Luna’s POVAfter showering, I wrap a towel around my body and step out of the bathroom. He’s there, lying on my bed, casually playing with little Bear. The sight is both oddly sweet and unsettling—it’s as if two sides of him exist at once, the caring side and the one that terrifies me.“Is there a timeframe for when you’re finally going to reveal yourself to me?” I ask, walking over to the small chair at my dressing table.“Maybe,” he replies quietly, and I can’t help but sigh.“Maybe, as in you’re not going to tell me when?” I press, growing frustrated, but he only chuckles.“Exactly, little deer.”I don’t understand the delay. He’s spending so much time with me, invading every corner of my life. Why keep hiding? “Why won’t you show yourself? Are you scared I’ll be turned off by your looks? Do you have a scar or something?” I ask, hoping for an answer that makes sense.He moves from the bed and walks behind me, standing close enough that I can feel his presence. “It’s complicated,” h
Luna POVPanic surges through me. No, no, no. My foot presses harder into his chest, but it’s not enough. He lets out a groan, the sound almost primal, before his hand slams against my foot, knocking it aside like it’s nothing.In an instant, his hand is over my eyes, blinding me, and I hear the sound of him shifting. My heart races, my breathing ragged as I struggle to anticipate his next move. The next thing I feel is the sharp sting of his finger pushing into my mouth, the metallic taste of blood coating my tongue."You made me bleed little deer, how do I taste?" He growls.The taste is bitter, but it fuels something inside me. Without thinking, I bite down—hard. His finger jerks out of my mouth, and I hear him hiss in pain, his breath sharp and angry. For a moment, there’s a flicker of satisfaction in me, but it’s short-lived.“You like causing pain?” he growls, his voice lower now, more dangerous. There’s an edge to it that wasn’t there before. “You’ll learn not to test me, littl
Dante POVI drive back to my club, shutting out the noise around me. I don’t have time to talk to anyone. Tonight, everything changes, and I need to be ready. The moment I step into my room, I strip down and get into the shower, letting the hot water scald my skin. I scrub off the sweat, the blood, the tension. My mind’s already on her—Luna.It’s time to stop hiding behind the mask, behind this game. I want her to know it’s me. I want to fuck her without the barrier of who she thinks I am versus who I really am. I’ve played the role of her stalker long enough. Now, she’ll know who’s been in control this whole time.After I finish, I dress quickly, the night already closing in. I head downstairs, scanning the crowd but not stopping for anyone. There’s only one person I need to talk to before the night unfolds. I find Sasha and pull her into the office. Her knowing smirk doesn’t sit well with me, but I don’t care.“I need an update,” I say, shutting the door behind us. “So, you talked t
Dante POVLucy’s left alone as Luna is wrapped up with Justin. She heads to the bar, and I follow.“Lucy,” I greet her, flashing a smile. She turns, her eyes lighting up for a second as she returns my smile.“Hi, Dante.”“I need your help with something,” I lean against the bar, trying to keep my tone light.“Me? Why me?” she asks, curiosity dancing in her eyes.Luna will trust Lucy over anyone else. She won’t listen to me or anyone from my circle. “Because I need you to talk to Luna. Help her realize I don’t exploit and sell women.”Lucy lets out a laugh, shaking her head. “That’s not going to happen. Luna isn’t the type to change her opinion easily, Dante.”She’s right. I’ve been banging my head against that wall for a year now, and she hasn’t budged. But there’s more to it than just stubbornness.“Why do you care?” Lucy asks, her tone softening slightly.“Because nights like tonight are awkward. It’d be easier if I didn’t have her hating me. It would be better if Justin and I could
Dante POVWe sit there for a while, and he just keeps complaining. He goes on about how “needy” she is, but it’s bullshit. Luna isn’t needy. She just wants to feel wanted, and he can’t even give her that.He brings up the texts she sends, calling them inappropriate, and I laugh. It’s far from inappropriate. She’s trying to make him feel wanted, trying to bridge the gap he’s created.Eventually, he falls asleep, slumping back in the chair. I pick him up and carry him to the bed, laying him down next to her. I hear the bed creak slightly as she shifts, her energy drained from another night of disappointment.I turn to leave, but then I see little Bear, our little puppy, walking around my feet.I curse under my breath. If I hadn’t told Justin to come here, Luna would have been alone. Now, I’m stuck again, hiding in the shadows, when all I want is to be with her. I’m done waiting. I shrug off my jacket, pulling the mask from my pocket. It’s time to stop hiding.I slide into bed behind Lun
Dante POVI walk back into my club, the familiar noise and lights surrounding me as I check in, making sure everything is running smoothly. My mind isn’t fully here, though. It’s still on Luna, still on what happened tonight, but I can’t let that distract me now. There’s business to handle, and I need answers.“Dante,” Callum greets me as I head toward the office.“We need to get Jason in here,” I say flatly, my mind already working through the implications of what Justin told me.“Jason? The one we know?” Callum asks, his brow furrowing in confusion as he follows me.“Yeah. According to Justin, he’s the main guy,” I explain, taking a seat behind the desk. I can see the frustration flicker across Callum’s face as he rubs a hand over it.“Well, he’s out,” Callum says, shaking his head. “No contact until tomorrow morning.”That makes it harder. I’m not in the mood for complications right now. “Get the guys looking for him. I want him in now. Everyone needs to find him,” I say firmly, wa
Dante POV“So, we need Justin,” Callum says, crossing his arms.“Not yet,” I reply, holding up a hand. “Justin said Jason’s name for a reason. That reason is important. You, Jason, stay hidden. You’re dead. As far as anyone knows, I killed you. There’s a reason Justin lied, and I need to figure out what the hell that reason is.”Callum lets out a frustrated sigh. “I was looking forward to some fun,” he jokes, releasing Jason from the chains.I step forward, grabbing Jason’s hand tightly. “If I find out you’re involved in any of this or that you’re helping in any way, you will be dead next time,” I warn, my voice low and dangerous. Jason nods quickly, his eyes wide with fear.“Go. Stay hidden. Don’t come out until I say it’s safe,” I growl.Jason nods and rushes off, disappearing as fast as he can.“What does Justin have to gain from all this?” I mutter, more to myself than to Callum.There’s no clear benefit for him—unless… He knows. Does he know I’m Luna’s stalker? But that doesn’t m
Luna POVI haven’t slept at all. My mind won’t let me. When he said he would finally show me who he was, I was so happy, thinking I’d finally see the man behind the mask—the one I had imagined, the one I had built up in my mind. But then reality crashed down on me like a wave.It was Dante.Dante.The one person I despise. The one man who never crossed my mind as a possibility in these past six months of being stalked. The moment his voice slipped, revealing that thick Scottish accent, I didn’t even need to see his face to know it was him. That was when everything shattered for me, long before he even took off the mask. That’s why I begged him not to do it—not to make it real. I knew it was Dante, and seeing him would only solidify that nightmare.I didn’t want it to be real. I didn’t want to face the fact that the man who read to me at night, who treated me so gently, was him. Dante, the one I hated. And now, how can I even process this? He’s Justin’s best friend, the one person who
Jace POVAs the waves of pleasure slowly subside, our bodies remain tangled, our breaths uneven, heavy with the remnants of what we just shared. My fingers trace over her cheek, brushing damp strands of hair from her face, and I shift just enough to look at her. Her lips are parted, her pupils still blown wide, the aftershocks making her shudder beneath me.“How was that?” My voice is quiet, teasing, but laced with something deeper, something I’m not ready to acknowledge.A lazy, satisfied smile spreads across her lips as she blinks up at me, still lost in the haze. “Everything I wanted…” Her voice is soft, drowsy, and she buries her face against my chest, sighing in contentment.I exhale slowly, reaching up to unhook the restraints, my hands careful as I rub gentle circles over her wrists where the cuffs have left faint marks. She doesn’t move much, her body spent, boneless, completely relaxed against me.
Jace POVHer hands remain bound behind her, wrists secured in the soft leather restraints as my fingers continue their slow, deliberate exploration of her skin. Every inch of her is hypersensitive, every touch making her shudder beneath me. My lips follow the path my hands create, dragging heat in their wake as I kiss my way down her body, my tongue teasing the delicate curve of her hip. I have no concrete plan, only the intention of pushing her deeper into subspace, giving her mind the escape it craves.I bite down on the soft flesh of her inner thigh, and she gasps, her hips jerking instinctively toward me. The sound is addictive, a quiet plea wrapped in pleasure. Reaching behind her, I unfasten the restraints only to secure them above her head, forcing her arms up and keeping her open for me. Her breath is uneven, her body trembling with anticipation, and when my mouth moves lower, when my tongue strokes over her, she lets out a strangled moan that
Serena POVI hit the bag over and over, each impact sending a shockwave through my body. My breaths come in ragged gasps. I don’t even know what I’m angry at anymore, Dale, his father, Jace, myself. It all blends together in one endless scream inside my head.“Fuck you,” I hiss under my breath, but I don’t even know who I’m saying it to.Jace watches me, silent. He doesn’t try to stop me. He doesn’t try to tell me to slow down. He just lets me burn it off.When my arms shake and my legs feel weak, I finally stop. My breath is ragged, sweat clinging to my skin, and I brace myself against the bag, pressing my forehead to the cool surface.Jace steps closer, his voice quieter now. “Feel better?”I don’t answer right away. My body still feels like it’s running on high voltage, but the energy is different now. The desperation, the unbearable itch, it’s dulled.&l
Serena POVThe bedroom walls feel like they’re closing in on me, suffocating, even when Jace is there. He’s been letting me out, but only when he’s around, like he doesn’t trust me. Maybe he’s right not to. I don’t even trust myself right now.My skin crawls, my body restless, my thoughts moving too fast for me to catch. One second, I feel like I need to run, to escape, to do something—anything—but then it shifts, and I crash, exhaustion pressing me down like a weight.I hate this. I hate feeling like I’m not in control. It's been a week, I thought by now I would be fine, but I'm not.I pace back and forth across the room, my hands shaking as I rake them through my hair. Jace is sitting in the chair near the door, watching me with that same patient expression he’s had since all of this started. Like he’s waiting for me to snap.“Stop looking at me like that,&rd
Jace POVI head down the hall, my heartbeat picking up the closer I get to the room she’s in. When I push open the door, she’s still on the bed, legs crossed, fingers tugging at a loose thread on the blanket.She looks up, her expression unreadable. “Hey,” she murmurs.Stepping inside, I shut the door behind me. “You good?”She shrugs, glancing away. “I guess.”I walk closer, dropping into the chair beside the bed. “You ate?”She nods. “Rich made sure of it.”Of course, he did.Silence stretches between us, thick and weighted, until she finally speaks again. “Why are you here, Jace?”I meet her gaze, holding it steady. “Because I’m not going anywhere.”Standing, I watch her curl into herself, arms wrapped tight around her legs like she’s trying to disappear. She looks so damn small like this, so fucking frag
Jace POVThe exhaustion is like a weight pressing down on me, my body begging for rest, but my mind refuses to slow down. I’ve been working for hours, handling everything at the club, but it’s impossible to focus when all I can think about is her.I haven’t heard a damn thing from Rich since I left Serena with him. No updates, no messages. It’s not like I expected play-by-plays of everything happening in that room, but silence? It doesn’t sit right with me, so I need to check on her.Taking the elevator up, I roll my shoulders, trying to shake off the tension. As soon as the doors slide open, I step into my apartment, my attention immediately pulled toward the bedroom door. Then I hear it, laughter, Serena is laughing.It’s soft at first, then louder, full of something I haven’t heard in years. Pure, genuine happiness. It stops me in my tracks. My chest tightens, and for a moment, I just stand the
Serena POVRich doesn’t push, just watches as I drift back into memories.“When we were kids, we did everything together,” I say, a small smile tugging at my lips. “He’d come over, and we’d build forts out of blankets in my living room. We used to sneak out at night and go to the lake, just to sit by the water and talk. Sometimes we’d dare each other to do stupid things, like climb onto the roof of my house or steal candy from the corner store.”Rich chuckles. “He ever get caught?”I laugh, shaking my head. “No. I always did, though. He was too damn good at talking his way out of trouble.”Rich smirks. “He still is.”I nod, my smile fading slightly. “It was easy back then. He was always there, always... Jace. No complications, and no mess.”“But now?” Rich prompts.I sigh, pushing my plate away. “Now I don’t k
Serena POVRich runs a hand through his hair, sighing heavily. “Serena, he set you up. He made you the monster so you wouldn’t ever question what really happened, and if you did? He had Dale right there, feeding you those pills, keeping your head foggy enough that you’d never put the pieces together.”My stomach lurches. “The pills…” My voice trails off as realization starts to sink in.“Yeah,” Rich nods, his expression grim. “Makes me wonder how long they’ve been keeping you doped up. How long they’ve made you believe you were just crazy instead of realizing what they did to you.”I press a hand to my forehead, feeling like my skull is splitting open. “No,” I whisper, shaking my head. “I would’ve known. I would’ve remembered.”“Would you?” Rich’s voice is gentle now, but the weight behind his words i
Serena POVI wake up groggy, my body heavy, my mind wrapped in a thick fog. My limbs feel sluggish, my skin too tight, too sensitive.How long has it been? Panic creeps in as I blink around the dimly lit room, trying to piece things together. My throat is dry, my mouth like sandpaper. Something feels wrong.“Jace?” My voice cracks, barely more than a whisper. I swallow hard and try again, louder this time. “Jace!”I hear footsteps followed by the door creaking open, and Rich stands in the doorway, leaning against the frame, watching me.He lifts his hands, slow and easy, like he’s dealing with a wild animal. He steps inside, holding out a glass of water. “Easy there, trouble. Just me.”I don’t move. My heart pounds, and paranoia twists in my gut. Jace isn’t here. Where is Jace? “Where’s Jace?” I ask.Rich just smiles like I didn’t just snap at him. “Tr