“Hey, you heard that?” Aaliyah asked when she heard two shots, and Ashton looked confused.
“Heard what?” Ashton asked, and Aaliyah shook her head.
“Nothing,” she said.
It must be her mind playing tricks. She nodded at herself before walking to the next stall, her mind wondering where Mr. Volkov went.
“Do you like this one?” Ashton took a pair of earrings before turning around when he noticed she wasn’t paying attention.
“What’s wrong? Is something troubling you?” Ashton finally asked after a few minutes.
“It’s nothing. Let’s just go. I don’t feel like buying anything right now. It’s a seven-day trip, and we will stop at many destinations,” Aaliyah said before looking at the stalls with a heavy heart.
“I will pick something that will really attract me, or you know I am a sucker for these things. If it comes to buying decorations, I don’t have control over my mind,” she said, and Ashton chuckled before looking at Momo and David, who were busy clicking photos.
“Let’s click a photo near that stone,” Ashton said, and Aaliyah nodded, pulling him to the photo booth.
After clicking around ten pictures with funny faces, Aaliyah looked at the photos in Ashton’s hand with a smile.
“Haha, look at your face in this one,”
“Yeah? Am I the only one looking funny? Look at yourself, Aaliyah,”
“Well, at least I am looking cute. You just look like a monkey,”
“Cute, my ass. You look like a voodoo doll,” Ashton chuckled when Aaliyah slapped his forearm.
“Guys, we are going to the restaurant. Momo is hungry. Want to come?” David and Momo joined them, and Ashton nodded.
“We were about to leave for the restaurant too. Let’s go. Katherine, are you and your boyfriend coming?” Ashton asked Katherine, who looked at Aaliyah before shaking her head.
“You guys go ahead. We will explore the flea market a bit more,” She said, and Aaliyah and her group left for the restaurant.
“Katherine is acting like she doesn’t even know us anymore. Like she is one of them and not with us,” Momo scoffed.
“Well, that might be because she doesn’t want to make me uncomfortable with their lovey-dovey act. I think it’s for the best. I don’t want to taint my ears and eyes with their over-display of affection,” Aaliyah scoffed before her gaze fell to Samantha, who looked worried.
Something has definitely happened in the group, which they are not telling anyone.
First, Mr. Volkov looked so solemn, then he left without saying anything, and now Samantha’s expression.
Everything supported her conclusion. How is she supposed to know? And what if it’s gang related?
She didn’t want to get involved in matters that didn’t concern her.
“What do you mean? Is everything alright?” Samantha’s words as she talked to someone over the call brought Aaliyah out of her thoughts, and she became even more curious.
“Is everything alright, Samantha?” She finally asked.
“Huh? Y-yeah, everything’s okay. You guys go to the restaurant. The rest of us will meet you there, okay?” Samantha didn’t wait for her answer and left.
After half an hour, Aaliyah, her friends, and some crew reached the restaurant. To say it was beautiful for an island would be an understatement. It looked beyond lavish.
“You must be Miss Samantha’s guests. Please follow me,” A boy., 19-20 years old, smiled at them, his gaze lingering on Aaliyah.
“Wow, don’t tell me this big table is just for us,” Momo gushed, and the boy smiled.
“The arrangements for Miss Aaliyah, Mr. Troy, and Miss Stan have been made on a different table than this one. You can call me Alec,” The boy said, and Aaliyah nodded.
“I am Aaliyah. I think I will stay here till everyone is here, Alec,” She said, and he bowed politely.
“Is there something you would like to try? Our ancient rice beer prepared with traditional methods is very famous,”
“I would -”
“You know you can’t order wine or beer,” Ashton placed his hand on Aaliyah’s, cutting her sentence, and she pouted her lips.
“I wasn’t ordering one, to begin with. I was about to ask if they have any shakes available, stupid monkey,” Aaliyah grumbled before looking at Alec.
“We can prepare something. What would you like to have? It will be on the house,” Alec smiled, and Aaliyah beamed at him.
“Do you guys happen to have Oreo shake? A plain chocolate shake would do too, or perhaps cold coffee?” Aaliyah asked, and Alec nodded.
“I would like to try some rice beer. Coffee for me. Rice beer for me too,” the rest ordered one by one, and Alec wrote their orders before smiling at Aaliyah and leaving.
“Girl, he is definitely crushing on you,” Momo gushed before looking at Ashton, scoffing in her mind.
She agrees that it’s cruel to talk about these things in front of him, but just because he can’t gather some guts, her friend won’t stay single forever. Momo thought.
“Yeah?” Aaliyah mused at her friend’s excitement.
“Yup, plus he is a hottie. I would definitely bang that booty,” Momo spoke without a thought, and David coughed before pulling her closer, making Aaliyah shake her head at the duo.
Momo was right. Unfortunately, Aaliyah’s heart was already captured by some different booty, a very hot one at that. Aaliyah’s lips twitched at her trail of thoughts.
After half an hour, Alec brought everyone’s drinks. Seeing Momo and David busy and Aaliyah sitting alone, looking bored, he smiled at her.
“The terrace of our restaurant has a great view of the ocean and mountains. Would you like to see it?” Alec asked, and since she had nothing better to do and Ashton was busy talking to his cousin, Aaliyah nodded.
“I would love to,” she smiled before following him.
“Here, let me help you,” Alec extended his hand, and Aaliyah took it before climbing through the attic on the terrace that was even higher.
“This is beautiful,” Aaliyah was really mesmerized by the beauty.
“Are those caves? Are tourists allowed to explore them?” Aaliyah looked at Alec with wide eyes, and the boy, who had been gazing at her the whole time, mesmerized by the beautiful smile on her face, smiled politely.
“I am afraid you can’t. To explore those caves, you need the help of a local member of that area. You see, the islands are divided into sections. That section isn’t, as I would say, worth the risk,” Alec didn’t explain further, and Aaliyah nodded.
“This is a beautiful place. Wait, can you stand here? I would like to take a picture of you if it’s okay. It helps me remember people I met and interacted with,” Aaliyah said with a genuine smile, and Alec beamed.
“Can I take that picture with you?” He asked hopefully, and though he was a grown-up boy, Aaliyah could still see he was way more innocent than boys in her area, and she smiled.
“Sure, just don’t slip. It looks dangerous,” Aaliyah said when Alec posed, and he chuckled, making Aaliyah click a photo.
“Oh shoot, I forgot I was still on duty. Let’s go down the attic. You can enjoy the view from the terrace. I don’t want you to fall once I leave,” Alec helped her down, and she smiled when he left hurriedly.
Plugging her earphone in one ear, Aaliyah played some soft music to enjoy the wind and the view with melodies, a carefree smile on her face that made the people on the ground stop and see the beauty.
“Where is she?” Samantha asked as soon as she entered the restaurant, and Ashton, who was talking to his cousin, placed his hand over the phone.
“Aaliyah? Isn’t she on the table?” He asked before going back to talking, and Samantha sighed.
“Miss Samantha,” Alec bowed in respect.
“Alec, have you seen a girl with long brown hair and brown eyes? She must’ve come with these -”
“You mean Miss Aaliyah?” Alec asked, and Samantha nodded.
“She is on the terrace,” Alec said, and Samantha turned around to inform Dimitri, but no one was there.
“What are you listening to?” Aaliyah heard the familiar voice from behind, but before she could turn around, Volkov hugged her from behind, pressing her body on the railings, making her heart skip a bit before she realized something was wrong.
Smelling the familiar scent of blood, Aaliyah’s body froze before she turned around forcefully.
“I am sorry I had to go like this. I can’t believe people can be so cruel,” Volkov’s voice was cold, void of any emotions, his last sentence barely a mumble, and Aaliyah could feel turmoil brewing inside him.
“I don’t know what happened or what you dealt with, but sometimes strengthening your point needs sacrifices. You either stand or fall. There is nothing in between. I am sure what you did was for someone’s betterment,” Aaliyah said, and Volkov hummed.
What happened there wasn’t pleasant. When Volkov understood the man, Liam, was the girl’s brother, he didn’t know what to do. He wanted to kill him for committing such a heinous crime and blame it on the organization, but if he did, the lady would be alone with nothing and no one.
It was more than just a question of morals. Controlling emotions and masking them behind a stone-cold face was something he learned long ago.
Small things like blood and murders don’t bother him, but when he looked into that mother’s hopeless eyes as if everything was snatched away from her, he could only take a step back and sigh.
He gave the right to punish that man Liam to his mother. The other three men were brought to him, and he sliced the neck of one of them. One of them shouted to Liam, to tell the truth, when he was about to kill the other two.
At that time, Liam told the crowd it was all part of the plan, and the girl was alive and safe. She was used by his friends to gain their attention. And to say Liam was relaxed about it made Volkov’s blood boil, and he sliced the neck of the other two people.
“You don’t even know how I look or what I did. How can you trust me blindly?” Volkov took a step back, letting her see his condition.
“Are you afraid of me now?” He asked, clenching his fists when Aaliyah’s gaze raked over his clothes that had splashes of blood, ready for all kinds of answers.
“Not even the slightest,” Aaliyah said.
Gazing back into his eyes, Aaliyah smiled before she grabbed his t-shirt and tore it into shreds.
“Now I see you,” Aaliyah said, but the beast inside Volkov was far from calm.
“Don’t blame me for being rough with you,” Volkov said, kissing her lips in a hungry-passionate manner like he wanted to mold all his sorrows and anger into that kiss, and Aaliyah took a step back because of the pressure, leaning on the railings.
“Mmmmmmhhh,” Aaliyah couldn’t resist as he forced himself onto her.
Placing his hand under her legs, he lifted her, making her wrap her legs around his torso before walking towards the entrance, not wanting anyone to see her like this.
Slamming her onto the wall with his body, Aaliyah moaned when he pushed his lower body towards her.
“Domin-mmmhhh, st-mmmmmpp,” She couldn’t say one clear word before she gave into the kiss.
Battling with their tongues trying to release their frustration on each other, both of them devoured each other hungrily.
Roaming his hands on her body roughly, Volkov paused his hand right beside her right br*ast, massaging her skin under her crop top, and Aaliyah moaned, clenching her legs around him as she grazed his chest, leaving claw marks on his skin, making him even madder.
Placing her hand over his, she guided his hand on her bre*sts and Volkov deepened the kiss even more if possible, squeezing her bossom in the growing desire.
When Aaliyah couldn’t breathe anymore because of the intensity and all the flooding emotions that were making her dizzy, she pushed him, tilting her head as she breathed heavily with moist eyes.
“Are you planning to kill me with breathlessness?” She complained, feeling wronged.
What the hell does he think he was doing, kissing her in the wild like this?
“You!” She started, but Volkov smiled, unfazed.
“I don’t think I will be able to do without you now,” Volkov placed his forehead on hers, and she froze in her place.
“You dirtied my clothes. How will I go down like this?” Aaliyah asked, completely off-topic, and
Volkov could see she was dodging deliberately.
“Let me help you change, Sweetheart,” Volkov bent before biting her neck softly, and she slapped his chest at the innuendo.
“Stop it,” Aaliyah said, her hand tingling as she didn’t want to remove it from his chest.
“I wish I could, but I can’t,” Volkov rubbed his nose onto hers, and she smiled before hiding her face in his chest so that he doesn’t see the expression on her face that must be screaming how much she wants him right now.