I blinked at the man seated before me, who unexpectedly didn't own an ounce of the amusement he had driven the conversation with. He searched my face, reading my restricted expressions, and there and then, I knew it wasn't impossible that he heard my heartbeat go silent."That's not my choice to make," my strangled voice finally came up, "Adler decided to leave Campani...""Bullshit," he said with an even voice, "You don't know what you're doing, do you?"He stood up and walked towards me, and I sighed when he passed me and returned with a porcelain vase. Studying its intricate designs and humming out his approval as he found his seat."Adler is a wild animal," he gave a quick laugh, "He and I like to say that I was the reason he turned out this way: bloodthirsty, beastly strength, and insatiable," He placed the vase on the table, catching my attention once again, "That is far from the truth, Adler was born this way. His mother's death only made it unmanageable,"I whispered as if to
Ninety-nine thoughts were in my head, and Adler was on all of them; well, not in a sweet way, no matter how much I wanted it to be, but that feeling that made me want to flinch from touch and hide behind closed doors. Which I did until Rune pulled me out and yanked me back for a walk into the woods to finish the swing we had been working on the day before. I didn't want to because seeing it woke the reminder that it was a waste of time. Unconsciously, I shook the thought out of my head, inhaled profoundly, and threw Rune a bottle of water when I saw he was drenched in sweat due to being too close to the weldingNow, he turned off the machine, and I pulled off my earplugs, seeing him do the same. He walked towards me, searching my face as he made his way past me and snatched another bottle of water, unscrewing it first before he said, "I heard everything Domenico said. "I turned sharply to find him already drinking, and he turned towards me, "You did?"It took him some time to fini
KYRAGuardiola snorted, "...why should that have anything to do with me? "Seeing Salvatore's mouth almost drop open, Kyra resisted the urge to let the bubbles roll up her throat. "So much for 'I make decisions so you don't come back looking like that.' With each mission they completed, she witnessed his humanity slowly fading away. At this moment, his anger towards the man standing opposite them, along with his son who was standing behind him, was so obvious that he failed to conceal it."For she knew that if there were no table demarcating them, Guardiola would take a fist to the face while his son watched—anything to get rid of that smug smile the older man had on. "Would you like a drink? " Guardiola askedGuardiola was a sturdy, sixty-five-year-old man with salt-and-pepper hair that was neatly combed back, framing a weathered yet dignified face. His hazel eyes exuded boldness earned through years of experience. Before taking his seat, he stood tall with a slight stoop, evidence
ADLERHe slammed the car's boot with more force than he intended and cursed under his breath for finally letting his control slip from his fingers before no other person but Rune. Just as expected when he turned away from the car, it was to meet Rune's raised brows. "Everything okay in there?"It would be a relief if he could go just one second without her voice echoing in his mind. Being separated from her, as he intended, would prove challenging.What was he saying? Everything got hard as long as she was involved. Running his fingers through his hair, he scrutinized his surroundings, feeling his tension heighten. The day before, it was this quiet when the intruders slipped through, and what happened next was a nightmare. It was a nightmare he had been glad to indulge in, much to his shock, and only when he was done was he taken aback, gawking at the messy flour, stained walls, and bullet-ridden bodies. The cleanup was quick, his muscles aching from scrubbing walls and floors. Ju
KYRABack to Fishtown. Kyra withheld a groan as the odd smell of tar mixed with rotten fruit wafted past her nose as she maneuvered through the familiar market, observing her surroundings for the first sign of a threat. Since the previous night when she left Guardiola's sight, she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched and followed.At first, she contemplated it being paranoia, but after a night of instincts tugging at her sleeves and blaring red, she caressed her suspicions, reminding herself that she couldn't put it past the old man. As she scanned the market for Laron, considering giving up after hours of fruitless searching, her attention was suddenly caught by a noise nearby. Raising her head, she immediately spotted a small crowd gathered not far away.Then the whining from within, "I swear I took nothing. Get your hands, or else you regret it... Ouch, man, that hurts! Let me go. ""This kid," she murmured, making her way toward the scene, maneuvering through the crowd by
LILY'Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the delay. We are experiencing technical difficulties, and our team is working hard to resolve the issue. Thank you for being so patient.'Hugging my bag, I inhaled deeply as the heartwarming scenarios in the train station engulfed me, sending waves of longing and nostalgia slamming in. A young couple, their faces radiating with love, shared a tender embrace as they bid each other farewell. Nearby, an elderly gentleman offered his seat to a pregnant woman, his kind smile lighting up her tired face as she settled in while he stood beside her, his attention in a newspaper. Each interaction filled the station with a warmth that melted away the frustration of the delay. Despite the chaos around me, there was a quiet beauty in these simple acts of kindness, I had always found joy in the smallest moments, so as I sat, nestled in a corner, my eyes fixed on the scenes unfolding before me, my sight began to blur. None of that changed, and I was
He shut the car door, "What did you think? That I will leave without you? "My mouth opened, but I couldn't get a single word out except deep-throated croaks despite the thousand thoughts running through my head. "Take all the time you need." He checked his watch, "We have a flight to catch in a couple of hours." He left me and poked his head in the front seat to speak to the driver. So back to Campania, I thought, taking the first step to Alessia's door, if I had a clue, that was all it took to change his mind. But then I never imagined returning to a place I swore never to set foot in, and even so, the manor?As I reached Alessia's door, I glanced back to see Adler leaning on the car, engrossed in his phone call, prompting me to question how patient he was willing to be. With a deep breath, I pressed the doorbell and waited."One moment!" Alessia called out, and soon after, the door swung open, revealing her. She froze at the sight of me. "Li... Lily?" she stammered, embracing me
RUNESmoke and dust cleared, and he winced, damn... The outcome was more horrific than he calculated he wasn't gonna lie. The crates toppling over on the other side of the warehouse had him rolling his eyes until they almost hit the back of his head; by God, she was so dramatic.What was she screaming about? Was she thinking she could take on five men three times her size and mass? Maybe she could, but that was going to take ten times the time they would need to bury a bullet in her head.He crouched against the metal aid holding the ceiling, staring closely at the toppled crates at the far end of the warehouse, and sang, "Kyra?"She showed up almost immediately, face reddened and sizzling inside; Rune sighed; how much he missed he... Annoying the fuck out of her, he corrected as he suppressed his heartbeat, flipping out of proportion.Walking up to the corpses sprawled on the floor, not even betraying as much as a fling at the horror that lay on her feet, she looked up and snarled,