“Consider it done.” I pocketed my phone, then turned back to Alex...who was barely conscious, his mouth open, chest heaving, soaked in sweat and pain. “But first things first,” I said softly. “I need to make a call.” I stepped away from the bloodied chair and pulled out my phone. My hand didn’
LUCIAN I smiled as my words made Alex squirm. “I was hoping it would come to this,” I said slowly. My voice was calm, controlled, but inside me, everything burned. “It’s a good thing you didn’t disappoint me.” I turned to Ramon standing quietly behind me. “Is it ready?” He nodded once. “Ye
LUCIAN Earlier, when I opened my eyes, it felt like someone had driven a nail straight into the side of my head. The pain throbbed behind my eyes, sharp and unrelenting. I tried to sit up, but gravity—and the dull ache—pulled me back down to the bed. I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing thro
And in that moment, I realized something: Even if I didn’t remember our past, I was already beginning to fall for him again...one heartbeat at a time. I knew without a doubt that his arms felt like home. He held me like I was air...and he hadn’t breathed in years. He didn’t speak anymore, and ne
ESSENCE I was just about to close my eyes....maybe let myself drift into whatever that moment between almost-kissing and totally falling felt like—when Lucian suddenly pulled me into his arms again. His hug was warm. Unapologetically vulnerable. He held me like someone who had found something he
ESSENCE When Lucian looked at me with eyes full of emotions, he asked, “Are you okay?” I nodded, but the truth is...I wasn’t. My head was spinning, my heart couldn’t keep up, and my mind was trying to untangle so many lies from a single thread of truth. Still, I nodded, because it was all I could