Amaranthe
Simple things have become more difficult for me to do.
Showering takes longer now and I am out of breath by the time I am done washing my hair. Even brushing my hair takes everything out of me.
I dare not tell Dimitri how bad the recent cancer treatment has got me, he would surely strangle the newest doctor. Or keep me home.
I remember the time I left Dr. Martin’s after she told me it was not cancer they discovered in my mammogram. I felt elated that after a few treatments the growths would have been all but gone and I could move on with my life. But fate did not mean it to be. After Dr Martin removed the growths, the cancer cells spread sporadically; it was as if the growth prevented the cancer cells from growing.
I have not heard from Dr. Martin since the cancer was first discovered; I think Dimitri had her killed, but I dare not ask him.
I look at myself as I stand naked in my walk-in and sigh. After my do
It was as if everything was moving in slow motion as I entered the kitchen.Amaranthe turned too quickly and bumped her abdomen on the side of the breakfast nook, then she faltered backwards and started to fall. I ran to catch her, but I was too late… She hit her head on the opposite counter before I could reach her.And she hit it hard.“Alexei!” I scream for her bodyguard, who was nowhere in sight. I told him to be with her at all times, she was too weak to do things on her own now. Amaranthe was always giving him the slip, adamant she could do things on her own.Always trying to hide her weakness away from me, but she didn’t know that I could see right through her.I cradle her in my arms, cradling the back of her head… then I smell it - blood.“ALEXEI! LEV!” I cry out loudly again, feeling completely unhinged now. She knocked her head so hard that she was bleeding, who knows the damage she has
We have just left the hospital after seeing my mother. Her MRI showed nothing serious was wrong, but the blow to her head heavily concussed her. I have to admit that seeing her pale and bleeding had scared me half to death. My mother had always been a fighter, she was the toughest woman I knew and worthy of the title of Bratva Queen. She was quiet when she needed to be and fiercely protective of those she loved.Which was why I understood her decision to not tell me about Dakota and Matteo.After I met her on the stairs, I realized that I had forgotten my phone on the counter downstairs. I got the end tail of her conversation with a man I trusted above anyone.“It wasn’t supposed to happen, Ama. I think of Ayden as my brother as well. I would never do anything reckless to hurt him-”“But you have, Matteo. You betrayed him today by kissing Dakota.”My heart stopped at that moment. What had I just walke
Killian was sitting opposite me, trying to convince me to change my mind.“Please reconsider, Anastasiya. I am sure we can make this work.” He said as we’re sitting in St Leonard’s cafeteria. I had decided to take my father up on his offer of choosing someone of my own free will. Killian and I would never work, not after finding out about his man whore ways.“I’m sorry, Killian, but I have seen and heard things about you. We would never work out, not with your wandering eye and cheating ways.” I tell him and stand up from the cafeteria table, “You’re free now to fuck around with whoever you want to, just not with me.” Then I turn to leave.The last thing I needed was to be disrespected by a boy in a lower tier than my Bratva line.I started adopting more of my brother’s attitude and confidence over the last few days. Seeing how people respected him when he walked into a room made me realize
I watch as Anastasiya walks away from me, and I feel my heart break even more. Deciding to reveal my secret to her had proved futile because she told me exactly what I feared she would. She took Ayden’s side, which is exactly what I would have done if Damon’s fiancee had to do this to him. I was Anastasiya’s best friend, but Ayden was her brother. There was no way I could make her choose between us. Sighing, I turn around and decide to head towards the exit. I do not think I could get through this day. Ana had told me to come clean to Ayden, but he would surely kill me and Matteo. Why did he have to kiss me?! How could I have been so stupid! I walk down the corridors and spot a familiar figure heading my way and froze. Ayden was walking with another girl with long blonde curls. She was an older girl from New Orleans and belonged to the Benedetti family, a Mafia Princess if there ever was one. Poised and proper. I slipped into the classroom next to my
“Where am I?”Amy opens her eyes to blackness. She wasn’t sure where she was or how she got here. Her head hurt and she was cold. Touching her head, she feels the injured spot... Only after she got her bearings, did the metallic scent of blood hit her.Heart thumping and panicked, she tries to stand up, only to falter and stumble forward. As she falls, she hears the clinking of a chain.“What the hell...!”She reaches down to touch her ankle and realizes, to her horror, that they shackled her to a chain. “No, no, no, no, no...” She breathes out. Yanking the chain, she screams in vain, “HELP! HELP! SOMEBODY!” Tears flow down her cheeks as she continues to scream out, not able to hold back her tears anymore.She shrinks to the floor and whispers her beloved’s name. Mentally willing him to hear her and rescue her from this predicament,
Lunch-hour strikes and a flock of people stream into the diner named Arianna’s.Amy Douglas, the head server, greets them all in Italian as they come in. “Hey, guys!”“Amy!”“Hey, Ames!”They all respond. Amy smiles as she heads to her first table.Life in Olivewood was simple; a little hideaway town in Sicily where everyone was more like family. Amy loved it here for that reason. It was home. This town was small and made her happy. Even an ordinary job at the diner didn’t bother her at all. She got to live here and care for her little sister. She was content living the quiet life.“What’ll it be, guys?” She asks her first patrons, and they all try to order at once, “WOAH, one at a time!” She laughs and poised her pen. The group of four teenagers give their order and she jots it down in her notepad. “Won’t be too long, guys.” She says with a smile
The one named Antonio caught her walking over. He shakes his head while making eye contact as if to tell her to stay away. She ignores him and proceeds forward.“Excuse me, gentlemen. This is a family establishment. There are a lot of children present here today. If you cannot behave in an orderly manner, please leave.” Amy stands at their table with arms crossed.“What did you just say to us?” Luciano says and starts toward her. Amy feels her heart hammering and suddenly regrets her sudden bravado but stands her ground. “Kindly leave if you cannot behave in a manner befitting a family establishment. Again, there are children here.” Amy says and waves behind her. The man was getting red in the face as he starts towards her. “Um, please, sir. We don’t want any trouble.” Amy begs and backs away, cursing her big mouth.Suddenly the one namedAntonio gets up and whispers in Luciano’s ear.
Antonio Russo stood at the door with a smile on his face.“Good evening,” he says to Amy while walking closer to Amy, eyeing her as he does so. “I hope you’re not closed?” Amy looks at him, bewildered. Why was her heart doing jumping jacks??“Uhm, No, no! we’re not closed yet. What can I get you?” She says, gesturing to the counter while walking toward it. She looks at her wristwatch and thinks to herself “Gosh, I need to close soon, or the babysitter leaves!”“I was hoping to catch you here,” He says, “My family and our associates caused quite a scene this morning and I have come to apologize on their part.” Amy’s eyes widened. Antonio Russo is apologizing to her? Was it opposite day? Mercury in retrograde or whatever it is called??“Don’t worry about it, please. I had forgotten about the whole thing already.” She says, flustered. Wh