AsherKostya’s car is sticky from blood. Mila is slumped against the passenger door, her eyes open but staring blankly into the ethers. “How did the cops know?” she whispers.I don’t have an answer. My mind has been too tangled to puzzle it out yet.We roll through the gates of my mansion. Every rocking motion of the car sends new waves of pain through my leg. I wiggle my toes to make sure my foot hasn’t gone numb.Kostya jumps out of the driver’s seat. I see him through the window as he sprints to the front doors. I heard him on the phone as we sped here at top speed, so I’m not shocked when Layla, Dr. Helsan, and a few other staff and soldiers I left behind rush toward us.I don’t look at any of them.I only have eyes for Camila.She runs faster than the rest, her hair whipping behind her like a kite. Even at a distance, I spot the red rims of her swollen eyes. She’s been crying. Her lips make the shape of a single word.“Asher!” she sobs, ripping the door open beside me. Carelessly
CamilaIt’s bright outside, and oddly sunny for winter. The glare through the car’s windshield blinds me at certain angles. Asher’s sunglasses make it hard to catch the way his eyes skirt toward me before returning to the road.“Where are we going?”There’s a wisp of a smirk on his lips. “You’ll see.”“Why can’t you just say?” I ask.“Because the point of a surprise is to be surprised, ptichka.”I roll my eyes, but truthfully, I’m delighted. It’s clear he’s enjoying himself, so this “surprise” must be good. Plus, the last surprise like this involved me getting a bucket-list item of a ballet performance of a lifetime. What could he be cooking up?Having something to take my mind off how stressful the last months have been is a welcome change. It’s only been a few days since Asher’s foiled assault on the Winter Palace. From browsing the internet on my phone, I was able to find out that the news reported the incident as the cops intervening in some massive organized crime feud. Listening
AsherThe footage scrolls in reverse. I stop it periodically, staring so hard at the screen that my vision blurs. Camila peers over my shoulder while the man in front of me, tapping his computer keyboard, hunches ever closer to the screen.Nothing ... Nothing ... Come on ...“Asher, what is all this?” she asks.After leaving the in-progress dance studio, I didn’t say much about what she sparked in me. I was busy formulating the plan while my excitement grew higher and higher. It’s a miracle we didn’t get stopped for speeding.I rushed into the mansion, cornering the short, bearded man who often reminds me of a Schnauzer dog: Matvey, the tech guy who’s in charge of all my networks. I texted him while driving back. Now, he’s bent over his double monitors while I lean in close enough to smell his shampoo.“Asher,” Camila prods again. “Talk to me.”“When you mentioned the security camera, I remembered the ones Mila and I shot outside the Winter Palace.” I tap Matvey on the shoulder. “Slow
AsherWith my hand still on her stomach, I kiss her with the slightest of pressure—lighter than a leaf on a pond. Bit by bit, I sink in harder until our teeth touch. Her throat flexes, air leaving her nose in an intoxicating shudder. Kissing her never gets stale. I can taste her mouth for hours, perhaps days, the pair of us taking breaks only for water. I picture it now—the kind of lazing in bed a newly married couple does on their honeymoon.We never had one.Of course not … It would have made no sense then. But now it pains me like an itch I can’t quite sate. I want to spoil Camila. I want to see her stretched out on the sand with the blue water rolling behind her, her skin soaking up the sun. We’d fuck right then and there until both of us were red with sunburn, and then we’d retreat inside for round two.“Asher,” she moans, opening her mouth wider, allowing me to sweep my tongue inside. My thumb on her jaw treads over the angle until I reach her ear. Curling a hand firmly into her
CamilaI hope none of the webcams on the array of computers are recording.If they are, they’re getting quite the show.The chair rolls over the floor, creating a pendulum that Asher uses to fuck me mercilessly. My throat is raw from constant shouting. I’m not saying anything of substance, my mind devoted to focusing on the intense twinges of pleasure his cock delivers. His hips crank backward then forward, each thrust making my pussy tingle. The way he’s moving forces my clit to grind on his skin.I look up at the lavish sight above me. Asher is perfection made human.Like a perpetual motion machine, he fucks me in the chair.“Oh God,” I breathe, my toes cramping. “I’m close. Fuck, I’m going to come!”“Then come.” He shows his teeth as he grimaces, focusing through his own passion. His eyes are wicked embers burning into my soul, seeing how I’m about to climax on his cock. He knows me. He knows all of me. There’s no hiding from this man. “Come for me, Camila. Hold nothing back! It’s
CamilaThe sun is setting when he leaves. Our goodbye is brief, too brief, both of us lingering by the front door as he checks his guns under his jacket. He’s counting bullets. Dutifully making sure the safety is on and that his weapons are where he wants them in easy reach. He flips them out multiple times, testing his speed before holstering again. Meticulous to his core.Asher is going to save my mother. Last time he tried, he came back injured.This time he could come back in a casket.“Wait,” I say, grabbing his wrist on impulse. He’s cracked the door, letting crisp air that warns of a winter storm creep inside the house. It feels like a bad omen. I grip him tighter. “Take Mila.”He shakes his head patiently, like he’s already explained why he can’t. “She’s still recovering.”“At least take some backup?—”“I told you, the fewer people I bring, the better.” His eyes grow big and gentle. “Camila, I know you’re nervous. But this is the best way to do this.”The best way would be to
AsherIt’s colder than a grave as the snow falls, muffling the world.This weather is fitting. Dark deeds are best done in conditions like this.I park my car about half a mile from Yannick’s house. It should be ignored on the street the way any other car would be, especially after nightfall. Plus, the drifts of snow will disguise it. Every car is going to look the same under the thick white blankets soon enough.Taking a page from Mila’s book, I’ve dressed in pure black, from my jacket to my boots. Moving like her is more of a challenge. Even if my leg injury wasn’t sending a dull ache that forced me not to put my full weight on it, I could never slip as silently as she does through the shadows.I don’t need to be an assassin. I just need to bust inside without getting caught first.Yannick might have multiple guards around his property. I’ve considered what I’ll do if I’m up against too many targets—which is a strong possibility. If I act quickly and covertly, I might manage to kill
CamilaHeadlights glow like a pair of wolf eyes as they pass through the gate. They skirt along the ground, predicting the path of the car seconds before its tires roll along, where it halts in front of the house. It’s been over an hour since Asher left to save my mother, and I haven’t breathed easily since.What happened? Did he rescue my mom? Did he kill Yannick?Did he kill Roman?I need to know the answer to that final question as much as I need oxygen to keep my lungs working. I need to know just how far Asher is willing to go.I can’t build a future with a child murderer. I just can’t.The driver’s door opens in a wide swing. Asher steps out, his movements stiff and slow. With his hand gripping the car roof, he cranes his neck until he’s looking at my bedroom window. My light is on, so he can see my silhouette. His posture doesn’t ease up. If anything, he looks more distressed. From this distance, there’s no mistaking the hollowness in his eyes.Mom isn’t with him.He failed in