Saints and Sinners

Twenty-six:

Twenty-six:

Aleksander came with them to the safe house. Fedyor drove. Nina politely was up front, to give them some space. "I'm sorry," Aleksander kept on saying as they drove in silence together, "I should have told you right away when this happened. I shouldn't have waited. I'm sorry, Sunshine."

Alina didn't know what to say or what to do. "I don't know you, do I?"

Aleksander raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I don't know you. Aleksander Morozova. We've talked about some things, but you, personally...you might have my name tattooed on your skin, but you and me...we don't know a damn thing about each other. You let me go a day and a half not knowing about what was happening to one of my friends. What else could you keep from me?"

He reached out to stroke her cheek, but Alina flinched, pulling away from him. "Alina..."

"Why would Jarl Brum come after Matthias now? You can't tell me that a powerful man like that hasn't known where Matthias is all of this time. There's something else going on with this isn't there?" Alina demanded.

Aleksander was quiet. Far too quiet, which made Alina's stomach churn. "Poshyol ty!" she hissed at him in old Ravkaan. "I know you said that your world was dark, and that I was going to get corrupted by it sooner or later. But how am I supposed to be expected to get the chance to survive if you don't tell me everything, Aleksander?"

Aleksander frowned, and he stroked his beard. "You must forgive me, Alina. I don't know how to share my life with people. I've never had anyone to share my life with. I'm a selfish man. I am used to making choices only for myself, and no one else."

Alina rolled her eyes. "That's bullshit. You run a law firm and a million businesses. You make choices for people every day. That requires conversation."

"A relationship isn't a business."

"No, but you know what happens to businesses that aren't honest about their practices? Their owners get arrested. You know that lying isn't something that you should do. Everyone is told that from the time they're little."

"That's subjective," said Aleksander.

"What do you mean lying is subjective?"

"I can think of multiple instances where you would want to lie to someone for instance. If your partner were in danger, for instance, and you were trying to save their life because someone was trying to kill them. If you thought the truth might hurt someone you love----"

"You don't get to decide that!"

Aleksander's eyes darkened in a way that she had not seen them darken before. "YES I FUCKING DO!"

Alina flinched and pulled away from him.

Aleksander's gaze softened again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry my darling. I don't mean to frighten you but this man that we're dealing with...Brum...he goes to drastic lengths to get what he wants. He makes men like me and Brekker look like kittens. Brum believes that I don't have a heart. If he finds out that I do, and you're it, I would hate to think of the horrors that would await you and me, Alina. I've spent too long in the shadows now. I've gotten to taste sunshine, and I'm not going to let you go now."

She hated that she was blushing when he spoke. She was mad at him. She wanted to stay mad at him. "I hate you," she snarled at him.

Aleksander smirked at her, running his hands through his dark hair. "You don't hate me. I can feel what you feel. You can feel me too."

Alina's cheeks heated. "That pesky little feelings thing is going to drive me crazy."

"I don't know, I think it comes quite handy." Aleksander reached out and stroked her cheek. "Especially knowing when my dear Alina is quite needy and needs a good fucking."

Alina blushed even harder. "Fedyor is up there, and so is Nina."

"We're going to be away from each other for a few days, and I'll be doing something very, very dangerous..."

Alina leaned forward and she pressed her head against Aleksander's. "I don't want our first time to be in the back of the car, because you're thinking that it's the last time that we're going to see each other. I want our first time to be because we're so overcome with desire for each other that we aren't able to think about anything else."

"That's usually how I am when it comes to you." He waggled his eyebrows. "I haven't even gotten a chance to be inside you properly Alina, and if something wrong happens..."

Alina reached out and she stroked his cheek. His beard was rough against her fingers, and she found that she liked the sensation of it. "Nothing is going to go wrong. You're going to go there, get Matthias, and come back. That's what's going to happen. I promise you. And then you're going to fuck me when you get back."

Aleksander's gaze darkened. "Do you really mean that?"

Alina nodded. "Yes. So, when you're off trying to do something stupid and noble---"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm just rescuing a friend. That's it."

"It's a noble thing," Alina said, "you know that saving someone is something that a good person would do, Sasha."

Aleksander shook his head. "Don't get that idea in your head, Alina. I'm still the man you saw killing people in an alley way. I'm not suddenly going to be the man that you think is a hero, my darling. I'm still the man that's going to get bloody if he has to. Especially if someone is going to try and attack my loved ones. You're my loved one, Alina, and I won't let anyone take you from me."

Alina blushed. "No one's going to take you from me, either. But it's not a bad thing for you to let some of the sunlight in, Aleksander."

"Sun and shadows. Balance."

"Balance," Alina replied.