Shattered Innocence

A Fierce Connection

By the time we have cleaned up and changed, we are landing. "I've never been to Berlin," I comment as I lean forward to peer out of the window. "What's it like?"

"Beautiful," Zack murmurs. "I've been once for work, but the snippets I saw were stunning." Standing, he offers me his hand. "Let's do this, Nora."

Nodding, I take his hand, and with our bags slung over our shoulders, we disembark the private plane. There are two taxis waiting outside, and Zack pays them a heavy sum to keep quiet about what they saw. It's not foolproof, but we leave as little of a paper trail as we can as we speed through Berlin. I don't know where we are heading, but I soak up the views. Tourists flood the streets, and the shops and cafes are full and bright with light. Seeing the modern amenities mixed with the old, historical elements almost entrances me.

"We would usually stay at a shitty hotel with a don't tell policy, but since it's your first time in Berlin, why not go big?" Zack winks down at me. "If they are going to find us, they will anyway, so it doesn't matter where. Plus, they will be expecting us to fly under the radar. Instead, we will blend in by remaining in plain sight."

"What do you mean?" I ask, drawing my gaze away from the window to him.

"Luxury, baby. We are spending our time here in luxury, just like you deserve." He winks, and I swallow as I look back out the window.

Not long after, we have to get out and walk down a huge shopping district called Ku'damm. There are restaurants, cafes, and shops lining every corner and side of the street. He's right; we easily blend into the crowd. We stop before a massive, six-story building placed between two equally large buildings, the hotel name boldly displayed at the top.

"Zoo?" I ask, and Zack grins as he heads inside. I follow after him, gawking when we plunge into a different world. A sumptuous, darkly lit interior greets me with epic decorations, and a dramatic tiger rug leads to a reception area. I find myself gawking at everything as Zack heads right up to the desk. I barely hear what he says, but I notice it's in German, which makes my eyebrows rise.

When he comes back, he slings his arm around me and leans in as if to kiss me. "We got the penthouse, baby," he purrs then looks to the guys. "You are in rooms next to us."

"Bastard." Yuri grins but winks at me. I let them lead me to a bank of elevators, and from there, we head up. The guys are, in fact, in rooms next to us.

When I walk into the penthouse, I freeze. I'm used to shitty hotels with questionable bedding and dirty old bathrooms. Not here. Light almost blinds me from the floor-to-ceiling windows with views of a courtyard below. Sofas and chairs sit to my right with a table between them. A partial wall with a fireplace is to my left, and when I peer through, I can see into the bath. There's a dressing room, a huge king-sized bed, and a bathroom that almost makes me weep with an epic tub and huge shower big enough to fit four people. There's also a minibar and so many amenities, I don't know where to look. I just wander around in awe.

Zack lounges on a chair with his chin on his chest, watching me. "Like it?" he murmurs, and I swallow as I turn to him, my back to the windows. "I love it, but are we—" "Don't worry about it." He stands smoothly and pads towards me, taking my chin and lifting my head. "Just enjoy it. Yes, we are here under horrible circumstances, but it's time you saw that the world has more than death and darkness. A little bit of luxury won't hurt you. It might even do you good." He winks before sobering. "We are as safe here as anywhere. There are plenty of entrances and exits onto a busy area of Berlin that we can get lost in. I did my research and set up backup meet points, but for now, we set up shop. Everything here is soundproofed, so we use this as base."

Just then, the door opens. He doesn't break apart from me, just watches me. "And we prepare." I nod, and only then does he step away. The others make themselves comfortable, with Yuri peering through the fire and then back at me. "I know where I'll be spying," he teases, making me roll my eyes. "Nikolay, order room service and check the floor. Yuri, help him," Zack orders. "Mikhail, get set up. Ivan, check the room."

"For?" I ask curiously, crossing my arms.

"Bugs and cameras, wiretaps, anything." Zack grins at me. "You can help him." Ivan takes my hand, and we start in the bedroom, working our way through the entire suite. By the time we are done, food has been delivered on a silver trolley they rolled in themselves, not wanting staff to enter the room.

"We are good." Ivan nods as he sits and picks up a lid, munching on some fruit while Yuri grabs a handful of chips and starts eating.

"Good, then let's begin." Stretching out my back, I walk to the windows and look out at the darkening city before me, the lights stealing my breath with their beauty. Sometimes it's easy to forget how big the world is, and how beautiful and crazy it can be with so many unexplored places. Especially when you are so focused on the present and the little places around you. But seeing it now steals my breath.

Nikolay snores, making me turn with a grin. He's cramped up on a tiny chair, snoring happily away, with his head back and one leg bent up uncomfortably. His other leg is thrown over the edge, and one arm hangs down. The other is under his head. Yuri shakes his head and goes back to cleaning the weapons. Mikhail and Zack are on the computers, checking our trail and locating the next stop as well as hacking security cameras and planning in case anything goes wrong. I was helping out, but my eyes are almost crossing. I'm not made for computers.

Shaking my head, I grab the blanket that's neatly folded on the sofa and drape it across Nikolay, tucking him in before wandering to the bedroom to find Ivan curled up there, fast asleep. We are supposed to take turns sleeping, and it's not mine, but I need a break from the screens and from... everything. It's all so much. I feel like I've not had a moment alone since they invaded my life, and although it's been for the better, and we have important things to do, I know I need some quiet time and space to regroup. I needed to build up the barriers around myself again, the ones that protected me from getting hurt. It seemed like they had been gradually smashing down those walls since the day we met. With their soft smiles, teasing words, and protective hands, they made it incredibly hard for a girl like me not to fall for them. But I couldn't let that happen. I knew deep down that people like us weren't made for love and happily ever afters. We were meant to live in the present, enjoying each moment until our pasts caught up with us.

Reminding myself of this, I slipped into the bathroom, seeking solace in a warm bath to ease my aching muscles. Fancy toiletries adorned the side, so I filled the bath with them, stripping off my clothes before stepping into the hot running water. As I sank into the tub, I let out a groan of relief, allowing the warm water to wash away the stresses of the day and my lingering worries.

But even as I tried to find peace in that moment, thoughts of the future weighed on my mind. Once we accomplished our mission of destroying everything my father had built, we would have to go our separate ways, right? And if I wasn't careful, I knew I would miss them with an intensity that would break me. I had grown accustomed to their presence, to not being alone anymore. In the silence, I found myself searching for them, longing to hear their laughter and see their reassuring smiles. I leaned on them and trusted them, but deep down, I knew that when they were gone, I would be alone again. So, I had to protect myself now, before it was too late. I had to ensure that when they eventually left, it wouldn't shatter me completely.

I could admit to myself that they had the power to destroy me in a way my father never could. With their kind eyes and genuine friendship, they had filled a void within me that I hadn't even known existed. And although they never intended to, I feared they would inadvertently break that last piece of my soul and take it with them. But they deserved to live their lives and find happiness when all of this was over. Our connection was born out of shared trauma, brought together by my father, but it wouldn't be enough to keep us together. In the end, I would only have myself, and I needed to remind myself of that over and over again, even as I heard Yuri's laughter and Nikolay's gentle snores.

Slowly, my racing thoughts began to settle as I turned off the tub, allowing myself to soak and rebuild during the passing night. I opened my eyes, and my heart froze when I noticed Zack turned in his chair, his gaze locked on me. In that moment, the whole world seemed to fade away as I stared into his hungry eyes, causing a shiver to run down my spine. Mikhail and Yuri remained oblivious to the exchange, leaving only Zack and me locked in a tense gaze. His eyes deliberately dropped to my exposed breasts before crawling back up to meet mine. When he finally turned away, I gasped and slumped, finally free from his piercing gaze.

Shaking off the thoughts of desire, I submerged myself under the bubbly water, determined to remind myself to protect my heart from them, even if they seemed intent on stealing it.