The Russian Roulette [The Mafia Chronicles #2]

Chapter XXXIV

Grief is cruel. It overwhelms your insides with pain, and it clenches your heart. It fills your vision with memories you want hidden. It lurks in the deepest crevices of your brain, only coming out when you're the most vulnerable.

Sophie hadn't felt grief like this before. It only comes by when she goes to sleep; when the suppressed memories she has are wide awake, violently thrashing in her mind.

Despite resting in the secure arms of her husband, Sophie still managed to wake up with tears on her cheeks as she seemingly silently cried from a nightmare. She was grateful that she did not sob loudly, like her previous nightmare, seeing that Alexi was still fast asleep.

Quickly wiping her tears away, she tried closing her eyes to sleep again, but miserably failed.

It takes a massive amount of energy from her brain to suppress those images from returning by any means possible, and that includes keeping her wide awake. I'm fine, Sophie voiced in her head. I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine! She repeats.

The number of times she's said those very words made it seem like she was trying to convince herself more than others around her.

From above her, Alexi hears the erratic breathing coming from the woman in his arms but makes no move to show her he's awake until he feels her slightly shaking in his arms.

"Did you sleep well?" Alexi opens his eyes, ending his act. He knew the real answer to his question.

Sophie's head instantly turns towards him, her eyes wide like saucers. "Sorry, I thought you were asleep." She says, referring to her fidgety behavior and potentially waking him.

Alexi hums. "I thought I chased your nightmares away?"

A red tint covers Sophie's cheeks indicating her embarrassment at bieng caught. A shaky breath left her lips. "This time it wasnt nightmares. They were real memories. Can you imagine your own memories bieng nightmare worthy?" She let out a weak laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

"I do." He confessed. Sophie's shocked face almost made him laugh. "You know how I got rid of them? I replaced those memories until my brain deemed them unimportant, and therefore allowing me to forget." The sincerity in his voice was alarming. He spoke like this was a common occurrence...

Sophie hummed, her eyes flickering to his.

Without any warning, her hand moved towards his cheek like it had a mind of its own. She cupped his cheek, running her thumb over his soft stubble. "Who knew you had a degree in psychology?"

Neither of them knew why they craved the other's touch. It was still a mystery to both of them why thier minds get muddled and blurry when thier hands are on each other. Even after everything that has happened, both of them strive to taste a drop of the normal life they developed together before the incident.

Her head resting on his lap as he read about the death of a star.

Him returning at night to find a plate of food made by her hands for him.

Her arms holding him as he cried for the parents he lost.

"Boss." A voice shook them out of thier trance. Dominik knocked on the door before speaking again. "The dogs have arrived."

Alexi's brows furrowed. This soon? He turned towards the bedside table and checked what time it was, as the room was completely dark from the blackout curtains, only to find out they have been sleeping for the entire day. It was nighttime.

"No way-" Sophie quickly unwrapped herself from Alexi's embrace and the blanket tangled around her legs before running to the door and opening it. "Where are they?" The joy in her voice was evident. She could barely contain it. Her feet were tapping on the floor excitedly.