“What's your name?” I asked, watching as her gray eyes went wide as she tried to probably recall her name. It was funny to see the little girl bring her chubby fingers to her pouty lips and pat them like a thoughtful adult. “I…my name is Lisa,” She responded but still looked confused like she wasn't really sure if that was the correct name. “Lisa? Are you sure?” I asked with a cocked up brow, unable to hold back my smile. She nodded, still looking unsure. I sighed. “Alright, Lisa, where did you get separated from your dad?” She shook her head, eyes tearing up yet again. I patted her back in a panic, I loved kids but in that moment I realized I had no idea how to handle one. “It's okay, it's okay…” I reassured her gently. “We'll find him, just try to remember where he was, hmm?” She had that comical, thoutful look on her face again before finally, pointing in the direction she had walked out from. “The ice cream…” She mumbled, “I want ice cream,” “No, that's not what…”
ROMANYEARS AGO… "Hey! Stop right there!" The shout pierced the night air, shattering the fragile silence we'd maintained during our escape. My muscles tensed instinctively, adrenaline surging through my veins as I tightened my grip on Amelia's limp form. Her soft, ragged breathing tickled my ear, a constant reminder of the unexpected complication to my mission. "Halt! Or we'll open fire!" The voice was closer now, filled with the bravado of a guard who thought he had the upper hand. I didn't bother to look back. Instead, I poured every ounce of energy into my legs, pushing them to their limit as I sprinted towards the perimeter fence. The weight of Amelia on my shoulders was substantial, but the stakes were too high to slow down. The sound of boots pounding against concrete echoed behind us, growing louder with each passing second. I could almost feel the pursuers' breath on the back of my neck as I reached the fence. Without breaking stride, I shifted Amelia's weight to one sho
The elevator ride to the fourth floor was tense. Amelia's breathing had become more labored, and I could feel the heat of a fever radiating from her body. Whatever she'd been through, it was taking a serious toll. The door to the safe house opened as we approached, revealing Dimitri's stocky frame. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of us. "Bozhe moi," he muttered. "Roman, what have you done?" "Not now, Dimitri," I said, brushing past him into the apartment. "Where's the doctor?" "In the bedroom, preparing," Dimitri replied, closing and locking the door behind us. "Roman, you need to tell me what's going on. This wasn't a part of your mission." I ignored him for the moment, focusing on getting Amelia to the bedroom. A small, wiry man with graying hair looked up as we entered. His eyes quickly assessed the situation, and he gestured for me to lay Amelia on the bed. "What happened to her?" the doctor asked, already beginning his examination. "I don't know the details,
In that safe house, Amelia and I had a weird relationship, I wasn't sure it was classified as friendship but it was something. She was unpredictable, funny and she was comfortable. I wasn't sure when it began, probably on the third day after she woke up when she called me Rome for the first time, or maybe it was in the second week we had spent together. I knew Amelia and I had grown closer than friends. I'd never been understood or been that close to a woman before. It came with a feeling I didn't expect. One that made me realize after one month of living in that safe house with her, that if I didn't let her go back to her life…it would span from months to years and eventually, I would have to stop lying to her about the people who took her, I would drag her deeper into a world she knew nothing about. After finding out they took her accidentally, mistaking the poor woman for the heiress of the Guerreros who had died years back all because her mother bore a similar name…
Amelia's eyes seemed to catch fire in the dying light, a storm of emotions in those depths. I found myself captivated, unable to look away as she spoke. "I... I don't know what comes over me when I talk about Bertha," Amelia admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. She wrung her hands in her lap, a nervous habit I'd noticed more and more lately. "It's like I become someone else entirely. Someone I don't particularly like." She sighed, I could tell she was trying to force a smile but failed. What I had expected her to question…was my past, how I ended up in that position, finding her. I omitted what I really was…who I was. I nodded slowly, remembering the subtle shifts in her demeanor, the sharpness that would creep into her voice whenever her sister's name came up, it was the same with Bertha…when it came to Amelia, she was a completely different person, a beast rather than the soft woman I had once loved. "I've noticed," I spoke carefully, not wanting to upset her furthe
AMELIAMaybe it was his scent, or perhaps the way he held me tight. I found myself melting deeper into his touch, pulling back slightly to draw in a breath only to plunge my tongue deeper into his mouth, caressing every crevice, his teeth hitting mine repeatedly amidst our heated clash. He groaned, low in his chest as his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me on to his body, I trapped him between my thighs, straddling him. I immediately felt his erection against my ass, digging into my already sensitive flesh. I moaned, he swallowed the sound, his hands drifting down from my waist down to my hips, grabbing and squeezing as he moved his waist, making his hardness press further into me. I was lost in the bliss of his warmth, everything else seemed to have faded with my body against his, like the last piece to a puzzle. A perfect fit. Then, a low growl left his throat and he abruptly dragged his lips away from mine, creating distance between our faces. I felt the cold air brush
I stirred awake, blinking lazily as sunlight streamed through the partially open curtains. For a moment, I lay there, savoring the warmth of my bed and the peaceful quiet of the morning. Then, with a jolt, I realized something was off. The room was far too bright compared to the time I had set for my alarm. I stood up abruptly and I grabbed my phone from the nightstand. My eyes widened in disbelief, it was already 10:30 AM. I had slept through my alarm! "Shit, shit, shit," I muttered, throwing off the covers and scrambling out of bed. My mind raced, trying to remember everything I needed to do today. The exhibition... my painting... I paused mid-panic, a wave of relief washing over me as I recalled that Vincent had promised to take care of transporting my painting to the art gallery. I let out a low sigh as I tried to calm my breathing. All that was left for me to do was get ready for the evening event. As I stood there, running a hand through my sleep-tousled hair, a memory f
As I sat there, sipping my water and trying to calm my racing heart, I couldn't help but marvel at the unexpected turn our conversation had taken. Roman and I were... flirting? The realization hit me like a sudden gust of wind, both exhilarating and slightly terrifying. And maybe not so bad the more I thought of it. "A black dress it is, then," Roman said, his voice low and tinged with something that sounded suspiciously like anticipation. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised," He promised in a low voice that had me on edge. I raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite myself. "Oh? And what makes you so sure about that?" He leaned in slightly, close enough that I could see the flecks of darker blue in his irises. "Let's just say I've gotten to know your taste pretty well over the years, Amelia. Even if you don't remember all of it,” He simply replied. His words sent a shiver down my spine, a reminder of all the history between us that I still couldn't fully recall. But instead