Novels by Naomi_Writhes

Nora’s POVTwo weeks. Two whole, excruciating weeks of not seeing Knox. Two weeks of sitting in the lecture hall, staring at an empty space where he used to occupy the room with his quiet, dangerous presence. Also been a week since I packed my bags, abandoned the dorm I shared with Matilda, and carved out a solitary existence elsewhere.A week since I saw Matilda last, too. Not living with them left a hollow, echoing ache deep in my chest, yet beneath the loneliness, there was something else. Peace. Pure, unadulterated peace. I no longer had to tense up every time I came back late, dreading Matilda’s interrogation about whether I was sneaking around with Knox. I didn’t have to walk down the campus pathways constantly looking over my shoulder, paranoid that he was stalking me or looming in the shadows like some dark guardian angel.I was free. Is it possible to say I neither love nor hate it? Yeah, who wouldn't love being free from that kind of chaos, but it still hadn't completely s

Nora’s POV"Let’s go."Knox’s voice was a flat, lethal command that cut through the ringing in my ears. My eyes flew open, chest heaving. The scene before me felt like a fever dream, two bodies sprawled across the asphalt, the smell of gunpowder and burnt rubber choking the night air. A moment ago, I thought he was dying. I thought-"I’m leaving." He didn’t wait for me to process the reality of what just happened. He swung a leg over the bike, the heavy metal frame groaning under his weight. I stood there for a heartbeat, paralyzed by the sheer cold-bloodedness of his demeanor, before rolling my eyes to hide the tremor in my hands. I climbed on, my fingers snaking around his waist, and he zoomed off before I was even steady. Just what kind of life did he lead? People didn’t just casually exchange gunfire over a street spat. These weren’t toy guns; they were instruments of death, and he handled the violence like he was shaking off a light rain."Never come for me again," I whispere

Nora’s POVI swallowed, the breath hitching in my throat as I stared at the canvas propped against the studio wall. It wasn’t just a painting; it was an apparition.Just how many things could this man do? The image looked like a high-resolution photograph, not a drawing, though the tell-tale, jagged texture of oil paint proved it was created by human hands. He’d captured the way the light hit my face, the specific, vulnerable arc of my brow, and the way I held my hands when I thought no one was watching. He’d completely nailed it. I bit my lip, eyes locked on the image, feeling a strange, hollow ache in my chest. How do I ask if I can take this with me? Would he even agree, or is this too much of a piece of his soul to part with?"Stop it," he growled. The sound vibrated through the small room, low and raspy.I jumped, my gaze snapping up to meet his. He was standing near the door, his posture rigid, his eyes burning into me with an intensity that made the air feel thin."Stop what?

Knox’s POV“Nothing to it?” I asked the idiot standing before me.“Stop being a paranoid prick. You don’t expect everyone to be against you,” Rook scoffed. I gave him a look that should’ve shut him up.“Get out of my house before I put a bullet right into your skull.”“About to anyways,” he muttered, rolling his eyes as he walked out. Since when do human with dicks roll their eyes like that? Thought that was a girl thing.I went to the kitchen, made myself a mug of coffee, and walked back to the living room. My eyes drifted to the small camera hidden in the corner. That bitch must be delusional if she thinks a chip that size is subtle. I’d always thought she was growing a brain, but she clearly ruined it herself. Whatever game she’s playing ain’t my business, they’re all against me. She’s just another name on the list of people who want me dead.And then there’s her friend, Nora. The clueless fool. Living with her, yet she suspected nothing. How can someone be that fucking oblivious?

Nora’s POVSettling into a pair of long, baggy denim trousers and a small top that reached just below my chest, I applied a lip tint, picked up my bag, and checked my phone.“Get your ass out.” Sighing, I finished the look with white sneakers. Staring at my reflection, I smoothed down my hair and walked out, locking the door behind me. I really shouldn’t have dressed this much just to meet him, but I wanted to. It wasn’t even a date, he could easily be planning to take me to the middle of nowhere and finish me off. I just wanted to look different, just in case, didn't want to hide in oversized clothes that did nothing for me. Well, the trousers were oversized, but they still fit perfectly. From a distance, I could see him resting against the wall, a cigarette burning slowly in his hand. The pole lights hit his face, making the piercing in his lip catch the light. He was wearing a black top and blue denim jeans. I guess we matched a little.His top was short enough to show off his ar

Nora’s POVMy eyes landed on the space beneath her bed. I remembered noticing a stray bag tucked back there once before, but I'd completely shrugged it off at the time.Crossing the room, I grabbed the frame of the lower bunk and lifted the heavy mattress, dragging the hidden bag out from the shadows before letting the bed drop back down with a dull thud.I stretched my sore back with a wince, pulling my tangled hair up into a messy bun. Taking the bag over to my own bed, I sat down cross-legged and unzipped it.The very first thing I pulled out was a thick stack of printed photographs. As my eyes dropped to the top image, the breath instantly caught in my throat, and my eyes widened in sheer disbelief.There in the picture was Knox standing over a dead body with a cigarette in hand. I swallowed, sliding over to the next picture. And there yet again was Knox standing over yet another dead body, this time of a woman, flanked by about three other men.The pictures went on and on like th

Scarlett’s POVI let out a shaky breath of pure relief and quickly brought the blade around to slice through the remaining bounds on my other wrist and my ankles. Within seconds, the ropes fell away. I pushed myself up off the floor, my legs shaking so badly I almost collapsed. My hands were trembling uncontrollably as I pushed my matted hair out of my face. I licked my swollen lower lip, wiping the blood from my chin with the back of my hand.I scanned the room, then turned to the other women. They were staring at me with wide, disbelieving eyes.Without saying a word, I rushed over to the nearest woman and sliced through her ropes."Thank you... oh God, thank you," she whispered, her voice breaking as she clutched her wrists."Hurry," I breathed, my heart hammering against my ribs. My chest heaved with every small sound outside the room. I moved to the second woman and cut her free just as fast, my hands shaking so hard the knife clattered against her chair frame before severing

Scarlett’s POVMy head throbbed with a dull, heavy ache that felt like it was going to split my skull in two. I couldn’t even tell how many days I had been trapped in this dark, suffocating room. I knew we had slept at least twice, or maybe three times?.. but everything was a blur. My stomach was a hollow, burning pit, and my throat was so dry it felt like sandpaper every time I tried to swallow. Ever since that terrifying day they brought in that python and slaughtered it right in front of us, no one had come back. No food. Not a single drop of water. It was like they had just disappeared into thin air, leaving us here to rot in the dark.My head dropped heavily against my chest, my breath coming out in weak, raspy hitches. My eyes felt dry, hollow, and completely drained of life.Suddenly, a loud, violent groan echoed through the heavy metal door. My head snapped up, my heart leaping straight into my throat. The door slammed open, and a man stomped inside. He was huge, his arms

Scarlett’s POVOne of the women in the semicircle of chairs was staring straight ahead. She didn't look at me again, immediately tearing her gaze away and locking it back onto the concrete wall.I wasn't supposed to be here. Not like this. Not carrying a tiny life inside me, trapped in a cage with no way out.The thought tore through my chest like a knife, fresh tears spilling over faster than I could wipe them away.Anna.My mind drifted desperately to her. Anna was probably tearing the club apart right now, looking for me, calling my phone, wondering where I had vanished to. Would she ever find this place? Would anyone?A loud metallic rattle broke my thoughts. The heavy iron door creaked open again. My breath caught, my eyes snapping toward the entrance as three massive figures stepped back into the room.They didn't look at any of us. They walked straight over to one of the men tied to a chair nearby, roughly cutting his ropes and yanking him upright. He gasped, thrashing weakl

Scarlett’s POVThe icy shock hit me before my eyes could even snap open. Water. Freezing, filthy water splashed straight across my face, stinging the raw cut on my lip and shocking every nerve in my body. My chest seized, the cold blocking the air in my lungs as a sharp, splitting headache hammered the inside of my skull.The movement pulled at the nail hole in my leg, sending a white-hot jolt of agony shooting straight up my calf. A whimper scraped out of my throat, my teeth clamping down so hard on my tongue I tasted copper."Wake up, princess," a deep, gravelly voice cut through the dark. My lids fluttered open, heavy and trembling. The dim, flickering yellow bulb overhead spun in circles, making my stomach roll. My heart was already beating so fast, so loud, that it thudded straight against my eardrums. My mind raced back, dragging me straight to the last time I saw him. The memory of what he had done, the sheer, casual cruelty he had shown before, flashed behind my eyes, maki

Scarlett’s POVI let out a sharp gasp as I was yanked backward without any warning, my body sliding roughly across the metal floor. My bare legs slipped out the back of the van and hit something hard and sharp down below. A piercing, agonizing shriek ripped straight out of my throat.My eyes flew open, wide with horror, as I looked down. A long, rusted rusty nail was driven deep, straight through the flesh of my lower leg, tearing the skin wide open. Blood immediately welled up around it, hot and fast."Shut up, you little bitch," one of them snarled, grabbing me by the arm.One of them was wearing green trousers. Another had on a faded green top. The third one standing by the bumper had a dirty green cap pulled low over his forehead.The Green Vipers.It was really, truly them.The realization settled deep into my bones, freezing the blood in my veins and scaring me far beyond anything I had ever felt in my entire life. My chest heaved in silent terror."Get her up. We don't have a

Scarlett’s POVStanding there in the shadows, the reality of it crushed whatever fragile courage I’d dragged up those stairs. I could never fit into his world.A girl living paycheck to paycheck, dodging loan sharks and local gangs, was a joke next to women like Elise.Before I could force my lungs to work, Elise shifted closer. Her lips found his. It was a clean, sharp fracture.The last piece of my resolve shattered right there, sending a hot, stinging pain straight behind my eyes.I didn't let the tears fall until I turned my back. I clamped a hand over my mouth, biting down hard on my knuckle to keep the sob from ripping out of my throat as I stumbled blindly back down the stairs.The exit door swallowed me into the damp, suffocating alley behind the club. The cold night air hit my tear-streaked face, but it didn't cool the fire burning behind my eyes.I pulled my sweater tighter around myself, my boots clicking unevenly against the cracked pavement.How did my life become this ab

Seraphina’s POV Cold air rushed into the car, carrying the sharp, chemical smell of burning rubber and my own rising panic.Before I could even catch my breath, a heavy barrel pressed hard against the driver's side window. The black metal glinted in the sunlight, terrifying and completely final."Open the damn door right now, or I'll blow your head off where you sit!" a harsh, muffled voice barked from the other side of the glass.My whole body shook so hard my teeth clicked together. Every instinct I had screamed at me to keep it locked, to keep hiding, but the threat was right there against the glass. My hands were trembling uncontrollably as I reached up and hit the unlock button. The door was yanked open instantly, the force almost pulling me out with it. A rough, calloused hand grabbed my arm, wrapping around my skin like a vise grip, and dragged me out of the car. The moment my boots hit the ground, my hand flew down instinctively, pressing hard against my lower stomach to s

Seraphina’s POVThe words struck me like a bucket of ice water thrown over my head.Reality crashed back into my skull with terrifying force, my eyes snapped open, and I shoved Carrius away from me with all the strength I had left, stumbling backward until my heels hit the opposite wall.My head whipped around toward the sound of the voice. Standing at the end of the corridor, staring at us with wide, horrified, and furiously sculpted expressions, were Valentina and Mom.Valentina’s face was twisted into a mask of pure, unadulterated fury, her chest heaving as she stared at me like she wanted to murder me on the spot. Something sharp and sickening clawed at my chest. I had just kissed my own sister's husband. Right in the middle of a hospital. "Carrius... what is going on here?" Mom asked, her voice dangerously calm, though her eyes flickered back and forth between me and the man standing a few feet away from me.I looked up at Carrius, expecting him to panic, expecting him to look

Seraphina’s POV Without waiting to see how he would react, I turned, rushed down the remaining steps, and practically ran out the front door. I unlocked my car, dove inside, locked the doors with a frantic click, and zoomed down the driveway, desperate to put as much distance between that house and myself as possible. The drive to the hospital felt like a blur. My hands were shaking slightly on the steering wheel, my mind racing a mile a minute as I replayed the bizarre, unsettling encounter on the stairs. But when I finally pulled into the hospital parking lot, parked my car, and walked through the sliding glass doors into the main lobby, my brain flatlined. I rounded the corner of the main hallway, heading toward the OB-GYN wing, and stopped dead in my tracks. Standing a few yards ahead of me, leaning casually against the hospital wall with his hands tucked into his pockets, was Carrius. My jaw dropped. My brow shot up so high it nearly vanished into my hairline. "How...

Seraphina’s POVThe morning air was thick and heavy, clinging to my skin like a second coat of dread. I stared blankly out the window, trying to gather whatever frayed pieces of my sanity were left before facing the house again. My back ached, a dull, throbbing reminder of the night before, and my stomach let out a pathetic, hollow rumble that reminded me I couldn't just hide up here forever.Slowly, I pushed myself up, smoothing down a simple, loose-fitting dress that hid the early, rounding curve of my five-month pregnancy, wearing my flip flops and stepped out into the quiet hallway. Before I even reached the formal dining room, the low murmur of voices drifted to my ears. I paused, taking a breath to steady my nerves, and stepped around the corner. Valentina and Carrius were already seated at the massive mahogany table. They sat with that practiced, suffocating distance that defined their entire marriage, two strangers sharing a roof, bound by cold architecture and social expe

Seraphina’s POVMy gaze flickered to his face, watching the chilling ease with which he masked his violence. A bitter, caustic scoff nearly bubbled past my lips.Stepping past him, I looked straight at Valentina, my voice dead and cold. "If I don't get my basic privacy in this house, I'm walking out."Valentina’s eyes snapped back to her husband, her brow furrowing deeply. "What are you doing in here, Carrius?"Carrius merely shrugged, his shoulders lifting lazily. "It's my house." With that single, dismissive sentence, he turned his back on both of us. Without offering a single word of explanation, without bothering to throw his wife a single convincing lie, he walked right past her out into the hallway, giving Valentina the absolute cold shoulder.The casual cruelty of it, the sheer, unmasked arrogance, sent a fresh spike of anger through my veins. What kind of hollow, broken man was he? How could he stand there and not even care enough to lie to his own wife?My gaze flickered ba

Seraphina’s POVMy jaw clenched so hard my teeth ached, my fingers curling into tight, trembling fists at my sides as I glared straight through him."Out of my room, Carrius," I repeated, my voice vibrating with a dangerous, razor-thin edge.He didn't move an inch.A slow, infuriating brow arched upward as his dark gaze swept over me, lingering on my tense posture before a cold, mocking smirk curved his lips.Instead of retreating, he took a deliberate step forward, his hand reaching out again toward my stomach."Don't touch me," I hissed, violently swatting his hand away. That seemed to snap something inside him.His easygoing facade shattered, replaced by a dark, ugly flash of irritation. H lunged forward, closing the distance between us before I could blink."Why are you acting so damn insecure with me?" he snapped, his voice dropping into a harsh, venomous register. "What, I can't even touch you? You act like you're some untouchable saint, but we both know how easily you let colle