Red has managed to lock Roar in the room by using her body against him. Do you think she will manage to escape the mansion too?
ARTEMIS AKA WOLF Back in my office, the door slams behind me. Viktor is gone now, and he has left behind the USB of his findings. I'm alone and I throb all over. I feel like I'm about to combust; explode. I pick up the USB and I look at it with a sigh departing between my lips. I plug the little black device into the side of my laptop and I bring up the footage; enlarging it. Leaning in close I carefully study it, I dont want to miss anything, even the smallest of details can help pinpoint their location. My hands curl into fists when I see him. He arrived fifteen minutes after I initially left on my way to the barn. His SUV appeared to be identical to mine on the outside, but when he opened the door, his interior was white, whereas mine is a walnut colour. My whole fleet of SUVs is a limited edition. He exits the vehicle and converses with one of the guards while concealing his right hand in the pocket of his slacks and his left hand over his throat. I take note that he
ALEKSANDER AKA ROAR I will collect the debts owed to me by sinners deserving their misfortunes; my bloodline, my twin brother, and his stunning wife. But like a fickle bitch that Karma is, she isn't willing to make things easy for me. By no means am I claiming to be a saint, that would be me making a mockery of the innocent- I am a far cry from being accepted through the gates of Heaven. For once, I wish Karma would do me a solid and stop taunting me with her brutal misery, or let some ill-fated accident end Artemis's god-forsaken life. I growl... Pulling myself out of my bubble of self-pity and I pull my pants up over my waist, chuckling. I can't believe I allowed myself to fall for her bullshit. I should have known better, I should have just told her to get ready so she can join me downstairs for a meal. The thought of killing her has crossed my mind. I've toyed with the idea of strangling her, the moment she comes, clenching my dick like a fucking vice as I record the light
ARIA AKA RED I swallow the panic that coaxes the back of my throat. Fear forbids my body from moving, imprisoning me in all its glory; its stillness. I stare down at the ground, wishing it would open up and swallow us both. This can't be happening. I keep telling myself that I am stuck in a horrible dream and I will eventually wake up with each chapter of my story. But I don't, and it's finally dawning on me that my story is finally coming to an end. A white van pulls up in front of the stairs, Roar puts me down, and he waits for me to find my footing before he starts to drag me down the stairs with him. As we reach the last step, I begin to struggle; fight, battle against him. "Ugh, I don't have time for this shit, Red!" He yells with annoyance. "My name is Aria." I hiss back, trying to pull my hands out of his grasp. "You call me Aria!" He loosens his grip, and just when I think I have an opening to make a run for it, he yanks me right back against him. "You are a sucker
ARIA AKA REDThree things can not be hidden; the sun, the moon, and the truth. As Roar continues to pull me into the woods behind him, my feet feel as if they have been torn to shreds. My entire body trembles as the air that encircles us, becomes colder with each passing minute.My hands shake chaotically and I can't make them stop.My throat feels like it is bruised, and every time I swallow it feels like I am gulping back large stones. Growing tired with each step on an empty stomach and my mouth feeling like a parched river, I misplace my foot on the ground and fall to my knees. "Ah, shit!" I cry out as my left knee hits the ground harshly. Don't cry... Don't cry... Don't let him see you cry...I chant, and as I look up at the sky; out into the horizon. All is forgotten. Without me noticing the sun has started to set. The sun is more purple than red, accentuating the transition from day to night.I tilt my head back more and gaze at the sky, noticing the different hues, marbl
ARTEMIS AKA WOLF We are finally on the move; hunt, search, chase. We have a strong lead and solid evidence of Aleksanders' whereabouts. Where he is holding my Red captive. I pull out my gold-plated gun and I rest it on the seat next to me as I sit in the back of the SUV. Viktor is driving, and Marco insisted that we travel three cars behind them. His main priority was to keep me and my men safe. His were at my disposal and I praised him for his sharp thinking. Rolling my neck, I click it and sigh out loud. I'm tired; mentally, physically and emotionally. I'm a fucking mess and I can't think straight. I close my eyes and lean my head on the headrest while placing my palm on top of my gun with my finger on the trigger. The soft noise of the engine hums through the deafening stillness in the vehicle. I hate it. Silence screams trouble; death. And to prove me right... A thunderous explosion fills the atmosphere and then it is quickly followed by the horrifying sound of metal
ARIA AKA REDHands...Such merciless little tools we each own.They also happen to be our deadliest weapon.They contribute to the creation of existence, the survival, and the destruction of life.They inflict pain... pleasure...They give... take...Without them, we are only a vessel of ourselves, incapable of doing the simplest of tasks in our very ordinary lives.They allow a blind individual to see, read, and feel.We take them for granted when we need them the most. Like right now. I need my hands to be free so I can escape the psychotic Volkov twin who is on a path of devastation. The sides of my hands are grazed to shit, and I bite down on my molars suppressing the cries of agony, fear and suffering. "Come on you son of a bitch!" I hiss, sliding my hands up and down the tree trunk with everything I have. My hands tear themselves free from the shredded clothing, and I take a deep breath as I search the woods for Roar. When I do not hear him, tears begin to obscure my eyes,
ARTEMIS AKA WOLFI stare down at my gun as I storm off in the opposite direction from the rest of the group with Viktor hot on my heels. The air tastes foul and smells of death. My body aches with the desire to plummet my hands into something hard; preferably Aleksanders' face.I roll my head, clicking my neck as I try to keep my shit together and loosen the tension that is clinging to my aching muscles like a filthy parasite. I have so much pent-up anger inside me that I am about to combust; explode.Then out of nowhere, my prayers have been answered when a blood-curdling scream breaks through the air. It's enough to bring me to a complete standstill, almost to my knees.I stop in my tracks, spinning around as I try to decipher where the scream came from. "Red," I mumble."I heard it too," Viktor says softly as he too looks around the woods. "Up there," He hisses, pointing up the small bank where we can see shadows shuffling about. I dont wait.I take off running, pumping my legs
ARTEMIS AKA WOLFThree weeks have passed since Reds' return, and she still refuses to leave her room unless I invite her friend Ana to come and stay with us at the mansion. You would think I would have jumped at her request and done what she asked of me; I didn't. Initially, she requested a divorce and blamed me for all that had transpired. She is correct, and I have apologised for my mistakes, but it was not enough to convince her to stay and work on repairing our marriage; us as a whole.She has also refused to eat, and it has reached the point where I am no longer in control of her.I was hoping she would agree to consult someone, preferably a specialist, because she will not speak to me. I have given her the space she requested, room for herself to recover, breathe, and come to terms with what transpired.I do not expect her to forget; all I want is for her to... move on rather than dwell on the past; to put it behind her.I miss her, her grin, the way she moulded herself agains
ZEYNEP My eyes grow wide as fear forbids me to move. With fear-stricken eyes, I watch as Dmitri rushes to the bedroom window, pulling a ribbed black top over his shoulders. He stands in the shadows where the sun doesn't kiss the room, and he gazes out the window. Whatever is happening on the other side of the window, causes his hands to curl into tight balls of fury at his sides. The instant he looks back at me, I know it's bad. I immediately turn around, attempting to unlock the door so I can rush down the stairs and find my parents. "Net... [No...]" Dmitri growls in a hushed tone, yanking me away from the door, and he pulls me to the far corner of the room. "Get down, and don't let anyone see you through the window." He states sternly, leaving no room for me to disregard his orders. He moves along the wall, opens the closet door, and pulls out his duffle bag. He extracts two guns, twists the silencers on the barrels, and removes two clips; stuffing the clips into the back
ZEYNEPTWENTY-ONE YEARS LATER.I stare at my reflection in the mirror, admiring the strong young woman who stares back at me. Today is my twenty-first birthday, and my parents have decided they want to celebrate it with all their corporate friends and close confidants. I usually feel like an outcast at large gatherings or in crowded places. I am the awkward girl in the corner of the room who has been sipping the same drink for three hours while watching everyone else enjoy themselves.I turn to the side, drinking in my reflection as I take note of how well the gown fits my body.It savagely clings to every generous curve the Gods have blessed me with. The silver gown that sparkles under the light heightens the sapphire blue irises in my eyes. I have my mother's red hair and my father's eyes, but somehow I have inherited my Aunt Ana's spitfire tongue.FOR ONCE, my mother has picked something for me that doesn't make me feel like I am too overly dressed; something that will draw too
ARIA AKA REDIn a state of panic, I yank Wolf's gun out of the holster in the back of his jeans.I step around him, point the gun at the crazy lady who keeps calling him Aleksander with her gun directed at his face, and I pull the trigger. The thunderous sound of the gun discharging rockets through the atmosphere. As soon as I realise what I have done, I drop the weapon and watch as it strikes the ground.Wolf lunges forward, he rips the crying child out of his mother's embrace before she collapses to the ground.With my eyes growing larger than saucers, I lift my arms, covering my mouth with my hands. What have I done? I just murdered a woman...A mother in cold blood while her child clung to her...Regret slowly slivers up my spine, dispersing across my trembling flesh like a plague as guilt consumes me entirely. "Red... Red, are you okay?" Wolfs' thick and firm voice crashes into me like tidal waves upon the seashore, and I stagger back from the cruel impact it has upon my bod
ARTEMIS AKA WOLFTWO MONTHS LATERWalking through the slums of Russia, I grip Red's hand tighter and draw her flush against my side.I am truly grateful that my ancestors were able to get us out of the country. As I envision the life I would have had here, I am filled with dread due to the pure evil that would have landed me in prison."I still can not believe that this is where your family originated from. You wreak of money, power and sophistication. Wolf, it is absolutely remarkable how a person's lifelong ambitions may pave the way for the prosperity of their entire family tree." She hums as she takes in the scenery surrounding us.I smile at the excitement she helplessly displays. This is her first trip abroad. If I had known sooner, I would have postponed this trip and taken her somewhere more romantic and deserving."Do you think Zeynep would want to visit Russia when she gets older?" She adds, picking an apple off a tree we walk past.I snatch the apple out of her grasp, rub
ARIA AKA RED It's been a week since I returned home from the hospital with Zeynep. I guess everyone forgets to tell you how sleep-deprived you will become. Not because Zeynep doesn't sleep or the fact that I need to wake up every three hours at night to change her diaper, feed her, and burp her. No, that isn't the case at all because we have mastered our routine. I cannot stop glancing at her and thinking, 'Wow, I made her... she came out of me'. It is so bizarre, but also the greatest experience ever. I genuinely believed I would have difficulty coping and fall into a pit of depression, but I have not. I suppose it is because I have the best support group imaginable. What's even more out of it, is that every time I see Wolf changing Zeyneps diaper, or falling asleep on the rocking chair with her little body pressed against his chest. It makes me want to jump his bones. Seeing him in father mode seriously does something crazy to my libido, and I can not wait till I am
ARTEMIS AKA WOLFI continuously swallow the lump that has embedded itself in the column of my throat, as I lean against the doorjamb watching Red breastfeed our daughter. A sense of pride licks my feverish skin, I feel like my life is now complete, and I try to think back as to how I got here. I sigh, shaking my head with a grin on my face as I pinch the bridge of my nose. I seriously don't know how I'm going to cope trying to keep them both safe without driving myself entirely insane. For once, I feel like my life has a purpose like I have accomplished the impossible where my heart is concerned. If only my father could see me now, blyad [fuck], I truly do hope he is rolling in the fucking grotty soil he was laid to rest in.A heavy hand lands on my shoulder, jerking me back to the present and I snap my head to the side to see a very chump-looking Deniz standing beside me."Congratulations on the birth of your daughter, my friend." He sighs with a dip of his head.I push off the do
ARIA AKA RED Icy needles of cold water attack my searing flesh, and the sting claws at the clinging shadows of my nightmares as they continue to haunt me. Closing my eyes, I step further into the spray, willing the lingering fear and nauseousness to circle the drain around my swelling feet. A shiver consumes me, and my thoughts drift to my unborn baby and husband. The guilt, repulsion, and terror still cling to my body like a second layer of skin. I hate that Roar still bombards my conscience. "Goddamn it!" I place my open palms flat against the cool tiles and absorb the coolness of the punishing surge into my bones; my core. Every time I am ripped from reality and thrown into my night terrors, I can still feel, hear and sense Roar's presence as if he is still somehow clinging to me. A metallic taste coats my tongue, and it causes me to shudder. I won't give in to the facade of him still tormenting me when he is six feet under. I touch my belly. I won't let him ruin th
ARTEMIS AKA WOLF As soon as I see Red enter the cafe, I stand, move to the opposite side of the table, and pull her chair. "Moy angel. [My angel.]" I hum, pressing a gentle kiss on her lips as she reaches my side. She smiles, inhaling deeply, "You smell so good, Wolf." She coos as she uncomfortably settles into her chair, although her swelling bump makes it rather difficult. I raise my hand before resuming my seat and requesting service. A young female with blonde hair and blue tips approaches our table."Hello, my name is Cammy, welcome to the Break-Away cafe. Are you ready to order?" She says in a polite, inviting tone as she presses the ball tip of her pen to her notebook. "I'll have a black coffee with a salmon and cream cheese bagel," I reply, ordering something simple as I need to get back to the office. "Just a chocolate thick shake for me with extra syrup please." Red orders, rubbing her belly with an uncomfortable expression smeared across her glowing face. A low grow
ARIA AKA RED"Will we be taking the elevator today, Mrs Volkov?" Ivan asks me as he holds the door to the penthouse wide open.I give him a serious look as I rub my swelling belly, "You know I don't do elevators." I sigh, sliding my handbag over my shoulder. "Da [yes], my apologies." He utters with a frown on his face, "I just thought that since you are now heavily pregnant you might want to use the elevator."As I step through the door, "I am claustrophobic, me getting stuck inside an elevator is my worse dream come true." I reply while we walk to the staircase entrance."Understood," He holds the door open to the staircase. "Mr Volkov has also confirmed that he will meet you for lunch at the Break-Away cafe at one, after his meeting.""That's fine. Have you seen Ana this week?" I enquire as I begin to descend the steps utilising the handrails as my saviour.The last thing I need is to miss a damn step and plummet to the bottom of the stairs; causing me to go into labour early.It's