Wild Billionaire Romance - Chapter 21: Chapter 21

“Sit down. Let’s eat,” he said, and I wanted to refuse, but my stomach was growling.
I made a plate, joining Marat at the table. He looked worried and kept his phone next to his cup of coffee.
“Adrik is gone. He had to leave the country,” he started.
“What?”
“There was a problem at one of our mines, and he needed to go in person to take care of it. He got the call very early, Sofia, but he did not want to wake you.”
“When will he be back?” I asked.
“I don’t know. These things depend on a lot of different moving parts. There are government officials involved, corporate enemies.”
“Geez. The business world seems every bit as cutthroat as the criminal world,” I murmured and covered my mouth with one hand.
“Ha! You might be right. Going legit was not as difficult a transition as one might think. And yes, the powerful operate very much like the mafia,” Marat confided with a frankness I hadn’t expected.
“I don’t, I mean, I can’t stay here without him,” I said, wiping my mouth after I finished eating.
“Sofia, no. I’m sorry, but he won’t want you to leave,” Marat replied.
“You can’t keep me here. And since we don’t know when he will return, I don’t feel right.”
“Just wait a few days, okay? Let’s wait to hear from him at least. Will you do that?”
I nodded my head and stood up, like the weak person I’d somehow become. I was hurt that he hadn’t bothered to wake me to say goodbye, and I was desperate for some kind of confirmation that what we shared wasn’t something I’d just imagined. Was it just fate that took him from me the one night I said yes and stayed? Or was it an excuse?
Marat had some people go to the penthouse to collect my things, but all I really wanted was my laptop. Still, it was nice to have clothes and my skin care regime with me. February was bitterly cold.
All the forced heat made my skin dry, but that was nothing compared to how hollow my heart felt. I stared at my cell phone, waiting for a reply I knew was not coming.
Day One
Sofia
Adrik? Marat gave me your number. Can you give me an update?
Day Two
Sofia
I’m still here. Waiting.
Day Three
Sofia
I miss you. Can you call or text, so I know you are safe?
A few days later, there was still no word from Adrik. At least, not for me. I called Nonna and surprisingly my Dad answered.
“Hello? That you, baby butterfly?” Dad asked, his familiar voice sifting through the phone, and I closed my eyes. It had been years since he’d called me that.
“Dad? What are you doing?”
“I’m helping Nonna with some repairs to the kitchen. You know, she’s been wanting new cabinets forever.”
“You are?” I asked completely shocked.
“Yeah, yeah. You know, I’ve been getting help. Stopped drinking. Got one of those sponsors,” he said, and I couldn’t believe it.
“Oh my God, Dad, that is amazing.”
“Nah. It was long overdue. Anyway, thank that fella of yours. Maybe you both come down for lunch the Sunday after next? I should have the cabinets done before then,” he said.
“W-what does Adrik have to do with it?” I asked.
My pulse was going crazy and my heart was pounding as my father, who hadn’t been sober since my mother was alive for more than a few hours, explained that Adrik hired a building manager for Nonna, as well as a crew to fix all the construction issues. The manager, an older man named Vince, moved into the basement apartment with his wife, Trudy, right after our visit.
Vince had been working on getting every one of my aunts, uncles, and cousins on a payment plan to bring them up to current with their past due rents, while collecting the regular monthly rent and utilities Nonna charged them, which was not much at all, but those fuckers thought family meant free. Apparently, Vince was a hardass, but he was nice and Trudy and Nonna had become fast friends.
“Uncle Frank is gone, and Aunt Linda is so much happier without that douche. I’m so sorry about how he treated you, Sofia. I wasn’t right in the head, and I wasn’t there for you. I am so sorry. Your mother would have wanted me to take better care of you,” he gasped, sniffing, and I knew he was crying.
“It’s okay, Daddy. You did what you could, and Nonna was there for me,” I said, forgiving him for everything on the spot.
“You know, Aunt Linda comes with me to AA, too. She takes Nonna to church now and uh, she’s got a job at the corner store,” Dad said, and by that point I was crying, too.
“I am so happy, Dad. And uh, yeah, I’ll be over Sunday,” I said, skating over the fact Adrik was gone and I didn’t know how long would pass until I heard from him again.
The next week passed by slowly. We had a nor’easter that brought with it twelve inches of snow, and Long Island got hit particularly hard. By the time the next Sunday rolled around, the streets had been cleared, and I was missing Adrik so badly, I didn’t know what to do.
I knew he called and spoke with Marat. But he never asked for me, and he didn’t return any of the texts I had sent him. So on that Sunday I was supposed to go to Nonna’s I made a deal with myself. I was going to stay there. Start my life over without him and chalk it up to some crazy fantasy that had happened.
“What are you doing? Where do you think you are going?” Marat asked.
He frowned when he saw me dressed in one of the outfits Adrik’s people had taken from my apartment weeks ago. But there was just no way I was taking any of that other stuff.
“You asked me to wait, but we both know I don’t belong here, Marat. Adrik hasn’t spoken to me since he left, and I don’t want to wait for him to come back to leave. It will be too hard,” I whispered, my voice breaking at the end.
“He’ll kill me if I let you go,” Marat said, but I could tell he was leaning towards doing it.
“He won’t. We both know I was just a passing thing. This is better for him. Clean,” I said, and shrugged.
“Holy fuck. You love him!”
“Oh, God, Marat! Just, you can have someone drive me to my grandmother’s place, okay? You can tell him I got there safely. He won’t be mad. I-I can’t stay here. Please!” I yelled back, and by then I was sobbing.
“Shit. Okay, okay, come here, it’s okay,” Marat said, and side-hugged me awkwardly. It was more of a side-pat on the shoulders really before he pushed me away and handed me a silk handkerchief. I blew my nose in it and attempted to hand it back, but he shook his head.
“Um, you can keep that one, Sof,” he said, and grabbed my bag from my hands.
I laughed, wiping my tears as we went. The ride to Jersey was long. That was to be expected what with all the snow and people driving like shit. You would think New Yorkers and New Jersey folks would be used to it, but nope. Accidents littered the highway, and I was glad Marat seemed an expert behind the wheel of the enormous SUV. He’d insisted on driving me himself, though I noticed a similar SUV driving behind us with a group of hard looking men I recognized as being part of their security team.
When we finally arrived, I hesitated, but steeled myself, opening the door.
“You don’t have to go, Sofia. Come back to the house. Adrik will come to his senses,” Marat said.
“Nah. I know better than to stay someplace I never should have been, anyway. Your brother was beautiful to me.”
“He doesn’t know love. Never had it. Understand? He was always bound to fuck it up. But you can help him,” Marat implored.
“He doesn’t need me to help him. He’s the Dark Wolf. He can do anything,” I said, believing that with all my heart.
“He told you that name?” Marat asked, head cocked to the side.
“Yeah.”
“And you didn’t run screaming?”
“No. Why would I?”
“And after what he did to that prick at the party?”
“What about it? That bastard deserved what he got,” I said, and I meant it.
I told Adrik that night what Matthew had done to me, but I didn’t tell him what he said he was going to do or how he bragged about raping and hurting women before. Said it was the privilege of his class. No, I was not upset about Adrik’s actions. Fuck, I applauded them.
“You know, the other man, Charles, he got worse,” Marat said, watching me closely.
“Good,” I replied and got out of the truck.
“My brother is an idiot,” Marat said, shaking his head.
“Ha! I dare you to say that to his face.”
“No, thank you. I am not an idiot,” he replied with a wink, and watched me walk up the stairs.
I waved him off and went inside. I didn’t know how I was going to live after everything I’d been through. But I had to try. I already missed him like crazy. But if he wanted me, he would’ve answered my texts. Would have tried to call. But he didn’t, so there I was, broken heart and ruined soul, a shell of my former self.
If only he loved me back. If only I hadn’t stayed that night.
If only…