I woke up feeling tired and grumpy. I sighed and swung my legs over the bed frame and grabbed an almond candy and popped it into my mouth. I had completely ravaged the guy yesterday, to his surprise. I was sure it wasn’t everyday he got a client who had a sex drive as mine. After paying him, and getting home I had instantly crashed, worn out and tired.
There that’s better. I sighed as the almond candy hit my taste buds I stared at the digital clock on the wall and I cursed. 9:46? How long did I sleep? I grabbed my toothbrush and hurriedly scrubbed at my teeth, by the time I was done in the shower and fully dressed it was already past ten. I stared at myself in the mirror and I shook my head. This skirt needs to be shorter, maybe if Mark sees my full butt in a tight skirt that annoying fatherly resolve would break. I smiled to myself and slipped out of the skirt and into another shorter and tighter one. I even changed the blouse into something that packed my cleavage together. There, this should torture him a bit. I grinned and tied my hair into my usual ponytail style. My phone buzzed and I stare at the message; it was from Nathan, the fucker. Where was him when I needed someone to fill me up. I ignored the message and my phone started ringing and I sighed in annoyance. I picked on the third ring. “What is it Nathan?” I asked and he sighed, his voice was raspy on the other hand. “Just saw your missed calls Miss Wesley, you got any job for me?” He asked and I scowled. I put the phone close to my ear and reached for the door knob. “Where the Fuck where you at yesterday?” I asked as I locked the door to my apartment and headed for where I parked my car. “Pleasing a client, you’re not the only one you know” he said and I clicked my tongue. “I feel offended, I thought you had eyes for only me” I joked and he laughed. I smiled, Nathan was also a friend as well as he was my solution to my raving needs. We used to go a long way back. “I am sorry, okay, next time. I’ll leave whatever I am doing and come to you. Even if I am about to…….you know” his voice was full of mirth and I chuckled. “Yeah, do that. I’ll see you later Nathan. I’ll call you” “Okay Miss Wesley” his reply was gruff. “Sage” I corrected. “Miss Welsey” he said stubbornly and I clenched my teeth. “Fuck you Nathan” I said and cut the call but not before I heard him laughing. Damn prig liked messing with me. It’s a wonder how we even get intimate. The ride to work was just a blur, I tore through the highways, blaring Tina Turner on the radio as I drove. Beth was so going to kill me, she was an early bird and hated when I came late. As for Mark, I didn’t know how he would react which was what scared me the most. Would he be angry? Disappointed? Punish me? Punish me. The thought passed through my head like a siren’s whisper. I shook my head. Concentrate Sage, you’re fucking driving I slammed the brakes as soon as I drove into the company’s driveway and I literally ran up the stairs. I ran through the long hallways and stumbled into someone. Someone strong, someone hard, someone male. I look up to find Mark's handsome face staring down at me. He smelled so good. I sniffed and his bright green eyes flickered to mine, I couldn’t tell if he was annoyed that I came late or I just sniffed like a dog. “You’re late” his voice was oddly calm and I stared at him. He was supposed to be annoyed with me, most bosses I knew would have thrown me out, the former one included. “I am sorry sir….I……” “Mark can do little bird, enough to with the formalities already” he said and I stared at him, surprised. “But you’re my boss” I ground out and he raised one elegant dark brow. “Bullshit” he said and my mouth dropped open. Did he seriously just say that? “Well I am still sorry Mark, I was all preoccupied with things yesterday” I said and he stared at me. Pls don’t look at me like that, it’s doing wicked things to me “Mind if I ask what preoccupied you yesterday. That made you come late, the reports showed that you were always early” he asked and I shrugged. Maybe you should know. “Sex” I answered and his green eyes roamed my face as if trying to see if I was messing with him. “I see” he gulped, “Wanna have coffee, I am sure you didn’t have anything for breakfast before coming here” he added and I nodded. Oh we’re just starting sir. I won’t stop until you’re inside me The rest of it was awkward, at least to him. I didn’t mind one bit. I watched as he did coffee from a counter at far end of his office. The office was spacious, too spacious. It looked like he had the office renovated. I walked up to the huge city view windows and watched as Miami thrived. “Like the view?” He asked and my perverted mind thought something else. I shook my head to clear those thoughts. “It’s good,” I said, taking the coffee he handed to me. “I can have your office done like that too” he said and I shook my head. “You’ve done enough Mark. This would be too much” I said softly and he smiled. “Too much? It’s nothing. I can still………” “Why are you doing all this?” I interrupted and he paused. He stepped closer, dwarfing me with his towering height. I forced my head back to stare at his face. Did he seriously have no idea what he was doing to me? “I wasn’t there for you when your dad’s family came for you. Won’t let it happen again, I would be there anytime for you” he smiled and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes. No, no, no. I pleaded, but my pussy didn’t listen. It floodedMark’s POVIt felt weird wearing real clothes again.I stood in front of the mirror, tugging my shirt down, running my fingers through my hair like that would magically fix the bags under my eyes or the faint scar still healing on my jaw. I didn’t recognize the guy staring back. He looked tired, lighter maybe….but definitely tired.“You look good,” Sage said from the bed, her legs curled under her, she had a book in her lap, something she had started doing lately, reading.I turned to her, she hadn’t even looked up. “You didn’t even see me.” I pointed out, I could tell she was trying so hard not to smile.She flipped a page. “I don’t need to. I can feel it.” She said and I nodded and grinned. “You’re full of it.” I chuckled. She finally glanced up, smile small but honest. “Still true though.” She replied.I walked over, bent down, and kissed her forehead. “Be back in an hour. Maybe two.” I said. She looked up at me like she wanted to say something—then just nodded and said, “Tex
Mark’s POVIt had been three weeks. Three long, quiet, strange weeks, no gunfire, no ambushes, no blood.Just silence.And for the first time in what felt like forever, I could breathe.But it didn’t feel right.The world didn’t go back to normal. It just… slowed down and maybe that was worse. Because in the quiet, I remembered everything. Her face. The threats. That damn cell where Sage and I were given a death countdown like we were in some twisted game show.And Alice.Yeah. Her too.I couldn’t forget the way she broke down, not even when I tried. I saw her everywhere—in my sleep, in the shower, sometimes when I closed my eyes for too long.But I wasn’t angry anymore.Just tired.Sage stayed with me the whole time. She didn’t talk much about what happened. Didn’t force me to either. She just made coffee in the mornings and put clean bandages on my shoulder. She’d fall asleep on the couch with a book on her lap, and I’d watch her like she was the last good thing I had left.And mayb
Mark’s POVThe halls were half-lit, quiet, but my blood roared too loud in my ears to care. I didn’t know where she went. I didn’t care. I just knew she was still here. Somewhere in the belly of this godforsaken place.Alice.I stalked through broken doors and bodies, past empty rooms and shattered glass, my boots echoing off the floor like war drums. I didn’t stop. Not even when Hector’s voice buzzed through the comms, telling me to wait, to breathe.There was no time.She ran from this.She lit the match and ran, like she always did.And I was going to finish what she started.I hit the basement level when I heard something—bare feet slapping tile. Fast. Panicked.I turned the corner just as she did.And there she was.Alice.Hair wild, blood on her cheek, eyes like a wild animal.She stopped. We stared at each other for a second, maybe less. Her eyes narrowed and she yanked the gun from her waistband.I moved faster.Before she could pull the trigger, I charged her and slammed her
Mark’s POVThey dragged us back to the cell like we were trash.Sage was quiet beside me, her hand in mine, trembling just a little. I knew she was trying to be strong for me. I could feel it in the way she gripped my fingers, in the tight set of her jaw. But I’d known her long enough to tell—she was barely holding it together.I was too.Because even though I told that bastard Vincent I’d never touch Alice, the threat still lingered. And every second we stayed here, I knew we were running out of time.That’s why I didn’t waste any.The moment they locked us in, I dropped to my knees and pulled the small tracking chip from inside my boot. One of the guards hadn’t noticed when I yanked it off a body on the walk back. Idiot had it half-hanging off his belt.I cracked open the casing with my teeth and yanked the wire free. Thank God Hector taught me enough back in our black ops days to reroute the signal manually.Sage sat in the corner, watching me. “What is that?”I looked up briefly,
Sage’s POVI wish time had stopped in that cell.Just me and Mark. Quiet. Close. Breathing the same air. His skin still warm against mine, his heartbeat steady beneath my ear. We didn’t sleep—how could we? We just held each other, like maybe if we stayed that way long enough, the world would forget about us.But the world didn’t forget.The guards came right as the sun broke through the bars. Boots stomping. Keys jangling. Orders barked.I didn’t let go of him. Not until they dragged me off him. I screamed. Fought. But they were stronger. Colder. And I could still hear Mark shouting my name as they shoved me into a hallway that smelled like metal and death.They marched us through winding corridors. Dim lights. Concrete floors. Cameras on every wall. I had no idea where we were. Some underground fortress. A dungeon, maybe. One of a million places Vincent DeLuca could hide bodies where no one would ever find them.When they finally pushed us into a wide, open room, I almost collapsed.
Sage’s POV I woke up to the sound of breathing.Not loud. Not labored. Just… steady. Close.My head ached. My wrists burned. My knees felt like they’d been dragged over glass. And for a second, I thought I was dreaming. That I was still back in my apartment. Or in Beth’s car. Or on the floor of Hector’s garage while we were trying to track down Alice’s crazy ass.But then I opened my eyes.And there he was.Mark.Sitting against the far wall of a cell, hands on his knees, shirt stained with something dark—maybe blood, maybe sweat, maybe both. His lip was busted. His hair stuck to his forehead. And even like that—messed up and barely hanging on—he looked like home.My whole body hurts.But my heart? It cracked open the second I saw him.“Mark,” I whispered.His head snapped up.And then he was in front of me.His hands cupped my face so gently I almost cried. “Sage,” he breathed. “Jesus, are you okay?”I nodded, even though I wasn’t.I was bruised, scraped, probably concussed. But non