[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
[NADIA]Panic erupts as the man crumples to the floor, blood pooling around him. The crowd scatters, shouting and shoving, trying to get out of the line of fire. The room turns into a chaotic frenzy.The mystery man steps forward, calm and composed amidst the chaos. Now that the lights are on, there’s no mystery about the mystery man. I have seen him. Known him. Touched him. And the fact that he’s here despite everything I did to get away from him makes me want to curl into myself.If he’s here to save me, then I don’t deserve this saving.Time and again he told me I was in danger, that it wasn’t safe for me to leave his protection, but I didn’t believe him. Not even once. I convinced myself it was all about him, about what he wanted, about what he expected of me, but maybe not everything he said was a lie. Maybe not everything was about him and him only. Maybe there was a part that was about me too.
[NADIA]The drive to wherever he’s taking me is long and silent. Neither of us says a word. Neither of us tries to fill the dark, heavy silence settled between us. If this were some other circumstance, I would have said something to get his attention, to piss him off, or simply to fill the silence because, let me admit it for the first time, I love hearing his voice. It’s the right amount of deep and soothing, enough to put my mind at ease even though I should be terrified of his presence so close to me. But nothing comes out of my mouth because I don’t know what more there is to say.I’m not exactly sorry for trying to break out of his prison, but I’m not grateful for how everything turned out either. I think we both need to take equal responsibility for this. If I was stupid, ignorant, and stubborn, he wasn’t any less so. If only he had been a little reasonable about things, about me, about us, maybe I wouldn&rsquo
[DIMITRI]The room is quiet except for her breathing. I can still hear the echoes of gunfire, feel the weight of the bodies I had to step over to get her out. The chaos from earlier seems like a distant memory now, overshadowed by the woman sitting on the bed, her eyes wide and scared.She’s asked me to stay, to hold her. If I’m honest with myself, I’m not sure what to do with that. I’ve killed for her, crossed lines I swore I’d never cross for anyone other than my boss, all because she’s different. She’s not just another job, not just another task handed down by the Bratva. She’s Nadia. And she’s managed to wedge herself into places in my mind I didn’t think existed.I sit down on the edge of the bed and pull her to me, her body fitting perfectly against mine. She’
[NADIA]When I wake up the next morning, I feel absolutely the worst.My body feels like it’s been set on fire and every single muscle hurts like hell. I can’t help but groan when I try to turn to position myself better on the mattress, but even a small movement like curling my fingers causes my entire body to declare war against me.“Shit!” I gasp, hugging myself as tightly as I can as a jolt of shudder passes through me. I cry. “What’s wrong with me?”A cold hand rests against my forehead, but the touch is so comforting, so caring, I find myself inching toward it, wanting more of it. “Please!”“You’re burning up,” I hear the familiar voice of Dimitri hissing close to my face, and before I can open my mouth to say something—anything at al
[DIMITRI]The rest of the drive back home is a blur.My sole focus is getting Nadia to a bed where I know she’ll be much more comfortable. She drifts in and out of sleep on the way to Moscow, her body burning up with fever.When Igor finally pulls the car over, I haul Nadia into the apartment. She’s so out of it she can barely open her eyes, let alone say anything. I strip her down, wipe her off with a washcloth, and dress her in one of my cotton shirts that practically swallows her whole. Finally, I lay her on my bed—the place she was meant to be since the first night she walked into my life.I feel fucking useless right now. My body is shaking with frustration. My hands ball into fists, and I have to fight the urge to punch the nearest wall. I’ve never felt this powerless in my life. I’ve always been in cont
[NADIA]When I wake up the next time, I know it’s terribly late at night. I sit up, feeling much better, though with a gaping hole in my stomach that’s grumbling and growing due to the lack of food.Shit. How long has it been since I ate anything? I feel like I could eat a horse right now—and I wouldn’t even care about table manners.I swing my legs over the side of the bed and for the first time notice I’m wearing one of Dimitri’s cotton shirts, which is ridiculously large on me. I grab the hem of the shirt and rub it between my fingers, wondering how many times he must have worn it. I sniff around the shoulder, hoping to catch a whiff of his addictive scent.And I do. It’s mixed with the soft fragrance of laundry detergent, but it’s there. And it makes me feel even better.I smile to myself, curling my arms around myself and reminiscing about what he said to me back in the car. At this moment, it’s hard to tell if he actually said it or if I imagined the whole conversation, but desp
[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