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’ POVI woke up with a pounding headache, my body sore and my mind clouded.Something felt off.The second I turned; I felt warmth beside me. A body. A naked body.Mira.My stomach twisted in disgust as I stared at her, sprawled on my sheets with a satisfied smirk on her lips.What the fuck had I done?I sat up instantly, running a hand over my face. My head was hazy, but memories of the night before came back in flashes—drinking too much, Mira teasing me, her hands all over me. I clenched my jaw, fists tightening.I was a fucking idiot.I turned to her, my voice sharp. “Get up.”Mira stretched lazily; eyes still closed. “Mmm… good morning my sweet mafia lord.”I gritted my teeth. “Mira. I said, get up.”She opened her eyes then, looking at me with amusement. “Oh, come on, Cross. Don’t tell me you regret it already.”I swung my legs off the bed, gripping the edge tightly. “It shouldn’t have happened.”Mira laughed softly. “But it did.”I inhaled sharply, trying to control my rage
Cross’ POVI couldn't stop thinking about Ari after all that we have been through together. She just left me for that half a man called Jonathan. I was deeply hurt and pained. I wanted revenge.I wanted her to feel this pain that I'm going through, fucking betrayed by a girl I never really liked in the first place; and yet, somehow, she just got to steal my soul away.“Damn it!” I yelled out loud.I almost forgot that Mira was all over me. She stopped for a second admiring the frustrated look on my face.“Do you know what's best for you, Cross?” Mira asked.“What's that?” I asked. I kept a poker face all along, trying my best not to show any other emotions other than being nonchalant.Mira giggled and teased around with her hands, spinning and circling around me. She then turned side ways, raising her heels up to display the full size of her ass.“I'm what's best for you, so fuck me and stop whining about that bitch.” Mira gave me a cold stare as if she was actually jealous. I never
Ari’s POVJonathan was making my life a living hell.It was worse than I imagined. Worse than I could have ever thought possible. Every day, every second, every breath I took was dictated by him. At first, I thought maybe he would get bored, that the satisfaction of having power over me would wear off. But I was wrong. Jonathan thrived on control. He enjoyed watching me squirm, knowing I was helpless.And I had to smile through it all.***“Morning, sweetheart.”I felt the familiar shiver of disgust crawl up my spine as Jonathan placed a possessive hand on my waist, pulling me in for a kiss on the temple. I forced my muscles to stay still. I couldn’t flinch. That would only make things worse.“Morning,” I murmured, keeping my voice neutral.Across the room, Gina gave me a suspicious look, but the rest of the precinct was eating it up.“You two are really back together, huh?” One of the officers grinned, sipping his coffee.Jonathan smirked, rubbing his hand along my lower back. “Like
Ari’s POVThat night, I lay in bed beside Jonathan, trapped under his arm.I felt suffocated.I waited until his breathing evened out before carefully slipping out of bed and rushing to the bathroom.The second I shut the door behind me, my chest collapsed in on itself.Tears spilled down my cheeks as I gripped the sink, staring at my reflection in the mirror.I didn’t recognize the woman staring back at me.Her eyes were empty.Her skin was pale.Her soul was gone.I couldn’t do this anymore.I wouldn’t.Cross had disappeared and left me to drown in this mess.But if no one was coming to save me…Then I would save myself.I had to find him.No matter what it took.***If I couldn’t escape Jonathan, I would find Cross. That was the way.I didn’t know why I needed to find him so badly. Maybe it was for answers. Maybe it was for help. Or maybe… I just needed to see him one last time before I completely lost myself in this nightmare.So, I started digging.Tracking a mafia lord wasn’t ea
Ari’s POVI stood there frozen, shock gripping every part of me as I heard Cross mention some other girl's name. I peeled my eyes off of them and stared directly at the ground as a million questions ran through my head. One standing out and echoing off the walls of my mind. Why?Why would Cross leave me? Why would he disappear for so long without even saying anything or reaching out to me? Why did Cross feel the need to vanish into thin air and not say anything? After everything we've been through? Why the fuck is Cross having sex with someone else?I looked back at them, taking in the sight again, seeing Cross' erect cock disappearing into the girl he was fucking over and over again. His hands moving up to cup and squeeze her breasts.I felt tears pricking at the side of my eyes but I held it, long enough to regret the decision I made to find Cross. In the next moment, I ran out, evading every security and their checkpoint as I made my way out of his house.I felt betrayed, sad
Ari’s POV I felt numb, my senses almost stiff like everything was moving in slow motion and my body wasn't able to catch up. Did Jonathan just say Cross? I looked up at him, my eyes raking over the familiar tattoos and scars. The way his body moved, the way his cock filled me so well, lodged in that right spot. It couldn't be. There was no way. He couldn't possibly be... "Cross?" I mumbled. He only gave me a wink and leaned down to capture my lips again, the taste of his lips on mine finally making the puzzle pieces come together. This was real. Cross was here, touching me, kissing me, and fucking me. "How...?" I asked, trying to make sense of things but he shushed me, kissing me deeply and passionately, his lips trailing down my jaw and to my neck. I tilted my head to the side, giving him better access to feast on me, my hands going up to tangle in his hair and wrapping behind his neck as I pulled him down towards me. I was enjoying it, lost in the sensation only he could
Ari’s POVI felt hollow.The weight of what had happened last night — Jonathan on top of me, the way I had mistaken him for Cross, the disgust that curdled in my stomach — it all made me want to crawl into a hole and never come out.But life didn’t give me that luxury. At first, I didn’t even think much about where Jonathan could have stomped out to. For me, he could die for all I cared. I refused to just have him play with me whichever way he wished. Yes, there was a time I really loved him more than anything else. But now, I was not sure it meant anything. I just wanted him out of my life.I needed a distraction.I had work.And even though my heart was in tatters and my mind a chaotic storm, I forced myself up, showered, dressed, and dragged my empty shell of a body to the precinct.It was a mistake.The second I walked through the doors, I knew something was wrong.The air was thick with hostility.Everyone stared at me — not with curiosity or concern — but with unmistakable hatre
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