MARCUS“Boss, we’ve arrived,” Steve said, his voice cutting through the thick fog of sleep that had settled over me. I blinked a few times, disoriented, before slowly coming to. My body ached from the constant movement, the long days of traveling across continents, jumping from one city to another,
“Marcus,” he said, as if this were a casual conversation.I wanted to laugh. It wasn’t funny. Not even close. “You better make sure you told me the truth about this, Nick,” I said, my voice tight with barely controlled rage. “Because if I get to that hotel and you’re not there, you won’t like what I
MARCUSThe drive from the airport to the hotel wasn’t long, but for me, it felt like an eternity. Every passing moment added to my growing anxiety. I was desperate to find my family, but there was a nagging fear in the back of my mind, what if Nick had lied to me again? What if I was chasing shadows
OLIVIAIt had been two days since Xander had returned. Each day felt like an eternity. His visits were shorter, but he still came and went, often leaving me with more questions than answers. Something was different about him this time, he seemed stressed. There was a nervous energy around him that h
XANDERI stood at the window, watching the sun dip lower on the horizon, casting an amber glow across the sky. The breeze was gentle, carrying the scent of fresh earth and the quiet promise of evening. I breathed in deeply, the cool air filling my lungs, and for a brief moment, I felt at peace. But
The evening air had grown thick with the promise of night as the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the land. The darkness was creeping in, just as I had planned. It was time.Without a second thought, I approached her, bending down to scoop her up, throwing her limp body over my shoulder
MARCUSThe frustration burned deep in my chest as I paced back and forth, the news my men brought me hanging heavy in the air. They had scoured the island, every inch of it, and still hadn’t found Olivia. It was the same thing Luke and the others told me. But I refused to believe she was gone. I kn
MARCUSThe sound of the gunshots echoed through the night, sharp and piercing, and it didn’t take long before the others arrived, they must have heard the gun shot. The world around us stirred with movement, and soon, the area was swarming with my men and Luke’s. Nick, Luke, Ethan, all of them came
MARCUSI regret ever listening. I wish I had kept my distance, stayed out of it, and resisted the temptation to eavesdrop on Olivia’s therapy session. I only wanted to understand what that man, Xander, had done to her. I needed to know the depth of the damage he had inflicted upon my wife. Never in
LUKEI stood outside, listening to Nick as he worked on breaking Xander down. The boy was good, too good for my liking. I never intended for those boys to be involved in my line of work. Keeping Nick behind was never meant to have him do this, it was meant to keep him away from Olivia. Being around
NICK“Do your worst, Nick,” Xander sneered, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth as he spat it onto the floor at my feet. “See now? You people shot me, and I haven’t been able to contact my guys. The alert is out. It’s no longer just about Olivia. Now, your whole circle is fair game.”I coul
MARCUS“Olivia, you’re still not well,” I said, my voice firm but laced with concern. “And yet, you want to know about that? I’m not telling you anything right now. Recover first if you want to be included. Until then, I’m not saying a word.”I could feel my frustration rising. We had just gotten ho
OLIVIABy the time we landed back at New Village, Luke’s men were already waiting for us at the airport. The moment we arrived, Marcus spoke with them outside the car, while I settled inside with the kids. My baby girl was still fast asleep in my arms, and her brother had just started to stir as the
Nick“Nick, calm down. There was nothing you were going to do there. You promised not to interfere with her anymore. She left with her husband and kids to fix herself, to fix her marriage. You don’t belong there.”I stopped, the words hitting me like a slap. I turned to glare at him, fury bubbling i
MARCUS“Home. I want to go home.”Those were the first words Olivia spoke when she finally woke up. The urgency and exhaustion in her voice were clear, and it broke something in me to hear it. Home. The place where she could feel safe again, where she could begin to heal. I didn’t hesitate for a sec
OLIVIAI couldn’t tell how long I had been unconscious or why I had lost consciousness in the first place. The confusion lingered in my mind, but when I finally opened my eyes, everything shifted. There, sitting quietly beside me, was Marcus, his head resting on the edge of my bed.His presence felt
MARCUSI trembled with fury as I watched my wife in such a state. The sight of her, broken and trembling, filled me with a rage that burned so intensely, I could barely contain it. The urge to scream, to shout, to lash out at everything and everyone was overwhelming. I wanted to destroy everything,