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2024-12-12 17:49:18
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DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 55
DAMIANThe way to my room feels too goddamn far away with my arousal making an embarrassing tent in front of my pants. It takes effort to not wince while walking. Something as mundane has now become so difficult 'cos of it.How do I make it up there in record time before I spill my seeds in my trousers like a fucking horny teenage boy?I feel like a seventeen year old again, thanks to my carelessness. Thankfully, the hallway is quiet which means the house helps might have retired for the night. Who would want to bump into their Pakhan in this sorry state?“Pakhan.” Turns out I spoke too early. I turn around to see one of the house helps coming from the stairs leading to the living room. “What?” I snap.Sighting my discomfort, she lowers her head immediately, color staining her cheeks. “Lady Alice wants to know what's taking so long.” “I'll be back. If they can't wait, they can continue dinner without me.” I tell her and resume on my way to my quarters. As soon as I get to the land
Last Updated : 2024-12-13DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 56
DAMIAN Two days later…I occupy myself instead with plans of the Grand Casino opening happening in less than a month from now. Everytime my thoughts stray, I have to remind myself that I'm no longer a teenager to be fantasizing about a woman like an obsessive prick.The air in my office is thick with cigarette smoke and the low hum of conversation. Zoran leans against the edge of my desk with his arms crossed while Andros flicks his lighter repeatedly, a faint click-click filling the silence between words. Sicily is in a corner, swirling whiskey in his glass like he's got nowhere better to be. Sydney lounges in the chair opposite me, already halfway through his second drink. The scowl never eases off his face. “We need to be smarter about the guest list,” Sicily says at last after an argument that ensued between Sydney and Andros on whom to invite. “Inviting Sergei could backfire.”Andros had suggested we invite all the Bratva heads regardless of if we've had a fallout, but Sydney
Last Updated : 2024-12-15DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 57
NEW CHARACTER POV ALERT!RACHELThe patio smells like mint and cigarette smoke, ruining the afternoon breeze which is supposed to be spilling in. Zip leans back in her chair, legs stretched out like the billionaire woman that she is. She inspects her nails, her tone bored.“I told him if the car doesn't scream custom, don't even bother parking it outside my house. He threw a fit after hearing that and now I'm the one who's childish.”Melanie sits cross-legged, exhaling a long thin stream of smoke. She smirks. “And they still show up with stock rims and half-assed cologne. It's embarrassing.”“Embarrassing? Please. Try insulting.” Zip flicks her fingers like she's brushing off dust. “The last guy? Told me his ‘investment’ portfolio was NFTs. NFTs, Melanie. As if I want to deal with someone whose assets are digital clipart.”I roll my eyes from where I'm mixing Melanie's cocktail drink. Isn't she the one leeching off Damian by being his whore?Oh, for a chance of freedom let me send he
Last Updated : 2024-12-17DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 58
LILIANAI've made it my mission to avoid him at all costs. If I hear his voice echoing somewhere in the house, I stay locked in my room. When I do leave, I take routes I know he wouldn't. It's easier this way—less suffocating.I avoid Zip too. She's taken a sudden liking to Melanie, and the two of them seem to find joy in whispering and laughing just loud enough for me to overhear.“Isn't it pathetic?” I once caught Zip saying in the hallway. “Acting like a guest when she's just another debt. How long until he gets bored and tosses her out like the rest?” “Ouch!” Melanie exclaimed dramatically, a hand pressed to her chest. “That was too harsh.”“You know you're worth more to the family than worthless tramps like her.” Zip said in a bid to appease her.Their cruel laughter followed, and I've steered clear of them ever since. Lately, I've been feeling worse than usual. On most mornings, I don't even get out of bed until noon. My body feels heavy, weighed down my feverish spells that c
Last Updated : 2024-12-19DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 59
LILIANAEverything is a blur around me. The array of colorful dresses that Rachel spreads on the bed and her robotic response when I'm too numb to do anything but stare blankly at them.Alice comes to style my hair and when she's done, Rachel picks out a red number. I know that the dress is only going to make me more noticeable in the crowd. But hopelessness keeps me quiet.“We don't want to be late, the Pakhan is going to be angry.” Rachel says in a quiet voice. When I look at her face, she looks away from me.These days, she's been terribly distant and avoiding me generally. She barely steps foot in here except with Alice's prodding. I can tell she's burdened but I know she won't say what it is.Whatever it might be, I hope she deals with it. At least, she's lucky she's not about to be sold off to some brute whose existence she has no idea about. This will become my life in a few hours, oh Zot! {Oh God!}There's shuffling around me, Rachel flinching as she moves out of sight and A
Last Updated : 2024-12-23DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 60
DAMIANI gaze out the window watching the sunset with a glass of vodka, sipping through it gingerly and sloshing the hot liquid around in my mouth. Initially, I wanted a glass to steady me and now, I see myself downing the third. Pouring one more shot into the fourth, I pause with my hands hovering over the glass as Liliana's face forces itself into my mind. The sight of her pain when I showed her the document. Indeed, she had no idea and has been trying to prove her innocence. Hence, her rebellion. Stupid fucking idiot. How was I blind to her pleas? I admit to being a stubborn man with rough edges and a soul soiled black, but hurting women is what I don't partake in. I just…I couldn't…I always seem to lose my sense of reasoning whenever I'm within a meter radius of Liliana. “I see the way you look at her.” Alice said to me one day. “If you give her a chance to mourn, then approach her.”I'd scoffed so hard at those words. “Approach her? If I were to ever date anyone, it wouldn'
Last Updated : 2024-12-27DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 61
DAMIANSoon, Genovese and I are seated opposite each other. His smile is tight and his fingers drum an unsteady rhythm on the table.“You've got a nice place here, Damian,” he comments, voice oozing false charm. “Glad you think so,” I reply, shuffling the cards. In that moment, I can't wait for the day where I'd have to put a bullet through his skull. “I hear you've been struggling though. The debts your little billionaire boy left behind—messy.”His face twitches just for second but it's enough to know that I hit a nerve. I deal the cards and the game begins.The air thickens with tension,the pile of chips in the center growing. Genovese keeps glancing at Sergei like he's waiting for a signal. I don't let it distract me. By now, the hum around us has risen which means more people have joined the table to watch. Even better because I'd love to whip his ass back to his condo.The final hand comes. I lay down my cards—straight flush. His jaw tightens, but he forces a grin.“Seems you
Last Updated : 2024-12-27DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 62
LILIANAThe champagne flute trembles slightly in my grip, its stem icy against my fingertips. The fizz tickles ny nose before I take a sip. It's cold. Crisp. Completely useless at dulling the ache lodged in the center of my chest. I set the glass down and exhale slowly, watching the bubbles rise to the surface. Selena's voice is a distant hum in the background. When Melanie and Zip sauntered their way over to torment me, Selena stepped right in to pull me out of there. Although, I'm grateful for that, I'd need her to shut up. She's yapping excitedly about something I do not care about. I mean, why not? She's not the one getting traded off tonight. She's very married to one of the Kastorov brothers. Right now, she's saying something about the hors d'oeuvres or is it the chandeliers? Trying to befriend me probably but I don't care. She doesn't know that by the end of tonight, I'll be someone else's property. “You're impossible,” she mutters, taking a huge swig from her glass when
Last Updated : 2024-12-28
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DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 92
LILIANA“What do you think you’re doing?” Alice shouts in alarm when I step into the kitchen with my tray after my breakfast. She takes it out of my hands.“I need some fresh air, Alice. It’s too stifling in there especially with all of you treating me like some egg.” “I don’t care, duska. Damian gave strict instructions to oversee your welfare.” She gives what I think are instructions in Russian to a cook standing and watching us. “Now, come darling, let’s go back to your room.”“No. I’ll take one quick tour around the house and afterwards, I’ll head back inside. Promise.”She squints her eyes to tell me she doesn’t believe but shrugs. “One tour and that’s it.”I give her a grin in response and walk out of the kitchen. To my right is a door I’ve come to recognize too much due to my countless wandering. Slipping out the door, the first gust of wind blows against my face.It’s refreshing against my skin and reminds me of the beach. When was the last time I was even at a place like tha
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 91
DAMIANA week later, I call for a meeting between my closest men in my office.The place smells like cigar smoke and rich leather. The air also is thick with the low murmur of conversation. Zoran talks about his latest security expansions, high-end contracts of which most are surprisingly legal this time but he never turns down a favor for the right price. Andros leans back in his seat, nodding along but mostly listening. Sydney hangs around my left with his arms folded, occasionally offering a word or two when necessary.I take a sip of my whiskey, letting the amber liquid burn slowly down my throat. “The real estate projects in Bogota are progressing well. The columbian families are using the resorts exactly how we expected, you know, keeping their assets clean, moving money in and out without suspicion.”Andros smirks. “Bet they love the extra security too.”“They do,” I agree, setting my glass down. “And it benefits us. A win-win.”Sydney scoffs lightly. “Until the wrong person f
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 90
ANOTHER CHARACTER POV ALERT!SICILYThe garage smells of oil, metal and hardwork as is required of a car factory like mine. My men, the ones closest to me, move around like a well-oiled machine to check the compartments, tighten the bolts and seal the hidden spaces where the firearms rest. This is our craft. Our business and survival. My focus is soon interrupted by my phone ringing. When I pull it out of my pocket, the name that reflects makes me grin. I flip Oleg the bird when he starts to make noises like a monkey. “Hi, munchkins,” Zip drawls, dragging her nickname for me longer than necessary.“Hey, baby.”“You sound tired,” she says immediately. Trust her to be observant when it comes to me. “Long day?”“You could say that. How’s yours?”“Better now that I’m talking to you.” She teases with a light laugh. “I went shopping today. Got a few bags, an antique rug for my condo and oh, those whiskey glasses to replace the ones you kept complaining about.”I huff a laugh. “You mean t
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 89
LILIANAAlthough Zoran is smiling at his wife, he looks like he’s been through a tough time. The exhaustion lining his features says enough. “Liliana, how are you feeling?”“I’m alright,” I tell him honestly. “Just need a few more days and I’ll be back on my feet. Don’t worry about me.”Selena claps her hands together. “And then you two will work on coming together to make me an aunt. I need a little running around the house and going on a destructive spree.”Damian’s head snaps toward her so fast I can almost hear the crack. “Get out.”Zoran lets out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head like he can’t believe his wife. “Let’s just go home.”She snickers at him, sliding off the bed. “What? Too soon? Nobody says they have to start going at it like rabbits right away.”“Out. Go with your husband,” he orders, already pinching the bridge of his nose. Zoran barely holds in a laugh as he takes her hand, leading her towards the door. “Come on, troublemaker.”Her eyes meet me, rounding in di
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 88
LILIANAI feel a lot of things as Selena sits with me and sympathizes for the loss of my baby. If I were to be speaking in all honesty, I doubt I’d be able to give that child what they need.Hell, I barely have control of my life, which makes raising a child the least of things I want. “If I didn’t get a lot of love growing up, what makes you think I’ll be capable of showering them with motherly attention?” Selena lets my words stew before she gives a helpless shrug. “Am I going to be called an asshole for supporting your decisons?”I smile and give her fingers a little squeeze. “You’ll be one if you’re not in support. Kyle betrayed me and I don’t think it’s something I’ll forget in a long time.”Selena turns her head and I look in the direction she turned to see Damian strolling in with a neutral expression. Instantly, my heart rate speeds up and my fingers tremble slightly. He stops by the foot of the bed, his eyes gentle as he watches me. I don’t know what to make of that look.
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 87
DAMIANI gently lower the organs into the cooler after securing it into a zip lock with great care not to cause damage to them. Sicily and his men had found some people sniffing around the dock and brought them to me. To distract myself, I decided to do the dirty work myself, easing into the calmness it brings. Andros walks in without bothering to knock and I can tell from the haste in his steps that whatever has pushed him to forget rules is bigger than he can handle. “It’s the note found on the maid that died last night.” he passes the folded paper over the dead body on the slab.The letter begins with so much apology, thanking me for my good deeds—which is laughable because I don’t do anything unless it benefits me directly—and how it hurts to betray the Seemya this way. A bunch of other nonsense I lose interest in until my eyes catch Selena’s name. “WHAT?!” I bark out, enraged. “What is it?” Andros asks but I’m already on my feet. He grabs the discarded paper and his eyes go r
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 86
LILIANAThe next time I’m conscious, I hear the angry voice of a man threatening to raise hell on someone. I don’t know how long I’ve been out but I do know that I crave complete silence to clear this buzzing in my head.That is until fragments of the conversation floats over to my hearing. “...the hell is that even possible? How could you make such a costly mistake?”“I swear, it was an oversight, Pakhan. Nothing intentionally done.”“Quietly now,” someone hushes the person. It sounds like Alice. She steps up to my side and cradles one of my hands in her very warm ones. “She’s stirring awake.” The voices stop talking at once. That’s when I open my eyes to blinding lights and a pair of mismatched eyes staring down at me with deep concern etched between those brows. He looks like he’d spent the last few minutes getting upset over something. Looking over my head at someone, the anger is back in its place. “Tell her what you told me.”Imagine waking up to shit you have no idea about an
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 85
LILIANA"Liliana…"The voices are all distorted as my vision swims and all the blood rushes to my ears. A hand snakes around my waist to keep me on my feet and then it hits me…I'm going to die. Memories fly around in my head, each a reminder of that time when I was starving and mother refused to feed me because my father had been out for days. Then I ate the only thing I could find stacked amongst Lajla’s belongings: A small scoop from a jar of peanut butter. If it weren't for my sister's timely arrival, I probably might have not witnessed her bailing out on me when I needed her the most.My life's history starts to flash before me and I know without a doubt what it signifies. “Radi boga, don't just stand there. Do something!” Someone yells. Panicked feet resound from everywhere in the room all at once, the voice of Irina panicking as she shrieks, “What's wrong with her?!”The tingling in the back of my throat and the roof of my mouth starts to spread again, prickling my tongue
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 84
LILIANAIt's with tasteless buds that I wake up this morning. My head feels like someone had thrown a party in it throughout the night. My body for some reason won't obey to instructions. One nostril is blocked like traffic on a Monday morning, while the other is a smooth ride to fun town. I hate the day already. After what feels like hours of willing my eyes to open, they pop open of their own accord and I scan the bedroom. Irina is nowhere to be found. “How can such a little girl be up so early while I stay here and sloth away like a snail?” I murmur, rolling until I'm laying on my stomach with my face buried into the pillow. The door opens. “Very gently, Duska.” Alice says to someone in a gentle voice. I'm too tired to look but when I do, I'm immediately thrown off by the smell of the eggs. “Good morning, Alice.” I tell her groggily.“Oh my goodness!” She gasps horrified. “You look terrible. What happened to you?” “I don't know. A truck ran me over last night?” I reply wit
