TRISTANThroughout the ride to the Manor, Myles doesn’t look at me. His eyes stay fixed on the windshield, watching the lights spill onto his ashen face. His fingers tighten around the strap of his bag.The vans continued to follow behind us, their bright lights illuminating the road. Each time they beeped, Myles flinched.What was going through his mind? I wanted to know. If only I could read his eyes, but he didn’t spare me a glance.“Questions you want to ask?” I broke the silence as I parked in the center of the Manor's compound, questionable-looking men surrounding us, surrounding him. Waiting for us to get out.Myles finally looked at me, his eyes hard and accusing. “Something tells me I’m about to have them answered anyway.”It stung.I shut my eyes and exhaled. “You’ll be out of here in no time. He’s my uncle; he’s not going to hurt you.”But Myles, a bitter smile crossing his face, glanced around the compound and muttered, “Your uncle. Well,” his hand reached for the door, wh
We stayed in silence, eyes locked, and every time his hardened, I felt my rage soar. He got it all wrong. He thought—that I... and Tristan... He got it all fucking wrong.His eyes lit up—snarky, intrusive, amused—as he raised his glass, swirling the deep crimson liquid with a dark kind of menace. The silence grew heavier, and for just a flicker of a moment, I swore I saw something cross his face. Regret? No. That couldn’t be it.Or maybe the terror was finally making me lose my damn mind."You’re ruining everything I’ve built." His voice came soft, dangerous, a murmur threaded with warning, like he was talking more to himself than me. I froze."Tristan isn’t just anyone," Domenico continued, his eyes flicking up to mine, sharper than a knife. "He’s my sweat, my blood, and my empire."I stopped, narrowing my eyes.He said it like that meant something. Like Tristan wasn’t flesh and bone, wasn’t someone who laughed, who smirked, who... cared. No—Domenico didn’t see Tristan as a person at
**MYLES** I should’ve kept my mouth shut. Sticking my nose where it didn’t belong, trying to defend someone who, for all I knew, got himself into this mess to begin with. If there weren’t traces of him being a cold-hearted, manipulative jerk, maybe his uncle wouldn’t have singled him out of seven billion people on Earth. What did I care if he was being used? I glanced at the bathroom door, listening to the shower still running. It’d been almost an hour since he went in. Was he... I squared my shoulders and sank back against the sofa. The question was: *was he being used?* With how easily he got into people’s heads... I rolled up my sleeves, staring at the red dent around my wrist, and grimaced. *Fucking Asher.* If this wasn’t karma, I had no idea what was. In the shadows, he’d pinned me against the wall, his eyes fixed on the hickeys on my neck. Smirking, he’d said, “He’s a big fish. I don’t even blame you.” His face twisted into mock hurt as his grip on my wrist tightened.
MYLES."...And he threw a tantrum. Can… you imagine that…" Natalie's voice trailed, her eyes darting hesitantly between Jade and Leo, then back at me.I shrugged."Uhh, are you two alright?"Obviously not, because at that question, Leo narrowed his gaze toward me, and Jade to Natalie. Did they get into a fight? Swallowing a mouthful of Coke, I glared. "You're dampening the table. What's going on?""Dampening the table?" Leo scoffed bitterly. "Jade looks quite happy, don’t you think?"I turned to Jade, whose gaze was just as fiery as Leo's. Muttering something unintelligible, she dropped her eyes to the table, pretending to study her fingers.Since middle school, when we became friends, Leo and Jade had never been so openly mad at each other. What exactly happened in the space of yesterday?Natalie gave a slow shrug, picked up her can of soft drink, and continued, “…so I told him I had someone I liked, so I didn’t want anything serious with anyone else, and he got mad.”Jade forced a l
I dashed into the hospital, unsure where I was going, ignoring the nurses calling after me with warnings and Jake throwing them apologies as he hurried to get me."Calm down, Myles," he said after snatching me by the shoulders. "You won't find your mum if you lose control. Calm down."So I did, reining in my panic and following behind him as he led me past numerous white doors. According to what he told me, she’d collapsed on the terrace and was just fortunate he was passing by, so he’d taken her to the hospital.Collapsed. Mum never collapsed—she wouldn’t. Mum was strong, but maybe, just maybe, she’d been strong for too long.Five minutes later, I quietly turned a knob and silently walked into a ward, just in case she was asleep, but I was relieved to find her talking to a nurse.When she saw me, a tired smile broke across her lips, and despite my damn self, tears began to brush my lids.I stopped, staring down at her bed, scared that if I spoke, I’d break down completely—in front of
TRISTAN "...It's the scholarship kid, again." The whispers at corners and the canteen were the least of my worries, "He hasn't been to school for days, and there's no call." Calling him was useless; I had noticed the others trying and failing, Jade with worry on her face, giving me pointed glances as she dialed over and over. "Ditching sleep will not bring your precious Myles back."Victoria sang as Mel went through phone calls, "You also don't think your uncle took him so there's that." Uncle Nico wouldn't take him, which I was sure of, but it still didn't stop me from driving down to El Refugio. "Myles is missing." I had dropped before even stopping in front of him, sprawled back against a sofa, Connor standing behind him, "You don't happen to know where he is, right?" My Uncle crossed his legs, bored eyes drifting to the bar, then sighed, "If I thought he was that important he wouldn't have left the manor that day." He gestured to the seat opposite him, "Come on, let'
MYLESI could have easily said no, let him throw a tantrum in the hospital, but I didn’t. So now, I’m on his bed, pretending to be asleep and watching him go through his system.He’d taken me back to his place, and true to his word, he only made dinner. Throughout it, he was quiet, never once lifting his head to look at me. What was wrong with him? Was this his new way of punishing me? If so, the silent treatment sucked.Minutes after dinner, I’d freshened up and lazily walked out of his room to thank him and head back to the hospital when Jake’s call came through.“Hey,” I said quietly when I picked up, my eyes on Tristan’s back as he spoke to Al. Something told me he could hear me, was listening.“Myles? I just got back to the hospital, and the nurses told me you left with someone.” His voice was careful. “Where are you?”“I…” I pressed the phone to my ear, closing my eyes and forcing the words out. “I thought I’d go eat something and come back quickly. I’ll be back soon.”Silence f
EROS"Come down," the message had said.At first glance, one might think it was from the boss or even his father, who had made it clear Eros wouldn't leave whole if he saw him. But it was neither—it was just Tristan.Every day, his best friend, by circumstance, was beginning to seem more like his uncle. Eros had been too wrapped up in the Aspen High situation to notice. What did the little psycho want this time? The question should be what had he done this time?Almost immediately, there was a sharp bling, and Eros' eyes dropped to the new message: an address. His brother's address.Drowsiness vanished.It had been ages since those two had seen each other, a separation ensured by the boss to keep them both alive after what happened with Theodore. Now Tristan was at Asher's house, telling Eros to come down?Curiosity and dread gnawed at him as he wasted no time, throwing on a shirt and dashing to his car.It was an hour's ride from the hotel where he had been hiding to his brother's pl
JADE"I wish I had good news, but it was a close-range injury… so we wait." That’s what the doctor told us. "Wait for what?" Leo had asked, his voice steady, but I caught the way his fingers curled protectively around Natalie’s arm, rubbing soothing circles as she sobbed into his shoulder. The doctor had exhaled, a slow, measured breath. But it wasn’t the breath of someone delivering hope. No, it was hesitation—the kind that meant we weren’t just waiting for Myles to wake up. We were waiting for a sign of life. Or none at all.I couldn't cry. The numbness had settled deep, coiling around my chest, weighing my limbs down until I could only stare out the hospital window. The city outside moved as if nothing had happened—cars speeding by, people laughing, living as of I wasn't shattering inside. But inside this sterile room, time had frozen, trapped in the reaction of one gunshot. The neighbors heard it. They were the ones who found him. If they hadn't... My stomach churned
TRISTAN“…You saw Myles.” Al’s voice came from behind. I turned to find him by the door of the minibar, his eyes pinned on me as I laid cross-legged on the sofa. “I’m surprised you’re not drinking yourself dead.” It had crossed my mind—since last night, watching as he climbed into the cab without looking back. Now, I was sprawled on a settee in my own room, hating my own existence. I had wanted him to stay… then why, why couldn’t I just say it out loud? Tell him I wanted to see him again? Because he didn’t want that… He had a bright future ahead of him. The deal was over. There was nothing to hold him back. I shut my eyes, but I… I hadn’t wanted him to leave. I had thought of slamming the door at El Refugio shut so he never left me. Who was this person? This Tristan? What the fuck was wrong with him? “You didn’t tell him, then?” I opened my eyes, puzzlement etching my brows as I watched Al walk over to the mini counter, picking out a glass. “Tell him what?” Al shook hi
MYLESOnce again, his cock springs free, and once again, there's a lump in my throat. I’d never get used to this, would I? My fingers traced his length, earning a sharp inhale from him. I wrapped my hand firmly around his girth, stroking rhythmically, the pace increasing as his voice grew louder, each grunt reverberating with my name. He draped an arm over his eyes, his voice rough and ragged. "You're fucking killing me. Ah, fuck." He was so warm and hard, hips buckling against the chair, oozing pre-cum. "How… ah… how long are you planning to keep this up?" As long as I could, especially if he kept whining and shivering like that. Emboldened by his reaction, I leaned closer, letting my tongue trail along him. "Fuck… Fuck!" His hips jerked involuntarily, fingers gripping the armrest until his knuckles turned white. His breath hitched sharply as I swirled my tongue around the tip, tasting his saltiness. "Goddamn it, Myles," he groaned, his voice hoarse and laced with despe
MYLESI felt the cold air hit my naked arm as I was yanked out of the bus. When I groaned, they let me go. We'd been riding for an hour, and my legs were cramped up. "Are you okay?" said that gruff voice, just before the bag was pulled off my head. "Yeah," I answered reluctantly, wondering what the hell was going on. For men that had snatched me up against my will, it was as though they were concerned for my well-being. The gruff man leads the way, and I follow. It was not that surprising that we were before El Refugio. The pounding music that usually greeted me was nonexistent; replaced by soft piano notes. Why did that... My brows knit. Why did that reek of Tristan? I raised my head, catching him at the top of the stairs, leaning against the rail with his eyes stuck on me although he had company. I sighed. Of course. He's in a black dress shirt and suit pants that did so much justice to that body. I feel my throat go scorched; even the faint dark circles around his eyes
MYLESDays blurred together like smoke drifting out of a chimney, dissolving amongst the clouds. Before I knew it, like a punch to the gut, it was just two days until D-day.It was overwhelming—juggling exams, practice, and everything unraveling at home. I coped the only way I knew how: shutting down my brain. But even that wasn’t foolproof because the thought of him—of Tristan—always managed to creep in, knocking me completely off balance.It felt like he was avoiding me. Since the day he handed me the gear, he’d stayed out of sight. No calls. No texts. Not a single invitation to come over.I kept telling myself it was for the best, that maybe he couldn’t even wait for D-day to cut ties completely. Yet, when I saw him Tuesday, standing in front of a computer with the principal by the ICT lab, my chest tightened.He noticed me. His eyes locked on mine, and for a moment, everything seemed to halt. Then he smiled—warm, disarming, and utterly confusing. It knocked my thoughts into a fre
JADE"Did you see that guy?" The girls whispered in the locker room. "The red-haired guy that sticks with Tristan everywhere? Oh God, what happened to him?"I paused midway through shutting my locker, my book hugged tightly to my chest. Red hair? They had to be talking about Eros. What happened to him? Could that be why he wasn’t picking up my calls? I’d assumed he wasn’t at school—I hadn’t seen him anywhere—and trust me, with that fiery hair, Eros wasn’t exactly hard to spot."I thought it was just a slight limp at first," another voice chimed in, more animated than the first. "Then Mrs. Lydia made him unzip his face mask and, oh my God—"Oh her God, what? My grip on the locker door tightened. What did she mean, "oh my God"?"I bet Tristan did that to him. Maybe they got into a fight," the first voice guessed, already changing the subject. "Hey, are you going to eat this—"I slammed my locker shut with a bang, sending every pair of eyes in the room my way. My heart pounded as I stepp
Mum rarely got angry—angry in a way that forced her to lash out. So seeing her shake with rage, her eyes burning with hate as each second passed, was new to me.“Liar!” she screamed at Diego. “You’ve ruined my life—every inch of it! And now, the one thing of Harold’s I have left... You son of a bitch!”I had sensed it all along. Every time he brought her flowers or pretended to help with her shopping, the alarm bells in my head rang. Diego was up to something. So fucking predictable.But the shame on his face dissolved. The real man stood there now, without his mask.“I ruined your life?” he growled, his voice rising with every word. “Are you fucking kidding me, you ungrateful bitch?”“Oh, shut up, Diego. Just shut up!” Mum screamed, her voice trembling as she finally let loose. I flinched. She’d always let him get away with everything. I guess she drew the line at the house.Diego’s face twisted with sick, angry amusement, as though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.“You know
EROSEros watched her apply her lipstick, scanning the room for something. Then she turned to him, catching him fighting a smile. Jade glowered playfully at him. "You took it, didn’t you?" He dodged her eyes, shrugging. "I don’t know what you’re talking about." She chuckled, the sound soothing his senses. "I can’t believe you. You can’t keep hoarding all my things, you kleptomaniac." She should watch him more carefully. He had a special place for her things—hidden with his guns. A bottle of her shampoo, a comb, her hoodie, hairpins, and, most recently, her body spray. Creepy? Maybe. But he’d do anything to keep a piece of her when she wasn’t around. Even though she’d started spending more time with him lately, it still wasn’t enough. Every time he watched her drive away, a large part of himself went with her. "Fine then," Jade huffed, grabbing his body spray. "I’ll just use yours." He didn’t want her to leave—not just for the night, but permanently. An idea had been nagg
“… After a session that has lasted so long, I found a couple of gray hairs,” Coach Daniel groaned.There was a rumble of chuckles from the hockey team in the bathroom, most stifling their laughter, but what they couldn’t stifle was the excitement in their eyes.We all had a clue why Coach Daniel had gathered us.“D-Day is next Friday, suckers!” he howled.In the next moment, the dressing room was a chaotic frenzy—boys beating their chests, chanting words I couldn’t make out, diving in all directions with handshakes, pats, and hugs.D-Day. Friday. Twelve days away.Twelve days until my dreams of being picked for the national team could come true. Maybe even another scholarship for college.And the deal with Tristan would finally come to an end.It was something to be thrilled about. Finally, I wouldn’t have to endure his stupid presence. Ha—three wins.Three wins, right?The day before yesterday, I’d walked into my home to find his father sitting on the sofa. I’d been so confused I sto