NINA I fidgeted with the hem of my sleeve, my nerves threatening to get the best of me as I waited for him. The diner was quieter at this hour, just the faint hum of the radio and the clatter of dishes from the kitchen filling the silence. My fingers curled around the damp rag I had been using to wipe the counter, but my attention remained on the entrance. Waiting for him. And, I didn’t think I’d be able to hold on to my impulsive idea anymore longer if he didn’t walk in just then. As if privy to my thoughts, he walked in. As always, he moved with effortless confidence, his broad shoulders cutting through the space like he owned it. I looked at the clock. It was still ten minutes to midnight. He was early. I swallowed, pushing past the butterflies in my stomach as I forced myself to step forward. Just do it, Nina. I could feel my heartbeat quicken, the same inexplicable pull I’d felt before. I had never really allowed myself to feel that way about anyone— but here I
LACHLANHer confusion was laced with something warmer. I opened the door and got out, holding out my hand for her. My little kitten hesitated for a moment before slipping hers into mine. The warmth of her fingers against my palm sent a thrill through me, and I tightened my grip just enough to let her know she wasn’t going anywhere.As we made our way to the entrance, she glanced around, brows furrowing. “This place looks—” she hesitated, her throat working as she stared at the name on the entrance. “—expensive.”“It is.” She turned to me, lips parting. “Lachlan—”I arched a brow. “What?”She shook her head, looking almost uncomfortable. “I just wasn’t expecting—”“Something like this?” I finished for her. “Do I look like someone who’ll take you to some back alley dive bar, Piccola micetta?”Her cheeks flushed, and she gave me a look. “No. I just—” she gestured to the building, struggling for words. “Save the words. We have a whole night ahead of us.”As we stepped inside, the entire
NINA Lachlan had taken up space in my mind, more than I ever expected him to. A whole week and three dates, and he was already becoming a presence I couldn’t ignore. I wasn’t thinking about Mr. Wrong or the hundred other things that usually occupied my mind. Instead, it was him—his smirks, his sharp words, the way he looked at me like he already knew what I was thinking. The intensity of his green gaze always made me nervous and filled me with thoughts that were too filthy to entertain. He made me want to experience all the things with him— things that I’d only thought about and talked with Mr Wrong on texts. But I was a coward, because despite the three dates and constant texts, I haven’t even kissed him yet. And the texts. God, the texts. As if he had a direct line to my thoughts, my phone pinged with another text from him. LACHLAN: Still thinking about me. NINA: Arrogant much? LACHLAN: It’s not arrogance if it’s true. NINA: I am busy. LACHLAN: You know if you beco
NINALACHLAN: Pack a bag. Dress warm. I’m picking you up in an hour.No explanation. No destination. Nothing. Just an order that was expected to be followed through.I should have said no. I should have asked questions. Instead, here I was, standing in front of the building where I’d told him I lived. But I was starting to think that he knew I’d lied about my address as last night when he had dropped me off after my shift at the diner, he had waited for me to go inside and then when he’d driven off, he’d called me and asked “Do you want to tell me something, Piccola micetta?” Of course, I didn’t tell him the truth. But as I’d walked to my apartment building, the eyes I’d felt on me, made me feel the same as Lachlan’s gaze does. Like he was the one watching me. When Lachlan’s car pulled up in front of me, sleek and dark like the man himself, I wasn’t prepared for what came next. He stepped out, dressed in a tailored black coat, his emerald eyes gleaming with something unreadable. So
NINAI was in Venice.And not just that—a very handsome man had flown me in his private jet and was now escorting me from one lavish boutique to another, ordering me to buy everything I liked and everything he liked on me.It felt like I was living my very own Pretty Woman dream. The attendants treated him like royalty. He picked things out, draping silk, expensive lace and cashmere over my arms, watching me as if he were imagining how each piece would look on me.I indulged him, and instead of doubting every second of my life like I’d been doing until now, I let myself enjoy it. Parading for him as I showed each dress after changing in the trial room. It should have been suffocating but it felt liberating.Because when was the last time someone had done something just for me?When I stepped out of the dressing room in a sleek black dress, his gaze darkened. He didn’t say anything, but the heat in his eyes told me enough. Another time, it was a red lacy dress—almost entirely sheer. He
LACHLAN The soft glow of golden lights bathed the terrace, casting long shadows across the ornate balustrades and reflecting off the gentle ripples of the canal below. Venice at night was a vision—timeless, mysterious, drenched in an elegance that made it easy to forget the weight of reality. Forget what was expected of me and how this was all a charade to manipulate her. But I digress... the point was no matter how beautiful my surroundings were, she was the most captivating sight of all. Her dark eyes, with that one spark of silver in the left one, glittered with the kind of wonder that only made me want to make it permanent there. Give her all the experience that will have her looking at me with that awe in her eyes. The warmth of wine had painted a delicate flush across her cheeks, her lips were parted just enough to let out a quiet, breathless laugh as I spun her in a slow turn. She giggled as I dipped her low, her hair spilling behind her like liquid silk before I rig
NINASomehow when I woke up this morning last night felt like a dream but I knew it wasn’t just a dream. It actually happened. Because the first time I woke up, my head was in his lap and his fingers were in my hair so I decided to go back to sleep. The second time I woke up, I was in the bed with my phone ringing as he reminded me to get ready to go back. Our trip has ended.Now we were in the car, Lachlan was going to drop me off at my fake address and soon I’ll have to be ready for my shift at Antonio’s hotel. But my mind was still stuck on yesterday.My memories were little foggy but I remembered my admission of my twisted desires and how I had done a verbal vomit in the hotel suite, letting him know how fucked up I really was with my missing past and memories, and haunted dreams. The dreams, that I deliberately termed as nightmares. Because what does it make me that those nightmares fueled my deranged desires?As the car drove closer to the apartment building where he’ll drop me,
LACHLAN I dragged the man out and as much as I wanted to skin him alive, then slowly bleed him out with thousands of cut before actually killing him, I wanted to go back inside to look after my little kitten more.When I’d send the fucker, I had explicitly told him to not to lay a finger on her. He didn’t just put his finger on her but the bastard thought he could hurt her.“P-please... P-please... A- I am s-s-sorry... please forgive m-me...” he blubbered.I narrowed my eyes on him as I asked, “Do I look like a forgiving type?”“I didn’t—”I pulled the trigger, not even in the mood to listen to his pathetic excuses. But it wasn’t his mistake, it was mine. I was responsible for it. I should’ve thought better and instead sent my own man to scare her. I hauled his body up and threw him over the railing, still brimming with violence. If it had happened back at home, I’d have spend days torturing him. But as it happens I wasn’t at home and this wasn’t Russia. I pulled out my phone and
NINA I looked down at my phone reading his recents texts.Mr Wrong: Are you alive or am I texting a ghost?Mr Wrong: Are you scared I’ll come for you? Weren’t you the one who told me to get you? [This one he had send me before too, like he thought I was scared of him.]Mr Wrong: At least, let me know you’re okay.Mr Wrong: This is going to be my last text, if you didn’t reply I won't ever text you again. After debating for a whole minute, I tapped on the reply box and typed a message, after a moment’s hesitation I hit send. Nina: I got kidnapped that night. Now I am in Russia.After sending the text I scrolled up to our last exchange which was just before Lachlan and Jeremiah had kidnapped me.Nina : You wanna bet? Fine. Come get me, if you can.He hadn’t texted me but he had called me that night. And for a brief moment I’d thought he was one running after me but it wasn’t him, it was the monster who uprooted me from my life as I knew it. Though the texts waiting in my inbox tol
NINA It had been nearly a week since I ran barefoot into the forest, since my husband looked at me like he wanted to choke the life out of me. And if Lachlan was to be believed, since Jeremiah stared at me in the bathroom like he wanted to fuck me until I screamed his name and begged for mercy. A week of dread. A week of me dreading what my monster of a husband planned to do, how he will punish me for trying to run away from him and the life he had dragged me into. Every morning for the last week I’d woken up with dread pooling in my stomach, thick and heavy like lead. And every day, he said nothing. Just watched me with those steely grey eyes that promised punishment. A silent warning of what was to come. A vow to make me pay. The only relief I found came at night. Not peace. Not sleep. Just Lachlan. When the estate grew silent and sky darkened outside, I found myself waiting for him. The man with green eyes and gentle touches, and his beautiful soft murmurs that coax me to u
NINA“Can you touch me?”He stopped, his hand stopping just on the inside of my knee. “Where do you want me to touch you, kotyonok?” When I remained quiet, now nervous more than ever, he said, “Say it. Ask me anything and I’ll give it to you.”“T-touch me… between my legs.” I could feel my cheeks flushing pink at my own words. What was I doing? I have no idea.“What am I touching between your legs, Nina? Be specific.”I wanted to glare at him but it felt like it’d take too much of my energy. Instead I answered him, “My pussy.”There was a soft smile on his lips before he stood up and tugged his shoes off, he must’ve gotten rid of his suit jacket during my escape or afterwards. And as I thought about my escape, my mind wandered off to the attack that had happened. My eyes on their own accord looked all over him, wondering if he had gotten hurt but I didn't see anything. And something inside me, that had clenched in what seemed like worry began to settle.And then, there was nothing to
NINA Lachlan disappeared into the adjoining bathroom without a word, and I heard the distant sound of water running. After a few seconds I realised he was filling up the bathtub for me.I’d have walked there instead of waiting on the bed but the pain in the soles of my feet made me reluctant to do so. And as I finally took a look at my feet, I realised what a mess I had made of them in my attempt to escape. The adrenaline and fear had made me ignore the pain but at the sight of my bruised, scratched and wounded feet with debris and whatnot sticking and cuts on my feet that had dried blood around, the pain slammed into me like a force that brought tears to my eyes. No wonder the monster had taken pity on me, if he was even capable of that, and instead of making me walk to the car, he had actually lifted me in his arms.And somehow those arms had felt like a comfort in my state. Thankfully, Lachlan came out just then
NINAAs soon as we cleared the tree line and Jeremiah stepped on the cold asphalt, I saw cars lined up on the road. I wanted to bury my face in his chest and hide, feeling ashamed for reasons that weren’t right as I saw the men standing in a line, making a passage for their king to walk. It made me guilty that there was a teeny tiny part of me that was ashamed for running away. I understood my regret and guilt over being caught and for being responsible for everything that seemed to be unraveling now, but I didn’t understand why there was a spark of guilt inside me for making my escape in the first place. And why in the hell, did I wanted to hide myself in the man who was the reason I was this mess.Jeremiah didn’t stop to put me down as he stalked toward the waiting car in which we’d gone to the party- the same party that felt like it was days or weeks ago instead of just mere hours.Before we reached it, Lachlan stepped out. His green eyes taking me in and then looked at Jeremiah
NINA “J-Jeremiah…”He took a step closer and even though there were still at least eight to ten feet between us, fear slithered down my spine like icy fingers. Every cell in my body screamed at me to run and when I took a step back, he paused. His head tilting in a way that seemed too familiar. I swallowed.He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. The cold fury radiating off his body was enough to choke me. I had felt anger before, I had seen rage… but nothing compared to the storm in his eyes as they burned into mine.“You want to run, wife?” He said, his silver eyes dropping to my feet and his lips curled in a snarl. “Run. Run like hell, and when I catch you I will make you regret you ever tried.”Then he moved.And I didn’t think. I didn’t wait. It was like a primal urge, an instinct telling me to run from him, to let him chase me even when a very logical, sane part of me knew that he’ll catch me and there was no other option for me except to be captured by him.But still I ran.The
JEREMIAH She. Fucking. Ran.My deceitful little wife thought she could leave me. That she could slip away into the night like a whisper and disappear. Like I wouldn’t find her. Like I wouldn’t drag her back. Like I wouldn’t make her pay.I gripped the steering wheel so hard it creaked beneath my fingers. The world outside was a blur, but my mind was crystal fucking clear with everything I needed to do. I was going fucking easy on her. But now… I am going to show her what a real monster looks like.I looked at my phone. She wasn’t far. She was moving near the tree line, apparently thinking she’ll be safe in those trees. She should’ve learned her lesson by now. She will never be safe from me, and especially in the trees that felt more like a home to a predator like me, where I have hunted her not once but so many times now I could find her with my eyes closed. A notification on my screen had rage flooding my system a
Flashback #3JEREMIAH I stepped into her room without a sound, the room was cloaked in darkness, the heavy curtains drawn shut, but a sliver of moonlight spilled through the gaps, casting silvery bars across the carpet.She didn’t look up at first. Just sat there- small and still, like she was trying to disappear. She was lost in her pain, not caring about the world around her. But she proved me wrong when I took a step in her direction and her head jerked up, her shoulders stiffened. “Who is it?” she asked, voice hollow, frayed at the edges.When I didn’t answer, she pushed herself up on her unsteady legs. “Is that you?”Not who are you?Not what do you want?Just… is that you?Like she already knew. Like she was waiting for me.I almost smiled.She pushed forward, almost staggering toward the window, where I stood half shrouded in shadow. When she saw me, she didn’t flinch. She didn’t scream or back away like a scared little girl, oppressed by her father and the world she lived in
LACHLAN The air still smelled of gunpowder and blood. The Yakuza’s signature chaos had left its mark— burned cars, bodies littering the streets outside, and the metallic scent of violence hanging thick in the night. The attack had been precise, but not devastating. It was more like a warning. A message. They wanted to shake the very foundation of Sokolov’s reign, but all they managed to do was piss us off and made our men bloodthirsty for revenge for the death of their comrades and the general display of disrespect the Yakuza showed. They attacked us when their were women of the families present, something we take pride in by not stooping so low.I left Jeremiah and Kayne talking to our men, as they gave orders to clear out the building, make sure everyone was safe and back in their homes while Xavier had already ran off to capture whoever was left behind from the Yakuzas to take them for interrogation. I made my way back inside the room where the chairs lay upended, the floor was