[DIMITRI]The moment I enter my apartment, something feels strange.I don’t know what it is, but my gut feeling says something is drastically wrong.Perhaps it’s because the house is too quiet, or even though it’s almost dinner time, neither of the two females in my apartment is anywhere in sight.I frown, unable to help but grow suspicious.I pull out my gun from my waist and press my back against the wall. I look around the living room, the kitchen, and the lobby that leads to the bedrooms but see nothing, no movement at all.My heart pounds in my throat as I make my way down the hallway, each step silent and measured. I pause outside the first bedroom door, listening intently for any sign of life inside. Hearing nothing, I slowly turn the handle and push the door open, my gun at the ready. The room is empty, the bed neatly made, and everything in its place. I move on to the next door, repeating the same cautious process.When I reach the last door, the master bedroom, my gut tighte
[DIMITRI]I answer the call right away. It’s from one of my men on guard around the building. I had left them a text to find out if they saw something strange in the past few hours. Texting them is the only way to contact them, as they are meant to be as subtle as possible. But if they have any information that matters, they can always find a way and place to contact us back.I take a step away from the screens. “What is it?”“I did see the woman and kid coming out of the building.”“Where are you stationed?”“Can’t tell you that. Sorry. But all I can say is that the guy with them is from around here.”I knew I had seen him somewhere. “Who is he?”“He is a school student. His father runs a grocery store where you get your stuff from. The boy is trouble, always looking to make easy money.”Grocery store. That’s where I had seen him. He comes to drop off orders. I remember giving him extra money for his efforts. But it seems like he wanted much more than that.Fucking asshole.“Do you k
[DIMITRI]“I do not know,” the old man who owns the grocery store grumbles, not showing even a bit of curiosity when I ask him about his son. “I’m his father, but he rarely tells me anything. The kid is good for nothing. Always getting into trouble.”I sigh, rubbing a hand down my face. This is bullshit. I didn’t come here all the way for nothing. I don’t care how old this bastard is. I’ll break his bones and feed him to dogs if he pisses me off more than he already has.But before I lunge across the counter and grab him by the neck, Igor pulls me back with a hand on my shoulder.“What?” I snap.He points to the people all around us. “Not the best place to let this get out of hands.”I growl at him. “Do you really think I care about a fucking audience?”“I know, you don’t. But you should,” he says slowly, as if I’m too dumb to understand what he’s trying to get at. “We decided to not gather unnecessary attention for a while, remember? And this,” he pointed between me and the grocery s
[NADIA]“I can’t believe it’s almost been a month since we saw each other. How have you been? And where have you been? You didn’t even reply to any of my texts. I was so worried, you know? I even asked the other kids, but they also didn’t know anything about you. But anyway, I’m just glad you’re finally here. I’m so happy, in fact. God, I missed you. And, oh, how have you been?—”“Wait, wait, wait. Before you go on full circle on me again, let me stop you right there.”Katerina laughs, her cheeks turning rosy pink almost instantly. “Sorry, I tend to do that a lot. But I hope you got the gist of it. Now tell me where you’ve been. I have been worried sick! You know, I had some really dark and twisted dreams about you. I swear you could write a book with all the crazy stuff that’s happened in my dreams lately. It was just bad. And—okay, okay. I won’t overdo it again. You were saying something? Right, sorry. Go on. I promise I’ll listen this time. Don’t worry. I’m listening. See? I’m all
[NADIA]I am not in a clubbing mood. I don't know what made me say yes to her, but I should have stuck with my gut and told her no. This place is overcrowded, and there are so many sweaty bodies everywhere that I have to navigate through them with care not to bump into anyone.The music is also so loud that I have to press my palms to my ears and grit my teeth in pain. I have always been a lightweight when it comes to alcohol and can never seem to handle more than a few shots without getting drunk.So here I am, drunk out of my mind and having a hard time seeing straight or walking without wobbling."Dammit! I knew this was a bad idea."I should have listened to my instinct. But nooo... I had to go along with my dumbass friend just because I couldn't say no.I try to spot her through the crowd and realize that she has been flirting with this guy for a while. I'm about to call out for her when a fight breaks out just behind me.Someone slams into me, and I crash against something--or m
[NADIA]Splash!The cold water feels like a slap to my face, and I flinch as my head whips up to face the attacker. My hair sticks to the sides of my face, and I can barely make out anything because my vision is so blurry.I was drunk earlier, but now the alcohol in my system has turned into panic, and it’s kicking into full gear.“What…what do you want?” My voice comes out scratchy, and I try so hard to see their faces. But nothing. I see nothing. Icy water clings to my lashes, quickly turning into ice on my face, and I let out a cry as a big, meaty hand slaps me so hard across the cheek, the pain vibrates through my entire skull and down my spine.“This is what you get for being such a pain in the ass!” Another splash of ice water, and I shiver badly. They have taken off my coat, my clothes, my socks, and gloves. I’m only in my undergarments now. Initially, I was worried they were going to do something horrible to me. But it’s been fifteen minutes, and all they have done is waterboar
[NADIA]Tears roll down my face because I don’t know what else to do.Never in my life have I felt so helpless.When I was little and our parents passed away, my brother was my biggest hope.When our uncle kicked us out, tired of feeding two extra mouths, my brother was still my only hope. No matter what happened, Anatoly was there, taking care of me, protecting me. And he took it seriously, always busting his ass to keep a roof over our heads and food on our table.I knew from the start that my brother didn’t make money by doing anything legal. He did whatever shady shit he had to do, working for people who didn’t care if he came back alive or not. And he didn’t bother hiding the scars and wounds either. In the middle of the night, he’d stumble home, drunk and bleeding, rummaging for first aid in the bathroom, knocking things over, and cursing loud enough to wake me up.I’d pretend to be asleep, but I’d hear everything. The groans, the muttered curses, the sounds of him trying to pat
[NADIA]Ten minutes later, I find myself in a cage, locked and left to be picked up when it’s my turn to be sold. I sit in the corner, hugging my knees close to my chest, hoping against hope that someone will come to save me. But I’m not sure if there’s anyone left who gives a damn if I live or die.I would like to think Dimitri would care, but then I remember the wild goose chase I sent him on and decide it’s useless. Even if he managed to solve the mystery I left behind, he would never know what happened to me afterward. He wouldn’t know that I was picked up by the very men he had been trying to protect me from. He would never know how much I wish he were here. Just once.The low murmur of voices and clinking of glasses from the auction room beyond the cage reaches me, blending into a background hum. I try to focus on the sounds, s
[NIKOLAI]Once we finally get to his office, Konstantin takes his seat behind the desk and raises an eyebrow. He looks kind of pissed, but not enough to end me right here and now.He might have the power to do that and carry on with his day as if nothing happened, but I know in my gut he won’t. He made a promise to our parents that no harm would come to me. And if there’s anyone I know who keeps their word, no matter the circumstances, it’s him. My very own, very infuriating brother.“So,” he drawls, leaning back in his chair and propping his legs up on the desk, crossing them at the ankles. “What do you want to talk about?”I don’t sit in the chair in front of me; instead, I start pacing the room. I glance around and find it exactly how our father designed it. Not a single thing has been changed or moved. It’s like walking into a museum of old memories.“I want to challenge Madam Volkova,” I say, almost expecting him to scoff.But he doesn’t. Instead, he tips his head to the side. “Wh
[NIKOLAI]I hang up the phone and stare hard at the ground.“Fuck you, Dimitri!” I growl, clenching the phone tighter and huffing out a heavy breath.The bastard has the audacity to make me responsible for everything that happened to Ana and Ivan. But is it? Am I really the one to blame?I look away, peeling my back off the car and slipping inside.I put my hand on the steering wheel, unable to shake his words from my mind.Shit. If only I had known the consequences of my actions, maybe this day would have never come. Maybe Ana would still be safe, and Ivan would still be breathing on his own, not with the help of some fucking machine.“Fuck!” I punch the steering wheel, growling louder.I turn the key in the ignition and drive away from the motel. I’m not sure if what I’m about to do next is the right choice, but it seems like the only option I have left. I can’t go back to Madam Volkova after my fallout with her, and Dimitri doesn’t seem interested in having me by his side either.I
[DIMITRI]I storm out of the building and light a cigarette, unable to think of anything else.I breathe in the smoke and then blow it out, hoping it will take away the stress pressing on my chest, making my lungs incapable of doing their job.I don’t know what to do anymore. Ana is finally awake, which is good news, of course.But what the hell do I tell her when she wakes up next time and asks the same questions all over again? How do I give her the answers that are sure to crush her?Maybe I’ve developed a new weakness these days—maybe falling in love makes you a fucking weak asshole—but I can’t seem to bear seeing that woman cry. I just can’t.It fucking stabs me right in the throat to see those tears streaming down her face, to see that fear in her eyes that seems to linger around her whenever she asks about Ivan.I take another big breath of smoke and then drop it, crushing it under the tip of my boot.“Fuck!”My phone rings just then. I thank God for the fucking distraction and
[ANASTASIA]“Mommy!”One word, and my heart shatters into a million pieces.Before I even turn my gaze to the door, warmth floods through me, and tears well up in my eyes.My little girl comes running into the room, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail bouncing with every step. Her eyes are sharp, excited, and filled with so much love. Her face is a canvas of every emotion I’ve ever seen her wear in my entire life.I don’t even realize it, but my arms open on their own, my chest aching to feel her little heart against mine.But just when I think she’s about to jump onto the bed and throw herself into my arms, she stops and stands there with her hands behind her back, her little legs fidgeting as she looks up at the doctor, her small eyes seeking some kind of permission.I suppose the last two months have changed a lot. My daughter, who used to storm in and out of any place she wanted, now suddenly looks afraid of hurting me.Tears race down my face. I wipe them as quickly as I can,
[ANASTASIA]“How long was I out?” I whisper, lips trembling. “How long was I unconscious?”Lena, now standing in front of me, looks like the words are stuck in her throat. She swallows thickly and squeezes my hand, a sad smile playing on her lips.“Two months,” she says, but it feels like she’s talking about someone else. “You’ve been in a coma for two months.”This can’t be true. It can’t be.Tears burn my eyes. My heart feels like it’s on fire. “What the hell do you mean by that? How can I be… how is that even… I can’t… I mean… this can’t be…”I don’t even know what I’m trying to say, but I know I don’t believe her.Frustration grates beneath my skin. “Just call Ivan. If he says the same as what you’re all saying, then I’ll believe you. Just call him, Lena. Where is he anyway? Shouldn’t he be here? Sitting next to me, taking care of me? He promised he’d never leave my side again. He promised, Lena. He fucking promised.”“I know,” she sobs, wiping her face with the back of her hand.
[DIMITRI]A week later, we both sit in the car and stare at the huge gates ahead.“This is it, I guess,” she says softly, for the first time not so eager to talk about leaving.It’s strange how the last few days changed everything. They changed me. Who would have thought an asshole like me could ever fall for an angel like her? Nadia is an angel. She’s the most beautiful, pure-hearted, a little fiery, but the best of the angels out there. In fact, if you ask me, she’s the only angel out there.My angel.I let out a sigh. “Yep. This is it.” I turn to look at her and can’t help grabbing the back of her head, pulling her in for a kiss. A long, deep, and passionate kiss. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of her—her lips, her body, everything about her. “I’m going to miss you like hell.”She grins, her pale blue eyes twinkling, her stubborn blonde curls escaping the trap of her knitted cap. “I’ll miss you like hell too. In fact,” she brushes her nose against mine, “I think I’m going to mi
[NADIA]I’m not sure what to say.And if I look like someone who has been slapped across the face with a hand as cold as ice, then maybe I do look like that person, because apparently, I feel like that person.Every word coming out of Dimitri’s mouth is like slap after slap.But not in a bad way, of course. More like a slap of surprise. Or shock. Or whatever I’m feeling right now that has no name.“What did you say?” I can’t help but ask. There’s still a chance I heard that wrong. Never before has Dimitri talked about my Uni of his own free will. So, to think he not only brought it into the conversation but also seems happy about it is a little hard for me to believe.He gives me a look—of course, he does—but doesn’t try to argue. “I said you’re going back next week. They’re expecting you to continue your semester and sit for the final exams.”“But what about my attendance? I’m way behind—”“It’s been taken care of,” he says, but the smug look on his face is scary as hell.I tilt my h
[DIMITRI]I should’ve known my words would get twisted like that. And of course, it would end up hurting my woman in the worst way possible.But God knows that wasn’t my intention. I just have a crude way of speaking and often forget not everyone can take it. It’s an old habit, one I need to work on changing.I cup Nadia’s face, wiping her tears with my thumb. I should be comforting her after everything she just blurted out, but instead, I can’t help it—I start laughing. I can’t stop until she looks up at me like I’ve completely lost it.Her eyebrows snap and her lips upturn in a deep frown. “You think it’s funny?”“No!” I shake my head, meaning it, but laughter simply bubbles out of me. I turn around to take a breather, and when I think I’m in better control of myself, I turn back around to face her.Only to find her gone.Whatever lingering smile on my face dies right away. “Nadia?”I glance toward the door and see her rushing out of the room.“Shit!” I bolt after her down the hallw
[NADIA]After getting another round of hot sex out of our system, with both stayed sprawled out on the carpeted floor of his office, with me using his arm as a pillow.I sigh. “I can’t believe the kind of stamina I suddenly have.”Dimitri chuckles, the deep sound vibrating through my entire body. “And I can’t believe I get to make love to a woman without her screaming within five minutes how she can’t handle someone like me.”I turn over my stomach, resting my chin on his chest. “Really?”“Yep!” He says, casually, entwining my fingers with his and kissing the tips of each one. “You’re the only one to never have complained about anything. Not even my ugly face.”“Hey,” I shush him, placing my finger on his lips. “Never say that again.”He quirks up a brow. “Why? You want me to say I’m fucking beautiful instead.” He rolls his eyes.“You ARE beautiful,” I say, more stubbornly because he seems to be in the mood to not take me seriously. I can tell. I sure as hell can. “Sure, you have scar