MasukFernando's POVI didn't believe him, not completely. I had spent too many years sitting across tables from men who smiled while plotting my death.Mortis didn't strike me as any of those, which somehow made him even harder to read.The family restaurant buzzed with ordinary life around us and two men with enough blood on their hands to fill rivers sat in the middle of that peaceful scene discussing another criminal.I slowly cut into my breakfast without taking a bite. My appetite had disappeared several minutes ago.I looked at Mortis over the rim of my coffee cup."You understand why I don't trust you."He nodded immediately."I do" he replied honestly. "You expect me to believe you suddenly want to help me after everything?""Yes."I leaned back."That's asking a lot."His honesty irritated me almost as much as it intrigued me. Most men would've tried harder to sell the lie but Mortis simply accepted my suspicion.That either meant he was incredibly confident or incredibly dangero
Michael's POVI didn't go home, at least... not immediately.When I stepped out of Theo's front door, I made sure Roberto could see me walking toward the street. I even kept my pace steady, resisting the urge to look back.Only when I rounded the hedge separating our properties did I stop.My house stood directly opposite Theo's so normally, I would've crossed the street, gone inside, and tried to forget the strange conversation we'd just had but today wasn't normal.I leaned against the brick wall surrounding my yard and let out a slow breath.Something was very wrong.Theo had shouted at me, he had somehow known about Fernando and me and Roberto was just as suspicious with the way he was behaving regarding how I needed to leave so Theo could rest.I frowned as the image replayed in my head. I remember another thing that had stood out to me.The blood on his jacket hadn't been much, just a faint stain near his pocket, small enough that most people would've overlooked it but I hadn't.
Fernando's POVThe drive was painfully quiet. Mortis sat still, one hand resting casually on his thigh while the other tapped rhythmically against the door. His expression remained as unreadable as ever, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.I sat beside him, staring out of the passenger window.Ordinarily, silence never bothered me but today, however...It felt heavy.Every instinct I'd spent decades sharpening kept whispering the same warning, something isn't right.I discreetly adjusted the gun hidden beneath my jacket then Mortis finally smiled."We're here."I looked through the windscreen and Instead of an abandoned warehouse or Marlo's businesses, we had stopped outside a modest family restaurant.The sign hanging above the entrance was old but clean.Families were already seated inside, children laughing over pancakes while elderly couples quietly drank tea.I frowned."This is your meeting place?"The driver switched off the engine then Mortis smiled. "It'll be fun" he said.My
Theo's POVThe second those words left my mouth, I wished I could take them back.Silence swallowed the room and Michael didn't move, he didn't blink. He simply stared at me, the disbelief on his face cutting deeper than I had expected.My heart lurched painfully.Idiot.What had I just done?I had spent the entire morning trying to hide what I knew, trying to convince myself I could keep pretending until I figured out what to do. And then, because I had let my emotions get the better of me, I had blurted out the one thing I had promised myself I would never reveal.I looked away first. The shame of it burned hotter than my anger."Theo."Michael's voice was far too quiet.Slowly, I forced myself to meet his eyes again and his expression had changed. The shock was still there, but now it had been joined by suspicion."How do you know that?" He asked.I swallowed.My throat suddenly felt dry."I......It's not important" I replied. His eyebrows knitted together."Not important?"I shoo
Fernando's POVNick was looking at me as though I were a loaded gun that could go off at any second. Perhaps he wasn't entirely wrong.I held his gaze for another few moments before turning away.There was no point continuing the conversation. Nick had already made up his mind about me, just as I had made up mine.Nothing either of us said now would change that.I had barely taken two steps when I heard another voice."What's going on here?"I looked up to see Ashley walking into the hallway with her arms folded, her eyes moving suspiciously between Nick and me.She had clearly sensed the tension before either of us had spoken.Nick straightened immediately."It's nothing" he replied. Ashley raised an eyebrow."Really?"Neither of us answered then she looked from me to Nick again."You two looked like you were about to kill each other" she pointed out.I chuckled lightly."That's a bit dramatic" I said.She gave me an unimpressed look."With you? It really isn't" she shot at me.She
Michael's POVTheo's voice still echoed through the room."Sit down!"I stood there for several long seconds, unable to believe what had just happened. He had never spoken to me like that before, not once.We have definitely had moments where we were angry at each other and had shouted at the other, but there was something about the way he spoke this time that was very different from those other times.The silence between us grew heavier with every passing moment. Theo stared at me, and I could tell from the regret in his eyes that he hadn't meant to lose his temper but that didn't erase what had happened.I slowly straightened my posture."Theo, I don't appreciate being spoken to like that" I said, my voice was calm.He swallowed hard. He absolutely knew how much I hated being yelled at and for him to do the same thing was disheartening. "Michael..."I lifted a hand, stopping him before he could continue."I came here because I was worried" I said. He attempted to sah something, pos
Fernando's POVThe echo of my boots was the only sound in the hallway as I led Michael back into the drawing room. My hands were in my coat pockets, fingers twitching for the comfort of power. Beside me, Michael was silent. Tense. His brows were furrowed, his thoughts clearly tangled. I didn't sp
Fernando’s POVI kicked the tire of my car so hard it hurt. The echo bounced off the restaurant walls, turning a few heads in the dimly lit parking lot.They could stare all they want. None of them could understand what I was going through. My blood boiled under my skin, heat climbing up my neck,
Michael’s POVEverything happened so fast, and yet I remember it like a slow-motion nightmare.The door burst open with a loud, echoing creak that should have sent dread crawling down my spine. Instead, all I felt was a flutter of hope—until Risky staggered forward, his eyes wide with something li
Fernando's POV The taste of Michael lingered on my lips like something forbidden and intoxicating. I wasn’t sure what had come over me—no, that was a lie. I knew exactly what it was. Ever since the moment I woke from my coma and saw him again, something primal had returned. A hunger. A pull.







