 by Michelle Heard.jpg)
Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 80207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
I kidnapped the wrong girl, and under excruciating circumstances, we fell in love.
I took every beating and form of torture meant for her.
For months I protected Everleigh, only to lose her when we finally escaped.
It’s been years, and the ghost of Everleigh Adams still haunts me.
The nightmare of losing the only woman I’ll ever love has driven me to insanity.
And then I start to see her everywhere.
Her ghost has left my nightmares to taunt me in my waking life.
Turns out Everleigh never died, and she’s kept a secret from me.
When we come face-to-face after four years of pure hell and agony of living without her, she’s still out of my reach.
But if insanity has taught me one thing – there are no rules.
I’ll take what’s mine. There’s nowhere Everleigh can run to escape me.
STANDALONE: A Mafia/Bratva Romance, standalone, full-length novel.
WARNING: 18+ only. Please read responsibly. THIS NOVEL CONTAINS TRIGGERING CONTENT.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Songlist
Click here - Spotify
Never Alone – Krigarè
Climb – ADONA
Beauty Of The Dark – Mads Langer
Tattoo - Loreen
The Night We Met – Roses & Revolutions
Secrets – OneRepublic
Cross Your Mind – Calum Scott
Found Eachother – Kodoku
Pieces – Andrew Belle
Hero – Alan Walker, Sasha Alex Sloan
Love is just a word – Calum Scott, Jasmine Thompson
Forever & Always – Written by Wolves, Becks
“The Edge… There is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.”
–— Hunter S. Thompson, Hell’s Angels.
The Past
Chapter 1
Alek
(Twenty years old…)
Cinnamon hangs heavy in the air, the delicious aroma luring me to the kitchen where I find Mama and Tiana admiring the honey cake they just baked.
It’s my favorite smell in the world – Mama baking in the kitchen. It’s home.
The moment Mama spots me, she gives me a stern scowl. “Don’t you dare try to steal a slice. It’s for after dinner.”
It’s Vincent’s birthday today. My brother is three years older than me. We haven’t seen much of him over the past years as he’s been training to take his place in the bratva.
With my father being a boss, it’s only natural that we follow in his footsteps.
I take a seat at the table, eyeing the cake like it’s my last meal.
“Do you want coffee?” Tiana asks me.
“Please.” I smile at the girl who’s like a little sister to me.
My parents adopted Misha and Tiana Petrov, and even though things were rocky at first, Misha is now my best friend.
I watch as Tiana makes the coffee the way I like it, creamy and sweet, and smile again when she places the beverage in front of me.
“Thanks, T.” After I savor my first sip of caffeine for the day, I ask, “Did you bake only one cake?”
It's normal for Mama to be up at the crack of dawn when it’s one of our birthdays. And she always bakes enough for a small village.
Mama shakes her head while trying to hide the smile tugging at her mouth. She cuts a huge slice out of the freshly baked cake. “You’ll live on pastries and desserts if I give you half a chance.” Still, she plates the slice and pushes it closer to me. “Only one slice.”
I lean closer and take a deep breath, my mouth watering from the aroma. “I can’t promise anything,” I chuckle. “This is why you bake extra.” I give Mama a thankful smile. “You love me too much to let me suffer until dinner time.”
“Hmm.” Her eyes are fixed on me as I take the first bite.
When the taste of cream and cinnamon explode over my tongue, I let out a satisfied groan. My eyes close as I savor the goodness of my mother’s baking. “Perfect.”
Excitedly, Tiana claps her hands. “Really? You like it?”
My eyebrows fly up, and I swallow before asking, “Did you bake this one all by yourself?”
She nods, pride dancing in her sky-blue eyes.
“Well, little sister,” I nod my approval, “it’s exactly how I like it.”
Tiana lets out a little shriek before falling onto the chair next to me. “Tell me how it tastes. Is there enough cream? Did I make the dulce de leche right? Not too much cinnamon?”
I lift a hand and softly pat her back. “Everything is perfect.”
“What’s perfect?” Misha asks as he comes into the kitchen.
“The honey cake I made,” Tiana answers, pride lighting up her face. “Sit. You have to taste it.”
“It’s too early,” Misha protests. He grabs a seat, then looks at me. Shaking his head, he mutters, “How can you eat cake first thing in the morning?”
I pop a huge bite into my mouth and groan again. “So good,” I mutter around the cake.
Tiana places a cup of coffee in front of Misha, along with a much smaller slice of cake. “Just taste it,” she begs.
Tiana might’ve accepted Vincent and me as her brothers, but there’s no one she loves more than Misha. Before my parents adopted them, they were stuck in an orphanage and only had each other, so it’s understandable that they’re inseparable.
Mama starts to prepare breakfast, and soon the aroma of fried eggs, melting cheese, and sliced sausages fills the air.
Vincent and Papa enter the kitchen, and Tiana gets busy preparing tea for them.
“Happy Birthday, zaika,” Mama says before hugging Vincent.
We all take a moment to wish Vincent a happy birthday, and as Mama and Tiana set all the dishes on the table, Papa mutters, “The boys are coming with me. We’ll be gone all night.”
“But it’s Vincent’s birthday!” Mama exclaims. “We always have dinner together. It’s tradition.”
Papa shakes his head, giving Mama an impatient look. “Work can’t wait.”
Mama looks visibly unhappy, but she doesn’t force the subject. “You better eat,” she says, glancing around the table. “Come, come. More food.” Getting up, Mama starts to make more fried eggs, a clear sign she’s pissed off with my father. Cooking always calms her down.