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2024-10-27 19:31:14
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DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 14
DAMIANMy breath comes out in rasps as I come to a corner. I scan the entirety of the lonely street and to my dismay, she's gone.How can I be hot on her heels only to see that it's like she disappeared into thin air?She outran me. It's unbelievable. Almost laughable that a puny woman of such size could get out of my grasp. At first glance, she looked like those overpampered wives who have the luxury of getting their asses wiped at command. The little fucker is even more fit than I give her credit for.A dry, humorless laugh cracks out of my lips as the truth sets in. She did outrun me. Sydney pulls up next to me shortly after. The dead silence is broken by his boots skidding to a sharp halt on the pavement. “I don't believe it.” He comments as he scans the area with incredulity well carved into his face.My hand comes up and wipes down on my weary face. I'm filled with so much lethal rage inside, masked by a cool facade on the outside. His laughter dares to ring out, further gr
Last Updated : 2024-10-29DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 15
LILIANA The kitchen door opens and a lady walks in with a drenched raincoat around her shoulders. Her light auburn hair looks to be claw-clipped behind but the tendrils cling to her forehead like a wet rag. She looks to be about my age if not younger. “You said you would only take… Why, you sneaky man! You came in here for a cup of sbiten without telling me?” She slaps his arm lightly. The man turns a warm smile as he dodges her playful hits. “No, bebe. I had an impromptu visitor.” He motions to me with a gentle wave of his hand. She follows his gesture with her eyes till she stops at where I stand. My fingers clench in a fist by my sides at the awkwardness that takes over. Her eyes trace the bulky coat on my small frame and she looks back to the man with her hazel eyes narrowed down in skepticism. He shakes his head. “Ne delay etogo. YA nashel yeye na obochine, kogda vernulsya za bortovym zhurnalom.” His eyes meet mine for a fleeting moment before his voice drops lower. “Ona
Last Updated : 2024-10-31DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 16
LILIANA“Goodnight, ladies.” The man tells us the moment we step into the hallway with several doors. Before I can turn and bid him the same, he disappears into one of the rooms. Rachel shrugs as she clasps a hand on my shoulder. “He had a rough day at the diner. When he comes home beaten up, sleep is his therapy.”I nod in understanding. “Days like that.”“You're welcome to stay the night here. I'm afraid the room is a bit bare but we'll make do. We didn't expect the pleasure of your company.” Rachel says as she rummages through her purse for something. “It's fine. I'll manage.” I try to reassure her but she's occupied with struggling with her purse. She sports a comic frown.“Where's the stupid key?” She hisses. Her features brighten and she raises the key with a triumphant harrumph.The door clicks open to reveal a decent-looking bedroom. Honestly, it isn't so much but it is a feasible option than to spend the night on the streets. “You've done so much for me already. Thank you
Last Updated : 2024-11-01DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 17
DAMIANShe is right there in the darkness when I close my eyes, crying, waiting on me in that silk nightdress. What was a head full of curls is now matted with grease and decline.Like the previous, I dash into our bedroom and skid to a halt when she turns away from the window. The stream of moonlight casts a deathly glow on her pale skin marred by self-inflicted bruises.She takes measured steps towards me, muttering her discomfort about having to wait for hours to see me.I apologize as I always do. The meeting with the Seemya usually takes a lot of time so there's not much I can do about it. She goes again on another bout of blame on why I always meet her at the wrong time. She has said this many times in the past whenever I’m a few minutes behind time. What makes it different this time is her hand held up to half my apologies. She doesn't want to hear it.“Come, Stellëza.” I croon to her with arms spread out and waiting. Her face contorts in disgust as she drinks in the positi
Last Updated : 2024-11-02DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 18
LILIANAA sudden crash has me jolting awake and out of the bed in one single motion. Instinctively, I reach for the dresser to grab something, anything at all to brace myself with. Each drawer comes empty and my heart plummets a thousand feet underground. I'm truly fucked.My eyes scan the room for something solid that I can use for self-defense. I discover to my dismay that there is none.“Who's there?” The question is my last resort. I try to keep my voice steady even though my emotions are quite the opposite within.No response.Another crash echoes through the hallway, causing me to jump in fright, my heart doing wild palpitations.A sharp curse from a muffled voice follows shortly after. My heart leaps into the hollow space in my throat, constricting my airways.I can't help the realization that slams into me without brakes: they're back for me.I knew it!I knew I shouldn't have disregarded the tiny voice of reason within me that spoke against following them. It might have been
Last Updated : 2024-11-03DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 19
DAMIAN Like I predicted, with the tension brewing in the room, the meeting is bound to end in chaos. There's a round table with each family representative seated a good distance away from the other person. Anything could go wrong at any fucking time and anyone by my side would take the hit. Right now, I'm seated in silence watching Genovese of the Morani family and Sergei of the Romanov family snap at each other's heads. There is the Bonanno family counselor, Karmen, who is fighting tooth and nail to ensure that they don't get themselves killed before she leaves. It's amusing to watch especially since Genovese gets off on gaslighting and being a shitty pretender. “Say that to my face one more time, I dare you!” Genovese booms out with veins sprouting from the middle of his head. His bulky stomach swinging every which way and heaving with every breath. “You're nothing but a wimp hiding behind sneaky attacks and the government officers who suck your limp cock.” That i
Last Updated : 2024-11-04DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 20
LILIANA The smile slides off my face as I register the unfamiliar voice filling the receiver. I stutter dumbly, contemplating for a moment if to end the call and take the money that Rachel offered. I brace myself instead with my fingers tightening around the phone. “Theodore Mikhail. I need to speak with him.” “You don't go around taking calls without my permission. Get out of my chair.” I hear someone say. There's a soft shuffle in the background before I hear throat clearing. “Ravasi’s enterprise, Theodore Mikhail speaking. Who am I—” Now that's the voice I was hoping to hear. Who then was the other person on the line? I refuse to give it another thought. “Thank God, Theo!” I cry out in a hushed whisper. My next words tumble out in a rush. “I was drugged and abducted to someplace I have no idea about. The man who took me is a very dangerous man. According to people, his name is Damian Kastorov and my life is going to be over if you don't come and pick me soon.” My h
Last Updated : 2024-11-05DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 21
DAMIANThe drive to my villa takes only a few minutes between winding roads and a little traffic that keeps me holed in a spot for a few minutes because of an accident that had happened in front.Sydney and I barely exchanged any words since I entered the car and got behind the wheel. It's not that I don't share information with him but some things are better discussed deeply encased in the hard shells of privacy. A figure waits up front with their legs a few inches apart in a domineering stance and hands planted into their front pocket. It is Zoran. His face is an inscrutable mask as he waits patiently on the open roof of the mansion. If my time with him is anything to go by, he is hella pissed. But do I have fucks to give? Barely.Sydney and I make our way through the steps that lead to where he is. With every step I take, I get more and more enraged, bidding my time like a ticking bomb waiting for a trigger.His back is turned to us when we finally reach the top. He turns to us
Last Updated : 2024-11-06
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DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 137
LAJLA/STELLEZAThe muffled sound of gunshot still rings aloud in my brain, hours after I’d bathed and settled on my bed. Sleep refused to take over and now I’m left to stare at the ceiling and wonder what next.A gentle knock has me sitting up. Red comes in with two mugs of something steamy. Perfect for the cold weather. I grab one, then immediately go to work distracting myself and trying not to look in her direction. If I don’t, then maybe she won’t recall the calamity that happened at the club.Again, this is Red we’re talking about. Nothing goes past her nose without deep scrutiny. Better than I am who would rather pretend not to see it. I don’t care about a lot of things.“Let’s talk about what happened earlier tonight.”“Hmm hmm, this tastes better than all the others you have made, don’t you think?” That’s my pathetic attempt at diverting the topic, of course this will make her prod for words.She gives me a serious look that strips away every trace of amusement from my face.
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 136
LAJLA/STELLEZA“Table four in the aisle next to Bri.”“Got it.” I pick the tray, trying to keep the drinks from spilling as well as maintaining my balance on the killer heels on my feet. The place is teeming with hyped, drunk men enjoying the show that the dancers give them.Although there’s a no-touching policy enforced here, some of these men have no idea what it means to keep their hands to themselves at all times.I smile at the customers around the table and they return it as I serve their drinks. They’re still nice and friendly until the booze kicks in. On my way back, I find myself looking at Red as she glides around the pole in that lingerie set I got her. She’s magnificent when she dances and that’s probably why she’s at the centre where most men are spraying her so much cash with reckless abandon.They all love her.She’s Fin’s golden ticket and I’m proud of her. I walk into a hard wall the moment I turn. The apology falls out of my lips before I can stop it. The stranger
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 135
LAJLA/STELLEZA“Who is that?” Red asks, with a squint at the woman.Ignoring the dread which has now pooled down at the bottom of my spine, I straighten my posture and tug on her hands. “No one. Come on.”Red complies thankfully. But she still has that thinking look on her face. One where her lips curled into her mouth in thought.“You can’t ignore me forever, Lajla. Me and you have to talk and we have to do it now.” The woman’s stern voice commands again, rattling me in my steps. “Or she gets it.”On another thought, I change my mind about ignoring her. “Um, Red? I’ll need you to be on the lookout for the uber. I’ll be with you in five minutes tops.” I’m already on the move before she can voice her protest.The woman’s lips are curled into a sneer when she sees me approaching. “I knew you’d be a fool to not answer your mother’s call.”“My mother’s dead.” I reiterate, cold and calmly. “I don’t have all night, Arbana. What do you want?”“It’s been what, eight months? Six? You left with
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 134
UNKNOWN POVIt’s been one hell of a week running around, bussing all these tables and getting these drunk men to keep their wandering fingers to themselves. How can they even when the only things Phineas lets us wear is some shiny, barely-there silver slip that clings like a second skin. The hem barely brushes the tops of my thighs, and the neckline dips low enough to tease but not reveal it all.Just enough to keep the tips flowing. Thin spaghetti straps dig into my shoulders, sometimes falling off and keeps me wondering when my shift comes to an end. The stupid uniform keeps flashing skin from the right side of me where there’s a high slit.“This is bait, Fin,” I complained one day. “The shoes are killing me. Can we switch to maybe sneakers or something?”“It’s what keeps this place running, honey.” He patted my hand and batted artificial eyelashes at me. “You’re doing just great in them. A few minutes more and I’ll let you off.”So, I suck it up and take it like a good girl. Not
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 133
LILIANAI can’t bring myself to look at Theodore as he sits opposite me with legs apart, elbows on knees and head bowed. Is that supposed to be the posture of remorse? What the hell did I walk into?He sighs and raises his head. “Lily, what happened? How did you escape that monster?”I say nothing. Just sit there and stare, wondering if I’m in my right senses if I decide to trust him once more. However, I’d be a fool. Time should have taught me better.“You knew my husband sold me off to the Russian mafia, didn’t you? You were aware of it all. You listened to me get kidnapped by the men Kyle used to mingle with and you did nothing.”His features scrunch up in anger. He shakes his head. “Sold you off? Kyle sold you off?”Irritation flares hot. “Don’t try to make me look foolish, Theo. If it worked in the past, doesn’t mean it can happen again. Tell me the things I need to know. Did you know Kyle was involved in dirty dealings with these men?”He opens his mouth to say something, then s
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 132
LILIANA“Don’t feel bad, Liliana. Certain things happen and we have no control over them.” Those are my sister’s words that I try to console myself with. It didn’t matter what situation we were in, she knew the right things to say.But as I sit in this car and gaze at the house I have abandoned for months, I feel like I have lost everything all over again. What words would she have for me if she were still around?Eric gives me a look from the mirror. “I’m sorry if you had to be caught up in the middle of the heat like this. But if there’s anyone to blame, it should be Kyle.”“I don’t think I need that information anymore. Kyle is dead and I’m back home.” Even if it doesn’t feel like one. “You don’t need to apologize. We are all tethered to something one way or the other and owe dues.”He shrugs. “I guess you can put it like that.”Squaring my shoulders, I open the car door and step out. Before I can take more steps, Eric halts me. “I’m not in the best position to say this but you sho
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 131
LILIANAI’m looking into the face of the man who was my bodyguard appointed by Theo to watch me after my husband died and can’t seem to fathom what he’s doing in the home of my captor.Does Damian know he’s in here? The answer comes to me almost immediately; yes, he does. Yet, the truth in that doesn’t stop me from asking my own questions. “W-what are you doing here?” I stammer out.He’s Eric alright, but at the same time, he’s not. His face lacks the warmth I trusted. That character has fallen out of place and here is the man he has always been.Wait, who is he? “I need to ask you come questions and I’ll need you to be completely honest with me.” He sounds detached.Says the lapdog masquerading as a double agent to feed information to his master. Can’t a woman trust anyone these days?“You both know each other?” Rachel looks between me and the burly man still patiently waiting for my attention. When nobody gives her a response, she excuses us and shuts the door.“Liliana—”“Don’t t
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 130
LILIANAThe journal feels heavy as it sits in my palms. Not because it is thick or leather-bound or anything grand. It’s just heavy…filled with my sister’s wordings–Well, I don’t know that for sure until I open it and that’s what I’m scared of. I stare at it intently and it’s almost like I can hear it whispering at me to open it and face what I’ve been running away since I returned to this cursed house.Rachel watches me from the corner of her eye, not saying a word until I sigh. “You should come with me. I don’t think you want to be in here as much as I do.” Her eyes are filled with untold tales. “Let’s go to your room. You don’t want to be seen like tis in the hallway.”I nod, then rise to follow her stiffly, following her down the corridor like a ghost. My limbs are moving, but my mind’s reeling. Even my heart isn’t beating right. Once we’re inside my quarters, I drop the journal on the bed and start grabbing my things. “Liliana.” Rachel approaches me gently. “What did he tell
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 129
DAMIAN Her eyes widen in caution as I approach her. Like she’s scared of me, or maybe scared I’d hurt her even when I’m certain she knows I can’t. She doesn’t really know the power she holds over me, does she? I should say I am disappointed but how can I when I can’t even tell her how I really feel about her? That’s just hypocrisy. Behind her is Stelleza’s wardrobe full of her things which I stowed away in her memory. “I couldn’t throw her things out, neither could I burn them.” I remember the exact angle where I kept the journal hidden. Since this is her blood sister we’re talking about, then perhaps she has a right to know what it entails and the truth about how she died. Reaching further into the back, my fingertips graze a hard leather. Bringing it out, I flip the leather-bound journal and hand it to her. She gazes down at the book, not taking it yet. “What is this?” “She wrote this,” I murmur, recalling the dark words that birthed my rage. “She wrote every word on every
