If you're enjoying these stories, consider leaving a comment, review, or vote.
You can also visit the Pat** on at: belamy20
Sofia had finally claimed the life she had always dreamed of.
She could breathe freely, do whatever she wanted, and—most importantly—stand beside Lawson in the open, without hiding.
The only obstacle left in her perfect world was Audrey.
Audrey hadn't been fazed by her biological father's death. They had never spoken a single word, and the only time she'd seen him he was paralyzed, hooked up to machines. To her, Old Martin was basically a stranger. The whole thing felt like Luca had dragged her to LA for a month-long vacation, then someone randomly handed her a massive inheritance.
(Note: The enormous estate taxes were quietly paid off using a fraction of the bearer bonds Lawson had lifted.)
Even after the estate was settled, Audrey showed zero interest in leaving the Malibu mansion. She simply kept living there.
That put a serious damper on Sofia's plans for total indulgence.
Maybe it was because she had been repressed for a decade, but ever since that adrenaline-fueled encounter in the ICU, Sofia was completely addicted. She was constantly finding new and creative ways to drain Lawson's endless energy.
Lawson's Iron Man stamina meant she lost every single time—usually ending up exhausted, drenched in sweat, and barely able to move—but she loved every second of it.
Still, she couldn't stop Audrey from constantly eyeing him. And honestly, since Sofia physically couldn't handle him alone, it gave the teenager plenty of openings to make her move.
Lawson, however, hadn't crossed that line with Audrey. They were stuck in a strange, highly flirtatious gray area. He knew sleeping with the eighteen-year-old would trigger an ugly war between her and Sofia, and he had no interest in blowing up his own house.
Early that morning, Lawson headed out to run some errands.
Sofia walked into the dining room with the slightly lightheaded, floating steps of a woman who had been kept up until dawn. She dropped into her chair with a lazy smile.
Audrey was already at the table. The moment she saw the unmistakable, satisfied glow on Sofia's face, a sharp spike of jealousy shot through her. She had tried every seduction trick in the book, but Lawson always stopped right before the finish line.
"Good morning, Mrs. Bonanno!"
Sofia frowned. She hated that name now, but legal changes took time.
"Audrey, didn't I tell you to just call me Sofia?"
"Did you? I always seem to forget!" Audrey blinked innocently, playing the sweet small-town girl.
Sofia knew exactly what the eighteen-year-old was doing—she was actively trying to seduce her stepmother's man.
Technically, legally speaking, Sofia was her stepmother.
But Sofia didn't let it bother her too much. She had already won. Victors could afford to be magnanimous.
She glanced around the dining room. "Audrey, where's Eva?"
"She's upstairs packing. She said she's leaving today."
The news hit Sofia like a punch. Her fork stopped halfway to her mouth.
"Eva's leaving?"
"Mmhmm. She said her contract expired, so she's heading out."
A genuine wave of sadness washed over Sofia.
Over the last month, Eva had been the only person besides Lawson who made her feel truly safe. Especially that night in the study, when Eva had drawn her gun on the capos without hesitation. That kind of loyalty was rare.
"Can't she stay on as my personal head of security?"
Audrey pouted. "I asked her the same thing. She said she only agreed to protect you for one month as a favor to Lawson. She's already stayed past her deadline and has other business to handle."
There was nothing they could do.
Both women fell into a depressed silence. Despite everything, they had both formed a real bond with the lethal Russian.
Right then, Eva walked in dragging a heavy duffel bag. She noticed their long faces.
"What's with the funeral-parlor vibes?"
Sofia looked up. "Eva… you're really leaving?"
"Ha! Sofia, don't look at me like I'm heading to the electric chair—bad luck in my line of work. But yeah, I'm out of LA."
"Can't I pay you to stay?" Sofia pleaded. "I'll double whatever you usually make!"
Having just inherited Old Martin's massive clean fortune, Sofia was deep in the "money is no object" phase. She had no idea what an elite Spetsnaz-trained assassin actually charged.
Eva sighed. Over the past month she had grown genuinely fond of both women—especially Audrey, who she had started treating like an annoying little sister after sharing a room almost every night.
"It's not about the money, Sofia. I have obligations."
Sofia forced a sad smile. "That's a shame. Have a safe trip, Eva. And if you ever have free time, my doors are always open. We'll always be friends."
Audrey jumped up and threw her arms around Eva. "I'm really gonna miss you!"
"I'll miss you too, kid."
After the emotional goodbyes, the three of them sat down for one last breakfast together.
Naturally, the conversation drifted toward men.
Sofia set her fork down and looked at Eva curiously. "Eva… I've been meaning to ask. How exactly do you know Lawson?"
Audrey's ears perked up like a dog's. She was dying to hear this too.
Eva hesitated for a second, then answered honestly.
"Actually, I didn't know Lawson at all. We were introduced through a mutual contact. I only took the job to protect you because she asked me to."
Sofia's eyes narrowed. Her intuition flared.
"A mutual contact? Who?"
"I call her my Big Sister. The only reason I stepped foot in this estate was to pay back a favor I owed her. Regular cash wouldn't have bought my time."
A complex, uncomfortable expression crossed Sofia's face. She could read between every line of Eva's tone.
Women were terrifyingly perceptive about these things. Girls, however, were not.
Audrey just stared blankly, completely missing the heavy subtext.
After a long, agonizing silence, Sofia finally spoke.
"Eva… can I meet your Big Sister?"
Eva's face twisted into an awkward grimace. "Are you absolutely sure? My Big Sister… she can have a bit of a temper."
Sofia bit her lip and nodded firmly. "I need to meet her."
"Alright. I'll call Boss Svafa. But seriously, Sofia—try not to get emotional, and whatever you do, do not piss her off. Even I can't beat her in a fight."
That painted an immediate terrifying picture in Audrey's mind. She had seen Eva drop three grown men in seconds without breaking a sweat. If this Svafa was stronger than Eva, she had to be some kind of hulking, muscle-bound monster.
"I understand," Sofia said quietly.
Eva pulled out her phone and made the call.
An hour later, an impossibly tall, striking woman wearing a wide-brimmed black hat walked through the front doors of the Bonanno estate.
"Madam Bonanno. I hear you wanted to see me."
---
Lawson had absolutely no idea that while he was out running errands, Sofia and Svafa were having a private sit-down in his living room.
If he had known, he would have broken every speed limit in LA to get back and stop the impending disaster.
Instead, he was enjoying a bright, sunny date on the Santa Monica Pier with Blake—currently being shadowed by a ten-thousand-watt third wheel.
That third wheel was Blake's best friend, Daisy Lewis.
"Lawson, are you really leaving for months?" Blake asked, voice small.
"Yeah. I officially got my badge as a Probationary Agent. I have to head to Quantico for closed-door academy training."
"So I won't be able to talk to you at all?!"
The words "closed-door training" hit Blake like a truck. She looked devastated. The brunette already felt physical withdrawal if she didn't hear his voice for a single day. Months without him was unthinkable.
"It's not that bad," Lawson said gently, rubbing her head. "I asked around. It's strict, but we get weekend downtime. I'll be able to call you."
"But that's still so long between calls… and I won't get to see you at all!"
Her mood visibly tanked.
Lawson pulled her close. "Look at the bright side. Once I graduate with a federal badge, your dad won't have a single excuse left to keep us apart."
That was one of the main reasons he had wanted the FBI credentials—to permanently shut Ray Gaines up.
Being an FBI Special Agent was dangerous, sure, but in America it was a highly respected, prestigious federal career.
A sweet, hopeful smile broke through Blake's gloom. She desperately wanted her family to accept Lawson.
Suddenly a heavy beach volleyball rocketed toward the back of Lawson's head.
Without even turning, his hand shot up and snatched it out of the air—courtesy of his new Spider Trump Card.
The throw had real heat. It would have left a bruise.
"Hey! You two are so annoying!" Daisy stood a few yards away, hands on her hips, proudly displaying her overwhelming assets. She was wearing a microscopic bikini that left nothing to the imagination. The glare off her pale skin was practically blinding.
Lawson rolled his eyes. Daisy had practically begged to tag along, and now she was complaining that the couple was acting like a couple.
If this human spotlight wasn't hovering around them, he and Blake would already be back at the apartment.
Blake flushed red with embarrassment. She quickly pulled away and tackled Daisy into the sand.
It was a spectacular sight. Counting the volleyball, there were five massive spheres bouncing across the beach. Half the men on the sand stared with their jaws on the floor.
Ball sports really did have universal appeal.
"Lawson! Come play!" Blake called.
"Coming!"
Wanting to physically block the creeps staring at his girl, Lawson jogged over and joined the game.
Over the last few months his physique had transformed completely. He was no longer the scrawny kid who had crawled out of the Pacific. He was heavily muscled, cut like a statue, standing 6'2" with a presence that turned heads—though his ridiculously handsome face undercut the intimidation factor a little.
The three of them played beach volleyball all morning. It was basically Lawson versus Blake and Daisy.
Daisy kept trying to use her physical "assets" to distract him on every serve. It worked the first few times. With that much bouncing happening, Lawson was only human—he occasionally lost track of which ball he was supposed to hit.
But as the games wore on, his Iron Man stamina kicked in.
Blake gassed out quickly and had to sit on a towel and watch. Daisy, however, had serious cardio. She was athletic, clearly spent hours in the gym, and could squat impressive weight.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't outlast him.
"I'm done! I surrender!" Daisy collapsed onto the sand, hands on her knees, gasping as she glared up at him.
Lawson was barely breathing hard. Two hours of volleyball was a light warm-up for him.
"Giving up already? I'm barely breaking a sweat. One more game?"
His smug grin annoyed her. "Hmph! Fine, you have more stamina. But I bet I could take you in an arm wrestle!"
"I'll pass," Lawson said immediately. He wasn't stupid.
God only knew what Daisy had been eating her whole life, but the girl had freakish natural strength. He genuinely wasn't sure he could beat her in a pure power contest.
He was starting to suspect her massive chest wasn't fat—it was pure, concentrated pectoral muscle.
"Let's go surfing instead!" Blake chimed in, grabbing her board.
"Sounds perfect."
Lawson grabbed his board and hit the waves with Blake. Daisy followed, and the three of them spent the afternoon tearing up the surf, drawing envious stares from everyone on the beach.
By the time the sun set, Daisy finally took the hint and headed home.
Finally alone, Lawson and Blake went back to his place.
The brunette was fiercely proactive, wanting to make every second count before he left for Virginia. She gave it her all.
But the sheer biological gap between them quickly took its toll.
It was another apocalyptic, flood-level defeat for Blake. At one point she actually stopped breathing, terrifying Lawson so badly he almost started CPR.
"Blake?! Are you okay?!"
He hovered over her, genuinely scared she was going to pass out again.
"Lawson… I-I'm fine."
Color slowly returned to her cheeks. Her eyes grew hazy and relaxed—she had come down from the peak.
"You scared the hell out of me! Blake, do you have a heart condition or something?!"
She looked up at him, deeply embarrassed.
"Actually… I had severe asthma as a kid. I rarely get attacks now, but…"
Asthma was chronic. It couldn't be cured. People with severe cases were usually warned to avoid intense, prolonged exertion.
"Why didn't you tell me?!" Lawson groaned. "I would have gone way easier on you!"
Blake wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
"Because I want to satisfy you. I don't want to just lie there!"
Lawson gently stroked her damp hair.
"Your safety is way more important than my satisfaction. I don't want a repeat of that. You literally stopped breathing."
Blake hummed softly, her fingers tracing the muscles on his stomach. Then she looked up at him with a shy, mischievous smile.
"Lawson… what if I found a helper?"
"A what?"
---
Back at the Bonanno estate, the summit between Sofia and Svafa did not explode into the bloodbath Eva had feared.
Both women maintained strict composure and polite civility.
Eva let out a massive sigh of relief.
The only person disappointed was Audrey, who had been sitting on the couch eating popcorn, secretly hoping for a reality-TV-style catfight.
"Fight! Fight! Ow!"
Eva smacked her on the back of the head. The teenager thought she was whispering, but elite assassins had incredible hearing. Svafa had definitely heard her.
Svafa ignored it. Audrey was just an annoying eighteen-year-old.
After a long, heavy silence, Sofia finally broke the ice.
"Ms. Svafa… could you clarify the nature of your relationship with Lawson?"
"I have nothing to hide, Madam Bonanno. I just don't know if you're mentally prepared for the answer."
That sentence alone was practically a full confession, but Sofia needed to hear the words.
Taking a deep breath, she looked Svafa dead in the eye.
"I'm prepared."
"My relationship with Lawson is exactly the same as your relationship with Lawson."
Sofia's face drained of all color.
Deep down, her intuition had already warned her that Lawson wasn't exclusively hers, but she had chosen to live in denial.
Today she had finally forced herself to face the truth about the man she loved.
And honestly? Ignorance had been absolute bliss.
Svafa kept a faint, serene smile on her face the entire time, which completely baffled Sofia.
"How can you smile about this?"
"Because I never had any delusions about having Lawson all to myself," Svafa replied smoothly. "In my thirty years I've seen enough death and betrayal to know the 'ending' doesn't matter. The journey is what counts. And my time with Lawson is incredibly enjoyable. That's enough for me."
Eva stared at her Big Sister in shock. She had no idea Svafa felt that way.
If Boss Svafa doesn't mind sharing him with Sofia… then maybe I could…
Eva suddenly felt Audrey staring at her and violently scrubbed the wildly inappropriate thought from her brain.
Sofia looked deeply conflicted.
"I… I'm not as generous as you."
"That's a choice you have to make for yourself," Svafa said, leaning back. "Ask yourself: what hurts more? Knowing he's sleeping with other women, or walking away and never seeing him again?"
"Why can't he just give up the others and stay with me?"
Svafa let out a sharp, mocking laugh.
"Madam Bonanno. Can you satisfy him? Because if you physically can't, how exactly do you plan to stop him from finding someone who can?"
Sofia flinched. The truth cut like a knife.
She absolutely could not satisfy him. She had tried everything, exhausted every trick she knew, and still ended up passing out from exhaustion while he was barely breathing hard.
If she couldn't hold up her end of the relationship, what right did she have to demand exclusivity?
"You're right," Sofia whispered bitterly. "I can't."
Svafa stood up, towering over her.
At 6'1" barefoot and wearing heavy heels, the Swedish Valkyrie cast an intimidating shadow.
"Madam Bonanno, you need to open your eyes. If you truly can't stomach sharing him, walk away now before it destroys you. But if you refuse to let him go… then accept reality. Loving someone means accepting their flaws."
Sofia let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"Is this really a flaw?"
"Sometimes flaws are advantages, and advantages are flaws. It's all about perspective."
Svafa extended her hand. Sofia hesitated for a second, then took it.
She immediately felt the thick, calloused skin on the web of Svafa's hand and fingertips. Knowing her connection to Eva, the Swedish woman's true profession was obvious.
"Maybe I just need time to adjust," Sofia murmured. "Ms. Svafa… are there any others?"
"As far as I know, there's a college girl. Beyond that, I have no idea. I don't dig into his personal life."
"I see. Thank you, Ms. Svafa."
"You're welcome, Madam. I hope you figure it out soon. Frankly, I could use the help. You know how he is… he's like a wild bull."
Both Sofia and Eva flushed bright red.
Eva blushed because she had occasionally overheard Lawson and Sofia through the walls—the sheer violence of the sounds had terrified her.
Audrey, with zero practical experience, had no idea what Svafa meant.
"A bull? What are you guys talking about?"
"Nothing for you to worry about," Svafa smiled, turning to Audrey. "You're Audrey, right? If you ever get bored, come down to the Sangiovese Bar. It's my place. Perfectly safe, and you don't have to worry about cops checking IDs."
Audrey's eyes lit up instantly.
In America you could buy an assault rifle at 18, but not a beer until 21. She was dying to see the inside of a real LA nightclub.
"Really? You mean it, Ms. Svafa?!"
"Of course. Any friend of Eva's is a friend of mine."
Svafa winked at her. The teenager instantly idolized the tall, dangerous, impossibly cool older woman.
Right as Svafa turned to leave, she glanced back at Sofia.
"Madam Bonanno. Lawson is going to be out of town for a while. You should use the quiet time to really think about what you want."
"I will."
Sofia nodded. She already knew he was leaving for the FBI academy—that was exactly why she had been glued to him for the last three days.
But there was one person in the room who had no idea.
"Wait, what?! Lawson's leaving?! Why didn't anyone tell me?!"
Audrey jumped off the couch in a panic.
"How long is he gone?!"
"Three to six months," Eva replied.
"No!"
Audrey looked like her world had just ended.
By the time Lawson got back to LA, her summer vacation would be over and she'd have to return to Twin Peaks to finish senior year.
Eva patted her shoulder sympathetically.
"Audrey, if you really want to spend more time with Lawson… you should just go to college here in LA."
"I want to! But my grades suck!"
Audrey wasn't an academic powerhouse like Blake. Getting into a major LA university on her own was impossible.
"Audrey," Sofia said suddenly. "If you want to go to college in LA, I can make it happen."
For some reason, Sofia's entire attitude toward Audrey had shifted. Maybe the conversation with Svafa had opened her eyes. She was starting to feel the pressure of the competition.
"Are you serious, Mrs. Bonanno?!"
"If you call me that one more time, I'm taking the offer back."
"I'm sorry! I mean—thank you, Sofia!"
---