DERULO WAS

Alejandro stepped out of the room, carrying himself with that same effortless elegance. A man waited without a word, then turned, and Alejandro followed.

They descended through corridors illuminated only by scattered sconces, the silence stretching between them like a taut wire.

From the far corner of the hall, Enzo sat in quiet command, a half-empty glass of wine in hand. But when Alejandro appeared, his composure faltered. His gaze locked on him, unblinking, following the firm line of his jaw, the way even his stride carried an unspoken authority.

The black silk shirt clung to Alejandro’s frame, smooth as water over stone, its folds catching the faint light. The top buttons were left undone, revealing the hard plane of his chest and the sharp edge of his collarbone. Sleeves rolled to the elbow bared forearms roped with veins, strength written into the shape of them.

The trousers hugged the hard lines of his body, pressing close to powerful thighs that flexed with every step. Each movement revealed the sculpted outline of his calves, polished shoes striking the floor with a measured click that sounded more like a warning than a rhythm.

The cut of the fabric left little to the imagination, framing the round curve of his ass with sinful precision. His waist tapered into the narrow pull of his belt, cinched with deliberate sharpness, a cruel reminder of just how dangerously well-built he was.

"Even the veins in his hands traced across his skin like deliberate strokes, the cuff brushing against a watch that caught the glow of the chandelier."

For a long moment, silence stretched. The world seemed to hold its breath, leaving only Alejandro’s steady steps and the weight of Enzo’s stare.

Alejandro’s eyes finally met his. “You’re staring.” His voice was calm and steady, cutting through the spell.

Enzo’s lips curved into a slow, deliberate smirk, though the heat in his chest betrayed him. “And you’re impossible to ignore.”

“Every detail of your body demands attention. Every line of your clothes whispers power, sex, and danger. For the first time in years, I feel my control slip.”

“You said you had something to show me,” Alejandro muttered, voice low. “What is this?”

“You’ll see soon enough,” Enzo replied smoothly. His eyes flicked back to Alejandro, a spark of mischief hidden in their darkness. “But be prepared. What I reveal will change everything… including how you see me.”

---

They stepped through a steel door that opened to the outside. The night air rushed at Alejandro, cool and biting, heavy with the smell of damp earth and growing things. Enzo moved ahead with long, certain strides while Alejandro trailed behind, senses coiled tight.

The farther they went, the fainter the city became. Its hum dissolved into rustling leaves, into the lonely cries of unseen creatures.

Alejandro’s instincts bristled as they walked deeper.

At last, they broke into a small clearing where an old structure crouched under vines and shadow. Enzo stopped, his gaze fixed on the building.

“What is this place?” Alejandro asked, his hand brushing instinctively toward his hip—only to curse the absence of his weapon.

For the first time, Enzo’s composure shifted. His face looked haunted, as if even he dreaded the secret inside.

“This,” Enzo said slowly, “is where Derulo began. His empire was born here. And it’s also where it will end.”

Alejandro frowned, his chest tightening. “What are you talking about?”

Enzo stepped closer, lowering his voice. “You want Derulo behind bars. I want him destroyed. But the truth runs deeper than you imagine.”

He pushed open the creaking door. Inside, the air reeked of dust, mold, and something older. Alejandro followed, his pulse quickening, every nerve stretched thin.

The dim light revealed photographs pinned to the walls, maps marked in sharp ink, names scribbled with violent strokes. Faces Alejandro recognized from FBI files stared back at him.

And at the center, beneath a single bulb, a photograph of himself that caused him to freeze.

“What the hell is this?” His voice broke into a whisper.

Enzo’s answer came low, almost reverent. “Derulo has been watching you for years, Alejandro. Every step, every case, every move. You thought you were the hunter. But you’ve always been the prey.”

Alejandro’s heart hammered. The sight twisted everything he thought he knew. For the first time, he realized he wasn’t caught between Enzo and Derulo.

He was already in their game.

Enzo’s steady gaze bore into him, his expression masked in cool indifference that only served to heighten the tension.

Time felt distorted, but it was only when Enzo’s voice broke through the silence, low and deliberate, that Alejandro realized he’d been holding his breath.

“I’ve been with Derulo from the very beginning.”

The words landed like a blow, and Alejandro's pulse quickened. His mind raced to make sense of it all, but before Enzo could say another word, Alejandro cut in, his voice sharp, demanding, “Tell me everything.”

Enzo’s eyes flickered, a slight shift in his expression, but he said nothing at first. Instead, he took a slow step forward, the faintest of smiles tugging at the corner of his lips as he approached Alejandro.

Alejandro’s breath caught, the space between them now so small it felt like their lips might brush with the next word. Enzo stopped just within reach, his voice dropping to a whisper that only Alejandro could hear.

“Only Derulo is the one who could do this.”

The words hovered in the charged space between them, and Alejandro felt something stir in his chest, a dangerous mix of confusion and desire.

Enzo’s eyes never left his as he leaned in closer, his lips almost grazing Alejandro’s ear, the heat from his breath sending a shiver down Alejandro’s spine. “That’s why you have to go back to him.”

Alejandro’s mind screamed for clarity, but he asked, his voice hoarse, “Where?”

Enzo’s gaze held his, intense and unyielding, before he answered, each word deliberate, a final thread in the web of their intertwined fates.

“To Derulo.”

At those words, Alejandro’s eyes widened in disbelief. His chest tightened as the weight of Enzo’s words settled in. The cold, detached look on Enzo’s face made everything feel far too real and far more dangerous than Alejandro had ever anticipated.