Page 35 of Mafie Queen

The doorbell rings and I can’t hold back my excitement to see the men I love for a second longer. I dash to the entryway, where white hair comes into my focus first. My heart beats rapidly, my back tingling in anticipation of the pain. But as soon as I see his face, and his bright green eyes lock onto mine, the rest of the world fades into the background.

I launch myself at him, and his arms envelop me completely. When the smell of pine hits my nose, happy tears burn my eyes, falling freely onto his shirt as I cling to him. Visions slam into me. Images of his throat slit, his lifeless face under water, and the day Rostya had someone impersonate him while torturing me flood my mind causing me to tense.

I have to pull back and look at his face again just to make sure I’m not losing it, I need to know this isn’t a dream. His smile is all I see now as I drop my forehead to his and the visions fade to the background.

He’s real. He’s here. He’s safe.I lean back to look at him before his lips meet mine in a punishing kiss, forcing all my worries to the side.He’s mine.

Damien grabs my shoulder and I’m pulled into his embrace next. His sweet musk scent engulfs me as surely as a wave in the sea. His strong arms lift me into the air, my legs wrapping tightly around his waist as we cling to each other, savoring this moment of reunification. The sun breaks through the door, surrounding him in the light as I lean back and claim his lips as mine forever.

My heart races as I remember him being shocked to death, his body tense as a board. But his firm hands ground me as his thumb rubs a familiar circle on my back, and I release a shuddering breath. My Sunshine has me and I’m safe.

When the light is suddenly blocked out behind Damien, I look up to see my dark knight. Untangling myself, I nearly fall to my knees at the sight of Alexi. His firm grip saves me though. As soon as I’m stable his hands reach out to cup my face, his intense gaze penetrating mine as if he were searching for my soul.

One second he’s there, the next he’s laying on the floor bleeding out in front of me. My hands shake as I reach for him, needing to feel his warmth and know that he isn’t dying before my eyes.

The moment my trembling grip tightens on his crisp, white button-up shirt, I know it’s him. But his voice confirms it for me. Words only ever uttered for me.

“I love you, Princess.”

He waits patiently, standing there without moving a muscle until I can open them again. When I do, I push forward and show him just how much I love him back as my lips press to his. Alexi lifts me up but freezes almost immediately.

“What is it?” I ask, my breath quivery.

In fact, my whole body is trembling. That’s when it hits me. I try to pull it together, but the tremors only intensify. I’mgently placed on the cool floor as Dr. K approaches to hand me something that I instinctively put into my mouth.

As soon as my brain registers the sour taste of the lemonhead candy, I come back to myself. I’m still shaking on the floor, not fully in control of myself yet, so I close my eyes and take a breath. And another. Finally, I open them again.

“You did really well, Evie,” Dr. K says as she kneels beside me.

I can see the legs of all my men, but I don’t look up at them yet. I don't want to ruin this homecoming any more than I just did. Apprehension and insecurity begins to niggle at the back of my mind.

But then, Alexi bends down, and brushes a soft finger across my cheek. Normally I’d flinch, but with the sour candy forcing my mind out of the panic and into the present, I’m able to lean into it.

“You okay?” he asks in his steady, soothing voice I know all too well.

“I’m okay, Batman.” Nothing about my voice says that’s true, but I roll with it because I’m better now than I was without them.

I take his hand in mine and hold it close. After a minute, he helps me to my feet.

“Come and sit with me, Princess,” he suggests. I nod in agreement.

We all take a seat in the ornate living room. Lev and Damien sit to one side of me on the couch while Alexi claims the other. The shaking has subsided, but Damien is holding onto my hand, rubbing those soothing circles with his thumb as if to try and ensure they won’t return.

Part of me still can’t believe they’re all here, that we have actually survived everything that happened. But I’ve still got a little more surviving to do.

Dr. K takes a seat across from us and fills the guys in on what’s been happening. When a panic attack starts to overtake me, sourcandy or something cold on the back of my neck helps me come out of it the quickest.

It doesn’t happen every time. In fact, it’s been two days since I’ve reacted at all to their photos. But she assumes that seeing them in person was what triggered the episode again.

She thinks I should stay here for another week to keep working on things while adjusting to being back, but I can see how much the guys are struggling.

For one, I have yet to hear Lev’s voice. Alexi has dark circles under his eyes and knuckles that look like they’ve only just healed over. Damien is antsy, bouncing his knee and squeezing my hand every so often as if he’s making sure I’m still physically here.

I know that me trying to get to Adrik by myself and running off to distract him made it look like I was running away from them. Yet, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“My intentions were to protect you guys, but I see now just how much I’ve hurt you.”

“Little Shadow, you didn’t hurt us, youscaredus.”

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