Serena POVMy throat goes dry, and Jace sees it. He fucking sees it. His expression softens, but there’s something burning behind his eyes, something dark.“Sit down, Firefly,” he murmurs, and for once, I don’t fight him. I drop into the nearest chair, my hands clenching into fists against my thighs.Jace crouches in front of me, his voice calm but firm. “We need to talk about what the hell has really been happening to you.”I stare at him, my breath coming too fast, my chest too tight. The room feels smaller, closing in. My fingers dig into my thighs, trying to ground myself, but it’s not working.He’s wrong, he has to be wrong.“Serena.” Jace’s voice is calm, steady, but I hear the edge of something sharper beneath it. “When was the last time you actually saw your pills before taking them?”I open my mouth to snap back, but nothing comes out, I don’t know and the realization slams into me like a fucking freight train.Dale always had them ready. He always placed them straight into m
Dante’s POV1 year earlierI sit in the dark office, glaring at the phone. The silence feels suffocating, but I prefer it that way. I’m hiding, and I know it. Today, of all days, I’ve told everyone to handle things on their own. No one dares ask for my help—they know better than to cross me on this date.At least, I thought they did.The knock on the door makes me groan.“What?” I snap, my voice harsher than I intend.The door creaks open, and Callum steps in with his usual calm, carrying a small box.“I know what today is, Dante. But I also know you,” he says, placing the box on the desk between us.“I don’t need to see it,” I mutter, staring at the darkened room. “I trust he’s dead and handled.”Callum nods. “He’s done. As for the woman—Sasha’s looking after her. Doctor’s stitched her up, but she’s causing a scene. Refuses to work here.”Of course. I let out a deep sigh.“Tell Sasha to send her in,” I say, flicking on the light, the sudden brightness making me squint.Callum nods an
Luna’s POV1 year earlierI watch Justin from across the room, my thoughts swirling. This whole relationship came out of nowhere. We met just yesterday at the club—I was celebrating my birthday, and so was he. Today, we went on a real date, and I learned more about him. He’s sweet, thoughtful, and nothing like the men I usually fall for.My past is littered with bad boys—leather jackets, tattoos, men who practically wear their rebellion on their skin. But Justin? He’s the opposite of all that. His curly hair looks effortlessly messy, and his beard is short, neatly trimmed, giving him a relaxed, almost carefree vibe. His jawline is sharp, his deep brown eyes warm, inviting. He doesn’t have the sculpted body of someone who spends hours in the gym, but he’s not out of shape either. He’s just... normal. And normal is exactly what I need after being burned so many times.I smile softly and make my way toward the kitchen, my heels clicking against the floor. But then, my heel slips, and bef
Luna’s POVPresent TimeI throw the bag to the floor and collapse into the chair, but before I can even think about relaxing, my whole body goes rigid. There it is again. That smell. My nostrils flare as I sniff the air, searching for its source. It’s faint, but it lingers every time I come home. What the hell is that? It’s not foul, not exactly unpleasant, but the mystery of it unsettles me. There’s no reason for it to be here. No explanation.I lean back, trying to shake it off, but my eyes drift toward the window. A chill races up my spine. Standing up slowly, I walk over, each step heavier than the last. And then I see it.“What the actual fuck?”My hands tremble as I reach for my phone, my fingers fumbling over the screen until I hit his name.“Hey babes,” Justin mumbles casually, his voice dripping with nonchalance.“Justin, can you come over? There’s a weird fucking heart drawn on my window—outside!” My voice pitches, panic creeping in despite my efforts to sound calm.He laugh
Dante’s POVCall me crazy, but she’s mine. I’ve known that from the moment I saw her. Justin was just... quicker that night, but he doesn’t really understand what he has. Not like I do. She’s everything. Perfect. And soon, she’ll understand that she belongs to me—she just needs time. Time to come to terms with what’s inevitable.I let myself into her apartment, the key cold in my hand. I had it copied one night while she was fast asleep at Justin’s. That night had been perfect—watching her sleep so peacefully, so unaware that I was already laying the groundwork. Already taking what was mine. The thought of it makes my heart race. I remember every detail of the first time I laid eyes on her. If I had just gone out that night instead of Justin, things would be different. She’d already be mine. But I’m patient. I can wait.Stepping into her small apartment, I look around. It’s barely more than a studio. The kitchen, living room, bedroom, all crammed together in one open space. There’s a
Dante’s POVI watch with a smirk as Luna storms into the bathroom, the door slamming hard enough to rattle the cheap frame. A photo on the wall falls, shattering into a mess of glass shards on the floor. Justin doesn’t even flinch, barely acknowledging the chaos as he sprawls lazily on the chair.“Think you’re in deep shit now,” I chuckle, not bothering to hide the satisfaction in my voice. Every fight they have just inches me closer to her. The more she pulls away from him, the easier it’ll be to pull her into my arms where she belongs.Justin grins, unfazed, and walks over to the fridge, pulling out two beers. He tosses one to me, settling back down as though he hadn’t just pissed off the woman he’s supposed to care about. “It’s all good, man. Trust me, tonight’s gonna be even more fun,” he says with a cocky grin.His words send a cold wave of jealousy through me. Fun? Fun? The thought of him touching her again makes my blood boil. My grip tightens around the bottle, and I have to f
Luna’s POVJustin slept in. Great. My morning routine when he stays over is usually pretty solid, but today? I’m starting the day already frustrated, and last night certainly didn’t help. He spent hours acting like I didn’t exist, and when he finally did notice me, he... well, he finished before I even had the chance to get into it. It was over so fast I barely had time to get wet. And now, here he is, sitting across from me at the breakfast table with that stupid grin on his face like everything’s fine.I bite my lip, staring at him, wondering how things got this way. When we first started dating, he couldn’t keep his hands off me. He used to worship me. Now? Now it feels like I’m some chore he needs to check off his to-do list. It’s been a year, but the passion... it’s just not the same.“Justin,” I whisper, my voice hesitant, as if I’m trying to test the waters. He looks up from his breakfast, nodding as if he’s listening. I mean, I guess he is listening, but is he really paying at
Luna POVAt work, Lucy waves me over the moment I walk in, her face already set in a dramatic pout. “Again?” she asks, sitting down beside me.I nod, feeling the weight of it all. “Yeah, again.”“Did you talk to him about it?”“I was going to,” I sigh, leaning back in my chair. “But then he gave me one of the anniversary gifts, and I just... I couldn’t bring it up. I mean, it’s not like he’s using me, but he’s just...” I trail off, not even sure how to explain it.“He’s not giving you time,” Lucy says knowingly. Then, her face lights up. “Wait! I have the perfect idea!”I raise an eyebrow. “I don’t think I’m going to like your idea.”She laughs. “No, seriously! Sexy lingerie, leave a brand-new toy out on the bed, and send him some teasing messages. Tell him you want to be punished for hours.”I laugh at first, but then I consider it. Maybe she’s right? Maybe this is the way to get his attention without coming off as demanding. Maybe it’s the playful push he needs to take his time with
Serena POVMy throat goes dry, and Jace sees it. He fucking sees it. His expression softens, but there’s something burning behind his eyes, something dark.“Sit down, Firefly,” he murmurs, and for once, I don’t fight him. I drop into the nearest chair, my hands clenching into fists against my thighs.Jace crouches in front of me, his voice calm but firm. “We need to talk about what the hell has really been happening to you.”I stare at him, my breath coming too fast, my chest too tight. The room feels smaller, closing in. My fingers dig into my thighs, trying to ground myself, but it’s not working.He’s wrong, he has to be wrong.“Serena.” Jace’s voice is calm, steady, but I hear the edge of something sharper beneath it. “When was the last time you actually saw your pills before taking them?”I open my mouth to snap back, but nothing comes out, I don’t know and the realization slams into me like a fucking freight train.Dale always had them ready. He always placed them straight into m
Serena POVI wake to the slow, steady sound of breathing beside me, warmth radiating from the body next to mine. The room is dim, but I can see the shape of him—Jace, lying on his back, his arm stretched over the pillow, his chest rising and falling in that deep, even rhythm of sleep.My fingers move before I can stop them, tracing lightly over his chest. His skin is warm beneath my touch, muscles tense even in sleep. I follow the path of ink along his collarbone, down over the ridges of muscle that shift subtly beneath his skin.I don’t know why I do it. Maybe because he’s real. Because I can feel him. Because touching him grounds me, even when my mind still hums with restless energy.Shifting closer, I lean over him, my breath ghosting over his skin as I press my lips against his chest. A slow, lingering kiss.His breathing changes.I feel the shift in him before I see it, the way his body tenses slightly, the way his head turns just a fraction in my direction. He’s waking up.I don
Jace POVMy mind replays every second of this morning, trying to pick apart what doesn’t fit. Then it clicks.No.The pill Dale tried to put in her mouth, that wasn’t one of these, and she took it.“That’s not right,” I mutter, shaking my head.Rich looks up at me, raising a brow. “What?”“She was about to take them from Dale’s hand, and I saw them. One of them wasn’t a tablet, it was a capsule,” I say slowly, my pulse kicking up. “Not like these. Not a normal, solid pill. It was blue and fucking different.”Rich leans back in his chair, rubbing his jaw. “You sure?”I nod. “Positive. I snatched them before he could place them in her mouth, then I gave her them to take them herself. But Dale didn’t argue. Didn’t even fucking hesitate. If I was messing with someone’s meds, I’d at least try to cover my ass.”Rich considers this, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the desk. I don’t wait for him to say anything before continuing.“She also keeps losing money. Like, entire chunks of i
Jace POVI stare at her. I don’t move and neither does she.Her pulse thrums beneath my fingers, wild but steady, like she’s caught in the middle of something she doesn’t know how to process. Her breath is slow, but her eyes, her eyes are locked onto mine, like I just cracked open something inside her she didn’t even know was there.I should let go. I should. But I don’t. Because for the first time since we walked in here, she’s present. She’s not pacing, not vibrating with unchecked energy, not pushing every boundary she can find just to get a reaction.She’s just here. Her lips part like she’s about to say something, but nothing comes out. Instead, her tongue darts out, wetting her bottom lip, and I feel her throat move against my palm.I exhale sharply through my nose, forcing myself to let go. My fingers slide away from her throat, slow, deliberate, making sure she knows I’m the one in control of this moment. Not her.The second she’s free, her hands lift, her fingers brushing ove
Jace POVI don’t fucking trust Dale. Not one bit. The whole setup is wrong. It doesn’t add up. I dug into him, expecting to find something—anything—but he’s clean. Too clean. Not a single complaint filed, no reports that were submitted and then withdrawn, not even whispers of anything shady.That alone makes me suspicious.His whole operation with the apartments is supposed to be about helping people who can’t afford their own place, letting them save money. But it doesn’t feel right. Nothing about him does.And the way he gives her her meds? That pisses me off the most. Like she’s incapable of putting them in her own damn mouth. Sure, he claims she used to hide them, that she stashed them away instead of taking them, but even that feels like a carefully crafted excuse.She doesn’t remember doing it—only remembers him finding the pills. And that’s a big fucking diff
Serena POVSomething still doesn’t feel right. But at least, for now, I’m present.I walk ahead of him and step into the house. It’s quiet, but that doesn’t matter.“You’re late,” Dale snaps, making me turn just as he steps into the room. He stops when he sees Jace, his gaze flickering between us, questioning.“She needs her meds,” Jace says, his tone firm. “She’s also moving out.” There’s no room for argument in his voice, no space for discussion.Dale shifts his attention between me and Jace before settling on him. “And you are?” he asks, stepping forward. “I can’t just hand over her medication to you and trust you with it. Her father won’t agree to this either.”“I’m not a child!” I snap, my frustration boiling over.“Then stop acting like a fucking idiot!” Dale yells, his voice sharp enoug
Serena’s POVWaking up alone, an uneasy feeling spreads through me. I already know I’m late taking my pills before I even look at the time. My body feels off, restless. I move quickly, getting dressed while scanning the room for Jace, but he’s nowhere to be seen.I don’t like waiting around.Sighing, I leave and start walking through the building. There’s only one floor I can access; the others need codes, and I don’t have one. As I move through the rooms, searching for Jace, my irritation grows. The longer I walk, the more aware I become of the fact that I don’t know this place.I push open a door and groan when I see it’s just a basic storage closet filled with cleaning supplies. As I turn, I hear something—footsteps? My head whips around, but there’s nothing there. I swallow hard, shaking off the feeling, and keep searching, opening doors, stepping into empty rooms, finding nothing. Still, tha
Jace POV“Do you black out often?” I ask carefully, watching her reaction.“If I’m too late with my meds, yeah. Sometimes when I have manic episodes, I don’t remember everything either, but it’s mostly when I forget my meds. That’s when it gets really bad—when I start feeling like things are crawling on me, when I get paranoid and can’t focus on anything.”A cold knot tightens in my stomach. That doesn’t sound right. Missing one dose of her meds shouldn’t send her spiraling like that, not in just a few hours. I stare at her, the pieces not fitting together the way they should.Something’s wrong. And whether she realizes it or not, someone’s been fucking with her.I guide her toward the bed, keeping my grip steady as I ease her down. She’s exhausted, I can see it in the way her body sways, in the way she keeps blinking like she’s struggling to stay ground
Jace POVShe thinks she can break me down, that if she pushes hard enough, I’ll cave. But I won’t. It’s not about what I want, because of course I want her. But if I give in, if I let her twist this into something casual, something that doesn’t mean anything, then I’m just feeding into her delusions. I’m enabling her, and I won’t do it. Maybe I’m fucked up for holding sex over her like some kind of bargaining chip, for refusing to touch her until she promises to stay, but it’s the only leverage I have.It’s a weak power, but it’s all I’ve got.I pour myself a drink, sitting down, giving her time to process, to decide what the hell she’s going to do next. I’ve said what I needed to say. Now it’s her turn.“You think it’s easy,” she whispers, her voice distant, like she’s talking more to herself than to me.I sigh, rubbin