From Russia With Loathing

Part 15

Anastasiya

I called Audrey first thing this morning and told her to meet me at our favorite clothing store downtown.

"What's up babe?" she asked as soon as we walk in the door. "I love you with all my heart and that's why I have to be honest with you, but babe you look awful."

"I know," I let out a long sigh. "There are a million things I want to tell you. My life went from 0 to a million in a blink of an eye, and I can barely keep up. But at the same time I just want to shut off my brain and forget about how fucked up my life is. Seriously, I just wish everything would just chill for like five minutes."

Audrey walks around the clothes rack and gives me a hug. "I'm sorry babe." She pulls away and gives me her best 'up to something' smile. "Okay, so this is what's going to happen. First you are going to tell me everything. You haven't updated me in almost two weeks. I love you and It kills me to watch you suffer so much. But I'm not going to lie I'm loving this drama way more then I should, this shit is better then books and tv. Then when you have it all out of your system we are going to finish this day with an afternoon at the spa. We are going to get massages and facials and just forget about the world for a few hours. Deal?"

I hug her back, resting my head on her solder. "Deal." I say.

"Spill the tea bitch! Have you seen him naked yet?" She winks at me. I roll my eyes at her. "And I'm not talking shirtless, you told me about that. I'm talking NAKed. Like, what is he working with down there? I know that man is packing. He gives off way too much sexy Alpha male essence to not be hung like a horse."

"Audrey," I say looking around to see if there is anyone close enough to overhear us. 

"What!? Don't act all innocent and pure. I'm your best friend. Bitch, I'm the only friend you have ever had. I know everything about you. I know what Maroon 5 song was playing when you lost your virginity to Dakota Robersons. I was in the next room when it happened. We bought our first vibrators together. Innocent and pure you are not. So spill it!"

"I haven't,"

"Haven't what? Seen it or thought about it?"

I grab a cute black dress from the rack and hang it over my arm. "Seen it."

"So you have thought about it?" She raises her eye brow at me.

"Ugh, fine. Yes, Okay, I have thought about it a few times. Sue me. I'm locked up in that tower of doom with him! I'm only human." Audrey gives me a sly smile, wanting more details. "The other night we were watching this really intense action movie. And then of course the main characters start going at it, like really going at it. And I couldn't help it. All I wanted to do was stratal him, and just ride the fuck out of him." I close my eyes tightly and groan in embarrassment.

I have second hand embarrassment for myself right now.

I open my eyes and look over at Audrey. She is just standing there, arms full of clothes, grinning ridiculously.

"You like him?" She says

"No I don't." I say a little to forced.

"You do!"

"Why are you smiling? This is bad, very bad." I walk over to a table displaying necklaces and rings. "This situation is literally my worst nightmare. The man kills people and disposes of their bodies. He traffics drugs and guns and worse. I can't develop feelings for him."

"Anna, you said it yourself, there isn't really a way out of this. It's a lose-lose situation. I know it's awful, and I know you hate it with every fiber of your being." She pauses until I look her in the eye. "But maybe try not to make it any worse then it has to be. Why ..."

I stop her before she can say any more. "I'm not going to be him little mafia wife Audrey! I'm not going to kiss him goodbye when he goes to work and then just lay underneath him when he gets home." I look her dead in the eyes. "I'm not going to end up like my mother."

Audrey's shouldered relax. "Anna, that's not what I'm saying." She is quite for a second. Either thinking about what to say next or waiting for me to say something. I hate how stubborn we both are sometimes.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, why don't you just try and like him. You don't have to fall in love with him and cook his meals and have his evil little Russian spawn. Why don't you get to know him. Get his perspective, because you know he hates this as much as you do. Talk to him. Maybe you can change his mind about this whole ridiculousness relationship. Maybe," she pauses for a second. "Maybe you could change his mind get him to call this whole thing off."

I roll my eyes a laugh at her. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I'm serious. Isn't he next in line to take over? What if he takes over and calls off the marriage. Tells his father and your father to go fuck themselves. Or at least, just let you go and never tell anyone. You could ... you know ... go to California." She says. It takes me a second to proses and realize she is actually being serious.

"That would never work." I tell her.

"Why not?"

"You want me to get him to like me or fall in love with me or whatever, and then make a deal with him to let me go. That would never work. That would never happen."

"I'm just saying." She shrugs her shoulders and give me a sideways glance. "Maybe you should get to know him and give him a chance."

I laugh at her. "No."

~*~

When I arrive back at the apartment it is already after dark.

I sent Viktor a text earlier telling him I was spending the day shopping and going to the spa with Audrey, doing "housewife shit". He never answered me so I took it as an okay.

It's dark when I open the door to the apartment. The shopping bags are heavy so I kick off my shoes and leave them, I'll move them later. I lug the bags upstairs and to the bedroom.

I push the door open with my butt, backing myself into the room. I take two steps back before I step on something hard.

Before I can register the presence behind me, my body turns cold and everything goes black.