The morning sun cast a golden glow over the estate, filtering through the curtains as Aria stirred awake. Alejandro’s arm was wrapped tightly around her waist, his body warm against hers. She blinked, her mind replaying last night’s events the mission, the explosion, and then the way Alejandro had claimed her on his desk like he couldn’t get enough.A small smile touched her lips.But then reality crashed in. Miguel was still out there. This wasn’t over.Aria carefully untangled herself from Alejandro’s grip, trying not to wake him. She needed to think, to plan.She slipped into the bathroom, turning on the shower. The warm water cascaded down her body, washing away the remnants of the night. As she ran her fingers through her wet hair, she heard the bathroom door creak open.A knowing smirk played on her lips before she even turned around.Alejandro stood in the doorway, shirtless, his dark eyes locked onto hers with a heat that made her stomach tighten.“You thought you could sneak
The message from Miguel lingered in Aria’s mind long after Alejandro set his phone down. A cold shiver ran down her spine. This wasn’t just a threat it was a declaration of war.Alejandro’s expression was unreadable, but she could see the storm brewing in his dark eyes. His grip on the phone was tight, his knuckles turning white.“He’s pushing us,” Juan muttered, standing across the room with his arms crossed. “Trying to make us react first.”Alejandro exhaled sharply, standing abruptly. “Then let’s not disappoint him.”Aria’s heart pounded. “Alejandro, wait ”But he was already moving, grabbing his gun from the desk.Juan exchanged a glance with her. “You know him. He won’t stop until he gets the upper hand.”Aria rushed to Alejandro, placing a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat racing beneath her palm. “We need to be smart about this. If we rush into whatever trap he’s setting, we’ll lose.”Alejandro’s jaw clenched. “I’m not letting him take anything from me.”His eyes burned
Smoke filled the air, thick and suffocating. The explosion had rocked the estate, sending panic through the halls. Aria coughed, trying to clear her lungs as Alejandro held her tightly against his chest, shielding her from the worst of the debris."Are you hurt?" His voice was rough, urgent, as he ran his hands over her arms, checking for injuries."I'm fine," she gasped, her ears still ringing from the blast.Juan burst into the room, gun in hand, his face set in a grim mask. "They've breached the outer perimeter! We need to move, now!"Alejandro didn't hesitate. He pulled Aria to her feet, his grip firm but careful. "Stay close to me."Gunfire erupted outside, sharp cracks echoing through the estate. The sound sent a shiver down Aria’s spine. This wasn’t just an attack this was an all-out war.Alejandro grabbed a pistol from the table and handed it to her. “If anyone gets too close, you shoot.”She took it without hesitation. She wasn’t just some helpless prisoner anymore she was in
Aria's scream echoed through the ruined hallway as the gunshot rang out.For a terrifying second, she thought Alejandro had been hit. But he was still standing, eyes blazing with fury.Instead, Juan stumbled back, a crimson bloom spreading across his shoulder. He gritted his teeth, clutching the wound but refusing to fall.Miguel smirked. "Consider that a warning shot."Alejandro's jaw tightened. His gun was still raised, but now there was a deadly calm in his eyes one that sent a chill down Aria’s spine."You think this is a game, Miguel?" Alejandro's voice was dangerously low, dripping with barely restrained rage.Miguel let out a lazy chuckle. "Oh, it's not a game, my friend. It's a message." He tilted his head. "Surrender now, and I’ll be generous. I might let you keep your life. Maybe even your little pet here." His gaze flickered to Aria, and Alejandro’s grip on his gun tightened.Aria clenched her fists, stepping closer to Alejandro. "If you think he's going to surrender to you
The scent of gunpowder still lingered in the air as the dust settled. Bodies of fallen men lay scattered across the estate, and the distant sound of sirens reminded Aria that their battle was far from over.Alejandro kept her close, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist as his sharp eyes scanned the wreckage for any remaining threats.Juan, gripping his wounded shoulder, let out a groan. "That bastard got away again."Alejandro clenched his jaw. "Not for long."Aria swallowed hard, trying to steady her breathing. The rush of adrenaline was wearing off, leaving behind the weight of everything that had just happened.Miguel had escaped. He would regroup, and he would come back stronger.She turned to Alejandro. "What now?"His fingers traced along her jawline, his eyes dark with determination. "Now, we prepare for war."Aria’s heart pounded, but before she could respond, a soft groan caught their attention.Valentina.She lay a few feet away, blood pooling beneath her from a gun
Aria lay in Alejandro’s arms, her body still humming from the intensity of their night. His grip around her was firm, possessive, as if he feared she would disappear the moment he let go.But she wasn’t going anywhere.Her fingers trailed over his chest, tracing the faint scars that told stories she would never fully know. His heartbeat was steady beneath her touch, a stark contrast to the storm that awaited them outside these walls."You’re awake," Alejandro murmured, his voice thick with sleep.Aria smiled against his skin. "Couldn't sleep."He tightened his grip around her waist. "You're safe here."Safe. She wanted to believe that, but the reality was, as long as Miguel was out there, they would never truly be safe.She lifted her head to meet Alejandro’s gaze. "What happens next?"His jaw tightened, his dark eyes unreadable. "I find Miguel. And I end this."A lump formed in her throat. "And then what?"Alejandro exhaled slowly. "Then, I make sure nothing ever threatens us again."
Alejandro sat in his car, parked in a dark alley on the outskirts of the city, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel. His entire body burned with the need for violence.Miguel had taken Sophia. The words echoed in his mind, fueling his rage. Every second that passed was a second too long. He wanted blood. He wanted to rip Miguel apart with his bare hands.The low rumble of an approaching car made his muscles tense. His gun was in his lap, ready. But when the car stopped beside him, he recognized it immediately.Aria.She got out first, followed by Juan, their faces set in determination.Alejandro pushed open his door, stepping into the cold night air. He barely gave Juan a glance before locking eyes with Aria. "You shouldn’t have come."Aria crossed her arms. "We both know you wouldn’t have waited if I didn’t."He exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair. He hated how right she was. He had been seconds away from going in blind, consequences be damned.Juan leaned again
Alejandro’s grip on his gun tightened as he stared at Miguel, his finger twitching near the trigger. The bastard had a gun to Aria’s head, and it took everything in him not to pull the trigger and damn the consequences."Drop your weapons," Miguel repeated, his smirk widening. "Or I put a bullet in her skull."Alejandro’s mind raced. His heart thundered against his ribs. He couldn’t risk Aria’s life, but giving up their weapons meant surrendering completely."Do it," Aria muttered under her breath, her eyes locking with his.His jaw clenched. He didn’t want to. Every instinct screamed at him to fight, to kill. But this wasn’t just about him anymore.Slowly, he lowered his gun and placed it on the ground. Juan did the same, his face twisted with rage.Miguel chuckled. "Smart choice." He shoved Aria forward, making her stumble toward Alejandro.Alejandro caught her instantly, his hands gripping her waist, steadying her."You okay?" he whispered, barely restraining the urge to turn and s
The night air had grown colder as Alejandro paced the small, dimly lit room, the walls pressing in on him like a vice. His thoughts were a blur, spinning in every direction as he tried to focus on the task at hand—finding Aria. Every inch of him was tense, every muscle tight with a fear he hadn’t felt in years. The world was closing in around him, and the woman he loved was caught in the middle of it all. His grip on the gun tightened, the cool metal digging into his palm, grounding him in the chaos.He had been here before, had faced down countless threats, and walked away from death with nothing but a bloody history to remind him of the price of power. But this… this was different. Aria wasn’t just collateral damage. She wasn’t a pawn in a game he could control. She was everything. The thought of her being hurt, of losing her—he couldn’t bear it.“I’m going to kill him,” he muttered under his breath, the words tasting bitter as they left his mouth.Alejandro wasn’t sure if he was sp
Alejandro paced the length of the hospital hallway like a lion trapped in a cage, his fists clenched so tightly the veins in his arms bulged beneath the sleeves of his shirt. Every inch of him screamed fury and desperation. Aria had been taken again, and this time it wasn’t just a rival cartel—it was someone closer, someone who knew how to disappear without a trace. Sophia stood nearby, her arms folded across her chest, her face pale but determined. “He won’t kill her,” she said softly, watching Alejandro carefully. “He wants something else—something deeper.”Alejandro’s eyes flicked to her. “If he touches her, I’ll tear his heart out with my hands.”Sophia didn’t flinch. She had seen the carnage Alejandro was capable of when Aria was in danger. But this time felt different. Alejandro was unraveling, not because he couldn’t control the situation—but because he was scared. Deeply, undeniably scared. That was something even he didn’t want to admit.“He’s not acting alone,” Sophia contin
The night hung heavy over the estate, thick with the scent of rain-soaked roses and the kind of silence that only follows after chaos. Alejandro stood at the edge of the veranda, his broad shoulders taut beneath the weight of the truth he could no longer ignore. His eyes scanned the gardens below, where moments ago, Aria had stormed off, her eyes glistening with pain and betrayal. The memory of her trembling lips haunted him. She hadn’t just been angry. She had been shattered. And it was his fault.Behind him, the door creaked as Jace stepped out, his movements quiet, cautious, as though afraid to disturb the storm brewing inside Alejandro.“She’ll come back,” Jace said softly, lighting a cigarette he didn’t really need. “She always does.”Alejandro didn’t look at him. “Not this time.”Jace sighed, leaning against the railing. “You didn’t tell her the full truth, did you?”“She doesn’t need to know everything.”“She’s not a child, Alejandro. She deserves to know what you did. What we
The rain hammered against the glass walls of Alejandro’s private suite as if the sky itself mourned what was left of the night. Aria stood barefoot near the window, her silk robe soaked along the hem, her arms wrapped tightly around her body, not from cold—but from disbelief. The echo of Valentina’s broken voice still rang in her ears, the truth of what she’d uncovered hitting harder than anything she’d ever imagined. Alejandro had lied. Again. Not just about the past—but about the very blood that tied them all together. Alejandro and Jace were half-brothers. And everything was spiraling from that one tangled thread.Downstairs, Alejandro paced like a storm bottled in human form. He’d read Valentina’s message ten times over, but the weight of it refused to sink in. Aria knew. She finally knew. And there was no version of the truth that would make it right again. He’d spent years manipulating the shadows, but now the light was burning through his lies, stripping him raw. He was no long
The sharp scent of blood still lingered in the air, soaked into the floorboards of the safe house like a curse no fire could burn away. The room was silent, too silent except for the faint dripping from a busted pipe somewhere in the back wall and the occasional groan of pain from the injured men sprawled across makeshift cots. Alejandro stood in the center of it all, shirtless, his side bandaged but his face unreadable. The world was spinning on a new axis now, one tilted by betrayal, vengeance, and the crackling tension between him and the woman whose presence still lit a fire inside him even in the darkest of hours.He hadn’t spoken since the boat. Not since the last body dropped into the sea and silence returned. Not since he saw the horror in Aria’s eyes when the bullet narrowly missed her skull. His arms had wrapped around her then, not because he had to because he needed to. Because every breath he took without her felt like an echo in an empty room.Aria sat on the edge of the
The sky was bruised with the colors of dusk as the safehouse lights flickered to life one by one, casting long shadows across the polished wooden floors. The quiet buzz of electricity hummed through the air, but inside the living room, the tension was louder. Alejandro stood by the window, his silhouette sharp against the crimson-stained sky. His arms were folded across his chest, but his posture wasn’t calm. It was coiled like a storm waiting to be unleashed.Aria watched him from the couch, her fingers gripping the throw pillow tightly. She had seen him silent before, even cold but this was different. His silence wasn’t an escape from emotion it was soaked in it. His eyes weren’t empty; they were burning. And the fire in them made her own chest ache.Valentina entered the room with two mugs of tea, one for Miguel who was finally beginning to look like himself again and one for herself. She paused briefly, her eyes flitting between Alejandro and Aria. There was something simmering be
The gunfire had stopped, but the silence it left behind was heavier than any explosion. Smoke curled in the trees, the scent of scorched leaves mixing with the acrid tang of gunpowder. Alejandro stepped forward, scanning the tree line, his jaw clenched. His finger hovered near the trigger, ready for a second wave. But none came.Just the eerie stillness.“They’re retreating,” Jace murmured, lowering his rifle. “That wasn’t a full hit squad. Just scouts. They were testing us.”Alejandro nodded grimly. “Santiago’s gauging how far we’re willing to go. But he’s about to find out we don’t break.”He turned toward Aria.She was crouched behind the jeep, breathless but sharp-eyed, her hand still wrapped tightly around the grip of her pistol. Her hair was windswept, her clothes covered in dirt, but there was fire in her gaze.“You didn’t listen to me,” Alejandro said as he walked over.“I didn’t have time to,” she replied, standing. “They were aiming at Jace. You would’ve done the same.”He s
The sun was only just beginning to rise over the sea as the boat finally coasted into the narrow inlet behind the safe house, hidden beneath a thick veil of jungle and rock. Mist clung to the trees like a breath held too long, and the cries of birds echoed somewhere in the distance, far too peaceful for what they had just survived. Alejandro’s grip on the steering handle loosened slowly, but the tension in his shoulders remained stiff, locked in place by the blood, gunpowder, and adrenaline still coursing through him. His knuckles were scraped, his shirt torn, and his eyes bore the weight of a hundred battles this one had merely added more shadows to the collection.Aria hadn’t let go of his hand since the last bullet had been fired. Her palm was warm in his, her grip steady, even though her breathing was still uneven and shallow. She hadn't cried. She hadn't screamed. She had fought sharp, fast, fearless. But he knew her silence wasn’t peace. It was survival. And survival always came
The safehouse was quiet, too quiet. Alejandro stood by the window, arms folded across his chest, his jaw tense. The candlelight flickered across his features, casting shadows that made him look more like a war general than a man trying to find peace. Outside, the world slept under a cloak of darkness, but inside these walls, no one could rest. Not really. Not with Santiago still out there. Not after everything they’d lost.Aria sat on the edge of the bed, her hands fidgeting in her lap. She could feel the storm building in him again, could hear it in the silence between his words, in the way he hadn’t looked at her since they arrived. He was slipping back into that place the one where he tried to bear everything alone. The place where he pushed everyone away, even her."You haven’t said anything since we got here," she said softly, not accusing, just tired.Alejandro’s gaze flicked toward her, the dim light catching the torment in his eyes. “Because there’s nothing left to say,” he mu