AbelI carried Lana out of the bathroom after an intense shower session (we'd spent two hours lounging in the tub, making out, and fucking — I was careful enough not to hurt her sprained ankle any further, and to keep it elevated and iced, just like the doctor ordered.) I placed her carefully on the bed and began to clean her body. She lay on her back, her arms frayed out beside her, eyes closed, sated, and a faint smile on her lips. I hummed a song slowly as I dragged the towel fabric over the soft moulds of her breasts, down her flat belly, pausing to clean her dark pink pussy that was still tender from taking my cock. She giggled, then exhaled, reaching out to tug at my hair when I leaned down to tease her clit with my tongue.I'd barely brought my face up when Nico barged in the bedroom, calling out my name, his face going white when his eyes landed first on Lana's breasts, then at my face in between her legs. He turned away quickly, burning up in embarrassment.“Shit. I'm sorry,
SolanaThe tension was at an all-time high. I'd never seen Abel so agitated, so anxious as he made call after call on our way to the hospital where Wyatt was receiving treatment — first to his junior brother Andre, then to Nico who tailed us, and finally, to Andrew. Andrew didn't pick up his call and Abel dropped one too many voicemails telling him to call him back immediately once he got them. He also arranged for security to surround the hospital ground, but to be subtle so as not to scare the authorities or patients. I couldn't be thankful enough.On my end, I tried dialling Helen thrice, but it never went through. With heavy traffic, by the time we got to the hospital, an hour and half had whizzed past. Abel's phone rang once as he pulled into the crowded parking lot. We searched for an appropriate place to park, and once he turned off the ignition, he checked the display, and I glimpsed the name. It was Norman Stravkos.He glanced up at me. “I have to take this.”“No problem,” I
Solana“What's going on, Helen? Why won't you tell me anything?”She whirled around to face me, finally. “Because you're better off not knowing a lot of things, Lana. Everything I do, I do it for us. For your own good. It's just been...a fucking mess lately. It's all falling apart.”“Have you...have you been fucking Andrew Stravkos under everyone's noses?” my chest heaved as my voice cracked.She threw her arms up in the air in exasperation. “There you go again with your suspicions. First, you accused me of fucking Wyatt, and now Andrew too? I'm sorry, sis, but I can't give you a proper answer to that. It's not important, and you know it. We should be focusing instead on helping Wyatt recover!”Tears stung my eyes. It scared me how much she'd changed. How unwilling she was to tell me the truth. “You've forgot the promise we made to each other. You've forgot that we practically don't hide anything from each other, Helly. How — ”“Don't make this hard for me, Lana. Please,” she choked b
Solana“Bye mommy,” Frank waved.“Bye sweetheart. Take care of yourself. Mommy and Uncle Wyatt will be home soon, okay?”Holding onto Frank's little wrist, I led him outside the hospital, Abel striding before us. Nico had brought the car out to the front as instructed, and the rain was falling mildly. Once we settled Frank and my crutches in the backseat, we climbed in. I comforted Frank on our way back home, which was about half an hour from the hospital. Although he tried to brighten up, believing that his mother would come home soon and Wyatt would be fine, it was evident that he was anxious and close to tears. Abel said a few words of comfort, his mind preoccupied. Perhaps grateful that Frank was with us, which prevented me from questioning him about what he must've found out.Once we got closer to the family house, I espied two cars parked outside on either sides of the road, close to the gate. Abel pulled up behind the first one — a sleek Maybach — and we all climbed out, me las
Solana“I don't know what to believe in anymore, Aunt Lana. What if he doesn't get better? What if the doctor tells Mummy he's gone to heaven?”How could I answer the question, when I wasn't sure of the outcome myself? When I was losing hope in everything? How could I answer the question well enough so he'll feel better? I hated the feud the more. Hated how it'd dragged this little boy, dragged this innocent soul into it's chaos.I stood up, suddenly feeling stripped, bare before his eyes. I glanced around, at the myriad of teddy bears and other toys, my eyes drawn to the old blue dreamcatcher on the wall, close to the clock. When we were seven, Father had bought one each for Helen and I, but I'd lost mine after a few months. Helen had always been more careful with her belongings than I was when we were young. Seeing it now brought back a whole lot of nostalgia. There were many other things; books, cards, games he'd gotten us. Our rooms had been so full of toys that we had to take som
AbelI exhaled as I walked back into the meeting room at the family mansion. It was choked up - almost twice a dozen men in black suits and dark googles were seated around the large, monochromatic table, all family, cousins and uncles. Stewards were everywhere, with wine trays and fried beef. Father raised a brow, probably pissed at me for leaving without his notice, but he made no further comment.I couldn't wait for the meeting to get done with. I hated leaving Lana all alone by herself. She was still in the dark about how things had escalated in the last twenty-four hours. Who would've thought everything that played out took months to perfect and that too right under our noses? Hell, I was shocked to hear it all myself.After I'd left Andrew's house, Father had apparently exploded on him. Andre, who had stayed back filled me in on the details. For once, Norman Stravkos didn't let his favouritism cloud his better sense of judgement. He'd been so pissed at Andrew for what he did. So
Abel“Back to the basics on who is behind this,” Andre spoke up, adjusting himself on his seat. “I believe the Hiroshima and Sturm clans are the ones carrying out these attacks. I also don't believe that Helen Williams would have her cousin taken out, assuming that was the intent. I mean, why?”“There's every reason for her to do it, because Wyatt is not a biological cousin. What else would it be? They put two bullets in him for Christ's sake.”Andre hummed, stroking his chin, looking thoughtful. “You do have a point. Maybe we've underestimated that woman a lot. She's obviously a bigger threat than we've ever given her credit for, perhaps much more smarter and powerful than her father. If we're right on this, then that means Wyatt was just a camouflage. A cover for her.”“What if the Hiroshima and Sturm clans are acting alone?”“No,” Father chipped in, shaking his head. “I've spoken to both parties. They're as surprised as we all are. They haven't authorized any shootings, and in fact
Solana“Jesus Christ. What the hell are you doing here?” I asked, standing feebly and leaning my weight on my crutches. My knees felt like jelly, and I didn't feel half as confident as I somehow managed to sound. “H-How did you...how did you get in?”He stood in the light just on the other side of the coffee table, looking incredibly different; disheveled, his shirt untucked, his hair tousled, his face bruised and red. The corners of his lips rode up into a sly smile, and I had no choice but to look at him, really, for the first time, the dimples on both cheeks disarming me momentarily. His eyes were a smoky, seductive gray, the lashes a fine coal-black, thick, and shiny just like his dark hair. He was tall, well over six feet, but he had a slightly bigger build than Abel. Muscular, with well-defined features. Powerful.I returned my gaze to his face, the smile on his face broadening. The atmosphere was charged with a strange kind of tension, one I couldn't escape from. The mischief i