Ayla My heart thrummed hard like the wings of a bird. I climbed out the window, and when I reached the ground, my legs felt weak. I stumbled for a moment. Looking around me, I didn’t see anyone. Relief filled me and I took off running toward the woods behind the house. It was a long way, and the muscles in my legs burned as I ran full force. C’mon, Ayla. C’mon. Don’t give up. Not now. Suddenly, I heard shouts behind me and my heart stuttered. Turning my head, I saw a few guards running after me. I looked back toward the woods and kept my eyes focused on my escape. I was almost into the woods when the steps drew closer, and all of a sudden, someone grabbed my arm. I screamed and tried to escape, but I was dragged down and someone sat on my back. My arms were pulled back and my attacker held on forcefully. Tears streamed down my cheeks. It was no use. No matter how hard I fought, they wouldn’t let me go. He pulled me upward and I stood on shaky legs
Alessio “Boss, we got her in her basement,” Phoenix said breathlessly through the phone. I felt the side of my lips tilt upward at the news. Let’s see if you can run away from the truth now, kitten. “I’m coming,” I snapped and then hung up. Throwing on my suit jacket, I fixed my tie and then opened my drawer to take out my black leather gloves. I always wore them when we had a problem in the basement, just in case I had to get my hands dirty. Closing the drawer with a bang, I swiftly walked out of my office. Each step I took, I let the anger inside of me build again. It consumed me, and all I saw was red for my betrayer. My blood roared in my temples and I could feel the veins throbbing. I grasped on the fierce rage inside me and pulled, hard. My body tensed, my muscles locking as I stomped through the dark corridor. The cold air crackled with my hot fury, and only my footsteps sounded off the walls as the frigid atmosphere became deadly. It
I looked at the tray of food and my stomach growled. But then I looked back at the closed door, my heart hammering as I expected Alessio to barge in and drag me back into the basement. When none of that happened, I leaned against my headboard and looked down at my bandaged wrist. He had bandaged my wrist, brought me food, and apologized. My feelings were all over the place. I was scared, but his kindness had warmed my heart. Was he being genuine? Oh God, I hope so. Rubbing my thumb over my wrist, I thought about how he kissed my wrists gently, almost like he was scared of hurting me. I never thought him capable of being gentle, but he proved me wrong. His eyes had shown guilt and remorse. Looking back at the door, my heart constricted. Either he really meant his apology or he was a really good actor. There were so many uncertainties running through my head and none of them were helpful. They all led to the same conclusion. Alessi
Alessio “We’ve got a problem,” a harsh voice said through the phone. It was my second in command. “I’m coming,” I told him. I didn’t like his tone. I could tell it was something really bad. His nervousness made me nervous. Viktor was a crazy bastard, and if something had him this riled up, then it was something big. Something I really wouldn’t like. I walked out of my office and found a few of my men standing in the hallway, lined up and on guard. They bowed their heads in respect as I walked by. As I stepped into the dark hallway that led to the soundproof basement, my body tensed. The air around me was stale and my steps were hard against the silence as I prepared myself for the worst. When I opened the door, I saw Viktor leaning against the wall, his head cast down in defeat. My entrance didn’t even faze him, he was so lost in his own thoughts. I cleared my throat and he glanced up. His expression conveyed horror and disgust. “It’s bad,” Viktor
My body trembled with tension during the drive. The man was silent but the air surrounding him was intense and brooding. When the car finally came to a stop, I froze. My heart skipped a beat when he opened the door. I waited for a reaction from him. But he only stepped out of the car and the door closed behind him. Then, utter silence. I breathed out a sigh of relief, my body sagging against the back of the car seat. I was safe. After waiting for a few more minutes, I climbed to my knees and stared outside through the tinted window. I gasped, my eyes widening in shock. The beauty beyond the window took my breath away. There was a long circular driveway lined with pine trees and tall red glass garden stakes. Beautiful shrubs surrounded a gigantic fountain in the middle of the driveway. The central fountain was mesmerizing, made of glazed ceramic tiles and surrounded by flowers. I could see trees in the distance, which continued down the long drivew
Alessio I opened the door to my bedroom and slammed it behind me. Viktor had been busy with the clubs’ problems, to make sure all our businesses were running smoothly, so house check-ups fell on me. That was Viktor’s job and I didn’t trust anyone else to take care of it. So I went myself. Shifting my weight on my feet, I jerked at my tie hard until it came undone and I pulled it off my neck. As I was taking off my suit jacket, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Taking it out, I saw Phoenix’s name flashing on the screen. “What is it?” I growled into the phone. “Boss,” he said, sounding panicked and out of breath. I almost rolled my eyes. “What is it?” “Boss…” I didn’t hear the rest of his sentence, instead tuning him out. My eyes widened when I noticed a white cloth extending from beneath my bed. I walked closer, the phone still at my ear. When I reached the cloth, I crouched down and touched it. As I lifted the covers
Ayla I stared at the man standing in front of me, my body shaking with indescribable fear. When he pulled me from under the bed, I didn’t notice his face. I was too scared to look at him. But when he ordered me to look up, I was surprised. He took my breath away. For a minute, I stopped thinking that he was about to shoot me. I stopped thinking that I was supposed to run away. All I could do was stare into the bluish-steel eyes that reminded me of the midwinter sky. When he took a step toward me, my heart stuttered. His steps were powerful and hard. He moved confidently. I tried to take a step back, but he stopped me with his gun. His presence was one of a leader. A dangerous leader. The air around him felt frigid. As he came to a stop in front of me, our chests almost touching, my body trembled both in fear and in anticipation. I should have been screaming and running, but something about him caused me to remain immobile. His touch felt elec
Ayla When Alessio stepped back, I felt my body warming up under his piercing gaze. It was like my body wasn’t my own under his careful and intense attention. I licked my suddenly dried lips and saw his eyes following the movement. He slowly licked his own, keeping his eyes on mine. He made the action look so sensual that I had to avert my gaze. Why was he doing this to me? One minute he acted like he wanted to kill me, while the next it appeared like he wanted to kiss me senseless. Was it all a game to him? I scoffed. Of course, it was a game. That’s what he did. I had heard rumors about him. He would play you masterfully, like the notes of a piano. And when he was done, he would cast you out without a second thought. Or kill you. I was only a pawn to him. And because of that, I had to tread smartly. If he was playing a game, then I would play one too, because one way or another, I had to get out of here alive. “Nikolay,” Alessio yelled suddenly. H