Elara’s POVOn the trigger, Mara's fingers quit. I'll shoot if you go one more step.I choked hard. "Would you?," asked?Still quiet.Her hand trembled just for a split second.And it was all the required assurance.Though she had always been frigid and manipulative, Mara was not a killer. Not in reference to me specifically.Dmitri also noted it.His delighted look veered toward something worse."She won't pull the trigger," he said, sneering. But I will.Time slowness.Dmitri pulled his rifle.Leo pushed me back behind him.Still another shot rang out, deafening and breaking through the darkness.I was startled.Leo stumbled."No!," I gasped.Blood in particular. His blood. Staining his shirt. A red bloom spreads too quickly.Leaving one knee down, Leo grabbed his side.Though she hadn't fired, Mara's gun was shaking now. She stood still.Dmitri moved forward, gun still trained toward Leo."You ought to have stayed out of this," Dmitri said, sounding nearly casual. But you have to p
Elara’s POVYou are not obliged to do this.Leo's voice was tight, his grip strong on my wrist as if he could physically stop me from walking into the storm we were about to unleash.My pulse thundering, I wrenched free. " I'm not sprinting. Not with Dmitri. Not drawn from this struggle.His jaw contracted. "This is more than simply a struggle, Elara. It is a war. You believe Dmitri sent that email merely to intimidate us? He left already.My stomach turned, but I spoke steadily. "We then strike back."Under his breath, he muttered and ran a hand over his hair. "Damn it, Elara; you do not grasp—"Then make me understand! I snapped and pushed him to look at me, walking closer. "Because I refuse to sit in the shadows while you risk everything alone."His chest surged and dropped as his irritation collided with the heat flickering between us. At last he said, his voice hoarse and low, "You're too important to me." "I won't let go of you."I gulped hard, emotions stranding around my neck.
Elara’s POV"You’re going to regret this, Elara," he seethed.I glared back. "Get in line."Leo covered us as we rushed toward an escape. Just as I reached the door, I peered back—Mara hesitated, appearing torn."Mara!" I shouted.She swallowed hard, then followed.We broke into the night air, rushing for the SUV parked a block away."Get in!" Leo ordered.We barely slammed the doors shut before he sped away, tires roaring on the tarmac.My heart was still racing. My hands wouldn’t quit shaking.I turned to Mara. "Start a conversation. These days.She did not look at me.Mara!She inhaled and sucked. "Elara, I had nowhere to choose from. Dmitri is the owner of me.Leo laughed. "That's a darn handy justification."She gasped but did not object.I started to tighten my hands. "For what duration?"Mara gasped. "A year."Over me a cool wave passed. "a year?"She said yes. "Elara, I got in hot water. I bargained with Dmitri to guard you. He left you alone if I worked for him, he told me. T
Elara’s POVMy bones sank with a frigid coldness. Then what are our next steps?He bent forward, laying his forearms on the table. "We head for the docks. But not just by themselves.I scowled. "The said message—that is,""I know what it said," he added, interrupting. But do you honestly think I would let you leave there without backup?I let out a sneer. "Leo, should they spot someone else, they could kill you right away."His lips drew into a grim smile. Then I suppose I will simply have to be invisible.I started to blink. "You seem to have a plan."always. His eyes sparkle. And you are going to believe me.The air smelled strongly of gasoline and salt, and the water lapped gently against the wooden piers. Every shadow seemed to be a pair of eyes waiting on me.My heart hammering as I approached the meeting point, I moved slowly, deliberately.Then I turned to see her.Mari.With arms crossed, she stood close to the edge of the dock, her face invisible.I paused just a few feet apa
Elara’s POVOn the trigger, Mara's fingers quit. I'll shoot if you go one more step.I choked hard. "Would you?," asked?Still quiet.Her hand trembled just for a split second.And it was all the required assurance.Though she had always been frigid and manipulative, Mara was not a killer. Not in reference to me specifically.Dmitri also noted it.His delighted look veered toward something worse."She won't pull the trigger," he said, sneering. But I will.Time slowness.Dmitri pulled his rifle.Leo pushed me back behind him.Still another shot rang out, deafening and breaking through the darkness.I was startled.Leo stumbled."No!," I gasped.Blood in particular. His blood. Staining his shirt. A red bloom spreads too quickly.Leaving one knee down, Leo grabbed his side.Though she hadn't fired, Mara's gun was shaking now. She stood still.Dmitri moved forward, gun still trained toward Leo."You ought to have stayed out of this," Dmitri said, sounding nearly casual. But you have to p
Elara’s POV Although I had never visited this hospital before, just now it felt all too familiar. Everything appeared to reflect the chilly indifference of the world I was born into—the white walls, the distant buzz of fluorescent lights, the faint whispers of staff strolling past. Though Mafia life had advantages, it also had drawbacks; I had always loathed the coldness around it. Here I was, though, standing at the emergency room's threshold, clutching sweets and flowers in a plastic bag, trying to somehow make the visit less embarrassing. About Marko Kuznetsov, I conflicted emotions. Indeed, he was the ex-sister of mine and indeed, he was a dangerous man in every respect. But there was something about him that made me pity him. Not the merciless monster my relatives depicted him to be. Though no one ever bothered to find out, he had also suffered. "Excuse me," I began, attempting to keep my voice steady as I went forward to the front desk receptionist. Here I am to see Marko Kuzn
Elara’s POV I lost my breath. Standing still in the living room, the weight of the confrontation enveloped me like a suffocating cloud; my pulse was thumping in my ears. My sister, Isabella, stood a few feet away, her brows narrowed with an expression I couldn't quite understand; my mother, Viktoria, was standing with her customary grace and hard, uncompromising stare. Until it struck me. There was no guilt. Not regretful at all Just that known, stifling air of supremacy. I had not sought any of this. "Very true Elara," said Isabella's contemptful voice, cutting through my fog. "Are you going to create a scene around something so small? Dmitri and I—“ "Don't you dare," I yelled, my voice trembling with fury. I couldn't quite finish the statement though. Words failed me in that instant as nothing I said would restore the harm they had done. Dmitri, The man I trusted—the one I had imagined would be by my side no matter what—had betrayed me. My intended boyfriend had also betrayed
Elara’s POV I ought to have known more. I ought to have been ready for the cruelty running through the veins of my family like a poisoned thread. But I was not ready for what lay next even as the weight of the past hour fell on me. I had assumed I had locked the draw-on. The one I kept the money I had stashed away from my family over the past few months. It was my means of guaranteeing my escape should the dream of my life in this mansion ever become intolerable. Now, though, that sense of anxiety wriggles at my belly. I understood. I knew it vanished before I even started to open the drawer. Pulling the drawer open, my heart crashed into my chest and discovered it empty. My last means of escape, the carefully buried money disappeared. "Elara, darling, did you honestly feel you could keep secrets from your mother?" Behind me, Viktoria's words sounded like a slick, deliberate calculation. I turned, angry flashes in my eyes. "You—." I gasped, but as I whirled to meet her words left
Elara’s POVOn the trigger, Mara's fingers quit. I'll shoot if you go one more step.I choked hard. "Would you?," asked?Still quiet.Her hand trembled just for a split second.And it was all the required assurance.Though she had always been frigid and manipulative, Mara was not a killer. Not in reference to me specifically.Dmitri also noted it.His delighted look veered toward something worse."She won't pull the trigger," he said, sneering. But I will.Time slowness.Dmitri pulled his rifle.Leo pushed me back behind him.Still another shot rang out, deafening and breaking through the darkness.I was startled.Leo stumbled."No!," I gasped.Blood in particular. His blood. Staining his shirt. A red bloom spreads too quickly.Leaving one knee down, Leo grabbed his side.Though she hadn't fired, Mara's gun was shaking now. She stood still.Dmitri moved forward, gun still trained toward Leo."You ought to have stayed out of this," Dmitri said, sounding nearly casual. But you have to p
Elara’s POVMy bones sank with a frigid coldness. Then what are our next steps?He bent forward, laying his forearms on the table. "We head for the docks. But not just by themselves.I scowled. "The said message—that is,""I know what it said," he added, interrupting. But do you honestly think I would let you leave there without backup?I let out a sneer. "Leo, should they spot someone else, they could kill you right away."His lips drew into a grim smile. Then I suppose I will simply have to be invisible.I started to blink. "You seem to have a plan."always. His eyes sparkle. And you are going to believe me.The air smelled strongly of gasoline and salt, and the water lapped gently against the wooden piers. Every shadow seemed to be a pair of eyes waiting on me.My heart hammering as I approached the meeting point, I moved slowly, deliberately.Then I turned to see her.Mari.With arms crossed, she stood close to the edge of the dock, her face invisible.I paused just a few feet apa
Elara’s POV"You’re going to regret this, Elara," he seethed.I glared back. "Get in line."Leo covered us as we rushed toward an escape. Just as I reached the door, I peered back—Mara hesitated, appearing torn."Mara!" I shouted.She swallowed hard, then followed.We broke into the night air, rushing for the SUV parked a block away."Get in!" Leo ordered.We barely slammed the doors shut before he sped away, tires roaring on the tarmac.My heart was still racing. My hands wouldn’t quit shaking.I turned to Mara. "Start a conversation. These days.She did not look at me.Mara!She inhaled and sucked. "Elara, I had nowhere to choose from. Dmitri is the owner of me.Leo laughed. "That's a darn handy justification."She gasped but did not object.I started to tighten my hands. "For what duration?"Mara gasped. "A year."Over me a cool wave passed. "a year?"She said yes. "Elara, I got in hot water. I bargained with Dmitri to guard you. He left you alone if I worked for him, he told me. T
Elara’s POVYou are not obliged to do this.Leo's voice was tight, his grip strong on my wrist as if he could physically stop me from walking into the storm we were about to unleash.My pulse thundering, I wrenched free. " I'm not sprinting. Not with Dmitri. Not drawn from this struggle.His jaw contracted. "This is more than simply a struggle, Elara. It is a war. You believe Dmitri sent that email merely to intimidate us? He left already.My stomach turned, but I spoke steadily. "We then strike back."Under his breath, he muttered and ran a hand over his hair. "Damn it, Elara; you do not grasp—"Then make me understand! I snapped and pushed him to look at me, walking closer. "Because I refuse to sit in the shadows while you risk everything alone."His chest surged and dropped as his irritation collided with the heat flickering between us. At last he said, his voice hoarse and low, "You're too important to me." "I won't let go of you."I gulped hard, emotions stranding around my neck.
Elara’s POVOn the trigger, Mara's fingers quit. I'll shoot if you go one more step.I choked hard. "Would you?," asked?Still quiet.Her hand trembled just for a split second.And it was all the required assurance.Though she had always been frigid and manipulative, Mara was not a killer. Not in reference to me specifically.Dmitri also noted it.His delighted look veered toward something worse."She won't pull the trigger," he said, sneering. But I will.Time slowness.Dmitri pulled his rifle.Leo pushed me back behind him.Still another shot rang out, deafening and breaking through the darkness.I was startled.Leo stumbled."No!," I gasped.Blood in particular. His blood. Staining his shirt. A red bloom spreads too quickly.Leaving one knee down, Leo grabbed his side.Though she hadn't fired, Mara's gun was shaking now. She stood still.Dmitri moved forward, gun still trained toward Leo."You ought to have stayed out of this," Dmitri said, sounding nearly casual. But you have to p
Elara’s POVMy bones sank with a frigid coldness. Then what are our next steps?He bent forward, laying his forearms on the table. "We head for the docks. But not just by themselves.I scowled. "The said message—that is,""I know what it said," he added, interrupting. But do you honestly think I would let you leave there without backup?I let out a sneer. "Leo, should they spot someone else, they could kill you right away."His lips drew into a grim smile. Then I suppose I will simply have to be invisible.I started to blink. "You seem to have a plan."always. His eyes sparkle. And you are going to believe me.The air smelled strongly of gasoline and salt, and the water lapped gently against the wooden piers. Every shadow seemed to be a pair of eyes waiting on me.My heart hammering as I approached the meeting point, I moved slowly, deliberately.Then I turned to see her.Mari.With arms crossed, she stood close to the edge of the dock, her face invisible.I paused just a few feet apa
Elara’s POV"Mara, kindly put the gun down."My heart was slamming against my ribs but my voice was steady. Standing a few feet away, my sister clutched a silver pistol as natural born with it in her hands.She laughed. “Why? Does it frightens you, Elara?Leo moved in front of me, his hand hanging over his own rifle, his body stiff. What the hell are you doing, Mara?Tara should be asking you that, Mara replied, tilting her head. "Playing hero and running about with Elara, avoiding Dmitri's troops. It's very lovely, honestly. It will not save her, though.My gut turned whirl. "You are handling Dmitri." It was not a matter of inquiry here. The revelation knocked me like a fist to the stomach.The smile of Mara grew more pronounced. You were always the slow one.I thought the ground underfoot had vanished. The one person I considered trustworthy—my own sister—had been fooling me all this whole time.Leo's mouth closed. This thus was your entire strategy all along. To turn over Elara to
Elara’s POVLeo hissed, his fingers tightly around my arm as he dragged me into the dark alley, "Don't say another word, Elara."I yanked my arm free and whirled toward him. "What is your issue?," I snapped, my voice cutting, my chest heaving from the turmoil we had just escaped."My Problem?" He moved forward, his blue eyes almost ablaze in the low light. "Your problem is you almost got yourself killed back there because you think you can take on Dmitri's men without a plan!"Ignoring the stifling heat between us, I poked a finger into his chest. "You are not allowed to lecture Leo! About what we were walking into, you did not exactly warn me!"And you believe that to be acceptable to dive into the crossfire?" His voice grew and for the first time I could see actual terror in his eyes. "If you deny me, I cannot protect you.""I never asked you to shield me!” I shot back, even though the words felt like a lie the instant they left my mouth.For a minute, we just stood there, our heavy
Elara’s POVHissed, glaring at Leo as we stood in the conference room's corner, "Tell me you didn't just plan this entire thing behind my back."He leaned against the edge of the table, his sharp blue eyes fixed on me. He said just, "You're angry," his voice shockingly calm."Angry?." I spitted. "You mentioned little risk, so I consented to this meeting. But I'm caught in your mess while Dmitri's men circle like vultures!"You're not stuck," he said, coming forward with easy grace. "We have any leverage at all thanks in large part to you.""Use?" Though tension flared in the air, I shot back, keeping a quiet voice. Leo, you are not a pawn. And I most definitely do not represent your leverage.Leo's jaw hardened, his usually lighthearted smile replaced with something darker, more severe. Elara, you are not a pawn. Whether you like it or not, though, you are now in this struggle. Dmitri cannot stop. He has demonstrated that rather clearly.I ran a hand through my hair and breathed stron