{~~Avery Sterling~~}Staring at his body, I couldn't help but be captivated by the sight before me. His shirtless frame was a masterpiece of sculpted muscle and sinew, every inch of his torso defined with a precision that seemed almost impossible. His broad shoulders tapered down into a chiseled chest, the kind that spoke of both power and grace. The way his muscles flexed with even the slightest movement sent a shiver down my spine, as if his body was made to be admired, to be touched.His skin, a smooth canvas of sun-kissed bronze, gleamed under the soft light, highlighting every ridge and valley of his abs. Each of his abs was perfectly carved, as if they were etched by the hands of a master sculptor, creating a stunning six-pack that made my breath catch in my throat. His obliques, those alluring lines that cut down his sides, added a touch of raw masculinity that was impossible to resist. It was as if his entire body was designed to make you want to trace your fingers along every
{~~Logan Grey~~}Avery and I laid on the couch for a while after getting dressed, the softness of the cushions pulling us into a deep sense of comfort. We had work to do, there was no getting around that, but after the morning we’d had—well, after a good fuck, sometimes you just need to take a breather. The warm water from the shower had rinsed away the lingering tension, but it didn’t change the fact that the day was waiting for us, tapping its foot impatiently. We showered, got dressed again, but even then, we stayed there for a bit, soaking in the quiet together. The sun was beginning to slip lower in the sky, casting a golden light into the room, a reminder that we couldn’t afford to keep lounging much longer.Still, the thought of getting up was tough to swallow. I stretched out beside her, feeling the rhythm of her breathing against me. It was peaceful, and part of me wished we could stay like this, wrapped up in each other, forgetting the outside world. But reality doesn’t wait
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I did my rounds with Shawn, then checked on the patients in the basement. I was able to check their vitals and see some of the reports already made by the members of the team. They were expanding on the serum I’d made. It was a good step for all of us. I sat down there for a good hour making sure everything was right, and answering some questions they had left for me.I love how coordinated this team is. We’re doing everything right.After some time, I could see the brain wave of Mr Miller. His brain has slowed its rot process but it wasn’t recovering. I have an idea of how to do this but it’ll take some time. My cell phone sprang to life, startling me out of my train of thought. I reached for it blindly, answering without checking the caller ID.“Hey.” Aisha’s voice came as a shock to me. I haven’t heard from her in so long. Well since I found out our little town was trending.“Hi, Aisha. How are you?”“I’m alright. I haven’t heard from you. Are you okay?”“Yeah,
{~~Logan Grey~~}I was heading towards the cafeteria to find Shawn, I was told he was there and I had to ask him about this report. It’s done too poorly for someone of his status. It would be good enough if he was just an intern, but he isn’t.The elevator opened and Avery stepped out. She looked frustrated and angry. I closed the file and ran towards her.“Hey is everything okay?”“No. Everything is a mess. Can you give me a drive to the Creek Cafe?”“Yes, of course.”She turned away and started for the door. Her steps were quick and curt. Like she couldn’t stand to spend another minute here. I caught up to her, tugging her closely.“Hey, what’s wrong?”She breathed out and leaned into me. I smiled a little but my worry was still there. Who upset her? She didn’t say anything until we were in the car, and on the path to the creek cafe.“I have something to tell you. Remember the guy I told you took my virginity?”I furrowed my eyebrows, I only remembered the guy existed. His name is b
{~~Avery Sterling~~}Something strange was happening. Aisha wouldn’t reach my eyes with hers, she kept avoiding me. And she couldn’t even look at Logan. I figured she would be glaring at him. Logan was so unbothered. Pretending Ethan wasn’t speaking. His attention was on me. He ordered something light for us both.He just rolled with it like there was nothing wrong.Ethan was speaking but I wasn’t listening either. My eyes couldn’t leave my best friend. Why do I get the feeling that I’m missing something here? When our food arrived, I cut through Ethan’s words.“I am not in danger. I am not being forced into this marriage, my parents are going to prison. I don’t owe them anything. I am in this marriage because I love logan. And he loves me too.”Ethan snorted. “Are you joking? What has he done to show you that he loves you? Words mean nothing.”I rubbed my forehead. I’ve had such a stressful day. I don’t want to deal with his issues.“Look, Ethan, I am not a damsel you can waltz into
{~~Avery Sterling~~}Logan shifted back, his body transforming seamlessly, and his naked form stood before my eyes, commanding attention. It was the perfect distraction from the chaos that had been ripping through my mind. For a moment, I could let go of everything, even if it was just for a fleeting second. His presence was grounding, a brief respite from the storm of betrayal and confusion swirling inside me.He moved toward me, his strong arms easily lifting me from where I’d been sitting. His eyes dropped to the blood on my scraped skin, his brow furrowing in concern. “Are you alright?” he asked, his voice calm but laced with an undertone of protective urgency.“I’m…” I tried to answer, but the words wobbled in my throat, shaky and uncertain. As I glanced to the side, my vision locked onto Aisha. She was still standing there, frozen in place, her face pale with shock. Her wide eyes reflected a mix of remorse and fear that only deepened my own confusion. How had it come to this?“I
{~~Logan Grey~~}My heart was still racing from what had happened that day. The adrenaline from earlier was still coursing through me, and I couldn’t shake the image of her being shoved like that. If I hadn’t stepped out to check on her—if I’d been even a second late—I might have been staring at her lifeless body instead of having her in my arms. The mere thought sent a chill down my spine, and a nauseating wave of fear rippled through me.The truth was, it scared the living hell out of me. I didn’t want to admit it, but that incident forced me to confront something I wasn’t sure I was ready to face. If I ever doubted how I felt about her, that moment of sheer panic, that gut-wrenching fear of losing her, wiped away every ounce of doubt. My feet were glued to the ground for what felt like an eternity, my mind racing, my heart pounding. Yet somehow, my instincts kicked in just in time. I didn’t even think—just reacted.But the aftermath of it all was still rattling me when my phone buz
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I stared down at the notebook, the pages crisp and untouched, almost mocking me with their pristine appearance. I hesitated for a moment, uncertain whether I truly wanted to dive into the depths of whatever Ava had scribbled down. After everything that had happened, a part of me wasn’t ready to face whatever new horrors she had recorded. But the rational part of me knew that there might be something useful in there—something that could finally lead us to the answers we were desperately searching for.With a deep breath, I flipped open the notebook, letting my fingers brush over the first few pages. Ava had numbered each one meticulously, like some sort of twisted journal. On the very first page, she had written a contents list, mapping out where every piece of information could be found. I skimmed the list quickly, my eyes landing on one particular entry that made my heart skip a beat: Page twenty-six—“Location of the women.”For a moment, the world around me seem