JAYCE BECKETT After dragging Renato all the way here from the bar, one question kept haunting me: why was I even doing this? Why did his pain ignite my anger? And more disturbingly, why did his silence enrage me?I was seething, furious with myself for letting my emotions get the better of me. Why had I snapped at him? What did I care if he was hurt? Renato Marino was the last person I'd go out of my way to help, so why did his pain seem to matter?Renato was far from a good man, he'd earned whatever happened to him, and probably worse.A deep, guttural grunt rumbled through the backseat, the kind that could be mistaken for a wounded animal. I'd heard sounds like that before, on hunting trips with my father at our summer house, the same desperate, pained noises those animals made. Renato's sounds weren't much different.My mind screamed at me to glance back, to check on him, but I refused. I kept my eyes fixed on the road, unwilling to face those deep stab wounds again. The sight
JAYCE BECKETT "Help him to that room," the feminine voice instructed again. I might have been losing my mind, because I could've sworn I'd heard that voice just a few days ago. But I couldn't quite place it. I had been undercover for so long, I had barely interacted with any women recently. I could count the number of women I had been around in the past few weeks on one hand."Wrap your arm around my neck," I told Renato, and he complied, his grip sloppy but understandable given his condition. "Who knew even a tiger could act like a kitten when he's on death's door," I muttered, grunting as I supported Renato's weight with my waist.Renato, to my surprise, didn’t argue. He wrapped his arms around my neck, groaned, and laid pressed against me. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hoisted him into position. Standing straight, with a full grown ass Renato using me for support, I made sure he was balanced on his feet. I took careful steps so he wouldn't fall over.“There you all ar
JAYCE BECKETT There are only two ways to catch a criminal: you either offer yourself as a bait to catch them, or wait until they get bored of playing hide and seek and surrender themselves. However, experience shows that the former is more likely, while the latter is unlikely to happen. Not even in a million years.As I crouched in the dimly lit alley, my heart clenched in my chest, and my lungs constricted, making every breath a struggle. The fuzzy dizziness that clouded my brain threatened to overwhelm me, leaving my fingers numb and unresponsive. But I gritted my teeth, fighting to maintain focus. My gun remained poised, my back straight, and my feet planted firmly on the ground.Suddenly, I detected light footsteps behind me. I swiftly turned, gun at the ready, my finger hovering over the trigger. My training kicked in, and I assessed the potential threat. But as I locked eyes with the figure emerging from the shadows, I lowered my gun, relief washing over me. It was Agent Col
JAYCE BECKETT "Agent Beckett, bring down Renato Marino and his family, and you'll receive a substantial bonus, one that will more than cover your nephew's medical expenses. This is a high-profile case, and success will not only be a significant feather in your cap, but also a game-changer for your career. So, what will it be?"I let out a deep grunt as the chief's words echoed in my mind. It had been over two days since I met with the chief in his office, and even after I turned down the offer, I couldn't help but think about it over and over again. The truth was, going undercover had never been my problem, and the fact that it was the Marino family I would be taking down made it more than enough reason for me to accept the offer. I hated that family with every fibre of my being, plus the benefits and bonus I would receive after the mission was enticing.The Marino family was like a ghost story told to camp kids when it came to feds. They were an old crime family that ran New York,
JAYCE BECKETT My laptop was open, with a third can of energy drink sitting next to me, and I bounced my leg up and down. I scoured every known file in the system. After eight hours on my day off, I wasn't any closer to gaining enough information about my target. Obtaining personal information about those criminals wasn't easy. I needed every bit of knowledge I could gather about the Marino family, especially Renato Marino, who was my main target. Last night, after Curtis was discharged from the hospital, I had gone back to the chief and told him I was in on the mission. The chief had grinned at me, as if he had known I would come back.I was desperate for money, and the chief knew it. I fucking hated that he could predict me, but what else could I possibly do when my only nephew was dying? The doctor had advised me to make a deposit for Curtis's kidney transplant because his condition had worsened. If I checked my savings, the only thing they could possibly afford was a new pair o
RENATO MARINOI can be as sweet as honey, but I can also be deadly venom. It all depends on which side of me you choose to cross. Unlike my brother or my nephews, I don't have a strong taste for bloodshed unless it's absolutely necessary to protect what's mine, or to return the favor to those who dare to fuck with me.My blood rushed, and pinpricks danced along my forearms to my fingers, which gripped my hammer tightly. My feet remained planted on the floor, and the calmness surrounding me gave me a chance to think about this fucking mess I had to deal with on a fine morning like this.Only two questions had been running through my head since last night. How could anyone be foolish enough to think of crossing me? And why would anyone voluntarily walk into their own demise? I simply couldn't understand it.Agitation and annoyance coursed through me as my eyes fixed intently on the bastard who was hung upside down from the ceiling, blood dripping from various parts of his body. I wa
JAYCE BECKETT When I woke up to find myself lying on a bed in an unfamiliar room, the first question that popped into my head was whether I had been caught. As I looked out the window to survey my surroundings, I realized I was in a place that bore a striking resemblance to Renato Marino's villa, just like the one that had been shown to us in the conference room during our investigation into the Marino family's crime case. It was clear that Renato Marino had brought me here, to his home.However, one thing that left me perplexed was the fact that he had treated my bullet wound. But why? Criminals like him didn't typically treat their victims with such care. It would have made more sense if I had awoken to find myself tied to a lab table, perhaps with my arms missing or my toes chopped off.Did Renato Marino not know who I was? Did he feel indebted to me because I had gotten shot on his behalf? And what about him? Had he really escaped unscathed, or had the damn druggie actually k
JAYCE BECKETT "Here's the membership card," Salvio said, handing me a sleek black card with a subtle chip embedded in it. "Be at the clubhouse before 10 pm." Salvio, the guy Renato Marino had tasked with dropping me off at Adam's Bar, gave me a serious look, as if emphasizing the importance of the card."Thank you," I said hastily, shoving the card into my pocket as if eager to rid myself of it. "I'll be at the club." Salvio's gaze lingered on me in the rearview mirror, his eyes seeming to bore into my soul for what felt like an eternity. His silence was unnerving, and I could feel my anxiety spiking as I slowly reached for the door button, ready to make a hasty exit from his car.Just as my finger hovered over the button, Salvio's voice cut through the movement, making me stop."I still don't understand why the boss is giving you a chance," he said, his tone low and resentment, "but let me make one thing clear: if you have any ulterior motives, I'll kill you before the boss even g
JAYCE BECKETT "Help him to that room," the feminine voice instructed again. I might have been losing my mind, because I could've sworn I'd heard that voice just a few days ago. But I couldn't quite place it. I had been undercover for so long, I had barely interacted with any women recently. I could count the number of women I had been around in the past few weeks on one hand."Wrap your arm around my neck," I told Renato, and he complied, his grip sloppy but understandable given his condition. "Who knew even a tiger could act like a kitten when he's on death's door," I muttered, grunting as I supported Renato's weight with my waist.Renato, to my surprise, didn’t argue. He wrapped his arms around my neck, groaned, and laid pressed against me. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hoisted him into position. Standing straight, with a full grown ass Renato using me for support, I made sure he was balanced on his feet. I took careful steps so he wouldn't fall over.“There you all ar
JAYCE BECKETT After dragging Renato all the way here from the bar, one question kept haunting me: why was I even doing this? Why did his pain ignite my anger? And more disturbingly, why did his silence enrage me?I was seething, furious with myself for letting my emotions get the better of me. Why had I snapped at him? What did I care if he was hurt? Renato Marino was the last person I'd go out of my way to help, so why did his pain seem to matter?Renato was far from a good man, he'd earned whatever happened to him, and probably worse.A deep, guttural grunt rumbled through the backseat, the kind that could be mistaken for a wounded animal. I'd heard sounds like that before, on hunting trips with my father at our summer house, the same desperate, pained noises those animals made. Renato's sounds weren't much different.My mind screamed at me to glance back, to check on him, but I refused. I kept my eyes fixed on the road, unwilling to face those deep stab wounds again. The sight
VIOLETS POVThere has never been a time in my life where I felt like stabbing someone in the eyes than now. My eyes burnt with tears and my hands balled into a fist in anger and pain. My sharp nails pierced into the flesh of my palm, but the pain was nothing compared to the pain in my chest.Just a few hours ago, I was just a cheerful young lady, sharing and discussing everything about my wedding plan with my best friend with a smile on my face. But here I was, glaring dagger into the reflection of my best friend in the mirror, wishing I could stab her to death.“Hey, Lex,” Kira called out, jolting me out of the murderous plan I was planning for her in my head.I felt the chair I was sitting on moved, and I was face to face with the dirty little whore I called my best friend.“What?” I gritted my teeth as I watched her slowly raise an eyes-blinding silver necklace in the air, a disgusting smile plastered on her face.“I will be letting go of my position as your number one person as of
JAYCE BECKETT I sat in the dimly lit parking lot of Adam's Bar, the neon sign casting a flashy glow on the dashboard of my car, more like Renato's car. I held my phone to my ear, listening to Cole's deep voice on the other end."Hey," I said, my voice a little softer than usual."Hey, yourself," Cole replied, a hint of frustration in his tone."Are you home now?" I asked, glancing around the parking lot as I waited for his response."Yes," he mumbled, his voice brief. "How's Curtis?" I asked, didn't exactly know what to say to him.Cole was furious with me for abruptly ending our lunch with his parents after Renato's text came in. He had hoped we'd linger a bit longer, but I couldn't stick around.As I offered to drop him off, I caught the flash of anger in his face, but he just waved me off, telling me to go ahead, he'd find his own way back to my apartment. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to his irritation than met the eye, and I still didn't quite get why he was
RENATO MARINO The day was wearing on, and the early evening shadows were lengthening. It was seven twenty-five, and there were only a handful of patrons at the bar. I kept my gaze fixed on the door, waiting for a certain fed to walk in. Fury seared my lungs with each ragged breath, as if the very air was toxic. The blinding glare of the bar's polished chrome and gleaming glassware seemed to mock me, reflecting my anger back at myself. The spotless surfaces and perfectly arranged bottles seemed to scream 'control' and 'order,' fueling my frustration.Why did the world outside seem to operate with precision and control, while my inner world was a chaotic mess? Why did everything else appear to be in perfect order, but my own mind was a battlefield?I was consumed by pain, anger, and rage, but humiliation burned the hottest in the pit of my stomach."Think of this as a little sacrifice you made to save your nephews' lives. I'll give you two weeks to retrieve that item for me. Don't sho
JAYCE BECKETT For over a decade I'd been coming here, eating with Cole's fathers on the same table, this would be the first time I'd feel awkward around them – and I'd apparently lost all sense of how to even hold a goddamn fork."Be careful, kid, that thing is going to cut your hand." Paul, Cole's dad, said, his eyes tracking my trembling hand."Yes, sir," I said, reaching for the fork for the third time, but it slipped from my trembling fingers again. "I'm sorry, sir," I said quickly, biting down on my lip as I glanced down to see the cutlery had rolled under the dining table."What now?" Judd, Cole's father, snapped, and I scrambled to retrieve the fork from the floor, freezing when our eyes met and he gave me a hard stare. "You don't have a problem handling a gun, but a fork's too much for you to hold?" He scoffed, staring unbelievably at me.I should have prepared myself for this conversation before coming here. I should have known lunch with Cole's fathers wouldn't go quietly
JAYCE BECKETT Worry, and another unfamiliar feeling, twisted and turned in the pit of my stomach. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my ears straining as I focused on the traffic, trying to tune in to any sound other than the frantic beating of my heartbeat in my chest.A large, warm hand gripped my thigh, squeezing it gently with care. I knew exactly whose hand it was, but I turned my gaze to Cole anyway, and our eyes met as he stared back at me with concern etched on his face."Are you scared?" he asked, his hand rubbing my inner thigh as his eyes remained fixed on my face. Even when I returned my gaze to the traffic, I could still feel Cole's intense stare on me. This wouldn't be my first time meeting Cole's fathers; I'd been to their mansion so many times I'd lost count. After losing my parents, I spent most holidays at Cole's fathers' mansion, initially with my sister, and later, just me and her son. I had grown accustomed to the place, so I shouldn't be scared.But this was
RENATO MARINO Since I was a kid, I knew the kind of society I was born into, and I knew that no matter how great, powerful, or fearful anyone could be, they were nothing without having the godfather on their side.It was an unspoken rule: don't make an enemy of the godfather. An enemy of Sasha's is an enemy to all. I wouldn't even be surprised if I woke up in the middle of the night to find my own shadow pointing a gun at my head.That was how powerful he was. He had everyone in the organization wrapped around his finger. My brother was delusional to think he could mess with someone like Sasha.It was totally a stupid move and even a four-year old would know that.As I impatiently tapped my thumb against the steering wheel, I pressed the secret button in my car that connected me with Chocolate system and asked, "How many people are in there?" I glanced toward the clubhouse, but the windows were opaque. The ear-blasting music was the only indication of the party going on inside."Hol
JAYCE BECKETT I waited anxiously for Cole to tell me what was going on. I couldn't even recall when I stood up from the couch and crossed over to where he was sitting.His eyes were pinned on mine, looking at me with that guilty look that made my heart beat so fast I was afraid I was going to go crazy if he didn't start speaking.Thinking of the past few hours I had spent away from home, away from my only family, I felt like banging my head against the wall.What if something had happened? What if Curtis suddenly had a seizure when I wasn't there? What if no one was here to attend to him in that moment? What if I should have come home straight immediately I woke up?But I was busy having sex with Renato Marino, my goddamn enemy, instead of coming home to Curtis."No!" I grunted, shaking my head frantically. "What if I hadn't been so foolish to get myself knocked out by that bastard in the first place?"I would never forgive myself if anything happened to that poor boy."Hey, hey." I