CamilaYannick is staring at his hands. He links his fingers, twists them, creating every possible position his joints can manage.“Once upon a time,” he starts, “I had a son. Pyotr.” His eyes close like someone threw salt in them, his lips making a sour frown. “I loved him more than anything or anyone in this world.”He had another son? The past tense is a megaphone. My blood seems to thicken in my veins.Fondness enters his eyes, warming them. “Pyotr was always a wild child. That’s natural, of course. He was a prince of the Bratva, and my future heir.” His hands twist, the brittle mood returning tenfold. “Back then, Asher was my brigadier. I trusted him with everything. With my life and my son’s life.”My stomach drops out from beneath me. I know where this is going, and I need to stop it. I want to clasp my hands over his mouth or run away while covering my ears. But I can’t move, and Yannick presses on.“He was supposed to keep my boy safe.” Those hands wring until all the blood f
AsherShe’s safe.So many things have become uncertain as of late, especially as my world flipped upside down over and over again. But from the second I jump from my car and wrap my arms around Camila, familiar certainty surrounds me once more.She is safe.A part of me knows that she won’t be forever, not while Yannick is allowed to run free. But in this moment, it’s enough. Cupping the back of her head, I stroke her hair while my eyes search the playground. There’s no one here but us. Unable to convince myself, I look again, scouring bushes, trees, and even the distant buildings fringing the area. My ears strain for the sound of Yannick’s wretched voice.But still, nothing.My hand slows its stroking of Camila’s hair. “He wasn’t lying.”“What do you mean?” she asks, turning her face upward at me.I relax my grip enough for her to shimmy out from it, even though it pains me to do so. “He sent me a text telling me to come here and get you,” I explain. I didn’t think it was real.Somew
CamilaI don’t have a home anymore.That’s the only thought running through my head as I stare up at the familiar sight of Asher’s mansion. The car rumbles along the driveway. The spiked gates look exactly as I remember. The yards with trimmed grass, the distant rose garden, the extravagant water fountains, and the perfect painted exterior …Nothing has changed since I was here.But I have.Both Yannick and my mother are vying for my attention inside my head. Each of them whispers their own warning in the back of my mind.He was supposed to keep my boy safe. And instead, he killed him.Our monsters may wear different faces. But they’re the same.I want to silence the voices in my head, but I can’t.Once we park, Asher clambers out to help me from the car. I ignore him to step out on my own. A wave of déjà vu washes over me. It feels just like the first time I arrived here. I rejected his offer that time as well. The only thing missing is the blindfold he placed over my eyes.His face
Our monsters may wear different faces. But they’re the same.He has done to you what Yannick did to me.Placing my palm on my stomach, I remember the sound of my baby’s heartbeat. Our baby’s heartbeat. It’s different ... We’re different ... Asher isn’t Yannick.Isn’t he?Frowning, I strip down and climb into the tub. The water is on the edge of scalding, but it’s exactly what I want. I welcome the heat, hoping that it offers the distraction I need. But no matter how deeply I sink into the water, no matter how deeply its heat penetrates me, my worries refuse to vanish.The only way to know is to find out the truth about Pyotr.I need to know if Asher murdered a child.You can always ask him … my own voice whispers. But I can’t. I won’t know that he’s not going to spin me another web of lies. Even though Asher said he wouldn’t ever tell me lies, the fact that he kept Pyotr out of his story is enough to shake my belief in him.I don’t want to be scared of asking, but this dread I’m feeli
AsherIf I could live the rest of my life with my hands never leaving Camila’s body, I would. The space between us—tiny as it is—is pure agony. It leaves me feeling cold, as if I’m being covered in black frost. But I have to endure the distance for a few seconds longer, just enough time that I can slip the prayer beads onto her wrist again.Camila lifts her arm and looks at the wooden beads with an inscrutable expression in her eyes. Seeing them on her wrist again slows my heartbeat somewhat. It looks right. It feels right. And I can’t help feeling the same thought that rushed through my head during our wedding:Somewhere along the way, Camila became mine.Not just as something to possess, but as someone to treasure.To shield.To protect.To love.The thought goads me to action. I close the tiny gap between us, positioning myself over her on the bed. As soon as I do, I embrace her again, tightening my grip around her back and waist.“God, I missed you,” I whisper into her hair.Her t
CamilaSettling on top of him, my thighs on either side of his hips, I tease his shaft behind my back. I’m fascinated by his face. His expression is one of wanton joy. I can feel his hands tighten their grip against mine, as if he’s on the verge of fighting me for control.Suddenly, I feel nervous. I’m too aware of my belly and how it’s starting to protrude. The bump is subtle, but at this angle, I can see it clearly. The pregnancy is starting to change me, and although I have never been a shallow person, I’m feeling very much not in my own skin.What is he thinking? He said I was beautiful, but ...Asher speaks, interrupting my thoughts. “Stop it.”I startle. “What?”“Stop doubting yourself,” he replies. “I can see it in your eyes. You’re thinking about how you look. Stop it.”Blushing, I do the opposite and think more. I release his hands and circle my arms around to block his view of my naked body.Asher snarls, gripping my wrists to force my hands away.“Asher—”“Never hide yourse
AsherThe meeting is arranged quickly. Calling Adriana was the first hurdle, because as soon as she heard from Camila, neither of them could talk between the shouting and crying. It took longer than expected for her to convince Jonah to escort her to my mansion.Evidently, he’s not as sold on seeing Camila in person as Adriana is. I suspect seeing her is a reminder that his way failed, and not because he was unable to protect her. It makes me respect him a lot less. But this isn’t about him.The meeting was supposed to start ten minutes ago. But for the last fifteen minutes, Adriana has clutched Camila in her arms, alternating between crying and chiding her.“I thought you were dead!” she sobs for what seems like the millionth time.Smiling indulgently, Camila pets her hair. She catches my eye, and I give her a look. We’re running short on time here. She fixes me with one of her own that tells me to relax. But it’s hard for me to do that.Especially because Jonah keeps tapping his pen
CamilaThe mansion has a surplus of rooms that are decorated but unused. Lately, the whole place feels like a ghost house. Things moving, being rearranged, but no people actually seen. I haven’t spoken to any guards or much of the staff since being back. It’s like they’re avoiding me.Or maybe I’m subconsciously avoiding them ... I haven’t been the most approachable person. My mind is fixated on my mother, my baby, and nothing else. I’d avoid me too, I think.Adriana glances around, then locks the door. We’re alone, but her voice is a whisper.“Okay.” She pats the small, double-seated brown leather couch, sitting once I do. “What’s so important that you pulled me away?”Preparing myself to rattle off a hundred things, I’m surprised when I can’t manage a single word. There’s too much to discuss, and it’s all tangling up on my tongue now that the chance to speak is finally here. Breathing out a few times, I try to calm myself.“It’s funny. I don’t even know where to start now,” I say, l
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