The clouds? The meadows? The sunrise?Those were jokes compared to the intensity of fiery furnaces, boiling blood, and hearts banging from heated passion. At least, that was what I believed this moment to be—this moment where I was trapped in time with a sinfully beautiful man who could be my destruction.My black mourning gown was pooled at our feet, laying still beside my lace bra while I stood before him naked with nothing but my hair for cover. Unlike most girls my age, I didn’t like thongs. They were most uncomfortable, and I thought Nikolai would mind, but he’d hastily tugged my panties down my legs, almost ripping them off before lifting me and placing me on the soft rug.His hungry gaze burned every inch of me, from my face and my pebbled breasts to the low-shaven mound between my legs. I wished I could see through the unreadable granite expression on his face to know if he liked what he saw.I wasn’t as tall as most of the girls men like himhungwith or curvy enough to catch a
No compliments.“I guess that’s safer.” I lay back down, breathing harshly, waiting in anticipation while he tore the wrap, with my eyes glued to the ceiling and white-golden lights. Then, I accidentally murmured, “Can’t believeyouwalk around with a condom in your pocket.”“Oh, but I do.” I could almost hear the sardonic smile in his voice. “Just in case some random sister of an enemy walks up to me to join her fora glass of winewith the proposal to kidnap her.”He might not have meant what I heard, but I heard it anyway. I practically threw myself at this man. And before I was given a chance to change my mind, he eased inside me.My nails flew to his arm, and I gasped at the same time he caressed my hip and muttered a tortured but satisfied, “Fuck.”He muttered more Russian under his breath, rubbing my hips, sliding his hand up to cup one of my breasts. His eyelids grew heavier. He moved his hips again, and his lashes fluttered before his eyes closed.“Fucking…good….”The penetration
NikolaiThe last time I fucked a woman, I forgot what it felt like the second I pulled out of her. It was an empty void, a chasm that allowed the chill to echo through. Nothing but hard grunts and screams of pleasure. She’d begged for more, but I was done. And I’d been done for a while until...her.The Irish princess walked into the picture with no makeup, a simple dress, fluffy slippers, and a killer smile that ruined my night in the most unimaginable way possible. I’d never have thought such a night possible.Eyes glued to the ceiling, I kicked my legs up, lay back on the sectional sofa, and knotted my fingers over my groin, rewinding the events of last night. My jaw and fingers clenched. I wanted to stop thinking about it. Aboutallof it. How her petite body quivered in my arms, how sweet she tasted and felt. The smell of perfumed oil on her hair and fair skin. Tiny, dark beauty birthmarks scattered across her back in an eerie symmetric pattern that rivaled a masterful work of cosmi
Rosalyn Ronan’s pale skin was ablaze with a fierce, burning redness reminiscent of smoldering coals when I walked in, tucking my purse between my arm, with Hannah following quietly behind. The tall double doors to the living room clicked shut behind me, and I clasped my fingers together, waiting for it. The inevitable storm. The house should have been quaking now, the floors trembling under the angry stomps of his polished leather shoes as he marched up to me to yell at my incompetence and spit on my face. The maids and guards should have peeked through the windows, shaking their heads with false pity, while they watched as he yanked on my hair and dragged me up the stairs to my room. But he just sat there, glaring at me like he desired nothing more than to wrangle my throat. I was about to wonder why he couldn’t when I noticed the older man seated on the couch across from him. At the sight of his crooked lips smiling mischievously at me, my indifference flared to hate. Trist
Nikolai“Ace did good with this place. He probably didn’t want to answer queries concerning the money Niko put into it.”Anatoly laughed, baring full teeth as he threw his head back to take down a shot from a full tumbler, and though he found it amusing, Timur barely allowed a smile to grow on his face while he reshuffled the crystal-flared shooter glasses on the table to refill them. His biceps flexed under his coffee-brown suit, and the dancing lights from the flashbulbs bounced off his buzz cut.The mood was light, the energy was high, and it made the men loosen up a bit.“How much did he give ‘em?”“Almost a hundred grand.”Timur was impressed, and this time, he didn’t hide it. He straightened on the velvety sofa with a smug grin. Anatoly stretched for another refill. “He’s practically the owner.”“You could say that.”I glanced at the Rolex strapped on my wrist, and my eyes snapped to them. “You both know I am in the same fucking room, right?”Strobe lights pulsed like a freneti
But unlike before, when we’d rate our conquests and decide whether or not to see them again, that night with Rosalyn felt…like nobody else’s fucking business. I remembered that darn concern in her eyes, her naivety, and the soft shudders of her breath in my ears, and I got hit with an unexplainable urge of protectiveness.When I kept mute, he deduced his own answer and fired off another question. “How exactly does she want you to save her?”“She wants me to kidnap her before the wedding day.”Suspicious masked his expression on his face. “Sheaskedyou to kidnap her?”Irritation flooded my chest and rose in my throat like bitter bile.“Am I supposed to repeat myself?”He leaned forward, dropping his glass to show me how dead-serious he was. The corner of his lips turned to a firm, disapproving frown, and in that split second, he looked a lot like his father.“Niko, that’s madness. There’s nothing logical about the sister of an enemy willingly offering herself to be kidnapped. Don’t tell
The princess that wanted to run away so badly looked rather comfortable snuggled up to the side of the beast. We made eye contact, and she blushed, her cheeks assuming the fiery color of her hair. I struggled to keep my eyes on her face when all they wanted was to feast on that illusion gown that hugged her body like second skin. Every dip and curve and decent show of skin revved a sudden interest, a sudden burning sensation that threatened to drive me insane. When her gaze touched my arm wrapped over Katherine’s waist, she froze.“If it isn’t the notorious Nikolai Yezhov himself.” Tristan’s extended hand reminded me that he was present. I took his wrinkly hand in a firm shake and let go. “I heard about Onyx’sopening but never expected to see you here in person. I see you came here to unwind then.”His eyes lingered on Katherine. “This is Katherine Davis, a friend and business partner.”It might have been a figment of my imagination, but the princess visibly relaxed after I introduced
RosalynFather was not just a strict parent. He was a total disciplinarian, and to some, maybe a terror. He was a no-nonsense perfectionist who dedicated hours to making sure the expected results were as excellent as he wanted. But even with that tough exterior, he allowed me to dream beyond the life he had. He never restricted me to the walls he built or tried to kill my hope when we joked about careers, family, and having friends.I was six when he told me he wouldn’t allow me to get close to boys until I was twenty. He was that protective. After his death, I imagined what he would have said to the man who managed to win my heart. Knowing Father, he would have threatened him before agreeing to give him my hand. There were some nights when I was holed up in my room, and I’d picture myself in a flowing white dress, a flower tiara, and white sparkly heels in Father’s arms as we walked down the aisle.In those imaginations, the sun shone down on me, the wedding guests cheered and whistl
I got up from the chair, walking past Arlo to the door as I watched them both. Like the colors of a rainbow, my brother had different sides. He had his days: good ones, bad ones, crazy ones, and bloody ones. I didn’t trust him to keep his cool with this foolishly brave girl. But fuck interfering. I wasn’t going to stop him.Whatever he decided was going to be her fate. She was his problem to deal with now.“Let him do whatever he wants. My only concern is those two.”“But Enzo….”“I’ll blow his fucking head off if it comes down to the worst.” I was unbothered, and I made sure he understood that.“You know what? Forget your fucking brother….” The Italian and Rafa were still at it. “You’rethe piece of shit, you crazy fuck! Who stands in the middle of the road with a gun anyway? My papa’s going to have your head for this!”“Boy, am I going to enjoy killing you. You called me a dog. Pleased to inform you that I barely bark; I fucking bite.” Theshinkechoed in the room, and silver pressed a
TimurI adjusted the gloves against my wrist and tossed the syringe to the floor while I watched the sight of them resting against each other,Pchelkaand her brother. They both had bloodied faces, but I was more concerned with the sunshine princess, whose golden hair had mingled with streaks of red. The other one, with dark eyes and a spitfire mouth, had her eyes shooting daggers at me, Rafayel, and Arlo.She’d woken up first.“I’ve heard a lot about you, Timur Yezhov, but none of those briefs warned me ahead of time that you’d be this dumb.”“I’m going to slice your fucking tongue off, bitch,” Arlo sneered beside me in Russian, but I raised a hand. There was no use spilling her blood yet. We had to hear more from her; then I’d decide if keeping her alive was worth it. Her feistiness was interesting to watch—entertaining, even. She was good sport.Jerking my chair closer to their huddled bodies, I propped my elbows on my knees, leaning forward. She didn’t even flinch. Cocking her head
Jayden shot me anare-you-serious-right-nowlook over his shoulder, still marching forward toward the pavement.“They don’t have Honda Odysseys,” he emphasized, like that wasn’t already obvious. “And they don’t do simple.”Then, he halted in his tracks, allowing me to step beside his huge frame. Taking my hands in his, he let me in, permitting me to see the fear in his eyes for the first time that night.“Look, Seri, I know this is not the life you planned for either of us. You’ll miss your kids at school, you’ll miss the house, you’ll miss everything. But none of us could have known what Dad did, the debt he owed. I promise we’ll sort out this messafterwe leave. Those goons can’t know we’re gone.”Sniffling tears, I nodded and pulled him in for a brief hug before we got to the car. Subtly, he knocked on the window three times. It was eerie, like a secret Morse code only he and the driver understood, and when the door opened and the driver walked up to us, I blinked in disbelief.The la
Serena“And you’re sure this is a good idea?” I asked for the hundredth time. And, again, earned a tired, frustrated growl-slash-sigh from Jayden.Upfront, he stopped walking and turned around with his flashlight pointed directly at me. I squinted, raising my arms to shield my eyes from the bright rays. We were in an abandoned dry canal—one I didn’t know how Jayden had managed to find. Dressed in a black hoodie with a backpack slung over his shoulder, standing at the center with that annoying flashlight, he looked like a villain—a teenage ninja villain.But it was just Jayden.“Take that thing out of my face, please.”I couldn’t see his face, but I knew my brother well enough to feel his vexed eye roll. He dropped the flashlight and turned his back to me, continuing his trek down the canal. Quietly, I shifted the knapsack on my backpack, following the sharp outline of his broad back as he trudged deeper into the swallowing darkness.“No, it’s not a good idea,” his voice echoed around
“Fuck! I almost had him,” Rafayel cursed, dropping his cards beside mine.“My apologies, but this is important. Level one shit,” Arlo said, looking anything but remorseful for interrupting our moment.I didn’t mind because I knew he had something—he always did.He stopped in front of me, flashing his phone toward me as if I could see the screen. A sly grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Got updates on the Skye siblings.”The Skye siblings.Truly, level one shit.“Good or bad?”“Somewhere in between. They barely leave the house. They’re scared. Real scared.”Satisfied, I approved the update with a nod. Of course, they were scared. They knew exactly what was coming and couldn’t run far enough. But Arlo wasn’t done.“But that young one,” he continued, his eyes narrowing slightly, “Jayden.”“The boy?”“He’s got eyes of fire. They know we’ve been watching and are gonna try to run. I see it.”I sat up straighter, grabbing the cards. “Then let them.”He paused, and Rafayel raised a ques
TimurRafayel dealt the cards with that familiar glint of mischief in his eyes, but his face remained calm.Clicking my tongue distastefully, I leaned backward on a chair, folding up my sleeves. We sat across from each other, the low rumble of thunder muffled in the background. It was supposed to be one of those rare moments when we had some peace, no business to deal with, no chaos to clean up—just a game of cards between brothers—until the clouds gathered.“It still bothers you, doesn’t it?”Rolling the cigar stick between my fingers, I trimmed the end with my cutter. “Sometimes.”“And the dreams?”I fixed the cigar between my lips, bouncing my feet up and down the rug. “Stopped about a year ago. Stop talking, and let’s play.”Fucking lying through my teeth. The dreams hadn’t stopped. Not since that night after I was literally tied to a chair and forced to watch one of my father’s techniques for truth extraction. The aggressive thunderclaps, the artistic splash of red on the walls,
Serena“Who were those men?”That was the first thing Jay had asked five nights ago after the unannounced visit of the men in black.Quickly, I’d wiped the tears off my cheeks with the back of my hands. My feet stopped moving, pausing by the counter. I was about to put the cake away, ready to chuck it inside the fridge, when he stormed into the house, confused, concerned, and angry at the same time.I’d wished him a happy birthday, but Jay didn’t care, not about the wish or the cake I’d spent hours baking. Instead, we’d spent the wee hours of his birthday talking about the Russian mafia and the debt our late father owed.We sat in the living room tonight, the same cloud of gloom and uncertainty hanging over our heads as more rain pelted the glass windows. He parted the curtains with his fingers again—for the fifth time exactly—and the view was the same: rain, dark, cloudy skies, billows of what appeared to be dusty wind, and a black truck with bright white headlights.“They’re not goi
“This…this is outrageous!” Waving the paper midair, eyes zeroed in on me, glaring with instant anger. “My dad died last year, so you can’t get anything from him.”“We are well aware of that because he stopped paying last year.” Eagerly, Arlo gestured toward the contract. “Read the last line.”She did.And she jumped to her feet, red-hot with anger. She was trembling with tears, the prickly pines emerging from within as she got ready to defend her home and her brother with everything. “No.”I sat back, assessing her while she faced my underboss.“Technically, yes. Oliver signed that contract.”“And I don’t care! You…you guys can’t do this. It’s evil. How can his debt pass on to his male blood relative? It washisdebt, and we knew absolutely nothing about it. Jay doesn’t know a thing. Please, I’m begging you. He’s only seventeen. He’s still a child.”“Child, my fucking foot. I cut a man’s finger off at fifteen. Your brother’s already fucked a woman, and you wouldn’t even know.”Realizing
TimurI sat on the couch in the dainty living room, Arlo standing beside me and Kristian and Vasili by the door. Everything was more her than Oliver: the colors, textures, and smell. She owned the space, and her composure and confidence were the indicators.Placing the basketball cake on the center table, she took the seat opposite mine, crossing her legs with elegance and chewing her bottom lip with her nerves all over the place.Raising her head, she looked me in the eyes—a sparkling pair of blue eyes that reminded me of the reflection of clear skies on the vast ocean. She was not tall, but when she squared her shoulders in a feeble attempt to appear fierce, her height edged upwards.“You claim that you’re my father’s friends, and yet, I don’t even know your names.”I shouldn’t have been surprised that she wanted an introduction. She looked like the type, anyway.“Timur Yezhov. Not exactly pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Serena Skye, given the circumstances.”“Arlo.” Arlo ra