Page 3 of The Bratva's Weakness

I finish typing a message into the car service I use, and they get back to me right away letting me know that they can have someone at the airport in ten minutes or so, which is exactly why I contacted them.

I look back at Allie and notice the tears streaming down her cheeks. “Hey, baby, don’t worry. Someone will be there to get him in a few minutes, they’ll have a sign and everything so there will be no confusion. It’ll probably be better than riding in this,” I gesture around her objectively dingy car, “anyways.”

She looks back at me with a scowl. “This car is my baby, don’t slander it. But… thank you. I really fucked that up, my mind was just elsewhere,” she trails off before adding. “Just, thank you. Wait, where should I even be taking you? This is such a mess.”

Without thinking, I reach out a hand and squeeze her thigh, feeling sparks through my fingers the second my skin meets the fabric of her black leggings.

I might be fucked.

I quickly squeeze her thigh and then move my hand to plug her address into the GPS of her car.

“I hope it’s not too far out of your way,” I say, looking back at her.

She gives me a small smile in return, seemingly calmed down from a moment ago. “Nope. It’s kind of the least I could do, I mean I basically kidnapped you from the airport,” she lets out a soft laugh at that sound like music to my ears.

“True,” I say, laughing with her. I don’t know what’s come over me, I’m usually a pretty stoic guy, but she makes me feel lighter, makes me want to laugh more. I don’t know what that means for a woman I have only known for twenty minutes and I can’t bring myself to care for now.

We spend the rest of the drive making small talk. She tells me she’s twenty-four and hasn’t quite figured out what to do with her life yet. She sounds lost and I’m filled with this overwhelming feeling of wanting to help her.

When she asks about me, I tell her I’ve just turned thirty-five and I watch her face for any signs of feeling weird that I’m more than a decade older than her, but I find none. Although I find myself wanting to tell her what the family business actually is, I give her the cover of the jewelry store and some of our other enterprises, not quite knowing if I can trust her and not sure if I want to freak her out just yet.

The drive passes quickly and when we pull up to my place, she looks at it with shock. Sure, the house is massive, but I like to think of it as understated compared to some of the othermansions in town. It’s white stone structure with a black iron gate, both of which are covered in greenery to help it blend in.

“Well, sorry for stealing you from the airport,” Allie says, turning to meet my eyes. I smile back at her, overwhelmed at her beauty.God, I want to wrap her golden locks around my fist.

“Wasn’t the worst way to be kidnapped,” I say, my grin not breaking. “Do you want to come in for a drink?”

She thinks it over for a moment before nodding, “Sure,” she says, surprising and elating me all at once.

I hop out of the car, and she has the trunk popped already. I quickly grab my bag before rounding the car and opening her door for her.

“You don’t have to do that,” she says somewhat shyly as she takes my hand to get out of the car.

I lean into her, “If you think that, you’ve been with the wrong men.”

“I haven’t been with any men,” she blurts, then gasps, clapping a hand over her mouth.

Oh fuck.That truth has my dick straining against my jeans, and I take a deep breath, pulling away from her.

Giving her a quick smile, I lead her into the house, entering my door code. I wander into the kitchen to see that my housekeeper has prepared dinner for me, and like always, has left way too much.

“Do you like steak?” I ask Allie as she peers around the kitchen.

“Definitely,” she says, still looking around. “Wow, this place is gorgeous.”

“Thanks, I wanted it to be a relaxing place to unwind after all my busy days. Do you want to eat?”

“It seems calming, despite how outwardly menacing it is,” she says with a laugh. “I’d love to eat, I’m starving.”

“Perfect, go make yourself comfortable in the living room. I’ll be in with everything in a minute.”

She nods and gives me a small okay before rounding the corner to the other room. I take the chance to toss the steak, potatoes, and asparagus onto two plates and into the microwave before running upstairs and tossing my bag in my room. I quickly wash up and head back downstairs, selecting a bottle of red from my wine room and pouring us each a glass.

I drop the glasses on the coffee table in front of the couch where Allie has curled up and it strikes me just howrightshe looks in my house. I head back into the kitchen before returning with our food.

We chat idly over dinner, and she tells me the steak is one of the best she’s ever had. I let her know I’ll pass on her regards to my housekeeper.

As we finish up, she twists her hands in her lap. I place mine over hers, and she immediately stills.

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