All The Pretty Little Lies (Second Sons Duet #1)

2. Vesper

VESPER

After my father escorts Oscar away to celebrate with a cigar, my mother immediately ushers me back into the confines of my room where I am to wait for further instructions. The door closes behind her with a resounding thud, and I slump against it, forcing back the tears until I can no longer hear my mother's heels echoing in the distance.

I can’t breathe. I can’t fucking breathe.

I force myself from the floor. Without a second thought, I rush towards my balcony door, throwing it open, and feel the cool night air kiss my skin. My lungs heave, as I rest my arms on the balcony railing, gazing out into the darkness that surrounds the vast estate like a dense fog, desperately trying to focus on my breathing. The stars above me twinkle and mock my situation with their effortless beauty. They have no worries about where to go or what to wear, they simply shine day and night until their light eventually fades away in a dazzling finale. To be free like that, be able to glimmer in the night sky without a care in the world, seems like an impossible dream. Yet, it's one I would give anything to have at this moment.

Dmitri Petrov is not only dangerous, but he is also my future husband. Any morsel of hope I had that my own father would protect me has now dissipated like smoke in the wind. Of all the families to shackle me to, he picked the one person on the entire planet that absolutely terrifies me.

I’d seen him only a few times at the academy. Much like his cousin, Dmitri is tall. His muscled body a weapon. His face, while handsome, holds something more sinister behind the beautiful facade. Rumors follow him everywhere. The sons of rival families have a way of disappearing when he is present. That is, until Dmitri was sent back to Russia after our Freshman year. The reason was never leaked, but about the time he left, so did one of the female members of an Irish family. Like Dmitri, she never returned. Luca had his suspicions, but he, of course, never bothered to share those with me other than to tell me that Dmitri being abroad was safer for everyone, including myself. Now, it wouldn’t matter where he was because in a week, I would be by his side.

The thought of being tied to him makes my stomach churn, souring more with each passing moment. The heavy weight of tradition and duty crushes me. I’d been trained for this, to endure for the sake of my family. Endure a loveless, arranged marriage to a dangerous man in a foreign country, far away from any lifeline I might still have after I said my vows.

Dmitri will control everything about my life. What I eat, when I sleep, how often I spread my legs, and bear him heirs. I knew this was my fate, but the reality is finally settling in. I am drowning without water, being dragged so far down into the depths that my body chills with each passing second. I force myself to focus on breathing. In and out until warmth finally returns to my limbs. I stare off in the distance below, letting myself settle back into my skin when a sudden movement in the shadows below catches my eye, and I strain to see through the inky blackness. A figure emerges from the darkness, moving with a grace and stealth that belies their presence. As they draw closer, the dim light from the moon reveals a familiar silhouette - Oscar. His eyes meet mine, studying me from his position in my mother’s lavish garden. He’s so still that had I not seen him move before, I would have thought he was a figment of my imagination.

What is he doing in the garden? He should still be with my Father. Surely, he’s not starting his guard duty tonight. I consider calling down to him, but a voice comes from behind me.

“Not thinking about jumping, are you?”

I practically jump out of my skin at the sound of the voice, spinning around to see Luca leaning against the door frame leading into my room. Where my parents are cold and ruthless, Luca is the sunshine in my life. The only true joy that I have within our family. My ally in everything. "It looks like you've seen a ghost," Luca teases, a smirk playing on his lips as he saunters closer to me on the balcony. Despite the lightness in his voice, I can see concern flicker in his eyes before he masks it with humor.

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I shoot him a look of mock annoyance. "Very funny, Luca. You scared the life out of me."

Luca chuckles, but there's a warmth in his gaze that tells me he's genuinely relieved to see me unharmed. "Sorry about that. Couldn't resist giving you a start. So, who were you expecting to find down there? A secret admirer perhaps? An escape route?"

I shake my head with a wry smile, "I take it you’ve heard who Father has selected for me.”

“I have.” Luca's expression turns serious at the mention of Dmitri, his playful demeanor fading away as he steps closer to me. "You know you don't have to go through with this, right? There are other options, other paths you can take."

I sigh, knowing Luca means well, but also understanding the constraints of our family's expectations. "I appreciate your concern, Luca, but you know as well as I do that there's nothing you or I can do. It’s settled. After graduation, I’ll be shipped off to Russia to marry Dmitri.”

Luca's jaw tightens at the thought, his worry evident. “He’s a dangerous man, Vesper. I fear for you. I fear what he will do to you. I fear,” he sighs. “I fear that you will end up just like our mother.”

“It’s not like that hasn’t been the plan for me since the day I was born. I’m not like you. I’m the means to a powerful alliance. You’re the future of this family.”

“Fuck our family. It doesn’t have to be the plan. You could leave. I have enough cash that you could get away and live a good life.”

I look at Luca, his offer tempting me with the promise of freedom and a life of my choosing. The idea of leaving everything behind, including my family's expectations, and the looming shadow of Dmitri Petrov, fills me with a mixture of fear and excitement. Could I really walk away from everything I've ever known? Could I turn my back on tradition and duty in search of a life that is truly mine?

The sound of my own heartbeat fills the silence that stretches between Luca and me, each thud a reminder of the choice that lies before me. Taking a deep breath, I meet Luca's gaze, seeing the hope and worry etched in his eyes.

"Luca, running away is a tempting prospect, I won't deny that," I begin softly, weighing my words carefully. "But you know as well as I do that it's not that simple. Our family would never stop looking for me. And Dmitri, he would consider it an even greater challenge to hunt me down."

Luca nods, his jaw clenching with frustration. "I know it's risky. But staying here, marrying him. It's not just risky, Vesper. It's dangerous. He’s a killer.”

I reach out to grasp Luca's hand, needing the comfort of his touch in this moment of uncertainty. "Believe me, the thought of being bound to him terrifies me more than anything else in this world, but if I leave, the Petrovs will take their revenge. It would put our entire family at risk. While I may not care what happens to everyone, I care about what happens to you.”

“Don’t worry about me, Ves. I can take care of myself once I know you’re safe.”

“Even if I entertained trying to leave, you know as well as I do that escaping isn't that simple. Where would I go? How would I survive on my own? And what about you? The Petrovs will not stand for an alliance of this magnitude to be broken. You’ll be the one in their crosshairs."

Luca's gaze softens, a mix of resignation and determination flickering in his eyes. "I'll figure something out. Your safety is worth any consequence. You're all I have left, Vesper."

Tears threaten to spill from my eyes at his words, at the unconditional love and loyalty he shows me when everyone else has turned their backs. He's right - Luca is all I have in this world, the one person who has never wavered in his support for me.

I squeeze his hand tightly, drawing strength from his unwavering presence. "Thank you, Luca. For everything. I don't know what I'd do without you, but you know there is nothing either of us can do. My die has been cast."

He offers me a small, sad smile before pulling me into a tight embrace, as if trying to shield me from the storm that looms on the horizon. We stand there in silence for a long moment, the weight of our unspoken fears and hopes hanging heavy in the air between us.

“Just give me time, Ves. I’ll figure something out.”

As I pull away from Luca's comforting embrace, a sense of foreboding settles in the pit of my stomach. I can't escape the feeling of being trapped, like a bird with clipped wings expected to soar. Deep down, I know that time will not change anything. The reality of my situation is a heavy weight pressing down on me, suffocating me with its grim certainty. I have to marry Dmitri. There is no other option. I just have to figure out how to survive it.