LOGINBy the time the checkup was over, Ariella was completely spent.I'd stepped out for a minute to make a call to Dimitri.Two of my men were heading out to Ariella's apartment building to deal with that bastard who had touched her.By the time I'd come back, she was curled up on her side, fast asleep.For a moment, I just stood there at the entrance, watching her. She looked happy in her sleep, almost at peace, though I could still see the raging war she fought even when unconscious."I can feel you staring," she said finally, stretching out on the bed. "Who'd you call?""Just Dimitri."Her eyes darkened then, her soft features shifting to an expression of guilt. "Is Alex OK? Did you force him to tell you where I was?"My eyebrow shot up. That little bastard knew where she was all along. "No, I didn't even know that he knew."She sighed in relief, sitting up. "I know you still don't understand why I did what I did. But you also don't know what this is like."My footsteps echoed as I str
The hospital was busy, filled with patients sitting in the lounge, waiting to be called.Killian walked right past all of them, carrying me towards an office deeper in the building.Inside, a man in a white lab coat sat at a desk, staring at his laptop screen through heavy framed glasses. "I'll be with you in a minute, tell my secretary to put your name down.""You'll attend to her now and do so to the best of your capabilities." Killian replied, setting me down into one of the two soft, cushioned chairs across the doctor's desk.He glanced up, eyes widening when he spotted Killian. "Mr Morozcov! What a pleasant surprise.""Considering this is a hospital, I doubt my presence here should be considered good, let alone pleasant." The doctor's fake smile stiffened, clearly unsure as to what to say next."She's injured. I need one of your female doctors to have her checked up." Killian remained standing, his presence crowding the room as he looked down at the doctor."Of course sir. You ca
When my eyes first landed on Killian, it felt like my mind was playing tricks on me. A cruel joke to worsen my already bitter situation. But then Chris raised his hand, ready to hit me. My body curled into itself, eyes pressed shut while waiting for the pain that never came. Chris cried out in pain, forcing me to lift my head. A gasp fell from my lips as my mind struggled to comprehend the scene before me. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Chris yelled, curling his fist against his chest. "Why would you fucking do that?" Killian gave him no response, simply reaching down and pulling me off the floor gently. I'd always known we'd meet again, but never once did I think it'd be like that. What was he even doing here? "I believe I should be asking you that. What do you think you're doing? And how fucking dare you touch her?" His voice had that deadly calm it had each time I'd watched him murder a man. Chris, desperate to save some semblance of his dignity, swung
As Dimitri and Alex left, my phone buzzed.Part of me was tempted to ignore it. After all, it was probably just my mother calling to check on me or my father calling to complain.They'd begun paying a weird amount of attention to me this past few weeks.But the phone kept buzzing consistently, and eventually I decided answering it was worth getting whoever it was to shut up.The screen lit up, and an unsaved number was displayed on it. Seven messages.I didn't need to see a name to know who it was.'I found your girl. She's actually right here in Chicago. Address is below.'My gaze remained fixed on the phone screen, at the messages Larskn had sent me just seconds ago with the number I'd instructed him to use.No one could know we were looking for her. Even though Dimitri and Alex wanted me to do just that, them knowing was a sure way for my mother to know, and once she knew, father would know.The new number was an extra precaution to make sure no one found out.And the one thing I w
Killian was falling apart. It became more and more obvious with each day that passed since Ariella's mysterious disappearance in Vegas. I knew she was safe, though that wasn't something I could share with anyone without raising the suspicion that she'd told me where she was going. Now, sitting here on the crappy blue plastic chairs in Killian's private gym, I watched as he continued slamming his fists into the punching bag in front of him, his eyes completely devoid of emotion or anything that made him seem human. Dimitri made a few attempts to speak, only to be cut off with a grunt when Killian punched the bag hard enough to send Dimitri back a bit from where he stood holding it. "She's going to be fine. Calm down." He grunted, releasing the bag and walking away while shaking his sweat-filled hair. Killian gave no reply besides pulling at the white bandages wrapped around his fists. "Darling, why don't you go get something to drink? You look exhausted." My voice was light and
It was the first time I'd ever so much as hinted my feelings for a woman.My parents' reaction was a worthy risk."I suspected," Mom said, picking at her fingernails. "Even if you were only being protective... the way you held her when you two slept together, that wasn't the bond of siblings."Her eyes shifted to Ariella, who was tucked behind me, only peeking out. "Come out, child. I don't bite. And I most certainly won't harm you."Anya glared up at Killian when she said the last part, looking offended that he ever thought she'd do something like that."I might," Dad growled, sending me squirming back even when I'd been about to step out."You will do no such thing," she shot at him, eyes narrowed."I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Ariella's voice, small and shy like all the progress she'd made since leaving Vegas was wiped clean. "I didn't mean for things to get this far. Please just let me... just let me leave."My breath hitched, eyes darting down to meet her gaze though she carefully a







