Angel Ch 02 5

A/N: I am so sorry for the ridiculous delay!! Lots of things got in the way! Enjoy

*****

"No!" Angelica snickered into her phone, laughing harder at the sound of Ivan groaning on the other end of the line.

"I'm serious! You've been so busy lately, it's like I never see you! We haven't even been on an actual date, you just come over and we waste time." She mouthed 'sorry' to Shae who sat across from her in the café they frequented, phone pressed to her ear.

"I know, I know. But you understand Angel, work has been unbearable and by the time I get to see you-"

"You're exhausted, I get it. It's just we've been seeing each other for months now and it seems like we don't do anything else." Angelica didn't mean to complain but ever since she agreed to see him again after dinner, Ivan would stop by with flowers or takeout and an offer of company, and it was

nice

, however, Angelica was getting a little sick of staying inside.

"I know you don't like to eat out but maybe we could do something else. Like a movie!"

"I'll think about it, malysh. We'll talk later okay? I need to get back to work."

Angelica recognized the Russian word for baby but noted that Ivan sounded a bit dismissive. Angelica graciously decided to let it slide instead of giving him the tongue lashing she usually would. He

had

been extremely busy the last few days and he'd told her there was some upheaval going on around his workplace. Maybe once it was all over they could try some normalcy.

Angelica pocketed her phone and picked up her coffee. "So...how are things going with Ivan?" Shae sipped from her latte, eyes sharp in the dim lighting above their table. Angelica rolled her eyes, knowing full well Shae had been listening very closely to their conversation seconds ago.

Angelica set down her own coffee to respond, "I know what you're thinking and I'm only going to say this once. Things are good. Really good. I really like him."

Shae smiled, unashamed. "That's great, cause y'know after you called me when you finished dinner I thought the two of you were just a fling. Like he fucked you silly and you agreed to part ways or something."

Angelica furrowed her brow, "Why would you think that?"

"Oh, c'mon Angie, you and I both know you haven't been in a relationship in a long while. And it isn't for lack of men trying. You just seem to push guys away. You never gave any indication that Ivan would be different. Not that I'm not glad he is." Angelica bristled at Shae's casual tone, if they weren't basically sisters she'd storm out of the cafe before Shae could even think to apologize. However, Angelica knew the criticism was coming from a place of love.

Shae read the irritation on Angelica's face. "I'm sorry, boo. I just want you to be happy."

"What are we talking about?" Erika dropped into the empty seat next to Shae after placing her lemonade on the table they shared.

"My lack of emotional availability, apparently." Angelica grumbled.

"Huh?" Erika looked at Shae in confusion. "I thought we promised no psychoanalysis unless we ask, Shae! We get it, you're a therapist. Some of us don't want you in our heads all the time."

Share raised her hands in a show of "don't yell at me, I'm giving up", and Angelica sighed. "Forget it Erika, you know sometimes she just can't turn it off. Especially when she loooooves us so much" Angelica stretched the vowels of love and laughed at the sheepishness on Shae's face.

--o--

"That the girl?" One of Ivan's street captains, Anton, murmured to Illya as Ivan ended the call.

"Mind your fucking business." Ivan snapped at them, leading the two down the stairs of the warehouse near the docks, downtown. The ugly parts of Ivan's business always made him irritable and speaking to Angelica beforehand just made it worse. How was he supposed to lay down his law with her smiling face flashing in and out of his mind?

The basement of the warehouse smelled disgusting, the coppery scent of dried and drying blood mixed with the acrid stench of what must've been vomit. At the center of the room sat a man strapped to a wooden chair, slumped over, shoulders barely rising and falling with his breathing. Ivan sneered at the sight of him. He slowly approached the man as Illya and Anton took up positions on either side of the foot of the staircase. Ivan grabbed the man by his hair and wrenched him up to meet his eyes.

He wouldn't waste any time.

"Who called the cops on me, Theo?"

Theodore Vasiliev was young, however contrary to popular belief, he wasn't stupid. There was no way in hell he was getting out of this basement unscathed. In fact, he'd already been on the receiving end of a thorough beating, but he knew it could get infinitely worse. If he snitched on the Ivan's rat he'd be killed the minute word got around, but if he withheld the information he had, Ivan would make his suffering slow. It was what the king of the underworld was known for. He stayed silent, bottom lip quivering in fear. What the fuck was he going to do.

"I don't have much patience. So, you'll forgive me if I want to speed up this process."

Theo's head snapped back with the force of Ivan's punch, the chair he sat in rocking backwards with the momentum only for Ivan to pull it back to its original position. A sob broke through as blood dripped from Theo's split lip.

"Tell me." More silence.

'Now he keeps his mouth shut.'

Ivan's scowl deepened. Anger boiled under his skin. But he couldn't risk taking his aggression out on him. He couldn't explain away bruised and bloody knuckles. He'd have to start being more careful. "Illya." Ivan summoned.

Illya stepped forward, ridding himself of his suit jacket and rolling up his shirt sleeves. Theo's eyes filled with tears, his throat closing up in panic. Soon the sick thud of fists hitting flesh filled the room. Punch after punch, Illya worked to punish Theo for his betrayal. Over time Theo's yells became muffled by blood until his protests were nothing more than wet whimpering and gurgles.

"Enough." Ivan called out to him. Illya relented and flexed his fingers out of the clenched fist he'd been holding.

"I'm leaving Theo. There are others in your position I must speak to. Hopefully they won't be as stubborn as you. Illya and Anton will stay here and keep you very busy until you decide you've had enough." Ivan sniffed, turning to leave. "Anton, don't let him go under. I want him awake for all of it."

Ivan climbed the steps slowly, not looking back, and slamming the door behind him. Exiting the warehouse, he withdrew his phone from his pocket and tapped on Angelica's contact icon.

"Hey Ivan! I guess you've thought about it?" She answered.

"Angel, hey. A movie sounds great."

--o--

"It's open!" Ivan heard Angelica's muffled voice on the other side. He frowned and opened the door, silently reminding himself to scold her on her carelessness. What if he'd been a home invader?

He entered to the sight of Angelica sitting cross legged on her couch, wearing a thin night gown and what looked like little else. The front half of her long braids were done up in a bun while the rest flowed down her back. In all honesty, Ivan liked when she let them all down to fan around her head when they made love, but he had to admit this look was...Cute.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise at her appearance, shucking off his coat to throw on the back of her other couch.

"I thought we were going out tonight?" Not that he was complaining.

"We are. I just wanted a little one on one time first." Her attempt at subtlety as always was adorable if not lacking.

"Again? You keep it up and I'll start to think you have an addiction, myshka."

"Don't call me mouse. Is there something wrong with liking sex? You didn't seem to mind all that much yesterday, or the night before..." She was teasing him now, standing from the couch and revealing just how short the nightgown was. Ivan's eyes trailed up the sweet brown length of her legs, before his gaze snagged on a pink and white garter on her upper thigh.

Angelica stuck her leg out towards him and shook it in his direction, a little more on the goofy side as opposed to sexy.

"What do you think? I don't wear one very often, but I like to think they suit me." In reality, Angelica knew they suited her. Garters always complemented the shape and thickness of her thighs in the best way.

Ivan ambled towards her and swept her up in his arms, kissing her softly before placing her back on the couch. Ivan undid the cuffs of his shirt, slid the sleeves up his forearms and sat down on the couch beside her.

He placed his hand on her upper thigh and guided her to straddle him, legs bent on either side of him. When she leaned in to kiss him he attacked her sides with tickling fingers, grinning at the laughs falling from her mouth.

"No, no! Ivan! Have mercy!"

Just then the taste of bile rose in Ivan's throat as he was assaulted with flashes of what he had done just hours prior to entering Angelica's home. "Have mercy, Mr. Sakharov! Please, I have a wife!" The man had cried, right before Ivan pulled out three of his teeth. Before Angelica, he had been stone cold; the actions of him and his men never followed him to bed, never haunted him. He was immune to the blood, drugs and guns he trafficked in all over the city. But now, when he had Angelica in his arms; sweet, quick tempered, fussy Angelica, Ivan felt guilty. Wrong, dirty. Unworthy of holding an innocent in his arms. Would she still do this with him if she knew the truth? Of course not. This was his Angel, who flinched at the sound of gunshots on TV. How would she react if she knew Ivan had killed and maimed with the hands he used to caress her?

He knew the answer.

She would run.

Angelica felt Ivan stiffen beneath her, and not in the way she liked.

"What's wrong, hun?"

He had to do it. He had to tell her. If he didn't do it now, it'd fester and burn until he couldn't handle it anymore.

"There's something I need to tell you."

Angelica got off his lap and put distance between them, recognizing the seriousness in his tone. "What is it?"

"I just don't want to ruin things between us, I-I care for you Angel." He held eye contact with her, face grim.

"Oh my god." Angelica balled her fists in fury. She knew what this was. "You're fucking married."

Ivan's eyes widened in shock, "What?" Angelica sneered, eyes welling with tears.

"You're fucking married, aren't you? That's why you don't like going out on dates, that's why we don't go to your place, that's why you are always so

fucking busy

." She spat. Ivan couldn't believe what was coming out of her mouth.

'Of course, of course that the worst fucking thing she could think of. Some secret spouse hidden away. She has no fucking clue that it's miles worse than that.'

It was almost funny.

'In fact,'

Ivan thought,

'it's fucking hilarious'

.

He stared at her for a moment, speechless, before burying his hands in his head, and laughed almost hysterically. "What the hell is so goddamn funny?" Angelica fumed, pressing her nails into her palms to stop herself from slapping the Russian brute across the face.

Ivan looked up to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have laughed. No, Angel. I'm not married. I don't have some family stashed away in my condo. You're it. Okay? And I'm sorry I was so distant that you thought I was cheating on you."

Embarrassment forced Angelica's anger to crash around her ears. Her throat tightened as she tried to force out an apology. "I-I, fuck." She turned away from him, rubbing her face with her hands before taking a shuddering breath to calm herself. What in God's name was wrong with her? Since when did she jump to conclusions and get worked up like this?

"Angel. Look at me." She felt Ivan's arms circle around her middle and she turned in his grasp, still avoiding his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm literally acting like those insane girlfriends on like every tv show ever. I'm not insecure or crazy. I just- I like you Ivan, but it feels like I'm more into you than you are into me? If that makes sense? And I hate feeling that way. I

never

feel that way."

Ivan lifted her chin so their eyes met. "I understand, you have every right to feel uncertain about my feelings for you. We only ever see each other on my terms and it makes you feel like I'm not taking this seriously. But I am."

Angelica rubbed at her eyes again and stepped out of his hold. "Right. So we understand each other. At least for now." She forced a watery sounding laugh that made Ivan wince. This hadn't gone the way he expected.

"Wait, if you aren't married, then what were you going to tell me? What could you possibly tell me that would change how I feel about you?"

Panic rose in Ivan's chest. He'd dug himself a hole now and in his mind, there was only one way to get out of it.

God help him.

"I think I'm in love with you."

Angelica's mouth dropped open in shock. "Ivan..."

"Don't say anything yet." He held his hand up to stop her. His stomach turned, did he care for Angelica? Absolutely. Did he love her? He couldn't say. He felt well on his way to it though. Still, for him to use their affection for each other to get out of trouble weighed on him, especially when she smiled and him and pressed a light kiss to his lips.

"Okay. I'm not saying anything, just don't use this as an excuse to clam up on me."

Now it was time for Ivan to look away. "Okay, Angel."

---o---

"I just don't understand why you like them so much. They're unrealistic and honestly a bit frightening." Ivan shrugged, shoving his hand in the half empty bag of popcorn Angelica carried as they exited the theatre.

"What could possibly be frightening about romantic comedies?" Angelica snickered, checking the time on her phone before turning incredulous eyes to Ivan. "They're supposed to be sweet! Give you the warm-fuzzies!"

Ivan rolled his eyes before outright snatching the bag out of her hands. "Firstly, I have absolutely no need for the 'warm-fuzzies'." Angelica scoffed, which Ivan pointedly ignored. "Secondly, you're telling me if a man

you

broke up with thought it was appropriate to hunt you down and find you in a whole other city to profess his love to you despite you being in a happily committed relationship, you'd dump your current boyfriend to be with the man who is essentially your stalker?"

Angelica was silent for a moment, staring straight ahead. To Ivan's amusement her face got more and more troubled as she continued to play the situation in her head.

"Okay, so that's a little insane, but that's why it's a movie, hun. Suspension of belief." She grabbed his hand and interlaced their fingers. "What would you do if an ex of mine showed up out of the blue, professing his love?" She stretched the last syllable and wiggled her brows at him.

Immediately Ivan retorted, "I'd make sure he was never heard from again." It wasn't until Angelica had stopped walking that Ivan realized what he'd said. Panicking internally, he turned towards her and grinned, trying to play his words off as a joke. Angelica considered him for a moment, eyes skating over the features of Ivan's face. Evidently whatever she found had satisfied her and she smiled back, lightly shaking her head.

"I thought you were serious for a second. Scared the shit out of me."

Ivan hadn't even realized he'd been holding his breath.

Angelica walked to his side and interlaced their fingers again. "Y'know, I was thinking we should do this more often, It's nice being out with you, Ivan." She smiled up at him, eyes wide with embarrassment at her own honesty. She huffed out a breath as they reached Ivan's shiny black SUV. "Ooookay! So, are we heading home?" Angelica released his hand and leaned against the driver side door.

Ivan paused to consider her for a moment, hell, they were already out, Angelica was clearly enjoying their little date night and the odds of trouble cropping up were slim on a Thursday night. He grinned at her.

"Not yet. Is there anything you want to do tonight? I'm in a very good mood, I'd hate to call it a night now."

Angelica's answering smile was near blinding.

"Let me drive! I know just the place."

For a moment Ivan hesitated, but ultimately shrugged and dropped the keys into her outstretched palm. His tone was grave as she opened the driver side door of the SUV, "Don't hurt my baby."

Angelica pouted at him through the windshield while he circled around to the passenger's seat. "I thought I was your baby?" she whined, when he buckled himself in. Ivan rolled his eyes.

"Just drive."

---o---

"Here we are." Angelica turned off the engine and unbuckled her seatbelt, waiting for Ivan to do the same before exiting the car.

Ivan looked around, "The nature preserve?" The stretch of forest sat on a series of hills overlooking the city, silent in the middle of January, too cold for animals to be rustling around. He watched as Angelica wrapped her arms around herself, inhaling and exhaling deeply. She turned to face him, framed by trees, stripped bare of everything save a light blanket of snow.

"Yeah, I used to come here a lot when I was younger, helped me think." She stopped smiling and leveled a serious stare at him. "It's special to me."

Ivan said nothing, nodding and approaching her slowly. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled when she burrowed her face into his coat. For a moment they were both silent, no sound except their breathing.

"I just want to be as open with you as possible." She pulled away to meet his eyes, "Because you were honest with me." She took a steadying breath and started to speak, she had to tell him everything if this

thing

was going to work. "My parents hated each other." Ivan's brow furrowed, not sure where this was going. "Okay, that's not totally correct. Obviously, they'd loved each other once, that's how I came into the world." She laughed quietly, mouth twisted in bitterness, "They were wealthy and beautiful and everyone loved them. And when I came along we made the 'perfect little family'. My mother dressed me up like a doll and my father spoiled me. It was the kind of childhood kids dream about. And I was so fucking happy. Everything was perfect.

We

were perfect. But around the time I turned fourteen, their marriage started to deteriorate, they argued all the time, they had affairs. The only reason they'd stayed together was the shame a divorce would bring. My father could barely stand to be in a room with my mother, he thought she was a life sucking whore, he told me as much."

Ivan hissed out a breath, "He said that to your face? About your own mother?"

"Yup." She popped the 'p', "My mother was furious, of course, but mostly just sad. I remember her face when I told her what he'd said. From that day on she just...crumbled. She didn't have the energy to fight with him anymore. She stayed in the house most days, didn't speak much." Her eyes shined with tears, "I watched that marriage kill her. And I don't want that to happen to me."

"I'm sorry, myshka. No one deserves to grow up like that."

Angelica sniffed, "It's whatever. There are worse things. I just wanted you to know why I get so jumpy about commitment and secrets."

Ivan closed his eyes briefly, the sight of Angelica's openly trusting face stirring up more guilt in his stomach. He pulled her close to him and pushed their lips together, smothering his thoughts in his reaction to her closeness. Soon Angelica filled his senses completely and he crowded her against his car, snaking his hands through her hair to deepen the kiss. Kissing her was like kissing the sun, hot and fierce, Angelica's lips pressed more firmly against his, licking into his mouth, searching, scorching. Ivan heard himself groan, something unfamiliar and low, when Angelica kissed down his neck and bit at the skin under his jaw. She drew back again and Ivan almost growled in frustration, hands slipping low to grip at her ass and pull her closer, pressing his hardening length to her front.