Dimitri's Forbidden Submissive(38)
“My heart? Fuck, Rock, you sound like a crappy fortune cookie.”
“Hear the man out, Rya.”
She stiffened. Rock only called her by her given name when he was really serious. “Why?”
“What the fuck is it with you women and why? Just do it.”
“Fine,” she huffed.
“Love you, baby girl. Be safe.”
“Thanks.” She hung up and stood, crossing her arms and staring at Dimitri. “Explain.”
For a long time he just looked at her, then shook his head. “I will take you home.”
Her temper snapped, and she stepped forward and glared at him. “Uh-uh. You better explain some shit right now. Like how many whores have you fucked?”
A flash of pain went through his eyes before his jaw tightened. “Many.”
Trying to pretend that didn’t hurt, she firmed her lips. “Glad we used a condom.”
“My whores are clean. I make sure and always wear condom, even for blow jobs, and they are tested weekly.”
“Oh, that’s right, you would know. You’re their fucking pimp.”
That pissed him off and she watched him struggle with his anger before the blank look came over his face again. “These women, they sell their bodies. Is their choice. They want to work for the Novikov Bratva because I make sure they are safe, they are not abused. The women that work for me make good money, in safe place, where they are in charge of what services they provide.”
“Seriously? You’re going to try to make this out like you’re a good guy? Helping the poor prostitutes? How noble of you.”
His voice went low, real low, as he growled out, “You live in different world, different ways. Prostitution happens everywhere, women sell themselves for money, is oldest profession. Da, we make money off of them, but is their choice. No woman that works for Novikov Bratva is forced. I keep them safe; my men keep them safe. They work in clean places with clients that have been tested for diseases and are happy. Many are the only source of income for their family. Is hard days all over the world. If we did not protect them they would be prey to real predators who would use them, sell them on black market, addict them to cheap drugs, and do other terrible things.”
She sucked in a sharp breath, not liking the world Dimitri portrayed at all. It made it hard for her to be morally offended by what he did, but personally it still hurt. “And you fuck these women?”
“Some of them.”
“But why? You’re…well, I thought you were such a good man.” She ignored his hurt look. “At the very least, you’re handsome. Why pay for what you can have for free?”
“Rya, I do not pay them for sex, I pay them to leave without loving me.”
“What?”
He muttered something in a long string of Russian. “There is much I cannot tell you. Things that would put you in danger.”
Hours ago she would have laughed, but after reading that website, she realized how truly out of her depth she was. “What’s the Novikov Curse?”
The rage that filled him made her shrink back against the tree. He looked at her, then closed his eyes and visibly struggled for calm. “I scare you.”
She considered lying, but at the moment her nails were embedded in the tree behind her like a frightened cat getting ready to climb. “You are.”
“I do not want to scare you, little Rya.” He held out his hand. “Please, come, I talk, but not with you being afraid of me.”
She gave his hand a weary look. “Talk here.”
His gaze hardened. “Is not good conversation. Many bad memories. Please, come.”
Fucking hell, her stupid, soft heart always got her in trouble. With a sigh she took his hand, trying to ignore the obvious relief on his face and the little electric zing she got when they touched. He led her to the edge of the canyon and sat, pulling her down next to him. She kicked at some stray pebbles and her stomach dropped as they fell over the edge, and she imagined what would happen if she fell. As if sensing her fear, Dimitri put his hand over her hip and pulled her a little further back, next to him.
“Say what you have to say Dimitri, and get your hand off me.”
His hand tightened on her hip for a moment, and her hormones took notice before he removed it. “Did you read about Curse?”
“It just said something about it, I think with your grandfather.”
“Da, started there with that bastard.” The raw anger in his words startled her and she glanced over at him, but he wasn’t looking at her. “Is rule among most of the Bratva to never involve women and children in disputes.”
Confused, she nodded. “Okay.”