Blood and Mercy
I’m caring for the man my brother paralyzed.
Kai Petrova doesn’t know that. He doesn’t know my real last name. Doesn’t know I walked into his mansion with a lie on my lips. Doesn’t know that five years ago, my brother drove drunk and killed his fourteen-year-old sister.
He just knows I’m the only caregiver who didn’t quit.
I needed the money. My mother is dying, and this job pays $135,000 for six months of work. I told myself I could do it.
All I had to do was keep my head down, stay professional, get the money and get out.
But then he started to trust me, he started to look at me. And I made the worst mistake of my life: I fell in love with him.
Now I’m trapped. Because every time he touches me, I think about the reason he’s on a wheelchair. Every time he smiles, I see his dead sister’s face on the walls of his studio.
When the truth comes out—and it will—he’s going to hate me.
But the worst part? The accident that destroyed both our families wasn’t an accident at all.
Someone wanted Kai dead. Someone made sure my brother took the fall. And someone is still out there, watching us get closer, waiting for the perfect moment to destroy us both.
I thought the secret I was keeping would kill me.
I was wrong. It’s going to kill him.
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Chapter: Breaking PointCassieMy mom’s hand feels like it weighs nothing. That’s what I keep thinking as I sit here holding it, her fingers resting loose in mine like they might slip away if I don’t pay attention. The IV line taped to the back of her hand pulls slightly when she shifts, and I adjust my grip to give her more room.She’s awake but her eyes are doing that thing where they’re open but not really seeing anything, just staring at the ceiling tiles like maybe if she looks long enough they’ll tell her something she needs to know.Dr. Patel left a few minutes ago after saying what we both already knew. The surgery needs to happen soon. As soon as we can schedule it. Every day we wait makes the odds worse.“Mom.” I keep my voice low so I don’t startle her. “Did you hear what he said?”Her eyes move toward me, slow and unfocused, and she nods just barely.“We’re going to get it scheduled,” I tell her, squeezing her hand gently. “Everything’s going to be fine. I’ve got the money now. We can do this.”
Last Updated: 2026-06-27
Chapter: Why do I care so much..??CassieThe next morning, I bring his breakfast, open his curtains and set the tray down on the table like always.But this time I don’t leave right away. “We’re doing physical therapy today,” I say to his back where he’s still lying in bed facing the wall. “I’ll be back at ten. Please be ready.”“No.”“Ten o’clock, Mr Petrova.”I walk out before he can argue.At ten, I’m standing outside his door again, folder in hand, trying to steady my breathing. I knock once, then open it without waiting.He’s in his wheelchair by the window, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt instead of staying in bed all day. He’s not looking at me, just staring out at the grounds like they’re more interesting than anything I could possibly say.“I’m not doing this,” he says.“Yes, you are.”“You can’t make me.”“No, I can’t.” I walk over and set the folder down on his desk.“But I’m going to be here every day at ten until you do. So you can either get it over with now, or you can listen to me knock on your doo
Last Updated: 2026-06-21
Chapter: LilyCassieThat afternoon, I’m standing outside his studio door with the folder Mrs Rosalind gave me yesterday. Physical therapy exercises. Stretches and movements he’s supposed to be doing three times a week to maintain muscle function and prevent further deterioration.I’ve been staring at this folder all morning, knowing I need to bring it up, knowing it’s going to be a fight.I knock once.“What?” His voice comes through sharp and irritated.“I need to talk to you about something.”“No.”“It’s important.”“I don’t care.”I take a breath, count to three in my head, then open the door anyway.The studio is dim.That’s the first thing that hits me. There are windows along the far wall but the light coming through is muted and gray, not enough to really brighten the space. The kind of light that makes everything look washed out and tired.There are lamps scattered around the room, the kind artists use when they’re working, but none of them are turned on. Just sitting there dark and unuse
Last Updated: 2026-06-17
Chapter: The FightCassieI wake up before sunrise, get dressed in the dark, and make my way downstairs to the kitchen where Mrs Rosalind has already left ingredients prepped for his breakfast. Eggs, toast, coffee. His morning medications lined up in the small organizer she showed me how to use.By seven, I’m standing outside his door with the tray balanced carefully in both hands.I knock twice, wait five seconds, then open the door without waiting for an answer.The room is dark, curtains pulled tight like he’s trying to keep the entire world out. I can barely make out his shape in the bed, just the outline of him under the covers, completely still.I set the tray down on the table by the window as quietly as I can, then walk over to the control panel on the wall and press the button.The curtains slide open with that smooth automated hum, letting pale gray morning light spill into the room.“Good morning, Mr Petrova,” I say without looking at him. “Breakfast is on the table. Your medications are next
Last Updated: 2026-06-13
Chapter: His RulesKaiI’m sitting by the window in my studio, staring out at nothing in particular, when I see her.She’s standing on the lawn near the driveway with her phone pressed to her ear, pacing back and forth in these small tight circles like she can’t stand still.I can’t hear what she’s saying from up here, can’t make out the words, but I can see her body language well enough to know it’s not a good conversation.She stops pacing and brings her free hand up to her face, wiping at her eyes with the heel of her palm.She’s crying.Or trying not to.Her shoulders curve inward and she turns away from the house like she doesn’t want anyone to see, like she’s trying to hold herself together and barely managing it.I watch for another few seconds, watch the way she keeps wiping at her face even though it’s clearly not helping.Then I turn away from the window.I don’t want to see this.Don’t want to know why she’s upset or who’s on the other end of that phone making her fall apart in the middle of
Last Updated: 2026-06-09
Chapter: Curtain DramaKaiThe light wakes me up.That’s the first thing I register, before I’m even fully conscious, before I remember where I am or what day it is. Just light, bright and sharp, cutting through my eyelids and dragging me out of whatever half-sleep I managed to fall into sometime around four in the morning.I open my eyes and immediately want to close them again.The curtains are open.All of them.Sunlight is pouring into the room, hitting every surface, making everything too bright and too clear and too much.I reach for the remote on my nightstand, the one that controls the automatic curtains, and press the button harder than I need to. The curtains start to close, smooth and silent, blocking out the light inch by inch until the room is dim again.Better.I drop the remote back on the table and stare at the ceiling, trying to remember if I opened those curtains last night.I didn’t.I never do.Which means someone else did.Someone came into my room while I was sleeping and opened the c
Last Updated: 2026-06-07
Chapter: He’s not AloneWe make it to the airport with thirty-five minutes to spare. Jeremy parks in long term lots, yanks the keys out of the ignition, and we both climb out.He pulls both bags from the trunk and I reach for mine but he shakes his head.“I’ve got it.”“Jeremy—”“Please, Cam. Just—let me.”I let it go and we walk into the terminal side by side.******The check-in line is longer than I expected and we stand there waiting while the minutes tick by and I can feel Jeremy’s anxiety rolling off him in waves.He keeps shifting his weight, unable to settle and keeps checking his phone like the time’s going to move faster if he watches it.Finally we make it to the counter. The agent is a middle-aged woman with reading glasses on a chain and she types our information into her computer with practiced efficiency.“Checking any bags?”“No,” Jeremy says. “Just carry-ons.”“Alright, you’re all set. Gate C-12. Boarding starts in about twenty-five minutes.”She hands us our boarding passes and we head tow
Last Updated: 2026-06-27
Chapter: Going to TexasI’m still standing in the middle of the living room when it hits me.Jeremy’s mom is dying. The words echo in my head, over and over, and I can’t move, can’t think past the way Jeremy’s face went completely white when Jamel said it, can’t stop hearing the crack in his voice when he asked how long she had.I’m just standing here staring at nothing while my brain tries to catch up to what’s happening.Then I hear it. A drawer slamming in the bedroom hard and loud enough that it snaps me out of whatever fog I’ve been stuck in.Another slam and something hits the floor with a thud. I blink and look toward the hallway, toward the bedroom where Jeremy disappeared the second he hung up with his brother.My legs feel shaky when I start walking but I make myself move, one foot in front of the other, until I’m standing in the bedroom doorway.He’s got a bag open on the bed and he’s just grabbing things, shirts and jeans and socks, not even looking at what he’s taking, just shoving them in with
Last Updated: 2026-06-27
Chapter: Bad NewsShe’s pushing a stroller, one of those expensive-looking ones with all the bells and whistles, and there’s a baby inside bundled up in a soft blue blanket.The woman passes us with a tired but genuine smile and I find myself turning to watch her go, watching the way she navigates the stroller over a crack in the sidewalk, the way she leans down to adjust the baby’s blanket even though it looks perfectly fine.That’s going to be me in a few months. Pushing a stroller, adjusting blankets, navigating the world with this tiny person who depends on me for everything.The thought should terrify me—and it does, a little—but there’s something else there too. Something that feels almost like anticipation.“You good?” Jeremy asks, following my gaze.“Yeah. Just—that’s going to be me soon. With the stroller and the baby and everything.”“Yeah. It is.”“Does that freak you out? Being around for all of that?”He’s quiet for a moment, considering. “No. Should it?”“I don’t know. Most guys would pro
Last Updated: 2026-06-21
Chapter: Post -it routineThe phone keeps ringing in my hand and I just stare at Reina’s name flashing across the screen, my thumb hovering over the answer button but not pressing it.I should pick up.She’s my best friend, she’s worried about me, she deserves to hear my voice and know I’m okay.But if I answer she’s going to ask questions—where I am, what I’ve been doing, why I’ve been so distant and I don’t know how to lie to her anymore, don’t know how to keep pretending everything’s fine when it’s so far from fine.The ringing stops.Silence fills the apartment.I set the phone down on the couch cushion beside me, screen facing down so I don’t have to see if she calls back.“I know that feeling,” Jeremy says quietly from his spot on the other end of the couch. “I felt it when Ryan called me that day, after he found out you were at the hospital. Wanting to answer but knowing it would just make everything more complicated.”I look at him and there’s understanding in his eyes, not judgment.“She’s going to th
Last Updated: 2026-06-17
Chapter: UltrasoundThe next morning we’re sitting in the waiting room at the hospital and my leg won’t stop bouncing, knee jumping up and down in this nervous tic I can’t control.Jeremy reaches over and rests his hand on my knee, gentle pressure that stills the movement.“Breathe,” he says quietly.“I’m breathing.”“You’re holding your breath. I can tell.”I let out the air I was holding and he squeezes my knee once before pulling his hand back.When they call my name we both stand and follow the nurse back to the exam room.Doctor Kent is already there, pulling up my file on her computer. “Camille, good to see you again. And Jeremy, right?”“Yeah,” he says, taking the chair beside the exam table.“Alright, let’s take a look at this baby.”She has me lie back and lifts my shirt, squirting the cold gel on my stomach that makes me flinch.Then she presses the ultrasound wand against my skin and the monitor flickers to life.For a few seconds there’s just static and blurry shapes and my heart is in my thr
Last Updated: 2026-06-13
Chapter: Sixteen Week AppointmentI’m off the bed before I even realize I’m moving, phone clutched in my hand, every beat of my heart feels loud in my ears.Jeremy’s asleep on the couch and I need to show him this, need him to see what I just found, but I freeze halfway across the living room because waking him up feels selfish when he barely gets enough sleep as it is.I’m turning to go back to the bedroom when I hear the couch creak.“Cam?” His voice is rough, groggy. “What’s wrong?”“Nothing, I’m sorry, go back to sleep.”“You’re a terrible liar.” He sits up, rubbing his eyes. “What happened?”I hesitate, then walk over and sink down onto the couch beside him, holding out my phone.“Look at this. The photo from eight months ago. In the background.”He takes the phone and squints at the screen, zooming in on the image, and I watch his expression change as he spots what I’m talking about.“That’s Ryan,” he says quietly.“Sasha knows him. They’ve been to parties together. Which means—”“Which means she might recognize
Last Updated: 2026-06-09
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