LILY'S POV I was back in front of the mirror, my fingers trailing on my lips, trying to make sense of my situation, ignoring the sudden jolt of shock coursing through me when I remembered the night before.So let me get this straight, he's offering me help and also obviously wants to have something to do with me. He stares at me when I least expect it. Cook me dinner, although he's terrible at it, and then kisses me.I felt a shiver run down my spine. Was this right?He was Don, an influential figure, not forgetting how much his father hated me and threatened to cut my face.The way he glared at me when he bumped into us in the kitchen, I wasn't ready to bear that icy sneer again.And that Adler had made it even worse by kissing my head in front of his father, had my situation worsened.Even when I had fled the kitchen back to the room, despite his last warning on me leaving the door fucking open, I couldn't. Throughout the night, the terror didn't let me sleep, so sitting on the bed
[ADLER]He couldn't explain why the day had begun in darkness, eyes flashing open, and he felt it, breathed it in, the feeling of loss surrounding him, closing him in, intent on smashing him to pieces.It had to be because it was the beginning of a new week, the week his mother was stolen from him, right before his eyes, the bullet searing past his face and burying itself into her head.And that was why his bones suddenly felt heavy, why he was hallucinating so hard. He had seen her everywhere. Standing in front of the sink, he saw her in the mirror.He caught a glint of her making a turn in the manor, up the stairs. He thought he had seen her during the gun trade some hours ago, where he had inadvertently opened fire.The result of his frustration wasn't pretty, and he knew it wasn't all because of the double-crossing. It was because each time he caught sight of his mother, each time she turned and smiled at him, she faded away.All he could do was stay still, watching the storm take
LILY'S POV."Would you like to do it with me?"It never occurred to me that I would be in the quietness of Adler's room before him and asking that question, offering him a deal. To help out.For his benefit, Help him sleep.Why not let him ask? Because he wouldn't, looking like that and acting all soft, I was beginning to think I wasn't about to do this just for him; I also wanted to trail my fingers down his tanned, muscled body.My thoughts had been raging wild from the moment he opened the door with only a towel wrapped around his waist, and the body I saw, the strength I stumbled upon, didn't fit with the personality in the kitchen.It didn't fit the way he kissed the top of my head, or the way he smiled at me, or even looked at me.And I wanted him to do more than just kiss me again, more than just touch me. I wanted to see what he was when he gave in to animalistic instincts.He stared at my frame, his eyes darkening as he took in my more petite figure, barefoot in his room, ni
RUNES.That the first sensation he had woken up to was a bout of headache showed how much the invisible being that ruled the universe hated him.He meant, wasn't it enough making him easy to be picked on, a mouth that always got him knocked out, the drop-dead gorgeous face that ladies couldn't resist?What were the curses for? He didn't ask to be born.Paradise would be waking to a blow job while chained to a bedpost, but then it was too much for the universe to answer his fucking prayers.Apart from this location not resembling his room, which was the sole threshold to fulfilling his prayers, it was evident that such a scenario would never transpire. As he attempted to wipe his eyes using his right hand's thumb, the jingling of chains echoed alongside his every motion.His eyes flew open, a bad mistake. The ache found its way deep into his skull that, unable to take anymore, he fell back on the bed, cursing."Welcome back, Rune..."Despite Rune's curiosity hitting hard, he knew bett
[SARA.]The sheets up to her chest, Sara's eyes stayed with him at the edge of the bed, his back stooped over a blade he was carefully running through an oiled cloth.The katana was his favorite possession, the pretty but deadly-looking sword that gave her shivers each time she stared at it.She sighed, curling farther into the bed, darting her eyes to the wall. He had been quiet and cranky recently; she wondered what he was thinking. He usually wasn't that outspoken, but lately, she found herself locked with him in the four corners of his apartment.No, she wasn't complaining. She wanted to be close, but— she shut her eyes, trying to catch some sleep. But maybe not like this. And it all began when he returned from Italy, demanding everyone vacate the club except her. Then he looked quite radiant, his palm cupping her face, kissing her hard before he jogged to have a shower.There were moments of intimacy that wouldn't be called that in a usual sense but for someone like Ruslan, that
LILY'S POV.Going to Adler that night was a major mistake, probably the biggest blunder I'd ever made.And if you think it was my morals biting me, accusing me of what a horrible human I was, taking advantage of his situation, then you're wrong.Since that day, my whole body tingled and throbbed, and suddenly I was more sensitive than usual, not to talk of dreams, dirty, slimy, hot dreams that had me sweating although the window was wide open.Opening my books was much more challenging now, for in-between scenes, I found myself drifting, lips parted and nearly emitting moans.I wasn't about to make a habit of sneaking into his room, no damn way. Especially not in a time as serious as this one. But if he was to come to mine, would I turn him out? Did I have that much self-control?Of course, I did. I had self-control, but then sex had been a duty expected of me, and I did it without my soul in it. But with him, I mean, I did feel my soul leaving my body, forgetting about the manor and
AUTHOR'S POV [SALVATORE]She hurried up the stairs, and he couldn't tear his eyes off her moving frame.He had seen the embarrassment on her face, and it became apparent she didn't even know it was there.Adler knew how to mark what he wanted—open for all to see and understand and vehemently back off.It was never a problem. Maybe because Adler had never done this to anyone before her, for he never let anyone stick around this long, and he and Rune didn't believe him when he kept repeating about the girl that saved his life.But now... What was wrong with him? Why was he acting all concerned if Adler wanted her so much that he was indirectly telling him to back off?Lily wasn't up for Adler, he knew. There was no way Domenico's son would suddenly be a saint after years of being something that couldn't be explained. How long was Adler going to pretend?But are you only concerned about her well-being? The low voice was back again. That quiet voice shunned him whenever he tried to asser
LILY'S POV."...Please do not be pissed, but, uh, I have to be sure."I knew my voice held nervousness, sitting opposite her, across from the kitchen, seeing Kyra swipe jam over a piece of bread with her eyes still on me. Her expression was unreadable.At least she didn't look like she was about to stab me with that knife.Pulling my eyes off the knife, I returned it to Kyra's face, "Did you say Salvatore is still in the Manor?""Yeah," she faced the bread again, dropping it on a plate and picking another plain one, "Why haven't you seen him yet? Or is it that he's purposely avoiding you?"I resisted the urge to scowl at her for spitting out my belief without remorse. The desire heightened when she brought the sandwich to her lips and slowly chewed while still watching me.Stupid me, thinking because of her moment of self-reflection days ago, she'd become much nicer to me. At least she wasn't threatening me with a gun.Gazing down at my untouched breakfast on the table, I slowly pushe