Fernando’s POVThe door slammed.Michael was gone.And yet, the room still smelled like him.Leather, cologne, and something else. Something I couldn’t quite place.I exhaled slowly, swirling the last sip of whiskey in my glass as I leaned back against the couch. The spot was warm where he had been sitting on my lap moments ago, his body pressed against mine.I was already hard before he left.That wasn’t supposed to happen.Not with him.I had always been in control. Always dictated the pace. Played the game and let others fall into my web. But Michael… he was different.And that annoyed me, as well as excite me at the same here.I'm messed up, I know. The way he looked at me, like he was constantly calculating something, yet still so effortlessly alluring. The way his lips parted, like he wanted to say something but swallowed it back. The way his breath hitched when I touched him.Shit! I'm getting harder just thinking about him again. I clenched my jaw, finishing the last drop
Michael’s POVMy hotel room door shut behind me with a soft click.I stood there for a long moment, my back pressed against the wood, heart pounding in my chest.I had him.Fernando Ramirez.The man who had evaded law enforcement for years. The man whose empire thrived on blood, drugs, and destruction. The man who had—somehow, for some godforsaken reason—made me hesitate.But not anymore.I pushed away from the door and walked across the dimly lit room, my mind racing with everything I had overheard. The batch was ready. The product was set to be introduced into the market. And most importantly… they had a manufacturing site.I grabbed my phone and immediately dialed Ashley’s number.It rang once.Twice.Then—“Michael,” Ashley’s voice came through, sharp and alert.I exhaled, a slow smirk creeping onto my lips. “Tell the higher-ups to get ready" I said almost immediately.A pause. Then, “You have something?” she asked, her voice shifting to something alert and professional. “Oh,
Fernando’s POVGunfire roared through the warehouse like a violent storm, each bullet a whisper of death cutting through the thick, smoke-filled air.I had been in plenty of shootouts before. Hell, I’d even started most of them. But this? This wasn’t a war I had planned for.Despite all my planning, I had not thought something like this could happen. This was an ambush.And I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that we’d been betrayed.When Michael had nodded to me, giving me assurance he was fine, I released my tight grip on him.I crouched behind a stack of steel crates, my grip tight on my gun. Across the room, Marlo was already moving, his back pressed to a column as he reloaded his weapon with quick, precise movements. He was pissed—I could see it in his clenched jaw, the way his fingers moved with barely restrained anger.I was pissed too.Someone had given up our location.Someone had led the FBI straight to our goddamn doorstep.And when I found out who, they’d beg me for de
Michael’s POVPain.Blinding, searing, unrelenting pain.It ripped through my body like a wildfire, burning every nerve, every muscle, every damn thought in my head. The heat of it was unbearable, radiating from my shoulders and burning its way into my chest. This was worse than what I had thought it would feel like if I ever got shot.I gasped, but the air I sucked in was practically nothing, useless.Gunfire roared around me, a loud, chaotic sounds of violence. But I barely registered it. The only sound that mattered was the pounding of my heartbeat, loud and massive, hammering inside my skull.I stumbled. My legs gave out beneath me. The ground tilted, twisted, rushed toward me—And then I stopped.Because something had caught me.Something big. Strong.Fernando.His arms wrapped around me, unyielding, keeping me from crashing face-first onto the filthy concrete floor. His grip was too tight, fingers digging into my wounded shoulder, and a white-hot hit of pain shot through me.
Michael’s POVThe bright lights above me shined with an almost heavenly glow, bouncing off the white walls of the FBI headquarters. The hallway stretched endlessly ahead of me, lined with doors leading to various offices. But today, those doors were wide open, and the people inside weren’t drowning in paperwork or running down leads. No.They were celebrating.Celebrating me.Applause erupted from every direction as I walked forward, my steps slow but deliberate. Agents clapped me on the back, their hands firm with admiration. Some shook my hand vigorously, their eyes bright with respect."Good work, Michael!" someone called out."You're a damn hero!" another voice rang through the corridor."Drinks are on me tonight!" a colleague laughed, raising a glass in the air.I nodded at them, my lips turning into an easy grin. This was everything I had wanted.A hero. A man who had done his job.And I had done it well.Ashley appeared at my side, her blue eyes gleaming with pride as she li
Fernando’s POVThe room buzzed with tension.I sat at the head of the table, my fingers together, my face an unreadable mask. Around me, the air was filled with agitation as the crime bosses argued among themselves, their voices mixed in a chaotic blend of rage and frustration.Rodger Holt was the loudest, his thick fingers gripping the edge of the table as he spat out curses, his face red with fury. Nikolai Petrov leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his usual calm demeanor followed by a scowl. The others—men who had built their empires on blood, drugs, and power—were no better, their emotions running high.And why wouldn’t they be?The FBI had dared to step into our world.They had raided Santiago’s warehouse.They had shot at me.They had shot Michael.A cold fury curled deep in my chest at the memory of Michael bleeding out in my arms. I had nearly lost him. I shook my head to correct myself. I had nearly lost my toy.The realization sent an unpleasant wave through me—som
Fernando’s POVThe meeting dragged to its end with the weight of unfinished business still hanging in the air. I listened to the final words of everyone while my mind was elsewhere.Rodger, still angry, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “I don’t like sitting on my hands, Fernando. The longer we wait, the bolder they’ll get.”“They won’t get the chance to be bold again,” I said smoothly, rising from my seat. “Trust me.”Rodger narrowed his eyes, as if considering whether to push further, but he ultimately stayed silent. Good. The last thing I needed was another idiotic suggestion to storm a federal building.Nikolai shot me a lingering glance before standing as well. “Keep me informed,” he said simply.I nodded. “Always.”Santiago was the last to move, still wearing that cocky smirk as he adjusted his cufflinks. “Try not to get too sentimental, Fernando. We can’t afford distractions.”I merely gave him a sharp look. “I don’t get distracted.”He chuckled, shaking his head
Michael’s POVThe day was coming to an end and I could feel things were about to happen that would change the course of my undercover mission. Darkness had settled outside the windows, casting long shadows across the room. The dim light from the bedside lamp barely brightened up the room, leaving most of it filled in some darkness.I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, my body heavy but my mind racing.He’s going to do it.Fernando was going to murder FBI agents.Fernando had made it clear—he was going after those agents tonight. Those men probably had no idea they were already marked for death. They had no idea that the devil himself had set his sights on them.This was one thing I had never expected to enter Fernando’s demented mind, despite his irrational behaviour. I exhaled slowly, shifting under the sheets. My shoulder ached, the now small pain moving through my body with every movement I made, even though it was just tossing on the bed.The bandages wrapped around my w
Michael’s POVI tore the shirt over my head, taking it off with more force than necessary. The fabric clung stubbornly for a second before finally giving way, allowing me to throw it onto the chair in the corner of my dimly lit room. I stood before the mirror, glaring at my own reflection as if it had betrayed me.I could still feel the warmth of his lips on my hand and it only made me feel even more conflicted than I already was.I took a look at it, almost imagining him standing there just like he had done a few moments ago, while he kissed my knuckles with such delicate touch of his lips that I felt my breath hitch.Thus wasn't how it was supposed to go.My jaw clenched, my fingers twitching at my sides as I replayed that moment over and over in my head.Fernando.His voice. His words."I want to make you happy, Michael."Did he even know what my happiness entails for him to have the confidence to say such hollow words like they were supposed to mean something. I scoffed, shakin
Fernando’s POV“Well, well,” I said, tilting my head and turning my attention away from Michaeland focusing on whatever was happening here. “What a curious little meeting we have here.”Anabelle immediately straightened, her posture becoming rigidly formal.“Sir,” she said with the utmost respect, her voice steady but careful. “I—”I held up a hand, stopping her. “Anabelle,” I said smoothly, “what exactly are you doing outside the mansion at this hour? It is not your duty to patrol the gardens.”Her lips parted slightly, as if trying to come up with an excuse, but she hesitated. She knew better than to lie to me. Finally, after a very short while, she answered.“I saw Michael walking through the garden,” she admitted. “I wanted to follow him.”Michael scoffed under his breath, but I ignored him, keeping my eyes on Anabelle.I took another step toward her, closing the distance just enough to make her feel my presence. “And why did you feel the need to follow him?” I asked, my eyes s
Michael’s POVThe garden was eerily quiet, the only sounds being the distant chirping of crickets and the soft rustle of leaves as the night breeze moved through the trees. I reached into my pocket, feeling the edges of the phone I had stolen earlier. This device had served its purpose, but now it was a liability. If the FBI managed to track it, they’d find me, and I couldn't afford that—not when I was finally within reach of my revenge.I hid near the fountain, my fingers tightening around the phone. The realization had fully sunk in now: I was an enemy of the FBI. The people I had once worked alongside were now hunting me. It should have felt like a betrayal, but it didn’t.I had made my choice.With a swift movement, I slammed the phone against the edge of the fountain. The screen cracked instantly, but I wasn’t done. I raised it again, smashing it with more force. I took a deep breath, grabbed the remnants, and threw them into the thick bushes nearby.No loose ends.I was ab
Fernando’s POVThe air in the meeting room was thick with cigar smoke and tension. Rodger Holt sat to my left, his usual cocky smirk absent for once and his cold blue eyes scanned the room with distrust. Across from him, Nikolai Petrov leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. Santiago, always the most calm, adjusted his pristine cuffs, his expression unreadable beneath the dim chandelier light.I sat at the head of the table, fingers drumming against the polished surface, taking in the power dynamics before me. These were men who would slit a throat over a bad deal, men who did not fear death. But today, I needed them to fear me.I exhaled slowly and leaned forward.“We have a problem,” I began, my voice calm but filled with anger.Rodger raised an eyebrow. “What kind of problem?”I scanned the room, making sure every single one of them was paying attention.“The kind that could have turned into a war.”A flicker of interest passed over Nikolai’s face, but he said n
Michael’s POVDarkness.It stretched around me, thick and suffocating, pressing in from all sides. My breath came in short, shallow gasps as I reached out, searching for something, anything, to ground me. The ground beneath my feet felt solid, but the air was cold, unnatural, as if I were standing in a place that didn’t belong to the living.My fingers twitched. Where the hell was I?I turned slowly, trying to make sense of my surroundings. There were no walls, no ceiling, just an endless void stretching in every direction. The silence was deafening, filling my ears with an eerie hum. My heart pounded.Then, I heard it.Footsteps.Soft, deliberate, approaching from the darkness. I reached for my gun, but I wasn’t carrying one. My fingers curled into a useless fist.And then—I saw her.My breath caught in my throat.“No…”She stepped forward, emerging from the dark like a ghost, her legs barely touching the ground. Her hair was exactly as I remembered—long, dark waves falling pa
Fernando’s POV The night was thick with the scent of gunpowder as bullets ripped through the air, each one carrying the intent to kill. I bent behind the overturned car, gripping my gun so tightly my knuckles turned white. Marlo was beside me, reloading his weapon with the efficiency of a man who had danced with death too many times before. My men were scattered, ducking behind whatever cover they could find, exchanging gunfire with the bastards who dared to ambush us.I was filled with so much rage.My patience was at its breaking point, my fury barely contained beneath the surface. Michael was still missing, and now we had these worthless pieces of trash trying to gun us down. I clenched my jaw. Someone was playing games with me, and I wasn’t in the mood for amusement.A bullet bounced off the hood of the car, sending sparks into the air. Marlo cursed under his breath.“This isn’t working,” Marlo muttered. “They have us pinned. Every time we move, they push harder. We need a
Micheal's POV The second Ashley stepped out of the conference room, I knew this was my only chance.I didn’t hesitate.I exhaled slowly, my mind sharpening, my heartbeat steadying as I made my way toward the door.It was now or never and I needed to move quickly before I told myself this was a bad idea.I knew the layout of the building better than anyone. I had been here long enough to memorize every hallway, every security checkpoint, and every possible exit route.Getting out of here wouldn’t be easy, but it was possible.And I was about to prove it.I pressed my back against the cold wall, my breath slow and controlled. No need for unusual breathing which could call attention to my presence. The hallway was dimly lit, the fluorescent lights flickering slightly overhead. The FBI headquarters was quiet at this hour—most of the agents had gone home, and the ones still around were locked in their offices, finishing up reports or making calls.That worked in my favor.I kept my ste
Fernando’s POV I gritted my teeth as I stepped out of the black car and onto the empty street, the city lights casting making the road look less lonely than it already was.It had been hours. Hours. And still, there was no sign of Michael.Where the fuck was he?I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening as I turned to Marlo, who stood beside me, his face unreadable. The men behind us—six of them, armed and ready—waited silently for my next move. They knew better than to question me when I was in this state.We had searched everywhere.We had checked every lead, questioned every contact, and still—nothing.My patience was wearing thin.No, fuck that, my patience was gone.I took a deep breath, trying to keep my composure, but the rage inside me was boiling over.Michael had been taken.And I had failed to protect him.That thought alone made my blood burn.I turned around and started walking again, my mind racing with possibilities. Who would have the guts to kidnap him? Who would dar
Michael's POV I paced the around the conference room like a caged animal, my hands clenched into fists so tight my nails dug into my palms. I was pissed.My entire body was vibrating with frustration, a storm brewing inside me that I had no way to unleash.This couldn’t be happening.They had removed me from the case.They had stripped me of my mission, my only chance at justice.For what?Because they thought I was too involved?Because they thought it was too dangerous?A bitter laugh escaped me, and I ran both hands through my hair, gripping it at the roots.Fernando Ramirez killed my sister.And now they expected me to just… let it go?No.I wouldn’t.I couldn’t.They had taken me off the case, but my evidence, my work, was still here, as if mocking me.The walls felt like they were closing in on me.I needed to do something.I needed to act.But what?What could I do when the very people who were supposed to help me were now standing in my way?The door creaked open.I turned s