Dwayne refunded Sierra’s money for the tickets he doesn’t want me on a plane full of people but I know the truth he’s afraid I’ll flirt with a man and stir up rumors again that he’ll have to silence like he’s done many times before. So he’s letting us use the jet and I must say I prefer it because the three of us are drinking Dwayne’s wine and having a blast talking about the clubs we’re going to.
“Are you sure, Sierra, that Avery doesn’t mind the three of us crashing at his place for two weeks?”Aurora asks and the wine that was in my mouth flew out like a fountain.“W-what?”Sierra crunches up her face.“That was gross,” She said.“Did she just say his name? I’m not staying in his apartment Sierra. I want nothing to do with him,” I scolded her and she rolled her eyes.“Relax. He’s in Florence on business, he won’t be there,” She assures me and my tense body relaxes a bit but still my mind is uneasy about the fact that I’m meeting up with a complete stranger.“I’m sorry about Dwayne,” Aurora says, her parents are Wade and Jenny Sierra aunt and uncle.“I just can’t believe he’s forcing me to marry this man that I don’t know,”“Why does he want you married so badly?” Sierra asks, and I narrow my eyes at her. Aurora and Sierra know about why I was so wild they knew how badly I was hurting over him. Since then Dwayne has kept me under his thumb.“It’s good for business,” I told them both.“Do you even know this guy?” It was Aurora that asked.I shake my head.“I’ll be meeting him when you guys do,” I shrugged. No need to dwell it is what it is, not changing Dwayne’s mind.“That’s horrible,” Aurora shook her head. I turned and looked out the window of the jet.I can hear the chatter from the girls but I can’t make out what they are saying. My mind goes back to the night when I was sixteen, the night everything around crumbled and turned my world upside down.Eight years ago….I’ve had a crush on Avery since I was fourteen and I thought the crush would fade but it only bloomed. Tonight I’m going to tell him how I feel before the opportunity passes by. My father forbade me from seeing him but that won’t stop me, not tonight. Tonight I’m going to tell Avery that I love him.I’ve tried multiple times before and my father stops me. He said I can’t be in love with him because he’s my nephew and it’s wrong to pursue feelings when blood runs so close.Tonight I don’t care what my father says, Avery’s leaving and it’s now or never to confess my love and beg him to stay.I’ve been searching and no sign of him anywhere. Maybe my father pushed him too far with the family business nonsense and he left already. My heart squeezes at the thought and just as I was about to give up I see him walking out the front door.My heart races as I run after him and I grab his elbow and his whole posture changes.“Avery, please don’t go!”He jerks his arm free from my grasp and throws his bag in the trunk of his car and he walks to the driver door. I quickly move to grab his arm again when he catches my wrist mid air.“Don’t fucking touch me,”I swallow the dry lump caught in my throat and take a deep breath.“I love you, Avery. Please don’t go,”Not only could I see his jaw tic but I could hear it. Avery and I have never been close but some reason I always thought he liked me. When we had a family movie night a year ago I sat next to him and the movie that was playing was a horror film and the farther into it got the more terrifying it was and I held on to him, he didn’t seem to mind.Once the movie was over Sierra wanted to watch something else to get rid of the images of the horror show and she fell asleep halfway through Cinderella and Avery brushed a strand of my hair from my eyes and when I tried to kiss him he left.I’ll never forget the look in his eyes. It was the same look my father gave my mother. So he had to care..right?My thoughts were pulled back to present when Avery pushed me against the side of a cold car.“Beg me again,” Avery whispers, his hot breath fanning my ear and a hot sensation forming in the pit of my stomach.“Please?”I gasp for air when Avery wraps his hand around my throat. Avery inches himself closer to me. My eyes widened when something hard pressed in my lower abdomen.Avery cocks a lopsided grin.“You’re feelings are one sided,”I try to remove his hand from my neck but he only tightens his grip more.My eyes welled up with tears.“What’s the matter Whitney? Do you need to breathe?”Unable to talk, I managed to nod.He leans in.“I need to breathe too. When your around I can’t,”My stomach swirls with a giddy feeling until he adds.“I can’t stand the smell of you. So get the fuck away from me,” He seethes and jerks me toward his face.“I’ll be watching you Whitney. If you just so much let anyone put their finger on you,” He pauses and runs his finger down my arm a shiver runs down my spine, he no longer had that desire in his eyes the only thing flashing through his Carmel colored eyes…Pure hatred.“You’ll have to deal with me, and trust me Whitney you won’t like the wrath I will bring down on you,”~~~~~~~~~~~“Remember, the rules Whitney,”How can I forget? When he texted me and called the moment the jet landed in California. I know what’s at stake if I fall out of line. I've done that many times and the scars on my back are a constant reminder of how far Dwayne is willing to go.“Yes, Sir.” I replied and Sierra shot me a sideways glance before turning her attention back to Aurora about the beautiful lit buildings of Los Angeles.No wonder Avery never came back, it’s beautiful here. I don’t say my thoughts aloud. I shouldn't be having thoughts about him anyway he’s the reason my back holds the reminder of Dwayne’s wrath of my disobedience.“Phone me once you get there, and Whitney,”“Yes,sir!”Sierra is holding my gaze as I swallow the lump in my throat when Dwayne murmurs, “Avery is off limits, need I remind you of what will happen if you disobey?”Closing my eyes to help calm my racing heart and gut-wrenching memories of the night Dwayne had Marcus to forever scar my body.“Do I make myself clear?” Dwayne roars when I forgot to answer him.“Yes, sir,”“Your fiance will be waiting for you,” He mutters before hanging up.Great to know.Los Angeles traffic was horrific; it took the driver two hours to get us through downtown. Not sure where we’re headed but we left the glow of the city behind us as the driver makes so many round-sharp bends.“I thought we were going to your brothers?” Aurora asks Sierra.Must they keep bringing him up? Ugh, I have a feeling this trip will be the death of me.“We are,” Sierra nods, “Avery has a house about thirty minutes out of the city,” she shrugs and picks up her phone. A smile spreads Sierra’s lips when she sees who’s calling.“It’s Daniel,” She announces before she takes the call. Aurora’s in ‘Awe’ I just rolled my eyes. I mean she’s not been out of his sight for twenty four hours yet and he’s already calling asking her what she’s doing.Daniel really needs to loosen his grip a little, and let Sierra enjoy her last few weeks as a single woman.By the time we pull up to the black fence of Avery’s house the sun was beginning to set on the horizon and I must say the sunsets are much prettier on the island.The driver pulls up to the gate and hits the button on the speaker box and a man with rough foreign accent barks and the speaker hisses and we cover our ears from the horrid sound.“I’m delivering Ms Isla Martago and her friends,” The driver told the man who was just speaking through the box. The driver got no reply but the gate opened all the same.“That was weird,” Sierra mutters.Weird doesn’t cover it. Once the car came to a stop a slur of men, big men with weapons attached to their sides swarmed the car and yanked us out one by one.“Hey, that’s mine,” Aurora shouts and tries to yank back her purse from the brute that took it.“What’s the meaning of this? Do you know who the hell I am?” Sierra exclaimed, grabbing her purse when the man with the dark brown man-bun grabs her wrist.“It’s protocol to check everyone,” He said, his foreign accent strong. He released her hand, Sierra murmured a few curse words and how she was telling Avery about this when they lined us up and was going to do a pat down.“Sierra, I didn't sign up for this, it’s like we’re criminals, what's your brother worried about with all this security?” Aurora states my own thoughts aloud.Why does Avery need all this security? What could we possibly be hiding?As the brutes patted the girls down and they moved toward me and the rough looking brute with a man-bun stood directly behind me. “I’m sorry, Whitney. I had no idea this would happen or I would have gotten us a room, now your dad will be upset with you. He’ll never trust you with me again,” Sierra apologizes and the big groom behind me takes a few steps away.“Smettila di fare quello
I groaned and rolled over in bed when the sun peered through the window. My head is pounding and the smell of vomit is strong and it’s turning my stomach. After we ate pizza the girls and I went to a club and drank shots and danced. I don’t remember getting home, it's fuzzy. How much did I drink?My eyes widened in horror when my face was inches away from a pile of puke. Gross!And the sickest part is, I think it’s mine. I grabbed the sheets of the bed and placed them in the hamper and stepped into the shower. The warm water felt so good and relaxing, and didn't do much for my headache or nausea.I stayed under the water until it turned cold before I got out. I put on my bikini and slip and tank top over top and blue jean shorts. No doubt the girls will still want to hit up the beach. My phone rings and I grab it from the bedside table and I swallow the lump in my throat before I answer it.“Sir,” “Whitney, how are you feeling?” I mentally sigh he doesn’t really care about that,
We’ve been in California for two days now and it’s been club after club, shots after shots. Another shot glass reaches my hand and I down it and nod my head to the bartender. He turns and pours me another shot of vodka. At the previous club I drank a shit ton of tequila now it’s vodka. I put the vodka to my lips, opening my mouth I tip the glass emptying its contents in one go.“Whitney, you need to slow down on drinking,”Sierra warns me. I roll my eyes she doesn’t know how fucked up my life is and why I need to drown myself with alcohol and disappear into oblivion. Dwayne texted me during dinner to inform me that Nikolai Volkov will be arriving tomorrow evening, oh he also warned me to be on my best behavior. I will be the good girl daddy wants me to be. I'll even go along with his plans to marry me off to this Nikolai, but tonight? I’m going to soak up as much of my freedom. Come tomorrow my freedom will be no more.I reach for my third shot of vodka and Sierra grabs my wrist. “N
The limousine stops at Avery’s mansion and we all climb out of the car. It’s not as late as I thought, only 10:00 pm wow I guess I did end the fun early. I followed Sierra and Aurora inside. I was about to head upstairs with them when Enzo grabbed my hand. “Not so fast Bambina,” He pulls me toward the hallway where his office is, when Sierra clears her throat. “Whitney, grandpa called. He wanted me to tell you to call him,” She said.“Did..” I paused, licking my dry lips. “Did you tell him about the clubs or drinking?” She shook her head.“He didn’t ask,” She replied, walking up the steps. If Dwayne would have asked her she wouldn’t have lied again she would have told him the truth, and the truth might be dangerous for me. Marcus is probably itching to beat me some more. “He can wait,” Enzo said, pulling me down the hallway. The door he opened and pulled us into was a dark room, Enzo let go of me and I looked around. The floor is black and white squares and looks like something fr
Avery Cole.Sierra called me and said she was flying into California for her two weeks and she was bringing Aurora and Whitney along with her. I had no plans but that didn’t stop me from lying to Sierra and telling her I had business in Florence that I couldn’t get out of. She was upset that she wouldn’t see me but got over it when I offered her my house while she was there. I only did that so my men wouldn’t have to hide out and keep tabs on Whitney, like they’ve been doing since I left the island. I told Whitney she wouldn’t like the consequences if she let someone….anyone fucking touch her and she did.Big fucking mistake. Whitney will have to face me and the wrath of my anger. Sierra has yet to learn the truth that I’m her cousin and not her brother. My parents died when I was a baby and my aunt raised as her own at the age of sixteen. Lily’s parents got mixed up into a world they shouldn’t have one that was ruled by a shapeshifter, a dominant Alpha that sold all the residents'
My fingers tremble as I clutch my phone tighter. My stomach turns with knots if this video footage of me rubbing myself up against a stranger leaks out. Dwayne will have Marcus scar another part of my body or worse. The thought of some stranger holding my fate sends shivers down my spine and they want something but not just anything…they want me. “You haven’t spoken a word all through lunch,” I stare up at Nikolai, my mind still clouded from the texts I forgot all about him. “I don’t have anything to say,” I shrug. It’s true I don’t what’s there to say? Sorry my dads are forcing me to marry and dragging you into our family drama? Yeah, great conversation starter right there. “You could try,” His Russian accent was thick and deep. Nikolai isn’t a bad looking guy to be the mafia leader. His reddish brown hair is short and slicked back, his blue eyes are stunning and he’s so tall that even sitting down it’s like he’s standing. I stare at him like he’s crazy and he narrows his eyes
I’ve never been one to be satisfied by anyone or anything for long. I don’t understand myself sometimes or the need I have to push myself on men for attention? Maybe it’s because I was deprived of it as a child always in the shadows but never in the spotlight. Whatever the reason is, I've always been this way. When I was six I remember wanting this doll. She was so pretty and had long blonde hair like mine. When I asked Dwayne if I could have her he said only if I behaved during his meeting. My mom Clara was visiting the doctor that day and made me go with my dad. I hated meetings. They bored the hell out of me but I wanted that doll so badly that I sat mouth shut behaving like Dwayne told me to do. However, once his meeting was done and his business associates left I asked him if he would take me after the doll. That's when he sat me down and told me I was too old for such childish things and I needed to stop asking.I cried the whole day once I was back home in my room, I remember
“Whoever fight’s monsters should see to it that in the process he does become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into the abyss the abyss gazes into you,” ~~NietzscheMy head pounds against my temples, dark circles and bloodshot eyes stare back at me in the mirror. I haven’t slept. When I tried to close my eyes, all I could see was Enzo with a bullet between his eyes and a pool of blood. I’d just wake up crying all over again. Sierra and Aurora comforted me and held me close but that didn’t help nor did it stop the ache in my chest.I can’t help this horrible feeling that Enzo’s death was somehow my fault. Seeing Avery again bubbles up all the feelings I had hidden. Feeling I never wanted to feel again nor did I want to see him after he left me standing, crying and chasing after his car. Don’t think about it Whitney. Just avoid him.My phone buzzes and I glance at the screen. It’s Dwayne I ignore his call and finish with covering up the dark circles under my eyes with foundation