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."

asking me to marry

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

a powerful man, practically begging

want a simple ceremony." She blurted out, tired

eyes widened. Dominic was removing his suit, discarding

at the cottage." Her eyes were glued to his elegant fingers unbuttoning his

"Today." He promised.

tzar shrugged out of his shirt.

it." His gray eyes were roaming her flushed features, knowing his effect on her. Damn

keep 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 intended. Her gaze

I will also make sure you are always safe.

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 your balls

another woman. It will always

was steadily cutting the distance between them, ready to gather her in his arms. Her raised palms

Stunned silence. She watched several expressions registered on his face. From desire to

and roared his laughter. Beau shrieked, giggling. This was the

______________

The Enemy

Antoine Lemonte

couldn't be hiding anymore. He had to face The Butcher and

was calculating the risk of going back to San Francisco. He will have to