thing,” he told her with a laugh. “You are an incredible woman, Kira Domnin.”
“I’ll remember that the next time I piss you off,” she joked.
He cupped her cheek, lifting her face so that she met his gaze. “I’m serious. Three years ago, I married a scared little mouse whose only worry was whether or not her big bad husband would keep her from dancing. Now, I cannot even imagine how badly you would rip me to shreds should I attempt to tell you that you weren’t allowed to do something you had set your mind to do.”
“I grew up,” she said simply. “But you were the one who allowed me the space to do that. I can’t thank you enough for being patient and letting me find myself.”
“I think I’ve been richly rewarded,” he told her, lowering his mouth to hers and kissing her until he could not think straight anymore.
Chapter Twelve
The knock at the dressing room door startled them both. Kira started to giggle. She smothered the sound against Viktor’s chest. He nuzzled her affectionately.
“Maybe they will go away?” he suggested.
The knock sounded again. This time it was louder. “Kira?”
Kira froze. The old fears came flooding back. “That’s my father.”
“What do you want, Berezin?” Viktor called back. “Kira is changing clothes, and then we are leaving to go home. You’re not welcome here.”
“I want to speak to my daughter, Domnin!” Berezin slammed his fist against the door, making it shiver.
Kira took a deep breath. She had no desire to speak with Anton Berezin. Yet she had to remind herself that she wasn’t the same young woman who had followed her father’s every dictate. She was Kira Domnin now. “I can do this, Viktor. It’s all right. Just give us a few minutes privacy. You can stand right outside the door within shouting distance.”
“Are you sure?” Viktor began straightening his clothes. “I won’t make you talk to that bastard if you don’t want to.”
“I’m sure.” She pulled on a pair of leggings and a baggy sweater. “He can’t hurt me anymore. He has no power over me. I belong to you.”
“That’s right.” Viktor gave her a sudden, fierce hug. “And don’t ever forget it.”
It was Viktor who opened the door. He held onto the knob and waited until she gave a nod. It was all very surreal, as if they were dealing with some poisonous variety of snake. Yet when the door swung open and Kira found herself staring at her father, she was ready.
“Hello, Papa,” she manage to say with a surprising amount of composure. “Why did you come here?”
Berezin breezed past Viktor without sparing him so much as a glance. Kira couldn’t help but shift a little on her feet to try and see if her father had brought his men. She didn’t want to see them, especially now that she knew the horrible things they had done.
“What?” she said in a clipped tone. “No entourage today?”
Berezin grimaced. “They’re waiting outside with the car.”
“Are they?” This came from Viktor, whose eyes glittered with deadly intent as he spoke. “See that they remain there.”
“Out!” Berezin shouted. “I wish to speak to my daughter alone.”
Viktor gave him a bored look, his manner rife with blatant disrespect. Then he looked at Kira. “I will be right outside. If you wish your father gone, just call for me.”
“Thank you.” Kira nodded, unable to suppress the tiny smile that came to her lips when she saw the affection plain on Viktor’s face.
Berezin spoke as soon as the door had snicked shut. “See, daughter? My plan was to force the two of you together. It worked. You should be thanking me.”
“Thanking you?” Kira was dumbfounded. She wrapped her arms around her middle in an instinctive gesture of self-protection. “You had your flunkies attack and murder the women of your mafia brothers! How could you ever believe I would thank you for that?”
“What I did, I did in service to our family,” Berezin argued. “The Domnins are
“I’ll remember that the next time I piss you off,” she joked.
He cupped her cheek, lifting her face so that she met his gaze. “I’m serious. Three years ago, I married a scared little mouse whose only worry was whether or not her big bad husband would keep her from dancing. Now, I cannot even imagine how badly you would rip me to shreds should I attempt to tell you that you weren’t allowed to do something you had set your mind to do.”
“I grew up,” she said simply. “But you were the one who allowed me the space to do that. I can’t thank you enough for being patient and letting me find myself.”
“I think I’ve been richly rewarded,” he told her, lowering his mouth to hers and kissing her until he could not think straight anymore.
Chapter Twelve
The knock at the dressing room door startled them both. Kira started to giggle. She smothered the sound against Viktor’s chest. He nuzzled her affectionately.
“Maybe they will go away?” he suggested.
The knock sounded again. This time it was louder. “Kira?”
Kira froze. The old fears came flooding back. “That’s my father.”
“What do you want, Berezin?” Viktor called back. “Kira is changing clothes, and then we are leaving to go home. You’re not welcome here.”
“I want to speak to my daughter, Domnin!” Berezin slammed his fist against the door, making it shiver.
Kira took a deep breath. She had no desire to speak with Anton Berezin. Yet she had to remind herself that she wasn’t the same young woman who had followed her father’s every dictate. She was Kira Domnin now. “I can do this, Viktor. It’s all right. Just give us a few minutes privacy. You can stand right outside the door within shouting distance.”
“Are you sure?” Viktor began straightening his clothes. “I won’t make you talk to that bastard if you don’t want to.”
“I’m sure.” She pulled on a pair of leggings and a baggy sweater. “He can’t hurt me anymore. He has no power over me. I belong to you.”
“That’s right.” Viktor gave her a sudden, fierce hug. “And don’t ever forget it.”
It was Viktor who opened the door. He held onto the knob and waited until she gave a nod. It was all very surreal, as if they were dealing with some poisonous variety of snake. Yet when the door swung open and Kira found herself staring at her father, she was ready.
“Hello, Papa,” she manage to say with a surprising amount of composure. “Why did you come here?”
Berezin breezed past Viktor without sparing him so much as a glance. Kira couldn’t help but shift a little on her feet to try and see if her father had brought his men. She didn’t want to see them, especially now that she knew the horrible things they had done.
“What?” she said in a clipped tone. “No entourage today?”
Berezin grimaced. “They’re waiting outside with the car.”
“Are they?” This came from Viktor, whose eyes glittered with deadly intent as he spoke. “See that they remain there.”
“Out!” Berezin shouted. “I wish to speak to my daughter alone.”
Viktor gave him a bored look, his manner rife with blatant disrespect. Then he looked at Kira. “I will be right outside. If you wish your father gone, just call for me.”
“Thank you.” Kira nodded, unable to suppress the tiny smile that came to her lips when she saw the affection plain on Viktor’s face.
Berezin spoke as soon as the door had snicked shut. “See, daughter? My plan was to force the two of you together. It worked. You should be thanking me.”
“Thanking you?” Kira was dumbfounded. She wrapped her arms around her middle in an instinctive gesture of self-protection. “You had your flunkies attack and murder the women of your mafia brothers! How could you ever believe I would thank you for that?”
“What I did, I did in service to our family,” Berezin argued. “The Domnins are
Similar Books
