"Suffering is a terrible fire; it either purifies or destroys."
- Oscar Wilde
. . .
Dahlia
Days became a week easily on the ship. I spent most of my time alone in my room, crying over my store. I had lost every bit of my uncle's legacy. I had lost everything he trusted me with.
I was sitting in Alexandre's office. I had made sure he was busy elsewhere before I came here. The constant ticking of the clocks was comforting.
I was sitting on his chair, spinning around with Bobby and Vaness on my lap. "You like that?"
They really liked spinning chairs. I did too. It reminded me of when Dad and Mom would be away when I was younger and I'd sneak into Dad's office and pretend I was him. I'd even wear his suits. One time he caught me and laughed so hard.
"Baby."
I froze and spun the chair till I was looking at Hedeon or Andros. He was leaning against the door frame.
"Hey," I said. I had, obviously, not been able to ignore the Monets and the Kozlovs. We still kissed, and they had made me cum a few times by using their fingers and mouths. We hadn't done more.
Vaness hopped down and then ran towards him. He looked down at her, lips twitching.
"Which one are you?" I asked.
"Hedeon."
He picked Vaness up and let her sit on his one hand as he stroked her back with the other.
"Will you tell me more?" I asked him. "About everything."
He shrugged. "Depends. Will you ignore us from now?"
"I'm just sad, Hedeon."
"Then talk to us."
"It's not easy to talk," I said, stroking Bobby's head. "The store is gone. There is nothing left of Uncle now. He used to love that store and now it's ashes because someone is after me." I paused. "Only after me. Only my name was in the will, wasn't it?" I asked. "Why? You said my whole family was their target."
"We didn't know that they weren't. I guess she knew that you're the only one who meant something to Noah."
"That is not true. He cared about Dad, Mom, and Emilia too. He just didn't show it."
"Whatever it was." He walked deeper into the office and sat on the chair across the desk. "She believed only you mattered."
"So my family is safe?"
"They should be. They still have security they aren't aware of. They will have it till everything blows over."
"What was her name?" I asked.
"Whose?"
"The head who was after Uncle. What was her name?"
"Cynthia."
"What's her son's name?"
"Damien."
"What's the axe guy's name?"
He tilted his head. "Lorenzo."
I leaned forward. "And who is Lorenzo exactly, Hedeon?"
He watched me. "How do you know?"
"Uncle's journals have a lot of details," I said. "Lorenzo and Damien are siblings, and his sons, aren't they?" I asked. "One is trying to keep me safe, and the other wants my head. Can you explain why?"
"Uncle brought up Damien," Hedeon answered. "And Cynthia brought up Lorenzo. I don't think even they know they are siblings. There are a lot of secrets in the organization."
"And," I said, my throat felt tight. "Who is your mother, Hedeon?"
He froze. His face became a beautiful expressionless statue. "The journals are sure detailed, aren't they?"
"That's not an answer, Hedeon."
He shrugged. His movements felt forced. "Cynthia, Dahlia. My mother is Cynthia." He stood, letting Vaness off his lap. "Now, if you excuse me."
He walked out of the office. I wondered if this had been a bad way to make him open up. But I had not meant to know any of it. I just found out because I read Uncle's journals.
He left them for me, almost as if he knew I'd need to know everything.
As if he knew no one would tell me the whole story.
. . .
I went back to the entries in the journals which had mentions of Damien. He had grown away from Noah, with some friend of Noah's who could keep him safe. He had run away from them, then worked in the New York mafia, and had almost died in an attack. He came back home, but he kept himself hidden. He looked nothing like Noah, so it was easy for him to hide. And he always had a helmet on whenever he was in public.
There are scars on his face. I had begged him to not join the New York Mafia, but he did not listen. Now, he is as scarred as his soul is. I never did anything right by him, just so I could keep him safe. He said he would have traded being safe with being with me. I told him he was a fool for playing with his life. And then we did not talk. He had Cynthia's temper. I hope he does not have her demons.
But hope is a fragile thing and never affects truth.
Damien is like his mother.
So, it is no wonder he went back to her.
I have a feeling he will bring hell to me.
. . .
I looked at Hedeon who was cooking. I didn't even know he could cook a few days ago, but all of them could cook. Hedeon froze as if he could feel my gaze on him and lifted his eyes till they rested on me. His jaw clenched, and then he looked away. "Dahlia. What brings you here?"
'The fact that you and Andros refuse to look at me."
"There are some skeletons we would have liked hidden, Dahlia." He chopped a few vegetables. "How does it feel to be protected by the sons of the woman who has doomed you?"
"Safe."
He paused as if he had stopped breathing. He didn't move for a second and then he marched towards me, grabbing my jaw and laying his lips on mine. He grabbed my waist and lifted me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and let him walk out of the kitchen with me in his arms.
I ripped my lips away from his mouth. "Where-"
"My room," He answered. "I need to fuck you."
. . .
Hedeon Kozlov
I laid her down on my bed, keeping my lips on her as I took off her shirt, her bra, and then her shorts. She gasped against my lips, trying to sneak in breaths. I grabbed her neck in my hand, choking her. She struggled under me.
I pulled back and watched her red face. She was only in her panties now. "Color?"
"G-Green-" I chocked her harder, pressing a kiss on her lips. Her tiny fingers tried to get my hand off. Her legs struggled, too.
I chuckled. "Is this how you like to play, baby? Do you want me to make you take my cock?"
Her eyes narrowed. But she didn't deny anything.
"Struggle for me, then, baby."
She did. I let her tire herself out. Her hands tried to push me away, pressing into my chest. Her legs tried to kick me away, but I was very comfortable between her thighs and did not plan to leave till I had staked my claim. Her face got redder and redded as she tired herself out.
"You fucking-"
"Watch your fucking words." I pulled at a nipple till her back arched. "Do you have more fight left in your tiny body, Dahlia?"
Her chest rose and fell with deep breaths. She had tired herself out. Now, she was exhausted.
"You can struggle all you want, my pretty little slut. But you can't deny how fucking wet you are." I touched her cunt through her panties. "I never knew my sweet Dahlia loves getting manhandled so much."
"Don't love it-"
I spanked her pussy. She yelped. "Now, Now, Dahlia. Don't dig your grave deeper. I had already decided to add nipple clamps, and now I will have to add a ball gag."
She gulped, eyes widening. Her pussy fucking throbbed against my hand. "I was just telling the truth-"
"And that adds a plug and ropes."
She finally shut up, pretty eyes glaring at me like a hurt little kitten. I kissed her forehead and removed my hand from her neck, finally letting her breathe.
"Stay right here," I told her. "If you move, I will not fuck you. I will use that little mouth instead and not touch your cunt, at all. Do you want Daddy to do that?"
She shyly shook her head.
I slapped her inner thigh. "Use your words."
"No, Daddy," She forced out, face burning again.
. . .
(1/6)