Michael's POV The night was heavy with silence, the kind that presses against your skin like humidity. I lay on the soft mattress, my head cushioned against the warm fluff of Ashley’s guestroom pillows, but rest felt like a foreign concept. My shirt was off, and a thin blanket covered my legs. The faint murmur of voices downstairs filtered through the floorboards, but I couldn't make out the words. Probably Ashley talking to Nick. Probably about me.A soft knock came at the door.“Come in,” I said, voice rough.Ashley entered quietly, a small glass of water in one hand and a first aid kit in the other.“You’re going to be sore for a few days,” she said gently as she walked toward me, setting the water down on the nightstand.“I’ve had worse,” I muttered, though my body protested even that small admission.She sat beside me, dabbing antiseptic on a cotton pad. “Still hurts like hell though, doesn’t it?”I didn’t answer. She pressed the cotton to my wrist, and I flinched slightly.
Fernando’s POVThe clock on the wall glared back at me. It was 11:03 p.m but Michael still hadn’t come home.Across from me, Ashley paced. Her slippers made a soft, dragging sound against the hardwood floor. She had been pacing for over an hour, only breaking it to try calling Michael again, and again, and again.Each time, the call went unanswered.Each time, her worry seemed to deepen.“He’s still unreachable,” she said again, her voice hoarse with fatigue and frustration. She stared down at her phone, then pressed it to her chest like holding it close might somehow summon him home. “Straight to voicemail.”I nodded, trying to stay grounded—for both our sakes. “Could be his battery. Maybe it died. Or maybe he’s just somewhere with no signal. Parking garage or underground level or—”“Stop,” she snapped, turning sharply. Her voice didn’t match her usual calm. It was frayed and tired. “Stop making excuses.”“I’m not,” I said, slowly. “I’m just trying to be realistic. Jumping to the w
Michael’s POV Pain.It hit me in waves—sharp, stinging, relentless. The bullet hadn’t gone in, but it had grazed deep enough to rip through skin and flesh like a hot blade. My upper arm throbbed violently, and though I had managed to sit upright, the dizziness clawing at my vision made it feel like the room was swaying. Blood trickled steadily through the soaked fabric of my shirt. I was losing too much. Too fast.Across from me, Archer paced like a lion trapped in its own pride. His eyes wild, jaw clenched, no remorse, and no apology. Just bitter resentment and the stench of his own pride.“I think you’re some kind of hero, huh,” he muttered, kicking a wooden crate against the wall.“I’m not a hero,” I said through clenched teeth, suppressing a groan. My wrists were still bound behind me, but my voice, my pride, was free. “I took a bullet for someone i care about. You’re gonna throw a tantrum now?”He spun toward me, nostrils flaring. “Don’t act like a martyr, Michael. You’re the
Ashley’s POV It was already past 10 p.m. I stood by the window, arms crossed tightly over my chest, the soft hum of the city lights below barely reaching my ears. My mind was too busy spinning through a dozen worst-case scenarios. I kept staring out into the night like I was expecting it to bring him back. But it didn’t. Every tick of the wall clock behind me only tightened the knot in my stomach. Michael should have been back by now. Or at least, he should have sent a message. A quick text. A call. Anything. But there was nothing. His phone was unreachable. Completely off-grid. No ringing, no voicemail — just an empty, flat response like his device didn’t even exist anymore. That scared me. It would have scared anyone who knew Michael. He might have been out of active duty, but the habits drilled into us during FBI training never really left. Rule one: Always stay reachable — no matter how deep you’re in. Even during his most dangerous undercover operations, even when
Michael’s POV It was pitch black under the hood. It felt hot, stifling and suffocating. The van bounced over a pothole and I knocked the side of my head against Nick’s shoulder. He didn’t say anything—he hadn’t since we were put in here—but I could hear his uneven breathing through the fabric of the sack. Our wrists were tied tight behind our backs with some kind of rope. My fingers were already going numb. Sweat pooled at the base of my spine, and every breath I took tasted like old rubber and dust. “Michael?” Nick’s voice trembled. “Where are we going?” “I don’t know.” I tried to keep my voice steady. “But wherever it is, stay close to me. Don’t talk. Don’t do anything stupid.” I didn’t add that we were probably screwed. I didn’t want to scare Nick more than he already was. But I was fuming. I hadn’t even been together with Fernando in months—and somehow, here I was, hooded, bound, and kidnapped again. Because of him. Indirectly or not, Fernando had once again dragged m
Archer’s POV I saw him. Of all the places he could’ve gone, of all the streets in this godforsaken city, he chose this dull, unimpressive, low-end restaurant. But none of that mattered. Because he was there. Michael. Standing beside another man. “Why are you here?” Michael asked, his voice carrying across the distance between us, his eyes locking with mine. “You gonna talk or just keep staring like a creep?” Creep. That word sank into me like a needle. But I stepped forward anyway, one slow step after the other until I stood just a few feet from them, the faint scent of cheap oil and overused spices from the restaurant making me sick. Nick’s eyes scanned me curiously. “Michael… who is this?” Michael exhaled sharply and shoved his hands into his pockets. “That’s Archer.” I didn’t bother extending a hand. Nick gave me a once-over. “Archer? As in your boss Archer?” “I don’t care what my name means to you,” I cut him off, my eyes fixed on Michael. “I didn’t come here f