MasukKnox POV
When she wakes, I feel it right away, the shift in her body, the way tension hums under her skin. She’s waiting for it, the talk about rules, about what’s allowed now. I know it’s coming, but I’m not starting the day with it.
The baby can wait. The lists and limits can wait.
All I need from her right now is reassurance that if something feels wrong, she’ll tel
Echo’s POVFor a long while we just sit there, me holding her, my mind already racing ten steps ahead while my arms stay locked around her like she might vanish if I loosen my grip even a little. I’m planning everything, the ring, the wedding, the way I’ll brand her as mine so thoroughly no one will ever dare look at her wrong again. I won’t say any of it out loud yet. She’d freak out and bolt. I know her.“I’m sorry,” she whispers against my chest.“What do you have to be sorry for, Little Birdie?”“How I reacted. I should have waited to hear the truth before judging you.”I sigh and tilt her chin up so she has to look at me. “Less than twenty-four hours ago you were kidnapped by your ex. Of course your mind went into protect mode and painted
Echo’s POVShe’s holding me like I’m made of cracked glass, like one wrong breath will shatter me. I’m not fragile. I’m forged steel and old scars. But right now I let her hold me anyway, because it’s her.I need to know about the dead man walking who thought he could put his hands on what’s mine.“Who is James?” I ask, voice low enough to cut.She sighs against my chest, the sound heavy. “Clearly a psycho.”I wait. I always wait when I want the whole truth.“We dated for a few months,” she says finally. “He basically moved himself in without me ever agreeing. Checked my phone every night, read every message, every text. I ended it. He kept showing up, crying, begging, leaving flowers, sitting outside my flat at
Siren POV“Our parents weren’t the best,” Echo begins, voice low and measured, as though every word is a landmine he has to step around. “They took a lot of drugs. I was abandoned, literally left in an alley when I was three. I spent the rest of my childhood in care.”“Echo, just tell me,” I interrupt, exhaustion and anger bleeding into every syllable.“I am telling you,” he answers, eyes still locked on the floor. “But I need you to hear everything first.”I look away again, arms folded tight across my chest. If he thinks a traumatic childhood is going to excuse murder, he’s got another thing coming.“I was five when I started seeing my real mother again,” he continues, voice steady but laced with something raw. “She swore she was trying to get clean, but s
Davina/Siren POVShe’s already behind Echo, clinging to his arm, sobbing like a fucking Oscar contender.“She just went crazy!” Star wails, smearing blood across her cheek for dramatic effect. “She started hitting me, screaming that if I don’t leave she’ll kill me, that she’ll make sure every woman here stays away from you!”“What?” I bark, stepping forward.Echo looks from her to me, then back again his face unreadable. “Did it hurt?” he asks, voice calm.She nods, fake tears streaming. “Yes—”“Good,” he cuts in, ice-cold. “Now get your fucking hands off me.”“Echo—”“Don’t Echo me,” he roars, shaking her off like she’s diseased. “You think
Siren’s POVThe doctor leaves with her final warning ringing in my ears, no sex, no intercourse, no penetration, nothing like that for five days until the stitches have healed. I sit on the edge of the bed long after the door clicks shut, knees pulled to my chest, blanket clutched like a shield.I want to go out, want to see Vesper, Red, the others, but the thought alone makes my stomach knot. They all know about Echo’s punishment by now. They all know I’m the reason he bled. I should have refused him that night. Should have pushed him away. If I’d just said no, he wouldn’t have taken those fists for me.I stand, legs shaky, and decide to find him. I need to ask what my punishment is, because it wasn’t just him who broke the rules.I reach the door the exact second it swings open and star walks in.
Echo’s POVThe doctor should be here soon, so she needs to get up, get dressed, and get herself sorted. I should probably shower too; I still smell like blood and bad decisions.“You should get up,” I tell her, voice rough from sleep. “The doctor will likely be here soon.”I start to pull away, but her hand clamps on my arm like a vice.“You got hurt?” She grips my jaw, turning my face side to side, eyes widening as she takes in the bruises, the split lip, the cuts across my knuckles. Panic flares in her gaze. “This is my fault. James did this because of me.”My eyes widen. “James didn’t get a chance to lay a finger on me. This isn’t on you.”“Then why?” Her fingers trace the dark bloom across my ribs, feather-light and sha
Knox POVI’ve spent all damn morning either locked in church with the guys or alone, digging through anything I can find that might give us answers. Three hours of sitting around that table, every one of us pulling apart what litt
Danielle POV“Look, the women from the bondage club respect the Doms, the submissives, the brats, even the slaves. They understand rules, structure, and boundaries. They would never overstep by going after a man who’s already taken. But the women who hang around
Knox POVShe has no idea what she’s started. I’m watching her, waiting for the moment it hits, that quiet shift behind her eyes when the reality sets in. There’s always a catch. Always a moment when the illusion cracks, when y
Danielle POVHe moves with purpose now, fast and rough, carrying me across the room like he knows exactly what to do with me and doesn’t plan to ask permission. My body jolts slightly as he shoves me back against the heavy punching bag. The cold leather presses into my







