Page 27 of Savage Pakhan

“I mean it with my entire being, Mia. No one will hurt you again, da? Besides maybe a car door closing.”

She scoffs, playfully slapping me and we both laugh, the sounds morphing together to create a sound that I’ll never forget.

“Can you get my dress out of the door?”

“Da.” I stand, wiping the dirt off my hands, and open the door, freeing my heart’s desire. “Your dress is ruined and filthy. I could get it cleaned if you want?”

I help her get to her feet and she wipes her hands down her dress.

“Are you kidding? I want to burn it. I never want to wear or see this dress ever again.”

“Tomorrow we will have a bonfire then and have smores as your dress burns.” I offer her my arm to help her inside.

She loops her arm through and offers me a genuine smile, the kind that speaks a thousand words without needing to mutter one.

“You’d do that for me?”

“Da, Mia.”

I would do anything for you.

“Why?” She stands in front of me, confusion pinching the gorgeous brown eyes I can never look away from.

How did I not realize how much I loved her? How did I let her and my son’s relationship go on so long when I’ve known she’s been meant for me? I’m a fucking fool.

All I need to do now is get her to fall in love with me. It won’t be easy considering her worst nightmare is my son, but what is the saying? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree? In this case, it does. The apple isn’t even in the same field.

“Why, what?” I step to the side and take her hand, tugging her behind me as we walk over the stone path.

“Why are you doing all of this for me? Why are you helping me? Why are you encouraging me? You’re okay with me leaving your son? Burning a wedding dress? Stashing a car in the woods? Nearly killing us in a lake? It doesn’t make sense, Alek.”

We climb up the steps, the porch swing banging against the rails as the wind blows. The river isn’t far either. The water can be heard rushing from below through the endless thick of the trees.

I don’t have the keys to the front door. There actually are no keys. There’s a hand scanner to the right of the doorframe and I flatten my palm on it, a red light sliding up and down my skin. It turns green and the lock slides free to allow us inside.

All precautions must be taken given my line of work. There might be two or three bodies buried on the property that only Nikolai and I know about.

But I won’t tell her that.

“I don’t see how it doesn’t make sense, Mia. Good people care about other people. And I’m not even a good person. I only want to be good to you. How you were treated by my son leaves me forever in your debt because he didn’t learn that from me. I’ll show you that not everyone in your life is like that. You have purpose, Mia. Your purpose isn’t supposed to be hoping for death instead of enjoying life. So yes, I’ll do what I have to until you start liking life again.” I push the door open, wanting her to step inside first.

I’m getting too close to allowing her to see how I feel about her.

“Thank you.” She steps inside, tilting her head, staring up at the high ceilings of the cabin held up by beams. “It’s been so long since I’ve had kindness shown to me. It’ll take some getting used to. There’s always catch if someone is kind lately. I’m sorry for assuming otherwise.”

“No apology needed, Mia. Your skepticism is warranted.” I close the door and with a press of a button, three steel locks slide into place.

Mia looks beautiful standing in the middle of living room. She’s so curious. She looks and touches everything, wanting to get familiar immediately.

“It’s so different than your house. It’s much more minimal and cozy.”

“At the end of the day, I’m a simple man. I don’t need much. The house, the life, the material things, a lot of it is for show because a man in my position has to have nice things. Just between you and me though?”

“What?”

“I prefer a place like this. It’s quiet. Secluded. I don’t have to deal with people or drama or plans to kill.” The last admission comes out more blunt than I intended to. “A simple life is here, and I don’t get to enjoy it as often as I should.”

There’s a small wooden table to the left of the kitchen and an old green couch with a matching recliner in the living room. A wood burning stove is nestled in the corner.