ARI’s pov The sound of running water echoed from the small adjoining bathroom. I sat on the edge of the bed, my jaw clenched and my hands gripping the sheets tightly. My emotions churned—anger, disbelief, humiliation—all swirling together into a storm I could barely contain. Cross Margiello was in my bathroom. That fact alone was enough to make my skin crawl. He had turned my life upside down in ways I hadn’t even begun to understand, yet he moved through my space as though he owned it, as though I were just some pawn on his chessboard. The bathroom door opened, and steam billowed out. Cross stepped into the room, a towel slung low on his hips, droplets of water trailing down his chiseled torso. He didn’t even glance my way as he walked to the chair where his clothes were draped. “It’s almost morning,” he said casually, his deep voice breaking the tense silence. I stared at him, my anger simmering just beneath the surface. He spoke as though nothing had happened, as though hi
ARI’s povI didn’t sleep much. My eyes were bloodshot, and my mind wouldn’t shut off. It kept replaying everything that happened with Cross—his coldness, the way he brushed me off, the slap. I didn’t regret it, but I sure as hell wasn’t proud of it either. It was like I was fighting a battle inside myself—part of me wanted to run far away from everything, to quit this whole mess, to forget about him. But another part of me, the stupid part, the part that still couldn’t let go, wanted to stay in this twisted game I had no business being a part of.I forced myself out of bed, pushing the thoughts of Cross aside, at least for the moment. I had to go to work. I didn’t have a choice.The shower didn’t help clear my head, and the coffee didn’t taste as good as it usually did. I was running on fumes, but I still managed to pull myself together, throwing on my uniform, tying my hair into a tight ponytail, and pretending like nothing was wrong. But I knew better. The moment I stepped into
Ari’s POV It was all Jonathan’s fault! If only he had been a faithful boyfriend then maybe I wouldn’t have carelessly slept with the man my team were after. One minutes I was certain I was going to deal with Cross and take a hold of my life and the next, I was letting it bother me. My mind subtly went to the feel of his lips against my skin and I shrugged it off. Damn Cross! Minute after minute seemed heavier than the one before. At this point in the day, my thoughts were not on my best side and all I wanted was to go home. I was exhausted after Jonathan's interrogation. His accusations and his statements about safeguarding someone weighed heavily on me, making it impossible for me to release them. It was hard to forget about Cross when he was the center of our investigation so there was definitely no forgetting him, even though I knew I couldn't escape him permanently. “Heading home?” I heard Jonathan ask while I grabbed my belongings. Ignoring his gaze, I re
ARI’S POVNo, not tonight.He wasn’t going to waltz into the picture tonight again to be some Prince Charming coming in to save the day.Both men turned to Cross now.“This was supposed to be some guns aside game, dude, but looks like you cheated already!” Instantly, they each pulled out a trigger and trailed it on Cross.My heart skipped a beat, and I couldn’t understand why. I mean, if they opened fire and rained bullets on him right now, they’ll be putting all my stress to an end. They would be ridding the world off a criminal and my confusion will finally be over.But I noticed a feeling in that split second of picturing him dead and crashing to the ground – fear.I was scared of losing Cross!And everything about that just wasn’t right.I turned to him, partly pleading, partly also being defiant to having to accept the fact that we were outnumbered.“Cross, just put the gun away.” I muttered. It was only a psychological game we played as cops; one that could buy us time to do som
Cross’ POVThe night was thick with smoke and the lingering scent of gunpowder. From a rooftop across the bar, I watched Ariana dash into the alley, her hair wild, her face pale with fear and confusion. Of course, she didn’t know I was up there, but it was better to remain out of the way. I hated the cops, and I couldn’t tell what would happen next if I was to be found in the scene. It was dangerous for her too to even be present anywhere around there but just as I had imagined, she knew how to handle herself.She was quick, sharp—her instincts as a detective were honed to perfection, even in moments of chaos. But this chaos wasn’t supposed to happen.She was supposed to be safe.“Boss, we gotta move.”Gustav’s voice crackled through my earpiece, breaking my focus. I clenched my jaw. We had pulled back just in time to avoid the sirens, but the mess left behind was unavoidable. Two dead men, Ariana at the center of it if anything eventually pointed to her, and the cops crawling over
Ari’s POVThe walk back to my apartment felt longer than usual. The sharp night air bit at my exposed skin, but it wasn’t the cold that had my hands trembling—it was the memory of those two men lying lifeless on the bar floor. Blood pooling around them. Their faces frozen in shock. And Cross… he was gone. Just like that.I couldn’t make sense of it.How had I gotten tangled in such a mess?My footsteps echoed against the empty alleyway as I pulled my coat tighter around me, trying to shake off the weight of tonight. I had been in dangerous situations before—too many to count—but something about tonight felt… different. Like a thread had been pulled loose, and everything was starting to unravel.When I reached my door, my hands were shaking so badly I could barely fit the key into the lock. I finally shoved it open and slipped inside, bolting it shut behind me. The silence of my apartment felt deafening.I kicked off my boots, dropped my coat onto the floor, and sank onto the couch. My
Ari’s POV This thing about Cross was becoming a problem and I couldn’t let him continue echoing in my thoughts and disturbing everything else that mattered to my life. Since the shoot out at the bar, I had not seen Cross which was good, but then, all through work, I couldn’t get myself to focus on something else that wasn’t the lead mafia drug lord in the city who was meant to be my worst enemy. There wasn’t a minute that passed without my insides churning and yearning for all the heat of that night. Enough, Ari! I knew I was being stupid. I had a one-night stand with a man I should have pinned down in my house and earned myself a badge of honor that will nail my career forever. And as if that sin was not enough, I was somehow craving more of that nastiness. The fact remained that Cross was doing a good job staying away from my life for now and this was my good opportunity to do myself some good and outrightly forget him! That was why I was even more pissed off when I came h
Satisfaction… That was a good word for what I felt after my encounter with Cross the previous day. I could still see the pleading hunger in his eyes and composure and could remember just how much it drove me crazy being in control. Still, it wasn’t about just enjoying the sex irrespective of whether I was in control or not. This was never meant to happen at all! I rolled my eyes annoyingly as I tried to focus. I sat at my desk, staring blankly at a half-filled report while my mind replayed the night of the shooting at the bar over and over. The two men. The gunshots. Cross. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t scrub their lifeless faces from my mind. “Earth to Ari!” I snapped out of my daze as Gina, one of the precinct’s most dedicated gossip connoisseurs, leaned over the divider. She was holding a steaming mug of coffee and grinning as if she’d just uncovered the precinct’s juiciest secret. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said, her bright red lipstick forming a s
Cross’ POVThe roar of the engine filled my ears as I sped down the deserted road, the air slashing across my face. My mind was a storm, thoughts slamming into each other. Ari was in trouble. I didn’t know where, I didn’t know how, but I could feel it. The moment I saw that unknown number flash on my screen, I knew. And when the call disconnected before a voice could even come through, I didn’t hesitate. With a flick of my wrist, I activated the tracker embedded in my device, hacking into the last known coordinates of the signal.The result made my blood run cold.A forest. The middle of nowhere. And a part of me already knew who had taken her.Jonathan.If Mira could have worked with someone… Could it be him?The bastard wasn’t dead. Not yet. But I was about to fix that.I pushed the bike harder, trees blurring past me in dark smudges. The location was getting closer, the beeping on my tracker speeding up. My gut clenched as a shadowy structure came into view. An uncompleted buildi
Ari’s POVI ran.Blindly. Desperately. My breath came in ragged gasps, my legs screaming for rest, but I didn't dare stop. What I didn’t expect outside the building was a stretch of green - the woods…I cursed.Behind me, his voice slithered through the trees, taunting, sing-song, twisted in its mockery."Ari, come out, come out wherever you are…"A shudder ripped through me. He was enjoying this. The chase. The fear. The sheer power he had over me.I pushed forward, stumbling over uneven ground. My body ached, but I forced myself onward, lungs burning, heart hammering against my ribs. If I stopped, I was dead.Up ahead, a fallen tree loomed. I dropped to my knees, crawling underneath, pressing myself against the damp earth. I clenched my fists, holding my breath. Maybe, just maybe, I could disappear into the shadows.The silence stretched.Then—a hand clamped around my ankle.A scream tore from my throat as I was yanked backward, my nails clawing at the ground, grasping for anything
Ariana’s POVDarkness.It was thick, suffocating, pressing against me like a second skin.My wrists burned from the restraints, bound so tightly I could feel the circulation slowing. My ankles were the same—tied, restrained, useless. My breath was uneven, a mix of panic and frustration, chest rising and falling against the gag tied around my mouth.I tried to move. Failed.I tried again, twisting my body, but all it did was send a sharp pain shooting through my shoulders.Where the hell was I?The last thing I remembered was stepping into my apartment. Then—darkness.Now I was here.And I wasn’t alone.A noise—a rustling, a whimper—echoed through the blackness.Then, a voice. Weak. Trembling. Familiar.“…Ari?”My body froze.That voice.That broken, barely-there whisper.Kaelie.My head snapped toward the sound, my eyes adjusting to the dimness of what little light seeped through the cracks of wherever the fuck we were.And then—I saw her.Tied. Beaten. Bloody.She was slumped against
Cross’ POVAs I ran through to the car, I already spotted what was coming. If Mira already knew about Ari, she had definitely told the Don, and the Don was already in the picture. If the Don was in the picture, they were coming for me. I and the Don had made an agreement, and that was to stay faithful to Mira.That agreement was broken.In no time, the Don’s men would be here.The air was thick with gasoline and sweat as I slipped into the car. My fingers tightened around the steering wheel as I reached for my phone, barely suppressing the rush of adrenaline flooding my veins.The Don may be on me, but I also had my plans.And it was time to put it in motion.The call rang once before Gustav answered.“It’s time.”There was no hesitation. No questions. Only a sharp exhale from the other end of the line before the call cut off.And then—The roar of engines.Headlights flared in the distance, then multiplied like wildfire. The Don’s men poured in from every alley, every street, surroun
Cross’ POVThe city streets were still drenched in the silence of the early morning when I arrived at the hideout. My body ached from exhaustion, but my mind was sharper than ever.Leo was dead.That truth weighed on me like chains, heavy and unrelenting. I had spent years crawling out of the grave only to return and find the ones I left behind buried instead.Leo should have been here. Laughing. Drinking. Breathing.Instead, we were about to put him in the ground.I entered the dimly lit warehouse, my boots echoing against the cold concrete. Gustav was already there, leaning against a wooden crate, a cigarette burning low between his fingers.He looked up at me, his sharp eyes unreadable. "You're back."I nodded. "Get the men ready. We're taking Leo home."Gustav exhaled a cloud of smoke before flicking the cigarette away. “Took you long enough, boss. I gat you, anyway.” he muttered, pushing off the crate. “I’ll round them up.”Within minutes, my men—Leo’s men—our family—began to gat
Ari's POVThe world was still wrapped in the quiet, heavy embrace of the early morning when I stirred. My body felt warm, blanketed by the remnants of a presence so familiar yet so distant that, for a moment, I thought I was still dreaming.And then I felt it.A slow, steady breath against my neck.The warmth of a body pressed against mine.An arm lazily draped over my waist.Reality settled in.I didn't dare move—not yet. I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, my heart swelling, aching, twisting. He was here. Cross was here. Alive. In my bed.The night had been a storm of emotions, fists, accusations, and unbridled relief. And now, here we were, tangled in the stillness, as if the world hadn’t turned upside down just hours ago.Slowly, I turned my head, and there he was.Cross.His face, barely inches from mine, softened in sleep. His long lashes cast faint shadows on his sharp cheekbones, his lips slightly parted, chest rising and falling in a rhythm that had once been the most c
Ari's POVOnce we reached the bed, he pushed me down before pulling his trouser and boxer off, and then climbing on top of me, his hard length rubbing against my thigh."Spread your legs for me." Cross ordered, his eyes locked on mine as he waited for me to comply.I obeyed, opening my legs wide, exposing my pussy to him.He reached down and ran his finger over my folds, his cock twitching when he saw how wet I was."You're dripping." He smiled, bringing his fingers to his mouth and he licked them clean.He leaned forward, his face only inches from mine. "Are you ready for me, Ari?""Yes," I gasped, my body aching for him.Cross grinned and gripped his cock, he slid the tip along my folds, teasing me to further wetness before pushing himself inside me, his eyes closing and his face tightening as he felt me wrap around his cock."So tight," he groaned. "And so wet.""Yeah." I cried out, arching my back as he started thrusting.His thrusts were slow and steady at first, but they gradual
Ari's POVThe taste of him was intoxicating.The way his tongue slid against mine, his teeth scraping across my lower lip.I didn’t realize that I was pressed up against the wall until his hand slid up the back of my shirt, fingers playing across the bare skin of my back.I gasped."Cross."His name slipped out. It felt like a plea. Or a prayer. But I didn't care.I didn't care at all what it meant or felt like.Right now, all that mattered was him and how he was making me feel.The way his lips were on mine.The way his body pressed against me.Cross's mouth moved to my neck, his teeth grazing over the sensitive skin. I arched into him, heat flooding through me as I have into my desires.It wasn't enough.It would never be enough. Not with Cross.I tugged at the hem of his shirt, my hands slipping underneath to touch the smooth, hard muscles beneath."Take it off," I breathed out, my voice thick with lust. Raw and heavy.Cross pulled back, a smirk on his lips."Are you sure?""Yes,"
Ari's POVThe night stretched on, endless and suffocating. I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to close my eyes for more than a few seconds without a wave of paranoia washing over me. My body was exhausted, but my mind refused to shut down. Every creak, every distant honk of a car outside sent a shiver down my spine. I could still feel the weight of what had happened—Kaelie missing, the attack at her house, and then…Cross.The name burned inside my head like fire. It wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be possible. He was dead. I had seen him buried… No, the body was “evidence.” But I had mourned him, shattered myself trying to move on. I had told myself a thousand times that he was gone. But tonight, he was there—flesh, blood, and rage. My rescuer. My nightmare. My ghost.Or was it him?Jeez… What was I doing to myself?A shuddering breath escaped my lips.Perhaps, I just needed to sleep and wake up and everything will be alright.But then I heard it.A noise. A faint rustling