I glide my hands over the beautiful wedding gown that clings to my body perfectly.
"You look absolutely stunning!" The designer of my gown coos.
I smile in silence.
She has to say that if she wants me to buy it, right?
She lowers herself and begins to fluff around with the train of the skirt, "Whoever he is, he is a lucky man and I hope you'll be happy together." A dreamy sigh departs her lips.
Lifting my left hand, I look at my naked ring finger that will soon adorn a wedding ring. A gold band to legally state that I am officially off the market and that I exclusively belong to one of the cruellest men alive.
A Bratva Kingpin.
Artemis Volkov.
Did you know that Volkov means Wolf in the English language?
Pretty ironic if you ask me since he prefers to be addressed as, Wolf.
A tattooed, raven-haired, sapphire blue-eyed wolf with an insatiable hunger for dominance. A seductive ruthless maniac who leaves a path of destruction in his wake and a mark of devastation upon his victims.
"You are so young, my child." The designer's voice breaks my train of thought.
"Not in my daddy's eyes," I mutter under my breath.
My father is the leader of a low profile gang. His organization specialises in transporting weapons and drugs. Childs play shenanigans compared to the shit Mr Volkov does and my father is making me marry the big bad Wolf to keep the peace between the two warring empires.
"There!" She claps with a shrill of her voice. "What do you think?"
Raising my gaze I look her in the eyes as I stare at her reflection in the mirror. "It's beautiful, thank you."
The front doors to the little boutique fly open with force and they crash against the walls. I watch as four men dressed all in black with serious looks on their faces walk in and they make a beeline straight toward me.
The designer of my dress screams and I cringe as her high pitched voice violently penetrates my delicate eardrums. One of the men covers an ear with his hand and raises his arm with his gun pointing at her head. She stops screaming and takes off running behind the counter.
"Affirmative, it is her boss." One of the men says as he speaks into the cufflink on the sleeve of his suit jacket.
I swivel around to face the four men, gathering the skirt of the gown in my hands and swallowing heavily to stifle the panic that coaxes my throat. My stomach churns and my legs threaten to give out from beneath me.
I close my eyes, shutting myself out of my reality.
The smell of expensive cologne wafts through the air. It's woody, with a hint of citrus and it's intoxicating. I can sense his presence and I don't have to open my eyes to know that Artemis is standing before me.
"Open your eyes and look at me," His deep voice that resembles the sound of thunder demands.
I pry one eye open, then the other. His silhouette fills my line of vision. I have to use my hand to shield the sun that beams brightly behind him masking his features. I can't see his eyes... I can only feast upon his dark hair, combed back by a brutal hand that brooked with no measure.
My breath catches.
Thick black hair, lined with silver at his temples. He wears his age like a fucking cadet badge and I can ponder that his years have been unkind to him. That he has seen the world for what it is, indulging in unspeakable things, relishing in the glorious consequences of his actions, however paramount they have been.
He takes a step forward out of the sun revealing himself. His face possesses a hooked nose, a thin upper lip and a buxom lower lip. One that hints at secret desires, Lust. Heat. The captivating chiselled jaw that is sprinkled with dark stubble compels me to reach out and touch him.
But I dont...
I take a step back needing to create some distance between us. I tear my gaze away from his and they fall upon the cruel scar that tarnishes his throat. A cold sensation thrums through my veins as my heart ceases.
What or who could hurt him in a vicious, savage manner?
He takes another step toward me and I take one back until his large hands land on my shoulders preventing me from moving.
"Do you know who I am?" His voice is cold and his gaze calculating.
"M-Mr Volkov," I answer lowering my gaze as my voice trembles.
A snarl departs his lips. "Wrong, look at me." He orders and I snap my head up to meet his blue eyes.
"You are my wife." He cocks a brow daring me to protest.
Again, I don't.
I already knew that my fate had been sealed before he waltzed in. I also like to think of myself as an opportunist, meaning...
I will take the lemons that life gives me, and I will make lemonade with them. I just need to find myself a big bottle of Vodka to go with it.
I continue to stare at him with a blank expression on my face."Remove the dress. Whatever fairytale wedding your father promised you isn't happening." He says sternly as his eyes narrow into thin lines.
"As you wish, Mr Volkov," I answer and wait for him to release me.
Blowing air out of his nose, he takes two steps back, raises his arm and looks at the expensive gold watch that adorns his wrist. "You have two minutes."
"Two minutes?" I snort. "It took me thirty minutes to get into the gown."
"Turn around."
My eyes grow wide and I shake my head.
"Don't make me repeat myself, Red." He growls stepping forward.
I close my eyes, bowing my head and I turn around.
The sound of the expensive material being torn and the zip snapping sweeps through the room. A draft creeps up my back as his cruel hands tear the gown flush from my body until I am left standing in front of him with nothing but a pair of stiletto heels and a thong.
Tears prick my eyes. I have never felt so humiliated in my life, nor has anybody had the pleasure of seeing me this bare before. Lifting my arms, I cover my naked breasts when I see his eyes staring at my reflection in the mirror.
Not an ounce of gratitude glazes in his eyes, just a look of utter disappointment.
He leans forward, "You have two minutes starting now, Red. Don't force me to come and get you." He snarls into the hard shell of my ear.
A sob breaks free from my trembling lips and I flee for the dressing room with tears gliding down my cheeks.
ARTEMIS AKA WOLF I watch as my young wife-to-be, who is much younger than I am. Runaway with tears pooling in her piercing Jade-coloured irises. Her mane of red hair bounces up and down with each angry stride she makes. Leaving behind her scent, and femininity of hibiscus petals. It clings to my nose and then recedes as her heels click harshly against the marble floor, playing a brutal symphony of disdain and grief. Thrusting out my chin, I inhale the air and feed off her anguish. She has poison written all over her. Innocent, and naive. I release the harsh breath that contaminates my mouth, brushing a rough hand over my face. "You better not screw me over on this Igor," I mutter as I turn to face him. "As a close friend and consigliere, I have nothing but your best interests in mind. By marrying her, you reclaim complete power over the city's fifteen districts." He declares with certainty. "She is young. Too young." "Da, and if you choose to have children, she is ideal f
ARIA AKA REDCopper and molasses.That's what a traitor's blood smells like. The scent is thick in the air laced with the smell of a gun freshly being fired and it claws at my throat. It's distinct. Almost unique and I hate it. Kai deserved the bullet to his head. I thought he showed up to help me get away from Wolf and take me back home. Not trying to take advantage of my innocence in some dive of a bar.Wolf reaches out to touch my face, "No, please don't hurt me!" I cry, pressing my back flush against the wall as the image of Kai getting shot plays over and over in my head. "I didn't know he was waiting for me." "I'm not going to hurt you," he says gruffly. "But I do want your phone."I open my eyes and meet his cold gaze. "My phone?" I sniffle, shaking my head. "It's the only way I can contact my father and best friend Ana." I look at him with displeasure. He holds his hand out, "Give me the phone, Red or I will be forced to take it from you." His eyes narrow as his voice hard
ARTEMIS AKA WOLF From the foot of the stairs, I tilt my head back and fix my gaze on the enormous cross that rises, dominating atop the Catholic Church's rooftop. I do not regard myself as a religious man. If I'm being completely sincere, I believe that God forgot about me many, many years ago. But then, I could be terribly wrong as I bear the hideous scar of his presence that is smeared across my damn throat. I usually get a bad vibe when I walk into a church. My shoes tend to feel like bricks, weighing me down with every step I take. A sinner like me shouldn't be welcomed here, but the priest somehow manages to make me feel comfortable. I have come here to seek forgiveness for my sins, only to commit them again. I sit in the first pew of the church, my eyes concentrating on the crucifix with Jesus nailed to it, while the priest to my right spins the rosary beads in his hand. I prefer to confess my sins in the open, refusing to enter the confessional because I am unable to l
ARIA AKA REDThe sound of birds singing gradually awakens me from my slumber. As I pry open my eyelids, I observe the dust particles dancing in the beam of sunlight that fills my room.The exact same room which is not mine. Similar to this bed, these clothes, and the four walls that enclose me. Fortunately, there are two glass doors that open to a terrace that overlooks a stunning rose garden.My heart drops into the pit of my stomach when I remember why I'm here and who I'm herewith. I lift my hand, touching the gold chain around my neck feeding off the subtle strength it provides me with when I desperately need it.I sigh while sitting straight, and my stomach thinks that now is the ideal time to remind me that..."You skipped dinner last night." His baritone voice which feels like little feet drumming on my flesh reverberates across the room.I yelp, placing a trembling hand over my heart as it begins to race. My breath hitches as I search the room and our eyes meet, colliding. I
ARTEMIS AKA WOLF I stand at our appointed table, conversing with Deniz Avci who is the kingpin of the Turkish family. They reside in the upper east end of Linkin and he specialises in trafficking and selling narcotics. He has come to the gala tonight in honour of my late father. The entire galas focus is to honour the late and prestigious Kingpins before our generation. "Wolf, I had no idea your wife was this young and beautiful," Zeynep gushes over Red. "The gold sequin gown accentuates your hips and your hair." She gasps. "Is that your real colour?" I cast a sidelong glance at Red admiring the way her cheeks flush from Zeyneps compliments. "Yes, this is my natural hair colour. My father believes it is a throwback gene from his side." "It's such an exotic colour and I love it," One of the venue waiters approaches our table with a silver tray filled with flutes of white wine. Zeynep leans over the table and snatches two from the tray, passing one to Red. "Bottoms up, askim
ARIA AKA REDI swallow back the tears of humiliation watching Wolf, my husband, shamelessly kiss another stunning woman in front of everyone.Gods! I'm being ridiculous! I don't even know why I feel this upset. It's not like I'm in some fairy tale story where I've grown feelings for him in less than twenty-four hours. Or maybe it's because he's paraded me around on his arm introducing me as Mrs Volkov, and now I have multiple eyes staring at me with pity or laughter glazing in them.I turn away, "Fucking jerk!" I mumble, swiping another two flutes from the silver tray that swings by our table. I drink the first flute in one fluid motion, placing it down on the table while I face Zeynep. A look of utter shock mars her face before her chocolate brown irises meet my gaze with a sense of understanding masking her features. Blowing air out of her nose, she shakes her head, "Mobsters always think they are invincible to the naked eye." She hisses as her gaze leaves mine and she stares at
ARTEMIS AKA WOLF "Your father was a rational man of tremendous importance to the organization. You have big shoes to fill, but I'm more than certain you will follow in his footsteps too." Augusto from the Cartel preaches. I shake his hand, "I'm sure-" Without any warning, the shrilling sound of women screaming reverberates off the walls as gunshots discharge through the air. I turn around to look back at the table where I left Red, and she isn't there. Neither is Zeynep. "BLYAD! [Fuck!]" I bellow, retrieving my gun from the back of my pants and I take off running toward the ballroom. A swarm of people pushing and shoving each other rush toward me, and I brace myself as I run straight toward them. "The girls," Deniz snarls, reaching my side. "Where the fuck did they go?" A gut-wrenching scream pierces my ears and my heart instantly stills. "Red!!" I growl and shove people out of my way, stepping on bodies that fall to the ground. I don't care what I have to do to get to
ARIA AKA RED"You know you have to do this Aria. After the death of your mother, I had to do things I didn't want to do just so I could put food on the table and keep a roof over your head. Now the time has come for me to pay the consequences and it's only fair that you bear the burden too." My father scolded me as he paced the living room with his head nestled in his hands."You know I would do anything for you father, but please, please don't make me do this," I beg, rising from the sofa as I approach him. "I don't love him let alone know him."My father stops pacing, he lifts his head with a look of disgust written all over his tired face."LOVE?! Gods child! Do you think I loved your mother when I married her? No. And look what kind of life I had to endure with her before she took her own life." He grabs me by the shoulders and shoves me against the door panel, knocking my head against the cold cruel timber as he gets in my face. "If you don't do this, Artemis will kill me, then he