WOLF ON A LEASH

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• THE DEVIL’S CHOKEHOLD    DUE TIME

  ONE YEAR LATER ROB’S POV “Rob?” I turned. Vanessa stood in the doorway wearing a short robe and that same smile she always used when she wanted something. “Hey babe,” I said. “There’s breakfast,” she added as she leaned in and kissed me. “Julian made coffee.” I nodded but didn’t move. She walked over and sat on my lap. “You haven’t been sleeping again. You’re scaring me.” “I’m fine.” “You’re not,” she said. Her voice was soft but strained. “You wake up angry. You keep going outside at night. You look at things like they’re supposed to remind you of something.” I didn’t respond. “You haven’t let yourself move on.” “From what?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer. “From the accident.,” she said. “It’s been a year and you’re still stuck in that space.” That was because something wasn’t right. There was this numb ache in my chest that never went away, like something important had been ripped out, but I couldn’t figure out what. “I will in due tim

• THE DEVIL’S CHOKEHOLD    I KNOW MY RIGHTS, DETECTIVE

  BIANCAI got to New York after traveling for what seemed like forever. My mansion smelled like dust and silence.My heels clicked softly against the hardwood as I zipped up the last suitcase. The room was still full, but my life was gone from it. Clothes, books, and case files I once obsessed over. What used to make me feel powerful now felt like a weight. Every corner held a memory of him.Rob was alive. He just didn’t remember me.He’d asked who I was. Even referred to me as the nurse. He looked at me with those same eyes but none of the heat, none of the war, none of the us.I swallowed hard and zipped the final bag shut.Luckily, I’d been saving money in an offshore account for emergencies. It should be running into $300 million.It was enough to last me forever once I disappeared for good. No one would trace me. Not even him if he tried. But I knew he wouldn’t.I was forgettable after all. I've always been replaceable, dismissible. He proved that didn’t he?The ring still circl

• THE DEVIL’S CHOKEHOLD    PAYING THE COST OF LOVE

  BIANCAWe had to stop at a port nearby but outside Italy’s borders so Victor can’t reach us. The captain was handing over some papers to the local customs officers and they scanned through them. “What’s wrong with that one?” One asked. “He’s seasick. He needs urgent medical attention. I think he’s also allergic to saltwater,” Julian said. He nodded and eyed us suspiciously. I walked behind Marco and Julian as we walked down the ramp. I could still feel the officers eyes on me but pretended like nothing was wrong. We had covered Rob’s bullet wound so they didn’t ask too many questions. “We will have to stop a taxi,” Julian said and Marco walked away to get one. The place was less crowded than I imagined. Fruit sellers sat under the tree's shade and some kids, maybe theirs, were playing close to the shore. Soon, Marco came back with a taxi. We got in but he didn’t. He wasn’t supposed to even come on the ship with us but he was forced to by Victor’s men. I waved him goodbye a

• THE DEVIL’S CHOKEHOLD    REGRET

  BIANCAFLASHBACK ENDSI kept rolling the ring around my finger like it could turn back time.The ocean whispered beside us, calm in a way that felt insulting like it hadn’t watched everything fall apart just hours ago.It felt like the calm after a storm, only more broken. Julian sat next to me on the deck. Legs stretched out, shirt untucked, eyes on the horizon like maybe it would answer for the things he couldn’t say.“He’s stable,” Julian said like I didn’t hear him the first time.I didn’t look at him. Just kept rolling the ring.“Do you want to see him again?”“I’ve seen enough,” I said quietly.He nodded and we sank back into the heavy silence. “I’ll stay with him throughout. But we need to make a stop to get him medical attention.”“No. You’ve been helping us all this while,” I said. “You don’t have to anymore.”“I want to.”The wind picked up. It was cold and wet. The kind that clung to your clothes and bones and memories.Julian sighed. “He wouldn’t want you to do this to y

• THE DEVIL’S CHOKEHOLD    I SHOULDN’T HAVE TRIED

  Bianca Blood. Too much blood. It soaked into his shirt, my hands, and the dock beneath us. “Rob!” I dropped to my knees. My hands pressed into his chest like I could stop the bleeding with nothing but will. His blood was too hot and I felt it seeping through my fingers. His eyes were still open but barely. Once again, he didn’t hesitate to risk his life for mine. “No, no, no. Stay with me. Stay the fuck with me,” I begged. “You said you’d always be there for me. Don’t you fucking die on me now!” Julian’s voice barked orders behind me. I couldn’t hear what. Couldn’t breathe past the scream stuck in my throat. Rob’s lips moved, but no sound came out. I leaned in. “Go,” he mouthed. “No. I’m not leaving you!” Marco appeared from behind, grabbing my shoulder. “We have to move…” “Don’t touch me!” I snarled, curling over Rob’s body. “Don’t you dare—” “He’s not dead!” Julian shouted. “We can still save him, but not here! We need to move!” Then arms wrapped around me, Marco

• THE DEVIL’S CHOKEHOLD    I WANT TO TRY

  The world outside the room was still dangerous, but for a brief second, this couch in a blood-soaked building felt like a sanctuary.We lay tangled together, no longer naked but not quite put back together either. I wore a simple black top and jeans that clung too tightly to my thighs. Rob’s shirt was unbuttoned at the top, his cheek slightly red where I’d slapped him, his pulse calmer now but still strong beneath my cheek. His fingers brushed my cheek. “You okay?” he asked, quieter than before. I nodded, but my throat tightened. “Are you?” Rob exhaled, eyes on the cracked ceiling. “No. But I will be. As long as you’re with me.” “Don’t say that,” I said. “Okay, but it’s the truth.” He kissed my temple. “I should not have done that anyway.” “It’s not…” “No. It’s true. I probably put you under pressure unconsciously. And I’m sorry.” I turned away so he didn’t have to see the tears forming in my eyes. “B, look at me,” he said softly. I shook my head and he didn’t pre