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2024-11-11 00:33:52
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DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 27
LILIANA After he leaves, I collapse in a heap on the bed as choking sobs tear out from me with a blinding force. I want to wake up from this nightmare but everytime the cuff tugs at my ankle, it pulls me back to the reality that has now become my life.“Kyle, what did you do?” I wail to the silence, my heart wringing in the despair that has begun to fester into a deep wound.Thinking back upon my life, I try to recall anything suspicious about Kyle but my mind draws blank. He never gave me one reason to.Except for his friendship with the man Nicolo…Or could that be it?I roll on my back to lay eaglespread on the bed, my watery gaze towards the ceiling to trace the patterns. The fat drops slide down both sides of my face relentlessly soaking into my hair and the mattress until finally, there are no more tears left to cry. I continue to stare blankly at the ceiling for a while longer as sleep drapes itself over my eyelids. If I sleep, at least there'll be some kind of peace for me
Last Updated : 2024-11-12DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 28
LILIANAAt first it is shock, then denial and lastly anger, each of them like a potent spell targeted to destroy the very foundation of my relationship with Kyle.Will I get to accept this bullshit news? Never!I seethe, “Don't be ridiculous.” Pushing away from Damian, I scramble to my feet and pull my sweatshirt down. His eyes follow my movements with a dissatisfying blankness on his face. That is all I need to have my blood boiling over. One step closer and I'd be able to claw his eyes out.He rises, his calculating eyes trained on me and lips drawn into a thin line. How can he be so calm after he had just defamed one of the most influential people in Russia?“You don't look too happy at the news, Milaya.” His voice breaks through my train of thought out of nowhere. “Having a hard time processing it?”“No.” I retort with anger as it builds in my chest like a small fire. “You are a liar and you are fucked up in the head. If you could kidnap a widow while mourning, what else can you
Last Updated : 2024-11-13DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 29
LILIANAI'm thirteen again. I stand in a corner of the room shaking as my mother begins a racket, thrashing our living room and wagging an angry finger at me from time to time. Her breath stinks of local rum and cigarettes, that I am certain of. My school bag has been flung, table upturned and I remain where I am for fear of her pouncing upon me should I try to call for help. My lips quiver and I flinch when a glass comes flying close to my head. It shatters on the wall next to me but thankfully, the shards don't pierce my skin. “Where are you, you little rascal?” She turns to me with a wild gaze. This animosity only shows up when I'm on her radar.“Mama?” I whimper, refusing to leave the corner as it is the only place I feel safer.“Your father is out again, the cheating bastard. I shouldn't have let him get me pregnant. I shouldn't have let my parents talk me into marrying him.” Her eyes have a faraway look but it is masked with fury. “I'm sorry.” It is barely above a whisper.
Last Updated : 2024-11-14DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 30
DAMIANI pace the breadth of my bedroom for reasons unknown to me. A look at the balcony tells me that dawn is near. I haven't slept a wink all night. My brain chooses to replay Alice's warning. “You will have yourself to blame if anything happens to that poor girl. Have you no conscience anymore? This isn't how I raised you to be, Kristoffor Damien Kastorov.” She might have raised me but the one time I have seen her lose her cool is when Zoran has smashed my head in with an iron rod while we were playing. Why the hell am I letting Alice's words get to me and why am I losing sleep over it? She's getting punished for acting out of control. If I wanted her dead, there'd be no need to go through the hassle of bringing her to Sochi.I make my way over to the balcony, drinking in the sight of the large expanse of land stretching on for miles. It is peaceful at this time and perhaps, it can get me a few minutes to snooze.‘Stop kidding yourself’, a voice taunts. Science says if you wa
Last Updated : 2024-11-15DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 31
DAMIANAlice statement throws me off guard and sets me right on the edge. It would be better not to introduce the topic of Irina because the circumstance around her discovery is not something to share yet. All everyone needs to know is that she is a part of the family now and there are no two ways about it.As for Liliana, what am I to do with her?That question lingers as I decide to freshen up for the day. Zoran would be here soon and I have businesses to take care of.By the time I'm settled in my office, Andros walks in. He inclines his head in greeting.“Pakhan.” I nod, eyeing the sling around his neck. “Don't you think you should be resting that arm?” “There's no time to rest when duty calls. Besides, it is just a gun wound. I've had plenty of them in the past. It won't stop now.”I'm impressed but my face remains impassive. I gesture to the couch. “Take a seat.”Sydney comes in. “Pakhan.”“You're late.” My eyes rivet to him from his colleague. “Do you know what I feel about
Last Updated : 2024-11-16DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 32
DAMIANAs planned, before midday, my schedule has been cleared and I have finished the tasks for the day. I updated Sicily's paycheck and he gifted me two cars which according to him is his means of appreciation. I don't ask that of him but he does them willingly. Not only are they cars, but they are limited editons as well, specially customized to my taste. I had Sydney and Andros take it home while I rounded things up at the port and greased some hands. Currently, I'm seated in the private VIP lounge in one of Zoran's pubs waiting for his arrival. I'm irritated that he stood me up when our meeting is supposed to be an hour ago. I take a sip from my glass, eyes studying my watch for the umpteenth time. Where is the man who instilled in me the discipline of being early?Speaking of the devil, I hear Zoran's voice. A while later, he peeks into the private room. His face brightens up when he sights me.What the fuck is he so happy about on a goddamn Monday afternoon?“Little brother
Last Updated : 2024-11-17DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 33
LILIANA My entire body thrums with bone deep weakness as I struggle to open my eyes. So far, I've only managed to pop an eyelid open while the other remains closed in laziness. I'm alone in the room. A different room actually and it's not the dungeon. Thank God. A sharp exhale then I try to raise myself up on my elbows. The warmth of the sunlight’s rays streaming through the balcony says its past noon. “You're awake.” I freeze at the sound of the voice. It's not Alice's, neither is it that big buffoon’s. Awfully familiar it sounds yet I cannot for the life of me, place a face to it. I turn my head in that direction, shivering lightly as my eyes come to rest on that creepy little girl. My eyes fly open and all the weariness vanishes. “What the — why are you looking at me like that?” She is seated at the bottom of the bed, her brown eyes trained on me, unblinking. “Alice said to keep an eye on you. I have two.” She says with a dead ass face. I push away a shudder
Last Updated : 2024-11-18DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 34
LILIANA “What the hell just happened?” I muse, still in wonder. I'm blinking at the door that has been left ajar. Gone is the heat of his rage and in its wake is the lingering scent of his cologne intertwined with his masculine scent. I admit to pushing him to anger in the past with words that would cause even the strongest of men to cower and crumble. It cannot be the words I said. No, I doubt they caused as much as a dent on him. As usual, he takes the crown for reckless display of savagery. “Laura?” A voice gasps in the doorway. Recognition strikes me as I take in the image of auburn hair and wide hazel eyes. “Rachel?” I'm dumbstruck at first, however when I recall their betrayal, a scowl takes over. “What are you doing here? Have you come to finish me off like your father did?” “I work here. What are you doing here?” “Shit Sherlock, I'm harvesting ripe grapes.” I grouse with my eyes rolled far back into my head so far I fear they'll drop into my stomach. “Tha
Last Updated : 2024-11-19
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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
