#Roman volkov

[nostalgicfortomorrow]

Why I love TDM so much

I love The Darkest Minds so fucking much. It's about found family. It's about trust and friendship. AND IT CREATES SOME OF THE BEST CHARACTERS I'VE EVER READ.

So obviously the setting. I like how much effort Alexandra Bracken puts into designing a world that I could definately foresee myself in a couple of years, especially with the rise of GMO food (agent ambrosia) and how it dives deeper into corruption and how a government works being that it never truly will care about it's people unlike many other dystopians I've read. I hated Shatter me (sue me, sure.) despite how similar it is to TDM because I didn't get a strong grasp of character and setting and it was mostly romance rather than an exploration of setting and our world.

Moving forward I LOVE THE CHARACTERS! They're realistic and lovable and flaw...ful? Whatever. The characters have a realistic representation of trauma in all its forms, and many of the characters have real feelings and you can really understand and love them. In many YA books I feel like the main hero doesn't really have much personality, but seeing the world from Ruby's eyes is a breath of fresh air. She's not bratty, but she's not perfect either which are the two swings in YA. She constantly feels guilt, and feels real just like if you and I were in the book together, we'd understand what Ruby is going through. And Liam who on the surface is the perfect dude but really, he's trying to deal with his trauma and guilt while simultaneously trying to keep an unhealthy, perfect facade to keep the rest of the group motivated. He has to live with the guilt of Caledonia and Cole as well as the childrens league and he learns to stop putting out a facade and just truly process his emotions. And Chubsie? My stubborn arrogant loveable grumpy bean. He's stuck with Zu and Liam for ages and now theres a total newcomer who may or may not be a threat. How would he feel? He learns to adapt and becomes bestiessss with Ruby which is extremely wholesome. And Zu. She's so sassy, and amazing, and a queen and yet she's also dealing with trauma by voluntarily going into silence because she doesn't have words to deal with her pain. She learns to speak up and become a force for good. I'd go into Vida, but I don't think I have enough time.

I love the found family. The different groups which become like family to each other. The Original Black Betty gang consisting of liam, ruby, chubs and zu. The never fade childrens league gang which consists of nico vida ruby and jude and maybe cole. And the final new black betty gang which basically pulls Vida into the family. the beyond the night gang with sam, mia and lucas. The darkest legacy gang with priya roman zu max and mayyyyyyybe even lana if she recovers. They are all family and as ruby states family is not the place but the people you are with and these characters make each other comfortable and happy and together and just adopt random children along the way in the case of the darkest legacy gang. Lets call them the psion ring gang. I just love the found family thing that this book series creates for us.

[scorbleeo]

Book Chat: The Darkest Legacy

The Darkest Minds (Book 4) by Alexandra Bracken

Source: Google Images

It's five years after the destruction of the camps that imprisoned her and countless other Psi kids, seventeen-year-old Zu and friends … but the battle is far from over.

Seventeen-year-old Zu has made it her mission to fight for the rights of the kids once persecuted for their powers. Though they are no longer imprisoned, the Psi's face huge prejudice, and a growing tide of misinformation.

When Zu is accused of a horrifying crime, she is forced to run for her life. She travels in search of safety and answers, but uncovers a dark truth that threatens every Psi. With enemies everywhere, who can Zu trust to help her fight back?

ISBN: 9781786540614 (2018) | Source: Goodreads

Did We...Need This?

I am honestly pissed at Alexandra Bracken for writing this book. I loved the series before The Darkest Legacy and even though I did not hate this last book, reading this darkened my feelings towards this series now.

First things first, the pacing for this book was agonisingly slow. It felt like I had to read a hundred pages of nothing much happening nor developing to get a minute of action before I get back to another hundred pages of nothing much. I get it, Zu did not trust Roman and Priyanka. Roman and Priyanka did not trust Zu either. I got that very early on in the book, Bracken did not need to waste so much time developing nothing just because of that mistrust. The pacing really could have gone faster.

Also, Zu... *sigh* According to Bracken, this book took a while to be written because she was unsure of who to tell the story through. I did not like that Zu was the chosen one. This grown version of Zu got on my nerves way too many times, I was irritated by her and I loved Zu in the past. Throughout The Darkest Legacy, I just kept thinking why pick Zu? Then I think I realised why when I finished the book and had time to digest. I think Zu was only chosen to tell this story because with the way this story was moving, it could only be Zu. No one else could have brought her old squad and Roman + Priyanka together.

Even though I had a lot of issues with this book, I did like what Bracken was trying to tell readers of this series. I am someone who feels bored with a happy ending. What can I say? Ambiguous endings send me on a high all the time. I loved that Bracken was like "hell no you think a political problem like that will have a happy ending for everybody". The fact that she made Ruby wake up but we do not know if there were any lingering problems to what was done to Ruby? Or that Clancy Gray is out in the wild again. Yeah, I did seriously like that. Except, I am hoping she is done with this series, no more books for The Darkest Minds series, please.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

More on The Darkest Minds series here: The Darkest Minds (#1) | Never Fade (#2) | Into the Afterlight (#3)

[44um-theannoyingguy]

Я не могу с того, насколько сероволчьи девочки похожи на них в детстве

[meri-l]

Spoiler for Major Grom: The Game!

Reaction of actors at a reading for one of the scenes in the movie

Attention, a lot of foul language

[milkchocolate-e]

"so, what keeps your up at night ?"

Me and my dark haired, intelligent ,sarcastic, cold but has a soft spot for me, morally grey villain in a field full of daisies because i, once mentioned that i loved them

Yeah.

[thefvrious]

@dishonaesty said -> “i'm breaking up with you. i love you, it's just... i don't think you could protect me from a mummy.”

Roman simply stares at Katie for a long, quiet moment. He wonders what she's taken -- she must be on some kind of drugs, right? Who believes in mummies? Who fights them? He's got bigger fish to fry than to worry about her right now.

Sucking his teeth, Roman sighs, leans forward on his elbows, cocks his head at her curiously. "How much have you had to drink, little darlin'?"

[pipsipey17]

across my memory.

natasha romanoff x fem!reader

main masterlist

summary: an arranged marriage led you to leaving the woman you love. who knew that you would meet again merely a decade later only under different circumstances once upon a december.

contains: angst and some fluff (if you squint hard enough)

a/n: i recommend listening to once upon a december while reading this cause i sorta based this story on that song :>

You have received an invitation by the neighboring kingdom of Volkov, they were inviting you and your husband to their grand ball in celebration of the king’s birthday. 

As you were checking yourself in the mirror you suddenly heard a knock on the door, “Are you all prepared my dear?” your husband asked. 

“I- um… yes, I’m all ready now.” You replied and stood up swiftly from your seat then grabbed all your belongings before leaving the room. 

Once you opened the door, your husband greeted you with awe and admiration in his eyes. You were wearing a deep red ball gown with beads and pearls surrounding it, there was nothing really special about your ball gown, in fact, you found it stocked away in your closet. “You always look so mesmerizing, my love.” He said and kissed you on the cheek and offered his arm for you to hold. 

Attending grand balls wasn't something you really liked, in fact, you always found them socially tiring but your husband thinks otherwise. He would always be happy to attend these gatherings, because of the chance to socialize with other people which he oh so love whereas you were acting like an obedient wife following him everywhere he goes.   

~~~

You finally arrived at the ball and as usual, you walked beside your husband as he chatted with some of your friends and acquaintances. 

“Artur, it has been a while old friend.” A man suddenly said as he shook your husband’s hand and kissed your gloved hand as a greeting. You realized that it was the king himself, Roman Volkov. 

“It has been indeed, I see you’ve finally married.” Artur gesturing to the woman who is assumingly his wife who has a fan covered across her face, only her eyes seemingly visible to you. 

Emerald eyes. Eyes that you remember all too well. 

It’s her. 

“I’m Natasha, it's a pleasure to meet you Artur.” Natasha spoke and bowed slightly to him.  

“The pleasure is all mine,” your husband said as he kissed Natasha’s gloved hand, “This is my wife, Y/N.” Artur introduced and you bowed to her slightly in greeting. 

“Why don’t you both ladies chat whilst Artur and I chat to catch up on things while having drinks?” Roman said as he planted his arm onto your husband’s shoulder.

“Sounds like a great idea,” Artur suddenly chimed.

A total bad idea.  

“Alright, but don’t drink too much.” You said to him.

“I’ll see you later, love.” Artur said, then kissed you on the cheek before he left with Roman. You could feel Natasha’s eyes on the both of you. 

Natasha removed the fan from her face revealing her full facial features, it’s like she hasn’t even aged. She still looks beautiful as you remembered. “Follow me.” she said before you both walked in silence.

Someone holds me safe and warm

Your mind was racing with questions, it has been merely 12 years since you saw each other and the night you promised her a life with you for eternity. 

Horses prance through a silver storm

Figures dancing gracefully

“Some wine?” Natasha offered as the two of you entered what assumably is their entertainment hall because of the piano on the side of the room and with the bookshelves around.

“No, thank you.” You replied, making Natasha shrug and poured herself some wine.

“I can’t believe you’re married, for how long?” you asked.

Natasha swallowed her wine and replied, “For almost five years now.”

Your heart sank upon hearing those words, but you knew it was bound to happen after what you said to her all those years ago.

“I'll end our marriage in five years time, and I promise that I'll be with you until my last breath.”

Across my memory

“Do you actually love him? Is that why you didn't leave him like you said you would years ago?” Natasha suddenly blurted out.

You were taken aback by her question, “Natasha, I-”

“It’s only a simple yes or no question Y/N.”  

You took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself down before saying, “Yes, I love him.” 

That wasn't enough to convince her. She started to move closer and you kept backing away but eventually your back hit the wall, “Look me in the eyes and say that one more time.”

Far away long ago

You looked into her emerald green eyes, oh how you missed those eyes of hers, eyes that would look at you with much love and admiration, but now, her eyes were filled with something different, rage, anger, and sadness.

Glowing dim as an ember

Your mouth opened but nothing came out making Natasha smirk and say, “I know you’re lying but if you insist.”

You wanted to speak but you knew she wasn't done, “You said to wait for you for five years but I waited for six long painful years before I fully convinced myself that you weren’t coming back. I eventually decided to marry Roman. I told myself that I’ll learn to love him and hopefully forget about you throughout our marriage.

But I couldn’t, I acted like a faithful wife around him but I acted like I was in a brothel when he wasn’t around. I slept with multiple women trying to banish you from my mind but I just couldn’t.”

You were stunned and shocked with what she said but she continued, “You probably have forgotten about me after all these years, seeing that you didn’t come back for me five years after you got married.”

Things my heart used to know

You couldn't stay quiet any longer,  “How could I forget the woman who loved me for who I am, the woman who made me feel like I was safe with her. The woman who made me feel like I was… home.” You replied and you suddenly felt your eyes sting, tears wanting to fall but you stopped yourself from being too vulnerable in front of her. 

“If you truly loved me, you could’ve done what you promised all those years ago!” Natasha said in an almost yelling tone. She saw you flinch at her words and immediately regretted raising her voice at you, “I-I'm sorry.” she said and approached you once again.

Things it yearns to remember

She cupped your cheek and her eyes flickered onto your lips silently asking for consent. You nodded slightly and closed your eyes until finally feeling her lips on yours. It was filled with passion and longing, almost like it was a perfect puzzle.

You missed this, you missed the feeling of kissing her, touching her, you missed everything about her.

“You’re as beautiful as the day I last saw you.” you said which made Natasha smile sadly. 

Your tears started to stream down your cheeks and she was there to wipe them, just like how she would before. 

“Would you still run away with me if I asked you to?” Natasha asked with a slight smirk on her face.

You shook your head slightly, “I can’t.” you whispered.

“You can’t or you won’t?” Natasha retorted.

You held her hand and placed it onto your stomach, “I’m… pregnant.” 

You felt Natasha tense up at the unexpected news but she asked, “Does he know?” and you shook your head, “I haven’t told him yet.”

“We can still run away together, we’ll take care and raise the child like our own.”

“Don’t be ridiculous Natasha,” you let go of her hand and walked to where the wine bottle was, grabbing yourself a glass.  “Artur has been wanting to have a child for years and me leaving him for you is a death sentence, for me and especially you.” You said and immediately drank half of the wine in your glass. “This unborn child is now my priority. That is why as much as I want to leave the place I call hell everyday and take another chance of a new life with you I can’t.”

You took another drink and more tears started to flow down, “It also would be best if this is the last time we’ll see each other.” you said with a choked sob. 

Natasha immediately approached you and made you face her, “No, no, moya lyubov, please,” she begged. If her voice already sounded like she was hurt, her eyes showed more pain. “It’s been more than a decade since we last saw each other Y/N, isn’t this supposed to be a sign from the gods that we’re meant to be with each other?” 

She was right, despite after not seeing each for years on end, fate had decided that the both of you would meet once again once the both of you had lost all hope. 

Only in different and more complicated circumstances now.

Natasha held your hand and said, “Please Y/N, don’t leave me again.” Her eyes were begging for you to leave with her.

A sudden knock on the door made you both stand still. “Y/N? Are you in there with Natasha?” It was your husband. 

“I… uh- yes, we’re in here.” you replied and Artur entered the room. 

“As much as I hate to interrupt your chatting but we best get going, it is almost midnight and I know how much you value your rest.” He said as he wrapped his arm around your waist, “I sure hope you and Natasha had a great chat.” 

“We did.” Natasha dryly replied with a fake smile plastered on her face as he looked at your husband. 

Artur smiled and asked you, “Well, shall we go?” 

“Yes, let’s go.” you replied and Artur started to walk you outside with him. “Actually, there’s something I’d like to ask Natasha… alone.” you said to him.

“Alright my love, I’ll wait for you outside.” Artur then left the room and once you heard him shut the door you immediately rushed towards Natasha and crashed your lips onto hers one last time. 

And a song someone sings

Natasha felt it, and you did too.

It was farewell.

You walked out of the room without saying another word, only holding onto the memory of a forbidden love that two women failed to save despite being given another chance to do so.   

Perhaps in another life or in another universe, you and Natasha lived the lives you wanted together. It just wasn’t this one.

Once upon a December

[museofthepyre]

This is making me lose my mind, I need to dig into it. Forgive me if I’m not spot on with this, I’m no biblical scholar, I’m not even religious. I’m just autistic and had a hyperfixation on the Bible. So gather around, we’re having Bible study (CHNT spoilers… sort of).

I’m sure I don’t need to explain the significance of Jesus as a character in the Bible. Son of god, saviour of man, a martyr. What I’m interested in here is Elijah as Peter, and Jedidiah as Judas.

Elijah as Peter… has many implications of what may be to come? If we are to assume this metaphorical connection follows through the rest of the series. Because Peter in the Bible… he was one of the 12 apostles, he was also leader of the first Christian church. But before that, his story was… well, he betrayed Jesus. When Jesus was being arrested by the Romans, accused of being a traitor… Peter disowned Jesus. He said he did not know the traitor (“How could you!? You—you traitor! The ceremony, the congregants… how… I…”). He affirmed that three times. Upon the third time, he looked at Jesus and saw the hurt in his eyes- also a rooster crowed, which was prophesied to mark this betrayal. The look in Jesus’s eyes broke Peter’s heart, he realized what he’d done, ran away, and cried. Bitterly. Remorse and regret and realization of what he did. After the resurrection, he repented, and earned Jesus’s full forgiveness. He went on to lead the first church, and that became his life. His death came in the form of an upside-down crucifiction. His church was blamed for a fire which broke out in Rome, and he was executed- he insisted on being crucified upside down, as he felt unworthy of resembling Jesus in death. Remember this character is ELIJAH VOLKOV in this metaphor. Assuming the betrayal might be… the pyre? Then what comes next? Remorse arc, forgiveness arc? Ohshdhdhgs WHAT DO I MAKE OF THIS???

AND THEN JEDIDIAH AS JUDAS. MY FFFFUCKING GODDDDDD. Judas is another apostle, but he’s mostly known for his betrayal of Jesus- which ultimately lead to Jesus’s death. Judas disclosed his whereabouts to the people who would later crucify him (ordered by Pontius Pilate, at the time Roman governor) for 30 pieces of silver. He identified Jesus and sealed both their fates with a kiss. After the crucifixion- again, realizing what he’d done- Judas was overcome with so much remorse and regret that he hung himself. Thing is, all of this was prophesied/ predestined to be. There are varying opinions on what degree of choice Judas had- if all of this was fate, if it was all predestined, if he was a necessary part of this larger divine plan. The betrayal… I mean I think it’s obvious what that is in this Jedidiah metaphor. But what comes afterwards… ohhhh. Ohhh. My god. I have so many questions. ALSO IN ANOTHER STATEMENT MAYFIELD SAID JEDIDIAH IS MORESO GOD IN A WAY??? AND SYDNEYS STILL JESUS???? I thought Lucille would for sure parallel Pontius Pilate but then HE SAID MOTHER MARY and I’m. What

Adam as Satan requires little analysis… unless. I mean Lucifer was the most beautiful angel in God’s eyes… before he fell from grace.. Something something “Adam looks like Jedidiah but only sometimes” something something “once the most beautiful angel” something something.

Anyways. Thus concludes today’s episode of me rambling I have no clue what to make of any of this. I usually have more concluding thoughts, this time I’m just staring and shaking uncontrolably.

[bijouxcarys]

𝑻𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑩𝒊𝒏𝒅 (𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑹𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒔 𝒙 𝑶𝑪) - 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏

Masterlist

Character Profiles/Face Claims

Playlist

A/N: We have a new banner! What do we think? I prefer it to the last one for sure. Anyways, this chapter was fun to write. Remember to let me know your thoughts, any feedback is greatly appreciated. And thank you all for the support on this story so far. Enjoy!

CW/TW: Suggestive themes, mild gun play, angst

Tags: @trippinsorrows @empressdede @thetribalqueen @heauxvibez @bigsimperika

@cyberdejos2 @keyaho @headoftheetable @jstarr86 @southerngirl41

@tshepisho @cry1nwhileimcumm1n @maeb99 @thedesireds @dzdndcnfsd

@expert-texpert @niknakbucks92 @sillyteecup @trentybenty @pittieprincess22

(If you want to be tagged in any future Roman fics, just let me know!)

April 2011

Most girls, when turning sixteen, expect glittering parties or sentimental gifts. There’s the Americanised commercialism of the sweet sixteen. Not yet an adult, but not too young that they’re seen as entirely incompetent. A child with little to no responsibilities beyond schooling and perhaps a part-time job or two.

For the Volkovs, turning sixteen was a rite of passage—one that cemented a place in the family business.

As Nate stood in front of her mirror, she smoothed down her silky black dress, carefully chosen to reflect the maturity she was assuming. There was a time when she detested her body as a young teen, not appreciating how her chest increased in size at a faster rate, and a lot earlier, than a majority of her friends. Her friends still had a ways to go, in terms of their growth. Stick thin, for the most part, and bore little curves until years later. Nate, however, seemed heavier than the other girls of her age group, and was often mistaken for someone at least five years her senior.

But now she was sixteen… and this dress… God, she loved how it made her feel. How it made her look. Finally, she was able to wear something she knew would always look good on her. 

Barely having another moment to assess the rest of her reflection, Katya came bounding into the room through the swung open door. Full of light, innocence, and unbridled joy.

“Happy birthday!” Katya squealed, her small arms wrapping around Nate’s waist.

Nate grinned, bending slightly to hug her sister back. “Thank you, Kitty Kat. You ready for all the excitement?”

Katya beamed up at her, nodding eagerly. “Yeah! It’s your birthday! That means cake, right?”

It was sweet, how Katya’s definition of excitement was much simpler than what the day truly signified. Nate smoothed a hand over her little sister’s hair and said, “Yeah, cake and everything else.”

The two sisters made their way downstairs, where the living room had been transformed for the occasion. The house was alive with guests, most of them close family friends or trusted associates of Dimitri. Among them were the Sokolovs, whose presence was hard to ignore. Boris and his family had arrived early, as expected. The Sokolovs and the Volkovs were bound by more than just friendship—there was a deep alliance, one Nate had only begun to grasp.

Boris was lounging near the fireplace, already nursing a drink. At twenty-three, he carried himself confidently—arrogantly. His eyes swept over Nate as she entered the room, a smile forming on his lips.

“Natalka,” Boris called out, standing from his chair with a grin. “Happy birthday.”

“Spasibo, Borislav,” she replied, her voice laced with polite indifference. She didn’t particularly like Boris, but she learned early on to tolerate him. He was family, pretty much, and had at least some redeeming qualities. He was just… annoying.

As Nate accepted greetings and congratulations from various guests, she noticed her father standing at the centre of the room, commanding everyone with a clap of his hands to fall silent.

“Today is a very important day,” Dimitri began. “My daughter, my eldest, turns sixteen. And in our family, sixteen is a time of transition.”

The room fell even quieter. Nate stood tall, anticipation building in her chest. She knew what was coming—she had been waiting for it, eager to prove herself, to step into the role she had been raised for.

Dimitri turned toward her, something wrapped in dark velvet cradled in his hands. The crowd shifted, watching with bated breath as he approached his daughter. Unwrapping the velvet with deliberate slowness, he revealed a brand new, polished 9mm SIG Sauer handgun. It gleamed in the soft light, sleek and deadly.

Nate’s eyes widened, but her excitement couldn’t have been louder. She had been around guns before, but this—this was hers. Her own weapon. It symbolised more than just protection or violence. It was a mark of responsibility, a sign that she was no longer just the Volkov princess. She was being brought into the fold.

“S dnem rozhdeniya,” Dimitri said, smiling proudly. “It’s time for you to learn what it means to truly be a Volkov.”

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

4:30pm. She was supposed to be at Roman’s by 5, like they had agreed over text that morning. A boulder threatening to drop at any moment, the arrangement hung over her head. But time was slipping through her fingers like sand. And still… no call from her contact.

Nate wasn’t exactly in a state to go anywhere, especially not to Roman’s place without information. The past few days had been an absolute whirlwind—Roman’s thinning patience with the entire situation, the engagement party, and the constant sense of walking a tightrope with no net to catch her. She could barely focus through the haze of exhaustion. Sleep had been an elusive luxury these last few days; she’d barely strung together four hours in the past 72.

Lana had been kind enough to lend her a car—another favour she’d promised to repay by sending her and Rusev on a trip to Bali or something… God, she owed them big time. But even with their generosity, Nate felt a suffocating loneliness creeping in. She glanced at her burner phone, its blank screen taunting her.

Why hasn’t she called yet?

Resting her head in her hands, Nate rubbed her temples, trying to stave off a headache. She had to get it together. Roman didn’t tolerate excuses, and he sure as hell wouldn’t appreciate her showing up empty-handed. But she couldn’t walk into his house without a shred of information. That was suicide. As formidable as she could be, she knew she wasn’t in the correct frame of mind to withstand his brooding nature.

Her fingers itched to dial her contact herself, but that wasn’t how these things worked. She’d made the call hours ago, left the message—now it was a waiting game. A game she was losing, and fast. Her heart rate picked up. The anxiety crawled under her skin, making her restless, frustrated.

“Fuck,” she muttered under her breath, pushing herself away from Lana and Rusev’s garage wall and pacing the space. 

The world felt off-kilter after the engagement party. Spending the evening with Boris, his hands constantly on her, her father’s speech—still sickening her with the chilling finality of his words being the future of the Volkov empire. And Katya… God, Katya.

Nate’s fists clenched. She hated it. All of it. But this—working with Roman… It could be good for her. Could be. Only if she delivered.

She looked at the clock again. 4:42pm.

“Fuck.”

The idea of texting Roman, letting him know she wasn’t going to make it on time, should have occurred to her. Any sane person would have done it by now. But something held her back. Maybe it was fear. Or maybe it was pride. She’d become a master at dodging unnecessary confrontations long ago, and the thought of admitting failure—even something as simple as being late—tore at her. If she could just hold out a little longer…

The silence in the room was unbearable, so she grabbed the burner phone again, staring at it like she could will it to ring. Roman was expecting her in 18 minutes. And she had nothing.

Time stretched, her frustration building until her hands began to shake.

For a moment, she thought about just getting into the car and heading to Roman’s place anyway. Maybe something would have come through on the drive over. Maybe she could stall, give herself more time. But she wasn’t sure she had the energy for that level of bullshit.

As she debated her next move, the burner phone rang. Nate nearly dropped it in her scramble to answer.

“Nate,” the voice on the other end sharply greeted.

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

Roman was in one of his moods—the kind of foul, brooding temper that had everyone around him walking on eggshells. Large frame tensed, strong arms crossed over his chest, he sat back on the couch. His family sat scattered around the living room, waiting for something, anything to bring some clarity. But what they had was silence, the uneasy kind.

“We’ve been at this since morning,” Roman growled, tossing the tablet he’d been using to search for any sign of a connection to the Irish onto the coffee table. “Nothing. Not a single fuckin’ thing that’s useful.”

Solo sat silently in the corner, arms folded, watching his cousin with a steady, unremarkable expression. Jey leaned forward, fingers tapping on the edge of his knee in barely concealed agitation, while Jimmy kept his gaze down, not daring to stoke the fire. Even Sami remained quiet.

“I told you, man,” Jey finally muttered, his tone light, cautious but laced with frustration of his own. “We shouldn’t be trusting her.”

Roman’s glare shifted immediately to Jey. “Who?” he challenged. “Nate?”

“Yeah, Nate,” the Uso shot back, unable to stop himself. “She’s a Volkov, man. You gonna just trust her like that? We’ve been digging all day an–”

“She’s our only fucking lead right now, Jey. What, you wanna throw that away because you don’t like her last name?”

Jey clenched his jaw but didn’t back down. “It’s more than her last name, Uce. She ain’t one of us. She got her own motives, and if we ain’t careful, we the ones that are gonna end up screwed.”

Jimmy gave a slight nod in agreement, glancing towards his twin for support. “Jey’s right, man. She’s late, she hasn’t given us much, and now she’s ghostin’ us when you agreed to meet today.”

“She’s a liability,” Solo added. “We don’t know where her loyalties lie.”

Roman was about to snap back when Paul decided to interject. “Gentlemen, perhaps we’re letting emotions cloud our judgement here. We’re frustrated, yes. But that frustration doesn’t mean we can abandon reason.”

Silence settled over the room once more as everyone assessed the Wise Man’s words. And, unfortunately for him, it was Sami who chose to break it. 

“R-Roman… Maybe we should just take a break. Look over all the files with fresh eyes? I’m sure—”

“You’re sure what?” Roman cut him off, tilting his head at the redhead who just sat there, looking like a deer in headlights. “I asked you a question.”

Sami swallowed, hands fumbling together in his lap. “I-I’m sure we could find something… A pattern or something that we didn’t see before…”

Roman stared at him, nodding his head slowly, eyes narrowing as he stood up from his place on the couch. “A pattern…” he mumbled, strolling over to the chair Sami was perched on. “Always somethin’, huh?”

Sami’s eyes darted back and forth between Roman and Jimmy. “Wh–”

“Always got a little thought or opinion.”

“I was just s—”

“Are you tryin’ to be me?” Roman asked with a chilling softness as he peered down his nose at Sami.

Sami’s face dropped, and he stuttered. “W-what?”

“You wanna be the Tribal Chief? You wanna make the decisions?” 

The newest member of The Bloodline opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Roman’s gaze was burning through him.

“You want my seat?” he barked, his voice growing louder with each word. “You think you can run this? You think you can handle it?” He leaned in, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Tell me, Sami. Are you tryna be me?”

“No, no, I—” Sami stammered, but Roman wasn’t interested in listening.

“Non mentirmi!” Roman spat, slamming his hand against the back of Sami’s chair, face twitching with unbridled rage. “You think I don’t see you? Think I don’t notice? I see everything. And I see you. Sittin’ there, always tryin’ to worm your way in. Always wanting to have a little bit more control. But you’re not me. You’ll never be me, and you better remember that.”

Sami swallowed hard, face paling as Roman’s fury hit full force.

Paul shifted uncomfortably but said nothing. He knew better than to intervene when Roman was like this. The twins exchanged uneasy glances but didn’t move. Solo remained stoic, watching on, but even he knew this wasn’t the time to speak.

Before anyone could say anything more, Roman’s phone buzzed on the table. His jaw clenched as he glanced at it.

Nate.

Finally.

“She’s outside,” Roman grunted, shoving the phone back in his pocket. “Jimmy, Jey,” he called, eyes still locked on the terrified redhead as he straightened up. “Go get her.”

Both brothers sighed inwardly. Of course, they had to be the ones to go get her. As if things weren’t tense enough, now they had to deal with her. “On it,” Jey muttered as he and Jimmy walked out of the room.

“This some bullshit,” Jey muttered as the two made their way outside. Jimmy huffed, shooting a sideways glance at his twin.

“You’re tellin’ me. Uce got himself all worked up over some chick that’ll probably lowball us anyways.”

“Nah, he ain’t mad at that.”

“Did you not hear him back there?” Jimmy jabbed a thumb behind him.

“A’ight he’s mad as shit about that, but,” Jey lifted a finger. “Ain’t no way that’s the only thing he’s mad at right now, man, I’m tellin’ you…” He shook his head, reaching the front doors. “Nobody gets that angry about not findin’ information on someone they never even met.”

Outside, Nate leaned against the borrowed car, arms folded and eyes squinted as she looked down the street. The sun had lowered, and the whole area was aglow in gold. It was one of those rare moments when she could just stop to look at her environment without worrying if somebody was about to pop out of nowhere and shoot her. 

She wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of facing whatever mood Roman was going to be in. She knew she was late, but he’d just have to deal with it. He was the one who wanted her to come, he was the one who needed answers. Nate had the answers. He didn’t. And something told her that he wasn’t one to accept that comfortably. 

Yawning, she rubbed her eyes, willing herself to stay as alert as she could, before she saw the familiar figures of the Usos approaching her from the gate. She barely lifted her head, barely adjusted her posture, rolling her neck like she was trying to get rid of a kink in her muscles.

Even though she’d only met them all once, been around their territory once, Nate already knew that her limited relationship with The Bloodline was contentious. But if she was asked to choose which Uso she preferred, the answer would come as natural as breathing.

“‘Sup, Volkov,” Jimmy greeted with a friendly nod of the head. Friendly may not be the best word to use, but at least he wasn’t grimacing and shooting daggers through her skull like his twin brother was.

“You’re late,” Jey simply mumbled, wasting no time in turning back toward the house in a silent prompt for her to follow him. 

“I’m aware,” Nate answered, chewing the inside of her cheek. As she followed them inside, she watched her feet, unwilling to pay attention to the surroundings. Sure, it was getting easier to go against her father without his knowing, but on occasion, she’d be logical—realistic. One slip up, one teeny tiny preference for being at Roman Reigns’ home over her own, and she’d be dead within a week.

“Tribal Chief ain’t happy.”

Nate lifted her head and looked at Jey, who had his lips pursed and brows angled downward, as if putting on a strong face in the presence of his family, and more notably, Roman himself. She got it. If that was what was happening, anyway. She knew the pressures of having to act a certain way in front of a person that pretty much owned you. Still didn’t give him the right to be a dick to her about it, though.

Rolling her eyes, Nate shook her head. “Is he ever happy?”

Jey’s brows shot up, and he sent a sideways glance to Jimmy. Silently asking his twin if this woman who’s infiltrated his family’s space really just bit back a retort in rejection of the Tribal Chief’s disposition.

“I’m just sayin’,”Jey smirked slightly. “Maybe don’t poke the bear tonight.”

“Noted,” she muttered under her breath, mood souring further.

The three of them walked in silence, the estate’s grandeur doing little to ease the tension. As they entered the living room, Nate felt her pulse quicken. Everybody was there, every single one of them. Staring at her like she was some stray animal that had wandered into their den.

Roman didn’t waste any time, though. “You’re late,” he said coldly, narrowing his eyes at her.

Nate dropped her head and rolled her neck, taking a deep breath before locking eyes with him again. “Traffic was a bitch,” she replied nonchalantly.

“Traffic, huh?” Roman took a step forward, peering at her like he was trying to see into her soul. “What list of excuses you pull that one from?”

“I told you I’d be here, and I’m here. What more do you want from me?”

“You don’t get to be late, Volkov,” he clenched his jaw. “Not when you got somethin’ we need.”

“Do I?” Nate challenged, trying to ignore the emphasis he put on her last name, using it like a weapon. “Because last I checked, we’re supposed to be working together, not playing house, suka. You’re not my father.”

The room went dead silent. For a moment, she wondered if she’d pushed him a little too far, at least too far for his current mood. But instead of exploding, he took a step back, his eyes clearing her from head to toe, assessing.

She shouldn’t have enjoyed that.

“You know what your problem is?” he muttered, shaking his head. “You think you’re untouchable. Walkin’ up in here like you got all the answers. Like you in control, but you’re not–”

“And neither are you,” she shot back before he could finish. “Not right now, anyway.”

The temperature seemed to drop several degrees, Nate’s words triggering a timelapse as Roman fought to keep himself as calm as possible.

Stuck up little bitch…

It was at that moment that Nate finally surveyed the rest of the room, eyeing each occupant and noting a hint of shock on each face. But in that, her eyes landed on Naomi. It took her a moment to register the familiarity, to place the face from somewhere other than here. And then, like a fog lifting, it clicked.

“You…” Nate said slowly, her body angling in Naomi’s direction. “You were at my engagement party.”

Naomi gave her a faint smile, almost guilty in nature, before she looked over at Jimmy. Yeah, she probably should have told him what she’d done for Roman… But in her defence, her husband would have done absolutely everything necessary to stop her from entering Volkov territory. She had to keep it to herself.

Nate turned to Roman, disbelief flashing across her features, the golden hue of her eyes shooting lasers into his much darker, yet much more alluring, eyes. “Oh my God,” she huffed out an irritated laugh, running a hand through her hair. “You sent her?”

“You expected me to just trust you?” Roman responded, almost over the situation, like it was the equivalent to gum on the bottom of his perfectly kept Jordans. “You—a Volkov?”

“No, but after the conversations we’ve had, I expected at least a fraction of respect for the fact that I defended you and your family to my father, my flesh and blood. Instead, you fucking send one of your minions to watch me?! Te egoistic, vysokomernaya pizda…”

“And you’re fuckin’ lucky that’s all I did,” he growled, almost completely stepping up to her, her entire form encased his his figure’s hulking shadow. “I dedicate my life to taking down people like you and your daddy. I’ll be damned if I trust one of you without makin’ sure I ain’t being screwed at both ends.”

Her nostrils flared as she looked deep into his eyes, sighing slowly and hollowing her cheeks in an earnest attempt to make sense of his logic. Had she been more… alert, awake, she probably would have seen sense, understood where he was coming from. But two people on the verge of some kind of mental break, going at each other and subconsciously pissing each other off like a sport was never going to conclude amicably.

“You don’t know anything about me, Roman.”

“I know enough,” he scoffed, dropping his voice to a mere mutter. “You’re desperate. Clingin’ to this idea that if you keep shit together, if you succeed in whatever it is you and that pretty head of yours is concocting… that maybe, just maybe you could get out of this life. That you can come out clean, stayin’ in the middle. Juggling both sides. But newsflash, Princess,” he leaned down, his lips right by her ear. “You deep in the mud. Same as the rest of us.”

Her eyes glanced to the side, watching his face as he stood back up. She swallowed thickly. “Maybe,” she admitted quietly. “But at least I’m trying. I sometimes wonder if you could say the same.”

For a second, something shifted in his eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. She’d flicked a switch in his head, triggered him somehow. But she couldn’t understand why… She knew he was trying, of course she did, she just really wanted to get under this fucker’s skin right now. So for him to react like that… God, he is in a weird mood, isn’t he?

Roman glanced around the room, as if daring anyone to speak up. “You see this?” he said, pointing at Nate. “This is why I don’t trust anyone.”

Jey couldn’t help himself. “You shouldn’t be trustin’ her at all, Uce.”

“Maybe I don’t want your opinion, Jey!” Roman snapped, whirling around to face him. “Why you always gotta butt in, man?”

His cousin shook his head, backing up. “I’m just sayin–”

“Naw, you ain’t just sayin’ nothin’. I don’t need your ass to ‘just say.’ I need you to fall in line, or you can get the hell out!” His voice was a vicious bark, and it seemed like he had truly stumbled off the edge.

The tension skyrocketed, and Nate could feel the air charged with a strong energy between each and every one of them. Her eyes darted between Roman and Jey, who looked torn between speaking his mind and keeping his head down. Oh, she knew that place well.

“You’re really going to let him talk to you like that?” she found herself saying to Jey, unable to stop herself. “You’re supposed to be family, right?”

“Shut up,” Roman pointed at her again. “You don’t get to talk about family. You don’t get to talk about loyalty. Not when you got one foot in, one foot out.”

“Okay, well, both my feet are currently standing in your house because you let me get information from my contact about the Irish, so if you’re just gonna keep banging on about loyalty this, family that, my Tribal Chief feelings are hurt because you’re late, then I have no problem with turning my arse round and going back home. Because, quite frankly, I’m fucking tired, I’m on the verge of hallucination, and I really cannot be fucked with some cocky, arrogant bastard’s precious attitude today. Your pick, Mr Head of the Table.”

Roman’s eyes narrowed as he listened to Nate’s sharp words, stillness settling in over the room as she punctuated them with a fold of her arms. His breath tightened, anger radiating from him in waves, but yet… lash out he did not. Battling with the temptation to throw her out or hear her out.

“Alright then,” he growled, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. “You got somethin’ to say? Say it.”

Nate held his gaze, clenching her jaw; she was as pissed as he was, if not more. “Fine,” she said, taking a deep breath, her exhaustion once again creeping back up on her. “I spoke to my contact. We’re meeting tomorrow. Whether or not the information they have is actually worth anything… I don’t know.” She looked around the room, her voice wavering. “But it’s the closest we’ve gotten to anything solid on the Irish. Trust me.”

Silence. The others exchanged looks, some uncertain, some frustration. Jey scoffed, shaking his head.

“That’s it? You got nothin’. You got a meeting? That’s all?” he scorned in disbelief. He pushed off from where he was leaning, stepping towards her. “You’ve been talkin’ big this whole time, and all you got is maybe a meeting? That’s what we’re supposed to rely on?”

Nate’s patience was wearing thin, her already ragged nerves fraying under Jey’s attack. “It’s more than you’ve got, isn’t it?” she bit back.

“Yeah, well, at least we ain’t the ones screwin’ around with our own families, makin’ deals with anyone who’ll listen.” He took a small step closer, almost getting in her face. “Y’all are all the same, man… All a bunch of lyin’ asses preyin’ on desperate people. You, your daddy, your sister…”

For a split second, Nate’s breath completely stopped. The air around them seemed to freeze. Her eyes flashed with fury, the comment striking her like a physical blow to the head. Her fists clenched at her sides, and without thinking, she fired back.

“You know something, Jey,” she sneered. “It really isn’t hard to sense the insecurity from across the room. Must be difficult, no? Always being the second choice. Never good enough… Always in the shadow of your brother.” She watched Jey’s eyes intently, the same fire igniting behind them. With a small smirk, she dropped her voice to a menacing whisper. “Why would anyone need you when they can get two for the price of one?”

Jey’s face contorted with rage. He lunged forward, and it was only Jimmy’s quick reflexes that stopped him from getting completely in Nate’s face. “Say that shit again, I dare you.”

“Enough!” Jimmy hissed, struggling to hold his brother back. “Both of you, cut it out.”

Naomi and Sami exchanged nervous glances, neither wanting to get involved but knowing this wasn’t going anywhere near the realm of pleasant. Solo focused on Roman and his reactions, noting his own disinterest in intervening. In fact… is… is Roman smirking? Is that a smile? Why he lookin’ at her like that?

Nate stood her ground, glaring at Jey as if daring him to try something. “What, you can’t handle the truth?”

Jey fought against Jimmy’s hold, his temper flaring. “You don’t know shit about me, Volkov!”

“And you don’t know shit about me!” she shouted back. “But that doesn’t stop you from running your mouth, does it?”

“I swear to G–”

“Jey, enough!” Tamina snapped, grabbing the back of his shirt to help with holding him back. “Tuputupu ae le tagata.”

Jey wasn’t listening. Didn’t want to. He just continued, trying to convince his family to back him up, to listen to him, to throw this infiltrator out of their house—well, Roman’s house, but that’s not the point!

But, finally, Roman stepped in. He hadn’t said a word during the exchange, watching as Nate and Jey tore into each other. And yes, maybe he enjoyed watching Nate in this mood a little more than he should have, but it wasn’t until Nate made her cutting remark about Jey being a twin that he considered intervening.

“Enough of this shit!” Roman’s voice thundered through the room, silencing everyone instantly. His expression was livid, his entire body rigid with barely contained fury. He stalked forward, grabbing Nate’s arm with a rough jerk. “You. With me. Now.”

Nate glared back at him, yanking her arm out of his grip, but she followed him nonetheless. Everyone watched as Roman stormed out of the room with Nate in tow, the door slamming eliciting a collective exhale.

Tamina shook her head, smacking Jey in the back of the head. “You had to go there, didn’t you?”

Jey shrugged, still riled up. “She had that shit coming.”

“Her sister, though?” Sami mumbled, clearly unsettled. “That’s low, even for you, man.”

“Yeah, well I ain’t remember askin’ you…” Jey mumbled. He couldn’t care less about what the others thought. To him, Nate was the problem. Hell, he’d tolerate a lifetime with Sami Zayn over one hour with Nate Volkov.

“I don’t get it,” Naomi shook her head, crossing her arms. “She’s trying, y’all. Roman sees something in her, otherwise, why would he even bother? I watched her at that party, and let me tell yo—”

“You were at some bougie-ass engagement party for a bunch of criminals. Don’t act like she a sain’t ‘cause she was playin’ nice,” Jey interrupted with a roll of his eyes.

Naomi shot him a look. “I’m not sayin’ she’s perfect, but damn, Jey, you don’t even give her a chance.”

“She’s dangerous,” Solo added quietly. “The wrong connections. We could all be dead by the new year…”

Tamina sighed, rubbing her temples. “Roman’s not an idiot. If she was a real threat, he wouldn’t let her get close.”

Jimmy, finally letting go of his brother, looked down at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck. “Maybe. But Jey’s right about one thing… she don’t belong here.”

The room fell silent again, the uncertainty of Nate’s loyalties settling on everyone’s conscience. But one thing was clear—Nate had stirred something up in this family, and whether it was for better or worse, nobody could say.

Roman didn’t tell Nate where they were going. She half-expected him to shove her into the next room and start yelling, but instead, he stormed through the house, his pace quick, purposeful. Barely having time to register what was happening, he grabbed her wrist again, pulling her down one of the downstairs hallways she hadn’t noticed until now.

“Where the hell are you taking me?” she snapped, wrenching her wrist free again, though she still followed him.

He didn’t answer, his silence an answer in itself. His long strides forced her to keep up, the intensity of his anger palpable. He didn’t slow down, didn’t stop, just moved forward like a force of nature, leaving Nate with little choice but to follow.

Leading her through a back entrance of the house, they descended a set of concrete stairs to what looked like a private basement. It wasn’t until they passed through a heavy door, the sound of it clicking shut behind them, that Nate realised where they were: Roman’s shooting range.

The sudden shift in atmosphere hit her immediately. The faint scent of gunpowder lingered in the air, and the walls were lined with a vast collection of firearms. The cold, clinical feel of the place contrasted sharply with the heated emotions nestled within both of them.

Instead of looking back at her, Roman walked straight to the far end of the room, leaning against one of the long tables that lined the wall, his hands gripping the edge. He stayed there for a moment, silent and seething, before turning to face her, his eyes dark with fury.

“What the hell is your problem today?” he growled. “You’ve been nothin’ but a bitch from the moment you got here.”

Nate bristled. “Oh, I’m the bitch today? Are you serious?” She strode forward, refusing to let this… man intimidate her. “You dragged me all the way down here to fucking insult me? Like I actually want to be here right now?”

Roman narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw tight. “You think I enjoy watching you tear into my family? You think I want to deal with this shit, with you pushin’ everyone’s fuckin’ buttons just ‘cus your feelings get a lil’ hurt?”

“Maybe if they stop pushing mine, I wouldn’t have to!” Nate shot back, her voice rising as the anger she’d been holding onto for days finally bubbled to the surface. “I don’t like fighting with your family, I didn’t ask for this shit, Roman.”

“You didn’t ask for this?” Roman scoffed, crossing his big arms over his even bigger chest. “You made the choice to be a part of this, of my family’s plans. Findin’ out who stole our fuckin—”

“I didn’t choose shit!” she spat, her hands balling into fists at her sides. “I didn’t choose any of this! Everything’s chosen for me, Roman—everything! My life, my choices, my fucking freedom. And I definitely didn’t sign up to be spied on at my own bloody engagement party!”

“So what? You mad at me for sendin’ Naomi? For tryin’ to make sure your ass ain’t pullin’ shit behind my back?”

“Of course you don’t trust me, you don’t trust anyone, I’m not a fucking idiot. God forbid someone actually try to do right by you.”

“Don’t turn this on me,” Roman shook his head. “You come here, you step on my turf, my land, my yard, and all you do is look for a fight.”

Something deep inside, somewhere in the dark subconscious of her mind, snapped. 

She made the conscious decision to step even closer to him, standing toe to to with him, her chest heaving. “I haven’t slept in three days, Roman. Three fucking days. Do you know what it’s like to be so tired you can’t even think straight? To have everything you worked for, everything you thought you had set, slowly taken away from you right in front of you?”

Roman’s eyes flicked between hers, hollowing his cheeks and almost grimacing at her. But in all that, he lost the edge, if for a fleeting moment. He leaned down, his face inches from hers as he took a deep breath, catching the faint scent of her Carolina Herrera perfume as he did.

“You have…” he gritted his teeth, “No fucking idea.”

“Clearly,” she huffed, rolling her eyes.

Roman’s eyes once again journeyed over her face, the rage and frustration still evident, but there was something else in the way he held her gaze now—darker, primal. They were both standing on the edge of a dangerous intensity neither of them could pull back from.

Nate’s breath came fast and shallow, heart beating at a pace unlike any other as she locked onto his eyes. His face was so close now, she could feel the heat radiating off him, smell the faint traces of his cologne mixed with gunpowder. She didn’t back down, didn’t pull away—if anything, she leaned into it, daring him with her stare, wanting to see what his next move would be.

His lips twisted into a cruel smirk, the same one she saw many times the day they questioned Bunny’s men. “You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” he murmured darkly. He reached up, his large hand wrapping around the back of her neck, pulling her just a little closer. “I could end you right here, you know that?”

Her pulse quickened, but she didn’t so much as flinch. Instead, she met his words with a defiant tilt of her chin, her stomach twisting as his grip on her neck tightened slightly.

Roman’s smirk deepened, his eyes practically gleaming. “You’re standin’ in my shooting range,” he said slowly, the words almost seductive in their menace. “You know what that means, don’t you? You know I could put a bullet right between your eyes before you even had time to scream.”

Nate’s throat tightened—not out of fear, but something far more twisted. Stomach in knots, body reaction in ways she couldn’t explain. Didn’t want to explain. The more he spoke, the more he leaned into that predatorial edge, the more her body responded, as if every word ignited new sensations that had been buried under layers upon layers of exhaustion.

His grip shifted, his thumb pressing just under her jaw, forcing her to look up at him, to see the way his gaze darkened by the second. “You in my yard, Volkov,” he continued. “Could pull my gun right now, press it against your pretty little head, and no one would question it. No one would care. You think anyone would come lookin’ for you?”

Her breath hitched in her throat, and she didn’t know why, but she found herself shaking her head.

“Exactly,” he grumbled, leaning in so close his breath landed hot on her cheek. “You don’t belong here, and you know that shit. All I have to do is pull the trigger… and it’d all be over for you.”

He loosened his grip just enough for her to move, but she didn’t. Instead, her lips parted, letting out a shaky breath. “Then why don’t you?” she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath.

Roman’s eyebrows raised and then narrowed, eyes shifting to the side as if he were weighing his options, deciding just how far he wanted to take this. He released her neck only to reach behind him, pulling out his gun. He turned it over in his hands, almost casually, like he was considering it.

“You wanna know what it would feel like?” he asked smoothly. “You wanna know what it’d feel like to have this pressed right against your skull? To know that at any second, I could decide it’s over?”

It was like thunder rippled through Nate’s chest, her mouth drying up. But she couldn’t look away. Couldn’t move. The gun in his hands, the cold steel gleaming under the dim light of the range—it sent a special thrill through her body that she couldn’t control.

Roman reassumed the position, his body well and truly towering over hers. Suffocating her with his size, his presence.

Slowly, he raised the gun, his intense glare locked firmly on hers. He pressed the barrel against the side of her head, just above her temple, the chilled metal shocking her heated skin.

“You feel that?” he whispered, his voice like gravel. “That’s the power I have over you, Nate. You wouldn’t even have time to scream for help. One pull, and your ass is gone.”

Nate should have been terrified—everything in her should have been yelling to run, to pull away, but she didn’t. Instead, her eyes fluttered shut for a moment, the pressure of the barrel pushed up against her, the weight of Roman’s power over her, causing a distinct throbbing sensation throughout her veins. If she could bottle up this feeling, and inject it daily… she would. 

Opening her eyes again, she stared up at him, breathing raggedly. “Then do it,” she sighed defiantly.

Roman was stunned for a moment; surprise, amusement, maybe even admiration? But he didn’t move the gun, he just held it there, their bodies as close as they could get.

“You're crazier than I thought,” he hummed, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw, before it travelled along her chin, and further up to swipe delicately over the plump flesh of her lower lip. “But maybe that’s what I like about you, Princess.”

Swallowing her pride, Nate glanced down at his own lips, along his perfect beard, and back up at his eyes, whispering up at him through an unsure sigh.

“Nu… ya znayu… chto mne v tebe nravitsya.”

Roman’s brow furrowed slightly, obviously not understanding the words but the way they rolled off her tongue, the tone behind them, triggered the familiar tightening below the waist. He didn’t need to know what she said. Speaking in her native language—it always did something to him. So foreign, yet when she spoke it, it seemed to dig under his skin and make a temporary home.

He inhaled sharply, his grip on the gun shifting as his hand twitched. With a grunt, he pulled back ever so slightly, but not without dragging the barrel of the gun slowly along her temple, down the side of her face. It brushed against her jaw, sending another wave of chills through her as his eyes followed its path, dark and deliberate. He traced it down to her neck, letting the muzzle hover just above her pulse point, teasing, before sliding it down further, stopping right at the centre of her chest.

Nate lost the ability to breathe steadily, her body going completely rigid as every nerve flared with electricity. Roman’s movements were agonisingly slow and calculated. It was a power play, one she recognised too well. His thumb pressed just under her collarbone, right next to where the gun rested.

Then, without warning, he took the gun away entirely, slipping it back into his waistband nonchalantly.

He stepped back, his demeanour shifting almost instantly, like a switch had flipped in his brain. The predatory glint in his eyes dimmed slightly, replaced with something calmer, though no less commanding. He let out a breath, running a hand over his beard as if to shake off whatever had just passed between them. Lips twitching into a faint smirk, his eyes lingered on her a moment longer before he spoke again.

“You can sleep here tonight.”

Nate blinked, her body still thrumming with the adrenaline from their exchange. “What? I-I have a car, I’m not staying here.”

Roman’s almost-laugh was short but unmistakable, a low sound rumbling in his chest. He crossed his arms, shaking his head as if amused by her stubbornness. “You ain’t drivin’ nowhere, Volkov, not when you’re as tired as you are. Look at you.”

She scoffed, still too wound up to completely fall into the change in his mood. “I’m fine.”

“Nah, you ain’t.” Roman’s tone was softer now, but there was no mistaking the authority behind it. “You look like shit.”

Nate narrowed her eyes at him, opening her mouth to protest, but before she could get the words out, Roman cut her off with a tilt of his head toward where they had come from upstairs. “You can take the couch. I’m not havin’ you crash your car halfway back and have that shit come back on me, just ‘cus you too tired to keep your damn eyes open.”

Her mouth opened and closed in silence as she processed his words. She was exhausted, beyond exhausted, but the idea of staying in Roman Reigns’ house overnight wasn’t exactly the most appealing of thoughts. And yet… she didn’t have the energy to argue anymore. Not with him.

Finally, she let out a resigned huff, her shoulders sagging just a little. “Fine. But only because I’m tired.”

Quiet satisfaction flickered in his eyes as he smirked again. “Good. Not that I was giving you much of a choice.” He turned to leave, pausing just long enough to glance back over his shoulder, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer than necessary. “Oh, and make sure your ass stays downstairs.” 

Without another word, he walked away, leaving her standing in the limited lighting of the shooting range, her body still thrumming with the remnants of their encounter. Nate let out a slow breath, running her fingers through her hair.

The room felt empty now without him, but the fire he’d sparked in her chest still burned bright.

[certifiedfantasyreader]

Now that GoWar is out, i wanna rank the LOG series. ( no body asked for this😊)

These are my opinions!!! I totally understand if we have different opinions and it's fine!!!

.........

Books.

1. GOF💛( Are we surprised?? Nikobran anyday)

2. GOWrath🤎( JerCec are my roman empire)

3. GOP💜( For Anni amd Anni only)

4. GOR💙( I was kinda disappointed )

5. GOWar🩷 (Absolute trash)

6. GOM❤️( Glyn deserves better )

...........

Characters ( FC)

1. CECILY KNIGHT ( I LOVE HER 💕)

2. Annika Volkov ( She's her mother's daughter 💜)

3. Maya Sokolov (No book and still slayed ✨️)

4. Ava Nash ( Besides her own pov she's fine 🩷)

5. Glyndon King. ( Nothing wrong but could've been better❤️)

6. Mia Sokolov ( Flopped after the first couple of chapters. Maybe if RK didn't hype her like she's a badass I would've liked her)

Honorary mention to Ariella Nash ( SHE DESERVES A BOOK!!!!)

........

Characters MC

1. BRANDON KING ( My soft bby💛 loml)

2. JEREMY VOLKOV ( He's his daddy son😮‍💨)

3. Nikolai sokolov ( Scary sunshine alright 🥹)

4. Landon king ( lan in GOF🙌)

5. Creighton King ( He was fine until the last 20% 😒)

6. Eli King ( Boring af 😴)

7. Killian Carson( 🚔 disgusting pig if u ask me)

Honorary mention to Remi Astor (How the only son of ronan doesn't have a book is beyond me)

........

Couples

1. NIKOBRAN💛 ( Again , are we surprised?)

2. JERCEC 🤎 ( They healed each other )

3. AnniCreigh💜 ( They really were cute)

4. LanMia💙 ( Lan surprised me )

5. EliAva🩷 ( Idk man ,I did not feel any chemistry)

6. KillGlyn❤️ ( I loath how it started but ig they were fine as a side characters).

........

AGAIN THIS IS JUST MY OPINION!!!!

[imjustsocute]

Call Of Duty Black ops: Cold War [Bell OC]

(Final design)

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name: Lisette “Bell” Frans [?]

Alias: Bell (by safehouse crews), Doll face (by Woods and Lazar), Little rat (Perseus??), Little princess (???)

Date of Birth: [???]

Age: 25-27 (1981)

Blood Type: A-

Nationality: Russian

Birthplace: [???]

Languages spoken: English, Russian, German

PHYSICAL INFORMATION

Gender: Female

Eyes color: Hazel

Hair color: Ash blonde

Build: Lean

Height: 5’4/ 162 cm.

Weight: 121 Ibs/ 55 kg.

Marks: A few scars on the left stomach, A gunshot wound on the right stomach, A large scar under breasts

AFFILIATIONS

CIA

Russell Adler

Jason Hudson

Alex Mason

Frank Woods

Lawrence Sims

Eleazar “Lazar” Azoulay

MI6

Helen Park

KGB

Dimitri Belikov

Perseus collective (In past)

Perseus

Arash Kadivar

Qasim Javadi

Anton Volkov

Vikhor “Stitch” Kuzmin

Kapano “Naga” Vang

Kaori “Kitsune” Tanaka

Freya “Wraith” Helvig

Roman “Knight” Gray

Owethu “Jackal” Mabuza

BIOGRAPHY

[REDECTED]

SKILL AND ABILITIES

Fighting Style: Sambo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai

Weapon(s): Assault rifles, anything that can be weapons(fork, a pice of glass, wire etc.)

Distinct Weapon: M1911, Zero Tolerance 0006

Shortcomings: -

PERSONALITY

Myers Briggs Type: ISFJ [Even Bell always keeps her straight face every time but doesn’t mean she didn’t care anyone or anything, she likes to observe everyone who close to her and support them in every way. She would do everything to protect those she loves. Even though she must sacrifice herself, she will do it without hesitate. What a saint she is, isn’t she?]

Good listener: Bell never argued with anyone in conversations or start speaking if no one asked her. She always listen them in silence, no opportunity, no questions like a good girl that sit still.

Dedicated: She will sacrifice everything that she have. No matter how many bloodshed on her hands, betrayed, killed everyone who get in her way or even worse, these actions are so selfish and disgusting more than anything but for the love ones, if that make them happy she would do it. Even in the end she would die alone she never upset at them. Never.

NEGATIVE TRAITS

Nervous: Bell not very good to meet a new member or friends. She didn’t know where to put herself when someone greeting or praised her and she will says “Thank you” in a monotone but in her mind is already exploding.

Family

[REDECTED]

FAVORITE

Food: Staek pie, Borscht

Drink: Coca Cola, Rose tea

Color: Blue

Song: -

TRIVIA

Bell is a big eater. You will be surprised that she can eat up all food on table, no matter how many dishes had served she wiped out all of them.

Bell always keep her straight face all the time, happy, sad, angry, surprised or even smile. She never show them on her face, only doll face to show up on her.

She often had nightmares when she sleep about the fields of Vietnam, the girl who whispered on Bell to find the locket. And the man covered with blood on his whole body call her name but she didn’t hear it.

Bell is an expert arcade one. No one can beat her, she is the true Gamer in 80s.

——-

🫠🫠🫠

[mariariley]

⋆✮⋆ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ⋆✮⋆

·:*¨༺ MASTERLIST ༻¨*:·.

on a hiatus! :(

Russell Adler

Frank Woods

Alex Mason

Helen Park

Lawrence Sims

Eleazar Azoulay

Anton Volkov

Perseus

🖤

Captain John Price

John “Soap” Mactavish

Simon “Ghost” Riley

Gary “Roach” Sanderson

General Shepherd

Vladimir Makarov

🖤

Captain John Price

Kyle “Gaz” Garrick

Alex Keller

Farah Karim

Roman Barkov

Nikolai

Soldier J-12

🖤

Simon “Ghost” Riley

John “Soap” Mactavish

Captain John Price

Kyle “Gaz” Garrick

Kate Laswell

Alejandro Vargas

Rodolfo “Rudy” Parra

Valeria Garza

Phillip Graves

Warzone bonus: König

🖤

x fem/gn reader

no ships

no pedophilia, rape, pregnancy, gory self harm, mental illnesses, fursonas or any animal-like add ons

no heavy BDSM and weird fetishes

platonic relationship with female characters

will do mental breakdowns, hysteria, death (not too gory)

will do angst, fluff, sometimes smut

will do headcanons and NSFW alphabets

self written fanfics in 1st person

requests and headcanons in 2nd person

please make your requests clear and with enough details 🖤

Dividers belong to @firefly-graphics , @benkeibear 🖤

Banners are mine, tag if you use them 🖤

[meri-l]

On October 31st I got to an autograph session with Roman Kotkov (editor-in-chief of Bubble comics), and on November 1st I got to an autograph session with Dmitry Chebotaryov and Ivanna Chebotaryova in honor of the release of the book "Ivasha's Tales". Unfortunately by the time it was my turn Ivanna was tired, but I was able to talk to Lisa Klimova (actress, blogger, Dmitry's wife) and she even hugged me (twice!).

I guess it looked like I came not to Dmitry and Ivanna, but to Lisa for an autograph session 😅

[questionable-chnt-hc]

aaanyways. elijahs parents? there is no proof for anything I'm saying, it's just my hc on whoever raised That Guy

Elijah's father would most likely be the.. worse one. It's like with "bad person but only cause they got involved without realising what they were getting into" and "holy shit that is a terrible fucking person I hope they die", and I think his dad would be the latter.

So, he'd most likely be raised religious, and, for whatever reason, outside the Volkov family (so like. the mother is a Volkov. I only believe this cause of a hc I have about the Volkovs that I will never tell anyone). Despite both him and Elijah's mother being Slavic (Russian and Croatian perchance), they both spent most of their childhoods in America, more specifically Ohio... gee I wonder where they met /sarc

But I believe the deal with him would just be the basic "bad religious dad". He puts his belief over people he should care about, such as his family. And, I think, with the whole "random outbursts", "doing things for/to people without asking if it's what they want" thing with Elijah came from his father.

So what about his mother? Now, I think about her more often. My idea of her is like my Roman empire /j

She's the sort of person who wants to kill their husband every time he does something stupid or bad, but didn't have the courage at first. She does care about her children, more than anything, but was too scared of her husband to do anything to help them. Until she helped Elijah's older sibling run away.

With her childhood, and how I suggested that her and Elijah's father met in Camp Here & There, I think that her, Lucille, and Sydney's mother were friends. Her and Lucille being friends could suggest A LOT, but also I can't decide if I want it to be a "Lucille and Elijah's mother worked together to try and get Sydney killed" situation or something else.

But, I've given her a lot more thought. Elijah's father gave him his awful beliefs and actions. Elijah's mother is what made him dangerous. Both of his parents are dangerous people in different ways, one is willing to hurt people so they can be perfect in his eyes, one is willing to kill somebody because they hurt someone she loves.

Elijah's father didn't live to see his son become almost as much of a monster as he is, but he did see in his final seconds what his "wife" had become.

I feel cringe saying all this but you know what FUCK shame and embarrassment!! cringe culture is dead!!!!!!!!!

This isn’t cringe holy shit this is so cool like I genuinely hope they get into this on the show because it’s so cool to think about

[shallyne]

Well, anyways, I was bored and made a list with book characters that I like from A to Z (couldn't come up with something for Q)

Book Characters List

A

Aemmory Percyval Taxus

Aelin Galathynius

Andarna

Amara Maroni

Alpha Villanova

Abraxos

Annaleigh Thaumas

Aedion Ashryver

Alexis

Asterin Blackbeak

Aaron Warner

Apollion

Aidas

Ansel of Briarcliff

Ash

Addie LaRue

Avery Kylie Grambs

Ash Maddox

Alex Volkov

Ava Chen

Alessandra Davenport

B

Bryce Quinlan

Bryaxis

Bone Carver

Brie

Barney Fitz-Amobi

Bel Price

Bridget Van Ascheberg

C

Corvina Clemm

Cassius

Cardan Greenbriar

Chloe Green

Camila Dunne

Cinnamon Hotpepper

Cormac Donnall

Catherine Pinkerton

Cara Ward

Cal

Carter Price

Chrstian Harper

D

Danika Fendyr

Dante Maroni

Donatella Dragna

Declan Emmett

Dorian Havilliard

Dante Russo

Dominic Davenport

E

Elide Lochan

Evangeline Fox

Emilia DiCarlo

Envy

Evelyn Hugo

Ember Quinlan

Elspeth Spindle

Evangelina Sage

Elm Rowan

F

Feyre Archeron

Fenrys Moonbeam

Fallon

Felix

Fleetfoot

G

Gavriel

H

Hunt Athalar

Helion

Hannah Rooney

I

Imogen

Iris Winnow

Ione Hawthorne

Isabella Valencia

J

Jacks

Juliette Ferrars

Jude Duarte

Jesiba Roga

Jurian

Jest

Jack Brunswick

Jespyr Yew

Josh Chen

Jules Ambrose

K

Kenji Kishimoto

Kaltain Rompier

Kai Young

L

Lilith

Lyla

Lorcan Salvaterre

Lidia Cervos

Legend

Lysandra

Lehabah

Liam Mairi

Luc

Luna Caine

Libby

M

Manon Blackbeak

Morrigan

Morana Vitalio

Meghan Chase

N

Nesryn Faliq

Nazeera Ibrahim

Nash Hawthorne

Naomi Ward

Nightmare

O

Oraya

Oak Greenbriar

P

Pippa Fitz-Amobi

Purrcival

Q

R

Rhysand

Raihn

Ruhn Danaan

Rogan

Rowan Whitethorn

Randall Silago

Rhiannon Matthias

Razor

Ravi Singh

Ravyn Yew

Renelm Yew

Roman Kitt

Rachel Price

Rhys Larsen

S

Shara Wheeler

Scarlett Dragna

Stryga

Suriel

Sartaq

Syrinx

Sgaeyl

Sal Singh

Stanley Forbes

Stella Alonso

Sloane Kensington

T

Tristan Caine

Tristan Flynn

Thea Delion

Tairn

Thimble

Tandri

Trystan Maverine

U

Usha

V

Violet Sorrengail

Vale

Vincent

Vittoria di Carlo

Viv

Vivian Lau-Russo

W

Wrath

Wren

X

Xaden Riorson

Y

Yrene Towers

Z

Zephyr Villanova

[hell-hotel-mkg]

Roster Drop

We would like to welcome our official cast of 19 guests to the Belrose Hotel! We hope you all enjoy your stay, and thank you everyone for applying!

Full roster list under the cut. The star (★) denotes a mod character.

Miryam-Joëlle Girault - Bodyguard

★ Magnus Makepeace - Ravenmaster

Birabiro Tesfaye - Butterfly Collector

Nikolai Volkov - Jeweler

★ Friedrich Heppenheimer - Transit Engineer

Belladi Tharwat - Couturier

Ernest Carmichael - Music Box Repairman

Hato Giordano - Falconer

Nelle Oellen - Curator

Kento Honda - Conservator

Piotr Kowalczyk - Pigeon Racer

Erik Yu - Cellist

★ Yvonne Gore - Freelancer

Derosa Roman - Astronomer

Chess Davis - Accompanist

Arthfael van de Albrecht - Company Heir

★ La Tesoro - Gentleman Thief

MACHI - Idol

Lament Sinclair - Mortician