Loving A Gangster

~~~~

"I love you," I whispered, my voice barely audible, as I stared at Alexander Kova. My heart pounded in my chest as his cold eyes locked onto mine.

"What?" Alexander, the Russian drug lord with a thick accent, asked in surprise, his face contorting with anger and malice.

"Oh... Nothing, sir. I was just practicing my lines," I lied, desperately trying to cover up the truth. The look he gave me earlier made it clear he didn't want to hear those words from me, especially since I was nothing more than a child in his eyes. "So, when is Natalia coming down?" I asked, attempting to shift the conversation and alleviate the awkwardness.

Inside, I screamed, "I'm dying here. I need help." I couldn't believe I had fallen in love with my best friend's father. The butterflies in my stomach danced uncontrollably as I continued to gaze at him.

Alexander Kova, a well-known Russian gangster based in Canada, was a mix of Russian and American descent. He was not only my college friend Natalie Kova's father but also a divorced man with two children. And to make matters worse, he despised children like me, not to mention that my family background was one he didn’t want to mix with.

Sighing heavily, I thought, "How does an eighteen-year-old college student fall in love with a thirty-seven-year-old father of two, a divorce, and someone who hates brats?"

Little did I know that the biggest obstacle would come as not just a person, but the gangster world that Kova lives in—a dangerous presence that would test the very foundations of our relationship.

If I had foreseen the challenges ahead, perhaps I would have hesitated, second-guessed my feelings, and kept my emotions in check.

But fate, it seemed, had woven a complicated web, pushing us to confront our fears and doubts, ultimately reshaping our lives in unexpected ways.

Our love, might be fragile, but it was resilient, and it stood firm at the heart of it all, urging us to navigate the hurdles and find a way to be together despite the odds.

As I faced the unknown, I clung to the belief that love could conquer even the darkest corners of our existence, willing to fight for our relationship, no matter the challenges that lay ahead.

Even if the danger that lurks at the corner was ME, and that other me with powers unimaginable...

A FEW MONTHS BACK

It all started at school after a boring day spent in detention. I ended up there because I couldn't resist telling a female teacher to stop seducing the male students. In my defense, she came to school wearing a short mini-skirt and barely any top. It was obvious what she wanted.

Unlike my school's lack of attractive teachers, there were many handsome students who seemed more mature than their age. Alone in the room, I muttered, "Today's all messed up."

"And whose fault is that?" a female voice echoed from the other end.

Startled, I jumped up in fear. It was a dark room, and if someone had entered, I would have noticed. "Show yourself," I demanded, but there was no response. "Just so you know... I'm a black belt," I warned, pausing for a moment. Well, it wasn't entirely false. I had learned a thing or two about self-defense.

"No doubt you are," the voice replied, this time from the opposite end of the room. Then, a young girl emerged from the shadowy corner. She had long black hair and eyes that held a world of experiences. If I guessed correctly, she was the same age as me. "Hi," she greeted me with a smile.

I walked over to where she stood. "Back at you," I replied, turning towards the door. "How did you get in here? I didn't see you come in," I complained.

"What, you don't know me?" she asked, sounding offended.

"Hmm, am I supposed to?" I questioned.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said with a slightly annoyed grunt. "We attend class together, and it's my third day at this school," she added.

"Oh... the new girl! I totally forgot," I realized, and then she looked familiar. "Sorry, I thought you were a teacher," I admitted with a smile.

"Right," she sarcastically spat.

"Anyway, sorry about that." I walked closer to her. "We started off on the wrong foot," I said, extending my hand. "My name is Sophie Rust, and I can be a bit of a blockhead sometimes," I introduced myself.