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Vitaly gives me a smirk. “Have fun.”
Leaving the garage, I grab my jacket from the kitchen and nod at the men still on guard duty. A bitterly cold wind hits my face as soon as I open the door. Turning the collar of my jacket up, I head to my car, tossing my knife in the glove box before heading down the driveway. It takes several minutes for the heat to warm up, and when I’m almost halfway home, it starts to snow. By the time I pull into the undergroundgarage, there are a few inches on the ground, and I’m already wishing for summer.
Our men are still waiting in the parked SUV by the elevator, and when I walk by, I give them a quick wave and tell them they can leave. Excited to see Alina, I take the short ride up to the penthouse. It isn’t until the doors open that I hear Roman yelling.
“Alina! It’s okay. It’s me. It’s your brother. You’re safe.”
His panicked voice is the only one I hear, but that’s only because I know Alina is trapped in her silent screams, unable to find her own voice through the terror of her nightmare. I race through the kitchen, yelling her name until I reach the bedroom. Emily, Jolene, Katya, and Simona are trying their best to comfort a pale, shaking Alina while Roman cups her face, forcing her to look at him, to seehimand know that she’s safe.
“Alina.” Her eyes turn at the sound of my voice, and I’m by her side right as her eyes fill with tears and her face heats up with shame. “It’s okay, baby.” I scoop her into my arms and kiss her forehead.
“She just woke up screaming, but no sound was coming out,” Roman says, giving his sister a worried look.
“She’ll be okay.” I pull my eyes from Alina to meet his. “It’s just a nightmare.”
He scrubs a hand over his face, thinking the exact thing I thought when I first saw her silent screams—how much do you have to beat and terrify a person to condition them to do that? Unfortunately, we both know enough to imagine the answer to that question.
“I’m taking her back to my room. Thanks for watching over her.”
“Of course.” He steps closer and kisses his sister’s head. “I’m here if you need me.”
She nods, but she’s still too embarrassed to look at him. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she buries her face against me as I walk her out of the room. I’m not sure how I’m going to deal with the Lebedev brothers, but this is the last fucking time I’m leaving her. She’ll never wake up scared without me again.
Chapter 9
Alina
Humiliation runs through me as Matvey carries me back to our room. My cheeks burn with the memory of waking up to everyone staring down at me with worried, terrified faces. One minute I’d been watching a movie and having a good time with my family, and the next I’d been back in that room with Konstantin, forced beneath him as he thrust into me.
Remembering the breathing techniques Dr. Taylor’s been teaching me, I steady my breath, counting out a slow inhale before holding it and then counting out a slow exhale.
“That’s right,malishka. Just keep breathing. Nice and slow.”
After several more breaths, I whisper, “How am I going to be able to face them again?”
Matvey doesn’t even have to think about the answer. “They love you and care about you. All they are is worried. No one is mad or irritated, and no one will ever think anything bad about you having a nightmare.”
He carries me into our room, sitting down in the rocking chair with me securely in his lap. Cupping my cheek, he looks me over, making sure I’m okay.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I promise it’ll be the last time you ever wake up without me.”
“Matvey,” I start to say, but he cuts me off.
“I’m serious. I won’t ever make you go through that without me again.”
“That’s no kind of life for you.”
“It’s the only life I want.”
I see the stubborn look in his dark eyes and know there’s no use arguing, so I don’t. Reaching a hand up, I run my fingers along his cheek, feeling the rough stubble beneath my skin. His eyes briefly close as he leans into my touch, and when his lips part as he sucks in a breath, all I can think about is how badly I want to kiss him, how badly Ineedto kiss him. I want him to erase the memories in my head. I want to remember how good it feels to be loved by him.
“Matvey,” I whisper, bringing my other hand up so I’m cupping his face as I pull him closer. “Kiss me.”
His dark eyes search mine, and as much as I know he wants this, he still hesitates and asks, “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
As soon as I whisper the word, he closes the distance, but it’s not the searing, hard kisses that I remember from two years ago. Threading his hand through my hair, he cradles the back of my head and lightly brushes his lips against mine, sending a soft rush of pleasure through every part of me. Instead of the selfish, rough touch of a man who only knows how to take, Matvey slows things down, savoring every second of this as he lightly runs his tongue over my top lip before giving it a soft suck that pulls a moan from deep within me.
