the couch, running a stressed hand over my hair the same way Seven does.
"Hey, don't walk away from me." Seven requests gently, only needing a long stride to reach for me, bringing me back to face him, our chests almost touching.
"I had to go see him baby. I need his help, I can't take over from Victor without the support and I need Sergey on my side when I take over." Seven's voice is soft and gentle as his large hands press into my lower back, bringing me closer so our hips push against one another. I feel my anger dissolve by the millisecond.
"I don't like seeing you like this." My voice comes out in a pathetic whine over his shoulder as he dips his head.
"I know baby." Seven coos into my neck, his voice husked and my mind clouds at the feeling of his lips brushing gently against my already heating skin.
God he's good.
I blink away the trance he's attempting to put me under and take a step away from him. His closeness is distracting, I need to get my point across.
What was my point again?
"Just... Stop putting yourself in deliberate danger." I utter out. I have no idea if that's what my point was or if I even had one in the first place. He's somehow managed to get me all flustered and forget my train of thought.
"I'm sorry to have worried you. But it needed to be done. I want to make sure I do everything I can to make this plan work. And to make sure you're protected and safe when it happens." His hands brush through the sides of my hair, taking hold of my face to plant a single kiss to my lips when he finishes.
"O-Okay." I don't really know what else to say.
"Speaking of safe..." Seven begins and steps away from me before sitting down on the couch. He retrieves a folded wad of papers from his back pocket and places them on the tiny coffee table.
"I need you to sign these." He finishes and I come to sit down next to him on the couch.
"Why? What are they?" I ask him and pick up the paper for me to inspect myself.
"They're the deeds to a house. Your house, to be exact." Seven answers as I read over the papers filled with real estate jargon.
"I'm sorry?" I don't think I heard him right. No, I definitely mustn't have heard that right.
"I got you a house, for you to go to. To be safe, while all this shit with Victor goes down." Seven discloses.
"You what?" He can't be serious. A fucking house?!
"It's yours, well you've still got to sign the papers but it's all paid for. And it will always be yours, no matter what ever happens with us." Seven gestures to the paper where I need to sign on the places marked with sticky notes with, "Sign here," printed on them.
This can't be real. A house? A whole arse house?! The car he got me was bad enough, now he thinks I can accept a fucking house?! It's too much, far too much. Houses cost a shit load of money. Some people spend their entire lives working and can't afford a house and Seven thinks I can accept a house bought on my behalf just like that? Oh god.
I think I might be sick....
"I..." What the fuck do I even say.
"It's about an hour and a half from the city. It's in a really safe neighbourhood. Right by the beach. I remembered you said you always wanted to live by the beach." Seven rambles. He remembered me telling him that?
I'm warmed by his generosity and the thought gone in to such a thing but I can't accept such a gift as this. It's ridiculous. A bloody house for god sake.
"I can't sign those papers Seven." I put them back down on the coffee table.
"What? Why not?" He frowns in confusion.
"Because!" I turn my body to face him directly, my leg tucking under myself as I sit.
"It's too much. I can't let you do this." I shake my head at him. Does he not see how crazy this is?
"It's not too much. Money doesn't mean shit to me, you know that. And I like giving you gifts." He argues.
"Seven, seriously this is not a normal thing to gift someone. The car was crazy enough, but a house?" I know he won't understand where I'm coming from. Like he pointed out, money doesn't mean shit to him. Whereas I've had plenty of financial struggles in my short life.
"Please Lily. Just sign the papers. You need to see it from my side of things. This way I know you'll be safe and out of Victor's reach. This way I know you'll be set if...if anything happens." His green eyes falter from eye contact for a second before he looks back up at me. Seven's eyes are large and pleading as they look into mine.
"Do I have to sign it? Why don't you?" I suggest but he shakes his head no.
"Victor would be able to track it down easily if it were in my name. But if it's in yours he won't know." Seven insists.
"I just..." I don't know how to explain this to him.
"You what?" He prompts.
"I don't want you to feel like you're responsible for me. I can take care of myself."
"You did a great job of that, didn't you. Getting into a crash as soon as I left." Seven takes a low blow by bringing up my accident.
"That was different." I defend.
"How? You went to the club, right into the danger. A great display of taking care of yourself." He points out, and when I don't say anything he continues.
"I dragged you into this mess. You are my responsibility." Seven proclaims strongly.
"I was born into this mess. It would've found me regardless if we had got together or not." Deep down I know he knows this too.
"For fuck sake Lilianna, just sign the goddamn papers!" He's getting pissed off now
"No Seven! Is this why you came back? Because you felt responsible for me being caught up in all of this? Because you hired me at the club? And now you feel like you need to protect me?" I don't bother to hide my accusing tone.
"What? No!" Seven scowls, taking offence to my allegation. I raise my brows at him, questioning his honesty.
"Well sort of." He second guesses, contradicting himself even though he shakes his head. I scoff at his lack of congruence which only seems to irritate him further. I can see it in the hot flush of his cheeks, the way his green eyes dart between mine and how his nostrils widen.
"For Christ sake Lily." His hands wipe over his face in vexation.
"Is it not fucking obvious to you why I want to protect you? Why I am doing literally everything I possibly fucking can to make sure you're going to be safe and okay when I go after Victor?! Why I've been terrified of doing something wrong when it comes to you?!" Seven shoots question after question, getting more indignant as he goes. I'm not sure if he actually wants me to answer him, and I have no idea how to even answer those questions.
"Why?!" I turn his inquiries on to himself for his answer. My voice just as harsh as his.
"Because I'm in love with you Lily!" Seven almost shouts at me. My jaw slacks at his words, parting my lips that percolate with bated breath.
"I do all of it because I-I love you." He repeats his voice dropping drastically to an exasperated whisper.
For a brief second I think I've imagined the words he's spoken. But by the way he's staring at me, the stupefied swell of his pupils, a nervous bite of his bottom lip gives away that he really did in fact say the words. Love. Seven loves me.
Seven loves me?
The room only moments ago filled with our volumed back and forth is now eerily quiet. I stare at Seven as he stares back at me. It appears he's just as astonished by the confession as I am and I get the feeling he wasn't all that prepaid to drop such an admission.
As always, I have no idea how to react or what to say but I know I need to do something. This is not one of those times where my silence will be tolerated or helpful. Seven stares at me, clearly waiting for my reaction and response.
That invisible line between us tugs me strongly to him, and I don't give another thought to my actions and let it draw my lips to his. As always Seven's mouth responds swiftly, mashing with mine in a way that has my heart fluttering in a second. I can taste the lingering metallic flavour in his mouth from his previous beating.
Seven's hands grab my waist and pull me over so I'm straddling his lap. I can sense his relief in my reaction to his words as the energy changes drastically with every laboured breath our mouths fight for. We seem to jump so quickly from emotion to emotion, indignant to mollifying one another. Passive to passion in seconds, all from a look or in this case a single world.
Love.
His breath is rushed as he pants warm bursts of air into my mouth while his hands make quick work at popping the button of my trousers. When he motions to wanting to take the jeans off by slipping his fingers under the waistband and gently stroking over the fabric of my underwear, I move so he can remove them. But not before I purposefully rub against his crotch, his whine from the contact sets the pulse in my most sensitive area.
In what feels like seconds we're both naked and he pulls me back onto his lap. Our mouths now slower as they clash against each other, but my heart beats faster and stronger as if I'm mid exertion. Without hesitation, without question from either one of us I sink myself down onto Seven's erection. The feeling is intense as he fills me, I wince slightly as I adjust to his size and the angle that he penetrates me in. We've been intimate a lot lately and I haven't given myself much time to recover in between.
"You okay?" Seven's voice is low, husked in pleasure but I don't miss his cautious tone.
"Mhmm. Just, go slow." I whisper back, my hands gripping his shoulders as I slowly begin to move myself over him. Warm arms wrap around my back, holding me to him as I do so. With each rock of my hips the more relaxed my body becomes, the wetter I become, aiding me in accommodating most of his length.
Just like this morning Seven is not wearing any protection. And just like this morning neither of us seem to mind that. Mentally I make the note of booking in an appointment with my doctor. I need to go back on birth control. There's no way in hell Seven or myself will want to use condoms from now on, not since we've felt one another like this and realised just how good it feels.
Seven's hands explore my back, rubbing up and down in a sweet and tentative manner while I grind down on his lap. I notice the sweat building on his hairline, the vein protruding from his neck, and the burning jade irises staring up at me.
"You feel incredible." Seven's swollen pink lips encourage me. I respond with a quiet moan, letting him know just how much I love it when he talks while we fuck.
"All mine." He hums into my neck, disappearing for a moment to suck harshly at my skin. Whether he intends on leaving a mark is unknown but there definitely will be one tomorrow from the way he gently bites down on the reddened flesh of my neck. He knows what I like, and he's making easy work of me. It's been barely two minutes and yet already I'm ridiculously slick with pleasure and can feel my heartbeat echoing in the backs of my ears, burning in excitement.
Seven pulls back from my neck, his hands taking my face as my hips gain a speed moving over him. He holds my face close to his own, and I can see the effect my acceleration of movement is having on him. His brow knits together in pleasure, his bottom lip drops at the sensation. I can tell he's close already, and seeing the pleasure I'm giving him building up begins to stir my own ball of white hot satisfaction. My ears are burning, my stomach is stirring while every limb is being floored with a climatic energy. Seven's hands keep a hold of my face, directing our kisses and keeping eye contact when our lips drift apart.
"So perfect." He whispers against my mouth.
"Feels so good." Seven complements between kisses. His words are bringing me closer and closer and I take a firm grip of the damp curls at the nape of his neck, holding on for dear life and he groans, enjoying the feeling of me tugging at his hair.
"Fuck, Lily. I'm gonna come." His eyes are on mine, dark from expanded pupils that stare up at me with the most vulnerable yet lustful way.
"I love you." The words drop brokenly from his mouth as if he couldn't hold them in anymore. His raw confession of love breaks me, my eyes close at how intense my orgasm rips through me. I can feel myself clenching around him in rapture causing Seven to curse in pleasure. In seconds I'm lifted from his lap, just in time as his own orgasm spurts out from him. His bare lap glistens in a mixture of both of our climax and I savour the erotic sight as I sit against the couch next to him, wallowing in my euphoric high.
My apartment is quiet but the sound of our slowing pants. I'm uncertain of how many seconds tick by before Seven eventually speaks again.
"I need to shower." He claims and I let out a quiet laugh at how incontrovertible his statement is.
"I'll join you." I offer but he shakes his head.
"Not till you sign the papers." He shocks me by continuing his insistence. My eyes glance to the stack of papers I had forgot were even there. Seven's body does a great deal of distracting me from things.
As if he knows it will help his cause Seven speaks again.
"Please Lily. I just want you safe. I love you." He concedes, the softest look glinting in his eyes. I know it, and I get the feeling Seven also knows it, that those words already hold a great deal of power and persuasion over me. So it's no surprise to either of us when I lean over and quickly scribble my signature over the paperwork, relinquishing my fight against property ownership.
Once clean, I make both Seven and I dinner and we settle into a somewhat normal evening together. We watch a film, and he catches my eyes on him more than the movie. I can't help it, I watch his mouth and replay the way his confession of love over and over again in my mind. No one has ever told me they were in love with me before, and I didn't expect it to impact me in the way it has. It has me questioning what it is I feel for Seven. I've never been in love with someone before and I know Seven hasn't either, not till me, so how does he know that what he feels for me is love? It's not that I question his feelings, he wouldn't say such a thing if he really and truly didn't mean it. I just need to figure out what I feel for him.
Seven falls asleep first. His arms wrap around my body and I lay awake watching the deeper shades of purple develop on the top of his cheek and under his eye. When an hour ticks by on the clock of me observing his beautiful face and sleep still doesn't find me I grab my fathers journal from my nightstand and begin reading.
At around two thirty in the morning an entry of his captures my tired attention. My father writes of his previous worries about my mother's safety when they first got together. He worried about Sergey's retaliation for taking my mother away from his firm, he worried about the men in his own gang and that they would not accept her or would cause her harm in objection. But Seven's father Ivan had suggested a clause in their laws which could protect my mother from all of those things. They had a marriage pact, a law where the wife of a member - especially that of a member high up in ranking - is deemed untouchable. By anyone, including rival gangs as the same law is adapted to most firms. One unanimous law to protect the women they loved and to break such a law would be punishable by death and the death of your bloodline. An entire family could be wiped out if it meant justice for killing one's wife and going against the marriage pact law. The repercussions harsh to ensure the law was never contended.
My father had been hesitant at first, uncertain if my mother would agree to it but she did. In fact my father waited till he knew their love was strong and true so that my mother would know he was marrying her because he loved her and wanted to, not only just to keep her safe. The law is a touching one, and holds true to the nature of the old ways that my father writes about. The gang was a brotherhood, a family for those without. Everyone protected each other, everyone looked out for one another and held respect for every member at every rank. A marriage law to protect the women they loved who were mostly innocent to their husbands crimes is a testimony to the age of Ivan's reign.
A reign that Seven desperately wants to emulate. I wonder if he knows about the old laws, if he knows about things like marriage pacts. Seven did say himself he wants to do everything he can to protect me... Would he reinstate the marriage pact law? And if so, would he use it?
Before I let my mind wonder too deeply into far too complicated matters, I shut my fathers journal and lay back down in bed. Even though I try my best not to think of the words I had read, my dreams are plastered with images of Seven standing at the end of an alter.
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