LOGINThis book is officially over. I can't believe I finished it. There were times I wanted to give up. Times I did at some point, but for some reason, I always found the energy to push through. I want to thank everyone who gave this book a chance. Without you, this book wouldn't be as successful as it
“Nikolai, I- ouch” She takes a step towards me and then stops, her face twisting into a grimace. I'm at her side in an instant, my hands around her shoulder, steadying her, “What's wrong?” I ask, my gaze scanning her carefully. My eyes land on the thin ragged line on her knee. The edges are raw, a
To be honest I wouldn't blame her if she did. She’d just seen me torture information out of a man. A man who deserves every bit of pain I dished out to him and more but still. Ava wasn’t used to this. She wasn’t used to seeing other people suffer. I was. I thought I could shield her from the darknes
Nikolai There's a solid second that follows after I see her, where the two of us just stare at each other, neither one of us willing to break contact first. Fuck. She wasn't supposed to be here. How the hell did she even find this place? "Ava, wait," Her eyes widened, a flicker of panic cross
I don’t. My pulse dips, and my heart rate spikes. The passageway is dark and the light seeping in from the library barely serves as an adequate lighting source. I whip out my phone and turn on the flashlight, barely containing the scream that threatens to erupt from my throat, when I see a roach s
The drawing is far from perfect, but it's perfect enough to make Kira smile, and that's enough for me. “Do you think Papa will like it?” I smile softly, brushing a strand of her dark hair away from her face. "I think your papa will love it.” Kira's smile brightens even more. The door to the
Ava Nikolai looks surprised by my presence when he sees me. I stay by the entrance of the library back room, unmoving, my hands limp at my side while I take in the scene before me. Ivan left me here with a simple tap on my shoulder after telling me not to be too surprised by what I see when I ente
"I do trust you." He murmurs lifting his hand to brush my hair from my face, "I think you're the only person I've ever let myself fully trust." Something soars in my chest when I feel the honesty woven into those words bleed into the space between us. "When Ivan told me what today was, I thought
TRIGGER WARNING: MENTION OF SEXUAL ABUSE APPEARS IN THIS CHAPTER. TREAD CAUTIOUSLY OR SKIP THIS CHAPTER ALTOGETHER ❤️ YOUR MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS.
Ava I don't know what I expect Nikolai's reaction to be after I drop that little piece of information. Anger perhaps. Maybe disappointment. Maybe even both. My hands are still looped around his neck. I'm still touching him, so I guess maybe that's a good sign that he doesn't feel either of the emo







