Cross’ POVI had told myself I was done.I wasn’t going back. I wasn’t going to let Ariana pull me in again just to push me away.She made it clear—she didn’t want me in her life. And yet, here I was, pacing in my lair while Gustav and a few of my men stood by, waiting for instructions. Something was brewing in the city. The underworld had been unusually restless the past few days, and I knew it had Mira written all over it.“What’s the word?” I asked, stopping in front of Gustav.Gustav cleared his throat. “There’s talk that someone’s been moving shipments through the North Bay. Illegal arms, drugs—big deals. And Mira’s name keeps popping up.”Of course it did.I ran a hand down my face. “What else?”Gustav hesitated before adding, “Some say she’s been in contact with outsiders. People from across the border. If that’s true, she’s expanding.”My jaw clenched. Mira was always ambitious, but this was reckless. She was making moves far bigger than she could control. And if North Bay was
Cross’ POVJonathan’s smug smirk faltered, but he still tried to play it off. “Look, man, whatever problem you have, take it up with Ari.”I chuckled darkly, shaking my head. “Oh, I am taking it up with Ari. But you? You’re a loose end I need to tie up.” Jonathan shifted in his seat, finally realizing he wasn’t in control of this situation. His eyes flickered around the bar, searching for an escape.Too late.My men were already stationed near every exit. There was no way out. Jonathan tried to laugh, but it came out nervous. “Come on, man. We don’t need to do this here.”I leaned closer, voice dangerously low. “You’re right. We don’t.” And then I grabbed him.Jonathan barely had time to react before I yanked him off his stool and slammed him into the bar counter. His glass toppled over, shattering as he gasped in pain. The room went silent.“Shit!” he groaned, gripping the edge of the bar for support. “You’re fucking crazy.”“Crazy?” I repeated, my voice deceptively calm. “No, Jonath
Ari’s POV The moment Cross stormed out of my house, I collapsed onto my couch, feeling the weight of everything come crashing down on me again. I had warned him. I had begged him to stay away. But Cross was relentless. He didn’t listen. He never did. And Jonathan… I touched the tender bruise on my cheek, wincing slightly. Everything about my life had spiraled out of control. I was tired. Exhausted. All I wanted was peace. I wiped my face and took a deep breath. If I kept breaking down every night, I’d never be able to pull myself together. Maybe I deserved all of this—maybe this was my punishment for leading my team into a dead end, for what happened to Aaron. I needed to push through. I needed to go to work, do my damn job, and prove that I was still worth something. So, I forced myself up and began preparing for the next day. *** It was Gina that welcomed me the next day, and not with the best news. I caught sight of her near the bulletin board, whispering to another officer.
I grabbed her wrists before she could touch me. “Stay away. I don’t need this tonight.”She pouted. “Need what? A little company?”“I don’t want your company,” I said, my grip tightening slightly.Her smirk didn’t waver. If anything, it grew.“That’s funny,” she murmured, pressing her body against mine. “Because I remember a time when you couldn’t resist me.”My muscles tensed. I was hazy from the alcohol, but not that hazy – yet. Mira was dangerous. Not just because of who she was, but because of what she knew.I pushed her back slightly. “Get out, Mira.”She sighed dramatically, tracing a finger along my jaw. “Still thinking about her, aren’t you?”I didn’t answer.She chuckled darkly. “Of course, you are. She’s in your head, crawling under your skin.”“Mira—”“She doesn’t want you, Cross,” she whispered, tilting my chin up with her finger. “But I do.”I grabbed her hand, yanking it away. “You want control. That’s all you’ve ever wanted.”She smirked, not denying it.But then, her e
Cross’ POVI laid out each of the sex tool on a large wooden table that was placed beside the bed. It all looked like a scene from a movie where the serial killer sets up his equipment ready to inflict pains on the victim. This was more than just pleasure for me, it's was a masculine urge to dominate. I wasn’t thinking straight; the flow made it impossible to stop. Mira, on the other hand, was so excited. Each time we locked gaze, she let out a giggle encouraging me to carry on. I was all set.I placed the chains on each side of her ankle, holding her firmly to the edge of the bed. Her legs were spread apart in a V shape. Then I proceed to her hands. “You know your safe words.” I askedMira nodded in reply.I stood back to admire my work. I had perfectly placed and crafted Mira in a position where she has to beg for whatever was coming her way. I fastened the gag around her mouth then poured the oils all over her breasts.I slowly began to massage her blossom. Mira moaned in deligh
Ari’s POVI had barely slept.Jonathan knew.And now, he had power over me. The thought made me sick. I dragged myself to work the next morning, forcing myself to move like nothing was wrong. Like I wasn’t constantly looking over my shoulder. Like I wasn’t waiting for the ground beneath me to collapse.Jonathan was still in the hospital, but that didn’t mean I was safe. The station was as busy as ever. Officers rushed back and forth, people took statements, and phones rang constantly.I settled at my desk, trying to focus on my new case files, but the words blurred together.“Ari.”I looked up. Gina stood over my desk; concern written all over her face.“You okay?”I nodded quickly. “Yeah. Just… tired.”She didn’t look convinced. “You’ve been off all morning. And your hands are shaking.”I clenched my fingers into a fist to steady them. “I’m fine, Gina.”Before she could press further, a sharp voice cut through the air.“Walsh!”Lady Smith.I stiffened as she approached, her heels cli
Ari’s POVJonathan was taking over my personal space. I just couldn’t stand the sight of him touching me. He leaned forward for a kiss, but I pulled back.“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked, frowning. He could see my reaction wasn’t welcoming.“We have talked about this,” Jonathan replied. He smiled sheepishly while still looking for a way to hold my hands. I wished I could smack that smug look off his face.“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I gave him a cold stare.“Of course, you do. I want us to pretend we’re still lovers, just like the good old days,” Jonathan replied.He took a step forward and held my hands.“Let go of me!” I yelled.“I hope you know I have your secrets in my palms,” Jonathan reminded me.“Are you trying to blackmail me?” I asked.Jonathan tightened his grip on my hands, not willing to let go.“You will have to fuck me, Ari,” he commanded.Jonathan had the audacity to speak out those words.“No way you’re getting into me!” I yelled at him, protest
Ari’s POVI woke up feeling like I was drowning. My body ached, my skin felt dirty, and my mind was fogged with disgust. Jonathan’s touch still lingered on me like a sickening memory, and the worst part?I had let it happen.I sat up abruptly, my breath coming in sharp gasps. The sheets smelled of him, and bile rose in my throat. I needed to shower. I needed to scrub myself clean. But before I could move, I noticed something. Jonathan was still there. He sat lazily in my chair, sipping coffee like he belonged here. Like nothing about this situation was wrong.My stomach twisted in revulsion.I clenched the sheets in my fists, my voice hoarse. “What the fuck are you still doing here?”Jonathan glanced up, completely unfazed. “Good morning to you too, sweetheart.”I threw the blanket off, standing up. “I told you to leave.”Jonathan exhaled, stretching his arms like he had all the time in the world. “Yeah, about that…” He gave me a slow smirk. “I’ve been thinking—I should move in.”My b
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