Fernando’s POV The sun had risen like an unwanted truth.Its golden light crept slowly over the horizon, shining at the edges of Archer’s private beach house and it looked imposing just standing there.The sea behind it glistened with a annoying kind of calmness, a shimmering reflection of a world that did not belong to me. I stood with one shoe in the sand, staring at that damn house like it had whispered something cruel to me in a dream. The air was cool, salted, and tense with everything I didn’t want to face but I had to because if it wasn’t unchecked, it might happen again.Behind me, tires crunched on gravel and doors slammed as Marlo, Emilio, Mortis, and the rest of my men exited the vehicles. We came in a convoy of black, bulletproof cars like armored wolves circling a rabbit’s den. Our arrival had been deliberate, loud, and unmissable, the kind I was accustomed to instead of being calm.If I was going to show up at Archer's door, I wasn't going to do it quietly.Marlo su
Archer’s POV The waves were restless today. It was not the kind that soothed or whispered you into calm—their crashing roared against the jagged rocks like fists, like threats. The bright morning sun painted a golden slash across the ocean, reflecting light into the wide glass windows of my beach house. But even that light made me uneasy. I hadn’t slept. I actually couldn’t sleep no matter how hard I had tried all night. And not because I wasn’t tired. No, I was bone-tired, worn out, and frayed, but my mind wouldn't shut off. It spun like a carousel, flashing memories I couldn’t scrub from my brain no matter how many glasses of scotch I drank. Michael’s face, twisted in panic as the bullet collided with his flesh. The bruises on his skin when I pushed things too far. Suddenly, I started to get all up in my head into what was going to happen anytime now. I could almost visualise the look in Fernando’s eyes when he realized what I had done. No. There was no time to rest e
Michael’s POV I wasn’t asleep.I hadn’t slept all night, if I was being honest.I laid there on the bed, my eyes closed, heart pulsing in the quiet dark like a slow drum. Every breath Fernando took from the floor beside me echoed in my chest. Shallow, soft inhales. A little uneven, like maybe he hadn’t slept either. And I knew, I knew it was because of what I said.That it was a mistake.The words kept replaying in my head, over and over, as if they were etched into the ceiling. My voice, distant and detached. “It was a mistake.”Fernando hadn’t said anything after Ashley caught us in the kitchen, mouths still tingling from the kiss. His eyes had just… changed, hardened. And without a word, he grabbed a pillow and laid it down on the floor, as far from me as he could get. No argument. No drama.Just silence.And it was that silence that screamed the loudest.So I lay there, pretending to sleep, pretending not to hear the soft sounds of his shifting, or the quiet sighs that I knew
Fernando's POV The cold hardwood floor was the first thing I became aware of when I opened my eyes. That, and the pain screaming across my lower back. I groaned, shifting just a little, but it sent a shock of discomfort straight up my spine. My blanket had twisted around me in the night, tangled and half off my body, the pillow barely doing anything for my neck. “Fuck,” I muttered under my breath. “Great idea, genius.” Sleeping on the floor had felt like a power move last night. Dramatic, final, and righteous. After Michael called our kiss a mistake in front of Ashley, I couldn’t just crawl into the same bed as him and pretend it didn’t sting like hell. But now, with the light of morning crawling in through the blinds and my entire body aching like I had been in a car crash, the gesture felt a lot less poetic. I sat up, wincing. My joints popped like old wood under pressure. Michael was still in the bed, turned away from me, the blanket tucked around him like a cocoon. His ch
Michael's POV The kitchen light above flickered once, like it was struggling to catch its breath, and then glowed steadily. Cold air drifted from the half-open refrigerator, brushing against the sweat on my back. My hands were still clutched around the glass of water, but I hadn’t taken a single sip. Fernando was standing way too close—his breath, warm and fast, brushing against my cheek. His hand had just been on my chest a moment ago. I hadn’t pushed him away immediately. And that was the part I hated the most. I heard her before I saw her—bare feet slapping against the hardwood floor, fast and angry, like a storm coming. The moment I turned, I knew we were caught. Ashley stood at the kitchen entrance, her arms crossed over her chest, her sleep shirt hanging off one shoulder. Her dark eyes flared with fury, and her voice cracked like a whip. “What the hell is happening here?” My whole body went cold. “Shit,” Fernando muttered. I shoved him back instinctively, as if put
Fernando's POV The moment our lips collided, everything else disappeared. Michael tasted like fire and memory. His mouth moved with such stubborn defiance—like he was trying to punish me, prove a point—but I knew the rhythm. I knew the way he kissed when he was angry. It was deep, desperate and needy. And I gave in like I always did. Our bodies pressed together in the tangle of sheets, breaths coming in hot and fast. My hand was still on his waist, fingers trembling as I gripped the hem of his shirt and slowly pushed upward. He didn’t stop me. Not yet. God, I had missed this. I had missed him. I missed the way his skin warmed under my touch, the way he made that little sound when I kissed the corner of his mouth, like he wanted more but didn’t want to admit it. He pulled back slightly, just enough to see his face. His eyes were dark with something dangerous—desire, fear and frustration. “You should’ve told me to stop,” I whispered. “You should’ve never started,” he shot