Promised pain

Thirty five

Lorenzo Petrov
Levine tightens her hold on my hand and I pull her closer only to find a glare landing on me from none other than Alexander Romanov. Her dear father.

I smile, mainly to piss him off, and Levine laughs in my hold when she notices my tactics, his lips tip in a snarl and he looks like he's holding back threats.

But the topic that we're here to talk about is more important than his overprotectiveness towards his daughter, that's not needed to be directed at me in the slightest.

"We don't have the means and power to start a war." Uncle Romero states in his stoic calm tone, one of dad's work-partners whatever we call them, I'm afraid that him and uncle Alexander are like family now.

An admittance that I'd never utter for that matter but we all approve of it, "It'd be stupid to start one in the first place." Mom intercepts, her eyes hot with  rage, at the Italians I suppose, now that the situation has taken a personal turn.

Hence that, that's why we're here, because last week, I received a lovely threat in my letterbox, I don't even fucking open that shit, it's a real threat if we're speaking from that matter.

Cause me just invading their lives and killing some of his soldiers is an invitation for a complete war, and they're being generous for even sending a threat in the first place not just shooting us.

"I'm afraid you should direct that at your son. Who already started one by his actions, that is stupid." He always spoke in this infuriatingly calm manner that his son inherited and it's starting to piss me the fuck off, does the same with mom cause she curses under her breath.

He doesn't look surprised, he just looks...uninterested, as if he's pushing himself to be in the same place as us, as if we're bellow him, while I believe uncle Alexander is a very arrogant man, uncle Romero is just narcissistic for that matter.

His mere attention on himself, and his wife who's currently resting in his Arms, her red hair spread over his arms, "The only stupid thing here is if we start going against each other instead of finding a fucking solution, goddamn it." Dad glares at every single person in the room, casting out his family.

"He has a point." Katrina intercepts, rubbing her face, "The only solution to this mess is a marriage between the two mafias." Levine surprises me by stating, all eyes turn to her and I feel her shrinking into me but she holds her head high.

"Please tell me you're not interested in this arranged marriage shit." Her father throws back, his eyes nearly wide with horror at the possibility of his daughter getting married, I'm afraid that'll happen sooner or later.

Sooner actually.
Cause his daughter will be mine on paper just like she's always been.

"No. Of course not, but—the problem is who could actually marry someone from there?" She shrugs, her eyebrows furrow, but I find the answer to her question easily, my eyes trail over the different faces in the room and they land on none other than Rio's.

Who stares at me knowingly with an arch of his eyebrows, Levine, Rio and I are the most important heirs of the bratva, Russian mafia, and since Levine and I are out of the list.

The perfect choice is Rio Volkov.
The only choice.

"For god's sake." His mother's eyes snap up to his, "You don't have to do any of this." Aunt Eleonora  assures, holding up her hand as she stares at her son, her face Angel-like while he looks like a devil in disguise, his eyes soften, it's the first time I don't see a sharp expression across his face. It's weird.

"No one is forcing me, mom." He assures her back, let's say that the way Aunt Eleonora is now here is a bit complicated, she's Italian, and while she didn't have an arranged marriage that lead to this.

Well, she was kidnapped, point is, she doesn't want her son to be forced to do similar shit, even if the outcome is the love of her life—thinking about it, not everyone has the same luck.

"Are you saying yes?" Uncle Romero stares at his son with a look that seems like he only can understand, "I'm not saying no. But not yes, not yet. I need to fucking think." They talk with the same way for that matter. Only Rio adds more curses.

The thought makes me realize that I talk like my father too, it spreads a sudden smile across my face as my eyes meet his in a haze, a week has passed since I was locked up in the hospital.

It's been better physically, I'm almost the same as before, and slowly I'm starting to push through that damn truth that seemed to fuck up my life, and I can't deny that the existence of the woman in my arms helped a fucking lot.

Just her smile erases any worry I have in my body.
It's crazy.
Love is crazy.

I ignore their constant babbling and focus on Levine, who just smiles, "Your surprise was majestic." She emphasizes and I smile, "You like it?" I raise an eyebrow, teasing.

Since I decided to go with her impulsive decision, it was identical, I got a tattoo, which is mainly the reason behind rio's existence here today, he tatted me about two days ago and decided to stay.

Levine is still not over the ribbon I have against my heart now though, it's nothing compared to how much she means to me, but it's enough to spread a smile on her stunning face.

One thought and one thought only continues to sparkle in my mind every now and then, dimming it down, Levine still hasn't unraveled a huge part of herself to me.

It's paining me that she just lives with that pain alone, I watch her squirm in her sleep, tightening the sheets around her hands, fisting them, screaming on top of her lungs.

The nightmares never go away, and I can't do anything but just hold her, because I don't know what to say, I don't know what's the cause of them.

I'm expecting anything. The lines my imaginations cross are honestly insufferable, just imagining anything feels absolutely unbearable.

And I want to know.
To be there for her.
Just like she always is for me.

A lot of my thoughts cloud around her ex boyfriend, but she doesn't seem to even care much when he's brought up, the only hint she's given me is that it's similar to the stalker situation and she said that I shouldn't put high expectations it's nothing and that she's just weak.

The way that woman views herself is honestly unimaginable to me, because all I see is a strong beautiful person in front of me every time I see her.

The way she talks about herself...as if she's her own enemy. It's just absolutely insane. But I'm willing to spend each and every day I have left in my life proving to her that she's nothing but beautiful.

And proving to her that I'm here.
That she can fully let her guard down. Fully.
But from what she talked about. That'll be hard. The woman went through a lot, and it'll take a lot of time to completely trust someone again.

But I have all time in the world.
And I'm damn sure spending every last minute of mine with her.

A vote is really appreciated.