Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 370

ARIELLA

That did it. The tension in me cracked just a little. I looked away, exhaling slowly.

“I don’t like not knowing things,” I admitted quietly.

His thumb brushed against my cheek. “I know.”

“And I don’t like feeling like… there’s something I should have known but didn’t.”

“There isn’t,” he said firmly.

I looked back at him.

“Then don’t keep things from me.”

A beat passed.

“I’m not.”

“That didn’t sound convincing.”

“It’s the truth, Cara mia.”

We stood there for a moment, just looking at each other. Then he leaned down, pressing his forehead against mine.

“You’re overthinking.”

“Maybe,” I admitted.

His lips brushed against mine. Soft this time and Slow. Nothing like the kiss from earlier.

“I missed you,” he murmured against my lips.

My fingers curled into his shirt.

“We were together at dinner.”

“That’s not the same,” he responded, and then he kissed me again. This time deeper and Warmer. Like he was trying to erase every thought in my head.

“Come on, let’s go upstairs,” I said as I pulled back.

He smiled down at me before he picked me up, and then in his arms, bridal style, took me upstairs. He carried me in and laid me gently on the bed.

But before he could take anything further, I placed my hand on his chest, pulling him back a little.

“What is it now?” he said, raising an eyebrow.

I cleared my throat before I said, “We haven’t really talked, and I was looking forward to our talk this evening. You didn’t tell me what happened at the funeral.”

“All right.....that,” he said.

And it seemed like at every reminder of the world outside the bedroom, outside this house.... It would quickly get him to forget about what we were doing. I could immediately feel him getting strained again all of a sudden.

“It’s nothing to worry about, really. We can talk about it later,” he responded.

“No, I want to know now.” I insisted. I did want to know what was going on, but the truth was that I wanted to get myself to the same emotional place he was before I let him take this further.

“Fine,” he said. Before he took a deep breath, he turned to look at me, so the two of us were facing each other.

“Did you find anything about… Yuri? Or his brother?”

“Yes,” he said, looking a little steadier now, not so weighed down by the funeral.

“His real name is Bastion Volkov. And it’s like his brother Yuri said, that he has created this image of a Playboy for the world. He changes women like sheets… mostly models, movie actresses, people in the spotlight. He gets photographed, drunk and everything… like he’s in the papers almost every week.”

He shook his head slightly.

“But I have a feeling there is more to him. He’s using this persona to hide himself and who he really is.”

A pause.

“I think he’s a whole womaniser, Playboy image is a lie. I want to find out more about him. And I will… if you just give me some time.”

“Okay,” I said, nodding, because this was a lot better than having no information at all.

“And Yuri? Do you have anything about him?”

“Well, Yuri has been having a few curious meetings so far, and we think that he’s going against his father’s wishes. We’re not sure. He might just be doing his father’s bidding. So that will take a little more time to confirm what he’s been doing, and why he’s been doing it… if his father knows about it or not.”

“Good… but then so far there’s been no attacks, right?” I asked hopefully.

“That might be good,” he said slowly, “or it might be worse. I don’t know. We are not really sure at the moment.”

A beat passed and then he added.

“We are just going to have to wait and see.”