8— Good night, pretty boy.

Nikolai 

I'm still seated in the same spot, staring at Adrian as he sleeps. Boris and Yulia came back about two hours ago and gave me fresh clothes. They belonged to Boris. I freshened up, changed my clothes, and did the same thing to Adrian, actually, I cleaned him up. And yes, I stripped him naked.

He was in a deep sleep and had no idea as I cleaned all the blood off him. He only moaned from time to time, sending jolts of electricity through me, straight to my dick. I dressed him after cleaning it up.

Yulia brought food, but I ate just a little and woke Adrian up to take the medicine she made for him. He fell back to sleep afterward.

After making sure the couples were asleep, I brought out my phone which I had kept hidden. I brought my gun as well. Never be too careful.

Ilya informed me that they had captured Evgeny. He should have thought twice before thinking of attacking me.

He asked me where we were so he could come pick us up, but I assured him we were fine. I didn't want to scare the couples if various blank SUVs lined up in front of their house.

We will leave as commoners, I'll tell Ilya where to meet us.

I can't sleep, I hardly sleep at home in my big luxurious bed, there's no way I'll fall asleep in an uncomfortable wooden chair.

Adrian strains in his sleep as he slowly turns. I think he's waking up. He groans and I stay still, watching him. Then I notice something, he's sweating. The room is kind of hot, but not hot enough to make him sweat that much.

My eyes narrow the moment he begins to mumble inaudible words. What's he saying? I slowly get up from the chair I'm sitting on, quietly approaching the bed.

I lean in, to hear whatever he's saying in his sleep.

"Plea..no…no…don't…mama.." His breathing is ragged as he continues mumbling. And mommy? Which grown man still cries for mommy in their sleep? Oh my gosh, minus 10 points Adrian.

"Don't…touch..me.. please..no.. mama.. I don't want this. Dad…please..stop..her." He continues breathing hard as he shakes his head. He's having a dream. And it's definitely a bad one. He's now calling out for Daddy?

Seriously? I slowly shake my head, before proceeding to tap him gently.

"Adrian.." I tap him, calling him in a low voice.

"Don't let her come near." He whimpers in fear, his breathing even becoming more ragged.

"Adrian. Wake up." I shake him more violently this time. His eyes abruptly shoot open as he hastily sits up from the bed.

"Don't let her touch me. Please." He reaches out to hold my hand, as he shakes in fear. He's really scared. I can see it in his haunted brown eyes. And who's this she?

"No one is touching you, Adrian. There's no one here." I say in a low and soft voice. Trust me, I can't comfort people, I suck at that.

"She's coming. She.." He stammers and then pauses, taking in a deep breath. 

"No one is coming, Adrian." I try to sound as convincing as I can.

"It's fine." I repeat and he slowly nods, swallowing deeply. He's slowly becoming aware of his surroundings.

"Are you okay?" I ask after some time and he slowly nods. Should I get him water? God, I do not know how to play mother nurse. I should probably call Yulia.

Just when I'm about to leave, he holds me back. 

"Please stay." He literally begs, fear still written in his eyes.

What exactly got him so scared? A woman? Why didn't he kill her? 

I purse my lips, before reluctantly sitting at the edge of the bed.

The moment I sit, he hugs me. Wait. What's wrong with him? I doubt he's thinking straight. I don't push him off. I enjoy the feel of his arms around me.

"Please stay here for a while." I stay. I don't move and allow him to use his boss's body for comfort.

After about twenty minutes, he slowly lifts his head. "I'm sorry." He apologizes, moving back.

"Are you okay?" I inquire and he slowly nods.

"Your wound?" I point at his injured shoulder.

"I feel better, it doesn't feel painful like before." He replies and I find myself staring at him. He's embarrassed. From the way he speaks and tries to avoid my gaze, I can tell he is.

"When are we leaving here?" 

"Tomorrow." I reply.

"Do you usually have this nightmare?" I can't help but ask because I'm curious. I don't have nightmares, you'll have to sleep to have one, I hardly sleep. Not because I don't want to, but because the sleep never comes.

"Yes." I can hear the pain in his voice. He obviously didn't want anyone to see that version of him.

"Wanna talk about it?" I'm not the type who gives listening ears to someone. But I'm Curious to know what happened that got him so scared. Even as a man. Wow, he's as soft as his features.

"No. I don't feel comfortable talking about it." He flashes a weak smile at me. I totally understand, so I don't push further.

"Go back to sleep." I say to him. Pity time's over.

"Are you leaving?" He questions.

"Yeah. I'm going back to my sitting position." I say curtly and when I want to stand, he holds me back. He's quite strong for someone who got shot.

"Please stay here," he pleads with me.

"Here? On the bed?" He nods and I slowly laugh.

"And why should I stay with you? You do realize I'm your boss right?" I taunt and he doesn't say anything else.

I scoff, and begin to stand, but he holds me back.

"I'll do anything you want. Just stay here, please." He begs and the corner of my lips curve.

"What if I want a kiss?" I don't think twice before saying that. I know he'll refuse. Men don't attract him. But his answer takes me off guard.

"Sure." What? My brows furrows, and he just agreed??

"If that will make you stay." He mumbles under his breath.

"You know it will, pretty boy." I smile. I'm not the type who lets opportunity slip, so I do it, I lean over to kiss him.

*****

Adrian

As our lips touch, a spark ignites between us. There's a look of amusement in Nikolai's eyes as his gaze locks onto mine, and he deepens the kiss. I feel a shiver run down my spine. His lips feel soft and….I'm kissing a man. I'm actually enjoying it. He feels warm and I open my mouth to welcome him in.

His hands cradle my face, his fingers tracing the contours of my cheeks. I melt into his touch, our lips moving in perfect sync.

The world around us fades away, leaving only the two of us, lost in this moment. And why do I not want to pull away? I'm fucking enjoying kissing my boss!! My enemy.

As he finally pulls away, his teeth graze my lower lip, leaving a tantalizing sensation.

"Tasty." He hums and my eyes widen in realization of what I've just done. I agreed to kiss him because I was scared of being left alone again.

"We should definitely do this again." He states, standing up on his feet. I think he's leaving but he does not, but rather, comes to the other side of the bed to join me.

"You do realize this bed is fucking small right?" He grunts in frustration as he lies on the bed. That's when I realize his legs are dangling off the end. My legs are not. He's taller than me. I'm 6'1, and Nikolai should be about 6'7.

"I shouldn't have kissed you, if I knew the bed would be this uncomfortable." He mumbles to himself, trying to find a comfortable position.

I don't say anything to him. I can't say anything. My mind is on a fucking turmoil. Why did I allow my fear to get the best of me? And I kissed him so he could stay. Because I wanted someone to be with me. I hate being alone.

"Sleep, pretty boy." He says to me after a while. My eyes slightly widen as I realize I've been staring into blank space.

I lie on the bed, backing him. I don't want to see him. I'm okay with feeling his presence around me since I can't sleep.

I just fucking can't. I let him see the vulnerable part of me. The ugly side of Adrian Petrov. The part of me that I've tried to keep hidden but the nightmare brings them back.

Fuck! I can see her face again. I can feel her and I want to puke. It feels like I'm perceiving her exotic smell as her red nails trail my chin, before digging deep into my skin. And he was there, my father, Watching.

I take in a deep shaky voice, still finding it very hard and impossible to sleep. I just can't do it. One reason is that I don't want to see her face again and the second reason is the man lying beside me.

I can hear his soft breathing, and I doubt he's sleeping. A part of me keeps telling me that he isn't.

I asked him to stay with me because that's how I can escape reality and I can convince myself I'm not back in that situation again. The cause of my nightmares.

I felt the kiss would mean nothing as he was a man. But fuck, it meant something.

Kissing Nikolai's felt different and better, it felt more relaxing than any of my past kisses and he tasted too good for a man.

My breath shuddered as I slowly let out another breath.

"Are you asleep?" I ask in a low and calm voice. I don't know why I even ask or find the courage to.

"How can I sleep when you keep breathing heavily? If you're restless, get the fuck up from the bed. Someone is trying to sleep here, considering you forced me to the bed." He suddenly blurts out, his voice dripping with sarcasm, typical Nikolai.

"Do you have nightmares?" I suddenly ask and he replies almost immediately. Sarcastically as well.

"You have to sleep to get one. What even causes nightmares? You needed to hear yourself screaming mama." He practically chuckles and I feel the need to punch him. He heard everything.

"Trauma and fear cause nightmares." I utter softly. Like me, I only dream of her and the trauma she caused me. Sometimes I view her as a monster.

"Touché. I fear nothing." I can't see him, but I picture him shrugging his shoulders proudly as he says those words.

"Your mom?" Zorya is a scary bitch. Irina is scared of her, I've seen the way she flinches in fear. Pavel too, the loyal dog and Nikolai. Irina fears all three of them. But her fear for Zorya and Pavel is extreme.

"I'm not scared of that bitch." He says laughing.

"And your father?" I perceive his father to be a scary and intimidating man, seeing he had dealings with the Bratva. He was once a member.

"I'm not scared of him either. He's a ghost." He scoffs. One thing's for sure, he hates his parents.

"Are you scared of your parents? Is that why you're having nightmares of them?" He questions curiously and I shake my head.

"I'm not scared of my mother. She was my angel. But my father was not." I smile bitterly. I was abused in his hands for ten years before I finally got the boldness to kill him.

"Abuse?" 

"Yes." I breathe out.

"Adrian, look at me." He says softly, and I slowly turn to face him, my shoulders hurting slightly. I turn to see his metallic green eyes staring at me.

"Do you want to know my inspiring survival story? My dad, the ultimate superhero, beat, starved, and terrorized me. I was so traumatized that I'd flinch at the mere mention of his name. But then, I had an epiphany – I realized he was just a pathetic excuse for a human being. And voilà! No nightmares, no screaming for Mommy. I'm basically a self-made therapist." He pauses and I don't fail to notice the smile on his face as he says those words.

"Face your fears, Adrian. You can do it." The smile disappears from his face, masking a more serious expression.

"Abuse can leave deep scars, but it's not a reflection of your worth. Facing your fears means acknowledging the past, but not letting it control your present." He continues and I find myself nodding slowly.

"I'm seriously not the best person to talk to about this. But I hope I helped. Good night, pretty boy." He winks at me, before turning away from me.