LILIANA“Fuck, yes. That's it,” he growls. “Show me how bad you want it.” And that's exactly what I do. My tongue traces the line under his cock, trailing it down to the base and back up again. By the time I repeat this a couple of time, he's panting so loud and my eyes blur with pain from my burning scalp. The ache in my jaw increases as I widen my mouth to take him in deeper. The only thing that rings in my head is to give him pleasure. His every pant and hoarse groans drench my panties in my wetness. Everything that should feel so wrong, feels so goddamn good.The way he whispers my name like a prayer, his fists tightening in my hair, the way he raises his hips to pump into my mouth—I should feel used, degraded. Instead, a thrill of excitement courses through me and my pussy is pulsing. Fast. I clamp my thighs tightly, pressing it against the pulsing in hopes to quench some of the fire down there but it doesn't give me the satisfaction. Not like his hands will. Or his cock. S
DAMIANAm I the asshole for trying to protect Liliana from the wrath of Melanie? No, I'm not. Am I the asshole for seeking pleasure the way I did? Definitely not. We're adults who can handle matters perfectly well. It was mutual anyway.Why do I feel this nagging guilt as I let Melanie lead me back in the house? No, I shouldn't be feeling that. We don't even have an exclusive relationship. And now, I'm letting myself be pulled in by sentiments. Again. If my brain isn't lagging when I'm around Liliana, it's shutting off completely. It's like my body now obeys a different command that's not issued by me. “Where have you been, little brother?” A voice booms from behind me.I spin around to find Zoran walking down hallway towards us and by his side is Selena. Relief unfurls within at the sight of them and giving him a hug is a perfect excuse to extricate myself from Melanie's death grip. Apart from that reason, I'm genuinely pleased to see them.“It's been ages.” Selena says, landing a
DAMIANWhen I go to the kitchen, it's like a big festival is about to take place because of all the food arranged on the table. I'd been so occupied with other thoughts that I forget what the occasion really is. The kitchen staff wheel several platters toward the living room, bowing when they see me. As I get close to the kitchen, there's laughter and some playful snickers but one voice grabs all of my attention. Like a charm, I'm enraptured by the soft chimes of her laughter as it rings louder than all the others. I double my steps, eager to capture her smiling mouth with my eyes. I cross the threshold and my gaze immediately rivets to her by the kitchen Island next to Selena and Alice. There's a lot of chopping, boiling and sizzling sounds but the gentle sound of her voice seizes the oxygen in my chest.“You want something?” Zoran dares to interrupt and she looks at him. Following his eyes, she turns her head in my direction but I'm quick to find something else of interest. Well
LILIANA One minute, everyone is cheering for Sicily and Zip, the next, I'm barrelling my way into a bathroom to throw up a meal I just consumed. I rinse my mouth and stare into the mirror, surprised to find nothing wrong with my face. Not pale. The last time something like this happened was over a month ago and it turned out to be flu. Is this another case of bad flu or is it something to start worrying about? When I come out to the dining, Zip is yelling to Zoran about how much inconsiderate and selfish Damian is. Trust me, it's something I can relate to a thousand times again. “I hate him so much. Whatever happened was a long time ago and I want to forget about it.” She cries into his embrace. “I want to love again.” My heart goes out to her. Pity quickly switches place with anger and it's aimed at Damian. How can he hurt the sister he claims to care so much about? Zoran and Selena tries to pacify her, but her sobs only grow. Alice and Sicily are nowhere in sight and Me
LILIANAOne would assume that with the little conversation I had with Damian in his office, he’ll change his mind. “You're impossible!” Zip shrieks, eyes blazing with anger and fingers clenching at her sides. I can tell she wants to do more than clench them. “Everytime I tell you that I have moved on, I have healed, you go ahead and turn on ‘super protective. Ne bud' takim mudakom and be more like Zoran!”{Don't be such an asshole}Yup! When I think he's going to try to pacify her and let her be happy, the jerk says, “It's for your own good. I'm not stopping you from dating him. I'm saying your marriage to him is too sudden.”“That's not for you to decide, Kristoffor!” Alice cannot help butting in. “Sicily, is no stranger to the Seemya. If the younglings find love together, let them.”To be honest, the man's will is carved into stone. He turns to Alice. “It doesn't matter what you say, my words are final. This shouldn't be a topic anymore.” His voice rings out like he's trying to so
LILIANASomething in my hold jerks sharply, tugging me out of sleep but my eyes are too heavy to keep them awake so I fall back to sleep. It happens again, stronger this time.“Stop.” I moan, turning away from the disturbance. Stellëza. My ears pick that up. With a grogginess that keeps my body still half paralyzed, I turn my head to the sound. Moonlight spills through the open balcony windows and stretches its milky streak across Damian's tortured features. His lips tug downwards but it's not in a frown. The tear line disappearing into his hair at the crown suggests something else. I shoot up and go into a kneeling position, hovering above him. “Damian…” my voice is a little above a whisper. No response. Just more stifled moans and his jaw flexing continuously. When I touch him, his muscles are locked tight like he's fighting against some invisible force. If he continues like this… “Damian.” I try again, firmer this time. “Damian, open your eyes. It's just a dream.”That's when
DAMIANBefore the crack of dawn, I slip out from the covers with great care not to wake Liliana, then I took the same route out of her bedroom. I can't believe myself after last night, revealing things without a second thought. What hold did I let her have on me that I start to lack self control? Only one person has this effect on me. Only one fucking person!“You becoming too soft, you heartless bastard.” I say to myself as I take my bath. The words don't even bring me to remorse. Instead, I'm angrier at myself and want so badly to punch the mirror.When I'm done, I don on a grey shirt leaving some buttons open and a pair of black pants, then find my way to my office where loads of work has been piled up for me since I started slacking.She's bad influence for the Seemya’s business.Halfway buried in work, the door opens and Zoran strides in. His hair is ruffled and the dark rings under his eyes tell me he's had a rough night. Not one of pleasure. I take one look at his face and I g
DAMIANAfter I send Sydney out of my office, I call in Andros who is already on his way to me. He shows me proof of my suspicion on a screen.With terse silence, I watch the clip play out and what I find makes my jaw tick and blood boil with concealed rage. It's not what I expect taken from a blurry view. The person does look awfully familiar.“How were you able to lay your hands on this?” I ask after the clip stops.“You seem to forget the plants we have in several places, Pakhan. We have advantageous views.”“So what makes you think there isn't one right now in my premises, scoping on everything I do and telling out my business?”“That’s who I just showed you, boss. He's an embarrassment to this Seemya and needs to be executed immediately.” His lips curl up in disgust at the end.My phone buzzes on the table and Sicily's name is on the screen. I don't want to pick the call but for business sake, I do. “Hello.”“Pakhan, did you see the news circulating all around in the Bratva? Gen
LAJLA/STELLEZAA little smile. Whispered conversations. A little touch. Nights of pleasure sigh. That’s the only way I can explain whatever this is between Damian and I. He captured my heart before I even realized it. And the way he takes me with so much intentionality both scares me and takes my breath away. What if I wake up one morning only to realize that it’s all been a fantasy? A longing for the scarred girl inside me to feel loved by a man like him? This is the monster of the Seemya Kastorov who nestles beside me every night like a tamed tiger. “What are you hiding from me?” I raise my head and there he is, tanned skin glowing by the streaks of morning light filtering in. His arms are crossed and I drag my gaze away from the way his muscles ripple in that tight shirt to his beautiful eyes. Two years since we’ve been together and he’s still a wonder to behold. Mine.I smile at him. “Now, why would I want to hide anything from you?” He smiles briefly but it turns into a frow
LAJLA/STELLEZAMoving to Sochi has been the best decision I’ve made for myself. Being miles away from my mother, getting my life together again, relishing in my new found freedom–it’s bliss. Being able to afford a comfortable place of my own, not having to bust my ass working for meagre.Thankfully, Liliana is old enough to have control over a bank account. It doesn’t need to go through our greedy mother before it gets to her. Although on certain days, I get sad and miss her. I miss Red too. She’s been more than a friend, supporting me every step of the way, even on my worst days when all I wanted to do was wear a noose around my neck and hang. There’s only one thing I’ve never told her and I would like to keep it a secret for a while. If she finds out, she’s going to have my head for it–literally kill me. But if she learns my reason at the right time, she’ll understand. Just maybe.Snapping out of my thoughts, I throw on my blonde wig to hide my dark locks. My red gloss stands out
LAJLA/STELLEZAThe muffled sound of gunshot still rings aloud in my brain, hours after I’d bathed and settled on my bed. Sleep refused to take over and now I’m left to stare at the ceiling and wonder what next.A gentle knock has me sitting up. Red comes in with two mugs of something steamy. Perfect for the cold weather. I grab one, then immediately go to work distracting myself and trying not to look in her direction. If I don’t, then maybe she won’t recall the calamity that happened at the club.Again, this is Red we’re talking about. Nothing goes past her nose without deep scrutiny. Better than I am who would rather pretend not to see it. I don’t care about a lot of things.“Let’s talk about what happened earlier tonight.”“Hmm hmm, this tastes better than all the others you have made, don’t you think?” That’s my pathetic attempt at diverting the topic, of course this will make her prod for words.She gives me a serious look that strips away every trace of amusement from my face. “
LAJLA/STELLEZA“Table four in the aisle next to Bri.”“Got it.” I pick the tray, trying to keep the drinks from spilling as well as maintaining my balance on the killer heels on my feet. The place is teeming with hyped, drunk men enjoying the show that the dancers give them.Although there’s a no-touching policy enforced here, some of these men have no idea what it means to keep their hands to themselves at all times.I smile at the customers around the table and they return it as I serve their drinks. They’re still nice and friendly until the booze kicks in. On my way back, I find myself looking at Red as she glides around the pole in that lingerie set I got her. She’s magnificent when she dances and that’s probably why she’s at the centre where most men are spraying her so much cash with reckless abandon.They all love her.She’s Fin’s golden ticket and I’m proud of her. I walk into a hard wall the moment I turn. The apology falls out of my lips before I can stop it. The stranger
LAJLA/STELLEZA“Who is that?” Red asks, with a squint at the woman.Ignoring the dread which has now pooled down at the bottom of my spine, I straighten my posture and tug on her hands. “No one. Come on.”Red complies thankfully. But she still has that thinking look on her face. One where her lips curled into her mouth in thought.“You can’t ignore me forever, Lajla. Me and you have to talk and we have to do it now.” The woman’s stern voice commands again, rattling me in my steps. “Or she gets it.”On another thought, I change my mind about ignoring her. “Um, Red? I’ll need you to be on the lookout for the uber. I’ll be with you in five minutes tops.” I’m already on the move before she can voice her protest.The woman’s lips are curled into a sneer when she sees me approaching. “I knew you’d be a fool to not answer your mother’s call.”“My mother’s dead.” I reiterate, cold and calmly. “I don’t have all night, Arbana. What do you want?”“It’s been what, eight months? Six? You left witho
UNKNOWN POVIt’s been one hell of a week running around, bussing all these tables and getting these drunk men to keep their wandering fingers to themselves. How can they even when the only things Phineas lets us wear is some shiny, barely-there silver slip that clings like a second skin. The hem barely brushes the tops of my thighs, and the neckline dips low enough to tease but not reveal it all.Just enough to keep the tips flowing. Thin spaghetti straps dig into my shoulders, sometimes falling off and keeps me wondering when my shift comes to an end. The stupid uniform keeps flashing skin from the right side of me where there’s a high slit.“This is bait, Fin,” I complained one day. “The shoes are killing me. Can we switch to maybe sneakers or something?”“It’s what keeps this place running, honey.” He patted my hand and batted artificial eyelashes at me. “You’re doing just great in them. A few minutes more and I’ll let you off.”So, I suck it up and take it like a good girl. Not
LILIANAI can’t bring myself to look at Theodore as he sits opposite me with legs apart, elbows on knees and head bowed. Is that supposed to be the posture of remorse? What the hell did I walk into?He sighs and raises his head. “Lily, what happened? How did you escape that monster?”I say nothing. Just sit there and stare, wondering if I’m in my right senses if I decide to trust him once more. However, I’d be a fool. Time should have taught me better.“You knew my husband sold me off to the Russian mafia, didn’t you? You were aware of it all. You listened to me get kidnapped by the men Kyle used to mingle with and you did nothing.”His features scrunch up in anger. He shakes his head. “Sold you off? Kyle sold you off?”Irritation flares hot. “Don’t try to make me look foolish, Theo. If it worked in the past, doesn’t mean it can happen again. Tell me the things I need to know. Did you know Kyle was involved in dirty dealings with these men?”He opens his mouth to say something, then s
LILIANA“Don’t feel bad, Liliana. Certain things happen and we have no control over them.” Those are my sister’s words that I try to console myself with. It didn’t matter what situation we were in, she knew the right things to say.But as I sit in this car and gaze at the house I have abandoned for months, I feel like I have lost everything all over again. What words would she have for me if she were still around?Eric gives me a look from the mirror. “I’m sorry if you had to be caught up in the middle of the heat like this. But if there’s anyone to blame, it should be Kyle.”“I don’t think I need that information anymore. Kyle is dead and I’m back home.” Even if it doesn’t feel like one. “You don’t need to apologize. We are all tethered to something one way or the other and owe dues.”He shrugs. “I guess you can put it like that.”Squaring my shoulders, I open the car door and step out. Before I can take more steps, Eric halts me. “I’m not in the best position to say this but you sho
LILIANAI’m looking into the face of the man who was my bodyguard appointed by Theo to watch me after my husband died and can’t seem to fathom what he’s doing in the home of my captor.Does Damian know he’s in here? The answer comes to me almost immediately; yes, he does. Yet, the truth in that doesn’t stop me from asking my own questions. “W-what are you doing here?” I stammer out.He’s Eric alright, but at the same time, he’s not. His face lacks the warmth I trusted. That character has fallen out of place and here is the man he has always been.Wait, who is he? “I need to ask you come questions and I’ll need you to be completely honest with me.” He sounds detached.Says the lapdog masquerading as a double agent to feed information to his master. Can’t a woman trust anyone these days?“You both know each other?” Rachel looks between me and the burly man still patiently waiting for my attention. When nobody gives her a response, she excuses us and shuts the door.“Liliana—”“Don’t t