DARLENEI stared at Laura with utter disbelief. I could not even bring myself to wrap my head around what she was trying to tell me.She stood there beside my Mum and my Dad, guilt rolling off her as she faced me after her little confession. I wished, oh I wished that she was joking. Or that the interpretation of what was going on in my head was far from what she actually meant.But that seemed to be a delusion for me. Laura was talking about what I thought she was talking about. And that dead scared the life right out of me."I…" I stammered, dumbfounded by Al means. "I don't understand."Mum was too keen on facing my husband."I don't understand," She said to him. "Why are you here now?" She looked at him as though he was a completely different person. "Laura already told us about how our daughter is unhappy with you after you and your father fooled us into giving you her hand in marriage, so why are you here, pretending like you two are fine now?""Mum, we are fine," I tried to lig
DARLENEHe was just waiting in the car.With the way that he had stormed out of the house, my mind had gone haywire, scattering into several thoughts and all of them, may I add, were negative.I hadn't seen him in the car. But I saw that the car was still packed in that exact same spot so I was able to tell that he had not gone away yet. So, I raced towards the car, hoping that I would see him there."Alexander…" I whispered, my voice shaking against my will, as I settled in on the driver's seat inside the car."You had no right, Darlene, you tell about the family business. Do you understand how dangerous that could be for everyone?" He said to me.His voice was stiff and cold and his eyes were step ahead, unmoving. He didn't turn left or right as he spoke, I just sat there staring at his side and that hard firm looking, unpleased side view of him."I only told Laura," I said to him. It sounded stupid, yes I knew, and it was one hell of a dumb excuse that could have gotten him possibl
DARLENEI always liked to think that everything happened for the best.In some way, it made me less affected when things were not going the best way. It gave me that low-key sense of understanding that it was alright, and eventually, everything was going to be fine. Growing up, I always had that thought at the back of my mind. But now as I was grown and having to face one issue to the other, it felt exhausting to keep up that hope. It felt useless too. Like a waste of time. One minute, I was thinking that my life was finally going back on the track of stability and the next, life throws in a 360 for me.I decided to sleep over at my parent's house. I assured Alexander that I would be home by myself in the morning. And I hoped he would listen to me and respect that I didn't want more drama from my parents having to see him here a second time. I knew he was still pissed, but by all means, he was trying to be as calm as he could be. I kinda respected that about him."Good morning,"I was
DARLENEIt's not usual to walk into your marital home and see a strange woman whom you had never seen before, sitting there on the couch with legs crossed and nose in the air, like she is the owner of the house.Oh well. Fuck my life. This woman, I had never seen before, relaxed in my own home like she was the queen of the place. Her jet black hair was rolled up in a bum and all the sharp edges of her face were in full view. With that snotty pout and oblivious pretence to my presence, I could clearly tell that she was a proud one.And she was gorgeous. Stunning, I must say. To the very point that it made me uncomfortable. Everything about her was conventionally attractive: from the beat ponytail to the clea skin and pretty eyes, and down to the elegance she seemed to exude even in her bratty confidence. There was an air of regality that surrounded her as she sat there, comfortably, making sure to be ever so relaxed in a home that was not even hers.My major concern; was she in the w
DARLENEAlexander came home that night and my heart was in my mouth the most of the whole time.I wanted to say something to him. So badly. I wanted to talk about everything, but I had no words to start. Ironically, I had never been one to struggle with words, no matter what. I always knew what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. Never did I feel what it was like to be 'tongue-tied'.Well, until now.I was in the Master's Bedroom when he walked in. I would have been off to bed by this time, but I could not quite bring myself to sleep the entire night. I just saw this there on the bed and pondered.I thought about Alexander.Right up until he had walked in.He seemed too occupied in his head. Or at least, that was what it looked like. I could not have been a hundred percent sure, but I was certain enough to perhaps bet on it.At one glance, it was clear that he was occupied in his head. He seemed to not even realize that he had gotten here, and I felt that he would have also som
DARLENEThe entire room was dark. It was completely devoid of every single source of light there was and it was as though I was lost in a tunnel of darkness and mayhem."Hello?" I called out into the air, but it only felt like the voice that had responded back to me, was a replica, an echo of my own sound.I felt it. That impending doom and fear. I felt that dread that latched there around my throat and suffocated me as I tried — in vain— to wrap my head around what was going on, where I was, and how I had even gotten here in the first place."Hello?" Echo. An echo back was all that responded back to me and I was taking steps blindly at that point. Each step I took fekt like gravity was doubling with it. I felt heavier, like I was literally having to carry myself around with each step.What was going on?The last I remembered was preparing to go to bed, right after my reconciliation with Alexander. I was already fantasizing about how I was going to just go to bed with a smile spread a
DARLENEA migraine stayed with the the entire time so far this morning.Ironic how last night was a fairy tale dream come true for me and then, when I got to bed and expected to close my eyes in slept and dream all sorts of magical things that would make me put a smile on my face, even in my dreams, it happened the exact opposite.I had a nightmare.A nightmare that ended up giving me a throbbing headache.I stayed an entire thirty minutes or more in the shower, hoping that it would go away. But none yet. The sides of my head throbbed badly, like a vein was on the verge of bursting and exploding right there. I never knew how painful headaches could get, until now.With a sigh, I stepped out of the bathroom and into the Master's bedroom, hoping to get on with the rest of today and maybe, just maybe, get some fine sleep.I was at the Vanity Mirror when warm, strong hands wrapped around me from behind, pulling me back into a hard and firm body that was pleasing to feel. The sweet smell o
DARLENEMy mornings seemed to take in the same daily routine. Nightmares.I stirred in my sleep the entire night afterwards, and finally, my eyes fluttered open. Slowly.They settled on the familiar walls of my room. I groaned softly at the massive headache that hit me all at one, eliciting a soft hiss from my mouth. My hands dropped to my side, running it across the empty space that had my stomach dropping in sadness.Where is he?He promised he was going to be here when I woke up. I pulled the covers over my head and let out a muffled scream, kicking my legs in the air. I managed to sit up after sulking for a while. I turned to the alarm clock by the bedside, checking for the time. It read 9:00am.I could really use a steaming cup of coffee right now. I climbed out of bed and dropped my feet into the bunny slides beside it. I picked up my phone and sauntered into the bathroom to brush my teeth.After brushing, I did a quick wash of my face and combed my hair, throwing it in a mess
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