ALEX That bastard Maximo must have known I was coming for him. He wasn't in his home, and the lady in charge of the building informed me he left a few days ago after his rent expired. I checked the gay bar, but none of them recognized who he was. For the entire day, I drove around the city, hoping to get any news or lead that would point me towards his current location, but it seemed like he never existed. None of the men I met knew who he was. Max was the only person I knew who could help me, so I had to drive home to meet him. The new phone I got didn't have his number. The only number I had was Aithan's. As for the number that blonde man gave me, I didn't intend to add it to my contact. As for calling with it, I just wanted to give Aithan some time before doing so. The gates swung open after the sensor on it did a check of the car. It must have recognized me because it made a beep and the gates opened. I drove into the compound I hadn't been to since I left on a mission to hu
I stormed towards his study, determined to talk things out with him. I couldn't let this slide. With Max acting the way he was, it would be difficult to get him to help me, which was the reason I returned home.To win him back, I needed to confront the man who changed his mind. I didn't bother to knock on the door. I opened it and stormed in, ready to give Marcus a tongue-lashing, only to pause in my steps when I noticed he wasn't alone.Luca and Sophie were with him. Luca wasn't the reason I paused in my steps. It all had to do with Sophie. She was the last person I expected to see. It wasn't Christmas yet, right?“Sophie?” I frowned, blinking to be certain I wasn't making things up. “Brother!” She got up from the couch and rushed towards me, smiling. “I've missed you!” She hugged me tightly to herself. “I've missed you so damned much.”At first, I didn't react. I was too stunned to do that. However, when she lifted her face towards me, I snapped out of it. “I missed you too.” I g
I left the study for my room, planning to have a shower, change out of my clothes and leave. Before I returned, I had changed out of those bloody clothes with the spare I had in my car, else I would have gotten more than a raised brow from everyone who saw me. I just wanted to have a bath to wash off the scent I concealed with heavy perfume. It was a surprise Marcus didn't comment on that. Unlike the others, he must have probably scented something. I had just stepped into my room when I got a knock on the door and Sophie stepped in, smirking. “Do you have a moment to spare?” “Will you leave if my response is in the negative?” I frowned, walking over to my bed.“Of course not.” Grinning, she walked to my bed and sat next to me. “You know you can't use that on me, don't you?”“Of course.” I smiled as I reached over to ruffle her hair. It was a wonder how I got close to her when we hardly spent that much time together. I knew the reason. Ryder had always kept her at arm's length, so I
“Which is?”“How much do you love him? The Aithan father spoke about.”“I… Well …” My lips lifted in a smile. “I love him so much. I doubt I can even explain it. There's this feeling I have for him, one I haven't had with anyone before.” I couldn't stop smiling. Talking about Aithan makes me feel fulfilled. “What do you like about him?”“Aithan is…he's a wonderful man.” My eyes drifted off as I thought about him. “He's kind, so kind that it's almost unbelievable. He has this way of making me feel like I'm the only person in the world.” I smiled down at her. “He makes me feel special and gives me something to fight for. He made me fight for things I love and to stand firm in my decisions.”I beamed, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. This was the first time someone had asked me about Aithan, and I wanted to pour enough into my words, to make her love him just like I do. I wanted her to see Aithan for who he is, not as the enemy Marcus painted him as. Don't get me wrong, I st
AITHAN Pink rushed into my room a few hours later, panting, as he waved his phone in my face. “He called,” he let out as he tried to catch his breath.I sat up on the bed, with my heart thudding loudly in my chest. I knew who he was talking about. Alex was the only one I had been waiting to reach out to me. To have Pink run this fast just to reach me, he must be the one. “Who?” I demanded, despite knowing the response. “Alex.” He passed the phone over to me and plopped down on my bed. “I asked him to call you back in the next 5 min —”The phone started ringing immediately, cutting his words off. I glanced down at it, at the number I knew too well belonged to him, but I didn't answer the call. I watched the phone ring until it stopped. “Why didn't you answer it?” Pink sat up, frowning as he looked from his phone to my face and back at his phone. “Weren't you expecting his calls?”“That doesn't mean I have to answer him now.” I folded my arms, stubbornly glaring at the phone as it s
With Viktor out, leaving wouldn't be that difficult. I could just take Pink with me to ensure my safety. Not like I was suspecting Alex. Marcus was the one I didn't trust. I had to be cautious, to thread carefully with them.“Perfect. See you later, darling. I love you.”Those last three words warmed my heart. It sounded so beautiful coming from him. “I love you too,” I responded, confident about my feelings. “I love you more,” he insisted before he disconnected, so I wouldn't argue with him about who loves the other more. With the call disconnected, I let out a sigh and plopped down on the bed just as Pink opened the door and looked in.“Am I safe to step in?”“Of course.” I raised his phone. “He asked me to meet him by 6, and —”“I'm coming with you.” He reached for his phone. “You are not talking me out of it this time.”“I know you will say that.” I sat up on the bed, yawning. “I'm not talking you out of anything. You are coming with me.”I had already decided on that. Taking
PROLOGUEHe stared at me, his hazel eyes seeming to look into my soul. “You are beautiful,” those whispered words caused my stomach to flutter and my heart to skip. I knew I shouldn't be feeling this way, but my body seemed to have a mind of its own.His hand reached for me, and he wrapped it around my neck, not hard, but sturdy enough to keep my focus on him as he leaned closer. 'Tell me if you don't like it' Was the only warning I got before he kissed me. The moment our lips touched, it felt like the explosion of fireworks, taking my breath with it, and leaving me unable to form coherent thoughts. I melted into his kiss, my lips parting to invite him deeper. His hand on my neck sent shivers down my spine, but it wasn't fear that coursed through my veins. It was something far more dangerous—desire.As our tongues danced, the tension between us crackled like electricity. I felt alive, my senses heightened, and my heart racing.The scent of his skin enveloped me, a musky sweetness tha
AITHAN“Beware,” he whispered, leaning down so close that his lips brushed my left ear. “If you don't keep that mouth shut, I will stuff it with something else. Something that will leave you moaning like the slut you are.”Though those words ended with me punching him, I didn't feel any satisfaction, not with that knowing smirk on his face as he wiped the blood from his lips. Alexander “Lex” De Luca, the bane of my existence, and the man I hated the most in the entire world, the same reason I was sitting here, staring into the face of my father.“How could you do that?!” He hit his right palm on the table, causing me to roll my eyes. Father always got worked up over little things, and it was happening right now. His receding hairline, and eyes which always darkened in anger, made me worry about his future.Lifting my shoulders in a shrug, I gave him a bored look as I leaned back in the chair. “He started it. That fucking bastard called me a bitch!”How could I ignore him when he did s
With Viktor out, leaving wouldn't be that difficult. I could just take Pink with me to ensure my safety. Not like I was suspecting Alex. Marcus was the one I didn't trust. I had to be cautious, to thread carefully with them.“Perfect. See you later, darling. I love you.”Those last three words warmed my heart. It sounded so beautiful coming from him. “I love you too,” I responded, confident about my feelings. “I love you more,” he insisted before he disconnected, so I wouldn't argue with him about who loves the other more. With the call disconnected, I let out a sigh and plopped down on the bed just as Pink opened the door and looked in.“Am I safe to step in?”“Of course.” I raised his phone. “He asked me to meet him by 6, and —”“I'm coming with you.” He reached for his phone. “You are not talking me out of it this time.”“I know you will say that.” I sat up on the bed, yawning. “I'm not talking you out of anything. You are coming with me.”I had already decided on that. Taking
AITHAN Pink rushed into my room a few hours later, panting, as he waved his phone in my face. “He called,” he let out as he tried to catch his breath.I sat up on the bed, with my heart thudding loudly in my chest. I knew who he was talking about. Alex was the only one I had been waiting to reach out to me. To have Pink run this fast just to reach me, he must be the one. “Who?” I demanded, despite knowing the response. “Alex.” He passed the phone over to me and plopped down on my bed. “I asked him to call you back in the next 5 min —”The phone started ringing immediately, cutting his words off. I glanced down at it, at the number I knew too well belonged to him, but I didn't answer the call. I watched the phone ring until it stopped. “Why didn't you answer it?” Pink sat up, frowning as he looked from his phone to my face and back at his phone. “Weren't you expecting his calls?”“That doesn't mean I have to answer him now.” I folded my arms, stubbornly glaring at the phone as it s
“Which is?”“How much do you love him? The Aithan father spoke about.”“I… Well …” My lips lifted in a smile. “I love him so much. I doubt I can even explain it. There's this feeling I have for him, one I haven't had with anyone before.” I couldn't stop smiling. Talking about Aithan makes me feel fulfilled. “What do you like about him?”“Aithan is…he's a wonderful man.” My eyes drifted off as I thought about him. “He's kind, so kind that it's almost unbelievable. He has this way of making me feel like I'm the only person in the world.” I smiled down at her. “He makes me feel special and gives me something to fight for. He made me fight for things I love and to stand firm in my decisions.”I beamed, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. This was the first time someone had asked me about Aithan, and I wanted to pour enough into my words, to make her love him just like I do. I wanted her to see Aithan for who he is, not as the enemy Marcus painted him as. Don't get me wrong, I st
I left the study for my room, planning to have a shower, change out of my clothes and leave. Before I returned, I had changed out of those bloody clothes with the spare I had in my car, else I would have gotten more than a raised brow from everyone who saw me. I just wanted to have a bath to wash off the scent I concealed with heavy perfume. It was a surprise Marcus didn't comment on that. Unlike the others, he must have probably scented something. I had just stepped into my room when I got a knock on the door and Sophie stepped in, smirking. “Do you have a moment to spare?” “Will you leave if my response is in the negative?” I frowned, walking over to my bed.“Of course not.” Grinning, she walked to my bed and sat next to me. “You know you can't use that on me, don't you?”“Of course.” I smiled as I reached over to ruffle her hair. It was a wonder how I got close to her when we hardly spent that much time together. I knew the reason. Ryder had always kept her at arm's length, so I
I stormed towards his study, determined to talk things out with him. I couldn't let this slide. With Max acting the way he was, it would be difficult to get him to help me, which was the reason I returned home.To win him back, I needed to confront the man who changed his mind. I didn't bother to knock on the door. I opened it and stormed in, ready to give Marcus a tongue-lashing, only to pause in my steps when I noticed he wasn't alone.Luca and Sophie were with him. Luca wasn't the reason I paused in my steps. It all had to do with Sophie. She was the last person I expected to see. It wasn't Christmas yet, right?“Sophie?” I frowned, blinking to be certain I wasn't making things up. “Brother!” She got up from the couch and rushed towards me, smiling. “I've missed you!” She hugged me tightly to herself. “I've missed you so damned much.”At first, I didn't react. I was too stunned to do that. However, when she lifted her face towards me, I snapped out of it. “I missed you too.” I g
ALEX That bastard Maximo must have known I was coming for him. He wasn't in his home, and the lady in charge of the building informed me he left a few days ago after his rent expired. I checked the gay bar, but none of them recognized who he was. For the entire day, I drove around the city, hoping to get any news or lead that would point me towards his current location, but it seemed like he never existed. None of the men I met knew who he was. Max was the only person I knew who could help me, so I had to drive home to meet him. The new phone I got didn't have his number. The only number I had was Aithan's. As for the number that blonde man gave me, I didn't intend to add it to my contact. As for calling with it, I just wanted to give Aithan some time before doing so. The gates swung open after the sensor on it did a check of the car. It must have recognized me because it made a beep and the gates opened. I drove into the compound I hadn't been to since I left on a mission to hu
AITHAN “Are you certain about this?” Pink asked for the third time since we left the house. “You can't do anything reckless, and you know that. Your father will only —”“If you didn't want to do this with me, you are free to leave. It's not as if I'm forcing you to go with me.” I would have glared down at him if I wasn't that focused on where we were going. Pink was frustrating me with his endless questions and his unnecessary fear.“I didn't force you to come with me, did I? You did that on your accord.”“Because I care for you, damn it!”Heaving a sigh, I stopped the car, almost sending us out of our seats from how hard I hit the brakes. Our seatbelts were the only thing that kept us from leaping out of the car, through the front window.“Are you trying to bloody kill us?!”“If you don't want to go with me, you are free to return home. I won't blame you for this.” I gestured with my eyes at his door, letting him see he could leave if he wanted. “I planned to do this alone. You we
ALEXI wiped the blood on my face as my gaze took in the bodies on the ground. I was exhausted. For two days I had been on the road, tracing the men who hurt my Ly.It wasn't challenging to trace them as the bastard left his ID behind. It went to show how careless they were. With the ID, it wasn't difficult to trace them. I discovered they lived in the state next to ours and left to find them.Their hideouts, just like the info about them, aren't that problematic to find. All I needed was to say the name, and they got pointed out. Looking down at the pile of bodies on the ground, I felt no remorse. The only thing I felt was regret. They died too easily. If only I could have drawn out their death, it would have been better.“Please don't kill me!” the only one I left alive pleaded, raising his hands towards me. “We only did what they sent us to. It was just a job!”I stalked towards him, wiping the blood on my lips. The fear in his eyes as I advanced towards him was enough to make me
Viktor didn't show up in my room throughout that day. Pink was the one who came to help me with my bath and food. It was from him that I knew how upset Viktor was.“He's furious, isn't he?”“I haven't seen your father as pissed as he was when he asked me to take care of you.” Pink sat on my bed, looking at me with a concerned look. “Are you okay?”“I guess.” I let out a sigh. I wasn't okay. Not with Viktor this angry at me. It made me feel like such a failure…if only I could stop loving Alex. It would be better for us. “How do you stop loving someone?” I asked Pink before I could stop myself. "How can I get my heart to stop beating fast each time I see him?" It would be better if I could return to those days when he felt like a thorn in my side.Pink's expression softened, and he reached out to gently brush a strand of hair out of my face. He held my hand and pressed lightly, his eyes gently smiling with his lips. “I don't think you can." He smiled sadly, his expression distant. “L