LOGINElena
The door slams behind me. The sound echoes through the space like a gunshot. Everything about this place feels wrong. Cold. Empty. Dead. My eyes adjust slowly to the dim light as they drag me further inside, my shoes scraping against the concrete floor, the sound too loud in the silence. The air smells like rust and dust, something old and forgotten.
Abandoned. Of course. My heart pounds harder with every step, but I keep my head up. I refuse to let them see how bad it is,
Cillian Something feels wrong. I notice it before I even open my eyes. Instinct. The same instinct that kept me alive long before I became the man people fear now. The penthouse is quiet beside me, Elena still asleep against my chest, warm and soft beneath the blankets while early morning light spills across the room. Everything looks peaceful. But my body is already tense. My eyes open slowly. The feeling doesn’t disappear. Danger. Not immediate. Not loud. Worse. Subtle.I stare at the ceiling for a long second while Elena breathes softly against me. Then my phone vibrates on the nightstand. Declan. Of course. I answer quietly without moving too much. “What.”“Elena awake?”My entire body stills. “No.”“Good.”The word lands wrong instantly. I carefully slide out from beneath Elena without waking her fully. She shifts slightly with a sleepy sound, immediately reaching toward where I was.My chest tightens automatically. I lean down and kiss her forehead softly. “Be back in a minute
ElenaI wake up wrapped around Cillian like I’m trying to steal his body heat. Again.At this point, I’m starting to think it’s less of a choice and more of a survival instinct.The penthouse is quiet, morning light spilling softly through the windows while rain clouds hang low over New York City. One of Cillian’s arms is wrapped tightly around my waist beneath the blankets, his hand resting possessively over my stomach even in sleep.Always there. Always protecting. I stare at him for a moment. At the sharp jaw softened by sleep. Dark hair messy against the pillow. The faint bruising still lingering across his knuckles from Bellini. My chest tightens quietly. This man destroyed half the city for me. And somehow still holds me like I’m fragile afterward. It’s terrifying how much I love him. Like he feels me staring, Cillian’s eyes slowly open. Instantly finding mine. “There ye are.”My stomach flips softly. “Good morning.”His hand slides slowly beneath my shirt, warm fingers brushing
Cillian The second Elena walks into the bedroom wearing nothing except my shirt and that ring on her finger, I know I’m losing whatever control I had left. Completely. The city glows outside the penthouse windows, rain tapping softly against the glass while warm light spills across dark sheets and tangled blankets. Home. Christ.I still don’t fully understand how this place became that. Maybe because she’s in it. Elena pauses near the bed, fingers brushing through damp hair after her shower while my shirt hangs loosely off one shoulder, exposing warm skin and fading bruises that still make something murderous twist deep inside my chest. My eyes lock onto them automatically.Always. The marks are lighter now. Barely there compared to before. Still enough to remind me. Still enough to make rage live permanently beneath my skin. Elena notices exactly where I’m looking. “There’s the face.”I lean back slightly against the headboard. “What face.”“The one where you look like you’re planni
Elena The bookstore smells like paper, coffee, and safety. I forgot places could smell like safety. For weeks, every room I entered carried tension with it. Blood. Guns. Fear. Men watching exits instead of enjoying silence. But here? Soft music plays through hidden speakers while people wander quietly between shelves holding novels and coffee cups.Normal. The word feels strange in my chest. I stand frozen near the entrance for a second too long because Cillian immediately notices. His hand settles against my lower back automatically. “You okay?”“There’s the voice.” His thumb brushes lightly against my waist. “Elena.”I exhale slowly. “I’m okay.”Mostly true. Just overwhelmed. Because this is my first real outing since the kidnapping. First time outside the penthouse that isn’t a doctor’s appointment or armored SUV ride between secure buildings. And despite the normality surrounding us, there are still four armed men outside.Cillian insisted. Actually, insisted isn’t a strong enoug
Cillian I wake up before everyone else. Habit. Years of sleeping with one eye open and a gun within reach don’t disappear just because life suddenly starts looking dangerously close to happiness.The penthouse is quiet when I open my eyes. Soft morning light spills through the massive windows overlooking New York City, painting pale gold across the living room. Bodies are scattered everywhere. Blankets. Pillows. Popcorn on the floor.Ronan is half hanging off the couch with one arm dangling dramatically toward the carpet like he died in battle. Maya is asleep on the other side of the sofa with a blanket wrapped around her like a burrito. Sophia somehow ended up sleeping on the floor despite the existence of several expensive couches, and Liam… I pause.Liam is sitting upright in an armchair. Asleep. Still holding the remote. What the fuck. A rough breath almost escapes me. Closest thing to laughter this early in the morning.Then my attention shifts downward. Elena. Curled against my
Elena Sophia arrives with three bags of snacks, two bottles of sparkling juice, and the expression of a woman prepared for war. Maya follows behind her, carrying a blanket, a stack of movies, and one very serious-looking box of chocolate.I stare at them from the couch. “What is all this?”Sophia kicks the penthouse door shut with her heel. “Girls’ night.”Maya lifts the blanket proudly. “Non-negotiable.” I blink. Behind them, Liam appears silently, carrying two more grocery bags like he has been taken hostage.Sophia points at him without looking. “He volunteered.”Liam’s face stays blank. “I did not.”“He emotionally volunteered.” She retorts without looking at him.“That’s not a thing.”“It is now.” She says bluntly. A laugh escapes me before I can stop it. It pulls at my ribs a little, but not badly. Still, Cillian appears from his office doorway instantly. “What hurts?”I turn my head slowly toward him. “Nothing.”His eyes narrow. Sophia groans dramatically. “Oh my God, she lau
CillianI should stop. That thought is there. Clear. Sharp. Unavoidable. And I ignore it completely.My hand is still wrapped around her neck when she tries to pull away, her breath uneven, her lips still parted from the last kiss, her eyes flashing like she’s trying to gather herself back together
ElenaI don’t remember walking. I don’t remember leaving the dining room. All I remember is him. His hands. His mouth. The way everything inside me stopped making sense the second he pulled me against him like I belonged there.The world blurs around us as he carries me. My arms are still wrapped a
CillianI hear them before I see them. Heavy steps. Controlled. Familiar. Declan and Liam don’t enter a room quietly, not because they can’t, but because they don’t need to. Their presence speaks before they do. It always has. It always will.Ronan, on the other hand, is already grinning like a fuc
ElenaI don’t sleep. Not really.I close my eyes at some point, my body eventually giving in to exhaustion, but my mind never fully shuts off. Every sound feels too loud, every shift of light through the windows pulling me back to awareness like something is about to happen. I wake before I even kn







