Chapter 33

Chapter 33
Lily cleared her throat. "Well, if you must. Were there many? Any... serious ones?"

She tried to sound professional, but her voice was a little tight. She hated the idea of him with other women, even in the past. It made her feel... possessive.

Dmitri laughed, a low, rich sound. "Serious? 'Serious' is a word for business deals, Lily. For threats from rivals. For how much coffee Gabrielle drinks." He winked.

"My past was... fulfilling. Let's just say, I'm a man who appreciates beauty. And I've been fortunate enough to encounter it many times." He leaned closer, his voice dropping.

"But none of them held a candle to the fiery, sarcastic, and surprisingly timid journalist sitting across from me now."

Lily's face turned bright red. "Dmitri!" she gasped, half-annoyed, half-flattered. "Stop that! I'm trying to work here."

"Are you?" he challenged, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Or are you trying to dig for details you shouldn't be? Trying to figure out if I'm as good in other areas as I was... before we were rudely interrupted last night?" He moved his chair closer, his knee brushing hers under the table.

She pulled her knee away quickly to avoid any sudden tummy butterflies. "No! I'm just trying to get a complete picture for the book! My readers will want to know."

"Your readers," he scoffed softly, his gaze locked on her lips. "Or you, Lily? Which one is it? Are you secretly hoping for a tell-all? A chapter dedicated to my... romantic history?" His voice was a low purr.

"I could tell you stories. Stories that would make your little journalist heart beat even faster than it did last night." He loved seeing her flustered. It made her even more charming, even more desirable.

Lily threw her pen down. "You are impossible!"

"Only when I want to be, with you," Dmitri replied, his eyes still holding hers. He reached across the table, his fingers lightly tracing the back of her hand. Her skin tingled.

"But back to your father. You asked about him. You asked about Damien, I still remember." His voice turned serious again, the playful mask dropping away.

"You miss him," he murmured, his gaze softening. "I see it in your eyes. And in your sleep, princess. You cry out sometimes. I hear you."

Lily froze. He heard her? Her nightmares? The ones about her father's face, about the blood, about Damien?

"You... you hear me?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. The shame, the vulnerability, washed over her.Dmitri nodded, his thumb gently caressing her hand.

"Yes. I hear you. And it breaks my heart. I will make sure you have peace, Lily. I will give you justice for your father. And I will make sure those nightmares disappear." His voice was flat, hard, filled with a cold promise of vengeance. He would face anyone. And he would keep his princess safe.

He would win her trust completely, make her see that he was her only protection, her only safe harbor.

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Sleep, moya dusha," he whispered. My soul. Mine for the keeps.

"Rest. Tomorrow, we continue. Together."He gently lifted her into his arms.

She was light, fragile. He carried her towards the single bed in the cabin. He laid her down, pulling the blanket over her. She sighed softly, already drifting into a deeper sleep. He watched her for a long moment, his eyes tracing the lines of her face.

She was beautiful, even in her sleep. Especially in her sleep.He walked back to the small table, picking up his satellite phone. He needed to make a call. A very important call.

He needed to track down every single person who had ever been involved with "Project Beekeeper." He needed to find Marcus Thorne.

And he needed to confirm, once and for all, if Damien was truly alive. And if he was, Dmitri would end him. Permanently.

He touched his ear, activating his hidden comms.

"Gabrielle," he said, his voice low, firm, and filled with a dangerous resolve. "I need an update on all known contacts for 'Project Beekeeper.' Every name. Every location. And I want a full report on Marcus Thorne. Find him. And I want to know everything about Damien's movements since his 'death.' Everything."

There was a pause. Then Gabrielle's calm voice came through. "Understood, Boss. It will be done. But there's something else. A new message just came in. From Grandpa Yuri. He says... he says he has a gift for you. A very old gift. And a warning. He wants to meet. Soon. And he says to bring your wife."Dmitri's eyes narrowed in the dim light of the cabin.

Grandpa Yuri. Always playing games. Always pulling strings. A gift.

And a warning. And he wanted Lily there.

This was not good. This was a trap. Or a test. Or both. Dmitri looked back at Lily, sleeping peacefully on the bed. He felt a fierce, protective surge in his chest. He would face Yuri. He would face anyone. But he would keep her safe.

He would use this meeting to finally put an end to Yuri's games, and to Damien's ghost.