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83: I know why now
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Maksim’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 muRelated chapters
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
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 86: Witch
Camilla’s whole body ached. Confessing her love to Alek had come at a price, and her body was paying it. She wasn’t sure Alek was much better. Her poor husband had left to attend to business matters as soon as they got out of the bathroom. She missed him already, but she didn’t mention that in the last message she sent to him.Someone rapped on the door. She stared at it with a pout, knowing it wasn’t her husband but still expecting it to be him. Today, she wasn’t allowed to do anything.Following their ravenous night, Alek had confined her to bed rest with a promise to join her the moment he got a chance. She should have known that would be impossible since she hadn’t seen the man. They didn’t even have breakfast together.Doris entered and frowned. “You no tell me to come. I knock, I knock, I knock, Madam Camilla. My hand aches now.”“When did you ever wait for me to say come in?” Camilla said. D
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 87: Babe
Camilla blinked. Did she hear Alek right? He continued staring at her, waiting for her to speak. No, no. He couldn’t do that.“What?” she said.“You don’t know about this, Cam.”“It’s too risky, Alek. They will know.”Camilla’s heart thudded. The excitement from editing the pictures flew out of the air vents. Murder was nothing for him or his men, but she didn’t like knowing he had to commit it. With Papa hell bent on kicking her out of Sin City, murdering one of his closest friends was a horrible idea no matter what he had done to Alek or her.“Why?” she asked, knowing she might not get an answer.There were some things he would never tell her for her safety. She wasn’t so sure if she enjoyed knowing about Viktor’s impending death. She had learned enough from him to know Viktor wasn’t a good man, almost as dangerous as her father-in-law.Alek’s we
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 88: Dark prince
Maksim had fixed a potential date for the murder. None of his men knew his plans, not even Ivan, and he would keep it that way. There were moments he wished he hadn’t told Camilla but his mind had burned with the weight of the secret. He needed someone on his side. Her. Someone he could tell almost everything, and she had proved to be that person. His men didn’t judge him, and he respected that, almost expected it even. But Camilla’s full acceptance of him was a fresh feeling.Every step must be planned to make his alibi strong. Left to him, he wanted both cities and every don to know it was him. He had no worry about his skills. Viktor was a dead man walking. His hands curled into fists as memories from their wedding day slithered through his mind. He had fun killing the Nightfall Kings who came after them, and he would have that same fun when killing their don.He wiped the back of his hand across his eyes. They had to return to the hospital. It was a p
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 89: Moya Dosha (I)
The meeting with Dr Vera went better than Camilla expected. The doctor was nice and sympathetic to her. She had even suggested rerunning the tests. According to her, some of these tests could be wrong. Camilla didn’t mind. Maybe she was being too hopeful by expecting a different result, but she didn’t care. Alek was up for anything as long as she wanted it, and she would take full advantage of his kindness.Today was a lazy day. No rehearsals. Surrounded by books, yet she wasn’t up for reading. She let her head drop to the couch, her eyes glued to the painted ceiling. It was a scene from one of her favourite books.Alek paid too much attention to her needs than she ever did to his.The door creaked open, but she didn’t shift or change position. Someone sank into the couch, the cologne telling her all she needed to know. Soft lips came down on her throat, sucking the skin softly. She hissed, her fingers sinking into his hair.“Are you
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 90: Moya Dosha (II)
Camilla chuckled. The man never ceased to amaze her, but she was extremely grateful that Alek cared about her feelings enough. She would always like him. Like he said, this was who they were. Expecting a sudden change in his behaviour or attitude was a little delusional of her. Time here had already taught her what she needed to know, and that was: a mafia family wasn't the typical family.“What time is the party?” she asked, already sliding off him. For whatever reasons they were doing this, she wanted to look her best for him. “I need to prepare.”Alek stared at the swatch. “6 pm.”What? She bolted out of the library. Alek wouldn’t need to do much beyond finding himself the perfect suit. She would have to makeup, get the best outfit, and the shoes to match. Reaching their room, she ransacked the closet for a perfect dress. There were many dresses she hadn’t worn since she bought them. This was why she loved shopp
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 91: Number one fan
The limousine rolled to a stop, its tinted window giving the occupants privacy. Maksim placed a hand on Camilla’s knee.“Are you good?” he asked.“Nervous,” she confessed. “Otherwise…”“I’m here. Just stay with me. By my side.”With a nod, Camilla leaned over to kiss his cheek. He had shaved, his beards trimmed to an even length. A brief moment of them staring into each other’s eyes passed. His fingertips caressed the top of her lip, careful not to smear the gloss. He palmed the back of her head, his forehead melting against hers. She rested a palm on his chest. She might have a gun with her, but he would make sure they never had a need for it.Camilla’s door opened. She smiled once and exited the car. Another person opened his door. He stepped out and hurried to her side. A button on his jacket was undone, so he fixed it and took her hand. Outside was empty and quiet. Two men in suit guarded the entrance. The path leading to the guards was lined with rope barriers and bollards, proba
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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
