"Arrivederci," goodbye, Bianca hushes as the gun burns red as I stare the oncoming bullet in the eye. Gasping awake, I bolt upright in the bed, clinging to the sheets around me as my eyes adjust to the dark room that aided my nightmare. My breaths come jagged, and my mind reels from my dreams' alternate universe. One second—one decision. That's all it would have taken for me to be lying dead in that room alongside my parents. My sister isherein our compound, a risk to every man in this home. It's a risk to me. Who knows what's going through her mind right now? And what's worse, she's marrying Niko, a man who owns a whole fucking arsenal of guns in his walk-in closet. Looking back at Luca, I notice his steady and shallow breathing. Will she kill to stand beside him? Has Dimitri's decisions given Bianca the access to Luca that I wanted to avoid giving her? A wave of nausea takes me at the thought of her being so close to Luca. I've never had to worry like this before
Continued: "Soon, she'll be my wife. I won't let her take him from you, not that he deserves you,” he tells me. "I'm sorry you've been brought into this mess," I sigh. "Could be worse; I could be marrying a girl I have no fucking interest in." "You like her?" "I did before she hurt you. Perhaps that'll come back, perhaps it won't. Either way, she belongs to me now, and I won't leave room for childish behaviour. She'll grow up real fucking fast. You don't need to worry, Queen." "You're not planning on fighting Dimitri over this?" "I owe him, and we need her to keep things secret. It's the only way I won't put myself before everyone else in this compound." "Before me, you mean?" "Before you..." "She seems resourceful; you should keep an eye on her," I admit. "She seems pretty depleted at the moment, regretful even. She hasn't stopped crying all night; the sounds are giving me a headache." "I used to think I knew her, but there's a side to her I've never met. May
Luca This time, I wake to Emma still lying beside me, but it's me who has to leave her now. My phone is ringing, and that only means one thing. I have work to do. Rising as fast as I can to silence the phone in the hopes of not waking Emma, I quickly exit our room and head to my office to find out what it is that my father needs of me. Niko's already leaning outside, smoking another joint as he waits for me. He's been smoking like a trooper since yesterday, a product of being forced to enter a marriage that's most likely unwanted. The smell is enticing; honestly, I'm holding on by a thread not to smoke a joint. But Emma wanted me to stop, even though I've caught her twice now doing the very drugs she despises. So I will try because I want to become a better man for her. "Best answer that," he nods to my phone with his staple smirk, yet even I see the apprehension in his eyes. Has he already had a phone call this morning? Does he know what this is about? Or has one of his abundanc
Luca This time, I wake to Emma still lying beside me, but it's me who has to leave her now. My phone is ringing, and that only means one thing. I have work to do. Rising as fast as I can to silence the phone in the hopes of not waking Emma, I quickly exit our room and head to my office to find out what it is that my father needs of me. Niko's already leaning outside, smoking another joint as he waits for me. He's been smoking like a trooper since yesterday, a product of being forced to enter a marriage that's most likely unwanted. The smell is enticing; honestly, I'm holding on by a thread not to smoke a joint. But Emma wanted me to stop, even though I've caught her twice now doing the very drugs she despises. So I will try because I want to become a better man for her. "Best answer that," he nods to my phone with his staple smirk, yet even I see the apprehension in his eyes. Has he already had a phone call this morning? Does he know what this is about? Or has one of his abundanc
"You sure you want to saddle Emma with this responsibility?" He asks me, sounding angered and disappointed that I'd ask such things of my wife. My wife. "She's better suited," I shrug, hating that I must justify myself. Emma is clearly a born leader, whereas I am not; all my men are hung up on her, and her father's men seem just as smitten with her. Which reminds me, where the fuck am I to put all of them? "Never took you as a—." "Finish that sentence," I warn, grabbing his throat and pinning him to the window; he brings the joint to his mouth, dragging on it in an attempt to show no fear, but I can smell it. His fear seeps from every pore he owns. His behaviour pisses me the fuck off, so I squeeze just that little bit tighter, making him cough, the smoke from his lungs smothering my face as I let go knowing it wouldn't bode well for me to kill my wife's brother. Not when she's so fucking fond of him. And especially not when I want to continue on this path of living one another ov
EmmaSitting in the corner of Luca's makeshift office, I watch him with a frown as he looks through the paperwork with an air of indifference, appraising each detail as if he has a keen interest in the task he's undertaking.I don't particularly appreciate that he's so used to doing it, as he's told me that he's created thick skin against this atrocity.What's even more disturbing is that Niko enters the office with a fist full of Polaroids that he shoves at me. His face is neutral, and it bothers me as I take them tentatively.They are naked pictures of each girl I met outside. Each showcasing their body in different positions. Some are sexual, and some are obviously meant just to prove their body condition.Reciting their names, I ensure to make my mind know these are real women, girls taken from their homes, their lives, jobs, and families. Each a person that'll now be on my conscience, much like my mother's death is.Marrisa. Alana. Harper. Rosie. Rachelle. Sam.I repeat their nam
Rachelle is 22, withnatural blonde hair and blue eyes. She was scouted specifically for this job. No background history is noted on her, yet it's also been noted that she's been paid handsomely.Sam is 19, also blonde, withgreen eyes. She stumbled upon Club Rhodes after a shooting killed her father—because that doesn't sound suss...Luca's uncle took her in and cared for her for the last two years. She agreed to come here, to goto Ivan as part of his personal Harem.Fuck Harem?"They all know?" I ask in disbelief, talking more to myself as I rethink everything I thought I knew about Luca's doggy dealings with his father and the girls that come in and out of this dockyard weekly."Yes," Niko and Luca both answer me instantly.Walking away, I attempt to gather my thoughts as my heart races. How am I only just finding this out now?And why hadn't Luca told me this before?"Your father knows about this?" I frown, my eyebrows probably touching my hairline because I can't believe this is tru
Luca Something has changed in Emma. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the more I sit and stare at her as we eat dinner, the more I realise she's mulling things over that I honestly don't want inside her mind. They say your worst enemy is yourself, and I'm beginning to believe that.I've been brooding since Niko passed her those photos back in the docks. I know he was making a point of treating her above me, but the pair of us doing such things has made a rod for our own backs.Perhaps I was wrong for taking her with me today, but it was the lesser of two evils.Leave her here where Bianca could do anything she wished while I was away or take her to oversee the work that, one day, she'll eventually take over per my request.I hadn't particularly thought anything over beforehand, and now I'm questioning my decisions.Gritting my teeth, I suspend my fork, and the steak speared on it before me. Emma eats heartily, moving from each food group when the last disappears.We hadn't eaten
Continued:Sven turns back to rejoin Bianca and me by the bed, and as I stand, I peep out the small window to my right. My heart races as my eyes dart across the street below, searching frantically for a way to get Bianca down and into another building safely, away from the danger lurking just beyond that door. Each hotel looks inviting, but just as with this one, its buildings are tall and overtly open."Not going to answer the door, Niko?" Densel's voice booms, dripping with mockery. I can almost envision the twisted grin on his face as he twirls his gun, the metallic glint reflecting the darkness of his intentions. The threat is unmistakable, hanging in the air like a storm cloud, and I brace myself for what comes next.Laying on the floor, hoping to crawl out of sight to the balcony door, I move precariously. Climbing the wall, with my back flat against it, I extend my hand toward the door, carefully unlatching it to avoid making a sound that might alert anyone nearby. As the door
Niko A profound sense of connection envelops us, and a look of mutual respect passes between our eyes. We've worked together long enough to know how each other thinks, which can only be helpful for the pair of us.In the background, I hear Bianca let out a soft sigh, drawing my attention back to her. She remains frozen in place, her expression a mix of tension and confusion. What is troubling her so profoundly that she feels compelled to stay anchored there, motionless?"I need a favour," I whisper."What is it?""I need you to go down to the Western to collect whatever Luca has just sent over." I showed him the phone, and a one-word message from Luca remarked, 'Done.'"You owe me," Sven chuckles dryly before picking his weapons out of the bag, ensuring they are full before he turns to the door, his hands on the chain, it hanging open between him and the door when suddenly, a sharp knock echoes through the room, jolting Bianca out of her reverie. She springs up, darting to my s
Continued: "Do you have money?" Sven barrages me with questions. "Yes," I nod, but in the same instance, I frown. It's all fucking digital, every last penny. "What?" they both mirror my horror. "Applepay, it's traceable," I mumble. "May I?" Bianca asks for my main phone, and I pass it to her without question. Only a second later, she turns it back to my face. She's downloading a banking app, and I'm not sure where she's going with this. "Use that," she stipulates with indifference as I glance down at the phone, reading her father's name on the card now residing in my wallet. I nod, but I'm not sure I will use it. There has to be another way; I think to myself as we walk in unison to the counter, Sven standing on our six until I ask him to step closer. "Do you have any cash at all?" I request eagerly. "No," he shakes his head. Swearing softly to myself, a profound sense of unease settles in as I contemplate the idea of using Bianca's father's money. The truth is, it feels li
NikoThis morning, an unsettling instinct crept into my mind—a gut feeling or perhaps a sixth sense—that today was poised to take a dark turn. With this foreboding hovering over me, I pulled Sven aside before Bianca even woke up. The weight of unpreparedness settled heavily on my shoulders. I had nothing that I usually had at my fingertips, and I couldn't shake the echo of Alexandra's words: living without permission but forever at the forefront of my thoughts.When I arrived on this isolated island, I came armed with the weapons that had adorned me on my wedding day—two knives and two guns with only one round in each, reminders of a day when I was meant to be the groom, not the protector. It wasn't until just a few days ago that I finally reclaimed my phone, another lifeline to reality.A wave of unease washed over me as I stepped off the boat. It felt as if I was walking into my impending fate. I turned to Sven, my voice low and steady, asking him to gather everything we needed to e
Continued: As I sat there, my mind wandered to Alexandra. Would she be joining us on the flight home? The mere idea of enduring her incessant chatter for an entire journey left me feeling uneasy. I could already imagine her animated and unrelenting voice filling the cabin as we soared through the clouds, unable to escape one another.My thoughts then drifted to Niko and how the familiarity of home might alter our dynamic. Would the ease we shared during this honeymoon transform back into the more complex opposition we had previously experienced? It would be disingenuous to say these questions didn't preoccupy me. However, Niko kept his silence, and I found myself caught in the web of my own musings, choosing not to voice my uncertainties. The air around us was thick with unspoken words, and I remained wrapped in quiet contemplation as we readied ourselves with Sven on his boat.The journey to the mainland was tumultuous, with the ocean raging against the boat's sides as we travelled
BiancaI hate to admit the days pass with blinding speed, but we fit as much sex and physical touch into them as we possibly can, and in the times between, we do a lot of talking, exploring one another and our future and how that might look upon leaving this island. We fuck in the hot tub, on the kitchen counter, with hushed giggles at the thrill of potentially being caught, fucking against the window I can't help but stare out of when I'm standing in the bedroom. Soft sensual sex in bed, hard fucking from behind when I tease him about something, and he just can't keep his hands off of me. That has got to be my favourite, but I've not voiced that to him.My sexual appetite has doubled, if not tripled, in such little time that I wonder where my need has arisen from. But similarly, our need to explore what one another wants to uncover itself.As our conversations flowed seamlessly from one topic to the next, we found ourselves wrapped in a captivating exchange that lasted two days. It
Continued:My previous thoughts of not forcing this on her and making her happy in our forced marriage chose this exact time to crop up, my teeth grinding in annoyance as I looked at her thoughtfully."Niko," she breathes my name, making me move to sit up further. Our chests come together as I reach to kiss her neck.I reach around her waist and pluck the bottoms bows just as she had the tops so they float off in the water as the bubbling swirl that's them under their wings."You're beautiful," I murmur against the skin of her neck."Please," she begs. Fuck the beg is almost my undoing; in fact, my cock pulsates at that one word, and yet I find myself exercising complete control to elongate this as far as I can.Instead, I kiss along her collarbone before moving down her breast, sucking her nipple into my mouth to pebble it. I rhythmically lavish it with attention before I release it with a pop so I can move on to its twin."Bianca." I grin when I pop the second one from my mouth. Her
NikoThe morning unfolds with unexpected tranquillity, the sun streaming through the windows and casting warm golden rays across the room that was yesterday shrouded in intense darkness. This ease, however, only amplifies my thoughts, drawing me into a spiral of self-doubt and guilt, haunted by the reality that Bianca faced danger because of my actions.As evening descends, the sky blushes with hues of pink and orange, and we find ourselves ensconced in the soothing embrace of the hot tub. The gentle warmth of the water contrasts with the cool air, wrapping us in a cocoon of serenity while Sven eagerly busies himself, constructing a makeshift bedroom for his stay. The humid air carries the faint scent of cedar and the distant sounds of nature, creating a false sense of security.Our trio had engaged in deep discussions about Sven's plans as we ate breakfast, each idea shared like a lifeline, reinforcing the belief that having another person around would heighten our chances of safety.
Contained: "Sure," Niko nods, touching his mug on the counter with a soft clink. "We'll try," I agree, though the truth looms heavily in my mind: a bond can only deepen with time, and it feels like we've had too little of it. I keep this to myself, reluctant to acknowledge that a part of me senses a wedge still exists between us. However, once we're back home with Luca and Emma, I'm confident we won't get close enough to others for them to attempt to pull us apart anytime soon. "I'll walk you out," Niko offers, trailing after Lucia as she strides towards the front door. The moment she reaches it, her men snap to attention, bowing their heads in unison—an unspoken testament to the respect she commands. Stepping outside onto the already warm, sun-kissed sand, I cast my gaze toward the water and see her boats bobbing gently in the surf. A few small vessels equipped with retractable engines lurk close to shore, while a larger yacht lies further out, seemingly calling for Lucia to ret