Painted Scars Quotes

“Roman?”
“Yes?”
“I have a confession to make.”
I kiss her shoulder. “Something bad?”
“Yeah. It’s . . . well, it’s a kind of a problem. A big one.”
“Spill it, Nina.” She’s silent for a few moments, and then makes my world tilt on its axis with six short words. “I’m in love with you, Roman.”
I close my eyes for a second and squeeze her tightly. It’s like everything around me stopped. “Then we share the same problem, malysh.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“No one will be teaching you Russian, but me. Got that?” “Got it, kotik.” I close my eyes and shake my head. “You do not call a Russian pakhan ‘kitten’, Nina. I have an image to uphold here.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Tell me, Nina, if there wasn’t this deal between us, would you have come when I nodded?” he asks. “Nope.”
I don’t expect him to ask me to elaborate, but he does, and his question surprises me. “Why not? Is it because of the wheelchair?”
He says it conversationally, but there is a hidden undertone I can’t quite define. I abandon watching the crowd and look him right in the eyes. “It’s because I’m not a poodle, Mr. Petrov.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“She took my black heart with her the day she left, and if she says no, she can keep it. I’m ruined for anyone else anyway.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“You are mine now and I am not letting you go. Ever.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Igor speaks only Russian. How can he teach her anything?” “I have no idea. He tells her what to do, and when she does it wrong, he yells.” My head snaps to the side to look at Varya. “He yelled at my wife?” “She yelled at him more.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Put your hands on my wife,” I tell the idiot, “and you’re losing them.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“I move to the corner, and Roman lies down on the sofa, places his head in my lap, and closes his eyes. “Does your leg hurt?” “Yes,” he says, but there is a slight delay in his reply. “Are you lying?” “Nope.” He shakes his head. His eyes are still closed, but the corners of his mouth lift a bit. “Oh yes, you are lying.” I bend down slightly. “You just want me to pet you.” He opens his eyes and reaches up to tuck one of the strands that’s escaped my ponytail behind my ear. “Yes,” he says and closes his eyes again.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Decided to finally get out of your cave, I see.” I cock an eyebrow. “You should get dressed. We’re going down for dinner in thirty minutes.” “Slutty, serious, or something in the middle?” “Middle will work.” “Damn, I wish you picked slutty.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Marry me,” he says, “and I’ll stop the war.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“The idea of her in my clothes does something to my insides, and I imagine grabbing her and taking her to my bed. I don’t like that at all. This is a business deal and nothing else.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“I don’t know what to do to make my fucked-up brain “un-fuck” itself.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“There are only three things people understand in my world: loyalty, money, and death.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“I close my eyes for a second and squeeze her tightly. It’s like everything around me stopped. “Then we share the same problem, malysh.” I say into her neck, and feel her go still next to me. When I raise my head and look at her, her lips are slightly quivering, and there are tears in the corners of her eyes. “That six-month deal? It’s off, Nina,” I say and squeeze her waist. “I don’t care what we agreed. You’re mine now and I’m not letting you go. Ever.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“You are a dangerous woman, malysh.” “What does that mean?” “Malysh? It’s a term of endearment. It means little one.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“You’ll be sexy with the cane, Roman. Very aristocratic looking.” His eyes snap up to mine and his lips lift in a smile. “And I’m not sexy now?” Oh, you have no idea how much,”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Oh, she was so mad.” “Why? Did she want to eat them all by herself?” Varya turns to me, and there is a mischievous and satisfied look in her eyes, like a cat who got the cream. “No, Roman. She was mad because they didn’t leave any for you.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“The rings are a nice touch, though. I don’t know how Roman managed to find the wedding rings so fast. He probably went to a jewelry store while I was waiting with Vova and Dimitri in the car. I also got a second ring—a thick white gold band with a pale rock in the middle, which I suppose will pose as an engagement ring. It’s probably fake, because the real deal would cost a fortune. I like it anyway.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Now we wait for the maid to catch us cuddling.” “But we’re not doing that, are we? You’re just sitting in my lap.” Reaching with my hand, I move a long black strand of hair that’s fallen over her face, then holding her at the nape, lean in and place a kiss on her slender neck. With my other hand I find the slit of her dress and hear her sharp intake of breath when I start moving my fingers up her naked thigh.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“How about a trade, then? You paint something for me, and I give you something you want.” “Anything?” “Money, jewelry, anything you want.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Would you paint something for me?” I look up at him, surprised by his question. “I don’t do commissions.” “Any particular reason?” “I don’t like to be pressed into doing things I don’t want to do.” Roman’s lips widen in a smile. Yup, he understood the double meaning.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Who the fuck is Mark?” I jump and spin around to find Roman glaring down at me. “Why do you call him babe?” he demands. “And what kind of photo are you sending him?”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“The head of the Russian criminal syndicate. A drug dealer. A killer. And I managed to fall in love with him. Someone please just lock me up in a mental institution, because that’s apparently where I belong.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Got it, kotik.” I close my eyes and shake my head. “You do not call a Russian pakhan ‘kitten’, Nina. I have an image to uphold here.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Why do you have to be so strange all the time?” “Works great with guys.” I grin. “Men love strange women.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“I made you something.” I look up from my desk and find Nina’s head peeking around the door. “Did you burn it?”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Someone please just lock me up in a mental institution, because that’s apparently where I belong.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Do you have any idea what it does to me, feeling you go still with fear beneath me, watching the panic in your eyes? It guts me every time. Please don’t ask me to keep hurting you. I can’t bear it.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Your father would never kill a man because of me, you know.

Well, that's a good thing, mom.

No, honey. It isn't.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars

“Are you trying to kiss me, Roman?” I whisper into his lips. “I might be,” he says. “There’s no one around to see us.” “Exactly,” he whispers and touches his lips to mine.”
― Neva Altaj, Painted Scars