Around 5:45 PM, the smell of cooked food and spices drifted from the kitchen, pulling Claudine from her thoughts. Tired of exploring, she decided to do something useful. She missed cooking. It was a real, controllable act, calming for her nerves.She found the kitchen to be perfect – shining steel counters, every high-tech gadget, and a pantry like a fancy grocery store. She decided to make a big country meal. Something comforting, something that smelled of home, a sharp contrast to the cold house and the chilling note she’d received. She hummed as she pulled out cutting boards and fresh food.A smart music player filled the kitchen with country songs she used to listen to in LA, about trucks and lost loves. She hummed along, chopping vegetables, the knife making a satisfying thwack, while she imagined it to be ‘someone else’ limbs. The music and cooking calmed her. She was in her element here, not thinking about missions or mafia kings. Just about roasted chicken and mashed potatoes
•Music intro: 'Try me' by Temx•The steady noise of the motorcycle engine from last night still vibrated through Claudine, a wild rhythm that had settled deep in her bones. The ride had been intense. Terrifying, yes, but also thrilling in a way she hadn’t expected. Hades, a dark shape against the blurring trees, had driven with a fierce grace that was both alarming and strangely captivating. She’d held onto him, her body pressed tight, the wind whipping past her face, the scent of pine and something distinctly him filling her senses. It was pure speed.For a few reckless moments, she hadn’t been an agent or a captive, just a woman on the back of a powerful machine, holding onto a dangerous man.She’d even laughed, a breathless, genuine sound that felt new. He’d slowed by a dark lake, the moon shining on the water, and they had just sat there, the engine soft, the silence deep, broken only by crickets.He hadn’t said anything, just listened to the night, his large body a warm, solid
The plane’s gentle descent woke Claudine. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, her head turned to see Hades beside her still holding unto her body like she was going to escape mid air.“Hades.. Hadeson!” she nudged him gentle, trying to wriggle herself off him, but he didn’t even stir.Then she leaned down to whisper into his face, but it was unsuccessful because he caught her lips into a kiss.“Heyyyy..” he drawled, eyes closed, pressing his weight further into hers, his beards tingling her face, as he kept nibbling on her bottom lips as well as taking away all the left over common sense she was managing.“The plane is landing!” Claudine giggled against the dangerous works of his mouth. “Let me go!” she groaned.“Okay okay.. just wait a minute, I want to..”Before he could complete the sentence she freed herself off him and fled to the jet’s lounge area. Her legs were already so damn weak from his touchFuck this isn’t good.No. No. No. Fuck! Claudine screamed into her hands ,
Her mind reeled and screamed. His father. A best friend. Vanished. The Vancouvers hadn’t just made someone vanish, they had wiped away her entire family, the Kalashnikovs! She was supposed to be dead! If they had won, she wouldn’t even be here.And he’s here acting sad, talking about his pain? Fury, cold and absolute, surged through her. “There’s no forgiving,” her mind raged, echoing a Russian saying she knew well: “Прощения нет. Только возмездие.” (There is no forgiveness. Only retribution.) She would not rest or give up until she saw the Vancouver name vanish, and then her family, the Kalashnikovs, would get back the respect that had been stolen from them for over two decades.There was no forgiving this.Hades watched her, sensing her sudden stiffness. “You’re a feisty one, Zaya,” he observed, a hint of something unreadable in his eyes. “Always so... passionate.” He leaned back, the moment of vulnerability passing, replaced by his usual dominant aura. “Speaking of passions, I hav
- CHAPTER 68Claudine stared out the window, watching the clouds drift by, soft white cotton against an endless blue. Below, the world was a distant, hazy map, they were off to a location she had no idea about. Seated like a queen. Well, a queen without a crown and a queen with a terrible fear of heights.The cabin was a masterpiece of silent luxury: cream leather, polished dark wood, soft lighting that made everything feel expensive and slightly unreal.A hidden panel slid open, revealing an array of top-shelf liquor and crystal glasses. Hades sat across from her, his presence a heavy weight she couldn’t ignore. She felt like a bug under a microscope, constantly scrutinized. This isn’t a vacation, her mind grumbled, a familiar, irritable voice. It’s a very fancy prison cell, just with better snacks. And a very attentive, very dangerous warden. Her heart gave a little thump, a nervous beat she tried to ignore.Hades, sensing her discomfort, leaned back, a faint, knowing smirk playing
A month had passed since the London court case, a strange blur of adapting to Hades’s suffocating presence and her own simmering rage. Life had found a weird rhythm. Claudine still spent her days at Mr. Greenwood’s new orphanage, elbow-deep in legal paperwork. It was a stark difference from the fancy estate, and she actually found some calm going over adoption papers and property deeds.“Honestly, Claud,” Svetlana said, pushing a stray hair from her face, a tiny ink smudge on her cheek. Svetlana, a quiet but sharp nurse, had become like a sister. “Sometimes I think these contracts are tougher than patching up a broken bone. Who knew taking care of kids needed so much... tiny writing?”Claudine gave a small laugh, leaning back in her creaky office chair. “Welcome to my world, Svetlana. It’s all about the small print. And trust me, if you miss a single dot, someone always gets dotted.” She paused, thinking of Hades and his threats. “Though I bet even here, some of these adoption forms p