Page 87 of Wrapped in Perfection

"But you would? If I told you to?"

He says nothing, and goose bumps pop out on my skin.

"And you want to?" I whisper.

"Of course I do. But you would hate me if I did, wouldn't you?"

Could I ever hate him? Would I still want his arms wrapped around me if he killed Mitch?

"You don't need to answer, kotik. Your expression tells me everything I need to know. I give you my word. He will still be alive when I finish with him. And you will have your things back, assuming he was not stupid enough to destroy them."

I release a breath. I try to speak, but I'm not sure what to say.Is my laptop really this important?

"Are you going to do something that will put you in jail?"

"I will not be in jail from dealing with Mitch. He is a coward. You do not need to worry about this."

I release a breath.

Dmitri's face softens. "Is this too much for you? Getting a bigger glimpse of me and what I am capable of?"

This is the point I would expect myself to run. To tell him it is and to stay away from me. Instead, I surprise myself and ask, "If I told you not to go, would you listen to me?"

"I am sorry, kotik. When a man hurts you, he pays the consequences. Nothing I do to him will ever make up for what he did or be enough. Even death would not absolve him from his actions. But if you told me you did not want me to go, I would still have to. He chose to assault you. When you made it clear to him that he needed to stop harassing you, he only continued making threats. If right now you broke my heart and said you never wanted to see me again, I would still need to make sure he understands he is to never intimidate or contact you again."

There's so much in his statement, but I can only respond to one thing. "Your heart would be broken?"

Sadness fills his eyes. He nods.

Tears fill mine. "Mine would be, too."

He inhales sharply and brushes his thumb on my cheek. "You are not going to run from me?"

I lace my fingers around his head. "No." I pull him down and kiss him.

His alarm rings again. He groans. "I have to go."

"Will you call me?"

"Yes. Your new phone is on the table in the kitchen."

"Okay."

He scans my face.

"What?"

"You are welcome to stay here, but I do think it's best if you go to your brother's. Visit with your family. Stay busy while I am gone. Viktor will keep an eye on you, no matter where you go."

"At my brother's?"

"Yes. He will stay outside their unit. My driver will take you wherever you want to go. Your brother knows about this."

"You spoke to my brother? I thought you said you didn't call him?"

"I didn't. I saw him."

"When?"

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