All In

Пять

Alexei shuts the door again and starts looking around, first for the light switch, then for what I assume are my set of keys. I walk slowly through the space to take in this apartment that could easily cost more than what I could make in my entire life.

The keys jingle as he sets them down on the counter. I turn to him as he starts to unbutton his suit jacket, throwing it onto the counter. "This place is fucking gorgeous."

"Volkov sold it to me when the building opened. I got first pick of the place."

"I don't belong here." I try to joke.

"I'll bring you shopping tomorrow, for some clothes of your own until we can bring you to get yours."

Alexei's phone starts to ring in his pocket. "Sokolov", he puts his phone up to his ear. He nods and hums a couple times, then he starts to get angry. He grips the bridge of his nose. "I'll be out there in a few minutes. I'm with her now, showing her the apartment, I'll leave in a moment."

He puts his phone down on the counter. "Let me show you your room, then I have to go take care of a few things."

Alexei takes statue-like steps towards the bedrooms down the hallway. He stops at the last one on the right. He opens the door, revealing a room once again made entirely of floor to ceiling windows.

It's quite light in color, a white or cream colored bed, some blue and green accents. He turns on the lamp closest to the door.

"All the controls for the room are on this tablet", he picks it up to show me how it works. Little icons show me controls for the lights, TV, climate, and windows.

"This is way too fancy", I laugh nervously. "I think I should just go home."

Alexei tenses at my try at a joke. He turns to me, takes one giant step, and his chest is flush with mine. I stare up at him, and he down at me. His large hand sits on the small of my back.

"You will not go home to that monster. Do you understand me?"

I truly start to feel slightly scared of him, but I know it's his way of protecting me.

"y-yes", I stammer. "I-it was just a joke."

I feel his other hand settle on my cheek, and I lean into it. "I'm here to protect you, Aleksandra. You cannot go back to him."

"I won't". Alexei starts to lean in closer to me. His face is just an inch or so away from mine. Though it's dark around us, his eyes are even darker, like they were a few hours ago at the restaurant. I whisper: "I'm sorry".

Instead of saying anything else, he kisses me softly. His lips are rough, like he needs ChapStick, but I love them. It's hungry, but not in any sort of sexual way. So I kiss him back, and it's deep and sensual.

When he starts to run out of breath, he parts our lips. "I have to go take care of business. I'll see you in the morning."

Then, the feeling of him is gone.

I watch him walk out of my new room, then listen to his footsteps and the front door slam shut.

Alone in this giant apartment, I am no where near tired, so I decide to explore. I place my bag on the bed, close the blinds with fancy tablet, and start to take off some of my layers. I left my apron in my locker at work, but I still wear the ridiculous vest over my white button up. Then I untuck my shirt and strip off the weird socks they also required us to wear under our clogs.

There are three doors on this side of the apartment, the other two sit on the opposite side than mine. While I want to be nosy and see the other two rooms, I'm afraid if he sees me on his cameras, he'll get wicked mad. Instead, I go back to the living room.

I turn off the one light in the kitchen so the city lights make the room shades of orange and gold, like you see in the movies. The living room was clearly designed by someone other than Alexei, based on how beautiful everything flows together. Fresh flowers sit in a vase on a small table in the far corner, and a large glass coffee table sits perfectly in between the large sectional and the smaller love seat.

I open the door to the patio, and I hear a very quiet ding echo through the apartment, quiet enough where even two people were having a conversation, you'd never hear it.

It's windy all the way up here, throwing my hair behind my shoulders. The pool is lit from the surface of the water, reflecting up at me. It's perfectly clean, like it came out of a pool ad. Sunchairs sit immaculately on the two ends of the pool

I go over to the balcony to look at my view until who knows when. We're the tallest building anywhere close to us; the tallest buildings in the city sit over in the financial district over ten blocks away. I can see almost the entire city, and I feel this thing; like I never want to leave, and that somehow, in someway, I won't have to.

After a while of just enjoying the view of the bright yet quiet city, I decide it's probably a good idea to go to bed.

When I enter the apartment again, I hear my phone ringing from my room. So many thoughts run through my head as I go in to answer it.

Carson's number pops up, and I quickly think of my excuse. "Hey, Cars".

"Where are you?" He slurs his words in an angry tone.

"I'm about to leave the restaurant, it's been a really busy night".

"You better not pull any Bullshit, Alex. You better come home. I will find you".

"Carson, I'll be home in like half an hour", I play it off. "Just go to bed. I love you".

He huffs. "I love you."

As soon as he hangs up the call, I go through my contacts and block his number, and my mother's number.

A bathroom connected to my room is on the same side as the headboard of my new bed. I head in there and start to clean my face of the makeup I have on, brush my hair with the mini brush I always carry in my bag, and strip myself of the rest of my clothes. I had taken observation of all the cameras, and though there was one facing the door to my room, there was not one in my room.

I carefully fold my shirt in case that's the only thing I have to wear tomorrow before I head to work, and though hesitant, I take off my bra.

Once I finish in the bathroom, I go back into the bedroom and pull the bed apart to get into. It's soft, and the pillows are like clouds.

I find the tablet again and turn on the TV. It opens to some Russian news channel, and I watch it for a moment. It's the morning news from St. Petersburg, from what I can tell. I listen intently to see what they could possibly be reporting about.

They put up a candid photo of a large man in a black suit, walking with a couple of bodyguards. "Sergei Sokolov is on the run once again from President Gusev, wanted for interfering with war plans, as well as treason. If anyone has any information on the criminal, you are being told to call the police."

Sokolov.

Alexei Sokolov? Could this be his father?