Her Russian

Chapter 7-Who Am I?

Galina was wearing a path through the carpet waiting on Irina to show up. She was so confused and had so many questions, her mind wouldn't shut up so she could think. She thought she might vomit the stress was getting to be too much.

Finally she heard what she thought was a car door, ran to the door and threw it open. But instead of Irina, alone, she was standing there with Maxim. Oh Lord, what was all this?

"Irina?" she started. Walking past Maxim, Irina put her arm around Galina, led her to the couch and told her to sit down. "I'm going to make us some tea. I'll be right back" she said.

All she could do was stare at Maxim and the look he was giving her was, well, it looked almost sympathetic. What the hell was going on?

It seemed to take forever with the tea and all Galina could do was sit there and look at Maxim but he wouldn't make eye contact with her at all.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Galina threw her body against the back of the couch, her hand covering her face.

"Galina you need to calm yourself down. I can see you're stressed out and I don't want you to have another episode" Irina handed her a tea cup.

With shaking hands, Galina lifted the cup to her lips, trying to get the calming liquid down her throat. It helped. Some.

"Now, theses documents and photos. Tell me about them". Galina noticed that her cousin's voice was different.

Gone was the bubbly, excited personality and in its place was almost a business woman. Galina just shook her head.

"I-I found my birth certificate but the names on it were strange. I saw a picture of a woman called Allister, in a hospital, holding me.

Then there were pictures of me with my parents and Zoya. Rina, what's going on?" Her voice cracking.

Before her cousin could say anything there was the sound of glass being pierced, Irina drew in a breath and fell backward on the couch. A red dot in the middle of her forehead.

Galina heard screaming but hadn't realized it was coming from her. She looked at her front, which had splattered blood on it, and looked at Irina. Blood had poured from the back of her head, staining the couch.

Maxim jerked Galina up and ran towards the back door, phone in hand. They were in the little laundry room, where Max pushed her into a corner and shielded her with his own body.

Moments later, a blacked out SUV showed up, Maxim bundled her into it and they drove off to God knows where.

Galina laid in Maxim's huge arms, weeping and sobbing for Irina. She was in shock and then her chest started to constrict.

"Galina!" Maxim shouted at her. "Look at me!" he commanded. Trying to focus, she found his eyes full of concern.

"Breath" he said. Trusting his voice somehow, she concentrated on his voice, watching only his lips.

The pain started to subside and her breathing was definitely helping. She laid back against his shoulder, her lower lip trembling.

"W-where are we going?" she asked quietly. "Back to Ilia's" was his simple answer.

"Why did you take me there yesterday?" she questioned. "And why today?" Maxim looked down at the tiny woman in his arms. "He'll explain it to you, okay?" That's all he would say.

Sighing, she closed her eyes for just a minute as she was still tired from the jet lag. She hadn't realized that she'd snuggled into the crook of his arm, her fingers curling around his suit jacket.

Galina awoke in a strange, darkened room. She assumed it was one of the many rooms in Ilia's mansion.

She pulled her legs around and felt the thick, plush carpet under her bare feet. She could see a bedside table next to her and a lamp that was at home on it.

She pushed the button on the base and soon light was illuminating the room. Looking down she noticed she'd been changed.

She was wearing a white button down dress shirt. It looked more like a dress on her, coming down below her knees.

The scent on the shirt was familiar though. Ilia had that same scent the other day.

Walking towards what she assumed was the bathroom, she felt along the wall for a switch. Finally finding it, she flipped it on.

She gasped when she saw the sheer size of the bathroom. It was almost as big as Zoya's house.

Galina stood in front of the mirror and there was no sign of Irina's blood on her anywhere.

That memory just made her feel violently ill. Turning on the cold water, Galina splashed a lot of it in her face, grabbed a towel by the sink and dried her face. She needed to find someone that could give her some answers and right now.

She went to open the bedroom door when she heard voices outside. "I think she's up now. I just saw a light come on inside." It sounded like Maxim. But who was he talking to? Ilia?

Her hand went to the knob just as it was being turned on the outside. Stepping back she waited for the door to swing open. She let out a sigh when she saw it was just Maxim.

"Can you please come with me?" he asked. Looking down at the state of her dress, she then looked back up at Maxim. He grinned slightly at her and told her she looked just fine.

Reluctantly, she followed him down to the same study she was in just yesterday. "Go in. He's waiting for you" Maxim told her. "Wait. Aren't you coming in with me?" she asked shyly. He just shook his head.

"Just tell him the truth. About anything he asks you. You are safe with him, Galina. I promise." He smiled at her one more time and then shut the door.

Turning around, Galina headed for the sofa and started to sit down. "I see you just couldn't stay away, could you?" a heavily accented voice said to her from the shadows.

Exhaling, Galina said "Ilia, just come on out please." His huge frame stepped forward from the shadows, his eyes raking over her body. He smirked at the way his shirt swallowed her little body.

"What?" she asked a little defensive. "You look good in my shirt" he replied. The look on her face said it all. "Yes, my malen'kaya mysh' (little mouse)" he said grinning at her. "It's my shirt and my bed you were just in."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to calm the beating in her chest. "I-I think I need to sit down for a moment" she said barely audible.

She watched Savin walk towards the same water pitcher and pour her a glass full. When he handed it to her, he sat down on the coffee table, his long legs open on either side of hers.

Galina gasped at the sensation his legs touching hers brought. She could feel the heat from his body coming through his dress pants and right into her.

"Undoubtedly you have questions, no?" he asked her, as she gripped the glass tightly. She nodded. "I will have the answers" he told her. But he wasn't finished. "The question is, dorogaya (sweetheart), do you think you can handle my answers?"

She looked up at him, captivated by his eyes once again. "Do I have a choice?" she breathed. He shook his head at her. Slowly closing her eyes, she said "Do your worst."