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This man, who people feared, cared for her to some degree. He’d promised to make the man who’d hurt her pay, and he’d promised to protect her as well.
It was funny how you couldn’t predict anyone. The man she’d loved and trusted for three years. The man she’d thought would only love and protect her had tried to rape her.
Yet it was the man who she thought was a monster that had comforted her. He’d been so kind and gentle to her that night that her heart had fluttered for him. It was an emotion she hadn’t possessed for anyone other than her ex.
Lev stirred in his sleep. His lashes fluttered, and his eyes moved. She quickly closed hers, pretending to be asleep.
A moment passed. Her heart throbbed, her blood whooshing in her ears. Was he awake? She couldn’t tell, but she planned to stay still until he moved or at least said something.
“I know you’ve been looking at me for at least ten minutes,” Lev suddenly said. His voice was deep and throaty from just waking up.
Her cheeks flushed. She bit down on her lower lips, embarrassed. How long had he been awake? Long enough, if he knew she’d been looking at him. Maybe longer than she had.
Her eyes cracked open, and she pursed her lips. “Were you pretending to be asleep?”
“I am a member of the Bratva, Malyshka. I don’t sleep that deeply. The slightest sound or movement, and I’m awake.” He reached out and cupped her face. His warm hand burned into her skin like a volcano. She almost moaned at the feeling of it, but she held herself back. “Glad to see you’re back to your usual sharp-tongued self.”
She sighed. He was right, she’d not been her usual self since two days ago. She’d needed time to process what had happened, and Lev was surprisingly very understanding about it. He’d let her be and instructed one of the maids to take food to her every two hours.
“Are you? I almost thought you hated my voice,” she said. It was her way of not allowing herself to relish in the thought that Lev liked her a little more than she expected him to.
“There is no one else I would rather listen to, Malyshka. I don’t find your voice annoying or disturbing.”
Her mind fogged. Questions she doubted she would ever get answers to filled her head. How could he say that so casually, as if it was normal for him to tell her something so romantic?
“What are you doing today?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.
She thought for a moment. “Nothing. You won’t allow me to work, and I think I’m going to lose my mind if I have to stay indoors for the rest of my life.”
“Do you have anything you love to do for fun?”
“No. My entire life has been a struggle. I didn’t have time for hobbies. I don’t even have friends.” She had just one friend, Amy. She hadn’t seen or heard from her since the night the bar was attacked. She’d lost her phone and hadn’t even thought to contact the agency so she could get in touch with Amy.
She slammed a hand on her forehead and groaned. She was such a bad friend.
“What is wrong?” Lev asked, watching her intently. He looked like he would walk straight into a fire if it meant keeping her safe.
But she knew deep down that he wasn’t acting that way because he liked or, worse, loved her. They were married now, and she was his property; he was only protecting what belonged to him, as he’d said countless times.
“My friend, Amy. We worked with the same agency and I haven’t heard from her since that attack in the club.” Her heart sank to her stomach. “Were there any casualties—”
“There were no casualties,” Lev assured her. “A few men were hurt, and that was it. No woman was harmed; I looked into it.”
She narrowed her eyes on him. “Why would you… look into it?”
“It’s my club. It’s on me if anyone gets hurt. It’s my job to protect people when they’re in my territory.”
“Oh.” She wanted to ask if he simply always took it as his responsibility to protect other people, but she held back. “Can you help me find her?”
“A rival of the Bratva bought the agency. That was how the attack happened to begin with. I’ll try to find her, though; just give me a picture and a full name.”
“Thank you,” Zia muttered, a smile stretching on her lips. It was such a relief to know Amy was okay wherever she was. She grabbed her phone and sent Amy’s pictures to Lev.
Her eyes took in the bedroom when she moved to put the phone back. She hadn’t settled down to notice before, but the room was all back, certainly not her vibe. “I was thinking we should redecorate the room.”
His brows knitted. “Why? I think it is perfect the way it is.”
“Of course you would.” She rolled her eyes. For someone who had a closet full of black suits and shoes, it made sense that he wouldn’t see anything wrong with having an all-black bedroom. But not her. She wanted more colors in the bedroom and more décor. “I’ll go shopping today and get some things so I can make little changes.”
