JonathanThe whole day was a waste. Since the moment I had left my bedroom, left her asleep in my bed and left the penthouse for the office, I had been unable to focus on anything. No matter how much I tried my mind would go straight to the pair of those hazel eyes, to the touch of her soft skin on mine. I picked up my phone and for the umpteenth time I looked at the e.mail she had sent back.From— Little MouseSubject— Re: TonightDate— 17 May 2022 15:29To— Jonathan ByrneI miss you already. I wish I could be there in your arms.Little mouse
JonathanIt’s been three days. Three days of sleepless nights and rage filled days. Four days of me trying to make sense of everything but unable to as my mind was stuck on that little woman, a liar and the only woman who had slipped right through my defences. Even angry I couldn’t stop worrying about her. I couldn’t stop thinking if she was safe or not. My brother hadn’t stopped searching for her. From my men I heard that he was aware of her getting out of the city. And even though he was focused on hunting down the Italians and their princess, he was still stuck on my little mouse. The fucking bastard wanted everything, and I was sure it was more because of the fact that she got my attention and he knew that I was trying to protect her from him.I sat down on the bed, looking around the motel room as I tu
Mila“It’s okay, I think.” I said as we both sat down on the mattress on the floor. The room was bare except for a wooden table that wobbled on its legs and a mattress on the floor and a curtain on the window that looked like it had been shut for years.Sia looked at me and then her eyes dropped to where I was pressing my hand to my side. She said, “Let me check that, you might need a doctor.”I shook my head. I didn’t want to worry her. “I’ll just go and freshen up in the bathroom. I don’t even feel it.”She narrowed her eyes at me, and in return I gave her a bright smile. “You don’t know how to lie, Mila.” She said with a roll of her eyes.And I remembered Jonathan’s words when he had said that he always knew what I was thinking. I squeez
JonathanThe rage was a red haze in front of my eyes and I could feel my whole body stretched taut wanting to act on it. Killing them with a bullet was an easy death, I wanted to skin them alive and then cut them piece by piece to tryi to hurt her. For hurting her at all.My eyes went to the small girl as she cried and launched herself at my little mouse. Jasper took a step further, but the little girl held out a knife, the one that I had given to my tigress as she said, “Don’t come closer.” Her hand shook but her blue eyes glinting in the dark promised that she’d use it. She sat protectively by Mila’s side.I held up my hand for Jasper to stop. The little girl gave me a warning look as she turned to the woman that had lost consciousness just a few minutes ago. I had seen my name forming on her lips before she had slumped down. Now, the
MilaIt was like one of those times when you desperately need to empty your bladder and yet it takes too much time and effort to do so, which meant that I probably crossed the three minute limit he had given me. I cleaned myself up and stood up. My eyes darted to the closed bathroom door and I decided to use the few seconds I have left to wash my hands and face too. But as I stepped toward the wash basin counter, forgetting the simple fact about my ankles being cuffed, I lost my balance and my side collided with the edge. I swear I saw stars. I bit down on my bottom lip to stop the scream and tasted blood. Tears formed in my eyes as fire burned through my side.Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.I breathed through the pain as I washed my hands. I barely paid any attention to the bathroom door opening and his heavy footfalls. “You are not to stand up.”
MilaIt had been four days since I woke up in his bedroom. Four days of me cooped up inside his bedroom without anything to do and anyone to talk to, except when he allows Sia to come in. And the only amusement I got in a day was when they both faced off. It’s like watching a show of cat and mouse but it was unknown who was the cat and who was the mouse. As they both seemed to have something to hold against each other.But what was hurting me was the fact that Jonathan had been cool and collected with me ever since I came back. Oh, he took care of me but only clinically. There were no soft kisses or tender caresses. The only thing that made his feathers ruffle was when I’d cry out in pain. He hadn’t even slept beside me even though it was his room. I always woke up alone and aching for him.Last night I had asked him to uncuff my ankles and I didn&
MilaI felt my shoulders relaxing as he nodded and started to soap me. I had thought for sure that he wouldn't do it. And unlike other times, his hands were taking a long time, caressing and touching every inch of my body. He pressed a palm on the back of my neck and ordered me to learn forward. I did, and sighed as he rubbed the loofa on my back and then used his palm. “Use your hands only.” I said.A moment later, I felt his palms on my bare skin, his fingers outlining the faint marks on my back. His touch was so gentle, almost feather like. I licked my lips and said in a soft voice, “My father used to h-hurt me.”His hands paused. His fingers dug on my back at my confession, then a moment later he moved his hands to my shoulders and pulled me back. “Why?” He asked, sounding reluctant and curious at the same time.
Mila“Are you okay?” I asked Sia as I sat on the bed.After Jonathan had left me in the bathroom, I had come out with a towel wrapped around me. I had avoided eye contact with Sia and told her to come with me. Then, I had brought her to my room— the one without the windows and locks on the doors. I had been surprised to see that all the things I had purchased the day I had disappeared were stocked in the cupboard in a neat manner. As if he had already known that I’d come back here, it had given me a strange sense of belonging. I had pulled out a pastel green dress with white flowers on it that had an inbuilt bra in it and a pair of lacy panties.Now feeling slightly better after a bath and wearing new clothes, I smiled up at Sia who looked at me like a mother would at her unruly child in a calcitrant manner that says she was strongly objectin
Epilogue II Four years later… Jonathan “What are you doing?” I questioned as my wife entered my home office and closed the door behind her. I was still angry at her for going out during the curfew with her friends but this woman wasn’t someone you could stay mad at. In the four years since we have been together I could write a book on the things she had made me angry for and on the other hand I can count it on three fingers for the times I had managed to keep up my anger and hold back from her for more than an hour. But yesterday was one of those few days which sent me to a point of no return. I glared at her as once again the cold fear gritted me when I had re
Epilogue Seven months later… Capetown Mila I slid out of the bed, my hand going to my protruding belly where our son was currently playing football with my bladder. I patted softly as I muttered, “Stop it, little cub, mama is awake.” I looked across the room at the small digital clock and realized that it was four in the morning. Even before I woke up I knew Jonathan wasn't in the bed with me. In the last few months he had focused on me and in expanding his wine business as much as h
MilaI married into a family of lunatics, I just prayed and hoped to god that this lunacy doesn’t affect my baby.The moment Jasper walked inside the door I knew something was wrong and he confirmed it when he said that he was taking me to the airport. Why? Because my husband wanted me safe which includes keeping me away from him and sending me to a corner of the world where no one could find me. I was all for it until I had something to lose. And for me that was Jonathan and for my baby it’s father.So like a nice human being, I kindly asked Jasper to take me back to my husband but very unkindly he repeated my husband’s words to me, “I am sorry, Mrs Sokolov but he also said, ‘If she doesn’t obey, drug her’ and I really do not want to do it.”Because I am a really good p
JonathanWhen I reached upstairs I found my brother standing in his bedroom. He asked without facing me, “Why did you keep all of this?”Emotions clogged my throat as I thought about all the years I spent cursing our fate. Wishing that it had been me instead of him. Praying that he would come back. And now looking at him, I couldn’t form words. Without saying anything, I closed the distance between us and hugged him from behind.There was a moment where he stood still and I doubted that he even breathed, before he turned around and hugged me properly. “I couldn’t seal it all away. I missed you every single day for twelve years, Jeremy. And I can’t explain it in words how happy I am that you are here.”He patted my back and when we parted I watched him blinking away his tears
JonathanThe funeral was a big fanfare. Not because all those people who attended my father’s funeral were his friends or respected him, only because they were showing their loyalty to the Sokolov family to not have any repercussions. The ruling family of the Russian mafia. And even then most of them weren’t here to bid goodbye to my dead father, no, they were here to see the man who had come back from the dead.They were here to speculate and show their surprise and their sympathy. Sympathy on how a father who mourned his son to his last breath didn’t get to see him alive. They blamed it on fate. But I say it was Karma. They were here to wonder how a man like Gerard Sokolov could die in his sleep. Because they didn’t know that he was killed, murdered by his own daughter in law.“Knyaz.”
JeremiahI stood at the threshold of the room that was kept as a souvenir where I lost a part of me. A part that makes me hate my own reflection and a part that made me fill with deep seated bitterness that refused to leave me. Because of which now I could no longer look at my own reflection without feeling rage and disgust at what I see and when I see it only feel the need to cause mayhem.From what I had heard, my father kept it as a reminder to get revenge from the man who was responsible for his loss of a wife and his heir.But me... seeing this, all I wanted to do was to alight it once again so that I wouldn’t have to recall the heat I had felt, the blow to my head, the sender of betrayal that had consumed me, the blood that had seeped out of my mother from the bullet between her chest. Like me, she hadn’t expected that.
Mila I barged through the circle of men, pushing them aside, ignoring their curses and warnings. My feet came to a sudden halt and my stomach recoiled at what I saw. My husband was on his knees with his hands tied behind his back, with bruises marring his beautiful face. This beautiful, god like man was here, in this position because of me. For me. His stormy grey eyes darkened as they fell on me. “What the fuck are you doing here?” He gritted out from the corner of his mouth that was bleeding along with a gash near his eyebrow. “Jona—” Rough hands grabbed me from either side, held my arms in tight grip as they pulled me back, imprisoning me. “Don't touch her.” Jonathan growled. Then his head snapped to the side and he said, “I broke the rule. I killed my father, leave her out of this.” I was trying
MilaI turned toJasper as Jonathan stepped out of the car, making my stomach squeeze painfully in dread. “What is he doing?” Instead of answering me, Jasper pulled the car from the curb and started to drive, his jaw clenching and unclenching as his fingers tightened on the steering wheel.“Oh... No...”I turned around at the horrified gasp from Sia. With my knees on the passenger seat I put my hand on the leather seat and turned around to look out through the rear window just in time to see how a group of men holding assault rifles circled around my husband and one of them punched him hard in the stomach.“Stop the fucking car!” I yelled at Jasper and tried to pull at his arm. My heart was screaming to get my husband back by my side.He easily shrugged
Jonathan My brave, beautiful and stupid wife. God, how I wished to kiss her and throttle her at the same time. “Jasper, remember what I told you yesterday morning,” I said to Jasper, meeting his eyes in the rear-view mirror. He nodded silently. My wife was right, he would listen to her and do everything she says. But not if it meant putting her in harm's way and this new running away mission she was on would definitely get her killed and everyone in this car. “What?” Mila demanded. “What did you say to him?” When I didn’t give her an answer she turned to Jasper. “What did he tell you to do?” Jasper too remained silent but of course, my little mouse wasn’t one to stay quiet. If she wanted something she would get it done just like she made a fool of myself just so she could get on with her fanci