DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 91 - チャプター 100

DAMIANA week later, I call for a meeting between my closest men in my office.The place smells like cigar smoke and rich leather. The air also is thick with the low murmur of conversation. Zoran talks about his latest security expansions, high-end contracts of which most are surprisingly legal this time but he never turns down a favor for the right price. Andros leans back in his seat, nodding along but mostly listening. Sydney hangs around my left with his arms folded, occasionally offering a word or two when necessary.I take a sip of my whiskey, letting the amber liquid burn slowly down my throat. “The real estate projects in Bogota are progressing well. The columbian families are using the resorts exactly how we expected, you know, keeping their assets clean, moving money in and out without suspicion.”Andros smirks. “Bet they love the extra security too.”“They do,” I agree, setting my glass down. “And it benefits us. A win-win.”Sydney scoffs lightly. “Until the wrong person f

DAMIANBefore Zoran leaves, he makes sure I give him a lay down of everything that has been happening, including the text message. He showed no sign of surprise. Of course betrayal is a regular occurrence in the house of a made man. However from this moment onward, I know who to draw close and who to look out for. Like the saying goes ‘if you want to eat with the devil, then you dine with a long spoon’. That’s exactly what I’ll be doing. A call comes in. It’s from one of my men who oversees the resorts in southside Sochi. “There’s a Sergeant Dickson here to speak to you. He has the badge, boss.”Another snooping dog. “What does he want?”He switches to thick Russian. “I overheard him say something about dead bodies in one of the resorts. He didn’t leave much to make a full report out of but I say this is happening too often to be a mere accident.” “Hmm.” That’s also a possibility. “Put him on the phone.” A small shuffle and then a high voice that instantly grates on my nerves. “I

LILIANAAlice and I are seated in the patio sharing a cup of her delicious, home-made version of the virgin mojito. It’s sweet like I thought it would be and makes me feel relaxed. She never disappoints. Zip left here some hours ago and before she did, she gave me a funny look. Alice says it’s her guilty face. I haven’t stopped laughing since I learned that. “Look at her playing. I’ve never seen her so…free in a while. To be honest, since you came into our lives—”“Since I was forced into your lives,” I tell her, with care not to soil her feelings. Thankfully, she dismisses it with a laugh.“I understand you had no choice then. How about now?”“I still don’t have one. Every time I bring up the topic of letting me go, he reminds me of wanting to keep me safe when I’m not even safe here.”She sighs, setting her drink down. “It’s not his fault, duska. He’s always been like that with the people he cares about. Believe it or not, he cares about you. More than he shows you.”That implies I

LILIANAThe water fills to the brim in the bath-tub, almost spilling over with bubbles. I watch from the door as Rachael turns off the faucet and pours in some essential oils from the vials lined up on the counter.I’m somewhere else in my head, miles and miles away from reality. I could’ve died alongside her, but she chose to save me. Thinking about it makes my stomach churn with unease, yet gratitude.“With all that has happened, I’m sure you’d like to soak in—” she notices me. “We will miss her dearly, of course. She was like the little sister I never had.”I sigh, pulling the bathrobe tighter around me. “She didn’t deserve that.”“None of us do but here we are, taking shit we don’t plan for.” She laughs bitterly, wiping her wet hands with a napkin. Her first statement throws me off guard. Are we still talking about Irina or…? “I’m sure she wouldn’t want us fussing over her now. She’s at rest wherever she is.” She dips her hand in to test the temperature. “The water is gonna get co

LILIANAI’ve barely been able to close my eyes since I assured Rachel I’ll be fine alone. Every second, I find myself throwing cautious glances over my shoulders, checking for danger.All of this is twenty minutes after Damian left.I know my days in this house are numbered. But when will I find the courage to walk away without–“God, I need a drink!” I blurt out to Rachel, collapsing right beside her on the bed. She’s refused to leave me alone.“Me too,” she admits with a sheepish smile playing around her mouth. “With all that has been unfolding lately, people are dropping around us like flies—I can’t deal with this anymore.”“And you can’t leave because?”She looks at me with a raised eyebrow. “You know why, it’s not foreign to you.”The image comes to mind. Her father wouldn’t want her to stop working here due to the personal favors he gets from Damian.“Letting your greed get in the way of your daughter’s happiness is just shitty parenting.” I sigh, staring wistfully at her. “I hop