- 4 3 -

More than two weeks had passed since the whole fiasco happened in the office, and to say I was feeling better about myself would be a lie.

I felt like absolute shit.

Roman's gone out of his way, definitely more than I expected him to and comes to see me every other day, even if only for a few minutes, he makes sure I'm doing okay and I've been putting up a pretty good front so far and have polished my acting skills.

I might as well win an Oscar at this point.

Today marks the 17th day since I last saw my family. And no, they couldn't track me because the person who bought this place for me made sure I couldn't be tracked as long as I was here.

Clever, no?

Speaking of said person, I think of him everyday and have nightmares every night that usually result in me waking up screaming in the middle of the night or with a jolt, covered in sweat and my face stained with tears.

It has been an absolute nightmare. Pun intended.

Roman spent a few nights with me too and surprisingly, I slept well on those nights for some reason and even if I woke up screaming, he was there to calm me down.

I've been pretty much shaken up from all the dreams but I'm glad Roman was there for me, even if he had no idea what to do, I am insanely glad he was just... there.

And yes, I might have fooled around a bit with him... maybe... not that I regret it because there is no way I'm going to let anyone control me now.

I've had enough control to last me a lifetime and for once, I'm enjoying the freedom I've been given even if it's for a short period of time, I'm doing my best to live it to the fullest.

Even if I can't go out anywhere, even college, I've been taking classes online and tutoring the students online as well, including the newest addition to our class, Chase Lockwood.

Like right now, I'm helping him write the essay we got for economics.

"So when are you coming back?" His voice came through the speakers of the laptop Roman so graciously lent me. I looked up at his face through the camera and shrugged.

"Not sure. I'm still uh... not... home." I said smiling sheepishly and saw him nod. I mean, that's what I've told everyone. Except Jane, obviously.

Our study session is interrupted when I hear keys being turned in the lock and then the sound of numbers being entered into the keypad, then the door being opened, making my heart beat faster.

As far I remembered, I wasn't expecting anyone today, not even Roman since he was out of town since the last two days and won't be here for two more days.

I frown and quickly grab the nearest thing I can find to use as a weapon which is, unfortunately for me, my rather large business book.

I raise it and slowly walk towards the hallway to the main door to my apartment and hear the sound of feet shuffling and then the silhouette of a man and without thinking, I smack the person as hard as I can on the head.

I hear the person wince as I keep on hitting the man with a book in hopes of him running off or possibly dying so I wouldn't have to deal with him.

Okay that was a little too much. Maybe not dying then.

"Heather!" His voice stops me midway smacking his head again and suddenly he grabs my wrists and pins me to the wall, making me gasp when I'm met with very, very furious emerald green eyes.

Oh shit.

"Whoops?" I say sheepishly and hear him growl as he grabs the book from my hand and throws it away and then in one swift motion I'm thrown over his shoulder, making me yelp.

I'm carried towards the living room, crossing the table which has my books and the laptop on it and towards the couch where I'm thrown and pinned down by none other than Roman.

Not my brightest moment, I know.

"What the fuck were you doing?" He growls, making me gulp as I look into his eyes.

I'd be six feet under if looks could kill.

"I-I'm sorry! I swear I didn't know it was you! I thought someone broke in because you said you wouldn't be here for two more days!" I spoke quickly, hoping he'd let me go but his face said otherwise.

But then his eyes softened and the anger seemed to dissipate in them and he laughed.

Like, full on laughing, leaving me looking at him in awe the way his eyes were sparkling with amusement, my own face forming a smile at the beautiful sight and I wished I could record it and play it on repeat.

I'm really not that creepy usually but I guess that's what handsome men do to you.

I mean, it's not my fault he's so god damn attractive.

"Oh dio mio. Whatever am I going to do with you?" He said after calming down, his dimples on display as I shrugged with a big smile on my face.

"Anything you want?" I said, making him raise an eyebrow at me.

"Anything I want?" He asked me with amusement in his eyes, making me shrug.

"Anything you want." I said firmly as he leaned down and captured my lips in a sweet kiss.

Our tongues collided and fought for dominance before he took the lead and started kissing down my neck, making me close my eyes in pleasure.

"Keep your eyes open amore." (Love) He whispered and I opened my eyes to look into his own beautiful ones as I cupped his cheek and pressed my lips to his again.

But our moment was rudely interrupted by my name being called, my eyes widening in realization.

Oops.

"Shit." I muttered and pushed Roman off of me and quickly fixed myself and ran towards the table where the laptop was.

"Sorry there was a slight... misunderstanding." I said smiling sheepishly and heard his chuckle.

"It's okay I uh.. saw." He said scratching the back of his head nervously, making my eyes widen in shock.

"Y-you saw?" I asked in disbelief and saw him nod.

Wait, what did he see?

"You mean you being carried over your boyfriend's shoulder like a sack of potatoes because you thought he was someone who broke in?" He said, making me shake my head in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry you had to see that and no, that wasn't my boyfriend." I said, sighing just as Roman came into view with a frowning face.

"Did you open the balcony door?" He asked me, making me frown.

"Uh... no, I didn't. I thought you did." I said with my eyebrows furrowed and saw Roman nod and come towards me.

"What are you doing?" He asked me and I pointed towards the laptop.

"Study session with Chase." I replied, watching as his jaw clenched and he kissed the top of my head before going towards my bedroom.

"So... Not your boyfriend?" Chase asked me again with a sly grin and I shook my head.

"Nope." I said popping the 'p' and heard him chuckle as we both got back to work.

Nearly an hour later, I closed the laptop after I was done for the day and leaned back in my chair with a sigh.

Boy economics was hard.

"Did you eat?" Roman's voice came from the living room, making me sit up.

"No. Did you?" I asked him but heard no response so I assumed he mustn't have eaten anything either so I made my way towards the kitchen and took out some fruit and cut it, putting it into a bowl.

Grabbing two forks, I made my way to the living room and saw Roman with his leaned back against the back of the couch, his arm over his eyes and his chest moving up and down steadily.

Looks like he was tired.

"Roman?" I whispered softly, but got no reply from him so I went and sat down next to him.

"Rome?" I repeated and suddenly his eyes shot open, his head turning to me.

"I brought you something to eat." I said running my hands through his soft hair and smiling to myself, when I was suddenly pulled into his lap. He buried his face in my neck, inhaling deeply before sighing.

"God I missed you." He whispered, making my heart beat faster ten times.

I missed you too.

"You saw me two days ago and besides, I'm not that important." I said smiling when he looked up into my eyes and frowned.

"Non sai quanto sei importante per me." (You don't know how important you are to me.) He said softly and I cocked my head to the side.

"What?" I asked him, clearly not understanding a word he just said when his lips twitched upwards slightly.

"You're important to me. Very important." He said firmly, making me blush furiously as I grabbed the fruit bowl.

"Are you hungry?" I asked holding a slice of apple to his lips. He nodded and took the apple slice in his mouth before holding one out to me. We ate like this till the bowl was empty and we were full.

"Did you get your work done?" I asked him as I played with the silver chain hanging from his neck, my head resting on his chest.

"Yes." He replied and I hummed in response.

"Heather." Roman's voice drew me out of my thoughts, making me look up at him expectantly.

"Yes?"

"I need to ask you some things about your... past." He spoke slowly, carefully, as if he was weighing his words. I pursed my lips and looked away.

"What do you want to know?" I asked him, but didn't look into his eyes still. A few moments of silence passed before he turned me towards him so that I was now straddling him.

"Look at me." He ordered and I reluctantly raised my gaze to his.

"I want to know what happened to your mother. I found out some... unsettling things but I want to be sure. So I need to hear it from you." He told me and I knew he was going to ask me this question sooner or later.

Preferably later.

And for some reason, I wanted to tell him. I wanted to share the pain I'd been through with him because somewhere inside I hoped he could be the one to console me. To put out the fire that had burnt me long ago and then again two years ago.

So I took a deep breath and looked him dead in the eye before speaking.

"My mother was murdered... by the Italians." I spoke and watched as he averted his gaze from mine, briefly looking away before back at me.

"We lived in England at the time. I remember it was winter, and Christmas was close." I smiled faintly when I was reminded of the holidays.

"My father was the Pakhan at that time. The Russian Mafia leader." I clarified.

"He was always busy, but he made some time just for us in the holidays and decided we stay in a cabin my dad gifted my mom on their anniversary." I smiled remembering mom's face when dad surprised her that day. She was more excited than a child.

"But he suddenly had to attend to some business in the city. There were some problems at one of his safehouses, I guess, and there was a fire. I think." I said trying to rack my brain for the details.

"Anyways, it was just me and mom left in the cabin and we decided to play hide and seek. I hid on the first floor in my closet, but when my mother started to look for me, we heard shots being fired."

"I got scared and immediately ran out of my hiding place, but bumped into a man who wore a black mask so we wouldn't see his face." I took a deep breath, trying to control my breathing when Roman took my hand and squeezed it lightly.

"He slapped me pretty hard because I wouldn't give in to him and kept thrashing around. I remember my cheek bleeding from a cut while he dragged me out. Thankfully, my mother was there and she hit him pretty hard with something and the man fell to the ground, unconscious."

"But when I looked at her face, I saw blood trickling down her forehead and her hands were covered in blood, along with her clothes." I took a deep breath before continuing.

"I was terrified, and frozen to my spot, completely refused to move at all. But then we heard more voices from downstairs and in the next moment, the cabin was set on fire." I said, feeling a tear trickle down my cheek when I thought of it.

"We had to jump out a window from the first floor into the snow. I remember being burnt when we tried to find another way out. I still have the scar." I said and pulled up my full sleeved shirt and showed Roman the scar that had faded over time, but was still there if you looked closer, right above my elbow.

"It looked worse then." I said shrugging nonchalantly when Roman took a hold of my arm and brought his lips to my scar, kissing it gently, making me freeze as he drew patterns on the area.

"We ran towards a safehouse my father owned close to the cabin and hid in there, hoping dad would find us soon. But only an hour or two had passed before the door to the safehouse was broken down. At first we thought it was dad, but it wasn't."

"I heard them speak in Italian and remember my mother telling me they were Italians, and not to worry. But then they pointed their guns at me, scaring the shit out of my mother and me, whose first instinct was to protect me.

"But then they saw my mother, they seemed to rethink their target and without thinking twice, they shot her. A bullet straight to the heart. Without any remorse or regret. And they left me alive for my father to see as a sign of 'mercy'." I spat with venom in my voice.

"I stayed by my mother's side the whole night and didn't even shed a tear. I just watched her lifeless body change color as the blood drained out of her. I was frozen in place. Too traumatized to even understand what had happened." I said as a small sob broke out of me, and immediately Roman rubbed my back soothingly.

"My father and brother found us the next day, all bloody and bruised because they had been tricked and ambushed too. I caught pneumonia because of the cold and had to be admitted into the hospital for a month before I started getting better."

"But I was broken inside too much and too traumatized that they had to take me to a psychiatrist. They even made me see a therapist to get over everything."

"But the truth is, I never did. Not even now. And I don't think I ever will. I had to be sedated at times because I would get nightmares every night and woke up screaming. I stopped eating, sleeping, talking." I spoke, feeling the memories take their toll on me.

"My brother was the one who made me better. Made me feel like I still existed in the world." I said shakily and before I knew it, I was pulled into Roman's arms.

And his embrace felt so warm and so damn comforting, I wanted to stay like this forever. I cried into his chest letting my emotions get the best of me while he whispered sweet nothings into my ear.

"I'm so sorry love. I'm so sorry." He whispered softly while I held onto him like my life depended on it.

"It's going to be alright. I'm here with you and I'll make everything right amore." He whispered, making my shoulders sag in relief as I calmed down after a few minutes.

He got up with me in his arms, as I wrapped my feet around his waist. He kissed the top of my head and carried me to my room and carefully laid me on the bed.

"Let's get you changed, yes?" He asked and I nodded as he reached for my shirt and looked at me for permission.

I nodded once before he pulled it over my head and took his own t-shirt off and made me wear it.

His scent enveloped me immediately as he pulled off my pants, leaving me in my black underwear.

Putting the covers over me, he walked towards the closet and pulled out a pair of sweatpants he wore the other day when he stayed the night and went into the bathroom.

After telling him an important part of my past, my soul felt so much more lighter.

Like I could breathe better now that I told him. It's only a matter of time before I told him the rest too. But for now, this will have to do.

Hopefully.

I heard the bathroom door open and then close and a few moments later I felt the bed dip as Roman got in beside me. He pulled my body close to his and I turned around, my head buried in his chest.

"Rome?" I whispered, feeling his eyes on me as I played with his chain.

"Yes baby?" He asked softly.

"Thank you. For everything." I whispered when he kissed the top of my head.

"Sleep, my angel." He whispered and that was all it took for me to fall into a deep slumber.

* * *

It was a slight jolt, but it woke me up anyhow. I looked around and saw it was still dark outside. Roman was asleep behind me with his arms around my body.

I tried to move them very carefully so he wouldn't wake up and thankfully, I was successful.

Getting off the bed, I looked at his peaceful sleeping figure once more before going out of my room for a glass of water since the jug on my bedside table was empty.

I walked into the kitchen slowly, my bare feet barely making any sound on the cold marble floors as I navigated my way through the cabinets and took out a small plastic cup and filled it to the brim with water from the tap.

After gulping down half of it I heard the smallest little sound, barely even audible but I had always been a good listener and had sensitive hearing.

It was a creak, like someone walking on a wooden floor, which would either be my bedroom or the living room.

I frowned as my eyes searched for anything in the area, but I saw nothing and shrugged thinking I might be hearing things.

I brought the cup to my lips and just as I was about to drink from it, I saw a barely visible silhouette.

I narrowed my eyes and walked a little away from the kitchen island, trying to see what was there, when my eyes widened at a figure watching me.

It was like my words got caught in my throat as I watched the figure come closer to me, a million scenarios running in my head while I stood there completely frozen.

But then what I saw next made my blood run cold as I stared at the one face I could never forget as the person walked closer, enough that the moonlight coming in from the terrace windows fell on him, making him barely visible, but enough for me to know who it was.

And when I finally found my voice, tears were already falling down when he gave me his warm smile, like he always did as a sob broke out of me.

"Anton."