Out of the Shadows

This is another story I've been working on, since Halfbreed Rise and Broken Queen have been canceled, Blood Princess is on hold, and Ashes On the Water too. (I'll extend some, others will be left off. I'm not concentrating on long works yet.)


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Out of the Shadows



It was four in the morning on Jersey Avenue when Ivanelina Posnikov stepped out of the passenger seat of a lavish Cadillac, still straightening her skirt out from the wild night. She pulled the wad of cash out of her bra as she stepped under the flickering street lamp's orange aura, counting the the bills. Ten, thirty, eighty dollars was what her customer had paid for that one 'job'. Iva, as most of her clients called her, stuffed all of it in her purse, reaching to smooth her tousled chin-length hair.
At almost sixteen, she knew the touch of death. Her mother had been almost like her, some eighteen years, and three unwanted pregnancies, earlier. Gregor and Georginia, the twins, had died early, at only four months. Kelstromm had died at birth. But the last child born, Iva, had lived on to see her mother murdered on this very street corner. Fox, her only friend and guardian, had given her his poor man's wisdom and was her pimp for the past five years. She would turn sixteen soon.
As Iva started up the street, a second car pulled up, following her slowly as the window rolled down.
"Pretty late for a perty thang like you to be out... alone."
Iva kept walking, noticing a familiarly shaped shadow approaching from the corner of her eye.
"No, she is no alone. Go be lost, you pigfoockers." Fox growled in a thick Russian accent, wrapping an arm over her waist. The car sped off, the driver cursing loudly all the way to the end of the dark avenue.
"Is my czarina hurt?" Fox demanded, bending a little closer and kissing her temple. Iva shook her head, passing him the filled purse and limply letting him guide her to their shared apartment. Fox stopped her to look into her pretty, deep hazel eyes.
"What is it?" He asked, kissing at the deep puckering frown lines going across her forehead. Iva shook her head and then took a deep breath, muttering something. Fox pulled her chin up, kissing her and using his free hand to stroke her supple cheek.
"Fox... I... missed my period. Twice."
"Oh fuck, Iva... My rose, who will be the baby's fa... father?" he breathed more than asked.
"I don't know, none of the men used condoms when..."
"Well what do you want?"
Fox's question made her breath catch in her chest, as she considered the aftermath of her ensuing choice of words. Fox had always been like a boyfriend to her, but her 'occupation' had ruled out any kind of lasting relationship. If he had ever claimed her, her customers would kill her or it could have troubled her, knowing that she was willingly cheating, and he, allowing it. But she never cared to lay beside any man, aside from him.
She craved it, and though Fox was twenty three, he had taken her to bed many, many times in the span of five years. He had good reason to believe the child may be his, and so did Ivanelina.

"Fox, I have a feeling," she murmured, kissing his strokign thumb and reaching for his hand. "This baby, will be yours, I quit whoring, and we'll go to Plum Point."
Fox gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing and begging her attention, but she staid fixated solely upon his facial expressions. Slowly, he considered her words. Was he ready to be a father? He had always thought that his sweet czarina would never be only his, but now...
"It is better than never, Iva... marry me?"
Fox blinked as the shocking words left his mouth, even as his thoughts wound up and into each other.
"But what if I am wrong...?" she asked innocently, her strong Russian accent returning as she relaxed from the whole tension of the night 'jobs'. She gave a nervous glance around the dark, still street. "What if baby is... Vlad's?"
"Ivanelina, I love you, I don't care who the papa is, I want you in my life. For good." Fox said, stressing the accent of his English. Though both were Russians, born in the US or in Russia, living in America had no effect on their use of Russian out of public. Had Ivanelina paid much attention, she would have realized that he had began speaking in English again, when she had started speaking Russian.

"God offers me my wish of five years, I must not be impolite. I will get an honest job, and you can raise our little one... far away from here." Fox said, sweeping her up in his arms bridal style. Iva's giggles brought a smile to his lips and a spring to his steps as he walked into their apartment block carrying her. Her apathetic at best, cold shell sizzled away when she was in this safe haven, away from the thugs and the 'badges'. When she was only with her prince, where she could be the fifteen year old princes Fox loved, in the light of the day, away from the dark streets.