She shook her head. After a few stops, Katie finally relaxed slightly, though her eyes remained vigilant.“We should be okay for now,” she said, her voice low. “We lost them, I think."She looked at me. "You turned off the app, right?"I blinked at her and nodded, lying as I started to put it togeth
MiaI couldn't believe my ears."What?"Katie finished her drink and tapped the bar for another. I offered her mine and she drank it."I know! "He's the best boyfriend I've ever had, but I... When I saw him, I just..."I reached out and placed a comforting hand on hers. “You don’t have to have all t
Lorenzo's grin widened as he reached the bar, his eyes glinting with a dangerous gleam. He seemed to relish the discomfort he was causing and it could only get worse.“Well, well,” Lorenzo drawled, his tone dripping with malice. “What do we have here? Mia, I didn’t expect to see you in a place like
LorenzoI was seated in a secluded booth at what used to be Elio's club, now the Volka's by right of conquest. The dim, pulsating lights and the throbbing bass of the music and the curvy whore in my lap did little to brighten my mood. I was on a shit ton of painkillers and drinking and yet everythin
“No. Let's go, Katie."Katie, leaning heavily against the bar, mumbled incoherently, her eyes barely open. I reached out, trying to rouse her, but her inebriation made it nearly impossible.Or... she was drugged.Oh, god. Was she drugged?Lorenzo’s expression hardened. “Come on, Mia. It’s just one d
AlbertI entered the club with Ivan at my side, my anger simmering. The place reeked of desperation, sweat, and cheap cologne. Ivan’s face was set in a grim expression, matching my own. We didn’t exchange a word as we pushed through the throngs of people, who quickly parted out of our way.This had
Again.“Mia,” I said softly, trying to keep her awake. “Which hand did Lorenzo use to hit you?”She frowned, trying to remember, but it was clear she couldn’t. “I… I don’t know…” she murmured, her voice weak.“It’s fine,” I assured her, though my anger was anything but. “It’s all going to be fine.”
LorenzoHumiliation burned through me as Albert and his men walked out, leaving me broken and bleeding. The pain from my severed hands was unbearable, but it was nothing compared to the sting of disgrace.My men moved quickly when they were gone, trying to stop the bleeding with makeshift bandages.
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