He just wished that his thoughts would be as easy to keep under control as his actions were. He was grateful when the car pulled up to the church where her brother’s funeral would be held. She sat there for a moment, looking lost and confused. Her hands were trembling, too, as she put her earbuds b
He was talking about the incident at the lounge last night, where Sidorov was shot in the head. “Yes, I have the information. I’ll take care of it.” Dimitri replied. Ivan gave him a stern look before sighing in exasperation. “What happened at the lounge was an amateur mistake, Dimitri. I hope you
[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
Ana bit down on her lip and her eyes shined with tears. I was having none of it. I wrapped my arms around her tightly, burying my face into the side of her neck. Her soft breasts pressed against my chest as I inhaled the sweet scent of her. My fingers slid beneath the hem of her T-shirt and touche
I knew she could feel it too. My desire for her, my love, my promise to keep her safe from everything that would ever dare to hurt her. The kiss broke and her forehead touched mine, and I just stayed there, looking into her eyes, trying to memorize the exact shade of her eyes and how beautiful she
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 ar
Konstantin narrowed his eyes. He looked tired. The light on the wall was casting a shadow on his face, and he had bags under his eyes. “Neither have you, I see.” He poured two glasses of whiskey and slid one to Nikolai, keeping the other one for himself. “But that is not why you came, is it? Drink.”
[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 tear
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
[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.”Dimit
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 l
[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
Lena presses her lips together tightly, the color draining from her face until it looks almost lifeless.For a long moment, she doesn’t speak. The silence stretches between us, thick and suffocating. I can feel my heartbeat in my ears, pounding relentlessly, echoing my fear.Why the hell is she taki
[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
[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 m
[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
[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, w