Apollo Everything was a blur. The beautiful woman before me is the only thing that matters as I lead her to the dance floor. We laughed, enjoying each other's company. It was perfect. At this moment, nothing else mattered. The buzz of the restaurant fades into the background. The dance floor becomes the stage of our sweetest love and romance. This is where the journey between our hearts and souls collides into one. Soon our faces started to draw closer together... "Apollo?" "Yes, my love?" As our lips were finally about to meet, "Apollo..." "Apollo..." "Apollo…" My eyes fluttered open and shut as a lovely voice sang my name like a lullaby. It was just a dream, what a pity. "Apollo, I know you are awake. It's time to get dressed." She said, slightly shaking my body. My heart jumped excitedly at the touch of her soft lips grazing my cheek. She is too cute to handle. I pulled her closer and looked into her eyes. "I could get used to being woken up like that." "Mmm, I'm s
ApolloAdrian and Cassian immediately shut their eyes and turned away. Poet and Parker whistled, Chris stood disinterested, and Jack was his usual observant self. "WHAT THE HELL? DON'T YOU GUYS KNOW HOW TO KNOCK?" I yelled, quickly covering Livia from their wondering eyes. Cassian looked at us, horrified. "Were you two just? I think I'm going to faint." Chris caught him. "Oh no, not again, Casanova. Parker, take him downstairs. Adrian ran back and forth frantically. "Oh my god, I think I'm going to be sick. Bleach my eyes. Erase the memory. Kill me now." Livia sighed. "Adrian, can you please stop being so dramatic." "Nice body, Liv." Poet complimented. "Thanks, Po." She responded. I glared at her before looking back at Poet. "Can you keep your eyes off my woman, please," I said through gritted teeth. He shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, you know I am a sucker for stating facts." "I don't care. Keep your eyes off my woman and your compliments to yourself, especially
NarrationLivia stood atop the stairs, impressed by Cassian's invention. "I'm surprised he hasn't been recruited by the Originals yet.""How long are you going stand there, Lorelei," Adrian shouted from the living room."Geesh, Black Wing, you don't have to shout." "Wow," Apollo whispered to himself.Her hair was pulled into a slightly messy high ponytail, and her makeup was bold but simple. The floral embroidered emerald green corset top showed her perfect hourglass and made her breasts sit perfectly. Apollo's eyes traveled down to Livia's exposed thighs. Again, the only thing stopping him from seeing all her glory was a black leather mini skirt accompanied by a crystal Gucci belt. Her fourteen-karat diamond earrings, gold chunky chain necklace, and gold emerald Rolex matched her knee-high gold and emerald embroidery heels."So you figured me out. What gave it away?" Adrian questioned."Apollo gave me a brief history lesson on how Crimson Clan came to be. Then, amid the history les
LiviaI sat in the front-row middle seat, leaning against Apollo's shoulder. Parker was focused on driving while Cassian was in the passenger seat. Those two always seemed to be joined at the hip. The others were behind me, clowning at each other as usual.Beep Beep"What's that kitten?" Apollo questioned, looking down at me."A Satellite Radar Beacon, SRB for short. It notifies Underground Citizens of nearby entry points."Adrian chuckled, taking a sip of his 1947 Cheval Blanc. "Once we enter the Underground, think of yourselves as nothing because your life depends on it. Everything you are here means nothing to the people of the Underground. Partially nothing. Aside from Livia and I, you have no stature.""You forget something, Adrian. We must make it through Dead Zone before reaching Race Capitol.""Ahh, I forgot about that. It's been so long.""What's Dead Zone?" Jack asked curiously."Dead Zone is the gateway surrounding the Underground like a forcefield. It's inaccessible and he
NarrationSandra walked into the storage room to see Alicia leaning her head against one of the supply racks. "Alicia, are you okay? You were just fine not even a minute ago." "No, Sandra, I'm not fine." Alicia looked at her with tears in her eyes. "Why would she do this to me?" Sandra raced to Alicia's side, worried. "Why are you crying? And who are you talking about?""Zoe."Now Sandra was confused. "Huh, what about Zoe?"Alicia slowly lifted her finger, pointing at the racks of tire spray. "Why would she order so many damn brands of tire spray. I didn't even know so many options existed," she whined.Sandra rolled her eyes being done. "Oh my god, you dunce."Alicia fell to the ground in a tantrum. "Call me whatever you want, but my baby deserves the best, and I will sit here for however long it takes."Sandra scanned the shelves, unbothered by Alicia's temperament. "Do whatever you want, but when Livia gets here, you won't have that luxury anymore." "That's not very helpful, San
ApolloIt was cute seeing how flustered Livia got whenever her friends teased her. But then, there was a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see a nervous Adrian. "What's on your mind, kid?" "Do you think Livia would mind if I were to date one of her friends?"His question didn't faze me. When he looks at Alicia, the spark in his eyes shows his feelings for her. "Parker is sleeping with one of her best friends, so I doubt she would be against you wanting to date Alicia. Just know I don't mind you dating as long as you know the risks you are putting her in by bringing her into our world," I said honestly.Jack chuckled behind us. "Well, if you think about it, they are technically already a part of our world. They are equally as dangerous, respected, and calculative as we are. But even with that being said, our biggest concern is how a certain someone will react when he finds out the Mafia King is officially off the market."I nodded my head in understanding. "I guess that's something we m
LiviaAlicia felt uneasy. "Do you think leaving them alone was a good idea?""I don't know, but I wasn't expecting them to act so aggressively. Especially Percy."Nina hopped on the hood of my car. "I don't see why not.""Get off, my baby." I shooed.She rolled her eyes, leaping off my car. "Do you remember how Malakai and the others scared off my first boyfriend? And we all know you have a special place in Percy's heart. Sometimes I wonder if he has feelings for you.""First off, Triston was a player.""And what does that make me?"Zoe sucked her teeth. "Don't you dare compare yourself to that scum, Nina. Being sexually in tune and blatantly coercing girls into sex are two different things. You don't play with people's feelings. You don't put on a show to get what you want. Instead, you tell whoever your interest in exactly what you want, and you give them a chance to choose to comply or find someone else to give them what they are looking for. That's the difference between an assert
Narration Malakai led them to the top floor. The lights were dimmed with a warm hue. The gold and white interior mirrored walls, and the massive crystal chandeliers suspended from the center gave off a fresh, sophisticated vibe. "This is our private lounge. Feel free to get comfortable here." "Don't mind if we do." Poet quickly sat on one of the sofas, gently bouncing, "This is so comfy, and I love the vibe." Luca felt proud of himself. "I am not the one to toot my own horn, but, toot toot, I designed it myself." Heath frowned. "Luca, please. You did nothing but give useless input about wanting it as if you were sitting on a fluffy cloud high in the luxurious sky." "It was fitting at the time," Luca reasoned. "It was stupid. Try sitting on an actual cloud, then come back to me." Heath snickered. "That's if you're alive." "You are so mean." Luca moped. "It's my day job, bro." Heath loved teasing Luca, but he was someone he doted on the most. "Anyway, how about we get some dr
LiviaManor in two hours and bring these "boyfriends" of yours.Ding DingAlicia: I knew it was only a matter of time, but my heart nearly fell out of my ass. What's worse is I can barely stand because of Adrian.Nina: Girl, you should see what Parker did to my neck. No amount of makeup could cover this.Sandra: My ass is so sore.Zoe: Do we need to know the details?Sandra: It's nothing like that, just a naughty girl that loves to be spanked by a man who doesn't mind punishing this ass until I learn my lesson.Zoe: I knew Jack was kinky.Alicia: Like you and Chris are any better.Zoe: Jealous? But someone's being mighty quiet.Nina: After getting her cherry popped, she's already acting differently.Me: Can a girl marvel in her sexual ecstasy? I h
LiviaI laughed as Apollo kept kissing all over my body. "We've been in bed all day. At some point, we must get up.""That's not true. We've been in the shower, closet, and on the dresser." Apollo chuckled. "Then, in the shower again. I would have taken you to the balcony if it weren't for the guards. We've been pretty productive if you ask me."I fell back in a fit of laughter. "You are ridiculous, and my girl is swollen because of you.""You loved every minute of it. Devour me... Deeper... Fuck, Apollo, you feel so good... Right there, right there, right there, right there." he mocked.I covered his mouth. "Okay, I get it. You fucked me into oblivion."Suddenly his aura changed. There was something darker, tantalizing, seductive, yet possessive in his eyes. "No, I didn't. I didn't want pain to be associated with our first-time together. Although there were a few times I nearly lost control." He said matter of f
LiviaThe morning breeze roused me out of my slumber as its coolness grazed my exposed skin. I nestled into the warmth of Apollo's arms as I watched the curtains dance to the rhythm of nature. His masculine aroma mixed deliciously with the garden's floral fragrance a few feet from our balcony.I rubbed the remainder of my sleep from my eyes and gazed at the ethereal man sleeping soundly beside me. I find it strange, hard even, to find something so meaningful in someone so special. He is like the Sun, every day, it rises and sets, but it is always there. Reliable since the beginning of time.I straddled his stomach. "Wake up, Apollo. It's time to start the day. We have a long day ahead of us, so I need my Mafia King up and ready to start the day with his Queen.""What your Mafia King needs right now is cuddling from his lovely Queen," he buried his face into my breast.I laughed. "That tickles, Daddy."
Livia "The next move?" I pondered. Devising plans is my guilty pleasure, but executing them successfully is dearer. "The White Vultures is all about gaining ultimate power, right? Frankly, I don't think that is entirely their motive. That attack the other night was thought-out yet sporadic. I believe Vanessa has no desire to pursue Apollo or become the Mafia Queen. I am at a loss for what they truly want. Which bothers me." Understanding the enemies' motives is the legend of maneuvering them the way we want. Then I thought about something that could be valuable. "Who was the former leader of White Vultures?" "Vanessa's grandfather, Oscar Myers." "Myers? Oscar Myers? Do you have a picture of him?" "I might. Give me a second." Poet vigorously scanned through files on his laptop. "Oscar is a very privy man, unlike Vanessa, who boldly states she's a Mafia P
LiviaGunshots rang in the air. Dead bodies and blood were everywhere. A little girl sat in a corner, rocking back and forth with hands over her ears. The people with no faces are there again, protecting the little girl. "Run" was the last thing she heard before everything went black. This dream again. "Is it a nightmare? Is it a memory? Who was that girl?" I finally have the answers to those questions. It's not just a dream. This is a memory of my nightmares. The memories I longed for came to me like a flood."Livia! LIVIA! Are you okay?" When I opened my eyes, Cassian was standing over me. "Oh my god Livia you scared the shit out of us."Tears flowed from my eyes, remembering how my once happy, loving life was replaced with hatred and pain. "Sunny?" I fell into his embrace, overwhelmed, shaking, remembering everything. I was finally ready to face reality. That explains why my heart always felt content when I was around Cassian. Her body finally revealed the truth about that inciden
The In Between "I still don't understand, Alaric. How is any of this relevant?" "Use your head, Livia. Have you ever heard the saying, he who seeks revenge digs two graves? Do you know why that is?" "A grave for your enemy and another for yourself because you're dooming yourself with whoever you seek revenge against. "Exactly, my girl. Revenge is close acquaintance with misery, and we know how much that bitch loves company." There was still something that bothered Livia. "After declaring war on Vanessa, what happened to us, Alaric?" "That's something you will have to remember yourself." ∞∞∞ [Earlier that morning…] Governor Lacy and the board of directors were overwhelmed by the gallery of people gathered in front of the courthouse. "Governor Lacy, what will
Parker Miles of trees covered the land. The reflective greens of the landscape glowed as the sunlight danced between the trees. Standing at the entrance of the highlands, a feeling of peace as the wind sings a lullaby of serenity. "I've lived here practically my whole life and never knew about this," I was about to leave the cave when Asa stopped me. He pointed to a trip wire right in front of my feet and the censored alarms ten feet away. "Damn, that would have been bad. Thanks for having my back." I spoke gratefully. "No biggie, we are all here for the same goal. Percy, go ahead of us and disarm the alarms. Alaric set up some C-4 explosives throughout the cave. Jonah, you should stay with him for backup and ensure the others arrive without hassle. Everyone else, come with me and stay alert." Asa commanded. Watching him, I was glad Asa was on his side. Percy finished disarming the alarms in the entranceway of the cave. "Everything is clear." We began to walk forward cautiously. "
Narration Vanessa was in turmoil, nothing ever came easy for her, and now she had to deal with this. "What's wrong? Did things not go according to plan?" Livia taunted. "Shut up. Layla, take my phone. I want to send a message to King." "Gosh, you reek of desperation." Vanessa punched Livia's jaw. Blood instantly pooled in her mouth. "I said shut up." "Things are finally getting exciting." Livia laughed, licking the blood from her lip. Layla looked at her, concerned. "I don't think that's-" Vanessa cut her off. "I didn't ask you to think. Take the dame video!" she yelled. Layla rolled her eyes. "Whatever?" Vanessa then reverted her attention to Livia. "You think I'm the pathetic one? I'm not the one tied to a chair." "On purpose, may I add? And you are also not the one who has King's heart. It must suck being nothing more than a little puppet." "The ca
Apollo"I have eyes on Myers. There seems to be no suspicious activity, but I advise you to keep your guard up." Austin informed through the earpiece.Adrian had instructed all his high-ranking soldiers to surround the building just in case something was to pop off. You can never be too safe, especially with a man like Oscar Myers."Keep your eyes peeled. We are heading in. Standby." I cut the line. "Stay alert, Ace, and don't let him get to you."Ace side-eyed me. "I can say the same for you.""Mr. Myers, your guest has arrived." the receptionist announced before quietly leaving the office."So rumor has it your little girlfriend went missing. It's been two days. One can only assume the worst. Perhaps she wouldn't have gotten in such a predicament if she were a Mafia Princess."Only a few people know the severity of Livia's whereabouts. It seems Oscar has crawled his way into my territory. Okay,