Valon: What Once Was (Volkov Bratva Novella)(22)

Time slipped by as they grew closer, and before Valon realized it, that first awkward week between them had turned into six weeks, and they were closer than he could have ever thought they would be.

No one else seemed to mind how Valon had changed since he had developed a relationship with her. To them, he was no longer a ticking time bomb. Now, he was a bit more friendly and no longer looked like he was ready to murder them at the slightest provocation.

Everyone, that was, except for Fatos.

He seemed to grow more agitated the longer she stayed around and the more attention Valon gave her.

But like he always did, he ignored Fatos’ agitation, dismissing it as he always had.

One night, after a fight, Fatos was waiting for him at the side of the ring.

“How about we celebrate your victory,” he offered with a wide smile.

Valon glanced over at Bastian who was laughing and joking with a man who was handing over a large stack of money. When he looked over, Bastian nodded, interrupting the man as he rudely walked off and came over.

“Good work, boy. Maybe I should have given you * long before now, yes? You would have performed better.”

He laughed at his own joke, but both Valon and Fatos remained silent, watching him walk off again.

“What do you say?”

“I’m busy,” Valon said as he turned his back on his friend. “I’ll see you—”

“What is it that has you so enthralled with that whore?” Fatos spat out.

Before the consequences even crossed his mind, Valon swung at him, hitting him square in the face. Fatos didn’t go down, but his head did jerk to the side with the force of his punch.

Valon instantly regretted it, but it was too late to do anything about it, and he wouldn’t offer an apology he didn’t mean.

He had always hated that word, whore, and more than anyone else, Fatos knew this.

“Back off,” he warned him. The only warning he would ever give.

He was conscious of the attention that he was now getting, but he ignored the lot of them as he headed for the house. No one stood in his way, and when he reached his room, he closed and locked the door.

“Valon?”

Ignoring Elena until he could get his anger under control, he disappeared into the bathroom, turning on the shower, listening to the old pipes rattle as water began to spurt out.

He calmed the worst of his agitation beneath the spray of water, washing the night away. By the time he got out, he was far calmer. Dressing quickly, he headed back into the bedroom, ready to apologize to Elena, but there was no need. She didn’t look upset with him.

Sometimes, during moments like these, he remembered that she was too good for someone like him, someone who had his penchant for violence. Maybe one day he could offer her more than this.

“Valon…”

She touched him, startling him to the point that he jumped, looking over at her sharply, but she merely held her hands up like she wanted to appease him…make sure he knew that she wasn’t trying to hurt him like so many others had.

Shame and embarrassment filled him as he sat with her, seeing the surprise in her eyes. But pity didn’t follow. When she reached for him, he grabbed hold of her hand before she could touch him, but didn’t move it away.

“Has no one ever touched you with kindness?”

For a moment, thoughts of his mother came to mind, but they were gone just as quickly. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could conjure a memory of what it had felt like to be around her, how it had felt when she’d brushed his hair.

Valon shook his head. “Not in a very long time.”

She just stared at him for some time until she seemed to reach a conclusion. Carefully, she stretched out her hands, making sure he was watching her the entire time as she cradled his face, moving closer so that they were only a breath apart.

A fraction of a moment passed as he considered what she was about to do, but he was careful to keep himself still, the muscles in his arms flexing as he resisted the urge to touch her in return. Not sure of what she planned, he didn’t want to risk hurting her.

Very gently, almost as if she was nervous for this, Elena pressed her lips to his, only to pull away a second later. It was short, tentative, but in that one second, he felt more than he could have ever dreamed.

He felt that kiss in every part of his being, and even if he had never been kissed before, he knew that this was different from anything he had ever experienced. This wasn’t about aggression or taking something that wasn’t offered.

“That was okay, yes?”

Valon nodded, rubbing a hand over his shaved head. Truthfully, he wanted more, but was too afraid to ask for it.

But she read his desires like they were his own and kissed him again. This time, it was more languid, and as he attempted to mimic her movements, the kiss grew deeper until they were clinging to each other, sharp breaths leaving them.

When she rocked against him, he hissed, one hand immediately dropping to the curve of her hip, wanting her to repeat the motion, but she broke away from him, staring into his eyes.

Valon deflated. He worried that he might have done something she didn’t like, or worse…

“Are you afraid of me?” Valon asked carefully.

For once, he didn’t want someone’s fear, not like in the Pit when he was fighting for his life. He wouldn’t go as far as to say he wanted someone to be happy to see him, but maybe someone who didn’t feel the need to recoil when he entered the room or wary in his presence.