As Areston and Juliette decide to rekindle their scorching hot affair, their edge of addiction for each other lulls them to uncover the darkness they hold.
The more they surrender themselves to the searing carnal pleasures between the sheets, the m...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Lyubov moya," Darina drops on her knees next to me, her hand on my shoulder. Her face is ashen, she grazes my cheek gently with her thumb. "You need to go away from here. Now."
I do not have an ounce of regret for what I have done. I stare at Ovdei's dead body. The only thing I feel right now is regret. Regret I didn't give him a more painful death. My breath is shaky. The effect of alcohol has worn off.
I crave my mother. Althea. I need her to wrap her arms around me. She's not around. I am not her son. She doesn't want me. I want to bury my face in Belle's hair and let her soothe this storm that feels like wreaking chaos in me. She doesn't want me either.
No one wants me.
No one is here.
Except Darina.
"I killed him... I killed your brother," I say, remorseless.
"No one needs to know that."
I inhale deeply, turning to stare at him. "I wish I were dead as well. What am I even living for?"
"Don't say that," she snaps, pulling me against her chest so that she's cradling my head against it. "You are living for me. Your father, your brothers, your grandparents, your uncle, and your mother. We love you. You're living for us."
"No one will want to be associated with me if they find out what I've done."
"They are your family. Your blood. They will love you regardless. Family doesn't come with conditions, lyubov moya."
"What's the point of continuing to live? I do not have the one person I love with me. I do not want anyone else. I want Belle. There is no Belle. It has been two years and she's not coming back. Yet I can't stop wanting her. No matter what I do, I am unable to get rid of her memories or stop yearning for her. Look at what my recklessness to forget her has cost me, Darina. I will never be able to recover from this."
"You will. I will make you. You will forget this even happened. No one has to know it was you behind this. I will handle it all. Ovdei had many rivals. One of them could have done it. I will keep you safe," she cajoles in an assuring voice, stroking my back gently. "This is just a nightmare. He deserved what happened to him. We'll walk out of this untouched, I promise. Do not blame yourself or think low of yourself, do you hear me? I will take care of all of this. I will arrange for my brother's body to be transferred to an untraceable location and disposed of.
"No," I shake my head, getting up. "This is my mess. I will deal with it. You stay out of it. I do not wish to get you dragged into this."
"You are not dragging me into anything. Trust me, I will handle this."
