KYRAShe peeked through the slightly ajar door, sensing the stillness of the manor, smiled, and then slipped back into the room. Walking to the mirror, she untied the ribbon from her hair, letting it cascade down her back.Ruffling her shoulder-length hair to appear fuller, she frowned at her reflection in the mirror. Why did it look so strange? Was it the light brown nightie or the long tresses?It didn't feel right, but as Nonna always said, doing the 'right' thing doesn't always make you feel good.But what if it came with her changing herself because she felt she needed to? Finally becoming Nonna's idea of how she should be after years of resisting that projection, now here she was being it.Wasn't there another saying for that? Change was constant? She left her fingers trailing along the silk resting against her skin. Was it wrong if she did it for him to want her in a way she didn't believe he did?The Rune she knew wouldn't care if she came in a bin bowl with covers over her he
LILY."...and don't forget your meals, Lily; put some skin on those bones."I smiled as I watched them load her bags into the car's trunk, feeling a mix of warmth and sadness.Warmth because, even with all of the explanations, that I probably ate more than anyone in the Manor, she still made it a goal to stuff me till I couldn't sit up.And sadness because I wouldn't be having that anylonger.There would be no one to ring me out of bed with an already filled table, no one to read to and listen to their surprised gasps as I drew out every word dramatically.Because she was leaving. I had stumbled out of Adler's room to find her bags already packed and waiting. When she saw me, she smiled and explained how she had planned to leave a couple of weeks ago but waited to make sure Adler and I sorted things out.She intended to sneak away before the manor was awake, but except for Adler, who had slithered out of bed before dawn, her plan was still valid."That's enough watery eyes," she ann
Neck deep in the tub, gazing up at the ceiling, eyes roughened and tired from all the tears shed, enough to make the foamy water salty.How long have I been here—a couple of hours? All day? I didn't want to know; it was peaceful enough in this position, within the silence, floating out of my body to keep the memories at bay.But that also wasn't a success, so often, I wallowed in my guilt, the tasteless scenario that had occurred hours ago replaying in my head, her heated confession refusing to leave the more I pleaded for it too. “She died because of you, Lily; you have always been the reason people get destroyed; you are a curse.”The tears had returned as I stared ahead at the empty stairs, my strength leaving me. So weak that I stumbled and clutched the rail to keep myself from falling flat on my face, wanting to block out all of her words with my fingers in my ears, but I felt too rigid even to make a move.“Does it give you a clue why I'm angry? How about you understand that th
"Please...please help...help me..."Drenched in the chilling downpour, my clothes clung to me, and feeble fingers reached out as I staggered along the empty sidewalk. Each passing moment blurred my sight, and I was acutely aware that the fault lay not in the raindrops streaming from my eyelids.His once white shirt, clinging to my skin, was now a brownish-pink hue, the red-tainted water dripping from the hem and soiling the flooded ground I dragged my bare feet on.Running was a waste of time; with the drops of blood trailing after me, I knew he was going to find me. I limped after a passing car, ...and I shouldn't let him see me. He said this was an accident; stabbing me if he spots me wouldn't be."Somebody help!"Warm tears rolled down my face as I struggled to breathe, leaning against a street wall and dragging my foot to get away; why was staying alive so hard? Why was trusting so wrong?A distant revving car growled, its echo sending shivers down my spine. An enraged shout of my
SARA—There were rules, Rules that weren't to be broken.—She sat quietly on the bed, her eyes on his broad back as he faced the wall, the scars on every inch of his skin gleaming directly at her.He had been in this mood, waking up at night to find him glaring directly at the ceiling or pacing. It was becoming even scarier to be in the same space as him, for his mood could be discerned by his tight grip on the katana's handle.A couple of months later, she had stood in his face and broke the one rule that wasn't spoken about, the one rule that hung over her like a wet blanket of dark clouds.Ruslan walked over to the bedside cupboard, draggin it open; he pulled out a lollipop and kicked the covers close, desperately pouncing on the wrap.When his eyes fell on her, holding his gaze wasn't as easy as it seemed the last time. The calm turmoil in his pupils had her on freeze for almost half a minute before she dropped her lashes on the sheet.Since he returned to Russia, he had been this
LILY.At only ten in the morning, he had already taken fifteen shots as the older men watched in amusement, their eyes filled with nostalgia.He raised another shot, looked at me, and winked before he downed it. The hailing when he didn't even wince had him sitting back and acting cocky. Hopefully, he remembered he was driving and left a space in his brain to get us home."Remember when Lily went off when we called him her Finn?" Clare raised a wine glass before dropping it back on the table.This was the umpteenth time she had tried to make me the topic, and this would be the umpteenth time I would dodge."Yeah," I laughed halfheartedly, letting my eyes roam the mess of broken glasses and ceramics on the floor; the urge to pick them up made my fingers itch, "Damn, whose house is this?""Oh, oh oh," Clare threw her hands in the air, "It's mine, it's temporary, I mean, that's what Katy says."I squinted at her, observing; yeah, she did look healthy, and there was this peaceful aura aro
GREG."...Sir, we've gone round.""Go around it again.""Sir..."He glared at the suited men before him, their hands latched behind their backs, suits without a crease, and their words holding respect, but he wasn't stupid; he knew a condescending tone when hit with one.What happened when low-lives got the hint that they were needed, not wanted like they had been made to believe? The fear in their eyes became disgust, and their respect shifted to mockery.Not if he could help it, he raised his palm and snapped. “So what the fuck are you waiting for?"They hesitated, then, with a secret message passed to each other, they nodded with a corner of their lips quirked. "Yes, sir, we’re on it.” they took one last disgusted look at his lowly motel, dusted jackets, and left.“It's not permanent, you condescending fucks,” he yelled after them.The door slamming close was their response, so hard he feared it was going to upset the hinges, and god knew that was the last thing he needed: attracti
EVAShe gripped her bag firmly, annoyance evident as she entered the deserted space, weary of yet another day of traveling to and from work on her own.So they were all hell-bent on cutting her off, shoving her to the wall, throwing the fact that she had never been a part of them anyway. None of them liked her, and all it took to find out was for their favorite to get on her nerves.Hadn't they noticed Lily threw the first hit? Didn't they see her bruises? But of course, she wasn't surprised; she was used to being painted as the bad guy.After the day of the fight, she realized that Don Adler had destroyed her transportation arrangement, and she was left to somehow get herself to work and back.There was no one to go to, not even Salvatore, who was unlikely to be seen around the manor, and even when he was, he glanced at her and walked the other way.She hated that it hurt to see him ignore her, like she wasn't there, looking over her head until he was out of sight.Rune hated her righ