by Donn, KL
“Thank you, moya lyubov’. I will explain all, soon.” Satisfied with my answer, she continues to ask general questions, safe questions, about my likes and dislikes.
Her excited response to when I tell her my favorite dish is intoxicating. “My mom is an amazing cook. She taught me when I was really young. Maybe–” She looks away, and I turn her head back to me.
“Maybe, what?”
“It’s silly. You have a whole staff of people to do things for you.”
“And if I want you to do this mysterious thing?”
Her head cocks to the side. “Then I suppose I would have to do it for you.” A shy smile lingers on her pink lips, and before I can think, I lean forward for a kiss.
Her surprised gasp invigorates me as I seek entrance to her mouth with my tongue. Drawing her body closer, I wrap my hands around her back, lifting her uniform shirt and holding her. Skin to skin. I’ve missed her warmth almost as much as her shy smiles and bright eyes.
Interrupted by a throat clearing, I pull away much too soon and glare at my friend as he taps his watch. Niko is a stickler for punctuality.
Staring down at Emmy, her lips are swollen, and she has a lovely pink tinge to her cheeks. I can see her chest rising and falling unsteadily, as well.
Pulling her hand along, we rush to her room, and seeing so few belongings in her possession makes me sad. I had intended to give her the world, and instead, I sent her straight back into poverty.
Slamming the door in Niko’s surprised face, I pull Emmy down onto the bed to sit beside me. Cupping her cheek, I take a moment to collect my words. “Moya lyubov’, I never meant to send you away. I was angry with myself, not you. I wanted far more from you than I ever explained, and I expected you to overcome your past with grand gestures.” I hang my head in shame. Her silence is deafening. “I only wanted for you to be happy, and instead of taking your feelings into consideration, I threw money at you.”
I stare into her gemstone eyes and wait. It feels like forever. Being vulnerable to another person is not how I was raised. But Emmy changes a man. Her exquisiteness draws me in like a honeybee to a succulent flower.
“Viktor,” she finally sighs, matching my action by cupping my stubbled jaw in her smaller palm. “I spent a lifetime with nothing, and I will spend another with less if need be. All I want is for my feelings to be validated, my opinions to matter, and my heart to be loved.” I nod, understanding now what it is she truly expects from me. “Can you give me that, Viktor?”
“A thousand times, yes,” I don’t hesitate to answer.
“Viktor!” I hear Niko shout through the door, and I growl. He’s getting on my nerves. Standing, I go open the door to see him staring down the hallway with a glower on his face. Seeing what has captured his attention has my growl turning into a menacing scowl.
“Officers?” I hiss as two men approach.
“Campus security,” Niko corrects me.
“Where is she?” they demand as they approach, trying to look into Emmy’s room, but Niko and I block their view.
“Busy.” I cross my arms and widen my stance. With a few inches on each of them, I can see we’re intimidating both men.
“There was a report made that Emmaline Taylor had been snatched out of her classroom against her will. We need to see that she is safe,” the younger man says.
“I’m fine!” Emmy’s hand pops up between our shoulders, waving. “Would you two move?” Niko lets out a sigh, and I growl, not wanting either of these men anywhere near her. “Please?” She sounds exasperated.
With reluctance, we separate so she can squeeze between us. Immediately, I place one hand on her shoulder and the other on her hip, holding her close to me.
“As you can see”—Emmy waves a hand up and down her body—“I’m fine. And also, likely leaving.”
“Definitely leaving,” I confirm.
The guards share a look. “Are you sure, Ms. Taylor? You don’t have to go against your will.” I snarl like a rabid wolf.
“Of course, I’m certain.” Her eyeroll is audible. “Viktor is my…” She pauses, searching for an answer to what we are to each other.
“Soon to be husband,” I supply.
They share a doubtful look again, and I’d like to smack their heads together.
“Get the rest of your things, Emmaline,” I command, and she turns without question. “Gentleman, you can carry on with your day and let us leave, or I can call the headmaster and have you fired. I pay tuition here, not you.” Concern blankets their faces this time, and they exit quietly.
“Next stop, hell,” Niko mutters, already dreading the planned stop at Emmaline’s mother’s home. A home I paid off, so they would be worry-free, and now, I wonder if I’ve missed something about Kelsey’s past.
Sharing my concerns with Niko in Russian so Emmy doesn’t get wind of my doubts, I have him call Kodiak to do an in-depth dive into her family’s past.
With Ben Williams residing next door, however, I have to wonder if I’m perceiving something that isn’t there. Because, despite my dislike of him, he’s a good man and thorough in what he does. I don’t see him moving his family next door to any criminal activity.
“You don’t need to speak in another language to spare my feelings, Viktor. I’d rather know what’s happening than be left in the dark. I’m not made of glass; I won’t break.” Emmy’s firm voice breaks into my thoughts.
“Won’t break, huh?” Niko raises a brow at her, and her eyes narrow on him.
“I’m more like porcelain. It takes a couple drops first,” she smarts back, and we both fight to hide our amusement.
Taking the bag she’s slung over her shoulder and the suitcase sitting behind her, Niko walks ahead of us while I clasp her hand in mine. I abhor not touching her. I’m not sure what I’ll do when I have to work.
“What was your plan here?” I ask as we walk into a courtyard and gaze around.
She takes a moment to answer me. “Honestly? I’m not sure. College was never in the cards for me. I’m not even a big fan of school. But when I got home? You should have seen the way my mother looked at me, Viktor.” Her distress is clear, so I stop our movement and pull Emmy to my chest. “It was like the experience of my own heartbreak allowed me to see the pain I was causing her for the first time, and I couldn’t stay.”
“Madelyn said it was a couple of days before you called her.” I’m not angry that she asked Mads for help, or for my money. In fact, I’m pleased she did.
Taking a harrowing breath, she pulls back before gazing up at me with tears in her eyes. “I wasn’t going to. I had a plan. For years, I’ve saved as much money as I could. I was going to rent an apartment with it and find a job and figure everything else out afterwards.” Her gaze slides away towards the buildings.
Suspicious, I ask her, “What happened?” Because something must have.
“It was a couple of days before I could get into a decent apartment that was recently vacated. I had to stay in a shelter.” I tense, suspecting what comes next. “I was robbed. They took every dime I had. I was desperate, Viktor. I’m so sorry I took your money. I swear I’ll pay it all back.”
I hate the anguish she feels over having asked me for help, even indirectly. “Nyet, moya lyubov’. I’m glad you called Mads. I would give you everything I have if you’d simply ask. Never be sorry for requiring anything from me.” I cup her cheeks in my hands and lift her face, so she sees how serious I am.
“No more Jekyll and Hyde routine, Viktor, please. My heart can’t take it anymore.” A lone tear escapes and trails down her face, landing on my finger, and I lean forward to kiss it away.
“Never. I am a loose cannon most often, moy, but I swear I will never again make you cry over me.” She nods her head and gifts me with a precious smile. “Now, let us go back to your mother’s to collect the rest of your belongings and Theodora—she is pissed at me—and then we will return home and wed.”
Stars light her eyes as she whispers,
“Wed?”
I grin my triumph because I know she won’t oppose me now.
9
Emmy
My nerves grab control of me as I sit next to Viktor in the back of his rented Escalade, with Niko driving and Kodiak in the passenger seat. I’m keeping something from Viktor, and already, my stomach is tied in knots and ready to revolt.
It certainly doesn’t help that we’re returning to the place that I ran from. “I don’t want to go in there,” I say, staring down at my lap. Taking slow deep breaths is helping keep my queasy belly settled.
I can feel all eyes on me. Kodiak may be indifferent to most anything, but I can still feel his confusion. Niko and I have come to some sort of truce in our relationship, and I would count him as a friend.
Viktor, though, I can feel the intensity rolling off him in waves. Like the ocean crashing into a harbor. Rocking boats and breaking sails.
“You cannot run from what’s happening, Emmy,” he says, and my tumultuous emotions constrict my throat. “But I will not force you to do anything you don’t wish. Kodiak will remain here while Niko and I collect my babushka and your belongings.”
Relief swamps me, quickly followed by guilt. Leaving my mother had never been a thought before. I couldn’t imagine a life without her in it, without me taking care of her. But now? It’s all I ruminate on.
All the hardships, the mistakes, the anger, and constant uncertainty have all served to afford me an understanding of what I don’t want for my life. My child’s life.
“Whatever it is you’re thinking, moy”—Viktor grabs my fisted hands in his large palm—“know that your mother has been taken care of.” My head whips up to meet his stare in shock. He nods. “The day you came to me, I paid off everything. She has a hefty amount in her bank, as well.”
“Why?” I gasp, hardly able to catch my breath.
His shrug is so nonchalant, you’d think he does this every day. “I’m a selfish man, Emmaline. I wanted you to myself, so I eliminated every possible argument you might have had once I told you what was going to happen.”
Thank you doesn’t seem adequate enough. “I don’t know what to say, Viktor.”
“Say nothing. I did not do it for thanks. I did it for me.” My heart swells. I know he claims he’s selfish, but he’s also selfless. He made sure I wouldn’t be stressed out or worried. I don’t know how he knew I would want to stay, especially after our rocky start, but he gave me everything I would need to make the emotional choice rather than the rational one.
Unbuckling my seatbelt, he frowns as I move towards him. Sliding my short legs across his thick thighs, I settle into his hold, savoring the feel of his strength all around me as he wraps his arms around me.
“Thank you, Viktor,” I whisper against his lips as I take what I please for once. It quickly turns erotic, and I’m rubbing against him, trying to hold my moans in my chest.
“You may thank me by becoming my wife,” he mumbles against my lips. I nod my agreeance.
I might be feeling vulnerable, but being his is the only appealing thought I have right now.
“We’re here.” Niko’s annoyance is clear.
“I will be back, moya lyubov’. Be good for Kodiak.” I smile and nod, intending to try and pump information from the silent man about Viktor’s feelings on children. I’m holding this huge secret in, and I need answers before either of us can move forward.
* * *
Viktor
I notice Ben exit his house just as soon as I step out of the SUV. Signaling to Kodiak, the tall man steps out and stands in front of Emmy’s door, blocking her exit and view.
Ben has been a pain in my ass for years, and knowing that he has a connection to Emmy is a mere annoyance I plan to dissolve now.
“Vashchenko!” he shouts as he storms towards me with a determined stride.
“Williams,” I greet as we meet on the sidewalk in front of Emmy’s home. I can already see Dora peeking through the curtains of the living room.
“What are you doing with her, Vik? She isn’t your usual arm candy.” I sense a touch of possessiveness in his tone.
Glaring at the man, I respond, “She does not need to be arm candy. Emmaline is mine, and that’s all you need to know.” Dismissing him, I step forward, but he grips my arm. Niko is by my side, ready to rip the man off me. I hold up a hand for him to halt.
“Not good enough, Viktor. Em doesn’t need your type of trouble,” he growls, and it’s then I recognize his possessiveness as fatherly concern. Something she’s never had and likely never picked up on from this man.
“I am not trouble. I am her man. I will give her the life she so deserves, and I won’t allow you to stop me. I also won’t allow you to fill her head with the lies you believe to be true about me.” My harsh tone succeeds in backing him off a bit. “What is it you want with her, Benjamin Williams?” The accusation may be thin, but he hears it.
“I’ve been watching over that girl since the day we moved in. She deserves an incredible life. You give it to her, Viktor, or I’ll come for you, and the giants will not stop me from ending you.”
Our glares meet head to head, and I grow a grudging respect for the man.
“You have my word. Emmaline will be taken care of in every way she wishes.”
“And love? That girl has been longing for it her entire life.”
“She had mine long before we ever met,” I tell him and walk away, dismissing his concerns. She is no longer his responsibility. She is mine and mine alone. I will be the one to worry about her well-being, not some neighbor with a false sense of duty.
Although, perhaps, “Ben,” I call, and he turns back to me. “What do you know of her mother?”
His head cocks to the side quizzically. “Not a lot. She doesn’t leave the house often, and I’ve never seen her away from Emmy.”
“Ben?” I see the man’s wife leaving their house. “Is everything alright?”
“Fine,” he says as Amanda walks to his side.
“Are you the one who took Emmy away?” She glances up and down my body, inspecting me like I’m under a microscope.
“Da.” I nod.
“Good. That mother of hers may have the universe fooled, but if you ask me, she’s been using Emmy for years. Guilt has been her best ally.”
“Explain,” Niko demands before I can speak up.
She speaks over Ben when he opens his mouth to give Niko shit. “I’ve seen her a few times after Emmy leaves for school, and she certainly isn’t the same vulnerable woman she has led her daughter to believe.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me this?” her husband scolds gently.
“Because you have been watching over her. We both have. It’s why we go out every Friday night, so Emmy can get out of there. Make some money. That girl has been worked to the bone for years.”
I nod my thanks. Relieved to have more to go on with the woman. “Put a rush on that research on the mother,” I tell Niko as we walk up to the house.
“Viktor!” Dora throws open the door before we’ve reached it. “It’s about time you showed up. This woman is crazy. She struggles to hide it now without Emmy here to lavish her with sympathy.” Her words are rushed out in Russian.
“The Williams’ have the same thoughts,” I reply back to her. Her gaze slides over to where they’re still standing on the curb and then to Kodiak standing guard on Emmy.
“Good.” She nods her head before allowing us to enter Emmy’s home. Niko has already seen it, but this is my first time. I’m shocked at what I’m witnessing. From the outside, it appears so homey that you would never know they lived in such austere quarters. A couch that has more loose threads and holes than patched areas. An old tube television sits on the floor in the corner. Stained carpets throughout the house, lead to a kitchen with broken tiles taped in place.
“Oh, hello,” Kelsey greets me. Before she can put her mask in place, I see the calculation in her eyes. She is nowhere near as desolate as she has all
owed her only child to believe. “Is Emmy with you? I do miss her so.” Her inquiry is so fabricated that she’d fail a lie detector test.
“Da,” I say as my gaze continues to wander. The woman looks around me, a slight scowl on her face as she searches for her child. “She won’t be coming in,” I inform her.
Dora is standing by the door waiting on me as Niko heads upstairs to gather Emmy’s belongings. “Go out to the vehicle, babushka,” I instruct the older woman before she can call Kelsey out on her lies.
With a glare, she nods her head, responding to me, “Watch her. She’s crafty. Nearly had me fooled.” With her warning, she leaves. Kelsey has a quizzical look on her face, trying to figure out what we are saying. Speaking a foreign language has its advantages.
“Is Emmy alright?” Her quiet voice does not fool me.
“Da.” I keep it simple.
“Well, why isn’t she coming in? I don’t understand why she ran away.” The woman is good. To the average person, she would sound concerned. To me, she sounds angry. She doesn’t like that she’s likely lost control of the only person she’s ever been able to manipulate.
“Ready,” Niko says and leaves without another word.
“I want to see my child!” Ahh, there it is. Her temper is showing through, and her falsified vulnerability is crumbling.
“Nyet. Emmaline is mine now. You will no longer be able to hoodwink her into believing you are helpless,” I say with a scowl. “You may have had her fooled, but I see you, Kelsey. You are every bit as horrible as Marshall. Perhaps worse. He was honest, at least, about what he wanted with Emmy. You have lied to her, her whole life.”
She pauses as she fastens her mask back in place. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“Da, I’m sure you don’t. But I do. And that is all that matters. You see, when she came home, you slipped and tipped her off, and so she ran. Emmaline knows your secrets, Kelsey, and soon, I will have them all as well. You won’t have access to her again.”
