Overthrown

Chapter 17

He senses that my mind is elsewhere and clears his throat. "This is delicious. You are an amazing chef." He compliments breaking me from my thoughts. I can feel the heat rise to my cheeks as I blush. Fuck, who am I? Did I really just blush? Trying to cover my face with my hair as I look down but it's too late. He places his finger below my chin and lifts it to look up at him. "Don't ever hide from me. Ever." His words are hushed but the message is clear. I nod, not knowing why but he seems to bring out a shyness in me; I can't quite wrap my head around it.

He lets out a small laugh while running his fingers across my hand. "I have never had a woman who wasn't being paid cook for me... Feel free to cook whenever you like." There is a hint of nervousness in his voice as he confesses to me a detail of his past.

We eat in silence for a few minutes, when finally, I break the silence, "Nikolai?" He looks up from his plate still chewing a bite of his chicken. "I feel like you know so much about me but I know nothing of you." I try to sound confident as I pry for more information but still end up sounding uneasy. He swallows his food and wipes the corner of his mouth with a napkin before proceeding. "What would you like to know?"

"Everything."

He laughs as he pours himself another glass of wine and takes a sip. "That might take a while. Anything in particular?" He asks seemingly open to talking. "Family, how you ended up in your position......past relationships..." The last one I try to sneak in but he definitely noticed. "Well my family is how I ended up in my position. I took over for my father after he was killed by Castellano. I had been training for it my entire life but I never thought it would happen so soon." He says with a hint of sadness.

"How long ago was that?"

"I was sixteen." He answers and I almost choke on my wine. "So, you took over the mafia at sixteen?" I ask in complete disbelief. "Yes." He says soberly. I gulp the remainder of the glass of wine and pour another glass, trying to process what he just told me.

"As you can imagine, dating was never really in the cards for me. I was always afraid to let anyone get close because I didn't want them ending up like my mother. She was taken hostage by Castellano and his men. She was caged like an animal and beaten; My father died trying to rescue her. Thankfully we had a large enough team that they were able to get her out but she was never the same after that. Not only did I have to process my father dying but also try to plot retribution. Which leads me back to past relationships. I have none." He adds. I can't believe the words coming out of his mouth. My hand over my mouth as I feel my jaw drop.

"I'm so sorry about your parents. I can't imagine going through that as a teenager."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. That is the past and I am looking to the future." He states trying to reassure me but there is something in his eyes. It is almost as if he's worried I will suffer the same fate as his mother. I rub my thumb across the top of his hand before grasping it in mine.

He stands holding his hand out to help me up with a small smile. "Now if we're done with that. I am exhausted after today and would love to lay down and relax with you." I take his hand and proceed to the bedroom with him. He stops by the foyer and stops as a package catches his eye. "I almost forgot. This is your new phone. Luis has the number." I meant to ask him for one but he seems to have thought of it first. "Thank you." Taking it from him letting my hand linger on his just a second longer than necessary. "No need to thank me." He casually says pulling me up the stairs into the bedroom.

"No, seriously. Thank you for everything you have done for me and for telling me about your past. It means a lot."

Nikolai turns to look at me, "You saved me. I will spend my entire life trying to repay you. I'm going to give you the world. Starting with getting your company back." My heart skips a beat as my eyes light up but I have to be realistic. "Nikolai, I don't want you thinking about that until we take care of the Italians. Your safety is what matters right now, they still want you dead. Are they why you were so angry when you got home?" I ask already knowing the answer.

Nodding as he pinches the bridge of his nose looking down before collapsing down on to the bed, his hands rubbing his face tiredly. "We'll take care of them together." I whisper into his cheek as I place a kiss on it before turning and walking into the closet.

I try to unzip my dress but the zipper is stuck. Heading back into the bedroom "Hey, can you give me a hand unzip-" But as soon as I enter the room, I see the most beautiful sight. Nikolai is passed out asleep on the bed, shoes and all. I smile at how innocent he looks right now but as I step closer, I see his forehead begin to wrinkle. His face is tense, he's clearly stressed about whatever happened today.

Tip toeing to his side hoping my heels don't wake him. I pull his shoes off and walk them back into the closet. After a couple minutes of struggling, I finally get the damn dress off. Part of me was genuinely thinking about cutting it off. Looking through a couple drawers I find one full of lace. Contemplating the options, I end up settling on a satin cami set. I struggle to pull the blankets out from under his massive body. Not wanting to wake him, I go into a chest in the corner and pull a large blanket out for him. After draping the chunky knit blanket over him, I climb in bed covering myself with the little part I could release from under him.

I turn to face him, admiring every feature of his silhouette. His eyebrows furrow and his jaw tenses, I can feel his muscles flexing beside me. I wonder what he is dreaming of that has him so on guard. Snuggling my body up to his as I lay my head on his chest. His breathing changes and his arms relax at my touch. In his sleep he winds his arm around me pulling me closer. His grip so tight that I couldn't move even if I tried. Inhaling his cologne that covers his dress shirt, now wrinkled from laying. I surrender to the sleep as my mind races thinking of his nightmare.