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NOTE:
Alright, guys, this is the home stretch. We have one more chapter until double digits!! Once I release chapter ten I won't be updating for a hot minute because I'm gonna try my best to pile up chapters offline so I can come up with somewhat of a reliable uploading schedule. How does that sound? Or would you guys prefer me updating as I write them? Lmk. Also, the semester is starting up again soon so there won't be any guarantees but I'll do my best. As always if you enjoy this chapter don't forget to vote, comment, and share. Love you guys!

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0 9 | How Far We Go

V U L I A A M O U R

The air was carved with rotten starlight accompanied by a dull high. Pretty little portraits blend outside the doors of Nightcap, images of cityscapes and nature colliding into one. The tension that lingered, a palpable intervention, opposed any beauty that resided. The ugly concaved like a penetrating madness and it rested there. The wind, although poise and elegant, cut through skin like knives. It was sharp, biting through clothing and running races along the skin. Any warmth that Vulia captured had died, waning into an iridescent speck at her fingertips. Fingertips which held universes she dare not careen through.

Thisbe resided next to her equally as distraught, but much more amused by the emptiness that surrounded them. Her body swayed with the wind like she'd blow away into the clouds. Liquor dripped from her eyes as she giggled and shifted her weight onto Vulia. Thisbe had accomplished the original goal. Unfortunately, Vulia's goal was diminished because of a certain dark-haired brood.

She wanted to forget. She longed to not recognize even herself after tonight, but it was extremely hard when the Don of the Italian mafia watched her with zealous eyes. Although she never met his gaze, something in her knew that he was watching. As if he'd always be watching with scrutiny dangling from harsh irises. No man within a fifty-foot radius seemed to withstand the wrath and concentration Calix had held. It was almost frightening, specifically for a third-party person who could have stepped in between.

For the entire night, she couldn't shake their encounter, and that led to her off-putting result. She realized, too, as they left that she couldn't outrun the chaos either. No matter how hard she tried it'd always trail in her wake. Isn't that what she wanted, right? She wrapped an arm around Thisbe's waist to keep her steady. She was a little more than tipsy, but she wasn't blackout drunk.

"Did you have fun, V?"

"Not as much as I wanted to," Vulia admitted.

"Maybe we shouldn't have come here then," Thisbe stated with a garbled sigh. "There was a lot of hype about this place from Eryn."

"Yeah, well, maybe this wasn't the best place for me to forget what happened," Vulia said more to herself than Thisbe.

Before any of the women could release another breath, Vulia was snatched. Vulia's breath was sucked out of her and she was thrown in the back of a vehicle she couldn't see. She tried screaming, but her screams were hushed by someone's massive hand. She screamed again, biting and spitting at the hand that covered her mouth. She came to no avail. Thisbe tried to stop them but the men were far too big and Thisbe was much too tipsy. In the process, Vulia's phone slipped from her hand, landing on the concrete.

"Get the fuck off me!" But it sounded nothing like she intended.

"Fighting makes it harder, princess," the masculine voice informed her with a strong accent. The words belonged to a stranger, a voice she didn't recognize, and that sent shivers up Vulia's spine. She had expected it to be Calix, it seemed like something he would pull, but he was nowhere to be found. The stranger snapped Vulia's seatbelt in and stared ahead. Another man resided in the passenger's seat and the driver cast glares through the mirror at Vulia.

Thisbe hadn't been in the vehicle luckily and that meant she could run off and get help. Vulia hoped to God that they wouldn't hurt her because these men seemed like the kind that wouldn't think twice about killing someone on the spot. Anger pricked at Vulia and she was seething below the surface. She tried to calculate if she'd have enough time to unclasp her seatbelt, open the door, and roll out the car. It was a long shot, but it never hurt to try. She needed a distraction, the kind that'd last long enough to get her out of this predicament.

"Who do you work for?" She questioned and the man next to her let out a chuckle. With that small window of time she was given she unclasped the seatbelt and attempted to unlock the door. The door didn't bulge and the guy pushed Vulia into the seat a little too roughly, clasping the seatbelt back in. Her shoulder burned from the impact and she groaned as she let her head fall back against the seats.

"I wouldn't try that again or I'll make you wish you were in hell instead," he threatened. Vulia knew that the chances of her escaping now were slim to none. She was outnumbered and driving towards an unfamiliar location. Her best bet was to wait it out. She had to pick her battles and this one wasn't one she'd win so she sat put.

"New orders," the man in the passenger's seat said in a language Vulia couldn't quite pick up. It sounded Russian and whatever he told the other guys didn't look good for Vulia. The men were angered by this shift, annoyance soaking their features like the way clothes dipped in water. The guy typed in something and the driver peaked at it before following. Suddenly the silence was so loud, ringing in Vulia's ear. Her heart was a burden that rambled war and she couldn't stop the palpitations from consuming her calm. Peace was far from what she was feeling and it seemed like she was looking death in the eyes. Oh god, oh god, oh god. Was this really how she was going to go out?

If she didn't conjure something quick for all she knew her body parts would be sold on the black market or she'd be held against her will and forced to do unspeakable things. Whatever fate resided among those trees couldn't have been a good one. She felt so useless, fucking hopeless as they drove on a long strip of property after going through some gates. As a result, Vulia's heart was at her feet, making the heels of her feet vibrate in her painful shoes. When the car finally came to a stop Vulia wanted to gag. They were parked in front of a mansion. It was like the ones in horror movies, ghosts riding over the edges of the land. Aside from moonlight, there was hardly any light. The property was coaxed in eeriness. The door swung open and a man, someone who resembled a somewhat younger version of Calix tossed Vulia a gleeful look. Sick fucker. A tight knot formed inside her throat.

"So you're Vulia," he said, giving her a once over. His eyes weren't slow and sensual as he took her in. It was quick like a confirmation of some sort. "I'm River."

Vulia nodded as if she gave a fuck who he was. She was still plotting ways in which she could escape. Her phone wasn't on her. She had no idea where she was. She was outnumbered, but if she could just get past River, run in the direction in which they came, and gain some distance maybe she could figure the rest out as she went.

"Where the hell am I?" She wondered as he unbuckled her seat belt. The three men who once accompanied her in the car had left, trailing in the direction of the house that reeked of fatal deaths and plans. Her heart somersaulted and she was highly aware that if she wanted to leave this place she'd have to first comply.

"What does it matter where you are?" He asked instead of answering her question. It mattered where she was. Of course, it did. Every detail she acquired in an hour mattered because it seemed like she was inching closer and closer to her death. "Get out of the car."

Vulia swallowed that stubborn knot and did what she was told merely because she didn't want to know what would be done if she hadn't. River was a tall man, slim and towering over Vulia by several inches. His hair was thick and dark and he had eyes that felt familiar. They were the darkest shades of blue she had ever seen and dimples decorated his cheeks when he smiled. He looked like the ultimate lady's man, but fear exuded from him regardless of how she configured his appearance. He now held her fate in his hands.

He walked behind her to ensure she wouldn't run off, but Vulia wasn't going to give up. She was going to keep fighting with all that she had, tooth and nail. So she turned, kicked off her shoes, and sprinted in the direction of the trees. Her feet danced the dance of the Earth as she moved like lightning. She used all that she had to get as far away from River as she possibly could. Her agility and momentum gave her a good amount of distance, at least that was what she liked to think. Her entire body was on fire and her lungs burned as she swallowed heaps of air. She hadn't known her surroundings.

Everything she dashed by had been new. It didn't help either that it was dark with slices of the moonlight coloring the ground here and there. Regardless of how far she ran those circumstances led to her downfall. The root of a tree lingered above ground and she tripped over it like an idiot. When she looked behind her to see if she lost River her expression dropped. He was there and scooped her over his shoulder like nothing. Vulia hadn't even known that her knee was bleeding from the trip, but what did it matter? Just like River said before?

The walk to the mansion was a slow one and Vulia could only think of how she didn't want to die. Then River opened that front door and her entire body shook, it seemed. Her eyes burned with tears that she dared not let fall. She wouldn't give these men the satisfaction of seeing her cry, of knowing the power they held on to. She was granted looks from several different men in all different directions, all of whom didn't spare any kindness in their eyes. They had seen unimaginable things in their life and it gave them permanent scars, ones worn in the shapes of forever frowns. Chills danced all over her body. River finally put her down when they were in an office.

"Welcome to your new home, get comfortable," River introduced as he placed her down, turned, and locked her inside the office. Vulia screamed and pounded on the door as if it'd do her any good. Blood still ran down her leg, staining the floor as if to remind her that she'd be bound there in blood too.

"Let me out! Please," she cried out but received no response. Of course, no one in there cared. No one would let her out. Finally, when she felt like there was no use for her screams anymore she decided to search the office instead. Almost everything in there required a key to unlock. How many fucking keys did this one room have? And whoever's office was it seemed to be a very secretive man or woman. Whoever it was Vulia was sure it wasn't someone she wanted to meet. When she searched every possible thing, which unsurprisingly didn't bulge open, she made her way to the window which looked down at the estate. She released a long sigh and sat in the chair by the window.

All she could do was wait and bleed, bleed and wait. It felt like forever as she bathed in the quiet. She needed something to fill that emptiness because her mind ran to a sinister place. She engulfed the tick of the clock and that reoccurring tick stopped tears from falling. It was her comfort in this mayhem.

After a long while the office door turned with a click, a very blaring click, and opened so slowly that the beads of sweat that formed on her forehead waited to fall until it opened fully. A tall, muscular man with a brooding presence entered. Darkness clung to his aura, danger dangling as he walked into the moonlight that spilled into the office. He closed the door and didn't forget to lock it either like he knew her intentions before she had formulated the idea. A door with locks on both sides, fucking great. Vulia's movements were tentative because she was afraid to make a move until the man who was pooled in black revealed himself.

She hadn't realized she held her breath until a sliver of the man's face was revealed. One bright blue eye was unveiled by the moonlight pooling through the window. Calix. There was nothing soft about his features as if mercy was a trait bred by the weak. There wasn't a hint of softness.

"You," was all she could say as her voice betrayed her. She stood up and marched toward him which hadn't been the smartest idea but she did it. "I'm here because of you? You did this?"

Calix didn't speak as Vulia began throwing punches in his direction. Punch after punch after punch until tears swelled at the corners of her eyes and began to paint her cheeks. The punches had power until they waned into pitiful slaps on the chest instead. They slowed down, then he stopped her. She was still breathing so hard and still trying to put up a fight. Her breath was the loudest thing in the room, the only sound between them for a short moment.

"What do you plan on doing with me?" She whispered, her muscles aching from the repetition. She looked up at him with a fire in her eyes and something burning in her soul. She knew it'd disappear eventually. "Whatever it is make it quick and painless. Please."

As if please would make a difference at all. It was like asking the devil himself for mercy. The chances were one in a million that he'd grant it. When hell freezes over and the sun sets in the east. He didn't speak for a long moment and just looked down at her with nothing mirroring in his eyes. There wasn't an ounce of empathy in them, mere emptiness resided and all Vulia wanted to do was look away. But somehow she couldn't, it was indescribable. The night sky blazed around them and he finally let her go, a healthy proximity settling between them.

"Fucking say something," she demanded. "Is this because of my brother?"

She was in no position to ask questions and he was not obligated to answer any. She was well aware of that, but something in her longed to know. Despite whatever fate loomed behind that door, at least she'd have some peace knowing the reason why he'd decided to take her away from her life. Dammit, she knew her life wasn't perfect and the last month hadn't been the best, but she didn't ask to be whisked away by the one person that brought division. Her eyes remained on his and the more she looked the more she could see the moon in them.

"No, bellezza. You're here because I am a selfish man," he finally spoke. His voice was deep and velvety, sending goosebumps all over Vulia's skin like her favorite song had been playing. She never wanted it to stop, the humming which clung to her. She hated what this man could do to her with just the sound of his voice.

"Why are you doing this, Ace?" She asked as if he'd answer any of her questions truthfully or at all. She could feel the blood on her knee continuously dripping and eventually drying on the ground between them. It was a reminder that she could try to get away, but she never would. Vulia sensed there would be more bloody knees alongside scratched elbows and smudged faces in the future.

"Because I can," he confirmed lowly, his words a sharp edge in the smooth air. Vulia shut her eyes as if to imagine she was somewhere else. She knew that Calix was right. He could do whatever he wanted with her. He was one of the most powerful men in the world, but Vulia wasn't going down without a fight. She'd be damned if she'd just endure her fate. Something about his presence, though, felt deliriously sweet like a drug she was craving. When he touched her in the way he did all her logic waned.

"Is it wrong to want you to myself?" He whispered into her ear. His breath trailed in place of his whisper. Her heart sped up and her lips parted as a result. She was hot. He pulled back and lifted her chin with his fingers in somewhat of a rough way. He angled her face in a way where she had to look at him and nothing else. She shut her lips and opened her eyes. He gazed at her for a long moment. Blueness spun halos of darkness and his irises became more and more like emotionless depths as she stared into them. Still, she felt she was drowning in the vacancy, absorbing all of the heat that radiated from the man in front of her.

"All types of wrong," she spat out, grinding her teeth behind her pouted lips. She wanted to say so much more, tell him off in all the ways that she knew. She didn't. She couldn't. Instead, her body nearly quivered from their proximity. They were profoundly together, melded in their separation. Their bodies produced a rhythm that only they knew, cavorting wildly. Something menacing was birthed in their faces, but their body language sang a different tune. It was loud and catchy and close. Her chest dug at the strange defeat that settled as if it hadn't been a defeat at all. It was like her mind was defying all logic, telling her that being there with Calix was something else. Of course, it hadn't been and it was only the lust talking.

"What if I want to be wrong?" he huffed. Somehow, they were closer. Somehow, he became much more intimidating (as if that were possible). She wanted to reach out and touch him. It seemed like if she did she'd wake up from this nightmare. The fantasy she conjured in her head would disappear. This wasn't her life. She wasn't thinking these thoughts; she wasn't feeling these things deep in her core. They were oh-so-dangerous and that synergy was oh-so-pleasant. She could see the greed, the hunger of which he was deprived. "I want to bend you over my desk and fuck that pussy until your legs are shaking, bellezza."

He released her and turned to leave as if he couldn't contain himself otherwise. The scary part was Vulia was unsure that if he would have tried anything she'd fight it. When the door slammed there was no click as if that was an invitation for her to follow after him. That notion was squashed when River opened the door seconds later with a first aid kit. Vulia hadn't realized she was clenching her thighs too tight until River's eyes trailed down. He was looking at her wound, but Vulia couldn't be too sure. All she could think was what the fuck just happened.

"Here. You might want to clean that before it gets infected," was River's response. He handed her the kit and ushered her to follow him. "Your room awaits you, Ms. Amour."

Although he was joking, Vulia wasn't laughing because whatever awaited her outside that door felt more dangerous than anything in that office. She needed to find a way out quickly. She was sure her brother knew by now and it was only a matter of time before they would find her. All Vulia had to do was play along. How hard could it be?

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TO BE CONTINUED

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