Continued: It's clear with the clearing of his throat that I'm asking too much; after all, the agreement is to go, get the girl, and sit tight with her until he or Lucia comes to take them to a marginally better life. Still, I need to know if there's a potential threat looming, especially if she was already intercepted. The risk the Ivarnis have enlightened the buyer about her possible saviour might have them wanting to complete the Passover sooner rather than later. "Niko," Dimitri warns. "I need to know who to look out for in case they are also there to pick the girl up. I doubt the Ivarnis are sitting tight about the fact you tried to take her. They'll be looking out for you and your men, Dimitri. I'm associated with you; they know that. Everyone does." Remaining silent, his shoulders stiffen. Did he not already think that over? "She's headed for the Densels," he admits with a snarl. It's my turn to stiffen; of course, she fucking is. They buy many girls off the back of t
BiancaI knew the moment I woke, I'd be walking into something I didn't care to be part of, but equally, I knew that I had no choice in the matter if Dimitri deemed it so.His voice floated upstairs, not loud enough to decipher everything that was said between him and Niko but audibly sufficient to know his tone was condescending and simultaneously authoritative. So I dithered, sitting on the top step close enough to hear them talk yet hidden enough that neither heard nor saw me.Niko was essentially being summoned, and I could tell he wasn't happy about it.Even so, I sat there for a long while as they spoke about this job to remain hidden and out of the limelight until things slowly turned in my direction. It's as if I knew I would be the topic of conversation. I was nervous then; Dimitri knew skeletons I wanted to remain hidden, so I couldn't damn well stay hidden.I moved down the stairs as Niko opposed Dimitri's choice to keep Luca in this life with the one-track mind, which was
Continued: "I usually work alone; working with you might be less lonely." "I'd love to work with you, Niko..." "Oh, I'd like to—," whatever he was going to say is cut short by the loud ping of a phone. It makes me jump, and for a moment, I'm totally upset. I had revelled in Niko's sole attention, but now, he has access to the outside world once again. Does that mean I'll lose him to the outside world so soon after connecting with him so deeply? "Ignore that," he whispers against my ear. His hands roam my sides, dipping below his shirt that I had chosen to steal once again. I giggle, and he smirks. His fingertips rub circles against my hip as he presses his groin forward in an expression of what he wants. "Lascia che ti ami." Let me love you, he requests eagerly. I lay back on my arms, widening my legs enough to show him my acceptance as he strokes his cock through his swim shorts. I watch mesmerised; wanton need rushing through me in waves of ecstasy. The tip of his
Niko Despite knowing Dimitri has cameras following my every move, I still decide to fuck Bianca on the kitchen counter for breakfast. Call it a sign of 'fuck you' to his need to control my every fucking move, or call it stupidity because I've quickly become a lovesick man. Either way, I did it, and I didn't fucking warn Bianca, which goes directly against my new need to keep her firmly my equal, even in the stupidity that is my side job with Dimitri. We need to talk; I need to explain my role in all of this. But right now, it is not the right time or place in his earshot. Of course, after I had her for breakfast, I took her upstairs to clean up because, despite the evidence to the contrary, I wanted to be the perfect gentleman for her. I want to be the husband my father never was, that any man around me never is. I want to break that curse, to give her comfort in me, and to find comfort in her. Could I see us having a perfect family, a little slice of heaven outside of the tr
Continued: He's one hundred percent right. Why the fuck do they have Mitchel's wife? More importantly, what do the Densels want with Alexandra? I mull this over, overthinking every possible avenue today's mission might take me on. Each one gets worse than the last, but something that stays with me is the fact that Alexandra knows her life hangs in the balance, but equally, her husband does, too. She's not been trained like a typical Italian woman heiress would be; she's common—Italian but common. Can she even take the impending abuse obviously headed her way? She knows things, especially being married to one of the highest-ranking men within the Cartel. She must know something that the Densels want, and I don't doubt they will use whatever means possible to extract whatever they need from her before exposing her in a way that has the Cartel and lowly gang members talking. I hate that Bianca is dragged into this mess, especially considering the current bad blood be
Bianca Our first proper fight after marriage entailed with me opposing Niko's need to protect me from coming along on his mission as Dimitri had stated I should. It was heartwarming, even if I was creating distance where I definitely didn't want it. I won, though, if that's something to be proud of. I dressed in a little black dress supplied by Sven, an extension of Dimitri, that hugged my every curve, while Niko was dressed smartly in a suit. I hung on his arm as we were escorted to a private dining table in a back room that did nothing for my nerves at the most expensive restaurant chain on the mainland. This is evidently where all the mafia eats, though, because soon after our arrival, other guests filled the room, dining with beautiful women and good-looking men. Everyone around us spoke in every language except English. Italian, Russian, and even Lithuanian. I could string a few conversations together with the few words I knew of those languages. Most weren't worth my ef
Continued: Again, I feel the weight of each gaze around the room. Are they seriously waiting for me to eat so they can perve on me some more? I push aside my discomfort and begin to eat. My mind replays our conversation, and I get the intense feeling of needing to push Niko on the subject of his private work. What's their deal, anyway? "There she is," I note, seeing one of Ivarni's sons holding onto a girl's bicep. She looks far from in perfect condition. Despite ample make-up, there's a noticeable darkened mark around her lip as evidence she's been maltreated unacceptably. Her blonde hair screams fake, especially against her tanned skin, and she looks highly dishevelled. Niko tips his beer up, and now I see why he ordered a drink with such a big glass. His movements are half hidden by the fact that he's drinking, but of course, he looks back their way as I try to place the girl's face. Her name is in the back of my mind, yet I struggle to recall it or who she is. But I recognise
NikoI barely had enough time to glance at Alexandra's way, let alone devise a plan with Bianca to lure her away from that table and to safety. I took too long entertaining Bianca and failing to ignore the men's stares when, in fact, I should have been devising a quick escape plan as per my brief.I start thinking of big distractions. Having something like a fire creates chaos seems the best bet. We could grab her as everyone rushes to safety, but the Densels obviously do not want to play around.This Passover seems to be happening far quicker than many before it, and Alexandra is in serious danger of being lost to the Densels.No one has a clue about their bases or where they take their girls, but they live off the grid somewhere protective, and no soul has breathed a word of their whereabouts in years. I've lost a fair few girls, and none have ever shown up afterwards so I fear that's the reasoning for the lack of information. And unfortunately each girl is a life etched into my bra
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