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24|Damage Control
Last Updated:
2024-11-26 05:17:54
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Reckless 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 : 2024-12-03Reckless Hearts 30|Show Me That Woman
Andrei thought heading home, having a few drinks, and sleeping it off would do the trick. But it didn't. When he woke up the following morning with a mother of headaches, he was still hopping mad. An hour later, all showered, dressed up and slightly sober thanks to Helga's nasty ass hangover cure, he felt almost human again. Almost. But his rage was nowhere close to cooling. When he jumped in the car a little while later, Ivan and Igor barely spoke after their usual greetings. They'd known each other all their lives and could read the other like a book, so one look at him told them to keep their wisecrack comments to themselves. "Where to?" Igor asked from behind the wheel as they paused at a four-way stop. "Glen Eagles!" Andrei replied. Wordlessly, Igor indicated, switched lanes, and took a left to connect them to the highway. Not a single word was uttered between the three men for the duration of their drive to Glen Eagles; the uncomfortable silence swirling in the ca
Last Updated : 2024-12-03Reckless Hearts 31|Lead You Nowhere Good
"Everything okay?" Ivan asked when Andrei jumped in the back. "How do you swipe right on someone again?" he asked. Platitudes and niceties were wasted on him. "Swipe right?" Igor scratched his head. "Where?" "On the Hot Connexions app." "If you haven't declined the match-up, you should still be able to swipe right on your connection," Ivan clarified. Andrei threw his phone at him, "Swipe right on Holly Anderson!" Igor slammed the brakes hard, jerking all of them forward. If their seat belts weren't on, Ivan, with Andrei's phone, would have flown straight through the windscreen. And Andrei couldn't allow that. Not when he was so close to a brilliant plan. He held out his hand, and Ivan returned the phone while Igor waited for an explanation. And when it didn't come willingly, he forced it out of him. "Why are you swiping right on Holly Anderson?" "Because she's the only woman who swiped right on me," Andrei replied simply as he scrolled through his phone and accessed the
Last Updated : 2024-12-03Reckless Hearts 32|Intervention
While Andrei went about his morning, making his grand plans, across town in Green Point, Holly lay in bed, staring at the digital clock on her nightstand. It was just after 8:00 AM, and if it was any other Tuesday, she'd be at the Institute by now, where she'd spend six, sometimes seven hours drifting between classes, rehearsals and dress fittings. But now that her knee had fucked out on her, there'd be none of that today. Wracked by an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and grief, Holly wanted nothing more than to stay in bed and hide under the covers until her life made sense again. But she couldn't bring herself to do it; she wouldn't get a second opinion by wallowing in self-pity. So she dragged herself to the en suite bathroom to start her day. She flipped the switch, gasping at her reflection when the overhead light flickered to life. She didn't need anyone to tell her she looked like death warmed over. Her pasty complexion and gigantic panda eyes were doing an excellent job
Last Updated : 2024-12-10
Latest chapter
Reckless Hearts 73|The Recording
The party was already in full swing when Holly arrived at Crush just after 3:00 PM, even though she was the guest of honour. She found Russel and Naomi at the bar, having a good old time sipping cocktails. "You made it!" Naomi placed her drink on the countertop and hugged her briefly, before pushing her to Russel. "That's a hell of a move you pulled, kid!" he said, giving Holly a bear hug. "Yeah, your exit was definitely not on my 2025 bingo card," Naomi chimed in, leading the way to a VIP booth upstairs, away from the deafening music and drunken voices. They sat down, with Holly running an appreciative gaze around the room. After Austin took over, the place had undergone a major revamp, and she liked the chic yet playful design better than the old, over-the-top, garish neon furniture. "What happened?" Russel asked, pulling out his laptop. "What was the final straw for you?" Forcing a smile on her face, Holly kept her response vague, blaming her career-ending injury for her sna
Reckless Hearts 72|A Magician Never Reveals Her Tricks
A pale-faced Lola stormed off with her groupies. One or two were brave enough to ask what Holly had said to leave her so shaken. "It's nothing," Holly heard her say just before she slipped inside the security office, where she spent an unbelievably long time going through the off-boarding process. When Carlo, one of the security guys assisting her, confirmed she was off the system, Holly excused herself, racing to the Porsche Cayenne Coupé parked in front of the entrance. For a minute or maybe more, she just stood there, soaking in the weight of her decision and unable to believe her journey as a dancer was truly over. "How does it feel to be a free agent?" Eric asked when she took her place in the back moments later. "Exhilarating! I never thought unemployment would feel so great!" Holly replied, amazed at how much she liked the idea of being a free agent. "I guess congratulations are in order then!" Eric teased, smiling at her as they pulled away. Holly gazed out the rear w
Reckless Hearts 7I| What The Devil Stole
"Please, let's talk about this," Katherine pleaded, stopping short of selling her soul to Holly. "You are a valuable asset to the team. The Institute needs you. You'll make an amazing teacher. After your surgery, I'll speak to the board and fast-track your promotion—" "Promotion?" Holly snickered, rolling her eyes. Joining the teaching staff was hardly a promotion. If anything, for someone with unparalleled talent like her, it was a demotion. "We both know that's not a promotion!" She clucked her tongue in contempt, wondering if Katherine had always seen her as nothing more than an idiot who could easily be manipulated with just a few empty promises. Deciding it didn't matter anyway since she'd resigned, Holly tried to leave again. But Katherine held on to her arm and switched gears as she ramped up her manipulation tactics, promising to find her the best dance instructor to help her return to the stage. "I know how much being a prima means to you. I'm sure your condition can be fix
Reckless Hearts 70|Played A Stupid Game
Holly stuck to her guns and was at the Institute first thing Monday morning to hand in her resignation letter. Hoping to avoid another ugly confrontation, she planned to leave it on Katherine's desk, collect her stuff from her locker, and sneak out without detection. But, she had a rude awakening when she found the campus already bustling with student apprentices and the Corps as they went about their morning. It seemed she wasn't the only one with a good work ethic. Her disappointment shot up when she reached Katherine's office. Even though it was just before 6:00 AM and too damn early for anyone to be productive, her soon-to-be former boss was already hard at work, furiously typing away. The dark circles around Katherine's eyes, her constant yawning, and the coffee mug beside her laptop were very telling. Her insomnia was back, and Holly couldn't help but smile with glee as she knocked on the ajar door, glad to see that her ugly sins were keeping her awake at night. Katherine l
Reckless Hearts 69|More Valuable As An Ally
Could it be? Could the two men be related? Could this be Jaco's return to The Corporation and the start of his long-anticipated revenge? And could Anton be just a chess piece in whatever deadly game Jaco was playing? "No fucking way," Andrei whispered as he pushed the contract away and reached for his laptop, getting down to some serious internet sleuthing as soon as it blinked to life. There were several photos of Anton from LinkedIn and other social network sites for professionals. A quick scan through his online résumé confirmed everything he'd told Andrei at their meeting—from his educational background to the founding of Nexus. Andrei breathed a sigh of relief he didn't really believe in when a search through his connections revealed no apparent link to Jaco. But, he thought as he sat up and stared at the screen. Just because he couldn't find an obvious link between the two men didn't mean he wasn't right. In fact, the longer he sat there, going over the timing of the mee
Reckless Hearts 68|The Long Game
"You get it now," Andrei said with a slow smile, glad they were finally on the same page. "He wants to double-cross me," the Mexican mused, coiling his thin ponytail around two of his fingers. "It appears so." "That bloody ingrate! That bloody, fucking weasel! Nobody steals my product! Nobody!" Juan raged, and it was precisely the reaction Andrei had hoped for. While the embers of Juan's rage were still blazing hot, Andrei seized his chance, but was careful to play it cool. He didn't want to appear too eager or too desperate. Both were deadly for any business deal. Nothing turned people off faster than eagerness or desperation. It was a lesson he'd learned early in life. So, with just the right amount of authority and humility, he pushed Juan in the right direction, "Look, Mikhail is family. But as someone who values loyalty and doesn't tolerate betrayal from anyone, I understand how bad this looks, and I want you to know I support whatever action you wish to take." Juan needed
Reckless Hearts 67|Little Osaka
Little Osaka, the brothel where Nathan Gopal died in a hail of bullets a few months earlier following the fallout with Jaco and the De Jagers, was a fortress when Andrei and his lieutenants arrived just after 11:00 PM. Several highly skilled security teams, trained in crowd control and threat management, were stationed at all entry points, armed to the teeth and ready to handle any ambush, big or small. A year ago, Andrei would have thought it was overkill. But after Willem unleashed hell on Rock Castle and sent his henchmen to slaughter Nathan and several escorts like pigs, he understood Lev's overly cautious approach. They could not afford a repeat of the chaos, especially when they were hosting a prominent member of the Mexican cartel. Ivan killed the engine and switched off the headlights, but they stayed put and scoped out the place from the safety of their seats, waiting for Lev's all-clear. Despite the infamous massacre, now known as the 'ambush of Little Osaka' in the under
Reckless Hearts 66|Wounded Her
After their call earlier, Andrei didn't expect to hear from Holly again, but when Helga ran upstairs and crashed his meeting with his lieutenants, excitedly announcing Holly's arrival, he left his study faster than the Flash, eager to see her. So her cold reception—no, her rage simmering just below the surface—was the last thing he'd hoped for. "You are upset," he said, unsure if he should approach her. Holly followed his lead, staying put on her end of the room, her hands curled into fists, shaking at her sides. It was clear as day she was trying her damnedest to hold her anger in, and he wanted so much to take her in his arms, if only just to make her feel better. But her sharp intake of breath, followed by a fierce look, told him to stay the hell away from her. "What exactly do you think of me?" Holly asked just when Andrei began to think they'd spend the entire night staring at each other. "What do you mean?" "Do I look like some damsel in distress to you?" "Of course not, b
Reckless Hearts 65|Blindsided
"No," Holly whispered, gasping for air as the walls of her chest moved closer, squeezing her lungs. "He wouldn't do that." "He did, and right in front of Sabrina," Cooper said in a hauntingly calm voice. "I didn't realise you have a thing for psychopaths." "What the hell is he saying? He's not making any sense!" Liam said, glancing at Holly, annoyance and confusion flitting on his face. "Yeah, what does Andrei have to do with this?" Willow chimed in. "I'm so confused!" "For God's sake, Holly, tell me you are not involved with Andrei!" Liam said softly, disappointment and anger burning in his eyes. "Oh, they are involved, alright. He was with her at The Castle the other night, threw his weight around like some hotshot," Cooper added fuel to the fire, fanning the flames of Liam's rage. "Is it true?" He demanded, turning all his anger on her. "Were you with Andrei a few nights back?" "I was," Holly admitted, nodding her head. "But it's not like that. He agreed to sell the penthouse
