Thank-you for another wonderful chapter!  I really needed my fix :) 

So sad, but so sweet and sexy at the same time.  I'm glad Stan came over and told his "story"; I wonder what he is up to...maybe he is going to let Nikki out of the business....hmmm.

 Sergei is a piece of work and totally underestimates Nikolai as usual; it'll be really interesting to see how that little scene plays out.

I'm sad that the story is coming to an end on one hand, but can't wait to see what happens next on the other.

Great job; please keep the fantastic updates coming...thanks.

Sergei is a world class fool!!! All I can do right now is shake my head, I'm literally at a loss for words.

This chapter was very emotional for me. From being terrified that Sunshine would leave Nikolai for good, being touched by the affection between Sunshine and Benjamin as well as how attached Kostya is to her, and Stanislavsky and the fatherly role he plays in all their lives. However, the one thing I didn't see coming was Sergei. I'm almost too afraid to find out what happens next...

Thank You Onimosity. Can we please get another update before the weekend is over???  

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH what a FOOL... Well done Onimosity well done... I will return... going to this again...

I was so pumped when I saw this update, since I did not expect another one until Monday.  Stanislavsky is a master criminal and mobster, but I love him.  He has not lost his humanity.  His love for Nikki allows him to make moves to help the man he considers his son.  He could have told Sunny alot of things to help Nikki's case, but he simply told her the truth.

After so many chapters of Nikki being humble and almost beggin for Sunny's love I was thrilled that she showed how jealous she was of any other women coming near him.  You are a genius as symbolism.  When she fixed his tie and asked if was to tight, his reply that is was just tight enough was perfect.  I saw that tie as her claim on him to anyone who saw it.  It matched her dress!!  All the woment should have known he was hers.  That's a classy way to claim what is yours. 

Nikki knows that he has to tell her the truth.  He already knows that it will be hard for both of them.  Seeing her so jealous and demanding that he is only hers has given him hope.  He has started talking about himself, and the more he does the better it will be. 

As for Sergei with that gun, I'm not worried about Nikki dying.  I'm more worried about the fall out from him pulling the gun. He just signed his own death warrant.  Even if he manages to injure Nikki, Stanislavsky is in town, and once he gets wind of any foul play towards his son, a certain kind of hell is going to break loose.  I feel sorry for Anatoly who has been nothing but a good lieutenant and brother.  He is caught in the middle of something that can only end badly.

Thanks for and long and enjoyable update!

Holy cow! WTH is Sergei thinking?! I read through this whole chapter with great trepidiation!  Geez..I was right there with Nikki..feeling all that fear! I'm impressed with Stanislansky..I hope he's going to do what I think he's going to do..release his son..He's been a true father..first he taught him how to survive in a hopeless situation..and now..well hopefully he's going to protect him OUT of the biz..at least the illegitmate stuff anyway..I hope! I hope! Yeah the Godfather sees what we all see in Sunny/Nikki..Nikki IS a better man..she's good for him..and the Godfather is all about keep the lights on in his son's eyes..

Well like I said, I keep reading thinking when's the other shoe gonna drop! Little did I know it would be Sergei dropping the shoe! Dang..Serg you kill him you'll have to answer to Sunny..but I guess you don't care about that because you wouldn't be here if you did, huh?  Well I hope Nikki doesn't end up having to kill your ass..because that may come between he and his Sunny..OTOH..You'd better not harm Nikki..Sunny and Stantislansky won't be nice!

Oh Lord O, now you gotta give us an update soon!  That was one bad ass cliffhanger! LOL..

Sergei, you fool. Even if you pull this off you'll get yourself and your brother killed. Ugh.

what the heck is Sergei doing?! It would suck for Nikki to die by his hand and it would kill Sunny. 

Awesome chapter! I usually hate happy endings, but I really want one for Sunny and Nikki. They've come such a long way, and Nikki is really trying to change. Also, his dad is working on helping him...seems like he's helping him get out of the business or have a lesser role(?) Whatever it is, Nikki deserves this happiness and Sergei deserves to get his ass whipped for thinking he can take it away. 

sweet mother of claude. that was smoking hot and for your first sex scene---was smoking hot. lol now, if one is to seal a bargain with the devil--then that's the way to do it. XD

damn. seduced by the devil himself. sooooooo hot. so wrong. lol but written very believably. i wish i could print this out so i could read it on my commute!

Nikolai’s pic falling, the cracked glass and Sunny cutting herself were symbolic of things to come (great job on how u worked that).  Nikolai should not have taken her paper; he knows she’s very astute when he’s hiding something.  And then he (or his minions) purchased all the newspapers around her neighborhood so she wouldn’t put 2 & 2 together.  Big mistake.

Loved the scenes with Sergei, especially with him and Sunny (awesome dialogue there). He seems to be coming into his own, maturing; he’s not the clumsy wannabe gangster any longer. Poor Sergei…he’s a nice guy thrust into a mean existence.

Sunny needed to hear the truth, needed to hear it straight from a friend she trusts. Yes she should’ve heard it from Nikolai; however, he’d use diversionary tactics to reveal the ugliness beyond their relationship. It’ll kill him but he’d answer her questions as honestly as possible.  He’s living and loving on borrowed time with an expiration date.

What I enjoy most about this story is unexpected angles that flow/evolve seamlessly into the next.  Sergei’s on-the-job injuries are plausible hazards that come with the territory.  Or Peanut’s body being discovered, which means that Nikolai put the hit out on him. Who saw that coming?

One more detail that’s intriguing is Stanislavsky’s purpose for visiting Sunshine in New York. Sunshine’s stronghold on Nikolai’s heart could cloud his judgment, jeopardize their organization.  Nikolai dropped everything while they were conducting business and his father bared witness to his semi meltdown.  That can’t be good or…, he’s going to give her his blessings, yeah?  Who knows

Whatever happens, I’ll stay tuned.

You never let up with the intensity of this story.  Your craftmanship is remarkable.

This was an excellent update!

I was solidly in Nikki and Sunny's corner until she put into words what Nikki took from her - the freedom to make her own decisions at 18. Originally every choice Sunny made since her first meeting with Nikki was based on ensuring her "family" was taken care of - a tough choice for an 18 year old to have to make. 

There is no doubt in my mind that Nikki loves Sunny but had she been given the choice to love freely - would her feelings for Nikki be the same? The free will to experience all the ups and downs of love and life were taken away from her by Nikki because of the poor choices of her father.

She is struggling now with how/what to feel because she bever got the chance to experience anything else. As much as I love how strong their devotion is to each other, Nikki owes Sunny the truth and no pressure so that she can make the right decision for Sunny.

I love this story and cant wait to see what the outcome will be. 

The other shoe has finally dropped...I knew it was coming...but it doesn't change the impact of it...

Look, I know there is no way to try to justify or reconcile who Nikolai is or the things he's done...he is who/what he is...so I won't even try...I know he's a sociapath...I know he's a control freak...I know that he is cunning and manipulative...as brutal as he is loving...I know that if I had to choose someone for Sunshine to fall in love with...he would definitely be the low man on the totem pole...but this much I do know...that man loves her true in the purest sense of the word...I mean really loves her...he loves her completely and in this world...that's a rare thing to ever discover...true love...I don't seek approval or justification for liking this character or rooting for him...I just do...I'm reminded of a line from The Color Purple..."yes, even sinners have souls..."

Oh, how my heart weeps for Sunny...now her heart and mind are warring with each other...her logical self tells her that she should cut her losses and move on...the Nikki of her dreams is but a mere aberration...conjured up by her foolish heart...but her heart...the heart of a woman deeply in love with her man...refuses to give up and give in...it clings to the hope that the Nikolai that she has come to know is the 'real' thing...she's coming to learn enough tough lesson in life...you don't choose love...it chooses you...she might even find the strength and courage to walk away from him and the life they've shared...but she will also have to leave a huge piece of her heart behind with him for always...I weep for them both...

Sergei...I really can't stand now...like Darla did all those months ago when she disclosed her life with Nikolai pre-Sunny...what he told her was not done for purely altruistic reasons...or with the idea of 'saving' her...he's behaving like a spoilt brat who had his cookies stolen from him...he had to know deep down that she would never be 'his'...so he hit back and took her heart's desire away from her...unlike Nikolai who is admittedly selfish, he had no qualms about destroying her dreams if it meant blackening Nikolai in her eyes...he doesn't care at all about dimming the light in her eyes and breaking her spirit...'he can't have her...no one will..."...he's playing his role as Shakespeare's Iago masterfully...the ugly head of the beast is rearing his jealous head...he makes me ill...

Well, Onimosity...you've done it again...now I'm heartbroken once again...but girl, this 'bridger' sure had enough bite and meat in it to have me salivating for more...can't wait until the next update...