Cross’ POVI hadn’t been able to breathe right since I saw her again.Ari.She had walked past me that day like I was a ghost, unaware that my entire being was set on fire the moment our eyes locked—even if just for a second. She looked the same yet different. Stronger, sharper, colder. She carried herself with the confidence of someone who had survived too much, and maybe she had. Maybe I had been part of the reason for that.I should have let it go. I should have turned my back and moved on. But something in me refused. The need to see her again, to confirm to myself that she was real, that she was breathing and alive in this ruthless world, gnawed at my insides until I gave in.It wasn’t about what I wanted, not anymore. It wasn’t even about trying to repair whatever I had destroyed between us. It was just... this pull. A magnetic force that dragged me back to her, even though every rational part of me screamed to turn away.The next morning, I walked into Mira’s quarters, my exp
Ari’s POVWhen I watched some psychological thrillers back then, I figured there were moment when reality seemed warped and what appeared as something may be a totally different thing.My reality may be totally different, and I was just living in my own head, chasing the wind. There was one way to find out though.After work that day, I walked home. The night air was thick with an eerie silence, punctuated only by the occasional honk of a distant car or the faint rustle of leaves in the breeze. I kept my head down, my fingers gripping the strap of my bag as I moved through the dimly lit streets. The feeling had been there for days now—a shadow just out of sight, a presence that lingered like an unfinished thought in the back of my mind. I wasn’t paranoid. No, I knew paranoia, and this was something else entirely. I was being followed.Again!I quickened my steps, forcing myself to breathe evenly as I turned into a narrower street, one that led away from my apartment. I think I was r
Ari's POVI remember giving in to Derek's soothing words that I should let go and sleep but I'm sure it wasn't up to five minutes before my eyes opened again."You're not sleeping?" Derek asked, his words soft and low."Don't tell me you kept your eyes on me all this while." I replied, enjoying the feel of my head on his shoulder."You barely closed your eyes, Ari. You need to sleep."I let out a long sigh, my mind slowly starting to relive what happened in the alley. "I just can't sleep. But yes, I'm tired.""Why can't you?" Derek asked, taking my hand in his."There's just too much on my mind." "You need a distraction."I glanced at him, a small smile playing at the corners of my lips. "Are you offering?"His brows lifted, his eyes glittering with intentions. "Well, if you're interested, why not?"My body was screaming yes, but I just smirked at him. "Maybe later.""Really? That's how it's going to be? After all that teasing the other day, now you're gonna play hard to get?"I sat
Ari's POVI pulled off from his cock with a wet pop, licking off the thin and thick strands of saliva connecting my mouth to it.I dived back in and started sucking lightly while slowly bobbing my head up and down."God, Ari... That feels good."I sucked harder, swirling my tongue around the tip, enjoying the sounds of pleasure that escaped from his lips.Derek's hands gripped my hair as I continued sucking and licking his cock, his breathing growing heavier by the second."Don't tell me you're close already?" I asked, pulling off him and continuing to stroke him."I'm not, but I could be if you keep doing that.""No, not yet. I said we'll have the whole night, didn't I? We've only just begun." I winked at him, kissing the tip of his cock."What did I ever do to deserve this? Why am I the victim here?""Victim?" I scoffed, pulling back for a moment . "What a weird thing to say when you're enjoying it so much.""Just.... Continue doing what you were doing." Derek chuckled, his fingers
Ari’s POVIt was a long night, and another day was before me.I sat at the kitchen table, absentmindedly swirling the last of my coffee around, my thoughts scattered in a thousand different directions. Derek turned up shortly. The room was still as he moved from the couch to the kitchen, stretching his arms above his head. “I feel like a piece of toast that’s been left in the toaster too long,” he muttered, his voice thick with sleep. His hair was tousled, eyes half-lidded, but that smirk was already forming on his lips as he caught my eye.I couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “You really did that to yourself. I told you the couch would be uncomfortable.”He groaned dramatically, sitting down beside me and reaching for the coffee cup I’d set down. “I was thinking about you all night, so I didn’t notice,” he said, looking at me with a playful glint in his eye. “At least, I wasn’t watching my back.”My heart skipped a beat, though I did my best not to let it show. Derek had this way of sayin
Ari’s POVThe house was quiet as the evening settled in, casting soft shadows that played against the walls. I’d agreed to Derek’s suggestion of a date, but the reality of what that meant hadn’t quite sunk in until now. As we sat, my heart thrummed against my ribs. Derek extracted himself from the couch, stretching lazily while watching me with that same unreadable expression he wore when he was trying to gauge my mood. But there was something more there tonight—something that made my breath catch when his eyes lingered a second too long.I shifted awkwardly, running my fingers through my hair. “So… I guess I should get ready?”He smiled, that playful smirk creeping onto his face. “Take your time. I’m in no rush.”I stood up too and turned toward my room, my pulse racing with each step. Before I could even take three steps, I heard Derek’s low and teasing voice behind me.“You sure you don’t need help? You’ve had a long day, after all.”I shot him a look over my shoulder, narrowin
Ari's POVDerek smirked at me before leaning down to press a kiss against the hollow of my throat."Yes?"I couldn't form a coherent sentence. All I could manage was a whimper as his tongue traced a path down my chest.I sucked in a deep breath as his lips found my nipples, his teeth grazing the sensitive flesh.It was almost too much.I gripped the sheets, my hips bucking as he continued his sensual assault."Derek... please," I managed to gasp out, my body aching with a need I'd never felt before.He looked up at me, his eyes full of lust and mischief."Please what?""I... I..." "If you want me to stop, just say the word, Ari."I wanted to talk, not to stop him, but to tell him how much I wanted him, needed him. But, no matter how hard I tried, no words came."You aren't saying anything, Ari. Talk to me. Should I?" He asked, his hands moving lower and tugging at the waistband of my pants.I lifted my hips to help him slide them down, revealing the lacy panties that hid my wetness.
Ari’s POVWhen he arrived to pick me up, I was surprised at how effortlessly charming he looked. His dark skin glowed. He was dressed in a simple, dark button-up shirt that fit him perfectly, his sleeves rolled up just enough to show the muscles in his forearms. His hair was tousled in that way that looked intentional, the kind of style that made you wonder if he’d spent hours in front of a mirror—or if it came naturally to him.“Ready?” he asked, his voice warm, but there was a softness to it that made my chest tighten. He extended his hand toward me, and I hesitated, just for a moment. My fingers brushed his, lingering there for a heartbeat longer than necessary.The touch felt different, like an unspoken promise, but I wasn’t ready to admit that yet.“Yeah,” I replied, swallowing the flutter in my throat. “Let’s go.”The restaurant he chose was one I’d never been to, nestled in a quiet corner of the city. When we entered, I felt the weight of his presence beside me in a way that bo
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