All Chapters of KNIVES AND HEARTSTRINGS: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

After I left Adira side on the bed, I met up with Iason at one of our discrete warehouse locations. We needed to talk more about the Russian situation, and I had to bring up the vault. That conversation was long overdue.The warehouse was nearly empty, save for the occasional movement my men transporting gun shipments. I walked through the shadows of crates and steel to my office, where I found Iason, already waiting for me.“Spill,” I said immediately I stepped in, wasting no time.“After the day we saw Luciano with the Russian guy, I dug deeper into him. Turns out, he’s been making deals with the brother of the Bratva leader." Iason took a seat across from me, his voice tense.My jaw clenched. Why would Luciano make a move like that?Iason read the confusion on my face and continued. "At first, I thought it was just about expanding their trafficking ring. But then I found out something worse. The Bratva are working with the Yakuza.""The fuck?" I leaned forward, disbelief writhing i

After Adira had left the office, Iason and I stayed behind to discuss business. It was time to destabilize the Yakuza as best we could—especially given their apparent ties to the Bratva.“One of the Yakuza’s biggest sources of income is the Shinjuku casino,” I began, tracing a path on the map my father left me, the tip of my pen gliding along the paper. “Taking it down won’t be difficult. Their security is loose, and the lieutenant in charge already has a penchant for skimming from his boss.”Iason leaned back in his chair across the table, his hands clasped tightly in front of him. “I’ve actually been keeping my eyes on him. He’s sloppy—practically begging to be the first domino.”He wasn’t wrong. And that’s exactly why we would use him to get the job done.“It’ll be done quietly, of course. Ready our best spies. They’ll handle this.”He nodded in agreement, and I continued with the plan.“We create a little havoc inside the casino and let him do the rest.”He nodded again. “The goal

Adira’s hands gripped me like she’d drown if she let go. I kicked open the door to my room with my foot and tossed her onto the bed. She landed in a tangle of limbs and wild caramel hair, her face down, and bare ass up, like an offering. Like a fucking challenge I was definitely going to win tonight.I didn’t waste time stripping off my shirt and jeans, my hard and straining cock springing free from its confines, angry and flushed. The beast inside me was way past subtlety and patience. Adira half-turned to look at me, her eyes glassy with the fading aftershock of what I’d done to her pussy on the couch, but in those amber pools, I saw a darkness I’d never seen before, one I was willing to let consume me tonight.Her mouth curved in a crooked, dangerous smile.She was already crawling to the edge of the bed and stopped on her knees, just enough to be eye-level with my cock. She licked her lips, slow and deliberate, and then wrapped both hands around the base. I groaned at the contact,

A FEW HOURS BEFORE.Regardless of how unforgettable last night with Adira was, the image of her ass thrust out like an offering flashed behind my eyes every time I blinked.My mind should be focused on the threats, shipments, and numerous enemies on all sides, not replaying the way she looked at me when I took her again after our shower together.I drew in a breath, forcing the memory down like a shot of sour beer. I couldn't afford to get lost in her again. Not yet, anyway.Iason's voice cut through my thoughts. He hovered over my desk and slammed a thick folder on the polished wood."The Bratva are moving again," he started. "Shipment through Thessaloniki in two days. Guns, women, the usual."I opened the file. It included manifests, routes, and encoded messages. It was too neat and coincidental. In my world, that only meant trouble."They want me to find this," I muttered.Iason nodded, crossing his arms. "That's what I thought too,” he replied. “Could be bait."I scanned the docum

I woke to the muffled scuffle of shoes and the antiseptic hum of the ward.For a moment, I wasn't sure where I was, then the bed creaked beneath me and reality seeped back like an unwelcome tide.I was by myself on the bed Baba had insisted they give us, with a thin blanket folded beneath my knees. Pen's scarf was crumpled beside me, and my hair smelled faintly of hospital soap and the tears of the previous night.“Have you seen my father?" I asked the nurse the moment she turned to me, my voice small and raspy.She had on the professional, tired smile that nurses wear. "He's in there, dear. With your mom. She's awake. The doctor wanted her to rest a bit before visitors could come, but he—" she hesitated, glancing at my face, "—he's fine. You look tired. You should try to rest.""I—no—" I sat up. "Is he okay? Is Mama okay?""He's with her now," she said again, softly. "You can go in for a few minutes. But please be quiet. She needs quiet right now."I nodded, climbed off the cot, and