Dimitri/“Are you sure she’s okay? Do you need me?”//“No, ‘Mitri, she’s okay. She just passed out; I think it might be the heat.”//“Okay, but let me know if you need me.”//“Thanks, brother.”/I know he’s talking bullshit because it’s not even hot outside, but I let him be. He would have told me if it was something he wanted me to know. I do hope Nova is okay, though. As for Konstantin and Lily - all I can do is sigh right now.I’ve just shown Arya the inside of the mansion, and now we’re walking the grounds. She seems to be at peace here; I can tell by the look on her face and the slight smile playing on her lips.“Penny for your thoughts?” I say, placing my hand on the small of her back. She breathes in and looks up at the late afternoon sky, then comes to a stop in front of me. “I would love to live somewhere out here like this; away from the city, away from Famiglia bullshit and expectations.”I pull her closer to me and lace my fingers with hers. “That can still happen, you kn
Arya Oh, my God, why did I do that? What is it about Dimitri that causes me to act like a complete brat and crave his reprimand? I should just ask him to take me home right now and go bury my head in the sand. Home…my bedroom. I don’t think I ever want to be in that room again, knowing what Dante had done to me in there. Actually, I don’t know what to expect when I get home at all. “Have you heard from my father?” I suddenly ask Dimitri when we pull up in the underground parking of his penthouse. He nods. “I spoke with him while you got ready this morning. Dante is being kept alive in his basement, and your sister should arrive this evening. Both your parents have been made aware of what Dante had subjected her to, as well as what you were forced to endure.” I blanch and swallow hard. “That means my mother will hate me even more now,” I say, discouraged. My mother already blamed me for Adilah getting traded, and now she would blame me for the abuse she endured. “It won’t matter to
AryaDimitri is sitting opposite me at the breakfast table, but something seems off. He’s been quiet since we parted ways for bed last night, and that silence has bled over to this morning.“Is everything okay?” I ask, breaking the silence, and his head whips up to face me, as if my words shook him out of his own thoughts.“Yes, of course. Why do you ask?” I sigh and put down my utensils. “Well, you’ve been deathly quiet this morning, and now it looks like you’ve got the entire world on your shoulders.” He frowns when I say this, then sits back in his chair and crosses his arms. “I won’t be able to accompany you home this morning; in fact, I don’t think I’ll be able to see you until tomorrow evening. My brother is sending Nikolai and me to DC to deal with some…issues.” He says.“Oh, Mitya,” I say and shake my head. “Why would that upset you? We’ve spent more time together these past few days than we ever have before.”“I know; but I wanted to be there with you when you faced your fa
AryaI was right about Nova; she’s the sweetest, most genuine person I have ever met. There’s no hostility or fake niceties from her at all, not like with other people. When she speaks to me, she actually looks into my eyes and seems to not even notice the scars on my face. I want to be friends with her, but I hope my negativity hasn’t pushed her away.But now, I have something else to take care of, and as I look up at our mansion, I steel my heart and walk inside. I have decided to speak with my father first as he needs to know about my plans, then I’ll face my mother and sister. Spending the weekend with Dimitri and being around his powerful family has done something to me; I hope that confidence shows in me now.Not only that, but something occurred to me while I lay in bed alone last night, something that I didn’t want to be true, but I knew it was. Something that equally broke and hardened my heart. I need to put a stop to it now that I know the truth and Dante’s words make their
Dimitri“They mistook Nova for Arya after she left the Falcone mansion this afternoon.”An accident - one that could have resulted in Arya’s deathHow could something like this happen the second Nikolai and I step out of New York?! Why did this happen?! I watch as Nikolai’s soul leaves his body the minute he opens that hospital room door, and guilt pools into my heart. His mate got harmed because of me, because they mistook her for mine. They both have blonde hair, so I suppose it’s true but still… How do I face Nikolai after this?“Dimitri,” Kai’s voice cuts through my thoughts, and I look up into his eyes. He’s angry because this happened, but I have a feeling that he knows more than he’s letting on.“You know something,” I say, and he nods.“This wasn’t because Arya is supposedly taking over; Dante DiMaggio orchestrated the hit.”When he mentions that name, confusion hits me right in the gut, and I take a step back. “DiMaggio? How? He’s supposed to be locked up in Falcone’s baseme
Dimitri Arya fell asleep almost immediately after the shower. Even as she tried to act brave and confident, today was an emotionally draining day for her. In the short period of time I’ve known her, she’s always been gentle, so the fact that she’s taken two lives in the space of 24 hours still has to register with her. She will need me when she’s realised that she now has blood on her hands. /“Mitri, are you there?”/ The voice of Nikolai comes through the mind link. /“Yeah, I am. How's Nova? Is everything okay?”/ /“She’s awake and healing, so things are looking positive for now. Listen, Nova told me something about Arya, something she picked up on.”/ My heart drops when he says this, but I tell him to go on even as I dread to know what that little librarian has discovered. /“Fear, thick and suffocating, was rippling off of Arya when she went to drop her off at home. It was almost as if she feared going home for some reason.”/ I sigh, pulling Arya closer to me and kissing her fo
Arya It’s been almost a week to the day that I killed my father and Dante, nearly a week since I took a life without a wavering heart. And almost a week since the blood won’t wash from my hands. I see it as clear as day, but nobody else does. It stains my hands, even as I eat, even as I touch Dimitri and stroke his face. I don’t know how to get rid of it; no matter how much I scrub my hands raw, the stains remain as if it has soaked deep into my skin; my tattooed shame. Dimitri said that it still has to hit me, that the repercussions for taking a life is each death chipping at more of your soul. He’s done it for years, and it’s still not an easy thing to do, whether the person deserved it or not. Did that advice help? Hell no, it didn’t, but I needed to hear it. If taking a life is still a difficult feat for an Enforcer, then perhaps my guilt is normal. “Mistress, Mr Volkov is here,” one of my men tells me, and I permit him to allow entry. As much as I wanted this to be Dimitri,
AryaNova’s call the other day was to reach out to me and ask me to join her and the other two Volkova ladies for a weekend away before her birthday and wedding. I said yes in the hopes of making me forget about everything going on, yet as I sat in the SUV on the way to the cabin, the space between the silence was stifling.Something felt off, and the conversation was extremely forced. Even Nova didn’t talk as much as she usually does. I wonder if I should ask Nova about it; would she know? Ah, maybe I’m just imagining things!After packing, I inhale to calm my heart before setting off for Nova’s room. She’s the only one I would call a friend right now, and I need to talk to someone before I scream. Breathing out, I knock on the bedroom door and crack it open a little bit. Nova smiles when she sees me and beckons me over.“Settling in?” She asks, closing the drawers and looking my way.“I am, or rather I’m trying to. Thank you for including me in this,” I ask as my eyes involuntarily