SofiaThe low murmur of conversation faded as I followed Nadei, Nikolai, and Nial into the study. The warmth of the living room was left behind, replaced by the quiet weight of the dimly lit space. A fire crackled in the hearth, casting flickering shadows along the walls lined with bookshelves.The tension was tangible, wrapping around us like a second skin. The laughter and ease from dinner had settled into a cautious silence, and for a moment, none of us spoke.Nadei was the first to break it.“We need to talk about earlier.” His voice was as steady as ever, but there was something different this time—less command, more restraint.I crossed my arms, leaning against the edge of the desk. “Alright. Then talk.”Nikolai exhaled through his nose, running a hand through his hair before pacing to the window. “Sofia, we weren’t trying to control you,” he said, his voice quieter than usual. “That was never the intention.”I arched a brow. “Then what was?”He hesitated, his gaze flicking towa
SofiaThe next morning had been a whirlwind of movement. Jade, ever the eager student, had rushed to get ready for school, rattling off facts about dinosaurs while I helped him with his shoes. “Mama, did you know T-Rex had a bite force of over 12,000 pounds?”“I did not,” I said, tightening the laces before giving him a kiss on the forehead. “Go impress your teacher with that one.”Jade beamed before running toward the door, where Nadei was waiting to drive him."Let's go, Papa!"Meanwhile, Lorelai had clung to my leg, her big blue eyes watching me with suspicion. Her words are coming out a little quieter, “Do you hab to go?”I smoothed back her dark curls, smiling. “I do, but guess what? You get to spend the day with Nonna and Nonno!”Her face scrunched in thought. “Zio Vale, tell me more funny stories?”I grinned. “If you ask him nicely.”She gasped. “I’ll make him tell all the stories.”With that, she finally let go, running toward the living room where my mother sat with my father
Sofia.Warm fingers traced lazy circles on my bare shoulder, pulling me from the delicate balance between sleep and wakefulness. I sighed, snuggling deeper into the warmth surrounding me, pressing my cheek against the firm chest beneath me."Kotyonok?" Nikolai's sleep-rough voice sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. The gruffness of his tone stirred Nadei and Nial awake. "Where do you think you're going off to so soon?"I hummed, stretching slightly, only for an arm to tighten around my waist, pulling me back. Nadei was behind me, his breath soft against the back of my neck, his arm possessively slung over my stomach. Nial was in front, his leg tangled with mine, his fingers skimming my thigh beneath the sheets.I was wrapped in them.Surrounded. Sheltered. It felt like a cocoon—like something I could sink into and never leave.“I should get up,” I whispered.Nadei made a soft sound of disapproval. &ld
Sofia.The air between us was thick with tension as Arsen walked away, his figure melting into the shadows of the dimly lit restaurant. I could feel all three of their eyes on me, waiting for some kind of explanation.I could feel Nikolai’s hand still resting on mine, his fingers slowly squeezing as though grounding himself, trying to stay calm. But I knew it was a struggle. I cleared my throat, trying to find the right words. “It’s not what you think.”Nial’s thumb stroked my wrist gently, his gaze soft yet insistent. “Then what is it, Love?”I took a steadying breath, trying to calm the rapid beat of my heart. “Arsen is... complicated. We’ve been through a lot together, but it’s not like that anymore.” My voice softened, remembering the time before. "He’s just—he's always been protective of me. I think that’s why he can’t let go."Nadei, ever the direct one,
Sofia.The world outside ceased to exist the moment they laid me down. I was surrounded—by heat, by hands, by lips that mapped every inch of my body with a devotion so fierce it stole my breath. I could feel my pussy pulse with need. I could cry from how much I craved their cocks in me.Gods, it's been a while since they have fucked me.Nikolai was the first to move, his hands gripping my thighs as he settled between them, his hazel eyes dark with unspoken promises. “Look at you,” he murmured, his voice like silk laced with fire. “Already so desperate for us. Spread your legs open for us, Kitten. Let us see that gorgeous pussy.”I was beyond desperate.Nadei hovered over me, his jade-green eyes locking onto mine as his fingers traced my collarbone, down between my breasts, down to my heat, teasing me, testing me. “You’re always so responsive, kotyonok,” he mused, his lips curving into something wicked
Nadei.The soft light of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting a golden glow over the bed. The air was thick with the remnants of last night—passion still clinging to our skin, the scent of her still on my hands, my mouth. I was never going to get enough of her. Not in this lifetime, not in any.Sofia lay sprawled between us, her body relaxed, her breathing steady. She was a fucking masterpiece. Marked. Claimed. Her skin bore the evidence of our hands, our mouths, our need.But it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.I propped myself on my elbow, my fingers tracing lazy patterns over her bare back. Her skin was warm, soft, and I watched as she stirred, blinking up at me with sleep-heavy eyes. Nikolai was curled around her from behind, his face buried in her hair, and Nial’s arm was draped possessively over her waist, his grip firm even in sleep.She was completely ours.I pressed my lips to her shoulder, fee
Sofia.I adjusted the coat around my shoulders, feeling the familiar knot of tension settle in my stomach as I stepped into the quiet café. This place was almost a regular place for me and Arsen. It was small, tucked away from the chaos of the busy streets, and dimly lit. It should’ve been comforting, but something about it felt off—like a weight hanging in the air that I couldn’t quite place.When I spotted Arsen, sitting in a booth near the back with a young boy beside him, I couldn’t help the sharp inhale that caught in my throat. The child—he looked so much like his father. Dark curls, big, curious brown eyes that seemed to take in everything around him, and a quiet kind of wariness that made my heart twist in ways I didn’t expect.“Belle Mia,” Arsen greeted, standing up as I approached. His voice was warm, though there was an edge to it. A tension I couldn’t ignore. I was never wrong about this ki
Sofia.The car ride was silent, save for the low hum of the engine and the rhythmic drumming of my fingers against my thigh. My mind was a battlefield of thoughts, each one sharper than the last. I knew that they were pissed. The way they had pulled me out of that café like I was some damsel in distress made my skin itch. I wasn’t weak. I wasn’t some fragile thing they needed to protect. Gosh, how many freaking times did they want me to spell that out for them!But I also wasn’t stupid.Someone had set this up. Someone wanted Arsen dead and I gone. And that meant one thing—there were more secrets lurking beneath the surface than I realized.Nikolai’s grip on the steering wheel was tight, his knuckles turning white. “What the hell were you thinking?” he finally snapped, his voice controlled but laced with fury. ''You had security details for a reason. You should never leave the house without them. How fucking hard was that to understand?!''“I was thinking that I was going to meet him,
Sofia.The world blurred around me.The sound of my own breath—ragged, sharp—was the only thing keeping me tethered to reality as I clutched Lorelai in my arms.Aurelio is waking up.Vale’s words echoed in my skull, but my body had already moved before my mind could process them. I was rushing to get to the door.The air rushed past me as I made it to the front door, barefoot, heart hammering, pulse wild. Luca grabbed my arm before I could get into the car, his grip strong but careful. “Sofia, relax—”“I need to see him,” I snapped, shaking him off.“We’re coming with you,” Nikolai said from behind me.There was no room for argument. I didn’t care about security, the logistics, the doctors, or the tests.I just needed to see my brother._At the hospital.The room smelled sterile. Like antiseptic, bleach, and something too clean to be comforting. It made my senses twitch at the overly powerful smell.I stood in the doorway, my pulse thundering in my ears, my hands clenched into fists
Sofia.Mornings in our house were never quiet.And I wouldn’t have it any other way.The kitchen smelled like warm syrup, cinnamon, and something unmistakably homey. Sunlight streamed through the windows, golden and soft, casting a warm glow over the absolute war zone unfolding in front of me.Jade stood on his stool, spatula in hand, looking every bit like a tiny war general as he surveyed the griddle. “Mama, this is serious. We need maximum efficiency if we’re gonna get pancakes and whipped cream before Alexei does.”Gosh, he sounded like Schmidt from New Girl when he said that, I cackled internally. Alexei, sitting on the counter beside Arsen, scoffed. “You act like I can’t hear you.”Jade ignored him. Instead, he turned to Lorelai, who was standing beside me, her tiny hands clutching a measuring cup filled with flour."Lory, you’re on mixing duty."Lorelai nodded solemnly. “Mix.”Jade nodded back like this was a military operation. “Good. Uncle Renzo’s in charge of toppings.”Ren
Sofia.The jet ride home was quiet.Not peaceful.Just quiet.Nikolai sat beside me, his fingers curled around my thigh, warm and grounding. Nadei and Nial sat across from us, their gazes locked onto me in that quiet way they always did when they thought I was about to break.But I wasn’t breaking.I was exhausted.I leaned back against the leather seat, exhaling through my nose, my body thrumming with tension. The blood was gone from my skin, wiped clean before I ever stepped foot on the jet, but I still felt it.In my bones.Under my nails.Seeping into my fucking soul.I closed my eyes.For the first time in weeks, the war was over. Momentarily.But I didn’t know how to stop fighting.-We stepped inside, the weight of everything hit me. Not just the blood. Not just the ghosts but the home of it all. The scent of vanilla and citrus from the candles I always burned. The warmth of the dimmed hallway lights. The faintest sound of Jade’s giggles coming from the kids’ wing.I exhaled sh
Sofia.The world didn’t stop after a war.I learned that a long time ago.You spill blood, you carve your revenge into the bones of your enemies, you rip apart the men who dared to harm what was yours—and then? Then, the world moves on.Seemed easy enough, right? Well, it fucking wasn't.The city still breathed. People still laughed, drank, fucked. Unaware that, just hours ago, I had rewritten the rules of their underworld. That we have changed something that a lot have tried to but couldn't.Mikhailov was dead.Vaschenko was dead.Petrov was dead.Their corpses were nothing more than stains on the concrete, their names nothing more than whispered cautionary tales for the next generation of ambitious fools who thought they could touch an Alexeyev and walk away.And yet…The ache in my chest remained because Aurelio was still lying in that hospital bed.Still pale. Still silent.Still gone in all the ways that mattered.I exhaled slowly, gripping the edge of the sink, staring at my re
Sofia.There was no calm before the storm.No quiet anticipation.No room for hesitation.By the time we left Petrov’s lifeless body cooling in a puddle of his own blood, the only thing left was the pulse of war thudding through my veins.One more.Vladimir Mikhailov.I could already see his name carved into his gravestone, already hear his screams before we sent him to rot in the ground.The ride back to the safehouse was silent, thick with something heavy, something sharp. Luca drove again, his grip tight on the wheel, knuckles white. Nadei sat beside him, eyes fixed on the road ahead, his body coiled in quiet tension.Renzo was wiping his blade clean, slow and methodical, like he was already picturing the next throat he’d slit.Nikolai sat beside me, his arm slung lazily over my shoulder, his fingers trailing idly along my collarbone—a contrast to the bloodlust still simmering in his gaze.We weren’t done.Not yet.Mikhailov was the last one left.And when I found him, I wouldn’t j
Sofia.Vengeance had a taste.It was bitter, metallic, laced with the promise of death.I could feel it on my tongue as I sat in the back of the car, staring out at the city bleeding light into the darkness. Neon signs flickered against the glass, a kaleidoscope of color that felt too bright, too alive for what we had just done. I could still feel Vaschenko’s blood drying on my skin. Still feel the weight of the gun in my hand, the kick of the recoil, the way his body had spasmed before he stilled.Dead.And yet, it wasn’t enough.Because Aurelio was still in that hospital bed.Still fighting for his life.Still teetering on the edge of existence, caught between this world and whatever lay beyond.And as long as my brother lay there, trapped in that purgatory, the men responsible didn’t deserve to fucking breathe.I inhaled slowly, pressing my fingertips to my temples, grounding myself in the dull ache. I could feel the weight of their gazes on me—Nikolai’s steady, Luca’s knowing, Nad
Sofia.Vengeance had a taste.It was bitter, metallic, laced with the promise of death.I could feel it on my tongue as I stood in the safehouse’s war room, staring down at the map of the city, my fingers trailing over the names we had carved into our list.Petrov. Mikhailov. Vaschenko.Their days were numbered.And tonight?Tonight, the countdown began.Luca was the first to break the silence. "We start with Vaschenko," he muttered, tapping the red mark on the map where the bastard’s operations were stationed. "He’s the easiest to take out first. He thinks he’s untouchable in that casino of his, but we’ve already got men inside.""He’s a coward," Nikolai added, his voice sharp. "He runs his mouth, but he won’t fight. He hides behind security, behind money. He won’t see it coming."Good.I wanted him to be afraid.I wanted him to choke on it.Valentino leaned against the table, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. "We make an example out of him."A slow, dark smile curled at my li
Sofia.The scent of death still clung to my skin.Even after we had left the warehouse, after we had burned the bodies, after I had washed my hands clean of the blood—I still felt it.Felt it under my nails.Felt it in my fucking bones.I sat in the back of the car, the engine humming beneath me, the city lights flickering past in a blur of gold and white. My reflection stared back at me in the window, eyes dark, empty.I barely recognized myself."Petrov. Mikhailov. Vaschenko."The names echoed in my head like a death sentence.They had tried to kill Aurelio.They had wanted me alive. They were unrelenting. The first attack. Sokolov. Their army. Every thing they have done led us to this moment. I curled my fingers into a fist, nails biting into my palm.No one moved in the car.Luca sat beside me, his jaw clenched so tightly I could hear his teeth grinding. Nadei was on my other side, his knuckles still bruised, still stained with a red that no amount of scrubbing would erase.Nik
Sofia.The night air was cold. Not the kind of cold that bit at your skin. Not the kind that sent shivers racing down your spine. This was something else.Something hollow.The kind of cold that crept into your bones, settled in your veins, and wrapped around your heart like an iron vice. I sat in the back of the car, staring out at the city lights blurring past, but I didn’t see them.All I could see was Aurelio.Pale. Motionless. His body hooked up to machines, his chest barely rising and falling.The last time I had seen him, really seen him, he had been full of life. Full of energy. Full of that fire that burned inside all of us.Now?Now, he was trapped between life and death, teetering on the edge.And I hadn’t been there.I had been tangled up in Arsen. Lost in him. Lost in us. Letting myself forget, even if just for a moment, that the world outside still existed.And while I had been pretending—My brother had been bleeding out.A sharp, stinging pain shot through my palm.I lo