เข้าสู่ระบบThe heavy door to the third-floor master suite closed, shutting out the distant rumble of the club downstairs. Andreas stood by the wide leather couch, unbuttoning his vest with slow, deliberate movements. His mind was a dark place tonight. The stress of Tobi hunting for his weaknesses, paired with the chaotic fallout from Marco’s near-execution, had left a raw edge in his chest. He needed control. He needed something solid to hold onto, and the only thing th
The air in the lower levels of the club was always cold, but tonight it felt completely freezing. Arthur walked down the concrete hallway, his footsteps making a low, dull sound against the floor. The echo of the bass from the main stage upstairs was just a faint vibration under his boots. Down here, away from the neon lights and the loud crowds, the atmosphere felt heavy enough to choke him.Ever since Marco had been exposed as a informant, the entire basement level felt like a graveyard.Two guards were standing near the heavy iron door of the counting room, their cigarettes glowing in the dim light. They were talking in low, rough voices, but they didn't bother to stop when Arthur approached. Everyone was too on edge to care about small talk."I’m telling you, the boss was a second away from putting a bullet right between his eyes," the taller guard, Leon, said, shaking his head. "Marco was crying, begging on his knees. If the cops hadn't
The heavy door to the third-floor master suite closed, shutting out the distant rumble of the club downstairs. Andreas stood by the wide leather couch, unbuttoning his vest with slow, deliberate movements. His mind was a dark place tonight. The stress of Tobi hunting for his weaknesses, paired with the chaotic fallout from Marco’s near-execution, had left a raw edge in his chest. He needed control. He needed something solid to hold onto, and the only thing that could anchor him right now was the boy standing near the entrance.Arthur remained near the door, his eyes wide and dark as he watched Andreas. The tension from his encounter with Val downstairs was still written in the tight line of his shoulders, but in this room, under Andreas’s intense gaze, that anxiety shifted into something deeper, hotter."Come here," Andreas said, his voice dropping into a low, commanding register.Arthur took a slow breath, his feet moving
The music from the main floor was a low, heavy thud against the walls of the VIP dressing room. The club was packed tonight, the air warm and smelling of expensive perfume and alcohol. I stood in front of the mirror, my hands trembling slightly as I adjusted the collar of my shirt. The signature from Andreas was tucked safely into my pocket, but the victory felt small compared to the weight in my chest.I needed to clear my head. The stage was waiting, and the crowd expected Raine, not a boy drowning in panic over his missing brother."Look at you," a voice purred from the doorway.I froze, my eyes snapping to the reflection in the mirror. Valentine Cross was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. He had a cruel, amused smile on his face, his dark eyes tracking every movement I made."You shouldn't be in here, Val," I said, keeping my voice even as I turned around to face him. I let the mask slide into place, my face
Andreas sat in the back of his parked SUV, his large hands resting on his knees. The dark tint on the windows hid him completely from the dirty street outside, but he could see everything perfectly. The morning air in this part of the city was thick with gray smog and the smell of garbage. It was Tobi’s territory, the heart of the slums, a place where people lived in the shadows.Beside him, Dino adjusted his jacket, his eyes fixed on a small body shop across the road. "The guys just finished rigging it, boss. Tobi’s pride and joy. He keeps it in the back bay, but they rolled it out to the alley.""Good," Andreas said. His voice was low, vibrating with a cold, quiet anger that had been burning inside him since the night before.Tobi had crossed a line. Breaking into the villa’s perimeter was not just an attack; it was an insult. It showed that Tobi thought he could reach out and touch whatever Andreas tried to hide away. He thought he could threaten Arthur."Do you want to wait until
The drive back from the villa was dead silent. I stared out the window of the black car as the trees turned into crowded city buildings. My throat felt tight, and my head ached from the fight we had back in that guest room.I looked down at my hands. I felt like a prisoner, locked away like some project Andreas wanted to keep safe. But safety wouldn't find my twin brother. Safety wouldn't tell me where Asher was. Every hour spent sitting in that villa doing nothing was another hour my brother spent somewhere in the dark.The car finally pulled up to the back entrance of The Pit of Lust. The sun was just coming up, casting a gray light over the alley. The club was quiet, empty of the usual loud music and crowds, but the air still smelled like old smoke and expensive liquor.I grabbed my bag and stepped out into the chilly air."Raine," a guard said as I walked past the back doors. "The boss didn't say you were coming back today."I didn't look at him. I pulled my shoulders back and let
The fever had finally broke, leaving my sheets damp and my mind clear. The pain in my side was still there, a dull, steady ache that throbbed every time I breathed too deeply, but I could stand. I had forced myself out of bed, wrapped a clean dark shirt over the thick bandages, and sat at the desk in my bedroom.But I wasn't looking at the papers David had left for me. I was looking out the small side window that faced the courtyard.I had seen Arthur twice today. Both times, he walked with his hands deep in his pockets, his shoulders hunched, looking at the ground like he was trying to disappear. He had always been quiet, but this was different. This was the stillness of a animal right before it runs. He was guarded. Every time a guard walked past him, his body went rigid, and his fingers would twitch inside his pockets.He was hiding something. I knew that look. I had spent my whole life watching men try to hide things from me.A knock cam
Ash's POV I didn’t want to go back to The Pit. Not after the gunshot, not after Andreas’s warning, not after the weight of Dante’s emblem burned a hole through my pocket all night. But morning blurred into evening, and fear didn’t change the fa
The note I’d found in my locker felt like it was burning a hole through my pocket. Stop digging if you want your brother alive. Every time my hand brushed against it, a jolt of panic shot up my spine. Someone knew. Someone was in the room when I wasn’t looking, or they’d been watching me since the m
The elevator ride down felt like it lasted a lifetime. I could still feel the weight of Andreas’s hand on my chin, marking me. My head was a mess. I was supposed to be a spy, a ghost, a son looking for justice. Instead, I was a "private dancer" with a hangover and a target on my back.I made a beel
The first thing I felt was the warmth of the bed and a body pressed against me.Then I shifted, and the sheets slid against my bare skin. Reality didn't just walk in; it slammed the door.I was in Andreas Lionel’s bed.I froze, holding my breath. A heavy weight was draped across my waist, pinning me







