로그인Talia POV How long has Ethan been screaming?The man shifts his gaze up the stairs, then back to me, and a wicked grin stretches across his face, making him look like the devil himself.“Mommy?” he asks, one eyebrow cocked.A car comes to a screeching halt outside. Does he hear it? I know I have seconds to act, and I smash my head into his nose hard.He stumbles backward, his hold on me relaxing for just a minute, but when I try to slip away, to reach the knife just a few feet from me, he slams the butt of his gun into my temple so hard I spin and drop to my hands and knees.“Don’t you fucking dare!”I’m dazed. My head throbs, hair hanging like a bloody curtain between us as the room spins. I think about this morning, and I can still smell the marshmallow pancakes Aria made this morning, I should have just gone with Alexei.Lucas shoves me onto my back, eyes like death as he scans my body, pushing thick fingers into the waistband of my jeans.He tugs me closer, forcing my legs apart
Talia POV Alexei wanted me to go with her and his brother for a little celebration because of Tristan induction but I refused and he had no choice but to leave us with Ivan who suddenly had an emergency but promised to rush back within few minutes.Twenty minutes pass, then thirty. Ethan is bathed and dressed and playing with the toys in his borrowed room.I take my now charged phone upstairs to check on him yet again and decide to text Ivan. I don’t want to appear helpless or afraid, but there’s no denying that I am anxious.Ivan doesn’t reply right away, and when that thirty minutes becomes forty-five minutes, my stomach twists into knots and I leave Ethan door slightly ajar and go downstairs. I need to call Alexei, but I don’t want Ethan to overhear anything.Apart from the sounds of Ethan driving the toy truck around the room, the house is quiet. I am too as I descend the stairs, phone in hand.A sound at the back door makes my heart leap. I hurry to the front window, staying out
Aria POVIvan gave a slow nod, his attention drifting somewhere far away.The silence between us stretched just long enough for my curiosity to get the better of me."So..." I began carefully. "By the time your wife finishes all those years of studying, won't you already have children?"The words slipped out before I could stop them and I winced inwardly. Why had I asked that?Ivan and I weren't close enough for questions like that. If anyone should have answered it, it would have been his wife, not him."I'm sorry," I said quickly. "You don't have to answer that."He looked at me for several long seconds, his face unreadable and his expression reminded me so much of Viktor before he'd learned how to let me see beyond the mask.Finally, he exhaled. "Honestly... I don't know."His voice was quieter than before. "My wife and I haven't planned that far ahead."Ivan fingers drummed lightly against the countertop. "We've talked about surviving and the family."A faint smile tugged at one c
Aria POV “Are you worried Tristan will refuse the tattoo today?” I asked as I lay in Viktor arms after sunrise, tracing his tattoos and the hard ridges of his abs.“Not exactly worried, no. I think he’ll see reason.”I shook my head, and Viktor pulled back to regard me with a frown. “Did he tell you anything?” There was definitely a hint of concern in his voice.“No,” I said. “But I don’t think Tristan will do it because he sees it as the reasonable choice. He isn’t like that. Tristan is driven by emotions. He’ll take the tattoo because he loves you, Alexei and Sergei, because he’s loyal to you.”Viktor nodded and gradually his expression softened before he bent down to press a kiss to my mouth. I smiled against his lips and touched his cheeks, enjoying the feel of his beard against my palms.We stared into each other’s eyes and I could hardly resist telling Viktor I loved him again.He was trying to come to terms with his emotions and I didn’t want to pressure him. It still seemed
Viktor POV After coming back from the clubhouse, I decided to go see Tristan who had mostly been hiding in his room since Alexei had brought Talia home.His initiation was in few days and I wanted to make sure his current mental state didn’t lead to a decision he’d come to regret.I knocked on his door and didn’t get a reply but I knew he was inside and could only assume he had his headphones on like so often.I pushed the door open and found him lying on his bed, listening to music and glaring at the ceiling.When he spotted me, he frowned and sat up, pulling his headphones off. “Ever heard of privacy?”I took in the mess on the floor, crumpled clothes, dirty dishes, half-empty Coke bottles with cigarette stubs inside of them. “No smoking in the house. You know the rules, Alexei won't take it lightly if he sees this.”Tristan rolled his eyes and gave me the finger and I advanced on him then grabbed his arm, jerking him to his feet. “Alexei and I give you a lot of leeway, Tristan but
Talia POV It was noon already and only Alexei came back, I was more worried because I didn't get any message from him apart from the one he sent earlier.“Hey,” Tristan said hesitantly, and I noticed his eyes color is brown just like Alexei. “Viktor sent me to get you.”I didn’t move from my spot at the window. “What are you, his servant?”The boy smiled an unguarded, honest smile. “I’m his youngest brother, as you know.” My eyes flitted down to his forearm, free of the markings of the Blacktop, “You haven’t been inducted yet.”The smile dropped. “I will be in few days.”“But you don’t want to,” I said curiously.Caution replaced the open friendliness. “We shouldn’t keep my brother waiting.”He opened the door wider and gestured for me to walk through. I wondered what he would do if I refused to follow him.He was taller than me and definitely stronger, but I got the impression he would have a hard time laying a hand on me. Finally, I moved toward him and followed him through the l
Viktor POV Yuri eyes shifted between my brother and me, his breathing picking up and fear started to fill his veins and I knew the signs were obvious but this was only the beginning of his sorrow.I leaned down, my mouth curling. “You will admit to it your transgressions soon and you will apologiz
Viktor POVWhen Alexei first told me about a marriage with the Crown Syndicate, I thought he was pulling my legs as usual but when Nikolai sent me the picture I was surprised, marriage was the last thing on my mind right now and an orphan, I didn't know what to say about that. I should have known s
Aria POVI immediately looked away from him and fighting the weak tears at the corner of my eye.I saw him remove his boxers, and then he climbed on the bed naked. I trembled because couldn’t stop myself no matter how had I tried. His hand touched my waist then slid up slowly, the touch was light b
Aria POV“Who is it I am going to marry?” I forced the words out, but they sounded strangled.That was the first question I asked my uncle when he came into my room and informed me I was getting married. I was an orphan so finding a notable member of the Crown Syndicate is almost impossible.“Vikto







