Me and you.

28. Strawberry Mints

I watched as the mother and son competed in a deadly staring contest. Marshall, who was now squirming out of my arms, ran up to Ivan and pointed his tiny finger towards him.
"No!" interjected Marshall. All attention was now on him. "Marshall," I hissed, hinting for him to come beside. As much as I loved this boy, he was certainly on the way to becoming the reason I grow grey hair too soon.

"No Momma, Uncle Ivan is being a big meanie to a girl," cried Marshall.
There was a bit of silence before a light laugh escaped Ivan's Mom's lips.

"At least he's got manners. Unlike his father," she said. Her eyes trailed to me. "And representation from his mother. Lovely. The council will love him," finished Ivan's Mom. Council? I watched as she bent down to her knees and reached into her purse. "Here," she gestured. She pulled out two mints and handed them to him. "Good boys like you will always get good things," she said.

Her eyes then went to Ivan's which had never stopped giving her a deadly stare. Ivan's hand reached for Marshall's before pulling him back. "Out," he said.
His mother got up and cleared her throat. "Adele will be back tomorrow morning with the tailor. Hopefully your brother and his...partner, will also be here," added Ivan's Mom. She sounded a bit unsure of calling Sero, Nikolai's boyfriend, his partner.

She sent me a smile and one to Marshall too before leaving. Once the door closed my attention went to Ivan. "Council? What is she talking about Ivan?" I asked. He kept quiet while motioning for Marshall to give him the mints, who reluctantly agrees after being promised jelly beans after dinner. I watched as Ivan whispered something in Marshall's ear before he went running up the stairs giggling.
Ivan got up and signaled for me to follow. "Ivan, I asked you a question," I repeated.

I followed him as he went into the kitchen where he was nearing the trash bin.

Ivan ignored me as he opened the bin and threw the mints his Mom gave Marshall into it, not before stepping on them a crucial amount of times.
Crushing them beneath his expensive shoes.

I was slowly starting to get pissed off. First some random lady gives my son candy and says some council will like him. Now Ivan won't answer my questions! I reached out for one of the kitchen cupboards. I opened it and slammed it shut. "Ivan I-"

Before I could even respond, Ivan's hands traveled towards the sides of my face and pulled me towards his lips. But before our lips could meet I was met with nothing but the breath of strawberry mint and the smell of a suffocating cologne. I looked up and Ivan was staring into my eyes.

"Love...do you trust me?" he asked.

I watched as Ivan's eyes melted into mine. His deep blue eyes slowly began to drown me. "Hazel?" whispered Ivan. He needed to know. Do I trust him? Well enough to know that Marshall would be safe in his hands. Or would he turn out like Dimitri. Owning Marshall and I like property. Trophies.

My hands slowly lifted to reach for Ivan's arms and I gripped tightly onto them.

"I can't,"