AriaA pair of men in black suits materialized, their towering presence casting an ominous shadow. Their icy, predatory gazes gave me cold shivers, and I caught the flicker of fear in Zara's eyes.Then, like a dark tide of sin and danger, more men emerged from the shadows, their very presence radiating an unsettling aura of trouble. A tense silence enveloped the strip club, broken only by the faint rustling of clothing and the clinking of glasses as the patrons and staff, without a word, slipped away like shadows into the night. It was as if they all understood an unspoken rule: when trouble comes knocking, it's best to make a swift exit and avoid its menacing grasp.My breath caught in my throat as a chilling laugh echoed through the room. Viktor, a sinister smile on his face, stepped forward, his presence casting a pall over the bar."Well, well, well," he drawled, his voice dripping with malice. "What a lovely little reunion we have here. How touching."Zara's face contorted with r
Axel"Fucking Viktor, that mudak, has the balls to open his trash heap right on our doorstep!"Nikolai's voice cut through the haze of smoke and low thrum of bass in the VIP lounge of our rooftop bar.The place was drenched in the scent of expensive cigars and the sweet perfume of hostesses weaving through tables. Neon lights bathed the area in a seductive glow, reflecting off the glassy surface of the central warm pool where shadows mingled and flirted.Roman leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips. "Let him try," Roman drawled, sipping on his vodka, ice-cold like his gaze. "This is our turf. He's just a desperate dog marking territory."I clenched my fist around my own glass, whiskey amber under the nightclub's pulsing lights. The music was a mix of deep house and techno, a throbbing heartbeat that mirrored my rising irritation."Viktor thinks he's making a statement," I spat out.Slamming the whiskey back, feeling it burn all the way down. The glass hit the table hard, a sharp cli
AxelMila's sleepy scream pierced the quiet of the night. She was having a bad dream, I could tell. Her limbs were jolting like she was trying to hold on to someone. She whimpered, and I felt a pang of frustration over the situation.Ever since Maria left us a week ago, Mila had been heartbroken. She had grown attached to her, and who could blame her? Our home wasn't exactly filled with women. The head maid, Svetlana, was the only other woman in the house, but she was stern and cold, not at all like Maria. She didn't seem like she had a soft spot for children. Mila was a smart kid. I was sure she sensed that.I remembered the conversation I had with Mila when I told her Maria had to go home to her own children."But Axel," she'd said, her eyes shining with tears, "why didn't she say goodbye? You promise another angel will come stay with us, right?"I nodded, trying to comfort her. "Yes, malyška, I promise. We'll find someone else who loves you just as much as Maria did. Someone who wi
AxelRestlessness consumed me; I gave up on sleep that night. The house was eerily quiet, as if it was holding its breath, amping my unease. Carefully, I slipped out of Mila's room, trying not to wake her up.As I walked down the dim hallway, my footsteps almost silent, my thoughts drifted to Aria. That unforgettable night we spent together haunted me. Her sultry moans, the way she whispered my name in ecstasy, the warmth of her body pressed against mine… Fuck! My cock started to stir in my shorts. My body tensed, reacting to the memory of her flushed skin, her chest heaving as I thrust deeper and deeperWhat are you thinking?I shook my thoughts off as I stood in my meeting room, running a hand through my hair in frustration. Events had been bad lately. The burden of it felt unshakable. Betrayal… The word tasted bitter in my mouth. Two of my men had turned on me. The sting of it was unavoidable. My enemies circled like vultures, and the FBI wasn't far behind. The annoyances were neve
Aria. Today was the day.I scrutinized my reflection. The woman in the mirror might have looked like me, but she was a stranger, an imposter. My outfit was chosen with surgical precision, aiming for inconspicuous yet competent – a simple black dress that grazed my knees, paired with practical flats. Hair yanked back into a no-nonsense bun, makeup barely there. I wanted to fade into the background, be invisible, but the sense of exposure, the vulnerability, was too palpable.I was smack-dab in the middle of a Russian Bratva war.My pulse raced as I geared up for this interview. An interview that might just toss me back into the treacherous world I'd been desperately trying to evade. The gig as a nanny at Axel-Yakov's mansion – the one man I hoped never to cross paths with again.Or did I really hope not to?"Get a move on." Viktor's voice behind me oozed malice, his final warning echoing in my ears. "Don't you dare screw this up, Aria. You'll get the job, and you'll be my eyes and ear
Aria. Our gazes locked, and the intensity between us built. It felt like the room had shrunk, leaving only the two of us standing in this electric, charged space. We stood in silence, neither of us moving, as if we were caught in an invisible tug-of-war, neither willing to give in.How did he look so irresistible in broad daylight?"Ahem!" a voice broke in.I Zarached my gaze from the potent snare of Axel's eyes and redirected my focus to the head maid."What?" I asked, feeling a little disoriented."Over there," the woman barked at me, her eyes filled with disdain as she gestured to a spot at the back of the line of girls waiting for their interviews.She'd been such a colossal annoyance since she laid eyes on me.I did my best to avoid Axel's gaze, but it was like trying to resist the pull of gravity. I couldn't help but sneak a quick glimpse of him, and every time I did, I was sucked right back in.He caught my eye, his mouth curling into a knowing smirk. His eyes latched onto min
Aria.It was as if everyone was holding their breath, and then, from the back of the room, a timid voice piped up."Um, excuse me, sir? How much would we be paid for this job? You know, considering the... um, risks?"A grin tugged at the corner of Axel's mouth as he looked at the girl who asked the question. "Ah, getting right to the point, aren't you?" he drawled, his voice dripping with a mixture of amusement and arrogance. "Well, let me put your mind at ease. The salary for this position is $15,000 a month. Cash only."My stomach twisted in a mixture of envy and disbelief as his words sank in. It took me three years to scrape together a measly five-thousand-dollar stash, and here he was offering three times that amount like it was pocket change.The room erupted into a cacophony of gasps, whispers, and nervous giggles. The girls exchanged wide-eyed glances and furtive looks, all too aware of the dangerous world that came with the territory of working for Axel Yakov. But no one dare
Axel.20 mins earlier."What the hell? Is she for real?" I muttered as my gaze locked onto her. "She wasn't included in this morning's candidates, was she?"My eyes glued to Aria before darting to Svetlana standing rigidly at my side. She solemnly shook her head, her stern expression colored with an unusual hint of curiosity."No, sir. A late addition. One of the janitorial staff vouched for her."I'd burned through those profiles this morning, all eleven, each potential candidate picked apart. But she wasn't among them.The sheaf of resumés in my hand buckled, crumpling in my tense grip. She'd crashed the party, an unexpected twist in my otherwise meticulous process. A surprise but not necessarily an unwelcome one.Now, here she was, in my sight again. Aria. Like a mirage that wouldn't go away. She was back. There were a lot of questions I should have been asking right then, and top of the list should have been "Why?"What was her reason for coming back here?What were the chances of
Aria.I didn't feel well.My heart was pounding like a drum in my chest. The toy shop around me seemed to blur, the edges of my vision getting fuzzy.What's happening to me?This can't be happening now. Not here, not with Mila.Think, Aria, think. What's Viktor planning?My mind returned to Anya, her evil smirk, and her cold, deadly eyes.Should I come clean with Axel?No! He'll kill me. Bloody Viktor!He's left me in the dark. I have no idea if Nilo or Zara are alive.Oh God, breathe, just breathe."Look, Aria!" Mila's voice rang through the haze, and I turned to see her eyes shining with excitement. She was pointing at the dollhouses lined up on a shelf, each one more elaborate than the next. "See this one?" she chirped, pulling me closer. "It's got a little garden and a swing. And this one here's got tiny rooms, and you can even see the little dishes in the kitchen!""Yeah, Mila, they're beautiful," I managed to say, my voice sounding distant even to my own ears. I tried to focus o
Axel.Emerging from the gym, my muscles hot and my mind still a jumble of fresh release and frustration, I barely noticed Svetlana reprimanding one of the maids. My focus was elsewhere. I needed to find Mila."Svetlana, where's Mila?"The maid scurried away, and Svetlana turned her steely gaze to me. "Miss Yakov is in the garden, sir.""Good. Spasibo." I was already moving, but Svetlana wasn't finished."Mr. Yakov, if I may, the arrangements for the party on Saturday need your attention. There are some decisions that require your approval."I stopped, glancing back at her, irritation flaring. "Can't it wait, Svetlana? I will go over it with you later."She nodded, her face betraying nothing. "Very well, sir. I will have everything ready for your review."I didn't bother with a reply, already striding toward the garden. My mind was filled with Mila, my little sister, all alone out there. The garden was filled with our muscle-bound soldiers, always on guard, but it didn't change the ach
Aria."I came here for Mila," I snapped, though my voice quivered, betraying the lie. "Not to...to..."Fuck you. God knows I was so horny right then.I had no business in Axel's private gym, I knew it, but I couldn't help myself. Word around the house was that he'd been cooped up here for days. Mila had been asking for her big brother, her face going all teary-eyed at night.Or maybe I was just trying to fool myself. Maybe it was me who couldn't stand his absence anymore.Yes, I fucking missed him.The truth was, I wanted him. I wanted all of him.And there he was. Fresh out of the shower, muscles rippling, water dripping down his goddamn perfect body. His
Axel.My towel hit the hamper, still heavy with sweat from my workout. My gym was the only place where I could get Aria out of my fucking head. I'd been pounding the punching bag for the last hour. Anything to keep my mind from spiraling.The desire was eating at me, gnawing away like a constant itch I couldn't scratch.Aria.Just the thought of her name made my cock twitch. I'd been avoiding her, burying myself in work, burying myself in anything to distract from the hunger. But it was there, always there, lurking just beneath the surface.Anyone could be a fucking rat for Viktor, even Aria.I scolded myself, my internal voice raw with warning.Shit, I needed to get a grip. But right then, it wasn't my head that was doing the thinking – it was my cock.I told myself I could stay away, that I could resist her. But who was I kidding? The need was too strong, too raw.Dammit, I wanted her. And I knew, deep down, that it was a craving I wouldn't be able to fight much longer.Coming out o
Aria.For a split second, an evil grin flickered across Anya's face, like a glimmer of moonlight on a dark pond. But it was gone as quickly as it came, leaving me wondering if I'd imagined it. Her eyes, though, were a different story – hard, cold, devoid of any semblance of warmth or humanity. It was like staring into the eyes of a shark.In a voice so low, it was practically a breath of wind, she muttered, "Viktor wants you to get ready."The name hit me like a sucker punch, knocking all the air out of me. "Anya... you're..." The rest of the words stuck in my throat as if my vocal cords had gone on strike.My heart skipped a beat. Viktor. She was on his side. Anya, the aloof maid, was also Viktor's spy."Quiet!" Anya hissed, making me snap my mouth shut faster than a mousetrap. That chilling smile she wore moments ago vanished as if it was never there, replaced by the usual wallflower act I'd expected from her.I watched, flabbergasted, as she receded back into the crowd, a chameNilo
Aria.I walked into the maid's quarters – a palace in its own right. It was larger than the house I grew up in, decorated with Russian luxury. Gold accents, ornate fixtures, the works. The room was abuzz with quiet whispers. Svetlana's meeting was about to start.Holy hell. I eyed the horde of maids gathered in the room. Did the Yakovs employ the entire female population of Russia?I kept my gaze low, avoiding the intensity of the curious stares boring into me. It felt like walking onto a stage in the middle of a performance – all spotlights and hushed anticipation. I kept my face blank, trying to exude a calm I didn't feel. My heart thudded in my chest, a wild drumbeat against the quiet whispers around me.I headed toward a corner where the least number of gossipy hens were huddl
Axel."Blyat," I cursed, holding the remains of the spyware we had found scattered throughout the house. "Fucking six of them."Nikolai snorted, tossing another piece onto the table. "Make it seven."Fucking rats."Spy shit in our house, Axel. Stabbed in the back in our own damn home."My hand tightened around the piece of spyware, the metal edges biting into my flesh. The pain was a welcome distraction from the blinding rage simmering beneath the surface. If I could get my hands on Viktor and his rats, I would tear them apart with my bare hands. No mercy."I don't fucking believe this," I snarled, grinding my teeth together so hard I could taste iron on my tongue.A guttural scream tore through the silence, coming from the depths of the compound. It barely made me flinch; I was too wrapped up in the fucking spyware that had invaded my home."They're not holding up well," Nikolai observed, a dark amusement dancing in his eyes as another scream ripped through the air. The sound, though
Aria.Two damn days.It was like Axel had fallen off the face of the Earth since that weird phone call at the lake house. That night, we had connected. There was something real between us. He was more than just a mob boss; he was a man. And I was falling for him... hard. But spilling my guts to him? Hell, that would have been like painting a target on my back.Shit, I was about to confess everything to him.I'm fucking insane!After the call, it was like someone had flipped a switch in him. The warmth, the openness... all gone. He was cold, distant. We packed up and left the lake house like we were running from a damn ghost.I chewed on my lower lip. But then I pasted on a bright smile.Gotta keep up the act for Mila."Miss Maria, is Ms. Yakov ready for her lesson?" called a man from the stables, his voice rich and deep.I spun around, coming face to face with a pair of smoky eyes set in a ruggedly handsome face. Dark hair. Dark eyes. A killer smile. Great, the horseback riding coach.
ZaraA glimmer of hope ignited within me as I eyed the old, rusting doorknob. I'd seen enough action movies to know a thing or two about breaking locks. All I needed was one good swing, one good fucking hit, and that damn knob would fly right off. Picture the cool rush of freedom, right?But then, fucking typical, I heard the murmur of voices outside. My heart plummeted, ice-cold dread pooling in my gut."Cock-blocking bastards," I grumbled, my gaze darting to the locked door. I shoved the pipe back under the old cloth, concealing it as best as I could. Couldn't risk those fuckers finding my ticket out of this shithole. Not when Nilo's life hung by a thread.Crossing the room, I knelt next to Nilo, his face as pale as a ghost's. Each breath he took was shaky and labored. He needed the drugs. Now.Then the door creaked open, revealing two of Viktor's goons, their smug faces setting my teeth on edge. I forced a false smile, my heart hammering an erratic tattoo in my chest."Hey, asshole