TERZOThe coast of Fethiye was tranquil with vibrant blue ocean and pine-clad hills. I wanted to take my wife outside Istanbul before we headed home. So I chartered a yacht because I owed her a date that had been long overdue.“Wow.” The first word she said since we arrived at the marina. “Do you always try to impress a girl on your date?”“Just my wife,” I assisted her onboard. This time we had the 3-cabin yacht to ourselves.Celestina was spending time with Uncle Gian Carlo and his wife. While Aleksandr and Dimitri were taking care of Milo.“Enjoy, signora.” Gio waved at us as we were ready to leave.“Call us when you arrive.” Marco gestured.“Don’t get shot!” Dani yelled at him, making me chuckle.As we left the dock, she came to me and hugged me from behind. She was wearing a two-piece inside her yellow summer beach dress.“So, what else can you do aside from sailing, shooting, running a business, spying, and finding people? You can also cook. How did I become so lucky, Terzo?”I
DANIWhile Terzo and Celestina were out visiting their uncle, I stayed at the apartment with Milo. The moment I lay in bed, he came to my chest to rest. His paws were tucked under his chest. He was such a sweet little boy. I wish I could keep and adopt him permanently.As soon as he heard the door open, he jumped out the bed and went outside the room.“You little monster, stay away from my wife,” Terzo said, “If you want treats, you have to behave and leave us uninterrupted. Deal?”My heart skipped a beat the moment he appeared at the bedroom door. He trimmed his beard, leaving only his signature five o’clock shadow. He also cut his hair, which made him more ruggedly handsome.“Hey, sweetheart.”I smiled. “That wasn’t nice.”“He’s taking all the space in bed. For a cat, he’s clingy.” He shut the door, pulled his shirt over his head, and dropped it on the floor. He then kicked off his shoes before climbing into bed.“He’s sad, baby. He just lost his owner. They also mourn for their los
TERZOWe were having a baby. I knew the moment I saw her outside the elevator that something had changed in her. She still looked gorgeous, but she had that glow. When she clung to me, things clicked right away. She must have been terrified finding out that she was going to be a mother alone. I had no doubt she would be a great mom. I just wish I were there with her. Fuck. I was going to be a father. Papa would be so thrilled to hear the news.Then a furry monster ruined my little moment.“Hey. Be nice to Milo. He just lost his owner.” She came to pick up Milo and carried the cat like her child as she walked out of her bedroom towards the living room. She had a pretty decent apartment, considering she could afford to buy this building owned by my uncle. So I guess she chose Istanbul to be closer to her family. Our family.“What happened to his owner?” I looked at her sitting so domestically.“The old lady passed away while he was at the clinic for treatment.”“Uncle Lorenzo’s clini
DANI“Terzo.” His name slipped from my lips like warm honey. One word, my breath caught in my throat, and my heart began thumping like a drum in a marching band. I opened my mouth to speak, not knowing what I was going to say, but I had to shut my mouth.The three remained silent, even Celestina hadn’t said anything, equally surprised as I was. “Dani, my wife, sweetheart,” he said those four words as he stepped out of the elevator and cut me off with a kiss— not just a kiss. The kind of kiss that felt like your life depended on it. It was a kiss of desperation, longing, and desire. He cupped the back of my head with one large hand, and the other went to my small back. He kissed like he’d been anticipating it with hunger and craving in there. He kissed me with the same intensity as the night we last spent time together. Everything— from the day we met flashed back in my head like reels. I clung to him, melted into him, and I responded as I meant it.“Guys, this is Türkiye. You’re ki
DANII smiled as I put my hand on my tummy. “In two weeks.”“Let me know if you need someone to come with you, I’d love to accompany you.”“Thanks.” I still thought of that day I found out I was pregnant. I cried the whole day alone in the bathroom, in the dark. I didn’t know if I could be a good mother, if I could take care of this child alone, but this child was made with love, and not, for a second I thought of protecting him or her with everything that I got that was why I reached out to Ruslan Olezka and Ilya Vasilyev, asking for their protection. “Anyway, I’m taking home Milo with me. If there’s someone comes and asks for him, give him my number.”“Really?” Aysel smiled. “He’d be lucky to be his fur mommy, Dani.”After I brought a cat carrier and things needed for Milo, including his food, I brought him with me. “What?” I glared at Aleksandr Gusev, one of Ilya’s men, who was sent to protect me while I stayed in Istanbul. He was bigger and taller, and he had a scar on his left
DANI TürkiyeTwo months later“Have you had any more dreams?”I crossed my legs and replied, “No. No more dreams. I slept like a log without any pills.”“That’s good to hear. What about your appetite?”“I have no problem with my diet. I eat what I like, and of course, I have to watch my weight, especially with my current situation now.” My heart warmed. I reached a point in my life where I no longer worried about my safety. I had no worries about where I would get money to buy food. In fact, I didn’t have to worry about finding a job anymore, but of course, I hired lawyers and a financial adviser to help me navigate my finances.“How was your trip back to Dublin?”My lips curved into a smile as I tried to take down memory lane. “As I looked at those pictures one by one and held and smelled their clothes, I didn’t have to remember what I’ve already forgotten. Besides, I was just a little girl. For me, enough that I remember their faces, and I know deep in my heart, I love them, and t