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21|A Lot Of History, A Lot Of Promises
Last Updated:
2024-11-20 12:21:26
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Reckless Hearts 22|Made Men
The intense smell of Cuban cigars and alcohol fumes hit Andrei as soon as he stepped inside. A crew of low-rank soldiers lounging around stood up and bowed their greetings. He waved them off, followed his lieutenants straight to the rusty metal door in the back, and took the short flight of stairs to the basement, where Sergei and the rest of the family's top management were waiting for him. "How's the old man?" his uncle asked as they hugged and shook hands. "A pain in the ass as usual," Andrei replied, accepting a drink from Sergei's wife, Rowena, before taking his place at the head of the table. He sipped his drink slowly and closed his eyes, wincing when the liquid scalded his throat. Why everyone thought all Russians loved vodka was a mystery to him. He didn't hate it, but it wasn't his go-to drink, and his aunt knew this. For some inexplicable reason, though, she insisted on serving it to him every damn time in the hopes of making him a real Russian. According to her, he wasn
Last Updated : 2024-11-26Reckless Hearts 23|In The Wind
Like Andrei, Lev didn't think stealing Juan's product was the brightest of ideas, agreeing with him that if the first meeting was any indication, the Mexicans would bring them nothing but trouble. "They are too erratic and over the top. I say we cut them the loose!" he said, wrapping up his assessment. The heated discussion continued for another half hour, with Mikhail and his gang screaming words of doom and gloom about Andrei's ambitious weapon smuggling plan. "This will never work! We know nothing about smuggling weapons!" Mikhail yelled, glaring at Andrei as he jumped to his feet and paced the room. "And this is exactly why no one will remember your name, Mikhail!" Andrei snarled, pointing at his cousin. "You're always fucking afraid to take risks!" Eventually, Sergei got fed up with all the fighting. "Boys! Stop waving your dicks around!" he said, slamming his hands on the table to silence everyone and get them to calm down. Once he had their attention, he continued, "Now, h
Last Updated : 2024-11-26Reckless Hearts 24|Damage Control
Dave took his sweet darn time answering Holly's knock, and by the time he did, she was on the verge of giving up and heading back to Morningside Mews. "Holly?" the butler stammered, obviously surprised to see her there since she hardly ever visited her big brother. Not uninvited, at least. "What's going on?" Dave threw the door wide open, inviting her in. "What are you doing here?" "I didn't know where to go," Holly admitted, wringing her hands in despair. Something she'd felt her whole life but hid so well because when you were pushing yourself to be the greatest, you had to keep it together and exude fearlessness and indestructibility. Dave closed the door with the heel of his shoe and opened his arms. Holly flew into his embrace, the comforting smell of his Old Spice aftershave taking her back to her childhood when he still worked for her parents. When he was still just her Davey. Before he lost his family, and her head grew so big from being the youngest prima at the Instit
Last Updated : 2024-11-26Reckless Hearts 25|Never Swipe Right
"Everything okay?" Dave asked when Holly returned to her post in front of the stove, even though the vegetables had now replaced her onion soup, and he seemed to have a proper handle on things. "No, Dave. Everything's turned to shit. Never swipe right on Hot Connexions, especially if your match is a hot Russian you have no hope of getting with." "Ah!" Dave nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I have no idea what Hot Connexions is. But I think it's best to stay away from said hot Russian, don't you think? Your brother will kill you both." "I don't know what you're talking about," Holly said, suddenly fascinated by Chef's Kiss logo on the front of her apron. "That was just a general statement." "Of course," Dave said. "And I'm just giving you general advice. Don't swipe right on any hot Russians, period." Too late now, Holly thought as she yanked the apron off and dumped it on the counter. "What about the vegetables?" "You can swipe right on them, Dave!" she replied cheeki
Last Updated : 2024-11-26Reckless Hearts 26|Flaws, And Scars And All
"Holly?" "Andrei? " They both spoke at once, gawking at one another. Well, Holly was sure she was staring more than him, because he liked his woman warm-blooded, and she was anything but. "You keep showing up like a bad penny," she said caustically, remembering his comment earlier as she strolled to the kitchen to get a glass of water. "You live here now?" Andrei arched his eyebrows, ignoring her snarky comment. "What's it to you?" she asked. "Do you live here or not?" "What does it matter? You have my penthouse now, and because of you, I have to squat at my brother's place." Andrei stepped closer, his face an expressionless mask. Holly inched back with each of his measured steps, only to trap herself against the kitchen island. Finally, he also paused, leaving very little space between them. His cool cigarette-laced breath fanned the side of her face as he whispered, his voice sending a tingle up her spine, like he'd run his sensual fingers on her skin, "Listen here, you li
Last Updated : 2024-11-26Reckless Hearts 27|Not A Lovable Man
Upstairs, Andrei couldn't bring himself to sit down. He was so afraid that if he did, his mind would come to a complete standstill, too, and he'd have no choice but to think about his confrontation with Holly and her expired crush. What the hell was he supposed to do with an expired crush? He fumed as he paced the sparsely furnished monochrome space. The only piece of decor in the room with some personality was the hauntingly realistic painting of a man kneeling in front of a crib, cradling his head, and for some inexplicable reason, Andrei was drawn to it. He couldn't see the man's face—no, Liam's face, because surely that flame-coloured hair had to be his—but his agony screamed at him in ways he'd never felt before. "Good heavens!" Andrei whispered, wondering what had possessed Eden to paint something so heartbreaking, and why Liam would want to hang it proudly in his home office. Thoroughly disturbed by the painting, Andrei stepped away and frowned at his Patek Phillipe timepi
Last Updated : 2024-12-03Reckless Hearts 28|Last Woman On Earth
"What did you do to her? You'd better not have touched her!" Andrei shoved Liam off, growling at him as he fixed his clothes, "Get your shit together. What the fuck do you take me for? She came to my penthouse, drunk as a skunk, trashed my clothes and fell asleep. I took care of her, and you're welcome!" "Look, Drei," Liam said, addressing him by his nickname for the first time in a long while. "I'm sorry. It's just that she's my baby sister and going through a rough patch. I'm sure you heard about her injury." "Well, you might want to keep her on a leash. I'm not the one you should be worried about!" Andrei shrugged off his apology, still pissed out of his mind that Liam had the nerve to put his hands on him. He was damn lucky they were old friends and business partners. Otherwise, he would have put a bullet right between his eyes. Nobody fucking touched his Armani suits. Well, nobody except Liam's bratty sister, of course. The same woman at the centre of their conflict. "Wha
Last Updated : 2024-12-03Reckless Hearts 29|Frightening Realisation
Andrei returned to the study, and while he waited for Liam, he checked both his mailboxes, Aero's and the family's. Nothing was burning on Aero's side, but too many pots were with the family. Juan had heard through the grapevine that they had decided not to do business with him. In a lengthy email, he expressed his outrage at Andrei for making him fly to the shithole third-world country for nothing. But he was enjoying the safari, so his trip wasn't a total waste after all. Andrei read and reread the email, trying to figure out the most diplomatic way to respond. But nothing his tired brain came up with sounded remotely civil. So he shelved Juan, promising himself he'd handle him later. There was no doubt in Andrei's mind that Mikhail or one of his men had whispered into Juan's ears about their proposed exit plan. He'd deal with his cousin and his men later, too, he decided as he moved on to his father's email next, his blood running cold at the message. The meeting with the Petrovs
Last Updated : 2024-12-03
Latest chapter
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
Reckless Hearts 84|Deeply Misled
They stayed on the balcony for some time, staring at the shadowy outline of the stables and hills in the distance and the clear night sky, the howling wind filling the silence between them. Holly tugged her cashmere coat closer, glad she'd grabbed it before stepping out of the Polo Bar. The temperature had dipped even lower while they were inside. Not totally unexpected. The weatherman had predicted unusual snowfall in some parts of the country tonight. "Brrr!" she squeaked, her teeth chattering loudly when another gust of icy wind slashed her face, snatching flyaway strands of hair from her French twist. She pushed them back behind her ear as she glanced at Andrei, wondering if he had a built-in thermal source. He seemed unfazed by the blistering cold. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this," he said when he caught her looking at him, flicking an unlit cigarette between his fingers. "You must regret coming, and honestly, I won't blame you at all if you want to leave." Holly crossed
Reckless Hearts 83|A Debt Owed Is A Debt Repaid
"What does a girl have to do to get your attention?" Veronika asked, placing her arms over the railing as she paused beside him. Andrei turned slightly to look at her, his eyebrows shooting up, surprised she'd chosen to lead with that, given their relationship."So?" she pressed, beaming at him as if it was the most natural thing in the world.Andrei looked her up and down, taking her in—from her Marilyn Monroe-inspired hairstyle to the classic Hollywood red dress hugging her slim frame to the snow-white fur coat hanging loosely around her shoulders. She was an attractive woman, no doubt. But knowing what he knew about her, her dazzling looks and megawatt smile only made his skin crawl, and he wanted nothing more than to pull out his gun and shoot her dead. Not for Iris this time. But for being a nuisance. He didn't know how else to drill it into her pretty little head that they would never be a thing. The million little fires in his heart burned for one woman, and Veronika wasn't th
Reckless Hearts 82|All The Money In The World
"Speaking of decorum," said Elena, crinkling her nose in disgust at Andrei and Holly. "This little thing you have will have to end when you and Veronika tie the knot. We do not approve of mistresses—""I'll say it one last time— I am not marrying Veronika!" Andrei announced calmly. Holding Holly's hand up possessively, just in case he wasn't clear enough, he continued, "This is the woman I intend to build a life with. Nothing you or my father say will make me change my mind.""Let's all enjoy the meal; we can discuss logistics later," Nikolai suggested, trying to take control of a rapidly deteriorating situation."I don't think so," Vladimir pushed back, insisting there was no better time than the present to conclude their marriage negotiations. "There's nothing to negotiate," Andrei growled, staring him down. Seconds stretched into a minute, and then some, with neither Andrei nor Vladimir backing off, the tension in the room growing so thick it was almost suffocating. "Vlad!" Vero
Reckless Hearts 81|Ramp It Up
When Andrei and Holly stepped back into the Polo Bar, Nikolai and the Petrovs were about to dig into their entrées. Unbothered by Roman and Elena's enraged glances following them to their seats, Andrei played the part of a man in love to a tee as he helped Holly settle in. Whispering sweet nothings to her, he removed her coat and held out the chair for her, making sure she was comfortable beside him, before calling a waitress to bring them menus. "Maybe you should tone it down a little," Holly suggested for his ears only as she browsed the selection of entrées. "Everyone looks uncomfortable." "I think we should ramp it up," Andrei disagreed. And ramp it up, he did, as he leaned into her and they browsed the menu together, his arm hanging loosely over her backrest. Hard as he tried to keep his hands to himself, he couldn't resist the urge to run his fingers on her sheer sleeves. The hint of her skin was doing all kinds of things to him— "What are you in the mood for?" Holly aske
Reckless Hearts 80|All The Broken, Messed-Up Pieces
"You've truly lost your mind," Holly whispered as she spun away from him. "How the hell would that even work? I can't be anything to anyone, and you, more than anyone else in my life, know exactly how fucked up I am in the head, Drei. I cut myself when I can't cope. The only constant in my life is the intrusive thoughts living rent-free in my head. What good would I be to anyone when I'm so damn broken?" "Oh, Baby," Andrei said, reaching for her and kissing her forehead. "Don't you see? None of that matters to me. I want all the broken, messed up pieces of you. I want them all, even the ugly, scary ones—" "No, you have to find someone else," Holly said as she pulled away and began pacing again. "I am not marriage material. I don't want a husband and kids and the mansion!" Baffled by her response, Andrei asked, "Why not?" "Because it's all so mundane, boring, and ordinary. I'm not meant for any of that." "Is that what you think?" he asked, slowly approaching her. "That marriage—n
