“Looks can be deceiving,” I say as I step into the bathroom to put on my shorts. When I’m done, I hang my suit up, fully aware she’s staring at me.
“All those scars,” she whispers.
“That’s what happens when you are me, in this line of work. No one is pristine. And even if their skin is blemish-free, their mind has scars they carry with them every day,” I point out.
She doesn’t say anything but reaches out to touch my arm. I have a nasty one there from a knife fight when two guys tried to jump me. I survived, they didn’t. I let her run her dainty fingers up and down, never flinching. That’s a huge deal for me, after Ivana I used to shy away from touch. Or a hug.
“What are you doing to me?” I mumble quietly.
“I am getting to know you,” she replies as she traces more of the scars that mar my body. I grab her wrist to stop her and in the heat of the moment, I pull her to me and kiss her. Fuck, I’m kissing her. My mind is reeling, and my body is excited. Kissing her makes me see the rainbows that she sees. The world is in color and it’s vivid and bright. I would keep kissing her, but there’s a knock on the door.
“Shit,” I break the kiss, looking for somewhere for her to hide.
“One of your men knows I’m in here. He showed me here when I said your name. I don’t think he recognized me,” she says, which explains some of my thoughts.
“Ivan,” Tim calls out from the other side of the door.
“You need to go. Wait in the bathroom for ten minutes and then slip out the back. Leave your number. I’ll contact you.”
“Wait. What about everything that is happening?”
“I will try to talk to my father. You try to talk to yours,” I kiss her forehead and slip out the door.
“Your door was locked,” Tim says.
“I was jacking off and didn’t want you walking in,” I respond with a tight grin.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to see that. Thanks for that,” he grimaces.
“Let’s do this,” I say, hoping that Adelina gets out safely.
Twenty
Adelina
He kissed me. He kissed me and I liked it. He kissed me and I’m engaged to someone. Someone I don’t want. He let me touch him, his scars. I feel like that was huge for him like he hides them, he doesn’t want people to see him for who he is. I saw. Today I saw a bit more. He said he was going to talk to his father. Maybe our families could come to some understanding, though that still means I’ll be betrothed to Stefano. I could try to talk to my father about that, too. Though I have a feeling it would be one or the other. If it comes to it, I’ll sacrifice myself so that others can live in peace and prosperity.
I wait ten minutes and slip out a side door, thankful I didn’t run into anyone. I walk down the street and to a car that is waiting for me.
“Did you see him?” Sofia asks as she starts to drive me home. After my grandmother left I thought about Ivan and how his soul calls to me. I wanted to make sure he was okay and that he hadn’t been shot. I told my father I was going out with Sofia and that her brother would be with us. He’s a soldier and my father likes him, knows that her brother would look out for me. So he gave the go-ahead. I called her and asked her to pick me up which she did, but she wanted to take me home when I asked her to help me with this.
“I did. He’s alright. He’s going to talk to his father, in hopes that his father will talk to mine,” I reply.
“You think he will?”
“I believe him,” I nod as we pull into my driveway.
“Please be careful,” she says as I get out of the car.
“I will,” I promise and go inside and straight up to my room. I left Ivan my number, putting it on a piece of paper and I slid it into his bag before leaving the dressing room. My wish is that he follows through, talking to his father and calling me.
Twenty-One
Ivan
I was pleasantly surprised to see that the man who wanted a fight was almost as big as I am Almost an even fight. I easily dominate, sending him flying into the cage and he goes down. He lasted longer than I thought he would and the crowd approves.
“Good fight,” I help him up off the mat.
