บททั้งหมดของ Arranged To The Bravta King: บทที่ 131 - บทที่ 140

MikhailWe return to the couch and immerse ourselves in the search, reading every word written on each page as the hours slowly pass.Maria's keen eyes catch something I've missed. The pages in the lead-up to my father's death have also been torn out. She runs her fingertips over the page and suddenly holds it up against the light as if seeing something that isn't there.I join her side, and that's when I see it.When she tilts the journal in just the right direction, a series of light indentations can be seen.Ghosts of pen marks from the prior pages that have been torn out. The marks are so light that they might not have been noticed were it not for Maria's eye for detail."I can't read it," she says, squinting at the page. "Can you?""I know a way," I tell her, taking the journal out of her hands. "Hand me a sketching pencil."Maria's face lights up instantly, and she hurries to the desk drawer. "Here." She hands me what I'm asking for.Gently, I brush the pencil over the raised ma

MariaMy heart plummets and my knees tremble—I don't like that sound."Mercy!" I burst into the natatorium, finding her floating in the pool. She has on my yellow two-piece, and a speaker blasts Taylor Swift. I shut the music off, and she glances toward me."Marie?" Mercy's face clouds with confusion. "What's going on? You look pale."At that moment, there's another loud crash on the floor above us. Something, or somebody, has hit the floor hard enough to shake it. Wide-eyed, Mercy stares at me for answers. "Marie, what the fuck is going on?""Something is wrong!" I hiss. "We need to get out of here!"Mercy swims to the pool's edge and leaps out of the water, grabbing her beach towel. I take her hand and pull her toward the door. We still have time before whoever is upstairs decides to search the lower floors.But footsteps pound the landing above us, and there is no time.I grab Mercy, pulling her along the gray hallways that transform into a treacherous labyrinth."We'll take the em

MariaI'm overwhelmed by a terrible smell that I can't describe. I take shallow breaths and hold my body very still. I'm held captive in my own body, my limbs heavy and immovable, as if I've been frozen in time. I have the impression that I'm falling, and it's odd. This sensation of being surrounded by rough, jagged hardness, though I can't reach out and touch the edges. I can feel them scratch me as my body rolls back and forth. I want it to stop, but it won't. I take deep breaths, trying hard to stave off the terror, but it only makes the sensation worse. I feel the walls pressing against my skin, almost crushing me. I want it to end, but I'm powerless to stop it.There is a jolt as if I've hit bottom, and the shock of a sudden stop reverberates through my bones. Everything around me is silent, and it becomes unbearable. I try to move, starting slowly by wiggling my fingers and tapping them against the hard surface. But when I try to lift my arm, it feels too heavy to move.No matte

MikhailOur SUV idles on the shoulder of a two-lane highway, hidden by a thick grove of pine trees. In the distance, the ocean is visible to the left. A strip of churning blue between pale sand and a gray sky. I wait outside the vehicle in the chilly wind and watch the road for Pavel's vehicle. Rurik is not too far away, but his only job, for now, is to guard Larissa at their house. The guards I trust are combing through the shambles of the penthouse for clues and examining surveillance to identify the individuals who raided my home. I had to leave without Pavel after receiving Maria's message. I had to hurry to save her and trust Zakhar wouldn't try to kill me along the way.But who can I trust now? The tourists are long gone, and I stare down the empty highway as the wind picks up. The movement makes a soft chant in my ears and warns me not to repeat this mistake. Trusting people shouldn't be a mistake, but it is. But I don't have any other options. I spot the SUV approaching and li

ZAKHAR19 YEARS AGO"Yes!" Gennady slams the glass desk with his fist, and I step back. "We've got them, Zakhar."One day, he'll break that glass top. Instead of meeting on the ninth floor as usual, I've been called to the penthouse. Tanya granted Gennady one room, facing the skyline and not the park, to use for an office. She disapproves of business being discussed around their children. Her concern makes me laugh. Desmier is a wild teenager, and the other two show no interest in Daddy's business."Who do we have?" I ask, sitting down in the chair in front of his desk."The Lanzzare," he beams. "Alexander, the crafty devil, has found a dirty secret on them." Gennady sits down, smiling like a victor on his throne. "He's discovered a shipping company run by a Raymond D'Artello, and the company is a critical operation. After a little snooping, we suspect the Lanzzare are skimming from us and other organizations. Everyone. Russians. Italian. Even the fucking Chinese."I shake my head. "I