All Chapters of I Am Mustafin: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Only a couple of days have passed since my failed escape attempt landed me back in the cell room. Time stretches endlessly, leaving me with nothing but my thoughts. Ironically, my mind fixates on a single, haunting question:What if this is it?I’ve spent hours contemplating Efrem’s motives. Isaak’s words that night have planted seeds of doubt about my initial assumptions. If Efrem truly wanted me dead, why go through the trouble of saving my life? Everything except my own actions seems to make sense now.I don't know anything...Now, as I walk down the hall that seems to stretch on forever, escorted by Tavin, my heart races. The realization hits me that my death might simplify everything for everyone involved, especially for Efrem.I never meant to cause any trouble... All I wanted was to get Briannah some medicine so that she could get better...Tavin's knuckles rap against the wooden doors of Efrem’s office, and my stomach plummets. A creeping numbness spreads through my fingertips

I sit at the dining room table, my eyes fixed on the bowl of oatmeal and fruit before me. The placement mat beneath it feels foreign, a reminder that this isn't my home. I'm trying to be patient, waiting for Efrem to join me—as he always does at meal time—but this time, when I walked into the dining room just a few moments ago, he wasn't here.It's odd. He's usually here before I am.“He won't be joining you this morning,” Tavin says after a minute, my eyes snapping up to look at him. He has been standing in the corner of the room since he escorted me from my bedroom to here. “He's… preoccupied…” his voice trails off.That's right. He isn't to let me out of his sight until Efrem says otherwise. I'm almost surprised that I'm still allowed to be in my bedroom alone.I wish it was Isaak who was here all the time…I haven't seen him since the night that I tried to run away. I'm not sure if it's on purpose or if it's because he's busy doing whatever he does for Efrem.Maybe it's better thi

I feel sick. A knot turns in the pit of my stomach, my lungs drawing a shaky breath. “I—”“Does Efrem know that you're here?” Ciana raises an eyebrow, her arms crossed just beneath her breasts as she takes a single step closer to me.I take three times as many steps back, my hands trembling just slightly.It's not that I'm afraid of her because frankly, I know that if it came down to it, I could easily take her in a fight. It's that if I did so much as hurt a hair on her head, I'd probably die for it.Well…that would be up to Efrem, so…I ball my hands into fists, standing my ground, I say, “That's not any of your business.”She doesn't like that, and she does little to hide it.“Oh?” She furrows her eyebrows, studying me with her emerald green eyes.I guess I can see what Efrem sees in her. She's beautiful. The way her long, shiny red hair hangs just above her tiny waist and her perfectly clean olive skin glows. The shimmering silver dress that she wears hugs her hourglass figure nic

I breathe in deeply, the corners of my lips curling into a small smile as I relish in the delicious scent of the mahogany coconut cologne.Where am I?My eyes flutter open and almost instantly, it dawns on me: I'm still in Efrem’s arms. My heart skips a beat, my breath catching in my lungs.Shit. Shit. Shit. What should I do?I try to keep my breathing steady, not wanting him to know that I'm wide awake. Not until I figure out what to say, anyway.Why did he save me?The question burns in my mind, and try as I might to pretend indifference, the truth is undeniable—I care. I know I've been difficult, deliberately defying his explicit instructions.Should I apologize? If I do, will it make a difference? Will I be punished for this?The bitter realization settles in my gut: I don't know anything. Isaak was right. So were Tavin, Matvey, Konstantin, and everyone else who told me to just fucking li

Nausea churns in my stomach as we pull into the driveway of the Diallo Ringleader's home. My eyes flick to Alek's hands as he turns the steering wheel of the SUV. A large gate looms before us, guarded by a man with his arms crossed behind his back, legs spread at shoulder width. His dark brown eyes shift ever-so-slightly, studying Alek.Unlike Alek and Efrem, his complexion is much darker.The Diallo Ring is renowned for their darker skin. In a room full of people, even among members of every Ring, Diallos stick out like a sore thumb. Just as famous for their unique features, they're also known for having the largest and arguably most impressive land. Their population is nearly double that of the smallest Ring: Wen.The guard steps aside, likely recognizing Alek. The gate splits open slowly, and he nods as we drive past. A long path stretches before us, lined with trees on both sides as far as the eye can see.This is what Efrem was talking about over bre