Allison’s POV The first thing I became aware of was warmth. The kind that seeped into my bones, wrapping me in a cocoon of safety. My eyelids felt heavy, my body sore, but none of it mattered the moment I peeled my eyes open and found him. Clyde. He sat in the chair beside the bed, his broad frame slouched slightly, a glass of whiskey hanging lazily from his fingers. His eyes—dark, unreadable—watched me intently, as if he had been doing so for hours. The morning sun streamed in through the windows, casting golden light over him, softening the sharp lines of his face. But despite the warm glow, exhaustion clung to him. How long had he been sitting there? "Clyde?" My voice was hoarse, barely a whisper, but it was enough to make him blink. I swallowed, my throat dry, and reached out weakly. "Come to bed…" For a moment, he didn’t move. He only exhaled slowly, setting his glass down on the nightstand before standing. And then he was there, towering over me, his presence ove
They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Well, I must’ve been at death’s door because the past week had changed me. Ever since Clyde saved me from that bastard Zach, something inside me had shifted. I refused to be weak again. Two days ago, I gave Clyde the answer he’d been waiting for—I agreed to move in with him. Naturally, he thought that was cause for celebration. But the real victory? He agreed to train me. I needed to toughen up, learn to fight. If anything like that night ever happened again, I wouldn’t be helpless. Training wasn’t easy. Every muscle in my body ached, screaming at me to quit, but I pushed through. I had to. That morning, Clyde dropped me off at work before heading to his own, and by the end of the day, Clara convinced me to hit the mall with her. We had a party to get ready for. Clyde insisted on hosting a small gathering at the penthouse—his excuse was celebrating me moving in. But I knew the truth. He was doing this for me, to make me feel s
The same dream again. But this time, it terrifies me more than ever. Sweat trickles down my body as I gasp for breath, my chest rising and falling in erratic rhythm. The darkness of the room swallows me whole, but I know where I am. I force myself to remember. "Hey, it's alright. You're okay… it’s just a dream," a voice so familiar it haunts me, both in my dreams and in my waking thoughts. I look up. The moonlight filtering through the window glows against his sharp features, casting shadows across his face. His dark eyes study me, filled with an emotion I can’t quite place. "Clyde…" I breathe, my voice shaky. "Hush now, precious lamb. You're safe," he murmurs, his voice low and soothing as he pulls me against his chest. I let him. I sink into his warmth, let it bleed into my bones, let it chase away the coldness wrapped around my heart. But the ache doesn’t leave. It never does. For the past week, I’ve buried the pain of knowing I’ll never have all of him the way he h
The bar is dimly lit, the scent of whiskey and smoke hanging heavy in the air. Bottles line the shelves behind the counter, their glass reflecting the neon glow of the overhead lights. The hum of low conversations mixes with the occasional clink of ice against glass, and the faint, slow rhythm of a jazz song plays from an old speaker in the corner. It's the kind of place where people come to forget, drowning their troubles in liquor and half-hearted conversation. And that’s exactly what I’m doing. Six shots in, and the world has softened at the edges. My limbs feel weightless, my mind floating somewhere between clarity and a drunken haze. Bryson, the blonde sitting across from me, watches me with lazy amusement, his sea-brown eyes glinting under the bar lights. His sharp tongue has kept me company all night, and while I know I should leave, I don’t want to. "Your boyfriend's a fool to mess with your heart, beautiful," he scoffs, reaching out to stroke my hair like he's enti
Clyde’s povShe’s curled up on my bed, her face peaceful in sleep, completely unaware of the war raging inside me. I watch her, my fingers trailing through her tousled hair, memorizing every soft breath, every delicate feature. "I can't lose you, lamb." My voice is barely a whisper, a confession meant only for the night. "No matter how I try, I can't live without you, and that is crazy." At first, I thought it would be a game. Something thrilling to keep me entertained for a while. But then, every day, she gave me reasons to keep going. To keep wanting. Until now, it's not a game anymore. It’s a fucking curse. I push away from the bed, forcing myself to break the moment, and head toward the bathroom. The water cascades down my skin, washing away the sweat, but it does nothing to silence the storm in my head. Yesterday’s events replay in my mind. The look in Allison’s eyes when I told her to leave the car. The betrayal. The fear. I sigh harshly, pressing my forehead again
Work became the only escape, the only thread of solace I could cling to. The cozy office, once a sanctuary tailored to my every taste, now bore silent witness to my unraveling. Below, the city burned—streets ablaze with life, headlights slicing through dusk like knives. The glass wall I stood behind became a mirror, a reflection of the chaos inside me. Five days. It’s been five days since I last saw him, five days since I last felt his breath, his presence. And still, this ache—this hollow, burning void—only deepens. After that night, I’d fled upstairs like a coward, straight to the guest room that once belonged to me. Slammed the door. Locked it. And collapsed. I cried—loud, heaving sobs that clawed out of my throat and soaked into the pillows. Nearly an hour passed before I heard the knock. His knock. “Go away! I do not wish to see you, just go!” I screamed, voice so hoarse it scratched my soul. But even as I said it, I hated myself for it. I didn’t want him gone. I wan
Clyde’s POVWith long, purposeful strides, I approached her. Fuck, I missed her. Missed her so much it physically hurt. I could barely wait to wrap my arms around her, crush her to me, feel that softness against the hard edge my life had carved into me. Five fucking days. Five fucking days without hearing her voice or staring into those perfect goddamn eyes—the ones I got lost in every single time. It took everything in me to stay away. She demanded space, and at the same time, we’d gotten a lead on Rence’s next move. I had to be there. I didn’t have a choice. My mind had been split, always on the fucking highway, caught between chaos and the woman I couldn’t get out of my blood. There was also the war in Spainl. A few of our camps got raided. I’d lost men—loyal ones. Rence was out there wrecking more havoc, forcing my hand into things I never wanted to do. And now my precious lamb was caught in the middle of it all, in more danger than she even knew. But through all of i
I stepped in between her legs, but I didn’t touch her—not yet. I needed her to look at me, to see me. The air between us was too heavy, soaked with everything unsaid, everything I’d buried.I reached out, slow and cautious, brushing my fingers across the bare skin of her thigh.She stiffened.Fuck.My hand froze in place, suspended midair like I’d just reached for something forbidden. My heart clenched, sharp and hard. I could feel her resistance like a slap to the chest."Allison," I whispered, swallowing back the ache rising in my throat. My fingers curled into a fist, pulling away.She wouldn't meet my gaze."Look at me," I rasped, voice edged in pain. I brought my hand to her chin, lifting her head gently but firmly, forcing her to face me. "Talk to me. Why are you pulling away from me?"Her eyes met mine then—and it was all there. The storm. The heartbreak. The fury.“I’m angry with you,” she said, her voice cracked, soft but steady. “I gave you all of me, Clyde. Every fucking pi
Clyde’s POV The mart stank of blood, gasoline, and fear. A single overhead bulb flickered weakly, casting a yellowish hue over the bruised man kneeling at my feet. One of his eyes was swollen shut—a gift from Diego’s fists—and his cracked lips trembled with desperation.“Where is she?” I asked, my voice a low snarl that slithered through the room like venom. Cold. Controlled. Lethal.The old man’s breath came in short gasps. “Please… I only lent her a phone. That’s all, I swear—God knows I don’t know where she went.”Wrong answer.Without needing to speak, I tilted my chin at Diego. The crack of bone followed. The man crumpled to the ground with a strangled cry, fingers scrambling to clutch my legs like a dying prayer.“Please… spare me,” he whimpered, voice thick with phlegm and regret. “Sir… I beg of you.”I kicked him off with a slow, merciless motion, my boot slamming into his chest. My rage was a living thing now—black, hot, and crawling beneath my skin.Grabbing his collar, I y
The room echoed with the loud shot, the crack of it splitting the air like a lightning strike. My ears rang for seconds, sharp and shrill, as if the sound itself had buried into my skull.Fear gripped me in a stranglehold. My heart stopped—just stopped—as the moment stilled, suspended in a nightmare. The chandelier above quivered, then came crashing down with a heavy, jarring thud, shards scattering across the floor like glittering knives.When I open my eyes, they meet Saida’s—and what I see there sends a shiver down my spine. Fear. Real, gut-deep fear. For a second, I don’t know if it’s hers or mine. Then his voice slices through the tension like a blade, cold and cruel, dragging us back into the horror. He made the shot. Of course, he did."I swear the next bullet will be piercing through your skull, Saida," he gritted out, voice low and sharp like gravel. His hand didn’t flinch. The gun was still pressed into her head, the metal digging into her skin like a promise."Do not spoi
Allison’s POVThe darkness stretched deeper than I could imagine—thick and suffocating. My weary mind drifted through it, lost in the endless struggle between myself and the world. Between reality and madness.If a person could sit still for this long, tied up and barely breathing, without losing their mind… it would be considered magic. If that kind of shit was even real. But I was still here. Still breathing. Barely.And even in this void of silence and cold, all I could think about—was him.Clyde.The images came uninvited, sharp and vivid. Him with blood on his hands. Him orchestrating a drug empire with that calm, lethal stare. It didn’t have to make sense. The stories weren’t supposed to rhyme. But they did. They rhymed too well. Too perfectly. Like a puzzle I hadn’t meant to solve.Now here I was. Shackled. Nearly naked. Freezing. Bones aching and bruised, skin raw against the stone floor—but none of it compared to the pain burning in my stupid heart.And then—footsteps.Echoes
Clyde’s POVThe harshness of the alcohol burned my skin as I rode through the city at speed, darkness wrapping around me like an old friend. That familiar numbness, that rage-filled silence, swallowed me whole. I stared hard at the latest picture on my phone. That same damn number. A new set of photos. This time, she was clad in only her underwear, chained to a bed. She looked smaller than she had this morning. And my cold, cursed heart ached beyond words. “We’ll get her back, Clyde. I promise you.” Diego’s voice rang out inside the car. I was holding the phone so tight it might snap in half. Too late. I was fucking too late. Now I had even bigger problems than before. The warehouse had been three hours out of the city. When we got to the cafeteria they were both gone. Will and my girl. And just when I tried to figure out where the hell they’d gone, my phone beeped again. That same number. That sick, twisted image of my precious lamb. Caught in bondage. And a m
Allison’s POV Every part of me burned with worry as I made my way across the street. The cafeteria's light spilled into the dark alley, but it did nothing to lighten my mood. It was a blur—this moment of weakness. Accepting this invitation even when I knew, deep down, that this single meeting could destroy everything. Fortes worth saving. Or not? My eyes landed on him as I strolled into the cafeteria. It’s always been our favorite spot from when we were teenagers, a place etched with too many memories to count. He smiled and waved at me as I approached. But when I got close, I realized—his bruises had darkened. Clyde definitely hit him hard. A sharp pang filled my chest, tight and unforgiving. All this was my fault. "I can't say how proud I am of you for coming." "Get to the fucking point." I snapped. He smirked, but he must have expected that. He shrugged it off like it didn’t sting. His gaze dragged over my body, definitely laughing at my outfit for the
The gates slid open to the warehouse compound—my other face of business. A laundry façade out front for anyone stupid enough to get curious, but the real shit was buried in the belly of the building. Drugs. Guns. Power.My men stood tall at the gates, weapons strapped, eyes alert. The moment they saw me, they straightened up. I was the king in my fucking empire—and tonight, I wasn’t in the mood for delays.“Is everything in order?” I snapped as we stepped out.“Yes, Boss,” one answered immediately. “This way.”I walked past rows of tables stacked with wrapped bricks of cocaine, watched by trusted hands who wouldn’t dare skim a gram. It reeked of power, of money, of a life soaked in blood and secrets. This was me. This was who I fucking was.Scar met us near the back, his face grim.Scar nodded and motioned us to the surveillance room. My boots echoed hard against the concrete floor as I followed.The screen showed him—Rence—tied to a chair, bloodied, breathing heavy through a busted n
Clyde’s POVThe hum of the engine was the only thing that filled the silence.I sat in the backseat, elbows braced on my knees, fingers laced together so tight my knuckles had turned white. My jaw was locked, muscles ticking. I hadn't said a word since we left the house. Not because I had nothing to say—but because if I opened my mouth, I'd probably tear the fucking world apart.Will.That name alone made the blood in my veins sizzle.I could still see them—Allison and that bastard—in my mind like it was branded behind my eyelids. Him leaning too damn close. Whispering something into her ear, like he had a right. His hand… grazing her arm. Bare skin. Her skin.And she let him. Fuck.She didn’t move. Didn’t shove him away. Didn’t scream. Just stood there and let him breathe her in like she belonged to him.If she wasn’t guilty, then why the fuck did she let him touch her?My lungs were tight. Breathing hurt. My thoughts were a mess—raw, jagged pieces cutting through what little contr
So without thinking, I ran between them, heart thundering, body trembling, barely able to catch his raised fist before it slammed into Will’s jaw. “Please…” My voice cracked, the word hanging in the air like a plea to God. My tears streamed freely down my face, burning hot trails across my skin. “Let. Go.” Clyde’s voice was low and rough—no longer the man who had made love to me just minutes ago, who’d kissed my lips like he worshipped me. This voice was cold. Controlled. Lethal. “Please don’t.” I sobbed again, wrapping my hand tighter around his, but he yanked it free with terrifying force and landed a brutal punch on Will. The sickening sound of knuckles meeting flesh rang out through the room. My lips quivered. I pressed my palm to my mouth to stifle the scream clawing its way up my throat. “How fucking dare you?!” Clyde roared, voice thick with fury, slamming his fist into Will again. And again. “No! Please stop!” I cried, voice raw, almost unrecognizable. I was shakin
Allison’s POVThe worst part of loving someone is knowing you hurt—yet deep down, you still can’t let go.Just like always, he’d done unimaginable things to my body. The kind of pleasure only he could offer. And I’d taken all of it—willingly, shamelessly, with every part of me that still ached from loving him.Even as my heart throbbed beneath the weight of his secrets, I found myself curling deeper into his arms. Those strong arms that feel like home. That shield me from the bitter, cruel world. That hold me like I’m something precious—when everything else feels like it’s falling apart.Our naked bodies were tangled in the sheets of my bed, skin against skin, warmth against warmth. His soft, steady breathing fanned across my face as he slept, lips parted, lashes casting faint shadows over his cheeks. I couldn’t help but stare. God, he was beautiful. Even with the slight gauntness in his cheeks, even with the weight he’d lost… he was still breathtaking. Still mine. “I’m up for anot