The message on Marcus's phone glared back at me like a sinister omen. "We have your father. Time’s up."My knees buckled, and I slumped into the chair as my heart thundered in my chest. The room felt suffocating, the air thick with dread. I had been chasing pieces of a puzzle for so long—Thiago’s secrets, Lucas’s manipulations, Marlene’s schemes—but now the stakes were sharper, and time had run out.Marcus’s voice cut through the haze. “Bridgette, we can’t act rashly. That’s exactly what they want.”I whipped my head toward him, my voice trembling. “They have my father, Marcus! You expect me to sit here while Lucas—”“We don’t know how deep this goes yet,” Marcus interrupted, his voice level but firm. “Thiago’s working to uncover the rest. Going back now, alone, is suicide.”I clenched my fists, standing abruptly. “I don’t care. If anything happens to him—”“Stop.”Marcus grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. His calm exterior was cracking; I could see it in his eyes.“Do y
Time seemed to freeze as Lucas leveled the gun at me, his finger teasing the trigger. My breath caught, my body stiff, paralyzed by the sheer intensity of the moment. Thiago’s voice cut through the chaos like a sharp blade.“Bridgette, stay down!”The roar of another gunshot shattered the air. It wasn’t Lucas who fired—but Marcus. His aim was sharp, his bullet grazing Lucas’s hand. The gun clattered to the ground as Lucas let out a furious snarl, clutching his injured hand.“Get the girl!” Lucas barked to his men, his voice full of venom.Two of them broke from the fray and made a beeline toward me. Thiago moved faster, stepping in front of me like a human shield. His movements were precise and fluid, his punches landing with brutal efficiency.I scrambled backward, clutching the fake documents. My father was slumped against a stack of crates, his breath shallow but alive. Relief surged through me, but it was fleeting—Lucas wasn’t done.“Enough!” Lucas bellowed, his voice echoing thro
The SUVs behind us roared closer, their engines a deep growl that sent chills down my spine. Marcus swerved sharply, trying to shake them off, but they matched every move, determined to catch us.“Thiago,” I hissed, my voice barely audible over the chaos. “What now?”Thiago reached under his seat and pulled out a handgun. His movements were calm, methodical, as if he had done this countless times before. “We fight.”“What?” I gaped at him. “Are you insane? There’s no way we—”“Stay low,” he barked, cutting me off. “Marcus, take the back roads. I’ll handle the rest.”Marcus nodded grimly and yanked the steering wheel to the left, sending the car skidding onto a narrow dirt path. The SUVs followed without hesitation, their headlights cutting through the dense darkness. The bumpy terrain made it harder to keep my balance, but I held on tightly, my heart pounding in my chest.Thiago rolled down his window and leaned out, firing off a series of shots. One of the SUVs veered off course, cras
The revelation of Marlene's involvement sent shockwaves through me. My stepmother—someone I had thought was distant and disinterested—was apparently orchestrating events far more dangerous than I could have imagined. My mind raced, trying to piece together how Marlene fit into the puzzle.Thiago’s grip tightened on the device, his knuckles white. “We need to find a secure place to disable this before the timer runs out,” he said, his voice low and urgent. “And then, we confront her.”I nodded numbly, my thoughts a whirlwind. “Where do we go?”“There’s a safe house nearby,” Thiago replied, already pulling out his phone to send a quick text. “Marcus will meet us there.”The woods around us felt suffocating, each shadow hiding a potential threat. We moved quickly, Thiago keeping me close, his gaze scanning the surroundings. Every crack of a twig or rustle of leaves made my heart leap, but Thiago’s calm presence kept me grounded.Finally, we reached the edge of the woods, where a black ca
The cold night air stung my lungs as Thiago led me through the dense forest. His grip on my hand was firm, almost bruising, but I didn’t complain. The distant sound of shouting and barking dogs sent chills down my spine.“They’re tracking us,” I whispered.“They won’t catch us,” Thiago replied, his voice a mix of determination and fury.We moved swiftly, our footsteps muffled by the thick carpet of pine needles. The device in my arms beeped softly, its persistent glow casting an eerie light. Thiago glanced at it, his jaw tightening.“We’re not out of this yet,” he muttered.Ahead, the forest opened into a narrow clearing. A rusted truck sat abandoned at the edge, its windows smashed and vines curling around the tires.“Stay here,” Thiago instructed, slipping his gun into his waistband as he approached the vehicle.“Is it even working?” I asked, skeptical.He opened the driver’s door, fiddling with wires under the dashboard. Moments later, the engine roared to life, sputtering but stea
The days following our escape from the entity were a blur of planning and paranoia. Thiago and I stayed low in a safe house deep in the mountains, its isolation our only shield. The energy from the encounter lingered in the air like a storm waiting to break, and neither of us could shake the feeling that the entity was watching us even now.Thiago spent hours poring over old files and encrypted notes on his laptop, trying to find any mention of the program or experiment that had unleashed the creature. I tried to distract myself by organizing the sparse supplies in the cabin, but the silence between us was heavy.Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore."You can’t just keep staring at the screen, Thiago," I said, slamming the pantry door. "We need a plan."He didn’t look up. "We’re making a plan.""No," I snapped. "You’re hiding. There’s a difference."His head shot up, eyes narrowing. "You think I’m hiding? After everything I’ve done to keep us alive?""I think you’re avoiding the fact t
The safe house buzzed with restless energy. I could hear Raven's team in the adjacent room, their voices low but urgent as they worked tirelessly on whatever leads they had uncovered. I sat at the kitchen counter, my laptop open, scrolling through encrypted documents Thiago had sent me. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, my focus splintering every time my mind betrayed me with the memory of his kiss.Not now. Not with everything at stake.Thiago entered, his presence like a force field that demanded attention. He didn’t even need to speak for me to feel the weight of the situation.“Raven thinks the intel we intercepted might lead us to Justin's offshore accounts,” he said, walking to the counter. “If we can get there first…” His words trailed off, but his eyes didn’t. They scanned my face like they were searching for something deeper.“You think it'll be enough to cripple him?” I asked, closing the laptop and meeting his gaze.“It has to be.” His tone left no room for doubt. But th
The safe house buzzed with tension and hurried movements as Raven outlined our strategy on a digital map right before us. Her finger traced the convoy route Justin’s men were likely to take. "They’re moving her here," she said, her voice steady as she highlighted an industrial zone on the outskirts of the city. "It is isolated and heavily guarded. We’ll need to be smart about this."I clenched my fists, my mind racing a mile a minute. "What’s the plan? How do we get her out without alerting Justin?" My voice sounded sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t help it.Thiago stood silently, his intense gaze fixed on the map. When he finally spoke, his words were calm but commanding. "We create a diversion. Something loud enough to draw their attention but controlled enough to keep us out of harm’s way."Raven arched an eyebrow. "And who’s going to be the bait?"Without hesitation, Thiago said, "I will."My head snapped up, my pulse hammering. "No. Absolutely not. You can’t just put yourse
The hallway felt too small, too suffocating with both men standing there—Victor rigid with frustration, Thiago exuding that quiet, commanding presence that had always been my undoing.I should tell him to leave. I should push past this moment and pretend my heart wasn’t beating too fast, that I wasn’t already losing this battle.But I didn’t.Instead, I met Thiago’s gaze head-on. “What do you want?”He tilted his head slightly, studying me, before stepping closer. Too close. The scent of him—expensive cologne, faint whiskey, something distinctly him—wrapped around me like a noose.Victor shifted beside me, his tension palpable. “You’re wasting your time, Bermudez. She’s done with whatever game you’re playing.”Thiago let out a quiet chuckle, his eyes never leaving mine. “That so?” His fingers twitched at his side, like he was resisting the urge to touch me. “Because she hasn’t told me to leave yet.”Damn him.Victor exhaled sharply. “Bridgette.” His voice was low, a warning.I swallow
The silence stretched between us, thick with words left unsaid. Victor's gaze remained steady, unwavering, as if he could will me into understanding the danger I was walking into. Maybe he could see the fracture lines forming beneath my skin, the way I was slowly unraveling under the weight of my own choices.But what choice did I have? Thiago was a shadow I couldn’t outrun. No matter how far I went, how fiercely I tried to carve out a life separate from him, he was always there. And worst of all, some part of me still wanted him to be.I exhaled sharply, shoving past Victor toward the kitchen, needing space—needing something to ground me before I lost myself completely in this never-ending push and pull. I reached for the half-empty wine bottle on the counter and poured myself a glass. My hand trembled slightly as I took a sip, the bitter liquid burning down my throat.Victor followed but didn’t say anything right away. He just leaned against the counter, arms crossed over his chest,
The silence between Victor and me stretched, taut and suffocating. He watched me like I was a puzzle he had almost solved but was too frustrated to finish.“Bridge,” he finally said, his voice softer now. “You don’t have to do this alone. You know that, right?”I swallowed against the lump in my throat. Victor had always been my safety net, the one person who saw the mess I was and still chose to stand by me. But even he couldn’t save me from myself.I turned away, rubbing my arms as though that could shake off the cold creeping into my bones. “I’m tired, Vic. Can we just—can we not do this tonight?”His eyes darkened, but he nodded once, reluctant. “Fine. But this isn’t over.”With that, he left, the door clicking shut behind him. I waited, standing frozen in place until I heard his footsteps fade down the hallway. Then, with a shaky breath, I turned and pressed my forehead against the door, letting my eyes close.Not five minutes later, my phone vibrated on the counter.I didn’t wan
The weight of Lucia’s words lingered long after she was gone, settling over me like an unwelcome shroud. The air in my apartment felt heavier, thick with the ghost of Thiago’s presence.I set the wine glass down with a soft clink, pressing my fingers against my temples. My head throbbed, not from the alcohol but from the war waging inside me. Thiago was a storm—unrelenting, consuming, and I was the fool who kept stepping into the rain without an umbrella.I forced myself to move, needing to shake off the static thrumming in my veins. One step, then another, until I was standing before my bedroom mirror. The woman staring back at me looked like a stranger. There was defiance in her eyes, yes, but beneath it, something else lurked—uncertainty.My gaze dropped to the ring, still snug on my finger. I could almost feel the phantom trace of Thiago’s touch lingering there. My hands curled into fists. I should take it off. I should have done it the second he walked out that door.With a sharp
The elevator ride to my apartment was silent except for the dull hum of the machinery. My fingers hovered over the ring on my hand, debating whether to rip it off before I stepped through the door. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I stepped out into the hallway, my heels clicking against the polished floor, my pulse a steady drumbeat in my ears. As I neared my door, a whisper of hesitation curled in my chest, but I ignored it. My fingers trembled only slightly as I unlocked the door and stepped inside.The lights were already on.I froze.And then…“I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind.”Thiago’s voice curled through the space, rich and smooth, wrapping around me like a silk noose. He was there, lounging in my living room like he belonged. A bottle of wine sat open on the table, two glasses half-poured. Like he’d planned for this. Like he knew I’d come.My breath stuttered. “You broke into my apartment.”Thiago smirked, tilting his head. “Now, now, wifey. You gave me a key, reme
The night air was thick with the scent of the ocean, the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore a stark contrast to the storm still raging inside me. Lucia’s grip on my wrist didn’t loosen until we were a good distance away from the bar, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement as she all but dragged me down the sidewalk.I let her.Because if I didn’t, I wasn’t sure if I’d turn back.Lucia finally stopped near the edge of the boardwalk, whirling around to face me. “What the hell was that?”I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temples. “Lucia—”“No.” She held up a finger, her eyes blazing. “No, don’t you Lucia me. You just stood there and let him put that ring back on your finger. Do you want to keep playing his little games?”I didn’t answer.Because I didn’t know.Lucia groaned, running a hand through her hair. “I swear to God, Bridge, I love you, but you’re killing me.”I let out a humorless laugh. “You think I don’t know that?”She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms.
I should have walked away.Should have left him standing there in the dim glow of the city lights, his arrogance hanging in the air like the scent of his cologne—rich, dark, and impossible to ignore.But my feet wouldn’t move.Thiago was waiting. Watching. That infuriating smirk still curled at the corner of his lips, like he had already won.Like he knew I wouldn’t leave.I lifted my hand again, staring at the ring on my finger. It looked the same as before, but now it felt… different. He had put it back on me. Not a question. Not an offer. A statement.I clenched my fist. “I should take this off.”His smirk didn’t waver. “But you won’t.”I exhaled sharply. “You’re so sure of yourself.”Thiago stepped closer, and just like that, the space between us disappeared. His fingers brushed against my wrist, featherlight but firm enough to make my pulse jump.“I don’t need to be sure of myself, Wifey.” His voice was low, dark, coaxing. “I just need to be sure of you.”I hated the way my body
I should have looked away. Should have turned my back on him, pretended he wasn’t there.But that was the thing about Thiago. He didn’t just take up space—he consumed it.And right now, he was consuming me.Lucia muttered a curse under her breath, shooting me a knowing look. “Seriously? Does he have some kind of tracking device on you?”I swallowed, forcing my shoulders to stay squared even as my pulse quickened. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”Thiago didn’t move right away. He just stood there, watching me, his gaze dark and unreadable. It was infuriating how effortless it was for him. How he could make an entire room feel smaller just by existing in it.Then, finally, he walked forward.And just like that, the air shifted.My grip tightened around my glass. Every part of me screamed to act unaffected—to act like he didn’t get to me. But then he was standing beside our table, his presence like a brand against my skin.Marcus, still chatting up some poor woman, glanced up and let out a
The moment the door shut behind him, I let out a shaky breath, my knees threatening to give out beneath me.Thiago was gone—for now.But I knew better than to believe he would stay away.I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling the frantic beat of my heart beneath my fingertips. He had gotten too close again. Worn me down with his words, with the weight of his presence. And damn it, he knew it.I crossed the room in quick strides, locking the door as if that would somehow keep him out. Keep him from creeping into my thoughts, my skin, my resolve.I needed air.Without a second thought, I stepped onto the balcony, the cool night breeze wrapping around me like a much-needed embrace. The ocean stretched before me, waves crashing against the shore in rhythmic defiance.I wished I could be like the tide. Constant. Unwavering. Unaffected.Instead, I was a mess.My fingers curled around the railing as I stared at the dark horizon.How had I let this happen?How had I let him slip back in, take