DARLENEDinner on the rosewood dining table was frosty, and it wasn't just because we'd been holding back on the cooker for the electricity bill.It had more to do with Stella's attitude, the way she was stabbing at the cold chicken sandwich with the bread knife would have sent a medieval knight running for the hills."I've just about had it with you Ella, what is with the attitude today?" Mum barked, slapping her knotted hands down on the table so hard Dad's sandwich rattled in his white ceramic plate."Oh I dunno, maybe it's the fact that my parents think it's okay to sell off their fucking daughter to some drug lord for a fat check!""Language!" I hissed reflexively, just as a huge wallop of smoke left Mum's ears as she pushed back in her seat."Now now, no one's selling anyone off pumpkin, Darlene's doing what's best for the family-" Dad's easy voice soothed before Stella cut him off again as I glanced between the two of them, the sandwich frozen half way to my mouth.Shit, this i
ALEXANDER"Listen closely son, what I'm about to tell you, no one can ever find out."That was six hours ago, in the basement of one of my father's cold rooms where he'd given us the briefing of our next hit just before my wedding." Earl Kosker, new in the game, made off with a hundred million off one of the ring's elite, get the money clean or dirty, just no traces to us, how you punish him is your business." My father's warning ricocheted between my ears as Fredrick fishtailed the matte- black G-wagon into the neatly kept estate where the target lived.He'd permed the unruly strands of his short yellow hair backwards so he looked like a business man, a particularly mischievous business man."Quit staring Sherlock, all you gotta do is ask and I'd take care of that balding hairline for you in no time." My brother grumbled, flicking air behind his ear.I ignored him, I did not have a balding problem, my hairline ran almost all the way to my thickset eyebrows. Fredrick on the other han
"So this is the day." Ironic because one thing I thought I would never have to do in my life is sit in front of the mirror to have some cheesey soliloquy go on between me and my reflection. Truth be told, I never thought that there would be a day that I would be putting on a wedding dress for a man whom I have spoken to, just one or two times. I guess that some things happened beyond our control. Sometimes, you get to see yourself doing and being the very things that you would have last expected from or for yourself. Like me. Ordinary girl like me, getting married to a man as rich, affluent and influencial as Alexander Mckenzie. An ordinary girl like me looking this beautiful on my own wedding day. "Wow," I spoke again, surprising myself with yet another word of soliloquy. I couldn't help, but stare at the mirror and admire all there was to admire about myself. Truly, I had never looked this beautiful before. I had never had so much preparation and work done on me by people who
I didn't run away."Are you ready?"My mum's soothing voice was all I needed to hear. She stood by me, right before we were set to leave the manor, in time for the event. Her warm hands held onto mine just as I let out a sight, and her warmer eyes filled with understanding, looked into mine."You don't seem okay," She said to me.She was quick to pick it up. One thing I had always noticed about my mother was how easily it was for her to pick up the slightest bit of off in any of my behaviors. She could easily read me. More than my father ever could. I often hoped on her to be the mouthpiece for me in situations where I failed to speak up.Only very very few times, she disppointed me."I don't understand why," I told her truthfully. "Alexander does not seem like such a bad person to spend my life with." The memories that came to me, lingering all over the little times we had spent together made me feel butterflies. "I started to sort of feel something for him…"I waited for her to say
When I was seven, I had a homework partner for the very first time. It was a middle school science project that the school was hosting to show off kids like me to the public. So, because of this, we were told that we were going to have to present our science project to a number of people, and explain what he did to get out works the way they were.I hated public speaking.I hated public anything.So, to say that I was shaking in my boots was the least. I was scared stiff. I was so nervous that I had occasionally burst into untriggered tears, many times that I couldn't count.I had grown to be more social and bubbly in nature as I started to join my father in the bakery and I guess I could say that Life gave me no choice. Somehow, I needed to be his selling point, and my bright personality was what always moved people to want to come over to visit the bakery.Some people came to Dad's bakery just to see me smile. Mum had always told me that my smile was going to do many many good thing
The turn out of my wedding was a complete irony in comparison to what I had initially thought it was going to be.I had started the morning with confusion and an awkward uncertain feeling that lingered somewhere within me, but from the moment that I saw Alexander on the alter, with that bright smile on his handsome face, I felt all my worries and fears wash away.Maybe if Alexander Mckenzie was there at my second grade Science fair programme, it would have spared the humiliation I brought upon myself.How could I feel this way for someone whom I had only talked to just once?Some people said that if you're y had been starved from romantic love for such a long time, then the littlest bit of what looked like it was going to have you swarming in a sea of fantasies and fairy tales.But was that what was happening to me? Was that why I seemed so helplessly affectionate everytime I saw him? Alexander Mckenzie— a man whom I had only had one decent conversation with.And was tripping all over
The workers and staff at Alexander Mckenzie's mansion were the most warm hearted people I had ever met.It was easy to tell that the man treated them with so much respect and it told with how much they paid their service to him and now, me with smiles on their faces and a warmness in their tone of voice."You're so beautiful," One of the women had said to me for about the hundredth time that evening and even though I was so exhausted, my smile came naturally and my eyes reciprocated appreciation.And really, I was so exhausted.People always told fancy stories about how their Wedding Night was going to be and how magical it was going to be for them and their significant others, but no one ever really talked about how much all you would really want to do is come back and slouch on the bed to doze off into a very deep sleep.As much as I would have loved to envision and daydream what a perfect wedding night would be like for me and Alexander…I thought more about sleep right now.But st
Waking up to Alexander was magical. Breathtakingly magical. In all honesty, I couldn't even bring myself to remember the last time that I was this happy. I had gotten up from bed initially, and in a space of a second where I was just adjusting to my wake, I had forgotten everything and anything and would have had a panic attack opening my eyes to fine skin and silky jet black hair. And then, I remembered I was married. The realization brought a sweet smile to my face. I stood up from bed first, smiling to myself as I looked away from Alexander who was sleeping softly like an angel. With a sigh, I stretched out, eyes roaming the room as a feeling of curiousity started to linger forth in me. I suddenly wanted to wander all around this big mansion, for the fun of getting to know my new home. "Where to, my love?" I was just on my way towards the door when suddenly, Alexander's voice come behind me. I stopped on my track and looked behind to the man whom I thought was actually deep
DARLENE“Rise and shine sleepy heads! Breakfast’s ready!” Prince Charles’ booming baritone cracked through my skull before a wash of yellow light bored through my closed eyelids so that I groaned, breaking into a chuckle when Alexander groaned beside me.“Fucking hell Charles, did your parents not teach you to knock?” My husband hissed, throwing the soft white duvet away from his hard body and stretching to his feet to snatch the coffee mug the purple-eyed man held out like a peace offering in one hand, his gaze sliding over to me and darkening a shade before he smirked.“I don't believe they did,” He whispered breathlessly, nodding his head to the door where the strawberry blonde-haired man was leaning against the doorframe in brown capri pants, a pearly grin stretched across his smooth face.“Have some decency Frederick, my wife’s in the room,” Alexander whispered, scoffing loudly and sipping his tea as I stretched a yawn and shimmyed away from the bed to rest my head on my husband’
FREDERICK“Die motherfucker,” I gritted, pressing my finger into the claw of the trigger and feeling the gun jerk in my hands, the impact pulling me forward so that I tumbled into the stone flooring.“Come on! Go go go!” I screamed through gritted teeth, waving my hands wildly at Darlene and pushing her around the car as she surged through the barrage of shots pummeling us and firing off a few more rounds as the Umbrella man roared with pain, tearing the knife from his eye with an impossibly loud sucking sound.“I need to get closer,” I hissed through my teeth as I rounded the bend of the car to meet Alwxander’s tense body where he was hunched, hiding from the rain of bullets with Darlene curled in his arms.I swallowed the bile that had risen in my throat, jabbing my fingers into my palms to battle the wooziness that stabbed the sides of my head and peering through the rim of black sedan to see that the man now had a gaping hole in one eye that still spurted blood as he glared around
STEFAN MCCOYMy knuckles were white on the trigger as I watched the man’s hard body as he walked slowly into the room, his eyes never leaving the gun I had pressed dutifully against his wife’s empty ass head.“No sudden moves Alexander or I’ll have the woman’s brains plastered across the floor,” I growled through clenched teeth as Alexander staggered into the room with his father and more of my men surrounding them.I had known something was off the minute I left the penthouse, even before the sound of gunshots echoed out behind us and I asked Markov to turn the car around.The white penthouse with its flashing lights and tall pine trees loomed as ghastly as ever, as I motioned the men every which way, feeling adrenaline rush through my veins when the sounds of gunfire exploded around the sides of the house as my men sniffed the bastards out like the rats that they were.“Please, McCoy, don't do this, My wife has nothing to do with this okay? I’ll, I’ll give you whatever it is you wan
DARLENE“Something’s wrong,” I whispered breathlessly, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight as I watched the man with the Jerry curls stride away from the large lattice silver gates, a gun held tightly in his right hand.“What the fuck do you mean something’s wrong? McCoy’s going with most of his men! This is our cue to go in, grab the twins, plant the bombs, and hightail the fuck out of here in time for Mrs. McKenzie’s dinner special,” Erwin snapped blithely from his crouch beside me, the rim of a sniper rifle held tightly in his hands, as he peered through the scope.“Lassie’s right, this seems too easy, they must have found out about the decoy car approaching already, that's the only reason for him to leave...and yet,” Williams McKenzie growled on my right flank, raising the tight hulk of his frame into a low squat and inching to slap himself against the tree, the burnt orange blackness of the forest blending perfectly with our camo gear.“We should-” Erwin start
ALEXANDERThe bright fluorescent lights tore through my eyelids to fry my eyeballs before I had even opened my eyes. I groaned, the soreness in my arms and stiff legs making me groan louder as I let my head fall back into my chest.What the hell did the bastard hit me with? Fucking hulk?“Ugh!” I groaned, screwing one eye open to lock gazes with my brother’s blanched face and watching him sag with relief when he saw that I had opened my eyes.“Alexander? Fuck! Thank saints you're okay,” He rasped breathlessly and I felt the scowl deepen between my eyebrows as I glared at the swollen purple bruises on his face that had left the skin of his face puffy and red.“Your buddy didn't take too kindly to you I reckon, stabbed you in the fucking balls just like you did to me you piece of shit!” I barked acidly, watching my brother rear back on the chair that he was strapped to like he had been slapped.I looked down to see I was lying on some makeshift gurney table, feeling my heart pound wildl
DARLENE“Where is he? Where’s my husband?” I whizzed when I caught up to the ring chief scowling in the middle of the road, his hands fixed patiently on his narrow hips.“He’s gone Dar, that McCoy took him,” Prince Charles gritted, eyeing me carefully before I noticed his hand cupping the large gash on his chest, the trickle of blood pooling on the purple suit staining the area black.“Here, let’s get you to the car,” I gritted through clenched teeth, managing to push the words past the lump that had grown in my throat and tugging the man’s hand free when he resisted before hooking it over one shoulder, grunting when he leaned his weight on me a little.I could hear the whirl of sirens in the distance as they got closer and I yelped, slamming to a stop when the purple-eyed man stopped suddenly in his tracks.What the hell was it with mafia men and having death wishes? I tried not to look at the nasty knife wound on his abdomen or the purple and red bruises on his chin and focused inst
FREDERICK“Did you have to do it that hard?” I whispered, feeling tears gather in my eyes as I watched the Umbrella Man tower over my brother’s limp body, his brown eyes almost luminescent in the dark.“Quiet Frederick, you're ruining my groove, take him.” Stefan McCoy growled and I felt my heart hammer in my ribs as the masked ninjas dropped from the trees like banana monkeys, hooking my brother’s hard body onto the stretcher as I watched on with widened eyes.“Is he dead?” I rasped breathlessly, feeling panic burn in my chest as I trotted after the men, the crunch of dried leaves under my feet sounding loud in the silence as the masked men marched my brother to the large white van that had been parked off to the side of the highway.“Not yet,“ The Umbrella man whispered, rubbing his hands together in glee as they loaded him into the van and I felt a flicker of doubt spark in my chest.“So it’s all good now right? Everything will go as planned now?” I coughed, scarcely trusting mysel
ALEXANDERIt took longer than I would have liked for my eyes to adjust to the near blackness as I entered the forest.“Where are you? You son of a bitch,” I ground through clenched teeth, waving the gun this way and that and aware of the way I was panting loudly, carefully placing one foot in front of the other.My arms were starting to get sore from holding the gun up and high, my knuckles white on the trigger as I crept along the line of trees, freezing when I thought I had heard the distinct sound of a tree branch snapping.Could this get any fucking worse? Did the motherfucker have to pick the shittiest forest in the whole of New York to make his dramatic comeback?“Go on and run away like the coward that you fucking are McCoy, I can smell that cheap perfume from a mile away,” I jeered loudly, feeling goosebumps rise on my skin when my distorted voice echoed back to me in the blackness.I tried to focus past the hum that had started in my ears but my mind was not following my eyes
DARLENEMy husband hadn't made any sense when he got off the phone with the purple-eyed man and it made even less sense now as we sped toward the edge of town with his knuckles white on the steering wheel.I braced myself against the cool leather of the dashboard, trying to calm the staccato beating of my heart in my chest as we sped through the stretch of asphalt and felt a wave of nausea press insistently against the roof of my mouth.“Are you sure about the address?” I wheezed, unable to bear the silence any longer and risking a glance at the chiseled line of Alexander’s jaw, the way his piercing green eyes were starting dead ahead, his flock of obsidian black hair falling over his face as the muscles of his shoulder and bicep flexed when he fishtailed the steering wheel.“White Villa at Maple Street, I didn't know he lived there, there's only one of the kind, you can't miss it,” He whispered, and even though I knew the steel in his voice couldn't have been meant for me, it made sh