Se connecterKirill Asa is gone by the time I wake up, and somehow, that doesn't sit right with me. I don't like it. At all. And for more than one reason. The first is that I didn't get to see his face before he left. The second is that I slept through him getting ready and leaving the apartment. I've always taken pride in the fact that nothing gets past me. My father taught me never to overlook even the tiniest details. He might have been a huge asshole, but at least he taught his children how to protect themselves. So sleep has always been about resting my eyes, not falling into some deep pool of sweet dreams and shit like that. The tiniest sound would have woken me before. But somehow, when Asa sleeps beside me, none of that matters because I sometimes find myself falling into a deep slumber and dreaming about children with his beautiful eyes and cute dimples running around. And that's fine. Actually, it's more than fine. But with some psycho after him, it's not safe. I'd much prefer to hav
Asa I stare at the contents of the box, my brain refusing to process what I'm seeing. The first thing I notice is a photograph. It's me and Mason. Except I've never taken a picture like this with him. He has his arm around my waist, and I'm leaning against his chest, smiling at the camera. It's convincing enough to make my stomach twist. But I know it's fake. I've never stood that close to Mason willingly. Someone has edited separate pictures together to create a moment that never happened. I drop it back into the box. What the fuck? I reach for another photograph. This time, Mason is kissing my cheek. My eyes are closed, and my lips are curved into a small smile. I stare at it, my fingers tightening around the edges. I've never let him touch me like that. I shove the photograph aside, but there's another underneath it. Then another. In one, we're holding hands. In another, his arms are around my waist. Every single one is fake. Every single one tells the same lie. That I love hi
Asa Kirill exhales and runs a hand over his face. "Baby, I need you to understand something. Learning to shoot isn't going to make you invincible. You can know how to handle a gun and still find yourself in a dangerous situation. I don't want you walking away from a lesson thinking you can take on anyone who comes after you." "I'm not stupid." "I know you're not." "Then stop talking to me like I am." His jaw tightens, but he doesn't raise his voice. "I'm trying to keep you alive, Asa." "And I'm trying to learn how to keep myself alive!" The words come out louder than I intended, and silence settles between us. I take a breath, forcing myself to calm down. "I'm tired, Kirill." His expression softens. "Then we can do this tomorrow." "No." I shake my head. "I'm tired of being the person everyone has to protect. I'm tired of people looking at me like I'm going to break if they breathe too hard around me. And I'm tired of knowing that if someone comes after me, all I can do is run
AsaToby doesn't even finish reading the card before looking at me. "Uh, Asa? This is weird."My body reacts before my mind catches up. I turn, searching for the girl who handed me the box, but she's already gone. I know exactly who sent it. Mason."What's wrong?" Toby asks, looking between me and the card. "Do you know who sent this?"I snatch the card from his hand and shove it back into the box. "No."He raises an eyebrow. "Really? Because you look like you've just seen a ghost.""Maybe your face is just that ugly.""Ha-ha. Very funny." He crosses his arms. "Now tell me what's going on.""Nothing is going on, Toby. Can we please go home?"He looks at the box again, then back at me. "Is this about what happened to you?"My fingers tighten around the cardboard. I hate how carefully he's speaking to me, as if one wrong word might make me fall apart. I know he's worried, and I love him for it, but I'm so tired of people looking at me like I'm made of glass."It's nothing I can't handle
Asa I wake up to someone breathing down my neck. And the first thing I notice is the pain radiating through my body. Last night's memories come crushing back, and a smile makes its way onto my lips. I don't even remember when I fell asleep. All I remember is that I thought my heart would burst from happiness. Bright light is coming from the windows, and I move to check the time, only to find it's already past eight. Fuck. I'm going to be late. I try to move and realize Kirill is still inside me. The huge arm wrapped around my waist makes it impossible to move. "Kirill," I try, but he just grumbles and pulls me even closer to him. "Kirill," I try again, wiggling so I can free myself. And I immediately regret it when I feel him growing even bigger, making me let out an embarrassing whimper. My hips move on their own, pushing back on him until I'm letting out full moans. I try to bite my lip, but the sounds escape anyway, until I feel Kirill's hips moving with mine. I tu
Kirill “Teach me how to use a gun.” The words hang in the air between us. And the thought comes before I can stop it, I should say no. Every instinct in my body is screaming at me to say no. This is the man I love, the mawho cried in my arms when he lost our child, the man who still shakes when Mason’s name is mentioned. He shouldn’t be anywhere near a weapon. But then I remember the parking lot. The blood on his forehead. The way he clutched his stomach and begged me to help him. The way he screamed my name like I was the only thing standing between him and death. And I remember that I might not always be here to protect him. “Okay.” Asa blinks. “Okay?” “Okay. I’ll teach you.” He stares at me like I’ve grown a second head, like he was expecting me to stop him. “Why aren’t you trying to stop me?” “Because you asked. And because I might not always be here to protect you. And because if something happens,” I stop. Swallow. “If something happens, I need to know you can protect y