And the only way out was through Lorenzo and his men. I had to try.With the lamp in my hand, I swung it at Lorenzo. He snarled, catching it and yanking me forward with it. I let go before I stumbled too close, then he smacked me with it, hard in the ribs. The shock of pain knocked the breath out of
LorenzoFuck off, bitch.The words sent anger rushing through me, consuming all reason and sense.Who the fuck did she think she was? I could see it in her eyes--her defiance, her insolence--the lack of fear.Didn't she know who she was to me? What she was to me?She was just some bastard child, fit
Just as I managed to throw myself forward. His hand clamped around my arm and yanked me back. I saw the glint of metal. Before I could react, his hand shot out, the gun connecting hard with my face. A sharp pain exploded across my cheek, and something warm was streaming down my nose. The world tilte
AlbertThe city was a concrete jungle, its towering buildings casting long, ominous shadows as the plane landed. I hadn't heard anything more from Ivan or the man at the party, but just as I was hurrying to the private car to leave the airport, I got a call from one of the men at the hospital."Miss
"Five minutes," he said, his voice cold and detached.He tossed the dress at me, and it landed at my feet. I didn't look at it, still staring up at him. My mind racing. I had no choice. I had to do this.He turned to leave, adjusting his jacket. Bianca glared at me, her face a mask of disgust. Witho
MiaThe party was a cacophony of noise and movement. People laughed, drank, and danced, they all had the nerve to look fucking happy, drowning in their dark world and crimes. They were probably all just as bad, if not worse than Lorenzo."Fucking smile." I said nothing. I didn't move, but my vision
"This is Mia," Lorenzo said, his voice stiff and formal. "Mia, this is Don Elio Oscuri. You'll address him as Don Oscuri."I wasn't going to call him a damn thing.Lorenzo nudged me. "Greet him."I set my jaw.Elio’s laughter grew louder. “She must be quite the handful if you had to beat her into su
MiaDesperation clawed at me, the walls of the room closing in like a vise. I glanced back at Elio, who was recovering quickly, his eyes now blazing with fury. The throbbing in my finger was relentless, but I couldn't let it distract me. I had to find another way out, and fast. My eyes darted around
She leaned against the bar.“Thank you for the flowers,” she said quietly. “What did you want to talk about?”I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I didn't expect it to be easy, but I had hoped for a slightly warmer reception.“There’s a lot we need to discuss. About us, about what happened, and
MiaNearly a month had passed since the raid, and life had settled into a new routine. I was working as a nurse, and the steady rhythm of the hospital shifts was both grounding and exhausting. Mom was at the penthouse on bedrest, recovering from her surgery, but her spirits were high. She had a job
"Everybody on the ground now!"Agents burst into the room, guns drawn. The attendees opened fire on them but they were overwhelmed.In the midst of the chaos, I spotted Dimitri, clutching his shoulder. Glaring at me, his face twisted in a mix of anger and fear. He tried to get toward the backdoors a
AlbertPolina was mingling with various guests, a smile plastered on her face that took over her whole face. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of frustration when I thought of her. She really thought this was going to go a certain way.I moved through the crowd avoiding her. I noticed several of Dimit
It was bittersweet and lonely and not the mood I needed to be in the day before all my plans would come to fruition.Ivan came into the study nearly an hour later, already dressed for bed. He poured himself a cup of whiskey and sat across the table from me.“I’ve been looking for places for Katie an
AlbertThat night, I found myself sitting across from a few government operatives in a discreet, dimly lit office. The atmosphere was tense as we went over the final elements of the plan, including the layout of the Kulak Estate.The operatives were efficient and to the point. Things were going well
I shook my head. "I don't have to explain myself to you."She set her jaw. "Because you can't.""Because it's none of your business. My relationship with Mia, whatever it is or was, has nothing to do with you. Leave her alone, Polina. I mean it."Polina’s face twisted with a mixture of hurt and disb
AlbertI set my jaw at the sound of the knock. It might be the whiskey, but I really wanted to kiss her. I was almost sure that she'd let me. I turned to answer the door. It was one of my subordinates with a report from Ivan.Definitely more important than almost kissing my soon-to-be ex-wife.Mia s
“How did you get here?” I asked. "I didn't think you had a casino in the city."He glanced around briefly before responding. His tone clipped but informative. “It was Elio’s. I'm doing my rounds.”I winced at that. I wanted to know what that meant and I didn't want to know. Had Elio just paid Albert