The automated voice repeated, "The number you're trying to call is switched off, please try again later..." I let the phone drop, leaning back against the wooden pew chairs as my gaze lifted to the rink. Just in time, I saw George slam the puck hard into the post, then spit, his eyes landing on me with a silent challenge. The rivalry was a quiet one, as though we were in some sort of silent competition. Days ago, I might have thrown him a grin, but now I was too busy glaring at my phone, waiting for it to ring... any ring. Just like Eros had said—still no sign or word from Myles. It had been five days since he’d vanished and four days since his phone had gone dead. Yet I kept calling, dialing the same number over and over, hoping each time he might finally pick up. A shadow fell over me. I looked up to see Coach Daniel settling beside me. Slowly, I turned my phone screen down and looked out at the rink. "I thought you’d jump right back into the rink once you were back." He began,
I leaned against the door, heart racing with a mixture of dread and frustration. "Shit," I whispered, feeling the sweat dampen my shirt and the bandage beneath. "Shit!"He knocked again.I held my breath, wishing more than ever that I hadn’t come to the door, hoping he’d just go away. A chill seeped through me, filling every part of me with unease. How did he even find this place?Another knock.I glanced through the peephole. He was still standing there, massaging his temples, his face unreadable. I winced, remembering his rules about noise.I pressed my back against the door, reminding myself those rules only mattered in *his* place, not here."Myles," his voice filtered through the cracks in the door. "Open up, Myles."I turned back to the door, replacing my fear with frustration, twisted the knob, and pulled it open again, coming face-to-face with the smirking figure in front of me."I was about to come in through the window," he said.I glared. "What the hell are you doing here?
**TRISTAN**I felt his eyes on my back as I moved to the sink, holding the used chopping board. Turning on the water, I paused, then called out, “Something you want to say to me?”His response was quick. “Like you shouldn’t be here? What do you think you’re doing?”It was an hour since his mum left and he hadn't spoken a word to me, he didn't have to; the irritation on his face when I moved was loud enough.The fruit particles washed down the sink. Hanging the board on the wall, I picked up the bowl of fruit salad and walked to the counter where he sat, setting it before him. I leaned down, holding his gaze. “We had a deal: you be available whenever I need you, and I keep my end.”“I told you I would make up for that...”I raised a brow. “Now how would you do that? By screwing me twice as necessary?” Even as I said it, the words tasted bitter, but something had to drive the point home.He winced, recoiled back into himself, then looked away, nodding. “If that’s what it’d take, then ye
**MYLES**I was awakened by bickering in my room, and even in my sleep, I frowned. The only voice I recognized was Tristan’s; the other, a feminine voice dominating the “conversation,” was unfamiliar.“…You think you’re just going to tell me you had nothing to do with this and I’m just going to believe you? You know me better than that, Tristan Emiliano Medici!”“You also think if I had a hand in this, I’d be here with medical help?” Tristan’s voice was tired as always. “I just want to know how you got into med school.”“Take that back!” she screeched.I flinched. If this was what Tristan dealt with, I could understand why he made silence a rule. Despite myself, I grunted, and immediately felt two pairs of eyes on me.“Great,” Tristan gritted, “you woke him up.”And I didn’t want to be. There was a stranger in my house—one stranger, and one enemy whom I let use me whenever he wanted. It wasn’t exactly a holiday.I began to push myself to a sitting position, but then froze, falling bac
My throat went dry and rough when I tried to gulp. His expression was too blank to tell if he was joking, but I could see the challenge in his eyes. I shouldn't have said anything."I'll pay you. But not now," I said, glancing at the wall. "I'll get it in a week.""No," he cut in, his voice still quiet. In a flash, he was in front of me, grabbing my chin and glaring into my eyes. "I want it now. Come on, give it."A week ago, I would’ve shoved him aside, thrown the cash at him, and demanded he leave. But not today. Right now, I didn’t even have a hundred to my name.As if reading my mind, he dropped his hand. "Then suck it up. You'll never be able to pay me, so get used to being indebted to me."The admission hits like a punch to the gut, and I can’t bring myself to look at him. Exhausted, I glance away, the fever creeping up. He was right. I was going to be forever indebted to him—so indebted I'd do nothing but watch him invade every part of my life. Minutes later, he took the tray
**MYLES** I opened my eyes to birds chirping outside my window, pecking against the glass. Then, the harsh morning light penetrated my lids. I rubbed my eyes, waiting for the usual pain to hit me out of nowhere. When it didn’t, I sighed in relief—Mum was right; all it took was a visit to the doctor. Or, in my case, Tristan bringing one. Speaking of Tristan, I struggled to turn, my eyes landing on the empty sofa holding only a gift package. He must have left. I couldn’t help but wonder when. I glanced at the digital clock on the table. 10:45 a.m. I frowned. I never slept this hard when I was stressed and healthy, yet I still felt so damn groggy. I climbed out of bed, eager to leave what was becoming my second home. I bit back a groan as a slight pain nudged my sides when I stood up. Just as I was about to head to the bathroom, I sensed movement beside my bed. I turned and, seeing Diego, furrowed my brows, my eyes hardening. “What the hell are you…” My frown faded when he lowered his
**EROS** Eros stumbled down the hallway, dread twisting in his chest as he searched for the son of a bitch. Tristan, of all days, had decided not to show up. The locker—the spot where they had agreed to meet—was empty. He stopped in his tracks, anger pulsing through his veins. Teeth clenched, he glared at the locker, his entire body tensed. He’d nearly ended up under the guillotine because the idiot couldn’t control himself, and now he couldn’t even be bothered to show up? The memory of Nico's words sent a chill down his spine. They hadn’t been a joke. Eros could still picture Nico’s face when he’d told him everything he knew about Myles. It had been a desperate play, a scramble to prove himself. Maybe he’d gone too far when he’d dug up that photo, but he needed Nico to know where his loyalties lay. Nico had paced, a look of dark disbelief on his face as he stared at the picture, then he chuckled. “So that’s all it took? A pretty Latino?” The mocking laugh made Eros’s heart sink.
Eros wasn’t wrong. Following a goon, hands buried in my pockets, I stepped into the hall, a hundred stares landing on me. I cursed under my breath, grimacing for everyone to see. If I’d known I’d be stumbling into an event at the Boss’s home, I’d have sat this one out. But it was too late for regrets; at least it was quiet here, with a classical tune in the background—every bit different from the loud thump of the club I’d just left. “This way, sir.” The butler called, leading me up a grand staircase. The carved balustrades were a magnificent work of art; Uncle Nico had always had an eye for beautiful pieces, taking his time with them, unlike my father, who had drifted from everything he grew up with. I looked up, and there he was at the top of the stairs, looking down at me. I held his gaze, my grimace intact so he’d understand just how pissed I was.“Oh, come on.” My uncle rolled his eyes. “Fine, I made a mistake with the timing and should have notified you. I forgot… Come here.
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