*Weekly updates*
---
When Ella Zanova is forced to marry the cruel mobster Grayson Hall, she does the unthinkable to escape. Her life is in danger now, but things change when she meets the not-less dangerous Axton Dark.
In the middle of a mafia war...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Power. I used to hear that word a million times in my life. Power. I was growing up having it. I was simply granted it. But power always comes with a price. Sometimes, you buy someone. Sometimes, someone buys you. That's okay.
Until the time when the price just doesn't justify it.
I gave up that power. People thought that. My uncle thought that. General Mitchell, too. As well as that many other people I cut connections with.
Grayson Hall obviously thought that.
But I never gave a fucking shit about what people thought. I was the one who set up the rules, and I used to exercise my own version of power.
While these thoughts were naturally relevant, their course abruptly changed once I got to the SPA zone.
Ella stood there at the edge of the pool, leaning on her palms with her legs moving back and forth in the water. Of course, she would be there, why not? I brought her with me; there was no one to blame that she was now where I intended to be alone.
With rapid steps, I passed beside her and jumped into the pool. No sound or reaction followed. Once I surfaced, I turned instinctively to her.
She wiped her water-splattered face with her hand, then rested on her palm again. Her gaze wandered somewhere in space. A perfect moment for me to turn around and start swimming, enjoying the silence I didn't expect.
Instead, I looked intently at her. She was trying hard to avoid my gaze, but at one point, her eyes rested on mine. Nothing she said, neither did I. I was still mad with her, and she was probably not less angry with me.
That was the point where everything could have gone back to normal.
But I approached her. "Take my hand and close your eyes."
"Why would I do that?"
"Do you trust me?"
"Can I?"
"Don't answer my—"
"—question with a question. How could I forget the rules?"
"Do you trust me, Ella?"
"You know I do."
"Then close your eyes and give me your hand."
"I don't want to drown."
"I won't let you."
While Ella looked nervous, her eyes filled with anticipation as she clung to my hand.
However, the moment she dived into the water, she instantly wrapped her arms around my neck. "I can't, Axton. I can't."
I tried to ignore the small smile that played on my lips and repeated, "Close your eyes. Relax. And trust me." I lifted her into the water and let her float over the surface while supporting her back with my hands. "I hold you."
As we reached the deeper end of the pool, I felt her fear slowly fading away.
"Now, let's get to the action. Are you ready?"
I guided her hands and legs with the right moves, and we headed to the other end of the pool. With each next stroke and kick, she grew more at ease, although soft moans flew into the space from time to time.
When we reached the center of the pool, her movements suddenly got uncoordinated, and she ended up clinging to me, making me feel her unsteady heartbeat against my chest.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
