[IVAN]
“How bad is it?” I stride down the long corridor, Dimitri right behind me. “And why the hell didn’t you call me right away? Was waiting for him to fucking die?”
Dimirti sighs, probably frowning at himself. “I thought we could handle it.”
I shake my head. “Of course.”
We continue walking down the dark corridor until a room arrives with its lights turned on. Beeping sounds emanate from within, and right when we reach outside, a nurse dashes out with a tray full of blood-soaked towels. She barely glances up, and continues hurrying out of sight.
I stop and hesitate to walk inside. This was not supposed to happen. Not like this.
I turn around and glare at Dimitri. “What the hell happened?”
Dimitri drops his gaze to the floor, his posture stiff. “It was a small delivery, pakhan. I told him to keep his mouth shut. But something happened and a shoo
[ANASTASIA]When Ivan returns home this morning, he’s lost in his own mind.I watch him enter through the main doors, walk over to the sofa, and collapse on it.He looks exhausted.I pour some water for him in a glass and head over to where he sits. “Here.”“Thank you, malysh.”He sits up straight, and I place the glass of water in his hand. His fingers graze over the tips of mine, and he smiles up at me.I smile back, even though his mind is somewhere else.I take a seat next to him and face him as soon as he guzzles down the entire glass of water. “So, what happened?”“Sidorov is dead.”His words fill me with confusion and sympathy. I have no idea who the man is but it’s obvious Ivan cares about him. I also know that it always hits him hard whenever he loses one of his men. Ivan takes his position as the pakhan seriously, and I know it can be stressful for him, though he doesn’t complain too much.I scoot closer and wrap my arms around him. “I’m so sorry. What happened?”He leans ag
[IVAN]“Turn around for me.” I groan against Ana’s skin and push her back against the bed. She rolls over with a gasp, her cheeks flushed from pleasure, and her hazel eyes sparkle in the light of the sun streaming into the room from the large glass window behind me.“Get on your knees,” I growl, and she does so with a low moan, her body arching to give me access to her sex, her face buried in the soft sheets, and her sweet ass in the air.“Jesus, you’re beautiful,” I tell her and stroke my hard cock against the curves of her ass, feeling a shudder run through me. “All ready and waiting for me to have my way with you?”“Please,” she breathes, looking over her shoulder at me and I let out a growl, my body tensing with the desire to pound her senseless.I take a few deep breaths to steady myself and rub the swollen head of my dick over her drenched core, sliding i
Dimitri Alexeev was a man of few words. He preferred to communicate with actions, rather than words. But, if there was something that he knew, it was how to talk his way out of things. But when his phone rang that morning, while he was getting ready for the funeral of one of his underlings, he found himself in a very difficult situation. Dimitri stared at his reflection in the mirror. He was in the middle of buttoning up his shirt when his phone rang. His hand froze when he heard the tone and he turned to glance at the nightstand. The screen of his cell phone glowed in the darkness of his bedroom and he wondered who the hell was calling him now. He took a deep breath and walked to his nightstand, reaching out and grabbing his cell phone. Dimitri didn’t even check the screen, instead, he brought it to his ear and spoke. “What?” His voice came out low and hoarse. “Having a tough morning, I suppose?” Dimitri recognized the voice in an instant. Igor Fedorov, the head of Pakhan’s sec
They got into his car.For a long moment, Dimitri just sat there, doing nothing. His hands were on the steering wheel but he continued to stare over the hood of the car. It was as if he was suddenly struggling to remember how to even drive the fucking car. It boggled him that he was struggling this much. What was wrong with him? Why was he acting this way? It was a car for fuck’s sake! And she wasn’t even his type. So why did she seem to make his blood boil so much?He could see her from his peripheral vision and he could tell she was just as confused. The only reason why he wasn’t acting like an idiot right now was because she was being quiet. If she said something stupid, he was sure he’d end up being an asshole to her.The silence was suffocating and it made his skin itch with uneasiness. He wasn’t good at small talks and this was no different. He needed to say something to get her to speak, but he was at a loss.Then sudd
[IVAN]Exactly after three days, Junior would be leaving for his boarding school, and to say Ana had been a complete mess, was an understatement.I understood her pain. I loved my son just as much.Well, maybe my love for our son could never match up to the motherly love Ana held for Junior, but it was love all the same. I felt for her and I wanted to make sure that she knew that when it came to our kids, we were always in this together.We were a team.After dinner, I took a small walk around the estate with the kids. Tati was a bundle of energy, running around while we all laughed, but Ivan was calmer than usual, sticking to my side.I ruffled his hair whenever I got the chance to, talking about this and that, and the little one would always look up at me with so much love in his eyes.I couldn’t believe that a decade ago I would have laughed even at the thought of having a family, of having a kid. But now I h
When Nikolai entered Kremlin Keg House, a high-end bar, it was a little after dinnertime and a little before nightfall.The place was crowded with people, which wasn’t surprising, since Kremlin was a very famous place among the town’s people and tourists as well. He took a deep breath and looked around the place, searching for the man he was there to see.The place was very luxurious-looking. Women served drinks and walked around in skimpy skirts and crop tops, showing off their assets, and many men seemed very interested in that. The bartenders wore black formal shirts, and everyone around the place seemed to be either enjoying themselves or trying to find someone to have fun with.The sight wasn’t foreign to Nik’s eyes. He had been part of this world once. He had seen it all. But that was not why he was there. No. Not even in the slightest.Nikolai approached the nearest waitress and gave her a smile. She looked to be around his
[ANASTASIA] “Are you ready?” Ivan asks, holding me from behind while I am all dressed in front of the dressing table. I nod. But truth be told, I’m not ready at all. At least, I don’t think I am, or could ever be. Just the thought of parting with my son is enough to make me break down into tears. I just…I just don’t know how to be okay with this, with letting my son go so far away from me. Ivan says there’s nothing to worry about, that the school is the safest place and that I’m worrying for nothing. But I’m a mother. No matter how much assurance you give me, I’ll always worry. Always. “You’re about to cry, aren’t you?” Ivan whispers into my ear, probably noticing how my eyes glitter in the mirror. “Sweetheart, you have to get a better grip on yourself. You can’t let Junior see you like this. Or he wouldn’t want to go. Would you like that?” “No!” I shake my head, my chest feeling heavy. “Of course, not. It’s just…” “It’s normal. You’re going to miss him. And so am I. But, you
[IVAN]The dinner at the fine dining restaurant goes more smoothly than expected.The kids are behaving surprisingly well considering the situation they’re in, and Ana is trying her best not to cry and ruin her makeup again. She’s smiling and laughing with the kids, trying to enjoy the night despite the obvious sadness. She’s even talking to Dimitri, who’s not exactly thrilled to be here tonight, and neither is she. But since he can’t exactly say no to his boss, he has no choice but to grin and bear it.I feel sorry for him, but I won’t tell him that. Sometimes it’s good to just watch him being his miserable self.Alright. I’ll be honest. I just want him to know what he’s missing out on: a family.Dimitri lost his parents at a very young age, and since then he has been all alone. He doesn’t like to talk about them, nor does he welcome anyone new into his life.At fi
After our fourth round of pure, wild sex, I have nothing left in me. Every ounce of energy drained, I barely manage to pull the sheets over myself before sleep claims me.When I wake hours later, the room is dim, the soft glow of my bedside lamp casting long shadows on the walls. My body feels heavy, sore in the best way possible.And then I see him.Dimitri—freshly showered, fully dressed—sitting at my study desk, casually flipping through my books like he owns the place. Like he hasn’t just spent hours wrecking me.I prop myself up on one elbow, my voice hoarse from sleep. “Seriously? You had time to shower and invade my personal space?”He doesn’t even look up. Just smirks as he turns another page. “You were dead to the world, milaya.” His fingers trace the edge of a textbook. “Figured I’d entertain myself.”I groan, burying my face in the pillow. “You’re insufferable.”He chuckles, low and rich. “And yet, you keep letting me in.”That’s actually true.I shake my head and pull myse
[NADIA]“You’re here?” I say into the phone, clutching my books tightly to my chest as I glance around. “Where?”“Outside. Meet me when you’re done with your classes.”A wide grin spreads across my face, excitement bubbling inside me. “Oh, I’m done. And even if I wasn’t, I’d still run to you.”Dimitri chuckles—that deep, rich sound that always makes my skin ripple with want. “Can’t wait to see you. Come soon.”The call ends, and I quickly excuse myself from two classmates who wanted to discuss something about today’s lecture. Rushing down the corridor, I nearly bump into a few students, barely dodging them in my hurry. Thank God no one gets hurt as I half-run, half-speed-walk through the massive glass doors.And then I see him.Dimitri stands outside, leaning casually against his car, dressed in a dark suit that only makes him look more devastatingly handsome. His brown hair is styled just right, accentuating the sharp planes of his face, and those piercing dark eyes are locked onto m
The Ivan I know is strong. Unshakable. Even in the worst situations, he carries himself with a quiet, effortless confidence that makes you believe nothing could ever touch him.But the man lying in this hospital bed, surrounded by beeping machines and the sterile scent of antiseptic, looks nothing like that.His skin is pale, almost sickly under the fluorescent lights. His face, usually so sharp and alive, is slack, lips slightly parted as if he’s lost in a sleep too deep to wake from. Bandages wrap around his head, a stark contrast against his dark hair, and an IV snakes into his arm, keeping him tethered to life.A terrible, suffocating weight presses down on my chest.This is wrong.Ivan doesn’t belong here. He belongs anywhere but here.For a moment, I just stand there, with my back pressed tightly against the door, like it’s the only thing keeping me upright. My pulse thunders in my ears, and I force myself to take a step forward. One. Then another.I don’t know what I expect whe
[ANASTASIA]Ever since I woke up after the incident, I have been dying to see Ivan.But now that I’m standing outside his room—where supposedly he had been admitted—, I can’t muster up the courage to push open the damn door.I’m nervous. Terrified. And most of all, unsure.I don’t know if I’m ready to see what lies behind this door.I don’t know if I’m ready to bear the truth either.What if Lena wasn’t exaggerating?What if Ivan is….No! No no no no no. I can’t think of the worst now. I can’t break myself just by imagining what might not be waiting on the other side.I sigh. Swallow. And lick my lips.“What’s wrong?” Lena asks, whom I conveniently forgot for some reason.She stands behind me, probably waiting for me to just rush in.But how am I supposed to explain this hesitation now that I’m actually close to the truth? How am I supposed to explain that I have second thoughts for unknown yet obvious reasons?“I don’t know,” I sigh, wiping the sweat off my forehead, even though it’s
[ANASTASIA]The next time I open my eyes, I’m not alone.Lena sits next to my bed, her hand in mine, her eyes closed, as if she fell asleep while watching over me.For the first time since waking up from my so-called long slumber, I look at her carefully. She looks more tired than I’ve ever seen her. The wrinkles on her face are more prominent, the skin around her neck slightly sagging, and her hair whiter than I remember. It’s as though she stopped taking care of herself, as if in the past two months, she aged by decades.My heart clenches painfully in my chest, so much so that I can’t stop the warm tears rolling down my cheeks.I turn away, wishing more than anything to wake up from what has started to feel like my worst nightmare—the kind of nightmare I never imagined could exist.“Ana…?” Lena’s gentle voice pulls me from my thoughts. I turn back to her and notice how she straightens up, her eyes alight with genuine concern. “You’re awake. Do you need something? Water, maybe?”I nod
[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,