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12|Like A Painting In Motion
Last Updated:
2024-11-20 12:20:22
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Reckless Hearts 13|Distant And Unreachable, Like The Stars
"Ivanov!" Andrei rasped into the phone. "This is a collect call from Pollsmoor Prison for inmate 368929. Will you accept the call charges?" Did he have a fucking choice? "Sure!" he barked his response. A moment later, his twin came on the line, sounding awfully happy for someone looking at three more years in prison, prattling away about life behind bars—from the uncharacteristically warm weather for this time of the year to his hour-long gym time outdoors. In that excruciatingly long five minutes, Andrei also learned his twin often spent time in the library, poring over law textbooks, because for some inexplicable reason, Aleksei had decided that helping other inmates with their legal woes was his calling now. "Leks," Andrei sighed, silently cursing his string of horrible bad luck today as he added two more minutes to the timer on the microwave, oddly comforted by the beep of the buttons. "Can you tell me what this is about? I have a ton of shit on my plate. I need to find a
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 14|Not Each Other's Cup Of Tea
Andrei did fall asleep, and when he finally opened his eyes sometime after 7:00 AM the following morning to the hustle and bustle of traffic twelve stories below, he was refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to take over the world. Until he felt a warm, soft, feminine body beside him on the bed where his gun should have been, and last night's nightmare came rushing back. "Holly!" he growled as he roughly pushed her away from him. "What?" she whined and rolled away, taking the bed covers with her. She wasn't just a nuisance but also a blanket hogger, Andrei thought bitterly, sorely tempted to shove her off the bed. "Wake up! Wake up right now!" he rasped as he jumped out of bed and strolled to the en suite bathroom to piss. When he came back and found Holly still snuggled under the covers, his irritation crept up exponentially. He stalked to the bedside stand, grabbed the remote, and drew the blinds, sending unbearable sunlight flooding in. Holly sat up, grumbling as she covered h
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 15|Feel Something
Holly was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at her hands, when Andrei came in a second later. He stalked off to his end table, grabbed her black card, and stuffed the IOU note in his pocket. "Here, take your damn card. I'm not selling this place," he said, throwing the credit card at her. "Why do you have this?" Holly asked. "Are you serious?" Andrei arched his brows, crossing his arms over his chest. "You really don't remember much about last night, do you?" Holly shook her head, a look he could only describe as mortification flashing in her eyes as she held his gaze. "Last night," she said after a moment or so of tense silence. "I'm sorry I came here uninvited. It won't happen again. I drank way more than I should and took a bunch of other stuff." "Other stuff like?" Andrei asked, alarm bells going off in his head. He'd figured it was more than just alcohol. But drugs? Heavens— "Doesn't matter!" she replied. "What other stuff, Holly?" "It's not your business!" she
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 16|Way Forward
"He likes his woman warm-blooded!" Holly snorted as she mulled over Andrei's words. "Excuse me?" the Uber driver said, glancing at her in the rear-view mirror. "Nothing," she replied and stared at her hands. What the hell did that even mean? Did Andrei really believe she wasn't warm-blooded and passionate? What the hell was she then all these years if she wasn't passionate?Every damn night when she glided on stage, she was passion personified. Was the man blind? Couldn't he see he'd never find another woman like her, a more passionate woman? And why, oh why, did his words cut her so deeply?Holly knew Andrei despised her. He'd never hidden his disdain for her and her family. So when it was all said and done, last night was her own damn fault. She should have stayed home and put up with everyone's pity. She should never have gone to Crush, let alone run to Forrest Creek in the state she was in. But her biggest mistake was swiping right on Andrei's damn Hot Connexions profile. No
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 17|Gutted
Forty minutes later, the driver sped past the security booth of Morningside Mews, a private gated community east of Rock Castle. It was home to the twenty members of the Royal Dance Institute's corps de ballet, a handful of soloists and two principal dancers, including Holly. Located a stone's throw away from the Institute, the quaint village was once a thriving strawberry farm. With the passage of time, however, the land had changed hands several times and slowly lost its charm, morphing into the monstrosity of cookie-cutter townhouses that it was now. Boasting an onsite hi-tech gym, a smattering of recreational spaces and a convenience store, Morningside Mews touted itself as the pinnacle of luxury living when, in reality, it was just a glorified dormitory. The driver turned into a peaceful tree-lined street, passing rows of double-storey bungalows with manicured lawns and single-car driveways. As soon as they came to a complete stop in front of her unit on a sleepy cul-de-sac,
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 18|Time
Katherine looked sharp in a hot pink power suit and white sneakers matching her satin camisole. Her ash blonde hair, drawn back from her face into a sleek chignon, showed off her sculpted features in all their glory. A former prima herself, she exuded an air of timeless elegance and grace. She glanced up and smiled, but her sapphire eyes remained cold like glass. Her smile never seemed to reach her eyes. "Please take a seat." Holly dutifully pulled out a chair and sat down, folding her hands in her lap. "How are you feeling?" Katherine asked. Her question would have come across as sincere if it weren't for the blank expression on her face. "I'm fine, thank you," Holly replied with a smile. "I'm sorry I didn't contact you as soon as I was discharged. The medication—" "I know. It knocked you out. You told me!" Katherine waved her along. "So what did Dr Evans say? What's the prognosis?" Reluctantly, Holly filled her in on her chat with Dr Evans about her upcoming surgery. "My
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 19|A Little Mishap
Trigger warning: self-harmWhen the elevator doors dinged open on the ground floor, Holly headed straight to the restrooms, relieved to find them empty. She dashed for the last cubicle, slammed the door shut, and pulled a fresh razor blade from the pack in her bag. She sat there awhile, listening to the deafening silence as she contemplated her choices and tried to resist her demons. But after her chaotic morning, the maddening urge proved to be much bigger than her. So, like the addict she was, she gave in, relishing the intense sensation of pure agony and pleasure flowing through her body as she slashed the delicate skin on her tummy over and over, stopping only when the door banged shut, and rapid footsteps followed by chirpy voices filled the bathroom. Holly quickly ripped a wad of tissue from the toilet roll holder, grimacing in pain as she dabbed at her fresh cuts. She dumped the used tissues inside the pan and flushed them down the toilet before exiting the bathroom, glad
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 20|Well-Fabricated Lie
"That's a lie," Holly whispered as she spun away from Lola. "That's a blatant lie. And don't you dare bring my father into this!" "Did you really think you got promoted because you were brilliant? Did you honestly believe you're actually talented?" Lola snickered, pulling her back violently as she cackled in her face. "Don't touch me!" Holly snapped, yanking her arm away. "Don't you dare touch me!" "Or what?" Lola demanded, stepping a little too close for comfort. Suddenly terrified for her safety, Holly held up her hands and slowly backed away, "That's it, I'm done." But Lola wasn't done; she just had to twist the knife a little deeper, curling her pouty lips in a sneer, "You can run away all you want, but it doesn't change the truth. Your father bought you that role. The same way he bought you a spot on the corps. That talent you think you have is a well-fabricated lie. Of the two of us, everyone knows I'm the talented one. Pity, I don't have a rich, powerful daddy like someon
Last Updated : 2024-11-20
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Reckless Hearts 93|You Are What You Dream
Andrei had seen death more times than he cared to count in the past. He'd had close brushes with it, too. In fact, with all the violence in his world, he'd become so desensitised to it that even the smell of it didn't bother him anymore.But this was Holly. The woman he was supposed to marry. The woman he intended to build a life with. She couldn't be dead. Not like this. Not on his watch."No, Holly, Baby, wake up!" He whispered as he tightly shut his eyes and mentally shook the terrifying image from his mind, praying that the next time he opened them again, his life would be exactly as it was before they came to bed just an hour ago. But when he dared open his eyes again, blinking several times just to make sure his mind was not playing tricks on him, and the same brutal scene greeted him, another primal scream reverberated through the room. How?How did any of this happen?Holly was alive and well just an hour ago. But now…now she was as cold as death."It's impossible!"
Reckless Hearts 92|Too Far Gone
"I was afraid of this," Levi muttered as he ran his hand through his hair, all the while glaring at Andrei. "When I saw the videos, I knew you're too far gone. It's clear that some kind of fatal attraction shit is going on between you two, and it's only a matter of time before shit hits the fan. Liam will end you—""I'm aware of that. But I'm not backing down," Andrei replied, the conviction in his words matching the determination in his eyes. "Holly is…Holly is important to me. I'm not willing to give her up. I admit, at first, I didn't care about her. She was a means to an end and a way to get what I wanted. But these past few weeks, I've seen so many sides to her I didn't even know existed.""What do you mean?"Andrei took a sip from his glass and replied, "Honestly, I don't know how to explain it. But there's something about Holly, man. She gets me. With her, I can just be myself. I don't have to be Aero's CEO or the Ivanov's crime family boss. When I'm with her, I'm just Andrei,
Reckless Hearts 91|On Paper
Levi waited long enough for the door to shut behind Holly as she stepped onto the patio before turning his full wrath on Andrei. "You fucking lied to me. At The Castle, you looked me in the eye and assured me nothing was going on between you two." "That's because nothing was going on," Andrei retorted, matching his fierce tone. "Obviously, something's definitely going on now! Otherwise, Holly wouldn't be all cosied up in your clothes!" "What do you expect her to wear? I don't have any women's clothes—" "Fuck, Drei!" Levi growled in frustration. "That's not the point!" "Then what is?" Andrei asked as he watched him about to sit at the kitchen island—the same kitchen island he had Holly sprawled over not too long ago. The red-hot images of their sweaty bodies and their carnal cries, while they were deep in the throes of passion, flashed in Andrei's mind, and he instantly hardened at the memory of Holly's smooth, velvety warmth sheathed around him— "So?" Levi snapped his finger
Reckless Hearts 90|Death Wish
As Andrei watched the first few seconds of the clip, he had a dreadful sense that he'd been there before, in this very scene playing out before his eyes. Then, the realisation hit him all at once. It wasn't déjà vu. But the moments leading up to Holly's injury weeks earlier. The only difference was that he was now looking at her accident through the eyes of the videographer, who had taken the behind-the-scenes footage backstage, and not those of a spectator in the viewing boxes. "Who is this woman?" he asked, horrified that there was another Veronika out there. Well, maybe not as deadly as the Bratva princess. But whoever this woman was was just as insane. "You don't recognise her?" Andrei shook his head. "Should I?" "That's Lola," Holly replied. Of course, Andrei thought, wanting to kick himself for not recognising Holly's arch-rival. But in his defence, the woman in the video, buried under the heavy costume makeup and blonde wig, looked remarkably different from the redhead b
Reckless Hearts 89|Incapable Of Love
Love.Andrei could only stare at Holly, mulling over the word in his mind.Love had never existed in his world. Love had no place in his life.In fact, the last time he came close to loving anyone didn't turn out so well for him. His father had made sure of it by showing him how easily it could be taken from him when he brutally slaughtered Mila and her family in cold blood over a baseless rumour. His father's ruthlessness over the years had moulded Andrei into the man he was always afraid he'd become: a man incapable of love. But when it was all said and done, it wasn't that he was incapable of wanting to give and receive love, or that he had sworn off it after Mila died. He was simply terrified—"Please pass me the shower gel," Holly said, drawing Andrei out of the dark cloud of thoughts swirling in his head as she pointed at the array of bath stuff in the shower caddy."Thanks," she mumbled when he handed her one of the body washes, expecting her to complain at the fresh, piney
Reckless Hearts 88|Third Place Is For Losers
As Holly lay spreadeagled, clutching the edges of the counter for support, with Andrei covering her with the warmth of his body, she could finally scratch 'wild, passionate sex' off her bucket list. While she was still recovering her breath, she had another epiphany—it was never about the act, but the man. And now that she'd had a taste of what it felt like to wholeheartedly give herself to Andrei and let go of all her inhibition, she was terrified she'd never be able to walk away from him as planned. She'd always want this feeling…like she was on stage again, soaring to newer heights— Andrei moved away from her, and she heard him softly pad to the guest bathroom. When he came out a moment later, she'd thrown on his dress shirt. A smirk tugged at his lips as his eyes slowly travelled up her body, lingering on her mouth. "You shouldn't have gotten dressed," he murmured, inching his way to her, his movements slow and deliberate. "I'm just going to take it right off." Holly swallo
Reckless Hearts 87|Seen And Wanted
Holly stood there for a beat, gulping down the nervous lump in her throat because she knew exactly what Andrei was asking of her. A small part of her—the one still ruled by her head—told her this was a terrible idea. Spending the night with him would lead them nowhere good. At best, it would leave her with a gushing wound in her heart that no amount of Band-Aids could ever cover up. At worst, six feet under, her body riddled with bullets. "No," she decided, making up her mind then and there. Tonight, especially after their violent confrontation with the Petrovs, was supposed to be the last she saw of Andrei. Their agreement was one date and one date only. Spending the night would create unnecessary complications. "I don't think staying the night is a good idea," she said, surprised at how steady her voice was, even though there was nothing firm about the butterflies somersaulting in her tummy. "What are you afraid of?" Andrei asked, pressing her against the counter and sending
Reckless Hearts 86|All The Rooms In Her Heart
Following their grand escape, Andrei was in no state to drive back on his own, so Holly decided to ride shotgun with him, with Eric following behind in his car. They didn't talk much on their way to Forrest Creek. Andrei was lost in thought, his rage showing itself in his reckless speeding as they zoomed through the night. Holly had never been afraid of speed. But tonight, after their close call with the Petrovs, she found herself grabbing onto the edge of her seat, terrified that Andrei would lose control and hit a traffic light. Or worse, a concrete barrier and the car would spontaneously burst into flames, taking them out in a blazing inferno."Slow down," she said, touching his arm when they had another close call, almost rear-ending a family sedan cruising in front of them. Andrei grabbed her hand and kissed her palm."I'm sorry," he said, and Holly released a long breath she didn't realise she'd been holding when he decelerated, his rage seemingly leaving him the more kilomet
Reckless Hearts 85|What's It's Come To
"What just happened?" Veronika stammered, staring at her parents helplessly. "Why doesn't he like my gift?""He's allergic to dogs," Andrei answered coldly as they watched Vladimir bundle the puppy back inside the box and hand it to one of the waiters, making it his problem."What do you mean he's allergic to dogs?" asked Veronika, her bewilderment palpable."Exactly that. Papa Ivanov is allergic to dogs. That's why, growing up, Andrei and Aleksei never had any pets, well, dogs at least," Holly added fuel to the fire, earning herself a deadly scowl from the mother and daughter duo. "You would know this if you were fit to be Andrei's wife!" "You!" Veronika glared at Holly, pointing a finger at her threateningly. "Calm the fuck down," Andrei said, pushing her hand off as he led Holly to one of the free armchairs in front of the fireplace. "Aren't you going to check on your father?" she asked, throwing a wary look at Veronika and Elena.Andrei shook his head. "Pavel's got everything u
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