No More Good Girl | 18+

Chapter 26 - Price Of A Life

"Mia, I'm so sorry, are you ok? Let me see!" Danila's voice was worried and caring, as he gently took her face into his hands once they were in his car.

As he inspected her bruise and cut, she had her eyes closed, not daring to look at him so she didn't break down.

He silently observed her facial features and ran his thumb over her cheek. He longed to have her in his arms and for his hands to be the only ones she ever made contact with.

"Should have taken the opportunity to kill him when I was presented with that choice." Mia spoke bitterly with her eyes still closed.

Danila lightly smiled with his hands still on her. He didn't want to let go.

"You're going to have to fight me for that opportunity next time it comes up."

He meant it. Next time he was going to see Artyom, he was going to kill him.

The next morning Mia didn't get out of bed and laid in her soft sheets and stared at the wall thinking about her life. She had woken up early but it was almost noon and she had not gotten out of bed. While Danila always gave her privacy, he knew she was awake and didn't want to show him her face.

He lightly knocked on the door of her bedroom but didn't hear her say anything so he slowly opened it and let himself in.

There she was, like a Goddess, her back naked and her hair splayed over her pillows. She moved her head to hide her face in between the pillows and he timidly came over to her side of the bed and slowly sat down beside her.

He hesitated and reached out his hand to touch her but then pulled it back quickly not making contact. He tried again and touched her shoulder as she flinched. Her skin was so soft, Danila thought. He longed to run his hands up and down her body and drag his lips on her skin.

He gently ran his hand down her back and let her go but she quietly said,

"Don't stop."

Surprised but not at all planning to argue, he made contact again and gently ran his hand up and down her back as she laid in the same position and sighed. He moved her hair and made sure to cover her so she wasn't over exposed.

She slowly sat up beside him but still faced away.
He felt so awful for her and he wanted to do anything to comfort her and tell her it was going to be ok.

"I never thought any of this would happen to me." She said quietly. "The bruises...the exposure... the...belonging to someone. That happened to other...dirty girls...not me." She wiped her tears and sniffled.

Danila just listened and cursed himself for what happened last night.

"I'm so sorry, Mia. I'm so sorry you got involved with us and this -"

She scoffed as she interrupted him.

"Please, Danila. Don't apologize...pretending you're better than Artyom." And with that she turned to him and showed him her face, eyes closed.

It was actually better than Danila imagined. Her nose was intact but her lip had a deep cut and her cheek had a large bruise. The swelling had gone down significantly but she still looked mangled.

He looked at her with sorrow in his eyes and said painfully,

"I'm not like Artyom. Neither is Kirill." And she nodded as she smiled sarcastically.

"Yes...you two are so good. I should have listened to Tamik that one time. He asked me how could Kirill be good if he did what he did..."

"Tamik was a crazy coke head, Mia. And yeah, ok, I run a strip club and sell drugs, but I don't sell girls like Artyom." And he realized she didn't know what Artyom did from the look of disgust and shock on her face.