Nina Finally, it was time. After two days of preparations, we went to collect Ronan from his cell. Much to my surprise, he stayed calm, not even needing to be guarded as we made our way out to the truck. After the four of us—myself, Enzo, Ronan, and Luke—climbed into the truck, we pulled out and
Ronan nodded, a flicker of relief passing over his features. “I appreciate you keeping your word.” “We’re the Peacekeepers,” I said, my voice hardening. “We don’t make false promises.” Ronan’s lips quirked upwards into a humorless smile. “Fair enough.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets, rock
Nina I sat at the kitchen table, absentmindedly tracing the grains in the wood grain with my fingertip as my mind raced. The sun was high in the sky, a warm summer day that should have been spent lounging by the poolside and enjoying ice cream with my friends, if I had only been given the luxury o
Enzo The heavy punching bag sailed through the air like it weighed nothing as I delivered a powerful roundhouse kick, the dull thud of the impact reverberating through my bones. Sweat beaded on my brow, trickling down my temples, but I paid it no mind. The adrenaline coursing through my veins prop
Nina I stared vacantly at the gently rippling surface of the pool, watching as the underwater lights cast an eerie blue glow across the water. My feet were dipped into the water, creating more ripples as I slowly swirled them around beneath the surface. It was incredibly warm out—maybe one of th
When I was finally able to breathe properly, Enzo met my gaze. “What’s going through that head of yours?” he whispered. I shrugged. “It’s just… I don’t know if I can do this, Enzo,” I murmured. “Taking over my dad’s throne when I really want to go after him, handling people who want to kidnap my b
Nina I couldn’t stop staring at the grainy image that was displayed on the monitor, watching in awe as the little blob that was our daughter flexed and kicked within the safe confines of my womb. A wide smile spread across my face as I studied her tiny features, committing every detail to memory.
I managed a weak smile, resting my head against his chest. He was right—the constant stress and upheaval lately was undoubtedly taking its toll. I needed to find healthier ways to cope with the pressures weighing on me. “You should go back to yoga,” he said softly, wrapping his arm around me as we
Nina The warm summer breeze brushed across my skin as I stood on the patio, clutching my robe tightly around my body. Laughter and splashes echoed up from the pool below, where our friends were already gathered for our big end-of-summer party. I should have been down there too, soaking up the ve
“What... what do you mean?” He braced his hands on the doorframe, leaning in closer with a heavy sigh. “I mean, by the time I caught up to them this morning, I only saw them long enough to get that photo before they were boarding a speedboat and taking off. Hell, I’m still not even totally sure wh
Nina My breath caught in my throat as I pulled open the front door expecting to see excited party guests, only to be immediately met with the sight of Luke’s grim expression. His brow was furrowed in a deep frown, his lips pressed into a tight line—clear signs that something was very wrong. “Luk
Nina I huffed out a breath as I hoisted the oversized cardboard box higher in my arms, carefully navigating my way through the living room. Strings of fairy lights poked out haphazardly from the top, and I could feel the weight of glass jars and other assorted decor inside shifting precariously wi
Then, at the last possible second, the scout seemed to find an extra burst of speed. He surged forward, hurtling between two towering oak trees and vanishing into the cover of the forest beyond. “Dammit!” I slammed my palms against the rough bark of the nearest trunk, powerless to do anything but
Enzo The crunch of leaves and snap of twigs echoed through the trees as Matt and I tore after the Schreiber scout. Our breaths came in ragged gasps, the hot summer air burning our lungs. Overhead, a little red bird chirped and flitted through the green canopy of trees; Daphne. But even she wasn’
Shaking my head, I turned without another word and stormed out of the fitting room. I took the two strides across the hall to Jessica’s fitting room and knocked on the door, folding my arms across my chest. “Jess? You in there?” There was a muffled thump in the fitting room, followed by the soun
Nina “How’s it looking in there?” I called out, rapping lightly on the wooden door of Jessica’s fitting room. “Um… decent, I guess?” her muffled voice floated back a moment later, although I could sense the uncertainty in her tone. “Decent? That’s it? Come on, Jess, this is your wedding gown w
Had I really known him at all, I wondered? Or had I merely been too self-absorbed and naive to see past the facade of unshakable command he projected? After a long silence, I found my voice. “Why didn’t he ever tell me that?” “He didn’t want you to see his weakness, I suppose,” Angelica replied