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77: Accessible shirts
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Camilla was lying to her husband. She had to tell Alek what Papa wanted from her. If he let her go, oh well. Maybe it would hurt, but she wouldn’t have to carry a child she might never see again. She would do so today. That thought kept her sane as she cleaned up. She had delayed doing that since their other visits to the hammock.
Alek was opening up to her. Opening up might not be the word he would use to describe the actions of the past few days, but she had to reciprocate the gesture. How could he trust her if she was lying to him?
What if he wanted to know why she never told him? The answer was simple. For the same reason she called him babe. Which was?
A bang from outside paused that thought. Camilla went to the door and cracked it open. Ivan was outside, with shopping bags in each of his hands. She stepped back to let him in. They couldn’t be for her. Alek would rather die than let another man shop for her. In the past, Doris
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The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 78: Your bastard
Three words. Maksim fucked up. He knew that the moment Camilla spun the laptop for him to see those pictures. How did they get here? While receiving that phone call, he had fantasised about bending her over his desk. He might have asked Ivan to get him some shirts so she could touch him however and whenever she liked, but it looked better on her. She could have them all. If he wanted her to still look at him with a heartfelt smile, he had to fix this.“You’re wasting my time, Alek,” she said.“No explanation would be good enough for why I did it,” he began. Her fists clenched at her sides. And she exhaled. “I’m sorry.”At the time, his reasons had made sense. It was one way to kill two birds. One, end their ongoing silent treatment. Two, confirm that she was to be trusted. If she came to him with the problem, both issues would have been solved. But that only happened when they were on better t
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 79: Wow
Camilla was asleep or pretending to be when Maksim came back to the room last night. Yesterday, the same thing happened.Today, he left before she woke up to prevent any awkwardness. On his return now, she was on the bed, the cover pulled to her chin. The blue bedsheet was her choice. They had gotten used to alternating between bright colours for her and dull colours for him. Was she asleep already?Maksim glanced at the thick envelope in his hands. The frames had come today. He knew Camilla would love them, but he was scared to show them to her, so she wouldn’t misinterpret the gesture. Kicking off his shoes, he sank into the bed and touched her. Her head lolled to the side.“Hey,” he said.“Hi.”That was all. No kisses, no excited smiles to see him. They were talking. He would ask a question and she would answer, but it wasn’t the same. He missed the bubbly, talkative wife who wanted to know all of him. Every single, unnec
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 80: Why did it matter?
There were pictures of Calvin standing alone. One of him and Hana staring at each other in total adoration. Even KJ wasn’t exempted. Faye too. The only people missing in the frames Alek gave Camilla were her parents. How could he do stuff like this and claim not to like her?Camilla couldn’t understand it. She had stopped trying to. These days, she stared at the frames she had lined on the window of her library. Visiting the hammock when he wasn’t ready to bare himself to her felt wrong. So, she stayed away. She didn’t know if he went there anymore. She didn’t ask him deep questions. Didn’t want to fall for him only to get her heart broken. She was guarding her heart, though it was too late. Talking to him made her feel so alive.“Why can’t you admit to liking me?” she asked no one in particular. “I like you too.”Throwing her legs over the arm of the couch, she tucked a pillow behind her he
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 81: What now?
Alek didn’t flinch. Instead, he put a foot forward, then another with the precision of a stalker who had found his prey. The look in his eyes scared and excited her. She made for the door, but he was faster, grabbing and pulling her against his chest. She struggled, her front rubbing against his hardness.“You don’t know anything—”He cut her off with his lips, punishing her with the kiss as he held her head in place. Her mind fizzled until nothing else made sense to her. His tongue pushed into her mouth, dancing around every corner. She kissed him back, just as hard, to punish him. But he only deepened the kiss.Edging her backwards without breaking the kiss, she gasped when her back hit something firm. Her hands wandered over his body, her mind too fuzzy for her to decide what exactly she wanted to do with him. He squeezed her ass, his lips trailing down the corners of hers to her neck. Her body buzzed. She was on fire
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 82: Whatever you want
Until Alek gave her what she wanted, she wouldn’t visit that place. It was their honest spot. He carried her, and she kissed his throat. He laughed but didn’t comment on that. Getting to the room, he set her on the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.Minutes later, he returned to pick and lower her into the tub. The water was warm against her skin, and she relaxed in the porcelain. He watched her with a smile. He had been doing a lot of that since she stepped into his office.“Are you joining me?”“I have to finish some work,” he replied. “But I’ll join you for dinner. Bible.”“Take care. Sorry for interrupting.”He smiled. “I love that you did.”After a kiss to her lips, he exited the place. Her heart fluttered. Butterflies swarmed her belly. She pushed her fingers into her vagina and sighed. There was a heartbeat between her
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 83: I know why now
Maksim’s head throbbed. His vision blurred as he got into the backseat of his car and slammed the door. Ivan started the car immediately, and the journey to Sin City began. A call after Camilla’s had him taking an impromptu trip to Nightfall Hills.The tip was wrong, and the caller paid for it with his life.No one knew he was searching for Sofiya. Ivan had driven him into the neighbouring city without an idea why they were there. He could always explain it as a business deal, but he owed no one an explanation. Part of him considered Sofiya dead. The other half hoped otherwise. He wanted so badly to believe what Doris told him as a child. That she was gone. Dead. Believing his mother was dead was easier than thinking she was alive. It would give him hope, and he didn’t need hope. But if Papa would say nothing, he had to do something of his own. Where was she?Maksim stared at his hands, bile running through his throat. For the first time since his mu
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 84: I like you
Alek was finally saying what Camilla wanted to hear, but her heart was beating so fast she worried she wouldn’t hear him above the sound. He was going to tell her. He was freaking going to tell her. Maybe waiting for him even as seconds spilled into minutes and minutes slowly to hours, and the sun hid behind a curtain of dark clouds had not been such a terrible idea.“I,” he started and stopped. “I…”“I what, Alek?” she whispered. Her hand rested on his chest, and his heart pounded against it. The air was cool, and the breeze gentle enough to seduce you to a nap, but her husband’s forehead glimmered with sweat. She shouldn’t give him a way out, but an anxious Alek was a rarity. She could end his discomfort and wait a few more days. “You don’t have to tell me.”He shook his head. “I need to. I must.”Her lips touched his. “Take your time.”“I like you,
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 85: Tell him nothing
Maksim woke up first. His neck was stiff from the position he had laid all night, and the knife in his socks poked his ankle. It was still too early in the morning. The sun hadn’t set, but the moon had given way for brighter clouds. Camilla was asleep on the blanket while his back rested against the tree. He wasn’t sure how they came to be in this position after fucking last night.Her dress bunched at her thighs, and the fluttering wind pushed it above her ass. He kicked off his shoes and placed the pocketknife at the foot of the tree. The kink in his necks melted with each careful turn. He continued the rotation until his neck became less stiff. On his knees, he crawled to her, his legs on either sides of hers. His morning erection poked his zipper, and her round ass beckoned on him. He owed her a massage, or preferably a spa treatment. But right now, he had to wake her up.The cold air made his nipples hard. His hand disappeared between her legs, and she moa
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The Mafia’s Temporary Bride Epilogue (II)
Camilla froze. Her heart raced shamelessly, and emotions she thought herself no longer capable of feeling flooded her. This was their first meeting since he dropped her at KJ’s house. She should pry his hand off her, scold him, or leave. But she did none of those things. It had been months.God, she missed her husband so much. So fucking much it was hard to fully express the loss without breaking down in tears.“Alek.”“Cam.”Camilla’s hand dropped over Alek’s, and she knew the feeling was mutual. He missed her too. If not, he wouldn’t be here with flowers. Or here at all. Her tea was getting cold, but she didn’t care. The shop was empty, so she didn’t have to hide or pretend. She wanted her husband here.Operations didn’t start until 5. So she liked to have an hour of silent reading before the hustle. But she didn’t mind sharing her solitude with Alek. He was the only one worthy of shar
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 122: Epilogue (I)
The alarm on Maksim’s phone went off at exactly 3:45 pm. He shot to his feet and grabbed the bouquet of sunflowers on his desk. Outside the store, people went about their daily activities. But it was only a matter of time until his wife showed up.His wife.Maksim had never thought of Camilla as anything but that, though they had been separated for months. She hadn’t changed her mind about their ending. Not as if he had asked her. He lacked the courage to do that, so he had resorted to stalking her.That was how he knew her routine. That she would walk past this store and head to the coffee shop ahead of it in ten minutes. The man in charge of the shop would be late, but Camilla would wait. And when he finally arrived, he would apologise for coming late. It was the same routine over and over again with her. But with each day, she had grown less skittish and read more books.He couldn’t say if she still read romance, but she read a lot more now.
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 121: Our cliff (II)
“Safe. Sonia and the rest of the girls and women we found have been taken care of.” Maksim knew the man wanted something more, so he waited. Antony didn’t disappoint him by saying, “Some of our guys aren’t so happy Oleg had to die the way he did. So here’s what we will do—” “No deal,” Maksim interrupted. Antony chuckled, a hand going over his belly. “You haven’t heard me out.” He said nothing, and the other man added, “I’m guessing you don’t want to see this Sonia. I’m as curious as you probably are. Is that her real name? Why do you look so much like her? Why did Oleg keep her in such a place after she birthed the heir to his throne?” “What do you want?” “Nothing. For now,” Antony added. “But soon, we might need your help. If you agree, I’ll let you know where Sonia is.” Maksim dropped the file on the bench. It was still open, so he gazed longingly at the picture. He had lost Camilla and Doris, could he lose his mother? How was he certain it was her? His he
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 120: Our cliff (I)
The living room was quiet. Maksim and Christian sat on the floor. A few times, he glanced at the phone in his hand, expecting it to light up with his wife’s name. Things had progressed from bad to worse since the day she overheard his conversation with Vanya. Before that day she was only giving short replies, but now? She said nothing. A few people around him had suggested a change of location to help her mood, so now they were camped in Christian’s other apartment. It was located Nightfall Hills. But Camilla hadn’t reacted to the move, not even Doris’ appearance. He brought the housekeeper to cheer her up. Their relationship had improved. He wasn’t sure if those two spoke. But whenever he was around them, both women were always quiet. “What do you keep looking at?” Christian asked, snatching his phone from him. Maksim shrugged. His head fell back to the couch he was propped against. He wished for so many things he would never have. “She’s leaving me.” “How
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 119: Their home
Camilla was still asleep when Maksim left the room. There was a smile on his lips as he stepped out. He had to arrange pillows in a long line so she wouldn’t know he was gone. Christian called as he got into his car. At first, they had agreed for his wife to move to Nightfall Hills. A change of location, as was suggested by everyone and also get her closer to her family. With his enemies dead, she wouldn’t have to worry about her safety. But he wanted her to go home when she felt better, close to the version of herself he took months ago.The call lasted seconds. They would visit his friend but might end up not staying. He would have to ask her first. As he got closer to his destination, he pulled out his phone to call Ivan. Camilla was slowly getting better, and he needed to check on her. He had never left the house without informing her first, but he hadn’t wanted to wake her up this morning. She looked cute. He also had Ivan at home for emergencies.A
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 118: Babe
Alek was taking too long to get out of the bathroom. Camilla patted her foot on the floor. She had the option of knocking, but he would demand her voice. Talking still felt strange. While in captivity, she had gotten used to the silence. Her voice didn’t save her when those men had her on the floor. She had begged them to let her go, but…But what?A mental block paused her thoughts. The memories after that were too fuzzy. A blank wall she couldn’t get past. Something bad had happened. That was for sure, even if she didn’t know what it was now. The only person’s touch she could tolerate was Alek’s. Even Doris’ doleful eyes couldn’t get her to allow more body contact. Her body was revolting against something her brain and mind was stopping her from remembering.The baby was gone. Their baby. Alek hadn’t blamed her. He didn’t even mention it. That was supposed to be the surprise. The final addition to their ha
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 117: Progress
They could get another baby. If not this year, then next. The most important thing was Maksim had his wife back. Even if she had becoming unbearably quiet. Camilla was awake now. He could tell from how she pulled the cover over her shoulders.Maksim had tugged it down at night to hug her while she whimpered in her sleep. There was no conclusion on the rape. The tests for STIs had also come up negative. Dr Igor mentioned the absence of semen, but according to him, that could also be because of how long ago the assault happened. For now, they couldn’t conclude on if she had or hadn’t been molested. Only Camilla could answer that question for him.The blood was from losing their baby. A baby he couldn’t protect. Maksim stood by the bedside table, his hands fisted at his sides as he stared at the woman on the bed. She looked like his wife, but she wasn’t. She was someone else. A broken version. Her back was turned to him, and in his hand, he held a roma
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 116: For true evil
Couldn’t the car possibly go faster? Left to Maksim, he would have swam across the river, but that would have been a stupid move. How would he carry Camilla after finding her? Now he was in a car with Ivan behind the wheels. His driver had arrived while he was talking to the men.After today’s display at the house, he was sure no one would question his authority for a long time. Before their fear of him fully dissipated to be replaced by respect, he would fish out every single one that had partaken in Camilla’s disappearance and eliminate them from this earth. If that was the only thing he would do as a Grand Sinner, he was completely fine with that.Maksim had never thought of himself as good, even the time with Camilla hadn’t changed that view he had of himself. But the incident of this morning had revealed he had the capacity for more. For true evil.The car slowed as they reached a lonely path. The road was rocky. Trees lined each side of t
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 115: Baby (II)
If Maksim wasn’t going to listen to Doris at all, the use of his full name had grabbed his attention. She had never called him that. That being said, she stormed out of his sight. Baby? Camilla was pregnant? She wasn’t one to keep secrets from him. Not ones as huge as this. Think, Mak. Think.Wait. She promised to give him a surprise when they reunited. Was that it? No. No!Rage penetrated Maksim’s frame. On his feet, he went to their room. All plans to wait for Dmitri’s reveal dissipated into thin air as the housekeeper’s words danced in his head.Baby.Their baby.He lied to her.He promised to protect her, and he didn’t.In their room, Maksim grabbed two guns and attached silencers to them. For every of Papa’s man he met on the way to his office, he put a bullet in the centre of their forehead. Bodies fell around him. He had the element of surprise and silence for the attack. By the time he arrived at Pa
