CamilaThe pancakes have no flavor. From a distance, I watch myself lift a forkful of the tender batter into my mouth. It’s heavy on my tongue, like chewing a wet sweater, but I eat it anyway. Partly because I need my strength for what’s going to happen today. The other reason is I’m being watched.The young woman waiting by the doorway of the breakfast nook is wearing similar garb to Layla. Hers is lighter in shade, more sienna than soil, but the dress falls to the same length on her wrists and ankles. She keeps her hair in a pair of blonde braids that reach her clavicle, and unlike Layla, she doesn’t have a trace of jewelry on that I can see.Even if she’s got rosy cheeks, I know a sentry when I see one.“You don’t have to stand there,” I tell her. “I’m not going to vanish.”She stiffens like a bolt of lightning hit the top of her head. “Oh! No! I don’t think—It’s just that, um, Mr. Volkov, wanted me to make sure you had everything you needed.”I’m not seated in the same dining room
Reaching into the pocket of her gray dress, she hands me a small gold wrapper. “Eat. The sugar will help.”Opening the tiny package, I see it’s a hard caramel candy. My mother used to give me these when I was little. Sucking on the candy refuels my energy. “Thank you.”Layla settles beside me on the sofa. She folds her hands neatly on her knees. “You’re troubled about the marriage.”My chuckle is stale and mirthless. “Was it that obvious?”“You must remember that this is all to defeat Yannick.”“Asher said that, yes.”“It’s the truth.”“He also said I’ll be free when it’s over with.” I keep my voice casual. “What if getting rid of him takes a long time? Months or even years.”Layla’s smile is surprisingly tender. “One must do unthinkable things for survival, child.”My molars crack the candy in two; I chew it loudly. “I’m not a child.”“No,” she agrees, looking out at the dresses. “You’re a woman who must choose what she’ll wear to her wedding. That’s not a task for the weak-hearted.”
AsherWalking through my rose garden is a habit of mine. There’s nothing here but the sky above and green leaves from every angle. Free of distractions, it’s my favorite place to go when I need to think. I’ve come here a lot lately.Why did Layla send me away? I was pissed at the audacity of her command. But one look at the severity in her eyes, and I knew there was a reason for her to throw me out. Thinking back, I recall the way that Camila was acting. The dimple at the base of her throat was flexing madly as she stared at the dresses. She can act strong all she wants, but I know what fear looks like. I was raised around it.“—incredible tits!” a male voice cackles.“I know, man, I saw them,” another replies.The voices come from just ahead of me, where the garden circles a small water fountain. I recognize two of my soldiers. Slowing down, I peer around the corner, confirming it’s Kostya and Niro. They’re leaning on the weather-worn stones that make up the vase shape of the fountai
CamilaI open my eyes, blearily gazing around my bedroom. At first, I don’t notice the young woman hovering at my bedside. When I do, I throw my blankets back and fall off the mattress with a scream.“Please.” She lifts her hands to show she’s not armed. “Calm down!”“Who are you?” I demand, rising to my feet, clutching my silver silk nightgown. “What do you want?”The woman is my age, or close to it. She’s wearing the same starched dress that every other staff member wears. Her pale blonde hair, light as corn fibers, makes her tan skin seem richer. “Miss, I’m Masha. I’m your attendant this morning.”“My what?” Looking from side to side nervously, in case there are others hiding in my room, I approach her around my bed. “I don’t need an attendant.”“Of course you do.” She blinks, giving me a stare that hints she thinks I’m the weird one. “You’re the future wife of Mr. Volkov.”Hearing that makes my whole body flush. “So what? He’s the boss here, not me.”“Miss … you’re my boss as well
AsherI’m sipping from a cup of coffee in the small library on the first floor. I don’t trust anyone not to spill on the old books. Their yellowed pages pack decades of stories that can’t be replaced. I’m the only person in the mansion who cares about these things. Thus, I’m the only one with the luxury of enjoying a good drink among the shelves.Setting the mug down on the table, I flip the textured paper over, starting to read the next line, when a series of loud footsteps alerts me. Lifting my eyes, I watch Camila marching toward me. She’s moving with purpose, her head low, arms pumping. There’s a gracefulness in her steps, and my eyes are drawn to her long legs.“I want to see your phone,” she says firmly as she stops in front of me.My eyebrows arch up at her bossy tone. “I see Layla’s lessons are rubbing off on you.”Camila’s pretty mouth turns down at the corners. Her voice comes out gentler—as if she’s trying to show remorse, which is very unlike her.“Sorry,” she says. “I jus
CamilaThe dopamine high I’m on lasts a whole day.He’s going to let me keep the studio!Well, not keep it keep it; he still plans on owning it. But that’s only paperwork. The dance studio won’t be bulldozed. It will remain as it was. My memories of that place—and by extension of my father—won’t be turned to dust. He’ll probably pay for upgrades too! He wants to turn a profit, and I know I can do that with a little extra help. I can’t wait until I can go back to teach the students. Mom will faint at the news.But why did Asher have a change of heart? I’ve been trying to figure it out since the conversation ended. All I did was tell him the truth about my father. Asher, normally as frozen as an Alaskan mountain, softened as he listened. The sternness around his mouth melted away. He didn’t look like the man who threw me inside a car or held me down on a kitchen table by my throat.Asher looked … human.“Miss, your bath is ready,” Ollie calls out.Moving from my bed to the bathroom, I m
CamilaI wake up thinking about the nursery.Pulling my blanket over my head, I hold my breath, trying to push the thoughts away. Why is that room abandoned? There’s no other way to look at it. The layer of dust on every surface screamed neglect. Why would Asher have a place like that in his home? Layla doesn’t let her staff leave smudges on the drinking glasses. For her to ignore?—Layla!Throwing the blanket off me, I jump to my feet. Flush with purpose, I quickly dress myself and then hurry out into the hallway. If anyone knows something, it’s her. Whether she’ll tell me anything is up in the air, but I’m too curious not to try.Searching the mansion up and down, I finally spot her through a window near the front door. She’s bent over, looking at something in the lush grass near the garden. Jogging to the entrance, I turn the knob and open the door without hesitation.A thick man with a shaved head is waiting on the top step. He’s playing on his phone. When he notices me, he goes r
AsherLayla is standing at the end of the hall. She’s facing a painting, pretending to study the swirling brushstrokes that create the colorful grapevines.“There she is,” I say. “The little spy herself.”“I was doing what you did before, overhearing.”I scoff at her bravado. “It’s good that I did.”Layla turns toward me, her face emotionless. “Oh?”A bark of a laugh explodes out of me. I ruffle my hair. “I told her the truth.”“You did?”“Yes. I can’t believe it either. I’m still shocked at how easy it was. The words just spilled out of me, Layla. Why was it no trouble to tell her about Kristina?”The stiffness in her face blends away until she’s smiling kindly. Her shoes glide across the runner, not disturbing a single fiber. She’s able to move with the grace of a deer. Placing her hand lightly on my wrist, Layla widens her smile.“It was easy because Camila has given you a new purpose.”I withdraw from her touch. “Explain.”“Ever since Kristina died, you’ve been adrift in an ocean
CamilaThree years laterI'm going to be late!It's the one thing I was dead set on avoiding. I'd looked Asher in the eye this morning, kissing him as I climbed into my car, and assured him I would definitely be on time for our date.How arrogant of me.It's not my fault, the Nutcracker performance is in just two weeks. It's our biggest show and it has to be perfect. It's baffling that in just a few years my studio has blown up to be recognized as the top ballet studio in the state. Maybe the entire coast, though I try not to let my ego get wind of that.But none of that matters. Today is about celebrating my three-year anniversary with Asher.Which is why I should NOT be late. Ugh.Driving through downtown, I take a familiar road that I'd be able to navigate in the dark. Street lamps being out because someone busted the glass with a rock for fun wouldn't be strange—in the past, that is.Big globe lights propped on black poles dot the entire sidewalk, glowing like a row of tiny moons
CamilaHe leaps across the room, his reflection copying him in the floor to ceiling mirrors. One spin, a second and a third, before he bends forward, arms stretching long enough they give him the illusion of being taller than he is.When he finishes his last pirouette, Roman faces me with his eyes ablaze. Some of his dark hair is stuck to his forehead.I clap enthusiastically. "That was wonderful, Roman!"His smile deepens his dimples. There's pride on his face, but his voice still has the fragility of an unsure child. "Thanks. But I keep messing up on the pivot.""You'll get it, just keeping trying."Cocking his head, he frowns to himself. Looking in the mirror he does a few quick half-bends, like he's testing my theory. "You're sure that's enough?"Putting my hands on his shoulders from behind, I study our reflections. Roman has changed in a short amount of time. It began the night he was forced to witness his father's death. The kindness that was always in his heart has crawled ful
AsherI've been lucky enough to see many beautiful things in my lifetime. Expert oil paintings, hand crafted statues, flowers that took years to cultivate into a special shade of maroon.Camila outshines all of them.I'm knuckle deep inside of her, my other hand cupping her left breast and teasing her hard nipple. She's mewling beneath me, the sound of it making me wild. My cock is hard enough that it hurts. A moment ago, she was jerking me off through my trunks, but she's too busy coming to do anything but quiver.Turning her brain and body into mush is addicting. She's the strongest, most intelligent woman I've ever known, but in my touch she falls apart. The power of that... it thrills a dark part of my soul, a hungry, primal piece of me that wants to conquer.Camila tries to look at me—her sunglasses are gone, and her face is scrunched up in the sunlight. I lift an arm over her head to create shade, lowering my face to hers in a passionate kiss. This works even better because she
Asher spins me in a circle, and to my personal horror, I stumble. Catching myself, I narrow my eyes, my competitive nature roaring to life. I haven't made a mistake on a dance floor since I was a child. "You're alright," I tell him lightly.His chuckle is razor sharp. "Just alright?""Were you trained?" I ask, my feet tapping around his, matching his pace. His palm smooths over my hip, grazing my thigh as he lifts my leg to hook onto his middle. It's not fair that he can throw me off balance with sexy moves like this. I try to maintain a cold expression, but it's impossible when he dips me low, his face inches from mine.His teeth glint in the fairy lights strung above. "I taught myself.""Bullshit," I scoff.The smugness in his laugh creates hot swirls in my heart. "So you are impressed.""Fine, maybe a little."That time, his laugh is warmer—kinder. It coaxes a smile out of me. Hoisting me up to my feet, he holds me close, our bodies swaying in unison. "It should come as no shock th
"After," he says, kissing the top of my breasts. "When we're done."A single finger rolls down my spine; he unclips the bra, yanking it off my arms by the straps. I don't know where it ends up after that.His hands palm over my naked breasts, covering them fully. He pushes inward, my soft skin pressing through the gaps of his fingers as my chest overflows from the pressure. Gasping, I toss my head back, enduring the hard jolt of delicious pleasure. My nipples firm and dig into his palms; he loosens his hold, making light circles over my nipples, playing with me until I see stars."Oh!” I moan. “Yes.”I rub myself against his pelvis, ramping the speed, the force, until I expect smoke to start forming. The friction is perfect on my clit. If I keep at it, I'll come just from this. He hikes my skirt up, rolling my panties downward. I'm not satisfied by this; the texture of my skirt is too much for my sensitive skin. I rip it up, over my chest, until it comes over my head.Asher stops movi
CamilaI've never seen so many shades of blue and green. The ocean is like a stained-glass painting, stretching for endless miles until the border merges with the cerulean sky, making it impossible to tell them apart. It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen.But I can't enjoy it, not with my heart wedged in my throat."Are we almost there?" I yell over the buzz of the sea-plane's engine.The white and red plane looked sturdy when I first laid my eyes on it. Now, though, with the air yanking at the wings, jolting the plane from side to side, I feel like it’s about to split in two. I wish it was as big as the one we took to the main airport. The flight to the Maldives was long, but thanks to Asher splurging for first class, quite comfortable.This is anything but that."Excuse me?" I yell louder, trying to get the pilot's attention. "I asked how much longer until we're at the Reethi Rah resort?""It's okay, Camila." Asher gives my hand a squeeze, pulling me closer to him in our seats
Asher"It's taken months, but I think we’re finally about to root out all of the corrupt cops on Yannick's payroll," Jonah says as he paces in front of his window. It's a new office, one that's on a higher floor and bigger than the last.Whatever his complaints about me, our connection has helped lift him up in his career.I nod as he finishes talking."Thank you for working so hard at this.""Please, it's my pleasure," he chuckles, spreading his arms. "With the new police commissioner's help, this city will be scraped clean. This is a day that’s been decades in the making."Camila casts me a sly look from where she's sitting across the room. She sits everywhere now, her stomach jutting out as the baby threatens to come each new day. Her eyebrows wiggle; she's trying to tell me that Jonah is a piece of work. I agree."What happens now?" I ask him."All the paperwork is being organized, the records of the Grachev Bratva should be corrected in time. But you need to keep a close lid on t
CamilaMy toes are perfectly pointed as I strut across the stage. A simple ankle-turn and I'm pivoting, another and another and I'm a flurry of motion, my white tutu fluffing like a dandelion on the breeze. I was born to dance. I know this in my soul.Curtains flutter around me, brushing me as if they want to hold me close. The only person I want a hug from is the man sitting in the audience.Dad beams proudly, never taking his eyes off of me.I'm so glad I decided to do this performance! I'd been terrified when Mom suggested it, the moves were advanced for a ten-year-old like me, but she would always click her tongue and insist that she did ballet like this when she was my age.But Dad?He caught me fretting in the studio, staring at myself awkwardly in the tall mirrors. He'd come to me, knelt, and told me not to be afraid of the stage. Even if you make a mistake, it won't matter to me. If you get nervous, just look for me in the audience, malyshka.Lunging forward, I hold my breath,
AsherNight has become day from the fires of the chattering rifles. Each time a muzzle flashes I can see the face of the man firing it. Whether an enemy or one of my own boeviki, they all have the same feral expression.Everyone is fighting for their life.Including me."This way," I urge Camila, holding her by her wrist. We wasted enough time hovering inside the front door of Yannick's hideaway. I had to get my bearings, but I know we can't linger. As helpful as this chaos is, someone is bound to come and check on Yannick.Not every one of his men is a corrupt cop, some are as loyal to him as my own brigadiers.Camila tugs backwards. "Wait!""No time," I argue, stopping on the front step. She's gawking at the fighting behind me. Her eyes shine with flashes of guns going off, the sound loud in my skull. Katinka and Roman crouch behind her. They're just as afraid. "If we stay here, we'll be found, and then?—"The wood of the door-frame explodes next to my ear. Splinters stab into my te