𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐞 || A Mafia Love Story

xxvi

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"Marlee!" Her mother's voice rang up the stairs, carrying a note of cheerfulness that broke through Marlee's morning haze. Marlee sprang from her bed, her feet barely touching the floor as she poked her head out of her bedroom door.

"Yeah, Mom?"

"Roman's here," her mother called again, coming around to the bottom of the stairs. Marlee's face lit up, her lips curling into a smile as she hurriedly slipped her sandals on and slung her bag over her shoulder. She dashed down the stairs, the sound of her feet thumping against the wooden steps echoing through the house.

"Have fun, be safe, baby!" Her mother enveloped her in a warm hug, the familiar scent of her mother's perfume lingering in the air.

Marlee stepped outside, the bright, warm sun instantly bathing her face in a golden glow. Romans's truck sat in the driveway, its engine purring softly. Three large men, bearing a striking resemblance to Roman, were crammed into the backseat, while a woman perched on one of their laps due to the lack of space. The truck had an air of adventure, filled with Roman and his cousins who were visiting for the summer. All four of them shared the same pale complexion as Roman and Viktor.

Marlee climbed into the front seat, the leather warm from the sun, and set her bag in her lap. She turned to look behind her, offering a shy, "Hello," accompanied by a smile.

The youngest-looking man, who appeared to be even younger than Marlee, burst out with a reply, "Hi, I'm Artyom! But you can just call me Arty." His wide smile was infectious.

"These two are my brothers, Nikolai and Maxim, and that's our kinda-cousin, not-cousin Polina." Arty pointed to the two men next to him. They shared the same blonde hair as Roman and Viktor, while Polina's deep brown hair contrasted beautifully with her pale skin.

"Just Lina," the girl said, offering Marlee a kind and relaxed smile.

"I'm Marlee," she introduced herself, her voice tinged with kindness.

"Yeah, we know. Roman told us about you," Arty responded excitedly.

"Shut up, Artyom," Roman grumbled as he drove down the gravel driveway, the stones crunching under the tires.

The group continued chatting, with Marlee occasionally joining in despite feeling shy around the new faces. Maxim remained stoic, appearing to be the oldest of the bunch.

They eventually reached the beach, the white sand stretching out before them, almost empty except for a few families down the way. Marlee removed her sandals as they stepped onto the sand from the parking lot. Arty, Nikolai, and Roman sprinted ahead, pushing each other playfully as they searched for a good spot to set up. Marlee cringed as she saw sand fly into their bags.

Lina rolled her eyes at the boys' antics. "They're so messy," she groaned playfully as they reached the chosen spot. She laid out her towel, pulling off her tank top and shorts to reveal a black triangle bikini beneath. Marlee laughed nervously, feeling slightly self-conscious as she laid down her towel, still in her shorts and tank top.

"I brought you a towel, Maxim," Polina called, tossing it to the man still standing behind them.

"Thanks," Maxim mumbled, grabbing the towel and taking his seat next to Polina.

Lina chuckled at his behavior before grabbing sunscreen from her bag. "Don't be shy, Marlee. It's just me... and Maxim, but he's basically one of the girls," she giggled, teasing Maxim who grumbled in response.

Marlee felt slightly called out but put at ease as she removed her tank top and shorts. "That's such a cute bathing suit," Lina complimented, admiring Marlee's white tankini adorned with small pink and green palm trees and flowers. Marlee's cheeks heated as she mumbled her thanks, feeling a little nervous in front of Polina's beauty.