Defiant. Sweet. Alluring.
A business deal gone wrong brought me to her doorstep.
She's everything I shouldn't want; everything I was against after watching my mother's obsession destroy her.
Still, I can't stop myself from craving her.
I should know...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
UNEASE CRAWLED UNDERNEATH my skin, spreading like vines, twisting and turning viciously until I was completely trapped.
A strange chill settled over the air, and my thin cotton clothes did nothing to ward it off.
That was odd.
I just had Ariana confess her love for me. If anything, it was the best fucking night of my life.
So, why couldn't I relax and enjoy all of it?
My gaze flicked down, staring down at the top of her head from where I stood on the terrace. Misha sat next to her, and together, they pored over some photo albums Reina brought with her. They detailed scarce moments of our childhood—we weren't exactly a family that took pictures together—while Misha tried to explain himself out of a few embarrassing pictures.
Apparently, we hadn't managed to completely escape my family's company tonight. When we left the indoor pool, we'd run into Reina, and she'd suggested having a little nightcap together. Of course, Ariana jumped at the idea because she was guilty she skipped out on dinner.
Me, on the other hand, there was little I'd say no to when it came to her—if any.
So, here I was, burning a cigar at the guesthouse, while I tried to sort through my internal turmoil.
"Being an obsessive motherfucker again? That's not a good look for you, Alyosha."
I rolled my eyes before Viktor came into view at my side, mockery filling his mismatched ones.
"I'd say you stalking me is the bigger issue here, but what do I know?"
In typical Viktor fashion, he swerved the conversation swiftly. "Good talk with Igor today?"
"Why?"
"You can just say I'm nosy as fuck." He leaned his hip against the balustrade, arching a brow at me. "So?"
I took a long drag from my cigar, taking ample time to let out tendrils of smoke in front of me, just to fuck with him.
Impatient as ever, he glared at me.
"And if I don't feel like telling?"
"I have information you might find useful going forward with your deal with the Yakuza."
"If it's about my 'brothers-in-law' snooping around, don't bother."
Curiosity settled on his face. "So, you are aware." He crossed his arms in front of his chest, cocking his head to the side. "Why haven't you killed them yet?"
My gaze strayed to Ariana, catching her mid-laughter. Her hair pooled around her shoulders, falling down her back in waves. The silver strands glowed when the moonlight hit it, creating a halo around her smiling face.
Like she'd felt my eyes on her, she looked up at the same time. From the distance, I watched her eyes come alive at the same time she beamed at me. A strange feeling twisted in my chest, wrenching the organ that laid beneath all the bones and flesh, as it thumped against my ribcage.
