Page 40 of The Bratva's Auctioned Bride
“Fine. Deal,” I huff.
When we park outside the warehouse, I almost want to grab her and hold on tight to keep her close, but thankfully, she does as promised and stays at my side so I can assess the situation.
Thank goodness, it was not a chemical bomb. It was a small, standard explosion device. It targeted a very localized area, specifically around our product storage rooms located at the back of the warehouse. The place is a mess, guys are workingfrantically to extinguish the flames, but there are very few casualties and no fatalities.
Chapter 12 - Angelika
Diomid looks relieved when we arrive at the second location, and the guys show him the damage that was done.
He never really gives me the go-ahead to start helping, but when I see that it’s not a chemical bomb, and there is no risk in that sense, I pick up a fire extinguisher, and after a few minutes, I have figured out how it works, and I’m blasting white powdery smoke onto the flames along with the other guys.
Diomid watches me, always keeping his eyes on me, while he attends to the guys who got injured. When the flames are out, I move to his side and quietly pick up a pair of gloves, slipping them onto my hands, then grab some gauze and disinfectant and kneel over a man with a cut on his cheek.
“This might sting a bit,” I say gently, splashing alcohol onto clean gauze. He nods. “It’s ok, I’ve had worse.” The man smiles.
I can feel Diomid’s eyes on me. He has a puzzled look on his face as he watches me work. But I stay quiet, rather showing him I’m capable through my actions, not my words.
Also, I can’t help the bitterness in my heart when I think about the phone call I overheard between him and Jaroslav last night.
Every time I glance at him, he’s glancing at me too, and it makes my skin tingle.
I feel like a fool, though. A silly, naive little girl who doesn’t understand the world enough to realize when someone is tricking her.
Because he was tricking me, and I was falling for him while he was doing it.
I pull my eyes off Diomid and back into my work.
Cleaning cuts, bandaging hands, and applying burn gel to minor burns.
We work together for a few hours, silently, helping people and tidying up a bit around the warehouse. The whole time, my heart is heavy, but my eyes are constantly drawn to him.
I watch him with his men. His patience, his care. There is a certain tenderness to him that surprises me. He’s reckless Diomid, not this gentle, openhearted man I’m witnessing.
He treats each man with respect. No matter his rank in the warehouse. Whether it’s a manager or a cleaner, he treats them the same, and the way the guys speak to him, it’s clear that they have an immense amount of respect for him.
I can’t help recognizing this good in him. This unquestionable good, represented by those around him. Beyond how reckless he can be. And beyond what he did to me on our holiday—handlingme.A soft sigh slips from my lips. It’s really annoying that I can’t help being drawn to him. I can’t help being impressed by his kindness to other people, even to me. Even if he was ‘handling’ me. He showed me beautiful things and a magical experience.
Things as beautiful and magical as he is.
Ugh. Get a grip.
***
After a long afternoon, Diomid heads up to his office and ushers me through the door, which he closes behind us.
I brace for the lecture, which his stern expression tells me is coming.
“You should never have followed me here, Angelika.”
Knew it. Didn’t he just see how much help I was?
I fold my arms over my chest and puff my breasts out, not willing to let him get the better of me.
His eyes roam over me, and she shakes his head. “You don’t seem to understand, Angel,” he says, his voice low, almost husky.
“What don’t I understand, Diomid? Because from where I was sitting, you needed my help, and I did a pretty good job of it.”
He chuckles, sighing loudly.
