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59|A Constant Hunger
Last Updated:
2025-01-21 01:04:39
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Reckless Hearts 60|Playing A Dangerous Game
On the other side of the door, in the living area, Andrei was battling his own struggles. The only difference, though, was that his were totally self-made. Levi had pounced on him as soon as Holly and Colleen locked themselves in the bedroom, demanding to know what he was playing at. But no matter how many times Andrei told him to calm down and let go of his not-so-farfetched suspicions, Levi wouldn't back down. "What the hell do you think Liam will say to this?" He asked for the gazillionth time, and Andrei closed his eyes in frustration, replying for the gazillionth time that he couldn't care less what Liam thought because nothing was going on between him and Holly. "How many times do I need to say it? There is nothing shady going on here. It's just business!" "What kind of business?" Levi pressed, following him onto the patio. Andrei shoved a cigarette in his mouth and lit it up, taking a long, angry drag as he weighed all his options. "So, what kind of business do you have
Last Updated : 2025-01-21Reckless Hearts 61|Thin Line
Unable to look away, Andrei watched her vigorously dry her lush hair with a hand towel, the thin fabric of her nightie stretching over her barely-there chest, the exposed skin on her arms gently calling out to him, seducing him into breaking all his self-imposed rules. Andrei stood up, grabbed the throw blanket and draped it around her shoulders, averting danger and temptation, for the moment at least. "What is wrong with you?" Holly snapped, a stormy look in her eyes as she tried to shrug off the throw. "You'll catch a cold in that skimpy thing," he replied. But it wasn't her wellbeing he was concerned about. It was his own sanity and peace of mind. He didn't trust himself to behave in her presence, and if their heated encounter in the elevator was anything to go by, surely keeping his hands to himself was a challenge he was destined to fail. "You must be starving," he said, redirecting his thoughts to something banal, like food. Still focused on her hair, Holly shrugged, "Not
Last Updated : 2025-01-21Reckless Hearts 62|Unravelling
"Earlier, in the elevator, you mentioned you had something to tell me," Andrei said, well aware he was trying to delay his departure by making meaningless small talk. "Right! I did!" Holly leaned on the doorjamb and crossed her arms. "I saw your father today. No. I mean, Pavel." "Where?" "At the Mediclinic in Linksfield." "Are you sure?" "Dead sure." She nodded. "He was in the neurology wing, and I chatted to a nurse…" She paused mid-sentence, shaking her head slightly, like she was trying to convince herself that whatever she saw was unimportant. But she'd certainly piqued his interest, especially since neither his father nor Pavel had mentioned any hospital visit. "What did the nurse say?" "Honestly, maybe it's nothing—" "What did she say, Holly?" He asked, his voice cracking with worry. "What did the nurse say? Is Pavel sick? Does my father know?" "It's not Pavel who's sick, Drei," she replied quietly. It took him a moment to make sense of her announcement, and when he
Last Updated : 2025-01-21Reckless Hearts 63|Ultimatum
Holly woke up feeling happier than she had in a while. How could she not be when she'd shared not one but several kisses with Andrei? She sprung out of bed and belted into song as she went about her morning, preparing for her visit with her parents. But, like all good things, her joy came to an abrupt end when Katherine pounced on her as soon as she stepped into the lobby hours later, as she headed to Glen Eagles to meet her folks and siblings. "What the hell is wrong with your phone?" Katherine demanded, grabbing Holly by the arm and pushing her towards the revolving doors. "I called you numerous times, and the imbeciles at the front desk refused to give me your room number. You have got to put the brakes on all this madness. The Institute can't afford any more negative press—" Katherine's wild appearance—from her uncombed hair to her mismatched outfit and the poorly done makeup—made her look as frazzled and agitated as she sounded. A complete opposite of the woman Holly had known
Last Updated : 2025-01-21Reckless Hearts 64|Off The Rails
For once, the family dinner was going well, despite Holly being almost two hours late. They were all minding their own business and enjoying Nanette's four-course meal. They were all happy. Until Liam addressed the elephant in the room, asking about the marks on Holly's neck. When she made it clear the subject was not up for discussion, he doubled down, demanding to know if Cooper was responsible. Soon, Willow jumped on the bandwagon, and Holly knew she didn't stand a chance. So, after much badgering from the brother-sister tag team, she caved and filled everyone in on her encounter with Cooper and her subsequent protection order. As expected, her parents were furious, threatening all kinds of legal action against Cooper. Liam and Willow were equally enraged, but happy to settle the score with violence. "Honestly, you guys have nothing to worry about; I've handled it. The hearing is in three weeks, and I'm pretty sure the judge will rule in my favour and grant me a permanent o
Last Updated : 2025-01-21Reckless Hearts 65|Blindsided
"No," Holly whispered, gasping for air as the walls of her chest moved closer, squeezing her lungs. "He wouldn't do that." "He did, and right in front of Sabrina," Cooper said in a hauntingly calm voice. "I didn't realise you have a thing for psychopaths." "What the hell is he saying? He's not making any sense!" Liam said, glancing at Holly, annoyance and confusion flitting on his face. "Yeah, what does Andrei have to do with this?" Willow chimed in. "I'm so confused!" "For God's sake, Holly, tell me you are not involved with Andrei!" Liam said softly, disappointment and anger burning in his eyes. "Oh, they are involved, alright. He was with her at The Castle the other night, threw his weight around like some hotshot," Cooper added fuel to the fire, fanning the flames of Liam's rage. "Is it true?" He demanded, turning all his anger on her. "Were you with Andrei a few nights back?" "I was," Holly admitted, nodding her head. "But it's not like that. He agreed to sell the penthouse
Last Updated : 2025-01-21Reckless Hearts 66|Wounded Her
After their call earlier, Andrei didn't expect to hear from Holly again, but when Helga ran upstairs and crashed his meeting with his lieutenants, excitedly announcing Holly's arrival, he left his study faster than the Flash, eager to see her. So her cold reception—no, her rage simmering just below the surface—was the last thing he'd hoped for. "You are upset," he said, unsure if he should approach her. Holly followed his lead, staying put on her end of the room, her hands curled into fists, shaking at her sides. It was clear as day she was trying her damnedest to hold her anger in, and he wanted so much to take her in his arms, if only just to make her feel better. But her sharp intake of breath, followed by a fierce look, told him to stay the hell away from her. "What exactly do you think of me?" Holly asked just when Andrei began to think they'd spend the entire night staring at each other. "What do you mean?" "Do I look like some damsel in distress to you?" "Of course not, b
Last Updated : 2025-01-21Reckless Hearts 67|Little Osaka
Little Osaka, the brothel where Nathan Gopal died in a hail of bullets a few months earlier following the fallout with Jaco and the De Jagers, was a fortress when Andrei and his lieutenants arrived just after 11:00 PM. Several highly skilled security teams, trained in crowd control and threat management, were stationed at all entry points, armed to the teeth and ready to handle any ambush, big or small. A year ago, Andrei would have thought it was overkill. But after Willem unleashed hell on Rock Castle and sent his henchmen to slaughter Nathan and several escorts like pigs, he understood Lev's overly cautious approach. They could not afford a repeat of the chaos, especially when they were hosting a prominent member of the Mexican cartel. Ivan killed the engine and switched off the headlights, but they stayed put and scoped out the place from the safety of their seats, waiting for Lev's all-clear. Despite the infamous massacre, now known as the 'ambush of Little Osaka' in the under
Last Updated : 2025-02-04
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Reckless Hearts 121|Like A Damn Addict
"You really can't help yourself, can you?" Liam's deep and quiet voice rang clearly through the room, the weight of his words clashing with the ever-rising tension. "You're like a damn addict. You just can't help yourself!"Holly opened her mouth to speak, to explain, to save Andrei more than herself, and to shield him from Liam's imminent wrath. But her tongue seemed to have grown twice its size, rendering her mute.Locked in some kind of trance, or something equally weird, like sleep paralysis, unable to speak or move, Holly could see everything so clearly—from the erect, almost defensive way Andrei held himself to Liam's rage bubbling just beneath the surface to Eden opening up her arms to her son and burying his face in her chest like she didn't want him to see all the ugliness about to unfold. Holly took in all these little things, but like a ghost trapped in the physical plane or an astral visitor stuck in someone else's dream, she couldn't interact with the objects around her
Reckless Hearts 120|Love Was Meant For Other People
If anyone had asked Andrei how he felt at that moment, with Holly in his arms and his mom's ring on her finger, he would have told them he was elated. But honestly, that, too, didn't even come close to the delirious joy brimming in his heart. In fact, he was so ecstatic he wondered how it wasn't a crime for anyone to be as happy as he was. "You've made me so happy, Milaya," he whispered, kissing Holly's forehead. All his life, he had always believed love was meant for other people—good, deserving people like Liam and Levi. And until a few weeks ago, marriage was the furthest thing from his mind. But now, with just a simple 'yes' to his proposal, Holly had opened the door to a world of possibility. "You have no idea how happy I am right now," he murmured in her hair. "I could die this moment, and I'll be okay with it—" Holly playfully slapped his arm, chastising him, "Hey, don't joke about dying, especially after today." "It was just a figure of speech," Andrei laughed, pushing he
Reckless Hearts 119|Endure
Eventually, Holly got over her shock and spluttered out her confusion, her eyes roaming wildly over Andrei's face in search of answers. "But Naomi said it's from Mexico!" "Naomi's right. That vial is from Mexico. There are only ninety-nine others in the country. Or at least there were." "What do you mean?" "Like I said, Jonah or whoever he's working for stole the drugs from me, and I can't let this shit slide," Andrei replied and swiftly changed the subject, asking her how long the doctors planned to keep her at the hospital, even though she'd already told him it was only for tonight. "I should be discharged tomorrow." "I'll pick you up," he offered, but Holly shot him down, reminding him there were four men outside her door, watching her every move under the guise of keeping her safe. If it hadn't been for her phone call to Eric, he wouldn't have been allowed to see her. "So what are you saying?" Andrei asked as he touched the ring in his pocket for assurance, hoping his gut fe
Reckless Hearts 118|Glimpses Of Herself
With seven minutes to go, Andrei charmed the nurses into letting him see Holly early, sweet-talking his way to her private ward. His luck ran out, though, when he found four of Liam's guys, including Eric, standing guard outside her door. "You shouldn't be here," said Eric as he got up in Andrei's face. "Ms Anderson almost died because of you." Ignoring him, Andrei pulled out his phone and called Holly. "Milaya," he said when she picked up. "Where are you? You sound so close." "I'm outside your room, but your guard dogs won't let me in." "Let me talk to them," she said and hung up. A moment later, Eric's phone rang. He picked up Holly's call and let Andrei through without saying a word. Holly's face lit up like the night sky on New Year's Eve when he stepped inside. She shoved her bed covers aside and sprung to her feet. But the pain in her knee sent her crashing back on the bed, and she howled in agony. Andrei was at her side in a heartbeat, asking as he cradled her in his a
Reckless Hearts 117|The Real Deal
Andrei was in Forrest Creek just as the sun dipped in the horizon, catching Helga as she was about to knock off. "Your dinner's in the microwave," she told him as she gathered her stuff. "And don't forget I'm not in for the rest of the week. My daughter—" "Thanks, Helga." Andrei smiled at her and saw her off, telling her to enjoy her break with her new grandkid. With just under an hour before visiting hours, Andrei dashed upstairs to freshen up, scoffing down his dinner while getting dressed. When he was done, he called Monique to confirm the chopper was ready to pick up his twin from Poolsmoor prison bright and early tomorrow. "I thought prisons had strict rules about this sort of thing," said Monique, sounding as exhausted as Andrei felt. "And I thought I paid you enough to know when something is not your business, Monique!" Andrei retorted and promptly hung up on her. She was right, though. Prisons had strict protocols in place when it came to prisoner transfers. But Andrei fig
Reckless Hearts 116|Fought A Thousand Battles
"What's this about now, Papa?" Andrei asked. "Sit!" Nikolai pointed at the armchair while he made himself comfortable behind his desk. "I'll get Pavel to bring in some refreshments. And since you're here, maybe you can stay for supper?" "No thanks," Andrei declined the seat, drink and meal, explaining he had to take Ivan to the airport. "Where's he flying to?" asked Nikolai, resting his hands on the surface of his desk. "Botswana," Andrei replied, but didn't offer any other information, and he was glad when his father didn't press for details. "Your brother's transfer is happening tomorrow?" Nikolai's statement sounded more like an accusation than a question, and Andrei wasn't sure how to respond. Nikolai took the decision out of his hands when he went on the offensive, accusing Andrei of keeping him in the dark. "Why did I have to hear from your assistant that your twin is coming home?" "Maybe if you had answered Leks' calls, you wouldn't have had to hear it from Monique. Le
Reckless Hearts 115|Shone as brightly
"Give me five minutes," Andrei said when they pulled into the horseshoe driveway and parked close to the front door a little while later. "You'd better hurry up. I have a flight to catch," Ivan retorted, reminding him about his trip to Botswana. The team of four guys he'd assembled to bring Sienna in were already on their way to the airport. "Yes, sir!" Andrei called over his shoulder, giving his lieutenant a mock salute as he ran up the front steps. The housekeeping staff were taken aback when he stepped into the lavish foyer and found them polishing the bannisters of the grand double staircase. "Mr Ivanov, we weren't expecting you." "I know!" Andrei replied. He never made unplanned stops. And if it weren't for his father's insistence to have a home-cooked meal with him at least once a week, he wouldn't even bother coming by. The place had stopped feeling like a home long before his mom died. "What can we do for you, sir?" The two ladies asked, ready to be of service, as they
Reckless Hearts 114|Like A Pendulum
"First time?" asked Thabo, Lev's mortuary technician friend. His brilliantly white teeth, as he smiled at Andrei, were a stark contrast to his smooth mahogany skin. "Hardly," Andrei replied and quickly shut his mouth, afraid if he didn't, the unbearably warm stench would creep into him and taint every inch of his soul. They passed several closed doors as Thabo led them down an endless corridor. He candidly explained that the air-conditioning system was out of order, hence the humidity and smell. "We logged it two days ago, but they have yet to send the technicians to fix it. I guess no one cares about the material comforts of the dead," he said, taking them deeper into the bowels of the morgue. Just when Andrei began to think the man had no idea where they were going, Thabo abruptly stopped in front of a cavernous room whose metal doors were wide open, like a gaping mouth. "There they are," he said, pointing at several bodies lying on cadaver carriers. "Why are they out in the o
Reckless Hearts 113|Seen And Smelled Death
"I was surprised you went with orchids," said Diane, the beaded strands tinkling softly as she pushed the curtain back in place and returned to her workstation."Aesthetically wise, I would have gone with roses," she added, setting the potted plant on the table. "Anything but roses!" Andrei murmured, running his fingers on the tips of pink tulips peeking out from an elaborate arrangement on the counter beside the cash register."But I like the symbolism behind orchids," she continued, as if Andrei hadn't spoken. Her hands moved deftly as she got down to work and performed magic with the Spanish moss, curly willow vines and some clippers. "Did you know that orchids were associated with virility in ancient Greece? In fact, Greek women believed that if the father of their unborn child consumed large, new orchid tubers, the baby would be a boy. If the mother ate small orchid tubers, she would give birth to a girl."Andrei didn't know this, of course. He'd chosen orchids for their enduran
