by S F Draven
“I don’t want to go with them, Annika. We have no idea who they are! For all we know, they could’ve been the ones behind this!” she yelled, the tears streaming down her face, while she struggled to catch her breath.
“I don’t think they’re behind this, Natalia. The truth is, I don’t want to go with them either, but if we stick around here, we could very well be putting ourselves in more danger,” I said, calm and collected. I was trying to keep it together just as much as she was, but one of us had to make the decision, otherwise, we could’ve been in a lot more trouble.
“How can you be so sure?”
“I can’t, but they lost a friend tonight, and you lost the guy you were just getting to know. It’s a shock to all of us, but I’m not going to risk those men coming back when we’re alone and vulnerable. Stephan and his friends stuck around to help, and the truth is, we should be more prepared for these kinds of things, especially knowing what our families do for a living. We have to be strong right now, Natalia. I know you’re scared, so am I, but you’re not going with them alone. I’m going to be right by your side.” I reassured her, and her expression started to soften. I watched her finally let go of the pillow, helping me pack a few things before we took off into the night with the strangers we’d just met.
I don’t know what to think, what to believe about any of this. I hope that I made the right decision by following them out of my home, going with these complete strangers to increase my odds of staying alive. I still have no idea what those men even wanted, and I’m starting to worry that I’m in much more danger than even I realize. It’s a feeling, settling in the pit of my stomach, reminding me that I’m playing a dangerous game by trusting Stephan. But I have to remember that he did save my life. He did go out there with a single gun in his hand to take on who knows how many intruders. That’s what’s getting me through all of this; the thought that he may actually have a good heart and genuinely want to help.
I knew that very well could’ve made me the most naive person on the planet, but the other option was to wait around like a sitting duck with no weapons at our disposal. In all my years knowing exactly what my parents were up to, I never bothered to learn how to shoot a gun. I put up a wall when it came to my parent’s criminal career path, and I wanted nothing to do with any of it because I was enthralled by the idea of a normal life. Now, I was sitting in a car with men who I had to assume knew their way around the crime circuit because it was precisely what I imagined how my father would’ve reacted to a situation like that.
I didn’t want to pry too much, nor did I want to give Stephan the idea that I didn’t trust him, because I didn’t know if he was the type to retaliate or not. I was playing the entire situation by ear, looking out for any red flags along the way, and any signs that would tell me I should’ve stayed put, waiting for my parents to come home.
I have to believe that they would know what to do in a situation like this, but if I were to tell them what happened, I can’t imagine the consequences I’m going to face.
My father had very strict rules about how things operated under his roof, and he always warned us about what we’d have to deal with if we ever disobeyed him. Judging from the way we left the house, no one would’ve ever guessed that a break-in and murder occurred, and I was so grateful that Stephan was there.
I wouldn’t have even known where to begin cleaning up a crime scene like that, destroying every little indication that something terrible had happened, leaving without a trace. I was trying to calm myself down with the fact that I was only going to be gone for a few days, waiting until my parents returned, and then I could hopefully resume my life as normal.
I don’t think that my life is ever genuinely going to be normal again.
“Where are we going exactly?” Natalia asked.
“I’m taking you both back to our house for the evening. Once we get a better idea of how bad the threat is, you can decide where you want to go from there. I know that it may be out of the question to let your father know what happened, Annika, but I’m leaving that decision up to you. You both were very hospitable to us tonight, and I’d just like to return the favor,” Stephan said, glancing over at me in the passenger seat, and I smiled warmly.
I can’t explain why I feel so safe with you, Stephan. Maybe it was the way you took on those men when you had no idea what they wanted, or maybe it was how you stuck around to help me clean up a mess I’d never seen in person before, but I feel indebted to you in some way. I feel relief when I’m around you, and I can only hope that you don’t make me regret that.
Chapter Five: Stephan
There is something that’s drawing me to her, something that makes me want to help. I can’t remember the last time I wanted to do something genuinely nice for someone, but it’s different when I’m around Annika. She seems so calm, so different from anyone that I’ve ever met in my line of work. I could see how scared she was when everything happened, and while she may be trusting of me now, I don’t think she’s going to like me very much after she figures out that the break-in occurred because of me.
I’m the one that stole the painting those men were looking for, and I still have yet to figure out what I’m going to do with it. For now, I have to keep a low profile, especially when it comes to the guys because if they were to ever learn about what I was up to behind their backs, we’re going to have a much bigger problem on our hands.
The way she had looked at me after we’d finished cleaning up had told me that she didn’t want to be afraid, and I could see she tried to keep from breaking down. I still had a lot of questions about what her background was in relation to crime because she didn’t seem to bat an eyelid when it came to us cleaning up the mess in her kitchen. She was scared, but she wasn’t so scared that she couldn’t lend a hand, and that told me that she was probably part of a crime family.
I still didn’t know her last name, but I don’t think it’s the kind of thing I can blurt out in the middle of this awkward silence.
Whoever her family is, they have a lot of money, and an exceptional taste in artwork. There had to be millions of dollars in the living room alone, but what surprised me was the fact that there wasn’t any security present tonight. Surely, a place like that would be under constant watch.
“Annika, I have to ask, but is there a reason you decided to stay with us instead of going to Natalia’s house? Or does she not stay with her parents?” I asked, out of genuine curiosity.
“Like me, she does still stay with her parents, but she can’t stand them. My parents can’t seem to stand them either, but that hasn’t kept us from being friends. They also cannot know about what happened at my home tonight, because they’d probably react just as terribly as mine would,” Annika said, looking rather glum.
“Well, my parents have hated the Novikovas for generations. It’s a miracle that we get along at all. Though, we try not to meddle in their business,” Natalia chimed in, answering the question that had been on my mind for quite some time.
Her name is Annika Novikova, and that means her family is heavily involved in the crime world. I’ve heard that name thrown around from the time I was a little boy, and this certainly makes things a whole lot more interesting.
The rest of the ride had been silent because I didn’t want to let on that my family had been aware of hers for a very long time. It seemed to me that Annika wasn’t aware of what her father has accomplished over the years, or how many people he’d taken down to fund his growing empire.
Now the riches make sense, all of the art that hung proudly on the wall of his house make sense.
I pulled into the driveway of the house, helping the girls out with their things, and opening up the front door. I let Eduard and Feliks know that I’d be staying with them while they took care of Adrian, because I didn’t want to scare them anymore than they already were. They nodded at me, still looking rather glum, but I had to remind them that this was a risk we were all taking whenever we decided to do another
job. There was no telling when we’d be caught off-guard, or when someone would be vengeful enough to take us out before we could get the upper hand. That was exactly what happened to Adrian, and I still felt guilty for letting him die knowing that I could’ve just given up the painting.
It’s a price we all have to pay when we want to chase the dream, and I’ve been given a rather unique opportunity to let it pass me by now.
“Where are they going?” asked Annika, looking behind me to see that Eduard had taken the driver’s seat, and that they were backing out.
“They’re going to bury Adrian.”
“Shouldn’t you be going with them?” she asked.
“If I went with them, there’d be no one here to watch over the two of you. I’ll pay my respects once I know that you two are out of harm’s way. Please, make yourselves at home,” I said, trying to keep the conversation rather short because the truth was I didn’t want Annika to catch on to how guilty I was feeling.
“Thank you, Stephan. I don’t know how to tell you how grateful I am for you letting us stay with you for the time being. Everything happened so fast, and you have to be quite the sincere guy to let two strangers into your home,” she said, and I could tell that she was fishing for information.
“I suppose we’re all cut from the same cloth, Annika. I’m just doing what I can to help,” I said, watching her inch closer to me, and for a moment I wasn’t sure what she was going to do. I felt her arms wrap around me, embracing me tightly, to thank me for everything I’ve done. I brushed against her back softly, and the mere touch of her skin sent shock waves through me like I’d never felt before. I knew that I was attracted to her from the moment I laid eyes on her in the coffee shop, but at the time, I never thought I’d ever see her again. Now, standing in front of her, I couldn’t help but notice how incredibly beautiful she was.
I led them both up to the single guest room, helping them set down their things, while Annika led Natalia to the bed. She tucked her in, brushed the hair out of her eyes, while she curled up to fall asleep right there. It wasn’t long before Annika and I finally had some time alone, so I could pick her brain a bit more about how she was feeling.
I led her down to the kitchen, eyeing the kettle on the stove, and she nodded, following my gaze.
“Tea?” I asked.
“That would be lovely. Thank you, Stephan,” she said, and I filled it up with water, placing it over the burner to heat up.
“How are you doing, Annika? I know I haven’t gotten the chance to ask with everything that happened.”
“I’m doing alright, I suppose. It could just be that I’m in total shock, and that it’s all going to hit me sometime later, but I feel okay. I just wanted to thank you again for being so kind, and opening your home up to us when you don’t even know who we are,” she said, and I debated telling her right then that I knew exactly who she was, but I decided to let the conversation play out naturally.
“You seemed to deal with it much better than I thought you would. Any girl in your position probably would’ve run the other way screaming,” I said.
“Much like Natalia would’ve if she got the chance. My family comes from a long line of people doing very unsavory things, and I’ve been trying to distance myself from it for a long time, but I guess it always catches up with me. I don’t mean to pry, Stephan but I have to say that you were very quick to jump into action back there. You had a gun on you, and I just want to be sure that you’re not going to hurt us,” she said, glancing up at me to read the expression on my face.
“My family has come from a long line of people doing terrible things too, Annika. To be quite honest with you, I’ve done a lot of things that may send you running, but I want you to know that I’m never going to hurt you,” I said, and no matter how far-fetched it may have sounded, it was the truth.
“Why is that? If you’re even the slightest bit involved in this world, this life of crime, then why are you so adamant on protecting me?” she asked, just as the kettle began to whistle. I reached over, pulling it off of the heat, to pour it over the teabag before handing her a cup.
“I wish I had an answer that would suffice, and I was trying my best to not divulge all of the details of my past until I got to know you a bit better, but there really is no explanation. Growing up in a criminal lifestyle, we’re taught from a very young age to lie, cheat, steal, and most importantly, to kill. Though, when it comes to innocent people or those we care about, we don’t ever act out in such ways. I’m sure your father must operate in a similar manner,” I said, giving her little breadcrumbs of the truth for her to follow.
“Do you know my father?”
“I know of him. I’ve never met him, or had any run-ins with him in the past, but from what I can gather, he’s a very successful man.”
“He is, and he takes good care of us, but I always wondered why he’d never let me out on my own to pursue my simple dreams. Now, seeing everything that happened tonight, I can guess it was because the minute I stepped out from under his protection, I would have a target on my back.”
“I have to ask, Annika, because this has been bothering me for a while, but if your father won’t even let you move out on your own, then why would he leave you alone in the house for a few days knowing what the stakes are?”
“I suppose he thought that the coast was clear, that nothing was going to happen to us. Isn’t there some sort of warning that occurs to indicate when something bad is going to go down? Maybe there just weren’t any threats.” I could tell that she lacked the basic knowledge of what it meant to protect your home when you make a living as a criminal.
“It just seemed rather odd that he wouldn’t have any security around, is all. Though, I suppose that once he returns, you’re probably going to start paying a lot more attention to how things work, huh?”
“I don’t think I have much of a choice, Stephan. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t been there. I have no idea how to protect myself, and I always imagined that my father would try to rope me into the family business when he thought the time was right, but now I’m even starting to rethink that. Maybe I don’t want to wait until then to feel safe.”
“Well, I can assure you that while you’re under my watch, you’re certainly safe, Annika. I know that you can’t exactly trust me yet, and I have yet to earn that trust, but I want you to know that you now have someone looking out for you.”
Watching her put down her cup, I inched closer to her, overcome with the urge to take her into my arms, and softly kiss her. I looked down at her lips, her eyes following my gaze, as her hand reached up to my cheek caressing it, and it was she who leaned in to press her lips to mine. I didn’t understand what had come over us both, but I was filled with the kind of desire I hadn’t felt in ages.
Her hands started to travel down my chest, her fingertips getting caught in the fabric of my dress shirt before I began to unbutton it. It was a wild and reckless moment for us both, but all that mattered right then was how bad we wanted each other. I could tell by the way she fiercely kissed me that she had probably been craving this sense of adventure for a long time, and it was quite possible that she’d gone a long time without letting loose.
“Are you sure this is alright?” I asked her.
“I may regret it in the morning, but right now I want this,” said Annika, softly and that was all I needed to hear. My hands cascaded down her body, tossing her red hair to her back so I could feel her breasts over the fabric of her dress. We were both absolutely lost in each other, not caring about what was going to happen once we finally came up for air. I tugged on her hair while my kisses trailed down her neck, my hands pulling down the straps of her dress, so she could slide out of it. I looked at her, at how beautiful her black lingerie clung to her perfect curves, and I wanted to feel every inch of her skin press up against mine.
She unhooked her bra, and it dangled for a moment before I lifted it off of her perfect tits, taking a nipple into m
y mouth while I squeezed the other. I reached down to feel between her inner thighs, looking up at that beautiful smirk on her face, and I began to pull her panties down. She stepped out of them, fumbling to unbuckle my belt, but before she could get the chance, I spun her around so I could get a good look at her plump ass. I slapped it hard, feeling it bounce back underneath my hand, while I bent her over the kitchen island, hoping that Eduard and Feliks weren’t going to come back any time soon.
“Spread your legs, Annika. I want to see that pretty pussy,” I said, bending down to see her perfectly wet pussy lips staring back at me. I reached in to kiss them, taking each one between my lips before my tongue found her clit. I listened to her soft moans, holding onto the granite countertop for support while I licked and sucked on her perfect pussy. Her body was quivering, and her clit was swelling much faster than I was used to, but she was having the time of her life.
“Oh my God, don’t stop! Oh, fuck!”
It was like music to my ears to hear that, lowering my fingers inside of her, feeling how wet she was while I slid them in and out, making sure she was all ready for me to enter her. Her hair was a mess on the counter when I eventually stood up, holding her at the base of the neck while I teased her pussy with my hard, throbbing dick. She looked so beautiful bent over like that, patiently waiting for me to slip inside of her, but I couldn’t help but tease her a bit more.
“Tell me what you want, Annika.”
“I want you inside of me,” she said, her body filled with pleasure, ready for more.
“What’s that? I didn’t hear you,” I said, running the tip of my dick along her swollen clit.
“I-I want you inside of me!”
“I thought you’d never ask,” I said, ramming my dick inside her, listening to the sound of her moans growing increasingly louder, so I reached over, placing a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.
“You don’t want to wake Natalia, now do you?” I asked, and she shook her head. I thrust deep inside of her, and I could hear her muffled whimpers, trying to keep herself quiet while I drove my dick harder, faster, with my other hand on her waist to feel her ass slam up against my torso.
