The Accountant

"I am the Mafia King," Dominic announced in a clear slightly accented diction. Every muscle and sinew pressed to her was stiff.

She stared at him. Politely waiting for him to say more. And waited. Their master suite was so silent, she can hear them both breathing deeply.

"And?" She asked, couldn't stand the silence anymore. Giddy from his declaration of love earlier, though tinged with a hint of dominance, her world was filled with rainbows.

"I rule the underworld of gangsters you were working with." He hesitantly continued. "I may be dangerous but not to you. Never to you." He said in earnest, his gray orbs flashing, a hint of fear reflecting. Fear of losing her.

She wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Her whole life revolved around dangerous men. And the love of her life was the dangerous of all. But not to her.

"Shhh, I know." Pressing her finger to his fleshy lips to stop whatever he wanted to add. "I love you and nothing..." She stopped. The room was spinning once more. Something sour and bile was trying to fill her mouth. Yuck. "Bathroom."

Dominic was cursing the air blue and carried her straight to the toilet just in time for her to heave. Her stomach was churning something fierce and she was trying to catch her breath. Losing whatever contents she had on her belly. She moaned in objection and signaled for him to wait outside, not keen for him to see her like this.

" Detka," he ignored her completely. Muttering endearments in Russian, he gathered her hair in a messy bun with one hand and gently soothe her back with the other. "I should call the doctor back." Worry laced his gruff voice.

It was incredible she had solved Riemann's Hypothesis and Fermat's theorem when she was in kindergarten without batting an eyelash and yet she couldn't even calculate her menstrual cycle. She was fucking late for 6 weeks. And she knew why.

"I...I just need a minute." How to tell him? On wobbly legs, with his help, he guided her to the elegant marbled sink. She glanced at her reflection. Her nose wrinkled. Bluish cast graced and surrounded her tired eyes, her lips and cheeks were extremely pale and her hair was in disarray. What a beauty, she thought in disgust.

Splashing her face with lukewarm warm and brushing her teeth, she tried to think of a way to break the news to the man hovering protectively behind her.

"Marry me."

her toothbrush. She hurriedly rinsed her mouth and faced him. "You are asking me to marry you, here, when I've just puke my guts out?"

have never looked so beautiful to me and I couldn't wait any longer."

him, a powerful man, practically begging was kind

a simple ceremony." She

widened. Dominic was removing his suit, discarding his tie

my stuff at the cottage." Her eyes were glued to his

"Today." He promised.

tzar shrugged out of his shirt. She licked her lips, loving his gleaming muscles. The deep V pointing down to his

is already working on it." His gray eyes were roaming her flushed features, knowing

me in the dark. I am an adult and I know when it's safe or not." She struggled to get the words out. It had been too long. No pun

a point. You will know everything about my world but I will also make sure you are always safe. I can't lose you, detka. You have to understand

she will have enough on her plate in a few months. What else? "And you will stay faithful to me until death do us part or I will cut

you and couldn't even look at another woman. It will

ready to gather her in

on his face. From desire to shock to

in his arms and roared

______________

The Enemy

Antoine Lemonte

to face The Butcher and

of going back to