LOGINTheo’s POVMarlo stood near the center of the warehouse looking entirely too relaxed for a man about to kidnap a child.Anabelle remained beside him, elegant even in tension, though the irritation on her face was impossible to miss.Mortis was the real problem. The man stood silently near Marlo with his hands behind his back, watching everything with those cold, unreadable eyes.Nothing about him felt careless or easy to fool, which meant if this plan failed, we were dead.Henry stood several feet away from them with his wrists restrained, trying hard to look braver than he probably felt but I noticed the slight trembling in his shoulders.The kid had just watched Ashley and Nick die and somehow, that guilt kept digging deeper into my chest.Marlo looked pleased with himself.“Well, I must admit, Theo, I underestimated you” he said smoothly while adjusting the sleeve of his expensive coat, I forced myself to give a small shrug.“You’re not the only one.”Anabelle scoffed immediately.
Michael’s POVThe warehouse remained cold and dim around us, the weak overhead light flickering every few seconds.Theo crouched in front of me, his face tense, his jaw tight, his eyes fixed on mine with an intensity that made my chest feel strange.“I’m serious,” he said quietly.I stared at him bitterly.“You expect me to believe you after all this?” I asked.His expression hardened slightly.“You don’t have a choice.”That only made me angrier and I jerked against the ropes around my wrists.“Don't you dare sound arrogant!”“I know,I'm sorry” he said, quieter this time.Something about how broken his voice sounded almost annoyed me more because it didn’t change anything.Nothing would bring Ashley and Nick back.I swallowed hard as their faces flashed through my mind again.Theo noticed the look on my face and lowered his eyes briefly.“I never wanted any of this to happen" he said and I laughed coldly.Theo slowly stood to his feet and dragged a hand through his hair.“You think I
Michael's POV The warehouse had become too quiet. The flickering light above us buzzed faintly, throwing uneven shadows across the concrete floor while cold air drifted through the broken windows high above.In front of me, Theo stood silently, watching me and somehow, that made everything feel worse, because now there was nothing distracting me from the hatred burning inside my chest.I stared at him coldly.“You happy now?”Theo’s jaw tightened immediately and I laughed bitterly.“Was this satisfying for you?” I asked.“Michael—”“No. Don’t say my name like you care" my voice cracked harsher than intended.Theo visibly stiffened then he took a slow breath.“I didn’t know he was going to kill them" he said.I looked at him with disbelief.“You brought Marlo Ramirez into our home.”“I was angry.”“And now they’re dead.”The words echoed sharply through the warehouse and Theo looked away briefly. For once, he actually seemed affected by what he’d done but I didn’t care anymore.“You b
Michael’s POVCold air drifted through the massive abandoned structure from broken windows high above us, carrying the distant sound of traffic somewhere far beyond the industrial district. Henry and I sat tied to metal chairs beneath a flickering overhead light. My wrists burned painfully against the rough restraints every time I moved.Henry looked worse. His face was pale from shock, his eyes red from crying, and there was dried blood near his lip from when one of Marlo’s men had struck him earlier.But what hurt most was the silence between us.Ashley and Nick were dead and neither of us knew how to survive that reality yet.Footsteps echoed through the warehouse and several men entered first then Marlo came through. Anabelle followed beside him elegantly dressed despite the filth of the place, her heels clicking sharply against the concrete floor.Mortis walked behind them quietly and Henry glared at him immediately.“You fucking bastard” he spat out.Marlo studied him quietly.
Michael’s POVThe living room felt suffocating beneath the weight of it all.The shattered remains of the front door lay scattered across the floor while Marlo’s men spread themselves throughout the house with terrifying precision, leaving no possible escape route.Years ago, I had grown used to this kind of atmosphere, but I had forgotten how truly helpless it made you feel when the people you loved stood in the line of fire too.My eyes locked briefly with Henry’s, fear burned behind his anger and that terrified me more than the guns did.“Don’t,” I said quietly the second I noticed him tensing again.Henry’s jaw clenched.“They can’t just—”“Henry.”My tone sharpened immediately.Marlo clearly noticed our conversation then his attention shifted fully toward Henry and he smiled.“Well, look at you” he murmured softly. Henry glared at him instantly.“Stop looking at me.”Anabelle scoffed under her breath.“So disrespectful.”Henry ignored her completely but Marlo, however, continued
Michael’s POVThe living room felt suffocating beneath the weight of it all.The shattered remains of the front door lay scattered across the floor while Marlo’s men spread themselves throughout the house with terrifying precision, leaving no possible escape route.Years ago, I had grown used to this kind of atmosphere, but I had forgotten how truly helpless it made you feel when the people you loved stood in the line of fire too.My eyes locked briefly with Henry’s, fear burned behind his anger and that terrified me more than the guns did.“Don’t,” I said quietly the second I noticed him tensing again.Henry’s jaw clenched.“They can’t just—”“Henry.”My tone sharpened immediately.Marlo clearly noticed our conversation then his attention shifted fully toward Henry and he smiled.“Well, look at you” he murmured softly. Henry glared at him instantly.“Stop looking at me.”Anabelle scoffed under her breath.“So disrespectful.”Henry ignored her completely but Marlo, however, continued
Ashley's POVI didn’t realize I had stopped breathing until the room tilted slightly around me. For a heartbeat, all I heard was a low humming in my ears, like my brain was desperately trying to get through the words Don Santiago had just said. They made no sense, they shouldn’t have made sense bu
Ashley's POV I had never hated the walk up to my apartment more than I did right now. Every step felt like fighting through guilt, dread, and exhaustion. I unlocked my door and stepped inside quietly, out of habit. Nick’s shoes were still by the corner, his denim jacket tossed carelessly over th
Michael's POVA few days had passed since the argument with Ashley, but the weight of it still sat heavy in my chest like a stone and it followed me everywhere.Even now, as I sat on the rug of the safe house living room, building a crooked tower of wooden blocks with Henry, my mind was nowhere nea
Fernando’s POV The echo of gunfire still rang faintly in my ears as I stepped over the fallen bodies, the smell of gunpowder clinging to my clothes. My chest heaved, not from exhaustion, but from the burning, insatiable anger that surged through me. Santiago’s retreating car disappeared into the







