SolanaI woke up the next morning, still feeling worse than a train wreck. The headache had reduced, but my arms still ached. A loud knock on the door drew my attention away from the duffel bag I was stuffing.I tucked a loose strand covering my left eye behind my ear, fully expecting it to be Abel. “Who is it?”“It's me, ma'am.” The accent was thick. Italian, and unfamiliar.“Come in.”He pushed the door open and stepped in, his tall frame intimidating. “The car is out front and ready.” I recognized him as the man who'd stood at the door after accompanying us here yesterday. He was also close to Abel — and was constantly by his side. Perhaps he worked as a bodyguard for him.He moved toward the two suitcases close to the dresser and hoisted them up, looking me over with that steely, haunting gaze of his. “Would that be all?”“Yes,” I replied. I could carry the duffel and my make-up bag. Abel had told me to pack just one suitcase because we weren't planning of staying in Calabria for
SolanaAfter a five-hour delay in Rome and an additional two-hour long drive to Abel's mansion from the airport, I was beyond tired. Dusk was fast approaching and my eyes could barely stay open so I could take in the environment of my new home. My only consolation was the fact that it was Abel's house and not the Stravkos family mansion. At least with Abel, things were a bit easier. I couldn't live with a man as evil as Norman Stravkos under the same roof for longer than a week.Abel's mansion was in a very reserved area in the heart of town. Tall iron gates pulled open for us as we approached, and the shimmering moonlight illuminated most of the empty space in the large compound. I got a better, more upfront glimpse of the mansion with its huge garage, outbuildings, and extensive and various types of landscaping lights. The grounds, from what I could make out, thanks to the moonlight were expansive, with painted white woods circling most of the property. It seemed to me that the driv
Solana“Jesus fucking Christ,” I screamed as I sat up, instinctively trying to cover myself up, which wasn't necessary anyway. The excessive bubbles floating all around us created a barrier between us. “How did you even...how dare you sneak up on me like that? What are you, fifteen?”“I didn't sneak up on you,” he rolled his eyes, his expression bored. “I've been knocking on that door for ten minutes, but I got no response.”He was still in his suit pants from yesterday evening, his sky-blue shirt rolled up, exposing the minimal golden hairs on his strong, muscled forearms. The first few buttons were popped open, and there was a thin-lined scar just above his left collarbone. It took me back six years ago. I remembered how I'd picked up on it, concentrating on it when I couldn't bear to look into his eyes anymore that cursed day.I felt my cheeks heat up as I glanced away. “I must have slipped away for a few minutes.”“Which is a very dangerous thing to do in a bathtub.”“Tell me some
AbelI'd never released so much pre-come at a time in my boxer briefs before. My cock still throbbed, even after I'd left her room. I felt so overwhelmed. Damn, she was so pretty. So sensual. And her fierceness, her snarky replies, her anger, and her hate all combined to make her irresistible. More than anything, I wanted her. I wanted to take her. Have her.Fuck her.The monster inside me was alive now and breathing fire, screaming at me to own her. To possess every inch of her.My cell phone trilled. I groaned in frustration as I tugged it out of my pocket and peered at the screen. It was Andrew.Now's not the right time, idiot.I swiped a thumb over the reject button, almost bumping into Lauren in the hallway on my way to my private office downstairs. “Oops.”“Oh my goodness. Mr. Stravkos, I'm so sorry!” she apologized, although I was the one not paying attention to where I was headed.“No need to apologize, Lauren. It's my fault, not yours.”I blew out a breath, raking a hand thr
AbelI woke up the next morning at exactly five o'clock. For the first time in the last three weeks, I slept an eight-hour-long, deep fulfilling sleep. It was an achievement, considering my usual two-three hours stints. It was a cold morning, and I lay there clutching the blanket tight around my neck, keeping my eyes closed, and wishing I could sleep off again. Fewer hours to get through the damn day, if I could sleep them off. But it wasn't happening. Instead, I grew more irritated with my morning breath.My cell phone beeped on the nightstand, startling me. I picked it up, double-tapping on the screen. It was a text from Andrew, and from the looks of the first few words visible, I could tell that he was still pissed about the meeting. I rolled my eyes as I unlocked my phone and deleted the message, without even reading it to the last word.I yawned and drew the covers back, sitting up. Rising to my feet, I rubbed my eyes as I sauntered naked over to the window, pulling the curtain a
Abel“Solana, wait up!” I called out when we drew near the kitchen door, the huge brown double doors that led to the dining room wide ajar. She swiveled around once to scoff at me, then ran straight into the house.I chased after her hotly, almost knocking over a maid who was busy shuffling around in the kitchen and setting things for breakfast. “Sorry!”“Solana!” I shouted, only a few steps behind her now. She panted as she went up the stairs two at a time, her chest heaving, and her speed and agility quite incredible for a girl. She suddenly missed a foot, a cry wringing past her lips as she fell, almost hitting her forehead on the edge of a stair when I reached out and caught her by the waist, lifting her, holding her close to my chest. She clung to me, her breathing heavy and I realized why she'd run away. Her face glistened, stained with tears and a few drops of mucus fell from her nose — the effect of the cold morning. Her eyes were puffy, face flushed scarlet.She shifted her e
AbelI left her to stew while I showered. I'd never quite placed her to be such a trickster. She had me fooled with that kiss, with the thought that finally, I had her cornered. Had her submission. I'd thought she'd loved it at first, though she'd felt something. Maybe she had, at first. But then, the sense of her loyalty and sheer dislike for anything that had to do with me had prompted her to strike.Regardless, I was going to have the last laugh anyway. Sliding on new black shorts, I smirked as I thought about how best to punish her. I wanted to put her through something pleasurable, yet painful. Make her understand who was the master here.I tossed away the towel I'd been using to dry my hair on the bed and strode briskly toward the locked door that connected our rooms. I inserted the key into the lock and turned it, pushing the door open. She lay on her side, her dark curls spread all around the pillow, now dressed in nothing but a thin, pink see-through nightie that stopped just
Abel“What?” She asked brows knitted together as she stared up at me, yet she didn't try to resist as I worked my knees between hers, widening them a little, keeping my eyes leveled on her.“I already told you I'm not going to fuck you. I just want to see it. Get a clearer, better picture. Now lie back, sunflower.”She drew in a sudden breath, but obeyed, slowly, watching me as I took her all in. I muttered a cuss, dropping to my knees as though in worship. She allowed me to spread her legs wide apart in the air and presented me with the most beautiful sight of her pussy opening to me, the pink lips glistening, gaping, her clit swollen.Fuck, I shut my eyes and inhaled deeply. She was aroused. My cock was so stiff, it strained against my shorts, ready to burst out. I placed one hand against her chest, cupping a breast with my palm so I could hold her down as well as play with the nipple. I brought my mouth down to her and felt her curious gaze on top of my head as I dragged my tongue
AbelWe didn't speak for the rest of the drive. There were so many things to say, so many demons to confront, and they hovered right above up, making the air thick with a dense foreboding. Once we reached the mansion, I climbed out of the car, and straightened my shirt, clutching the envelope containing the new contract. It was not necessary getting Father to sign it — his signature mattered less — but for closure to be properly achieved, I had to do it this way.“Ready, sweetheart?”Before I could nod and respond, Lana wound her arm through mine. Since I got shot, we'd gotten much closer to each other. We enjoyed each other's company, craved each other's opinions and bodies, and when she did stuff like this, touching me like this, it made me feel lucky, special. It made my heartbeat quicken, my heart filling with a joy I'd never thought possible.I pulled her back. “You don't have to go in with me. I won't waste any time. Once he signs it, I'm getting right out of there.” I watched h
AbelFulfilling my promise to Lana had got to be the most liberating thing I'd ever done.It took away the guilt I'd felt on that day I saw her for the first time; star-strucked by those bright-eyes that dimmed when her father announced the purpose of our visit with tears in his eyes. It took away the feeling of possessiveness — the need to control her. It took away a lot of things I wasn't proud about, and left me with a warm glow in my chest. What it didn't take away, however, was my ever-increasing love for her.Andre came over to the house the following morning, and handed me the initial contract she and I had signed. I couldn't look at it — I set it aside, and had him draw up a new one. This one wrote off any debt the Williams family owed any Stravkos, real or perceived, and the two families were no longer bound in any way. In any form. I also directed him, to make that part possible to be overturned in the future at any time.I signed it immediately and had a copy sent to Helen
SolanaAbel moved into the guest room downstairs while he recovered. The doctor was against him stressing himself, and climbing stairs would be fatal to his health since he was still very much fragile. I moved into the room with him and slept beside him, taking extreme care not to touch the still tender spot the bullet had ripped into. I knew he still felt pain, but insisted on less and less medication, saying he could wing it. After a day of being home, he could walk to the bathroom and house entrance on his own, although it wore him out.“This is sickening,” he complained a week later after one of his visits to the bathroom. I looked up at him from where I was sitting on the bed. “I hate being weak. That's not the Stravkos way.”He lay back down and I helped him tuck the blanket up to his waist. “Stop whining. You're getting stronger everyday. I can feel it.”“Well I can't feel anything but my weak bones and side. I'm not healing fast enough.”“You are, but you won't notice because
AbelLana walked them out then returned to me shortly. “Frank is mischievous.”“Yes, he is. He's Andrew's son through and through. Which is why I'm staying away from that pea soup. I don't trust that kid.”The room returned to it's revered solitude as our smiles faded. Her eyes glazed over, and I could have felt like I imagined the tears if she hadn't subtly raised a finger to dab them off.“I thought I had lost you too. I couldn't feel your pulse. I couldn't feel you breathe, and you were so still. So calm. The blood was all over...oh God...” she trailed off, her voice breaking, eyes filled with tears.I was so close to crying too. Reaching up to touch her face, although my arm felt sore even with that small, gentle movement, I whispered with a nervous chuckle. “Takes more than one gunshot to kill me off. A Stravkos never dies that easily.”She sniffled, a hint of a smile on her lips. “You have no idea how grateful I am to death for not taking you. You've become my whole world, Abel.
AbelI was dreaming.It was one of those dreams where nothing basically happens. One of those dreams you feel your legs can't touch the ground. You feel as though you're drifting in space, not recalling anything. Not seeing, nor feeling anything but fire in your side.And then you hear voices. They sound so far away, bold, spoken words that sound like the faintest whispers. And then you're falling from space. And then you catch glimpses of the incidents that led to you having that terrible burn in your side.And then you make out one of the voices talking to belong to the only woman you had ever loved.The monitors bleeped like an endless, buzzing swarm of bees. I heard the doctor asking Lana to go home and get some rest, but she was adamant. I heard her refer to me as stubborn, and it made me smile all the time. Whenever I managed to drift back to consciousness, she was there, sitting by my side and holding my hand. Sometimes she cried, and I knew it wasn't tears of sadness. At first
SolanaWhen we arrived at the hospital, he was taken straight to the emergency unit. Andre screamed orders that they should commence surgery immediately. It was the same ward Wyatt had been into.Life truly does come full circle, doesn't it?Only this time, the doctors wouldn't even look at us. Hospital policy instructed that they only provided information about a patient to his immediate family. Helen and I weren't.“Fucking distasteful! I just want to know if he's going to live! Don't you understand?”“Ma'am,” the doctor said, exhaling calmly. “Please calm down. This is not my doing. It's just how things work over here.”“Lana,” a deep voice called behind us. I turned to see Andre striding into the waiting room, his face cleaned of blood, although his shirt was still coated in deep crimson. He placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently. I relaxed.“They've begun operating. There's no news if he'll make it or not for the moment.” He turned to the doctor. “Please add Lana Willia
Solana“Abel, no!”I surged forward, almost knocking Helen to the floor and sank down on my knees beside his limp body. Tears welled up as I held his face with one hand and pressed my other hand to his side that was gushing out so much blood, I felt it'd never stop. Without thinking, I slammed my lips against him. I kissed him madly. Uncontrollably, again and again. When I tried to push his hair back from his forehead, I left blood in it's place. His blood. There was so much of it, more than I'd ever seen in my entire life. Too much.“Please don't die. Stay with me, please. Please, Abel.”It was then I realized I didn't make him promise to live. I thought he was invincible. That he could never die. That he'd always be alive, and would always be by my side. He'd made me three promises — selfish promises — and he'd never promised me that he wouldn't die.I'd never asked him to promise that. God, all these while... I didn't think he could ever be defeated. I thought Death held no candle
Abel“Andrew, give me the gun,” I said, shadowing him as he moved around the table, advancing to where Father stood, but it was like I was talking to a rock. He couldn't hear or see me. Couldn't hear or see anything but Father.“You're such a tyrant. Everything always has to go your way, and now that I'm older, I realize how stupid I've been, letting you dictate my life. I was too much of a wimp to let you know that we loved each other and she was carrying my baby. Mine, you dirty old man.”“Andrew,” I said, more firmly this time. “Hand me the damn gun. Now. Don't do something you'll regret later.”Father was unperturbed by the pistol, dragging his eyes from him to Helen for a few minutes. I couldn't practically imagine the wheels in his mind turning into place as he finally understood. But Andrew wasn't through with his ranting.“You've never loved me. Never cared. It's always about Abel. Always about Andre!”“That's not true, and you know it,” Father exhaled, too calm for a man who
Abel“Last chance to tell me everything, little bro. It's for your own good.”“It's going to be a peaceful meeting, right? You have nothing to worry about. Go get everyone under control, now. I'll see you when it's time for the meeting.”“Suit yourself.”I strode out of the room, taking no detours to see how my Father and Andre were doing, and heading straight for Lana's room.She and Helen sat side by side on the bed conversing in low tones when I walked in. Feeling guilty, Lana shot me a nervous smile, getting up at once.I looked past her at Helen. “The meeting is downstairs, not here,” I said, then turned to Lana. “You disobeyed me.”“I had to talk to her first, Abel. She's my sister.”“Why do you always miss the point every fucking time? It's driving me to my limits,” I said.“I know this might come as a shock to you, sis, but for once I'd say listen to him. He's right. This whole thing concerns me and me alone. We've already lost so much people. I don't want you getting involved