"You have her spare key, you duck, and not only that, your crucifix was lying casually in her room; what did you want him to think?!" "That she was sleeping with me? Really, Kyra?""Salvatore, you were sneaking into her room.""I wouldn't call it that" He filled the magazine and stuck it into the butt of the gun before aiming at the wall with an eye shut. "Besides, if he thinks she's sleeping with me, then maybe he shouldn't have her?"His sister appeared before the gun, placing her hand on it and pushing it down until it faced the floor. "It doesn't answer why you go to her room.""I can't tell you.""Isn't that also a sin?" she raised a brow. "I am asking for the truth, and you can't tell me.""Lying is the sin, not telling you to mind your business," he said, turning away from her. "Besides, I don't care about that anymore," "Adler is furious, and he won't even meet with her. You can't simply expect everyone to stay out of it when you're the one who stirred up all this commotion
LILY'S POV."Actually, Lily, now's not the time; Adler was on some serious shit last night," Kyra had said as she walked out the door, "Hopefully, nothing takes you to the training ground."Needless to say, something did.I could hear the howling and cheers of the men as I neared the door, Adler was furious; I had seen it in his eyes when he looked at Salvatore the night before. It wouldn't have mattered if it had been just the crucifix, but that his consigliere, for some reason, any reason, held my spare key; I could see where he was coming from.I hated that I couldn't explain with the truth, hated that if I'd ever wanted to clear the air, it would be with something so vague it couldn't stand.But if I were to talk with him, explain deeply that it wasn't what he thought, maybe sprinkle a little fallacy… ugh, I hated my life right now—I never thought a day would come when I'd have to lie to him.Even though I hadn't found that particular lie, It still hurt. Why couldn't every day b
[EVA]You see that guy over there?" Tamara averted her gaze to the same hunk she had her eyes on for the past two hours. Not only because of the strange fact that he had nothing served on his table and was alone there, making him an easy target but also was the reason that the odd man out (surprisingly¿) was Salvatore.She hadn't seen him in quite some time, nearly a week after her argument with Lily. She inquired, and one of the housekeepers, speaking in a hushed tone, informed her that they had witnessed him being escorted to his room, battered and bleeding.He did heal fast for him to be here.That brought the question of why he was in Lucid's and watching her. Didn't stop the butterflies in her belly."Wonder what he's doing alone? And to think he's been giving all these stares," Tamara frowned, "Should I tell him you're just waitressing in case he gets ideas?"Eva rolled her eyes, "Tamara..""What, I'm just saying..."If only the older woman knew this man was the furthest from g
ADLER.She had avoided him ever since that afternoon, ensuring she was with Nonna before six and going to bed early to ensure they didn't cross paths when he entered the manor.She wasn't the only one giving him the silent treatment. Kyra took it a step further by locking the door after Lily had gone inside, pretending to be asleep when she knew he was likely at the door. She busied herself with loading her guns and arranging them to their liking while listening for his knock.The following day, she would walk past him and ignore his existence.Rune was back to calling 'Boss,' even going further to annoy him by tipping his head low.It was the most awkward week of his life and didn't seem to be ending soon.Except he took things in his hands.Adler stepped into the room, the smell of roses and exotic perfume hitting his nose. Only one room smelled like this; only one person did: Nonna, and since Lily became her caregiver, he always caught the whiff from her.Nonna was one of a kind an
[KYRA]Yet another attack in less than a week. The shooter had strategically concealed themselves among the trees just outside her window, making it a straightforward and accessible target even for an amateur.Lily was so used to her life being in danger that it didn't bring out a reaction when she was being treated for the abrasion. As usual, Adler had gone in search, scaled through with goons, and gone from room to room searching for god knows what.Everyone was a suspect in a situation where every single person owned guns and knew how to use them.Merely by looking at him, one might assume he was the one who was shot. Hurt and exasperated, he promptly reorganized Lily's sleeping setup, and despite the seriousness of the situation, Kyra couldn't resist a smile.She'd see how long Lily's anger at him lasted when she stayed in his room. Some things couldn't be denied, and one was sexual attraction.Kyra knew because it had her all knocked her. Although she still wasn't comfortable wi
[LILY]He opened the wardrobe, where his clothes and hangers had already been moved aside, making ample room for my belongings with extra space to spare. I gazed at my small bag, containing the temporary clothes required for a few weeks in his room, and furrowed my brow.“Am I suddenly staying here forever without my permission?” “Raising that hand that carelessly will do nothing but get you a bed back in your ward." Moving up, he stopped at my side, then pushed his thumb into his pockets, staring down at my bandaged arm. “Does it hurt?” "No, it doesn't,” I rolled my eyes."Hmm," he glanced at the wrap, “would you tell me if it does?"“No.” Because why would I? It was a scrape, and yeah, it did hurt, but pumped with sedatives, his fusing around my bed, calling for the doctors and nurses each time I accidentally moaned about a slight discomfort, was grueling and so sweet that I had to remind myself that I was mad at him constantly.I was supposed to be mad at him. Urrrrrgh.I create
LILY“... Making sure I go through every envelope before it reaches Adler," Salvatore's voice filtered through the speaker and into my ear. "So far, I think your cousin has taken a break."I took a deep breath, the phone pressed to my ear. Despite the seemingly positive words, I understood this was far from good news. Greg's silence, particularly regarding matters that could jeopardize me, was the calm before the storm.And one that should be greatly feared: I wish I knew where he was so I knew where it all came from, but in between my anxiety and apprehension, it was hard to get a hold of myself."Lily, are you there?"I rubbed my eyes, weary from the nights I had gone without sleep, and breathed, "Yeah, I am. I think Greg is toying with me. And he's succeeding."The quietness on the other end stretched for seconds until finally, he sighed, "Are you okay?""Positive," I began. "Adler's room is secured, the window barricaded; it'll take quite the effort to get in,” I chuckled. “And al
[ADLER]“...look into it, Don Adler; my offer benefits you even more than it does me.”Adler pulled a wedge from his golf bag: This was why he needed Salvatore, and if he hadn't pulled off that stunt, he wouldn't be here finding a middle ground with Guordiola’s son when all he wanted to do was see his brain spill on grass.Looking at the scores of bodyguards he came with, Adler knew the feeling was mutual; obviously, the competitive animosity had been passed down from father to child, for even though Guardiola, who was one of the influential tycoons, worked so closely together with Domenico, they each watched their backs.After Domenico stepped aside, Salvatore handled negotiations, and Adler focused on the field. However, caught between Rune's triumphant smile and teasing "I told you so" and his distaste for golf, he felt trapped.But not trapped enough to admit he was wrong; he wasn't, and he would stand by that, even if he kept making silly decisions that kept him isolated from eve
ONE YEAR LATER**RUNE—KYRA**"...I'm just saying it's not fair Laron gets to spend the summer break with Luigi," Rune followed Kyra to Laron's wardrobe. "Luigi gets all of his weekends. What time do I get to have?"Kyra snatched Rune's equestrian leggings and walked back to the bed. "You're exaggerating again." She folded the leggings and tucked them into Laron's nearly overflowing box before turning to him. "You gave him the go-ahead, remember?""Yeah, but that was before I realized it was for a whole month. He's monopolizing all of Laron's free time," Rune sighed, flopping onto Laron's bed dramatically. "I just miss hanging out with my son, you know?"She stayed silent, and when he looked up, she was staring at him."Why?""Well," she zipped the bag close and walked up to him, "why does it seem like you haven't learned how to tell Laron no?"Rune frowned. "What are you saying? I tell him no all the time.""No, you don't." She straddled him, placing her hand flat on his chest. "Alri
ADLERWhen he reached the Villa, the memories came hurling in. The last time he had been here, under that open shed, Larissa and Dimitri were having the time of their lives.He could still remember the lively evening, how he heard the chatters as soon as he parked, looking around him at the goons on every turn.Presently there was no single soul on this premises, but Adler knew better.Parking Kyra's motorcycle right in the center of the compound, he observed the house, its windows, all dark, except one of them, on the ground floor, the orange glow giving it an eerie touch.The gun firm in his left hand, Adler moved through the shadows, the moonlight his aid as he advanced headfirst through the entrance.Maneuvering his way through doors, following the orange glow, he placed his finger readily on the trigger, listening for a sound.But nothing came, just the faint silence.He felt it was coming to this, watching his opponent spiral down a rabbit hole as he struggled with the obsession
ADLER**FOUR MONTHS AGO**He could hear the elevator go down and for the first time in his life since the afternoon his mother died, he wanted to drop to his knees and give it all up.It was over. The wet towel seemed to burn against his skin, the wet towel over his head was now hot lava, and the metal around his finger was rapidly heating up and cutting off his circulation.He couldn't make it, there was no use trying, for what he had done, this was well-deserved, two hells in one lifetime, he dared anyone to beat that?But Lily? His mind tugged. What about Lily? The thought that he was never going to see her again was too great a loss to take without trying.Adler rose.Then came the beam, whirling down and landing on where his lower legs were supposed to have been if he hadn't rolled over just in time, his palm flattened on the hot ground.Holy fuck! He snapped it back to himself and hastily yanked out the hot ring, hoping to save it but then kicked against the idea when the band s
SALVATORESalvatore stirred, his lids opening as he gradually regained consciousness, eyes meeting the bright lights of the chandeliers above him.His head felt like a shattered egg, memories mangled and hitting him piece by piece, as the familiar aura registered. He was still in the manor, he could tell, but where exactly?The wails of a baby had his eyes snapping fully open, and Salvatore was sitting up in a jolt. The pain that went through him was like torrents, his head felt heavy, and the world around him seemed to spin."Hey look, our main guest is awake," Victor's taunts clouded his ears. "Christ, don't go back to sleep again, we've been waiting."Salvatore struggled to his feet, the sight before him sending his heart thudding.Victor sat on a settee, crossed-legged, with Eva beside him, hair stuck to her wet face, and her red-rimmed eyes staring forward, the hopelessness in them so obvious.If Constance's cries came from the crib, next to a goon, then where was Lily? He turne
RUNERune could taste the blood that coated his mouth. Still, he gritted his teeth, refusing to let the cries out. With his hands held back, the old man pounded his fist into his abdomen unrelentingly.The pain was excruciating, each blow sending shockwaves through his body. Rune's vision blurred, but he forced himself to stay conscious, to keep thinking.There was no way out of this, he knew. They were behind closed doors, in a room that smelled like dust and cobwebs; no one could hear him here.Well, no one except Laron, whom he constantly ordered to shut his eyes. The boy stood before the second goon, eyes shut, yet tears still rolled down his face.Every sniffle he heard from Laron cut through like a knife, and he wished he could do something, be the super dad Laron believed in, but right now the only thing he could do was stare at the floor."Had enough?" the old man sneered, his knuckles smeared with Rune's blood. "I thought to make this easier on you, but..." He grabbed a handf
SALVATORE"...What did you use this time?" Salvatore asked, slamming the booth shut. "Will they live?"Rune blinked, staring wide-eyed at him. "You wanted them to live?"Kyra's head shot up from the driver's seat. "What did you do?"Rune chuckled, raising both hands in mock surrender. "I'm kidding. The soldiers are alive. They'll feel some type of way tomorrow, but that's just Ketamine for ya."Salvatore fought the urge to pull out a pistol and aim at the fucker's right leg. This wasn't the time to be stupid; tension was high, and it was D-day.Just like Rune had promised, the compound had few goons, and they also seemed to be in panic. It would be this way until they got out of this godforsaken place."The back gate is empty," Rune whispered as he walked up to Kyra, cupping her face with both hands and kissing her full on the lips. "See you on the other side in a few minutes, Princess."But she drew him back in. Urgh, Salvatore groaned and turned away. Those two behaved like they wer
SALVATORE"...There's been another attack." Victor inhaled the smoke from the lit end of his cigar. "It happened at the same time as the fire yesterday. Ruslan is finally convinced of my innocence."Salvatore shared a glance with Kyra and then back at Victor. Was he actually saying the fire he had started to disrupt the engagement and that had somehow gotten out of hand was connected with an attack?Quietly wincing as the cloth grazed his partially burnt arm, Salvatore returned his gaze to Victor, who was suddenly deep in thought."I'll be gone again," Victor waved away the smoke, "but this time for a few days. Again, Salvatore will stay behind. I wish it didn't have to be so, but I need someone I can trust to keep Eva safe."He resisted the urge to share another glance with his sister. Even though he couldn't read anything on her straight countenance, he knew she was still mad at him."Can you?" Victor asked. "I can easily put her under Kyra's care. Give my father's favorite princess
EVASince Victor came back, he had been so busy he barely found time to see her. The days seemed even more void, the future gloomy. Hiding away in the confines of this room, she listened to the sound of the chapter of her life closing.Now she climbed down the bed, went to her wardrobe, and crouching to her knees, pulled open a compartment and brought out a small wooden box. It had been months since she last looked at its contents, afraid it would bring back unwanted memories and reignite her obsession with him, but here she was.Eva looked behind her at the door, then back at the box. Taking a deep breath, she flipped open the cover, staring absently at the contents inside a little beaded necklace that held a crucifix. His crucifix.She had sunk so low as to steal a part of him while he slept. She doubted he ever searched for it. If he did, he’d know it was missing and no longer in the pretty house that smelled of him.She struggled, praying for the embarrassment to wash over her so
LILY"I was six when I discovered that the convent sisters who came once a week to take children from the orphanage were anything but angels," Ruslan said, rocking my daughter's cradle. "It became clear why the boys never came back, and the girls who did barely lived."Twenty minutes ago, I had laid my sleeping daughter in her crib and rushed into the bathroom for a quick soak, despite knowing she wouldn't stir.Two seconds ago, I stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around my chest and damp hair still dripping, only to see Ruslan standing over Constance's crib and staring at her.Even though he didn't touch her, my racing pulse refused to die down.But he paid no heed to my presence and continued, "They needed us in a coal mine in this little spot in Serbia." He paused, his gaze remote. "Our starved, wiry, agile bodies were the perfect fit for narrow spaces, running errands, and sometimes checking if the explosives had completed their work."My hawk-like eyes on Constance made it