Inhale.Exhale.Don’t lose your shit.Repeat.The inside of my throat burns. The decomposing of nausea swirls in my stomach, no matter how hard I try to push through it; to fight it.In some weird sense of thinking, I’m starting to believe that death is the only way out of here. The devil himself refuses to let me go any other way. It’s like a dark cloud is always hovering over my head and the lives of those I care about have been thrust into a cursed game of Russian Roulette.You never know who will be plucked off next.But I fight the fear.I fight the onslaught of panic dispersing across my chest like an inferno and do my best to stay strong; to be the fighter I was born to be.And it has suddenly dawned on me that the underworld is like a battlefield. It doesn’t matter how many fights you win. It’s winning the war that really counts and right now, Sandro has won many, many fights.Before my birth, this war had already been raging. It will last forever. Not until a small silver cap
I must have drifted off and fallen asleep.Stay calm.Don’t panic.Repeat.Drip. Drip. Drip.I also must have lost all track of time and consciousness as the vehicle made its tenth left turn and drove over its fourth speed bump. As I tried to drown out my deepest and darkest thoughts to try to concentrate on the surrounding sounds… I failed.No. I refuse to believe that.Exhaustion overrode me.Yes… that is it. I didn’t willingly submit to the darkness.Grief captured me and plummeted me into a sea of the abyss.Grief. It’s such a strange word to describe the abundance of agony that profusely claws at my chest and the heaviness of my heart that threatens to cease any moment now.Twisting my wrists, I am soon made aware that they are bound behind me and whatever is clasped around them has jagged edges that bite into my flesh every time I try to move them.The room is cold.Empty.Damp.My eyesight is overshadowed by the pillowcase, and the cold chair I am sitting on wobbles every time
My heart aches as a dull pain splinters across my chest while Leo continues to meet my gaze.Never in my brightest days did I imagine that I would see Leo standing by his father's side, and now that I do, the thought of trusting him makes me sick.“Are you going to kill me?” I courageously ask, suppressing my fear back into the darkness where it belongs.Drip. Drip. Fucking Drip…Leo’s brows furrow for a second and an unreadable expression masks his features, but it disappears just as quickly as it appeared.“Kill you?” He grounds out, straightening with a cruel hiss departing between his lips.His arm is still in a sling and his face still looks like a messy canvas with different coloured bruising splattered along his jawline.“Yeah… Are you going to kill me?”Slowly shaking his head, Leo sighs roughly and combs his fingers through his hair. “We aren’t going to kill you, Zeynep.” His voice is smooth and gentle. “You are aware that my father wishes to marry you to completely corrupt
LEO'S POINT OF VIEW: As my father gives me the order to shoot Zeynep in the kneecaps, I watch the look of defiance and unwavering courage burn in her irises. She is truly spectacular, a little bud that has blossomed into something beautiful since I met her. She has created an unexpected throb in my heart and messed up the rhythm of its beat. I hate my father with a passion, and I have been waiting for this opportunity for as long as I can remember. From the moment I learned the truth about my mother’s demise, I have lived and thrived on deception and deceit. Manipulating the game is a thrill of mine, and I never let anyone get close enough to discover my hidden truths. Zeynep is a prized gem, something to be cherished. We are rivals. Sworn enemies yet, she is the only woman who can put out the fire in our bloodlines. “What are you waiting for, Leo? A fucking invitation? Shoot her knees!” My father orders. I cock the gun, waiting for Zeyneps’ jaded-coloured irises to meet mine, an
I stand outside on the balcony of my hotel room, which overlooks the small city with bright lights illuminating the sidewalks. The cool early morning breeze gently sweeps across my face, cooling my flushed cheeks and my boiling blood thrumming through my veins.Dipping my head, I look down at my hands which are no longer covered in Giovanni's blood. Flashes of me slitting his throat wash over me, making me dizzy, fuelled by sin. Sucking in a razor-sharp breath, I focus on the sky's blanket of beauty that is staring me right in the face. There is no point in me wasting what little energy I consume, bemoaning crimes I've committed, or wasting precious time by expressing regret. It is done.It's over.The streets run red with the blood of our enemies and vengeance has been achieved.I’m safe.No one is coming to hurt me any time soon.I can finally breathe and not feel like I’m choking on my anxiety. My fingers grip the steel fence, turning my knuckles a ghastly shade of white, as
Leo slicks back his hair, still damp from the shower, and squares his shoulders as he locks eyes with Dmitri. The air in the dimly lit room is heavy with tension as the two men stand face to face, their eyes locked in a deadly stare-down. The atmosphere is charged with danger as they wait for the other to show weakness and submit to their dominance. I know for certain that Dmitri will not lower his gaze first, especially since he is slowly removing his jacket. I also know that Leo won't back down either, and I find that incredibly alluring. I underestimated him right from the start, but now I see the fire in his eyes and the power he holds. I won't be making that mistake ever again. “If this clown shoots Dmitri, the deal is off,” I state firmly, reminding them both that I am still present. “D, you can put your jacket back on, this isn’t a pissing contest.” Church keeps his gun raised, paying no attention to me as he clears his throat and moves closer to Dmitri. I step out
My heart feels like it is shattering into a million pieces for the last and final time as I intently gaze at Dmitri. The look of unwavering disbelief tainting his features makes my stomach churn. Gods, I feel sick. I’m so torn between doing what is right and disregarding everything just to be with the one person who makes my heart whole. Both Dmitri and Leo have one thing in common. They never let anyone get close enough to see the real them. No one aside from me anyway. I jolt the second he takes one step toward me, his eyes blazing with rage. “If he is forcing you to make this oath with him, decline it now, and we will get the hell out of here.” He whispers roughly as he turns his head to the side to mask his words from Leo. Sighing, I shake my head, trying to rein in my runaway heartbeat. “He isn't D. When he presented me with the proposal, at first, I laughed, then I became enraged, and finally, I realised where he was coming from. Marrying Leo ensures our safety. Marrying Leo
As I continue to helplessly stare after Dmitris’ fading figure, I collapse to my knees-my right knee hitting the wet concrete ground first, then, my left. Pain disperses across the hard balls of my kneecaps, but the foreboding pain of heartbreak that continues to seep into the roots of my heart outweighs any other pain my body is slowly trying to register.He left me.In the rain.Crying.Heartbroken.Alone.I hate him!I fucking hate him with everything I have and I hope he crashes on his stupid bike that makes him look smoking hot!Covering my face with my hands, I burst into tears.I don’t hate him.I could never hate him.I love him so fucking much that I would die for him.I’d kill for him.Why does loving someone hurt so much?Is this what men mean when they say that love is the greatest weakness one can possess?It can be one’s downfall until there is no return.“Time will heal your broken heart, cara mia. But first, you need to push through the pain and accept Dmitris’ decisi