by Khloe Wren
Shock rippled over Jess’s face. “Oh, sweetheart, I had no idea you were still struggling with your mum’s death. It wasn’t your fault at all. It was all her. She’s the one who couldn’t love. You’re totally lovable. Not only are you beautiful and have great tits, but you’re funny as hell and always smiling. Everyone you meet loves you.”
She scoffed at that. “Yeah, I’m so lovable Rodger only wanted me for my great tits and money. Hell, strangers regularly think I’m nothing more than a nice rack and tight ass.”
More tears leaked out, and a sob cut off anything else she was going to say.
Jess pulled her in again for another hug, rubbing her palm up and down her back to soothe her as she cried some more.
“Babe, those strangers are just assholes. They don’t know a single thing about you, and you shouldn’t let their opinions matter to you at all. I guarantee you, your opinion doesn’t matter to them. Rodger’s nothing but an abusive addict. Gambling isn’t so different to drugs. Once addicted, a person changes. The only thing an addict like him truly loves is the thrill of whatever vice they’re hooked on. Focus on the people who do care. I’ve been by your side for seven years, and nothing is ever going to cut me out of your life, babe. I love you like a sister. In fact, I totally love you more than my sister. She’s a bitch, while you’re a sweetheart.”
That had Juli chuckling a little. Jess was right. Her baby sister was a spoiled brat and such a bitch.
“And what about Daniil? He’s saved your ass how many times now? Men don’t do that for just anybody, especially men like him. You know I hear all sorts of shit in the salon, and from what I’ve heard, that man doesn’t date. Ever. He’s a fuck ‘em, then leave ‘em kinda man. But with you he’s had to work bloody hard to even get you to go to dinner with him. You’re so fucking lovable you’ve converted a man-whore into boyfriend material. Be proud!”
She knew Jess was trying to make her laugh, but that one was a little too close to the bone.
“Rodger told me what Daniil does for a living, like the non-legit stuff. He’s a criminal, and kills people, maybe even sells them. I don’t want to be here with him.”
Jess wiggled back a little so she could hold my gaze.
“Okay, firstly, as I’ve mentioned before, Rodger is an ass-wipe. Nothing he says is worth shit. Secondly, I’ve just sat down and had coffee with Daniil. He’s really worried, and he cares about you. A lot. He has the money and time to keep you cared for and protected while you heal up. In your shoes, I’d stay here and soak it all up while I could. He hasn’t hurt you, has he? Tried to rape you?”
Jess’s raised eyebrow indicated she already knew the answer.
“No, he’s not done anything to hurt me. But I know he’s killed men. He’s admitted it to me. What happens if I get him mad?”
Jess chuckled. “Babe, trust me, you’ve frustrated him plenty in the last few weeks, and what has he done? He’s sent you flowers and presents. That man is whipped bad. And yeah, he’s a criminal. Hell, he’s one of the kings of Sydney, babe. Men don’t get to that position by polishing their halos. But if he was going to hurt you in some way, or use you, he would have done it by now. Hell, he could have snatched you that first day you met at the markets and no one would have known what happened to you. But he didn’t. How about you ask the man directly what he’s planning for you, rather than take the word of your ex, who you know lies and cheats?”
Juli sighed heavily. “Yeah. I hear you, but right now, it’s all too much. I don’t want to deal with any of it. I know it’s not like me, but I kinda just want to hide from the world and lick my wounds for a while, you know? Worry about all this shit some other day.” When I find the will to keep going, even though I have nothing much left in my life worth living for.
“You go for it, babe. After all the shit you’ve been through, I’m surprised you haven’t cracked before now. You take all the time you need. I’ll be right here for you, ready to help however I can.”
After that they just lay there silently. Jess stroked her hair and face a little, and when she began to rub her back, Juli drifted off to sleep again.
Chapter Twelve
A week later, Daniil was ready to explode. He’d only managed to keep Julietta at his home for two days before she’d begged Jess to take her home with her. He wanted to be the one who comforted her, but he’d been eavesdropping on the conversations the girls had each day when Jess came to visit and he understood his Julietta needed time to heal and recover. This wasn’t just about him and the latest attack; it was about her whole world crashing down around her.
From the moment he met her, he’d admired her inner light and spark. Then as he learned more, he marveled at her strength to keep staying positive through everything life had thrown at her. But it seemed this latest attack had been too much for her and she’d shattered. Since she’d gone back to live with Jess, he’d gone over each day, but she barely moved. It took both him and Jess to coax her into eating the smallest of mouthfuls, and for the most part she simply stayed curled up in bed, refusing to talk to, or look at, anyone. He’d climbed in with her a few times, spooning up behind her so he could hold her close to him. Each time he did, she’d snuggle back into him with a sigh, but that was all the reaction he got. It was breaking his heart to watch her suffering like she was.
Because he’d never before cared for a woman like he did for Julietta, he had no experience in how to handle this situation. Nor did he have anyone in his life he could ask for advice from. No parents or grandparents. He’d tried to think back over his childhood, to the things his father had done for his mother when she’d been unhappy. But he’d only been a lad and he couldn’t remember either of his parents ever being anything other than content and happy with life.
What he did know was that previously, she had sought her solace in her photography and in the attack her camera equipment had been smashed beyond repair. So, today he was going to try a different tactic with her. No more coddling her, she needed to get out of that tiny room and get some fresh air into her lungs. Remember why life was worth living.
It was mid-morning Sunday when he arrived at her place, and Jess let him in with a grim smile. He winced as he realized she’d missed another week of work and opening her stall at the markets. Of course, he’d contacted both the surf school and the market organizers to explain the situation and pay them enough to hold open her job and site, but that wouldn’t make any difference if she couldn’t find a way to fight her way back to the land of the living.
“Morning, D.”
If he wasn’t so worried for Julietta, he’d have laughed at the way Jess was now using the nickname Viktor and Yury used for him most days.
“No change?”
She shook her head with a sigh. “Nope, she’s still in her room. I haven’t gone in there yet this morning.”
He nodded. “I’m taking her out today.”
Jess’s eyes widened. “Not sure she’ll go for that, but good luck.”
He grinned. “I don’t intend on giving her a choice. Well, she’ll get a choice on whether she goes in whatever she’s currently wearing or if she wants a shower and to get changed first. But that’s the end of her choices.”
Jess’s body shook with her laughter. “Can I video this? Because her reaction is gonna be priceless.”
Pain shot into his heart. “No videos, and as much as the old Julietta would have lashed out at me, this new depressed version of her probably won’t do much at all. I almost wish she would lash out.”
Jess didn’t respond, which didn’t surprise him. What could either of them say? Their strong, beautiful girl was fading right before their eyes.
He headed to Julietta’s room, knocking lightly before he entered. Another shot of pain pierced his heart. She lay on the bed, but the room was so dark, he could barely make out her form under the blankets. The air in the room was stale and smelled bad enough he rubbed a hand under his nose. Damn.
He went to the window and ope
ned the blinds, allowing the bright sunlight into the space. He slid the window open, taking a deep breath of the fresh air before he turned to face his girl. She lay facing him but had put a hand over her face, he guessed covering her eyes from the sudden light he’d inflicted on her. Her purple-blue hair that normally looked bright and full of life, lay limp around her head in a mess.
“C’mon, krasivaya, time to get up. We’re going out.”
She separated her fingers and glared at him, but stayed silent. He refused to give in, no matter how much he wanted to go curl up behind her and simply hold her close. Folding his arms across his chest, he stared at her.
“Either you get up and go shower and change, or I’ll carry you out to the car like you are. Your choice.”
She scoffed at him, and he thought he caught a glimmer of humor in her eyes before she rolled onto her front, burying her face in her pillow with a groan. He moved toward her, gently gripping her shoulder to roll her over. He brushed her hair away from her face before he leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead.
“Help me help you. You know a shower will make you feel better, and then I have a surprise for you that I know you’ll love.”
“You’re not going to give up and go away, are you?”
“Never.”
He lowered his mouth to hers, taking her lips. He’d only intended to give her a quick light kiss, but when she moved her lips against his, kissing him back, hope bloomed that she was ready to come back to the world of the living. He’d missed her so much this week, had been aching for the torment she was going through. To feel her open up to him, even just this little bit, was more than he could resist. With a moan, he deepened the kiss, dancing his tongue with hers. His cock went rock hard in an instant, but no matter how much he wanted to love on her, he knew it wasn’t the time for it.
He pulled back and ran his knuckles down her cheek.
“It’s time, my Julietta. You’ve got twenty minutes to shower and dress, and then we’re leaving. And we will be going out. Don’t think I won’t come in here and carry you out in whatever you happen to be wearing when it’s time to go.”
With that he gave her another quick kiss before he strode out of her room and back toward the kitchen, hoping Jess wouldn’t mind him joining her for a coffee while he waited.
“How’d it go?”
He shrugged. “Find out in twenty minutes. However, I’m optimistic she won’t be going out in her pajamas.”
And that was the truth. The way she’d kissed him back was the most life she’d shown since the attack, and it gave him hope things would be okay. Because over the past week, he’d come to realize he’d fallen completely in love with his little surfer. No way did he want to live his life without her in it. So he needed to make certain she got strong again, and then he would set about winning her heart and making her his forever.
****
Because Juli didn’t doubt for a moment Daniil would drag her ass out of the house in her pajamas, she hauled herself out of bed. Sitting on the edge of her mattress, she ran a fingertip over her lips. They were still tingling from his powerful kisses. A little sigh escaped her. The man could certainly kiss, that’s for sure.
With a groan, she stood and grabbed a pair of panties and a maxi-dress with a built-in shelf bra because that was about all her energy level could handle at the moment. Then she headed to the shared bathroom.
Twenty minutes later she entered the kitchen feeling a lot better than she had half an hour ago. She couldn’t remember when she’d last showered, and it felt good to be clean and freshly shaved. She wasn’t sure what Daniil had planned for their day, but she really didn’t want to be around a whole heap of people. Fuck, she hoped he wouldn’t be mad with her if she couldn’t handle whatever he’d planned and begged to come home.
“Hey, babe!”
Jess tackle hugged her before she could make it more than two steps inside the room. Juli gave her friend a couple awkward pats on the back before she tried to pry herself free.
“How you feeling? Better? Damn, but it’s good to see you up and around!”
She shrugged, feeling a little like a science experiment. “Could use a coffee.”
Distraction, she needed to get Jess’s focus off of her. Daniil strode across the kitchen to her, cupping her cheek as he lowered his face and kissed her again. With her palms on his chest, she leaned into him, moaning when he nipped her lower lip before he pulled back. Dropping his arm so he could wrap it around her waist, he brought up his other hand, which held his own coffee.
“Drink mine, krasivaya, and then we’ll head out.”
She took the warm mug from his hand, and a thrill ran through her as she put her mouth where he’d has his and drunk his coffee. It was bitter on her tongue, but she didn’t complain. Normally she added milk and sugar to her brew, but this dark, unsweetened coffee was exactly what she needed this morning. She didn’t need sweet, not when harshness was her new reality, so the drink was perfect.
Daniil kept his arm around her, holding her close to him as she drank the rest of his coffee. The gentle strokes he was making over her lower back and upper edge of her ass had all sorts of sensations running through her body. Apparently, her libido had forgiven him and wanted more of what she knew he could give her. Her mind was still on the fence about whether he was forgiven, though.
The moment she took the last mouthful, he took the mug, handed it to Jess, then dragged her out of the door before she could even say bye to her friend. She was surprised to see he’d switched out his sleek black SUV for a sexy little silver Mustang convertible. Her knowledge of cars was pretty limited, so she had no idea what the model was, but the little horse on the front was pretty distinctive.
“I didn’t know you had a Mustang.”
A wide grin spread over his face, and his eyes sparkled a little at her words.
“I’m impressed you know what make it is. I’ve had this baby for about a year now, but I don’t get to drive it much. It’s not all that practical for a lot of things.”
With a palm on her lower back, he guided her around to the passenger side and opened the door before holding her hand as she sat down. She closed her eyes when he leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead. There was something about the way he did that that settled her somewhere deep inside. A minute later he was in the driver’s seat and they were off.
She was grateful she’d taken the time to braid her hair after her shower, as it meant she could enjoy the wind in her face without worrying about her hair. As he drove them further north, up the coast, she relaxed into the seat, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths of the sea air. She must have dozed off because she woke with a start when the car’s engine turned off. Jerking in the seat, she sat up straighter and looked around.
“Stay there a minute, I just need to grab something.”
She nodded as she continued to stare at the sight around her. It made her miss her camera. Daniil had brought her up to Mystics Beach in Minnamurra. It was a beautiful white sandy beach that wasn’t nearly as busy as Bondi Beach. She couldn’t see it from the carpark, but she’d been here before so knew what was just through the trees. She glanced around, pleased to see only two other cars. She hoped that meant they’d have the beach mostly to themselves.
When he slipped back into the driver’s seat with a wrapped box. She frowned at it, then him.
“What’s that?”
“Just a little something I thought you might like.”
Curiosity had her tearing the paper way like an excited toddler. She swallowed past a sudden lump in her throat at the case that was revealed. It was a sleek, metal high-end camera case. She’d drooled over similar cases online but couldn’t justify buying one. Running her palms over the smooth metal, she flicked her gaze up to Daniil’s face. He was grinning at her looking like a cat that had got the cream.
“What did you do?”
He nodded to the case. “Open it up and you’ll see.”
Excitemen
t had her heart racing. Daniil didn’t do presents by halves. Her flowers had come in a crystal vase. The necklace he’d sent her was from Hardy Brothers, and when she’d checked their website, had discovered he’d spent around two thousand dollars on the gorgeous yellow gold and diamond creation. She raised her fingers to play with the dozen or so different sized hoops of gold that made up the pendant she was wearing. His gaze tracked her fingers, his expression turning to one of pride and desire.
This man confused her so much. He was extremely ruthless, cutting down anyone in his way with brutal force and finality, yet he spoiled her with pretty things and made sure she was protected. Now she was beginning to come out of her fog, she had so many questions.
“Open it already, solnyshka moto. I want to see your reaction.”
Shaking her thoughts away for later, she flipped open the latches and opened the case. When she saw the square shape along with the word “Canon” on the top of the front of the camera her heart stopped beating, her lungs froze, and her fingers shook as she reached forward to hesitantly touch the piece of extremely expensive equipment.
“Breathe, Julietta.”
She gulped in a few breaths and wiped the tears from her eyes. This was an insane gift. There was close to, if not more, than ten thousand dollars’ worth of camera and lenses in this case. The little “EOS-1D” written on the camera let her know which model it was. She’d seen a blog on this camera and knew it was one of the best cameras currently available. And so far out of her price range she’d just read the blog and drooled for a little while before trying to forget it existed.
“It’s too much! I can’t accept this—”
He cut her off by leaning over and kissing her, taking her lips over and over again until she relaxed and all but melted against the seat.
“You can, and you will accept it. Your last camera was broken in the attack, and if it weren’t for me, those men wouldn’t have been after you. So, you’ll let me replace it for you.”
