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103|The Trouble With Masks
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2025-04-01 00:54:09
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Reckless Hearts 104|By Any Means Necessary
All eight photos of Holly, taken at various nightclubs in Rock Castle, including Crush, painted her in a terrible light. But the most disturbing was the one of her snogging Cooper at the Institute just a few weeks back. "Why do you have these?" Andrei stammered, seeing the future he'd envisioned slip through his fingers. "How do you even have these photos?" "Does it matter?" Nikolai replied as he draped his hands behind his head and crossed his legs. "All that matters is your jig is up." "It wasn't an act." "Yes, it was," said Nikolai. "I knew you were both up to shit last night when the Anderson lass showed up with her gift bags like Freddie Krueger handing out candy on Halloween. And I admit, all that jazz about loving you since she was sixteen and wanting to protect you was touching. But I knew there was no shred of truth in her words. Not with that photo of her and her lover floating all over the internet." "They broke up," Andrei explained. "They are not together anymore."
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-01Reckless Hearts 105|Holding The Match And Gasoline
"Behind what?" Nikolai looked confused, but Andrei didn't buy his act one bit. After all, he was a master manipulator. "You know damn well what I'm talking about!" Andrei shouted as he backed away, terrified that if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to resist the urge to grab his father by the throat and strangle him to death with his bare hands. Nikolai shut the door and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're crashing out. Pull yourself together." "Don't tell me to pull myself together!" Andrei yelled, steepling his hands as he sat on the edge of his desk. "You were behind Holly's accident—" "What accident?" Nikolai demanded, and when Andrei filled him in, he was adamant he had nothing to do with the shitshow on Church Street. "That's all on you, Son," he said, still leaning on the door. "What the hell did you think would happen when you held Veronika at gunpoint?" "No," Andrei shook his head in denial, but deep down, he knew his old man was right. He'd put
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-01Reckless Hearts 106|Out Of Time
Holly didn't know how long they stayed in that position on the floor, surrounded by the relentless gunfire and the constant threat of their lives ending violently at any moment. The heated battle seemed to go on forever, with no end in sight. As they lay there, the chances of stray bullets hitting them growing bigger with each passing minute, Holly couldn't help but laugh hysterically at the bitter memory of her fight with Andrei. "Are you okay?" asked Eric.Holly couldn't see him, since he was practically glued to her back. But she could hear the confusion in his voice, which only made her laugh even harder, as it dawned on her that she could die on the floor of one of her brother's fancy cars in a luxury car dealership, and Andrei would never know how torn up she was over their fight. She could die at any moment, and all he would remember of their time together was a snuff bullet that didn't even belong to her because she never got a chance to clear her name."I'm sorry, Eric," Ho
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-13Reckless Hearts 107|Brush With Death
"Miss Anderson," said the head of security, hugging Holly briefly. "We were so worried about you. I'm sorry it took us so long to get to you. Traffic is backed up to the bridge, and some roads have been closed off." "James, it's okay," Holly said with a smile. "I'm fine." "No, you're not," said Liam, calling her out on her lie as he drew her away from James, only to wrap his arms around her tightly. "Goodness, Holly! Do you know how terrified I was when I got the emergency alert?" "What emergency alert?" Holly asked, a slight frown creasing her forehead as she stared at Liam. "The one you sent." "I didn't send you anything." "Well, I got a text telling me you were involved in a car crash." That explains it, Holly thought, as she squeezed him back, vaguely remembering her Apple watch vibrating like crazy earlier. It wasn't Eric's fault, but her own, for adding Liam as one of her emergency contacts. He wouldn't be here if she hadn't, and she wouldn't have to face a Spanish Inqui
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-13Reckless Hearts 108|The Whole Truth
Holly was taken into the emergency room as soon as they arrived at the Mediclinic in Glen Eagles, and after an hour or so of checkups and tests, she was given a clean bill of health. But the attending doctor—a young woman fresh out of medical school, with a sincere smile and all her textbook knowledge still crammed in her brain—insisted on keeping her overnight at the hospital just to make sure she didn't have a concussion. "All your tests are looking good. But I must warn you, whiplash, especially after a car crash like the one you were involved in, is normal. We'll give you something for the pain–" Holly zoned out after the part about the whiplash, the white-hot pain searing her knee spreading throughout her entire body like wildfire. "An absolute miracle, I tell you," said the doctor, squeezing Holly's hand before exiting the room with Liam. Two nurses strolled in then and wheeled Holly to a private room on the second floor. When she complained about her knee, even after they g
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-13Reckless Hearts 109|Delayed Dreams
"Please don't be mad at him," Holly said, trying to salvage Liam's friendship with Levi. "I asked him not to tell you anything because I didn't want to worry you.""Bullshit!" Liam snarled, pointing accusingly at Holly. "You asked him to keep his mouth shut to protect Andrei!"Holly had no defence and no comeback because Liam was spot on."How did you get the video?" she asked, her brain struggling to process the dumpster fire she was in. "Colleen sent it to me," Willow replied, her voice barely a whisper. "She thought it would help crack the case. You know, uncover the identities of the masked men who took you guys hostage—""We weren't taken hostage," Holly clarified, but Liam hushed her up, growling at her to stop focusing on the small details."Do you have any idea the world of trouble you're in?" He thundered at her as he approached the bed, ready to throttle her. But Willow held him back just when Holly thought he'd take her in his arms and shake her like a rag doll. "I told yo
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-13Reckless Hearts 110|Biggest Mistake
Without waiting for an invitation, Cooper shut the door with his foot and crossed the room. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Clifton Bay?" Holly croaked, hating how thin and terrified her voice sounded as she watched him place the roses on the nightstand."With this?" Cooper waved his bandaged hand, pulling out his victim card. "I would be if your Russian sociopath lover hadn't maimed me. But that's neither here nor there. How are you holding up?"Without waiting for her to respond, he continued, nonchalant as ever, like they were still on good terms, "I saw the news, and I had to come and see you." When he leaned over and tried to kiss Holly on her forehead, she shrunk away from him and fumbled for the emergency button.Cooper swiftly ripped it from her hands, wagging his finger at her. "Really, Holly, you disappoint me. I thought we were good. I mean, you dropped the protection order—""Because you forced me to!" Holly snapped."No, you wanted to protect your Russian
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-13Reckless Hearts 111|Sliver Of Light
Long after the police vans and emergency services vehicles were gone and the news cameras had stopped rolling, Church Street was back to normal. Well, as normal as it would ever be after all the horror it had seen. Of course, some shops were closed, including the luxury car dealership Holly's Porsche had crashed into. There was no way they would have stayed open after all the mayhem. But for other establishments, it was business as usual. People went about their day. Life carried on uninterrupted, like it was any other regular Tuesday, and a bloody cartel war was an everyday occurrence. "You wanted to see the place. You've seen it. I think it's time to go," said Ivan, the walls of the car trembling when he turned the key in the ignition, and the engine roared to life. "Not yet," Andrei stopped him, touching his arm briefly before exiting the car. "For fuck's sake, Boss, you can't do that!" Ivan yelled as he ran after Andrei when he lifted the police tape and approached the cri
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-13
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Reckless Hearts 120|Love Was Meant For Other People
If anyone had asked Andrei how he felt at that moment, with Holly in his arms and his mom's ring on her finger, he would have told them he was delirious with joy. But honestly, that, too, didn't even come close to describing the happiness swelling in his heart. In fact, he was so ecstatic he wondered how it wasn't a crime for anyone to be as happy as he was."You've made me so happy, Milaya," Andrei whispered, kissing Holly's forehead. All his life, he had always believed love was meant for other people—good, deserving people like Liam and Levi. And until a few weeks ago, marriage was the furthest thing from his mind. But now, with just a simple 'yes' to his proposal, Holly had opened the door to a world of possibility."You have no idea how happy I am right now," he murmured in her hair. "I could die this moment, and I'll be okay with it—"Holly playfully slapped him on his arm, chastising him, "Hey, don't joke about dying, especially after today.""It was just a figure of speech,"
Reckless Hearts 119|Endure
Eventually, Holly got over her stunned shock and spluttered out her confusion, her eyes roaming wildly over Andrei's face in search of answers. "But Naomi said it's from Mexico!" "Naomi's right. That vial is from Mexico. There are only ninety-nine others in the country. Or at least there were.""What do you mean?""Like I said, Jonah or whoever he's working for stole the drugs from me, and it would be remiss of me to let them get away with it," Andrei replied and swiftly changed the subject, asking her how long the doctors planned to keep her at the hospital, even though she'd already told him it was only for tonight."I should be discharged tomorrow.""I'll pick you up," he offered, but Holly shot him down, reminding him there were four men outside her door, watching her every move under the guise of keeping her safe. If it hadn't been for her phone call to Eric, he wouldn't have been allowed to see her."So what are you saying?" Andrei asked as he touched the ring in his pocket for
Reckless Hearts 118|Glimpses Of Herself
With seven minutes to go, Andrei charmed the nurses into letting him see Holly early, sweet-talking his way to her private ward. His luck ran out when he found four of Liam's guys, including Eric, Holly's driver, standing guard outside her door."You shouldn't be here," said Eric as he got up in Andrei's face. "Miss Anderson almost died because of you."Ignoring him, Andrei pulled out his phone and called Holly. "Milaya," he said when she picked up. "Where are you? You sound so close.""I'm outside your room, but your guard dogs won't let me in.""Let me talk to them," she said and hung up. A moment later, Eric's phone rang. He picked up Holly's call and let Andrei through without saying a word.Holly's face lit up like a Christmas tree when Andrei stepped inside. She shoved her bed covers aside and sprung to her feet. But the pain in her knee sent her crashing back on the bed, and she howled in agony.Andrei was at her side in a heartbeat, asking as he cradled her in his arms, "Wha
Reckless Hearts 117|The Real Deal
Andrei was in Forrest Creek just as the sun dipped in the horizon, catching Helga as she was about to knock off. "Your dinner's in the microwave," she told him as she gathered her stuff. "And don't forget I'm not in for the rest of the week. My daughter—" "Thanks, Helga." Andrei smiled at her and saw her off, telling her to enjoy her time off with her new grandkid. With just under an hour before visiting hours, Andrei dashed upstairs to freshen up, scoffing down his dinner while getting dressed. When he was done, he called Monique to confirm the chopper was ready to pick up his twin from Poolsmoor prison bright and early tomorrow. "I thought prisons had strict rules about this sort of thing," said Monique, sounding as exhausted as Andrei felt. "And I thought I paid you enough to know when something is not your business, Monique!" Andrei retorted and promptly hung up on her. She was right, though. Prisons had strict protocols in place when it came to prisoner transfers. But Andrei
Reckless Hearts 116|Fought A Thousand Battles
"What is this about now, Papa?" Andrei asked. "Sit!" Nikolai pointed at the armchair while he made himself comfortable behind his desk. "I'll get Pavel to bring in some refreshments, and since you're here, maybe you can stay for supper?" "No thanks," Andrei declined the seat, drink and meal, explaining he had to take Ivan to the airport. "Where's he flying to?" asked Nikolai, resting his hands on the surface of his desk. "Botswana," Andrei replied, but didn't offer any more information, and he was glad when his father didn't press for details. "Your brother's transfer is happening tomorrow?" Nikolai's statement sounded more like an accusation than a question, and Andrei wasn't sure how to respond. Nikolai took the decision out of his hands when he went for the offensive, accusing Andrei of keeping him in the dark. "Why did I have to hear from your assistant that your twin is coming home?" "Maybe if you had answered Leks' calls, you wouldn't have had to hear it from Monique.
Reckless Hearts 115|Shone as brightly
"Give me five minutes," Andrei said when they pulled into the horseshoe driveway and parked close to the front door a little while later. "You'd better hurry up. I have a flight to catch," Ivan retorted, reminding him about his trip to Botswana. The team of four guys he'd assembled to bring Sienna in were already on their way to the airport. "Yes, sir!" Andrei called over his shoulder, giving his lieutenant a mock salute as he ran up the front steps. The housekeeping staff were taken aback when he stepped into the lavish foyer and found them polishing the bannisters of the grand double staircase. "Mr Ivanov, we weren't expecting you." "I know!" Andrei replied. He never made unplanned stops. And if it weren't for his father's insistence to have a home-cooked meal with him at least once a week, he wouldn't even bother coming by. The place had stopped feeling like a home long before his mom died. "What can we do for you, sir?" The two ladies asked, ready to be of service, as they
Reckless Hearts 114|Like A Pendulum
"First time?" asked Thabo, Lev's mortuary technician friend. His brilliantly white teeth, as he smiled at Andrei, were a stark contrast to his smooth mahogany skin. "Hardly," Andrei replied and quickly shut his mouth, afraid if he didn't, the unbearably warm stench would creep into him and taint every inch of his soul. They passed several closed doors as Thabo led them down an endless corridor. He candidly explained that the air-conditioning system was out of order, hence the humidity and smell. "We logged it two days ago, but they have yet to send the technicians to fix it. I guess no one cares about the material comforts of the dead," he said, taking them deeper into the bowels of the morgue. Just when Andrei began to think the man had no idea where they were going, Thabo abruptly stopped in front of a cavernous room whose metal doors were wide open, like a gaping mouth. "There they are," he said, pointing at several bodies lying on cadaver carriers. "Why are they out in the o
Reckless Hearts 113|Seen And Smelled Death
"I was surprised you went with orchids," said Diane, the beaded strands tinkling softly as she pushed the curtain back in place and returned to her workstation."Aesthetically wise, I would have gone with roses," she added, setting the potted plant on the table. "Anything but roses!" Andrei murmured, running his fingers on the tips of pink tulips peeking out from an elaborate arrangement on the counter beside the cash register."But I like the symbolism behind orchids," she continued, as if Andrei hadn't spoken. Her hands moved deftly as she got down to work and performed magic with the Spanish moss, curly willow vines and some clippers. "Did you know that orchids were associated with virility in ancient Greece? In fact, Greek women believed that if the father of their unborn child consumed large, new orchid tubers, the baby would be a boy. If the mother ate small orchid tubers, she would give birth to a girl."Andrei didn't know this, of course. He'd chosen orchids for their enduran
Reckless Hearts 112|Vaguely of Sympathy, Jaded Dreams and Romance
A fleshy bud of dark, wilting petals peeked at Andrei amidst the jagged pieces of broken glass. He picked it up, twirling the thin, broken stem between his thumb and forefinger as he scanned the street for a nearby florist shop. When he found none, the coldness in his veins steadily turned to ice. Troubled, he carefully wrapped the withered bulb with his silk handkerchief and stuffed it in the inner breast pocket of his tailored cashmere coat before returning to the car, unable to shake off the unsettling feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. "Lev called," Ivan announced as he watched Andrei buckle up. "He wants us to meet him at the morgue." Andrei glanced at his Cartier and nodded. The next slot for visiting hours at Glen Eagles Mediclinic, where Holly was being kept overnight for observation, was at 7:00 PM. There was still plenty of time before then. "Let's do it," he said, texting Austin, urging him to meet him at Crush around 10:00 PM. After a flurry of back-a
