CamilaSneaking around the mansion, I feel like the eyes of every staff member are on me. They’re not who I’m avoiding though.I do my best to leave my room only for a quick meal and nothing else. It’s the only option I have until I figure out what to do. Mom gave me what I asked for—information—but the weight of it is crushing me.What do I do with the knowledge that my loving father isn’t really my father? This knowledge is a brutal beast hiding in the shadows, hunting me for some unknown purpose. Pandora’s Box must have been simpler than this.I haven’t processed the news. Not truly. It sits in my stomach like a boulder, and I have no tools to chip it apart. It’s lodged so firmly I barely have any appetite. I have to make myself eat. I rub my belly tenderly. It’s not just me I have to take care of.I’m nearly down the stairs to the first level when I see him.Asher is on his way up the steps, and he spots me before I can retreat from view. I’ve been avoiding him since our tense enc
AsherA walk under the stars doesn’t bring me clarity. It’s a spontaneous decision, one made from a desperate need to recalibrate my emotions. I don’t have a jacket on, and the night air scrapes over my skin, worming into my bones. It’s awful, but it’s still not enough to distract me from the chaos in my soul.I should have apologized sooner. Or more enthusiastically. Regrets are useless. I can’t escape them. The memory of her face, the way she shrank on the stairs, sends shame coursing through my soul. I kick the gravel on the path aimlessly as I wander through the grounds. I don’t watch where I’m going because it doesn’t matter.The only place I want to be is at her side.A sound reaches me. Looking up, I see that I’ve made it to the separate room on the other side of the mansion grounds. There’s light emanating from the window, and wind carries the sound of multiple voices to me.When I get closer, I recognize a few of my men through the glass. Nikolai, Iosif, and Mikhail are insid
CamilaIn the sunlight, the rose looks alive. I know it isn’t. It hasn’t been for some time. But with each little adjustment of it on my shirt collar, I have to stop and look closely before I remind myself that I’m seeing things.Please, give me strength.I turn the brooch once more—from my right side to the left. It doesn’t matter where I put it; I don’t plan to wear it out of my room. At this point, I’m simply delaying what I must do.I thought about it all night, tossing and turning until my blankets were sweaty. My anger at Asher made it easy to put distance between us. I strolled down the hall with my head held high, confident I was doing the right thing by sleeping in different rooms.Yet, when I got to my bedroom and the late hours crept in, I realized how awful it was to be alone. Asher had become something solid in this place. Without his warmth … the gentle patter of his heart under my arm as we cuddled … I was forced to remember where I was.What I was.His prisoner.It’s h
AsherThe instant Camila leaves, I fall limply into my chair.Fuck ...This news is a bombshell. The emotional part of me is concerned that she stormed off, calling me a liar, but the logical side of me is busy racing to think of ways this changes everything.Because everything has changed in an instant.Yannick is her father, I think, drawing my hand down my face. That explains everything. Why Yannick was hanging around her family studio after Stepan’s death. Why Yannick called to threaten me when he knew I took Camila. Why Yannick never showed up at the wedding.He’d never dare risk Camila in any potential crossfire. He’d rather slink back into the shadows than risk his own daughter’s life.How could I have been so stupid to not see this?But that’s when another thought hits me, and I sit forward with a start. Camila’s relationship with Yannick makes her powerful. She’s no longer “just a nobody,” as my brigadiers thought. Their opposition to my plan no longer holds weight.My frown
Her plump lips part. A whimper tumbles from her throat. Savage victory surges through me, and I quicken my own pace, curling my fingers inside her. She shudders against me, and she closes her eyes as she slides slightly down the door.“Look at me.” I place a searing kiss against her ear as I drink in her scent. My free hand fists in her hair. “Open those big, pretty eyes and look at me.”She does as I command, and I see hate burning in her gaze.But it’s not her hate I want. It’s her fear. Her obedience.Her mouth opens in a small O of surprise. I push my wet fingers into her mouth and open her legs with my knees. Instinctively, she sucks at my thick fingers, her eyes narrowing but never once leaving mine.“Look at you.” A cruel smile forms on my face. “You like this. You want this. You can’t get enough of this!”She tries to wrench her face away, but I hold her in place by her hair, my hand twisting again and again until her silken strands are twisted firmly around my fist.And then
Nipping her earlobe until she writhes against my fingers, I nuzzle her jaw. “I don’t care. I don’t think you do either.”She doesn’t respond. I can’t abide by her silence—I crave her voice, even if it’s just her crying out. Yanking on her hair like the reins of a filly that needs to be broken, I begin to move my hips, feeling the tight wetness inside until the first cry of pleasure bursts from her lips.Perfect.Pleasure rages inside me like a hurricane. But somewhere under the potent cloud of lust is the jagged dagger’s edge of reality. Camila doesn’t trust me. She thinks I’m using her … that we’re enemies.Perhaps she’s right.Maybe we always were.“M-mo—” she mewls.“What was that?” I growl into her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. I keep my thrusts nice and slow. My hand reaches down and spreads her pussy lips further apart as my thumb rubs her clit simultaneously. Her muscles ripple and flutter against my cock.“I said … I said m-more.” Camila stands on the balls of her feet, desp
CamilaI’ve never felt so certain that my mind is about to split in two.I want him ... I need him ...I fucking hate him.The things Asher has done to me that merit cutting him from my life are numerous. But with his cock pushing its way inside me, sending waves of pleasure that make my mouth water, it’s easy to justify them.It’s even easier to forget them.Throwing my head back, I dig my nails into his shoulders. His shirt blocks my traction; I yank at it until it’s over his head. With his skin exposed to me, I drag my fingers roughly over his back, creating red rows that make him hiss.I’ve never been elated at hurting someone before. But the thought that I can hurt him is addicting. I can’t focus enough to control it—and why should I try?When his cock forced its way into my mouth, it drove all thoughts out of my mind. When he forced me to swallow his cum, it made me crave more.I shouldn’t feel like this toward him. He’s a monster! He’s been tricking me since day one! Yet I can’
AsherThe ground moves beneath me like I’m on a ship at sea. I sway right, then left, my mind sloshing in my skull all the while. It’s a miracle I don’t stumble over my feet and land face-first in the grass.What have I done?Camila’s eyes enter my memory. They’re darkened by heat … by the filthy way I tainted her. I let out weeks, maybe years, of pent-up anger back there. I couldn’t control myself. Fuck, I didn’t want to. I knew I was a sinner, but to force my corrupt desires upon her was too much. If I could waltz into hell right now, I would.Instead, I storm past Kostya.He eyes me nervously as I pass. “Pakhan,” he starts, but I keep going, not hearing the rest of his words. Like a zombie, I wander until I’m moving through my office door. The correct thing to do—what a man with some goodness left in his heart would do—would be to go back out and apologize to Camila.She deserves that basic kindness.But when I drop into my chair, head thrown back, closing my eyes, I know I’m not g
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