Lily
Five years ago, my life was destroyed, and my dreams of becoming a ballerina burned with it.
That night, someone pulled me out of the dark.
I never saw his face.
Never heard his voice.
I only remember his cologne.
When my father resurfaces, I’m dragged back into the mafia world.
And protected by the one man who feels dangerously familiar.
Drago Korolyov. Moy zashchitnik.
What we have isn’t just temptation. It’s a love deep enough to start wars.
The real danger isn’t just the price on my head or the cult hunting me.
It’s the truth Drago is hiding.
He can protect me from almost anything.
And loving him might be the most dangerous thing of all.
Drago
I was raised in blood.
Violence isn’t something I do. It’s what I am.
And then there was Lily Morozova.
My best friend’s daughter… the one person I was never meant to touch.
So I did my duty.
I watched from the shadows.
Killed threats before they ever reached her.
Lily became my secret obsession. My lastochka.
When her past comes back bleeding into her present, I step out of the dark and into her life.
There’s nowhere left for me to hide, and every boundary I built collapses.
They say monsters don’t get happy endings.
Fine. I’m not asking for redemption.
All I want is a lifetime of loving Lily.
And with a war fast approaching, I’ll risk everything to make sure she gets out of this alive.
I’m prepared to die for the woman I love.
But I’ll burn the world down first to try and claim the forever we were never supposed to have.
Beneath The Blaze, #5
02/18/2026