로그인Gabriel's POV I was already inside the car before I realized I might have made the single greatest mistake of my life. Erica had tried to stop me, to warn me, but I couldn't just sit there. I couldn't wait for Scott or the police. The terrifying calm in Mr. Miller’s final statement on the phone....it wasn't a bluff. I had lied to Erica, telling her I needed to use the bathroom, only to sneak down the back fire exit and walk right into the trap."Your phone," the heavy set guard sitting beside me barked, holding out a scarred palm.I handed it over without a fight. The second it was out of my hands, another man leaned in from the front seat, pulling a thick black cloth over my head and tying a rope tightly around my wrists.A few agonizing hours later, the car finally ground to a sudden halt. Every muscle in my body was stiff and aching. Rough hands grabbed my shoulders, yanked off the blindfold, and shoved me out of the vehicle.The cold evening air hit my face, and a sudden, crippl
Gabriel's POV "So what do we do now?" I asked, looking across the polished surface of the table."Well, with the evidence we've got, we’re just going to send it all to the police," Erica said, leaning over a thick stack of printed documents. "We have more than enough to convict Mr. Miller."I nodded, resting my chin in my hand as I watched them. We were all seated around the long dining table, scheming on how to finally send Derek's murderous father to prison. They had been working on this for a week....well, them, obviously. I had just been locked up in this cage because Derek was so paranoid his father was going to send someone to finish me off."Where exactly is Derek again?" Erica asked, scanning the room."I’m not sure," I sighed, tapping my fingers against the wood. "I barely see him anymore. He just comes in, drops off food or checks on me, and then vanishes again.""Scott, I hope he’s still sticking to the main plan," Erica said, turning her head toward Scott, who was typing
Derek's POV "Hello?" I answered, my voice tired. "Derek, your men won't let us in," Erica snapped over the line. "Oh fuck, sorry about that. I am coming downstairs now." I cut the call and stood up from the mattress, heading toward the bedroom door. Before I could reach the handle, Gabriel rushed up behind me, his fingers desperately catching the tip of my shirt. His eyes were bloodshot and swollen red. "Derek, I am coming with you," he demanded, his voice thick with unspent tears. "Hey... have you been crying?" I turned around, reaching out to wrap him gently in my arms, but the moment my skin touched his, he flinched hard. "Let me go!" He aggressively yanked himself out of my embrace. "What have I done this time, Gabe?" I asked, throwing my hands up in genuine frustration. He paused for a second, his brown eyes glaring up at me with pure heat. "What haven’t you done? That should be the right question!" Gabriel barked, pointing a sharp finger right in my face. "You
Erica's POV I slumped onto my couch, my brain working overtime trying to digest or prepare itself for whatever storm was coming next. "Hey, Erica?" Mike called out, leaning forward in the chair beside me. "Yeah?" I answered without looking up. "What's our role in all of this?" he asked, rubbing his palms together nervously. "I mean... Derek is going on a full-blown war with his own father. We are basically just nobodies here..." "Are you scared?" I asked, turning my head to look him dead in the eye. "Well, a little! Isn't Mr. Miller one of the most powerful men in this whole city?" I straightened my spine, sitting bolt upright. "Mr. Miller killed his own wife. He partnered with Gabriel's twisted mother and had Gabriel kidnapped and tortured... Should I keep listing out his sins for you, or do you get the picture?" "I know, I know..." Mike sighed, holding up his hands defensively. "It's just... girl, we are here on full scholarships. If anything goes wrong, Derek and Gabriel h
Gabriel's POV I let out a low, ragged moan, my head thrown back against the mattress as Derek's large hands gripped my thighs, pinning me down. Every nerve ending in my body was on fire, overwhelmed by the intense, suffocating heat of him finally having me back. Nine months of absolute darkness erased in a wave of raw, possessive desperation. "Derek...." I gasped out, my fingers clawing helplessly into the bedsheets. He leaned down, his mouth brushing against my ear, hot and heavy. "You're mine, Gabe," he growled, his voice thick and dripping with a wild, dark energy. "Don't you ever fucking leave me again." "I won't..." My voice trailed off into a breathy gasp as he slammed back into me, relentless and brutal, the sound of skin against skin echoing in the quiet room. Before I could even catch my breath, he hooked his hands under my thighs, pulling me up as I instinctively wrapped my legs tight around his waist. He hauled me off the bed, backing me up until my spine slammed i
Gabriel's POV Erica and Mike were making the kind of noise in my hospital room I wish I could expel them out for. I stared at Derek, who was still sitting right by my side like a devoted husband who almost lost his wife to the hands of death. His eyes never really left me, tracking every tiny breath I took. "So what did I miss?" I asked, propping myself up against the stiff pillows. "Well, for starters... Derek here has gone into religious psychosis." Erica laughed, nudging Mike as they both mocked him. "Urghh, tell me about it," I muttered, glaring at Derek. He didn't even talk back at them. He just sat there, clutching those ridiculous wooden and silver beads, completely cussed out. But could I really blame him? He almost lost the one he loved to the hands of death. I watched his thumb nervously track over a smooth wooden bead, his jaw tight. Yeah, as soon as I got discharged... I would need to build my man back brick by brick. "Wait, where's Scott?" I asked, looking around t
Derek's POV Walking Brandon through my dad's stables felt like dragging my feet through broken glass. I stood by the pristine wooden stalls, watching him shove a handful of hay toward a thoroughbred horse. Brandon looked amused, smiling as the animal chewed from his palm. Every time he chuckled
Gabriel's POV The club’s bass was still thumping in my ears, a dull, bruised rhythm that made my brain feel like it was floating in gray sludge. The bouncers were stepping closer. One reached for Mike’s shoulder, his hand looking like a slab of raw meat. "DEREK!" I screamed. I didn't care how I
Gabriel's POV The dining room was too bright. It was all crystal chandeliers and polished mahogany, a world so sharp it felt like it was cutting me open. I sat there in that black silk shirt, the fabric feeling like a cold, expensive skin against my shivering body. I couldn't look up. If I did,
Gabriel's POV The water was getting colder, but the air in the tiny bathroom felt like it was boiling.I was pressed so far back into the corner of the shower stall that the grout was digging into my spine. Derek didn’t care. He stepped into the spray, the water slicking his hair back and making t







