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“Dad, go inside. You’re too drunk to speak.”
“Everyone is a smartass tonight, huh? Well let me tell you something…” He started mumbling, going between English and Russian, but whatever he was saying was unintelligible. Not that I cared too much to find out what he was talking about.
Ludmila walked to him and told him to get in the house a couple of times.
“Come on, Alexei. Let them be. You need to get inside.” She was talking to him like he was a wild dog.
Out of the blue, Popov stopped and turned to Ludmila, grabbing her by the arm and from where I was standing, he was clutching her with a lot of force. I froze. That motherfucker was hurting her and almost like it was an instinct, a deep need to protect those I cared about – my right hand started to slip back, reaching for the Desert Eagle hanging on my belt.
“You don’t tell me what to do, you dirty, filthy….” He never got to finish that sentence, because I stepped up to him and pulled him the fuck away from Ludmila while Katja got to her.
“Stop it. You’re drunk and you’re stupid when you drink. If you’re weak and can’t handle your booze, don’t take that out on the women around you.”
“What’s with your family always standing up for them?”
“We respect our women, Popov.” I growled like a hungry tiger holding a chunk of meat. “And we don’t appreciate when others don’t. Do I make myself clear?”
He looked at me for a second before letting his head down laughing.
“They really raised you to be a boss, didn’t they?”
“Don’t make me show you. Go inside.”
He walked away, arranged his suit, and went inside, this time without any objections. When I turned, Katja and Ludmila were watching me, but I kept looking somewhere behind them, because I didn’t want to risk Katja catching me drinking Ludmila in with my eyes. I wanted to pull her in my arms and kiss her lush lips; telling her I’d make it all go away soon. It was killing me that she was so close, but still, I couldn’t touch her.
“Ugh, he is such an idiot,” Katja exploded. “Ludmi, are you ok?”
“Me? Of course. Don’t worry about me. You know your father acts out when he drinks.”
“Which is always.” Katja quickly pointed out.
Ludmila cleared her throat and straightened her back before speaking to me.
“Thank you, Enzo, but it wasn’t necessary to get so mad. This is just Alexei being Alexei. And thank you for bringing Katja home.”
“Are you safe?” I’ve asked, my eyes burning with anger, and my fists clenched.
“Of course.” But I wasn’t convinced in the slightest. “I’m going to go inside. Katja, are you coming too?”
“Yes.”
They left for the door, but my eyes didn’t leave Ludmila for a second, even if she didn’t look back. Katja waved goodbye, and I nodded back automatically, but I was more focused on the woman next to her. Ludmila had to go in that house and lay next to that disgusting walking piece of garbage, and I couldn’t say anything because she wouldn’t let me. She was scared and I wasn’t allowed to protect her.
My Russian Queen.
The door closed behind them, but I stayed there for many minutes before walking back to the car and starting the engine. I’d been through a lot of shitty times in my life, but walking away from Ludmila tonight was the hardest, most bitter-tasting of them.
Chapter 15
I flew up the stairs and hid in my bedroom like I was being chased down. I didn’t even stop to see if Alexei was still breathing on the couch, where he fell, face first. I needed a moment of solitude to let my emotions out. I ran to my little corner – the vanity table – and looked at my reflection in the mirror, watching my face change from neutral to overwhelmed.
My heart sank when I saw Enzo getting out of the car in front of the house, knowing he would witness my embarrassment once again. Alexei, once again, drank more than he could handle, and even though he was manageable tonight, there was always a chance he would explode. Enzo was the last human on this earth whom I wanted to witness it.
When Alexei reached for me, I saw the black clouds steaming behind his eyes – that cold, dark, and sadistic anger – like it happened every time before I ended up under his fists. One moment he was ready to poor his frustration out on me, the next I had Enzo as my shield, protecting me from Alexei’s rotten anger.
My sweet Enzo. I wasn’t a fool; I knew what he was capable of. Alexei hadn’t stopped talking about who the Nucci family was and what they did. Italian mafia. Enzo would be their boss soon. You don’t get to fill those shoes if you’re weak. The big difference was that I wasn’t afraid of Enzo, even if his hands were stained red. I looked at him, and I felt protected. I couldn’t describe how I felt having him there, sitting in front of me. I’d never had that. In that moment, I wanted him more than ever, and it took everything in me to not fall to my knees and please him with my mouth just to show him the feelings he unleashed in me.
A faint knock on my door pulled me back to reality, and I shook my head to clear it.
