Nathan takes a hard right and the tires squeal loudly in protest. I cling to the armrest and will him to slow down before we end up in the hospital. His knuckles are white on the steering will and there is a frantic look in those sapphire eyes. He is terrified for Mrs Wood and I want to offer words of comfort but I’m completely in the dark as to Mrs Wood condition and the extent of the damage. I only pray that the doctor’s on staff will be able to successfully treat him. “Do you have any other details?” my curiosity getting the better of me. “How did this happen, where was he shot?” He gives a terse shake of the head. “He was trying to do a deal on his own, trying to prove himself to Sergei.” His face contorts with rage. “Why didn’t Sergei stop him? Now my little brother is dying!” He pounds the steering wheel. “You don’t know that, Ben. The doctors may be able to save him. Let’s just get to the hospital and I’ll talk to them. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” The further we driv
I find myself happily contemplating all of the above with Mads. I didn’t realize I had a dream girl, but Chleo Wood is it. And I knew that she was bright and talented, but seeing her at work today in the O.R….I wasn’t exaggerating when I said she was a rockstar, which would make me the horny groupie waiting to get backstage to fuck her clean into next week. My cell pings with a text. I’m hoping it’s Mads, telling me she’s thinking about me or just wanting to tell me about some new procedure she just assisted on. But it’s from…Layla. How the fuck did she get this number? Only five people have it, and she isn’t one of them. Sergei. That fat bastard! Hi Sebastian – it’s Natasha. I will be arriving in ten days. We should talk, make plans. Kissy face emoji. Suddenly I feel as if a thousand-pound anchor is around my neck, weighing me down, taking me under. How do I keep her away from Chleo? I have to buy myself more time to craft a bulletproof plan to free myself of this engagement wi
I smile and slip my phone into my back pocket. It occurs to me then that I’ve medically treated both of the Wilson. I move over to the fridge and pull out a bottle of Fiji water while I wait for Layla to arrive. Turns out she was in nursing school but dropped out to help take care of her younger siblings and then ended up working for the family when her brother got into trouble with them. It started out as a means to repay a debt. But now she enjoys the work and the extra cash. I encouraged her to return to nursing school, but she looked at me as if I told her she should take a trip to the moon. “Not possible, I work for the Wilson family now. Besides, the money is better.” She then looked up at me and nodded. “I’m glad you’re here now. I didn’t like the last doctor so much.” “Oh, no,” I explain, “I was just helping Sebastian in a pinch, I don’t work for Wilson.” She just gave me a strange look then shrugged and went about her business. The doorbell chimes and I hop off the stool
Go home, Layla ,” I order. “Yes, sir,” she says and quickly grabs her bag and hurries out of the place like it’s on fire. My hands are trembling, and it feels like a thousand frantic birds flapping in my chest. “I was forced into the betrothal, but I’m working on a plan to free myself of it. Layla is Sergei’s lover, and I’veneverlaid a finger on her. Since the day we met, there’s been no one but you,Chleo.” I take a step closer, encouraged that she seems to be listening. “That’s why I wanted you to move in with me, to sleep in my bed every night. I wanted you secure in the fact that you’re it for me.” I lower my eyes and nod. “Yes, it was wrong of me to keep that information from you, but I was terrified that if you knew, you’d have nothing to do with me.” I lift my eyes to hers, the expression is stern but at least she appears to be processing my words, weighing them carefully. “You can accuse me of lacking the courage to tell you, but you can’t accuse me of being unfaithful or two
His eyes remain shut. “No, Chleo gave me some Percocet. It’s kicking in now, I’d better rest.” I walk over to him and straighten his comforter out over him. “All right, Layla. You get some sleep. I’ll check on you later.” The second glass of wine I gave Chleo is empty and her eyes are shut. I’m not certain if she’s merely thinking or whether she’s fallen asleep. I walk over and sit next to her. For a moment, I just stare at her beautiful face in repose and think about how differently this whole thing could’ve gone down. Tomorrow, I’m going to make Mrs Wood pay dearly for this, hit him where itWhen I brush my fingers across her hand, her eyes flutter open to half slits. Her gaze drifts toward me. “Ben.” I stroke her face and wish I could wipe the sadness from her eyes. “If you love me…” “Baby, you know I love you.” “Don’t lie to me anymore. Promise.” “No more lies, Chleo, I promise you.” She closes her eyes and nods. But then they pop back open. “You’re calling off the engage
I snort-laugh. “Ben attended the place is filled with smart, funny, attractive women.” His mouth twists. “Oh, maybe a little, but none that saved his life and helped him out of a sticky situation.” He grins. “You are a very smart doctor, but you also have a little bit of a dark streak to you.” I’m taken aback. “I most certainly do not.” His eyes narrow a bit. “I know you bent rules to help him and to help me.” He chuckles softly, “I don’t think you did it just because Ben winked at you. There must be some small part of you that…liked it.” “No, I am not saying that you are like the Wilson family. No, nothing like that. I just say you like,” he pinches his fingers together. “A little bit of the dark side. Like just dip your big toe in the water.” Despite myself, I laugh at his analogy, and he sighs in relief. “You are a very good woman, Chleo. Beni lucky to find you.” I shake my head. “I’ve got to be honest with you, Mrs Wood. This betrothal is a real sticking point for me. I won’
“Yes, you did. He immigrated to the U.S. about five years ago.” Her eyes narrow at me. “Hey, aren’t you dating that rich guy you brought in from the car crash? Isn’t he Russian too?” “Yes, well, he’s originally from there but he’s a U.S. citizen. I almost kick myself for mentioning that. I might as well have declared, my Russian boyfriend is way better than yours. Her smile fades a degree. “That’s nice. So are you going to be able to switch shifts with me?” I frown. “Let me see if I can make that work. We’ll need to clear it with Chleo too, she’s been cracking down on all of that of late.” “I know, such a dragon lady.” “I’ll get back with you by the end of the day, alright?” “Thanks,Chleo. I’d owe you big time.” As she walks off, I can’t help wondering what were the chances that two medical students at the same hospital would start dating Russians within the space of a week. Does Nathan know Kristoff? Does Kristoff work for him? It’s no big deal, by kind of is…weird. I shrug.
Did you kill my father, Sergei? Did you order a hit on your own brother? If he’s out of the way and I’m the new boss, I can dictate how the family proceeds with healing the rift between the two powerful families. In other words, there’d be no need to marry Layla. I try not to focus on it, try not to want it so badly that it skews my perspective when I view the cold, hard evidence. The proof must be iron clad to take out a boss for dishonorable conduct. I go into the Deli and head to the back offices. One of them is constantly reserved for our use. While I wait for Stieg, I make a quick sweep of the place for wiretaps and listening devices. I find none but still switch on the noisy fan to provide enough background interference. His club would’ve have been a far more secure spot, but I’d promised Chleo. I stop to think about all the ways Chleo is changing me and the ways I’ll change her. I refused to meet at Stieg’s club because I promised Chleo, I’d never step foot in there again.
Surprisingly, Chantel nods like she understands.“You like her enough, though. Enough to parade her around like she’s yours. I wanted that so bad. I still want that,” she says softly.Ah, fuck.If I’m being honest, if Andrew and I had started our relationship in a normal fashion, we would have probably ended up here—with me having to break her heart because I just don’t see how I could trust anyone enough to give them my heart.But we didn’t. Our relationship’s backwards. She snuck inside my heart without me even realizing it and I can’t get her out.Cara was my friend. And we had a really good thing going, but I would have never let it go beyond that. I put up too many walls to allow it. There’s no way to explain it to her without making it all worse so I simply say I’m sorry.“I hate that I hurt you,” I tell her.She nods, hugging her arms around her body. “I’ll get over it. ”Sensing that she wants to be alone, I start walking for the door.“And Chantel,” she calls, “I’m happy fo
My heart clenches and my voice softens. “Who’s blood is it?”He laughs then. A cruel, awful laugh.“On that bullet? Mine.”I’m taken aback but I do my best to maintain composure. “I thought you said your dad gave that to you? Why did your father have a bullet necklace with your blood on it?”His countenance softens, and a glint of vulnerability pierces through his tough exterior. “When I was fifteen, I accompanied my father on a business venture. It was meant to be a routine deal, but those other guys got too greedy. The moment we set foot on their turf, all hell broke loose. John Luciano himself shot me, right in the chest.”“Is that the reason your family unleashed a hail of bullets within the sanctum of his private mansion? I remember hearing all about that in the news and thought it was just awful.”“His family, and every last blood relation he had. He had a chance to snuff out my old man and me, and we weren’t about to let that slip away without a fight. We went at them with a ve
Your lips are so fucking distracting,” is all he says before kissing me.He tastes like vodka and spice. I tilt my head up to give him better access and Nathan responds by thrusting his tongue into my mouth. His hand tightens on my neck while his other hand drifts down to my thigh, drawing me closer. Carlo suddenly pulls away and I moan the loss of his mouth on mine.He rests his forehead against mine. His hand is still around my neck. It’s carnal and possessive at the same time.“No one touches you but me,” he says firmly. “Say it,dolcezza.”My eyes narrow. “You’re being ridiculous.”Because despite that passionate, earth-shattering kiss, he still needs to know I am not his possession.“Say it, Astoria,” he repeats, his eyes burning like coals.“Move, Nathan ,” is all I say before he removes his hand from my neck and steps back.“Tori, I’d never harm you.”“I know that,” I assure him and he signs in relief. “But I am not your toy.”He walks closer to me and I start stepping back unti
“As you know, I’m my father’s first son. First children usually have a lot riding on them, and in my family, it was no different. He had a lot of expectations for me. He wanted me to be the best because I was meant to be his legacy. His successor. Growing up, I had to be the best in school, the biggest, the strongest. He pushed me to exceed all his expectations, and I tried my best but it was never enough. My younger brothers have always been smarter than me. Hell, Topher’s a fucking genius.” He lets out a wry laugh.I hold my breath. I don’t say a single word because this is what I’ve needed all this time. For him to open up to me. I just want to know who he really is.“It was like, I could never really measure up. But what I could do is try my fucking hardest when it came to the family business. When I was younger, I thought I was going to be the next Don. Then my dad placed that gun in my hand when I was fifteen and told me to shoot. Christian had to do the same when he was sixteen
Take off your shirt,” I command. “Use it to apply pressure.”He stares at me, uncomprehending.I cock my head to the side. “Do you want to die?” I ask calmly. He hurriedly shakes his head before doing as I asked. I smile. “Well done. Your arms next.”“It hurts, doesn’t it?” I ask, staring at him. “You should have thought things through before going after my girl.”“No!” Tori yells, distracting me. I look up at my girl, feeling something clench in my chest. Fuck. I can’t believe I almost lost her. “That’s enough.”“No, it’s really not,” I say, shaking my head.“Please, don’t kill him,” she says, her eyes welling up with tears.I clench my jaw. “Of course I’m going to kill him. He just hasn’t suffered enough, and I’d hate for him to bleed out too early.”“Carlo, you have. You’ve tortured him enough. Look at him.”I grit my teeth. This wasn’t what I had in mind for Marino. But I can hear the hysteria in her voice, the way it quivers. She’s been through enough. And it’s Tori. There’s not
I’m trembling uncontrollably too terrified to move or think clearly. What’s happening down there? With three cars, how many men is Sebastian facing on his own? I’ve got to help him!I set the gun down and fish in the backpack for a flashlight. I find it and switch it on to light up the space. I stick my arms through the sleeves of the shirt and pull on the jogging pants. The bag also contains wads of cash, a cell phone, false IDs for us, another gun, and some energy bars and water.I hear muffled noises, the crashing of glass, and the bumping of furniture being knocked over.“Oh, God, Ben,” I cry, clamping my hands over my mouth. I know Bash told me to stay insideI grab the gun out of the bag and stick in my pants pocket. I take the gun Bash gave and bring it to bear. I struggle with the door for a bit but manage to yank it open. I’m dripping with sweat as I shove the boxes aside.I pause as I stand in the closet, mentally preparing myself to do what needs to be done. I could be
I grit my teeth, I’d prayed it'd never get this far. But desperate times…I find the video and open it for him.He watches it eagerly, a slow ugly grin spreads across his face. “Send me this video.”My instincts tell me this is a huge mistake, but what choice do I have if I want his support? “Is that really necessary?”The color rises in his face. “You want my support, you give me the collateral I need. Who knows what this girl will do? She could be the very weapon used to destroy you!”“She won’t because there’s more at stake than just her career.”His eyes narrow as he glares at me. “What else?”“She’s pregnant, we just found out. Our child will serve as the guarantee on her silence.”His expression turns a degree more devious. “Yes, yes. This could work.”I feel like a fucking fiend for even suggesting our child could be used as leverage, but I know it’ll never come to that. This is just a bargaining chip to get what I need right now and that’s Victor Volkov’s backing.“You
Fine, fine, it’s your life.”“It’s our life,” I say firmly. “We’ll work through it, just not now. Can you give me that?”She nods. “Sure.” Her eyes brighten. “Can we go see Red Square now? I’m dying to see the iconic St. Basil cathedral.”“Let’s go.” I toss a few ruble bills on the table and rise. I grab my backpack off the chair as Chleo adjusts her jacket.We spend the rest of the day winding our way around the city, visiting several iconic landmarks.We strolled through the grand entry way with towering columns down toward the fountains. Before entering, Chloe had said she was exhausted, but she had a new burst of energy upon seeing the beauty of the park. Several friendly park goers offered to take our photo, so we’d have plenty to remind us of the wonderful day we’d enjoyed.Once again, seeing it all with Chleo made it magical and creates memories that I’ll always treasure. I look at the happy couples walking by pushing strollers with their babies. And I envision Chleo and
My legs give way and I crumble to the floor. Hot tears sting my eyes and roll down my cheeks. All this time I’d been strutting around here acting like I was God’s gift to the medical world, all the while Ben knew the truth and said nothing. I am so humiliated.I feel Ben near me. Hear his voice in my ear. “I’ll give you the world, Chleo, whatever you want. But don’t youevertake me for granted or try to dismiss me. Your career and the hospital aren’t the center of your universe…I am.” He then takes me by the hands and gently lifts me to my feet. “The private jet leaves for Moscow in 2 hours, you need to be ready.”Feeling utterly deflated, I allow Ben to lead me up the stairs to finish packing. I feel so utterly disillusioned and uncertain. What do I do with this information about the residency? What do I do about this pregnancy? I am so lost and torn.And now I must fly thousands of miles away to a place I’ve never been with this man whom I love but hardly Nathan chartered for our