MasukLeoThe next four weeks are intensive in Murray Enterprises. Malcolm walks me through their entire operation—shipping routes from Rotterdam to Baltimore, container tracking systems, customs broker relationships, distribution networks that span three continents.On the surface, it's all legitimate. Textiles from Italy, electronics from South Korea, machinery from Germany. Standard import-export operations for a mid-sized company with good relationships and efficient logistics.But I'm trained to see the gaps. And once I start looking, they're everywhere.Shipments that take circuitous routes through multiple ports when a direct route would be faster and cheaper. Containers whose weights don't match their declared contents. Clients whose ordering patterns make no sense for their stated business type. Payments that route through shell corporations in the Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Singapore.I photograph documents when I'm alone in the office after hours. I memorize client names and accoun
LeoThe phone rings at 11 PM on a Tuesday, jerking me out of a half-sleep on my couch. I've been going through surveillance photos for the past four hours, and my eyes burn with exhaustion.Fernandez Murray's name flashes on the caller ID.I sit up immediately, adrenaline clearing the fog from my brain. In the two weeks since I asked Olivia to help me get close to her father, he's barely acknowledged my existence beyond a curt nod at a family dinner. Now he's calling me directly, late at night."Hello?""Liam." His voice is rough, like he's been drinking. "Olivia says you want to learn the family business. That you want to prove yourself.""Yes, sir. I do.""Why? You some kind of ambitious social climber? Trying to marry into money?"The directness catches me off guard. Most people dance around accusations like that. "No, sir. I'm trying to show you I'm serious about your daughter. That I'm not just some guy who's going to disappear when things get difficult."A pause. I can hear ice
LeoNicholas calls at six in the morning, which means it's important. I'm already awake, running through case files at my kitchen table when my secure phone buzzes with his number."Nick," I answer, setting down my coffee."We need to meet. One hour. The usual place." Nicholas says."Copy that."The line goes dead.I shower quickly and dress in neutral colors—gray slacks, navy button-down. Nothing that draws attention. The "usual place" is a bench in Rock Creek Park, isolated enough for privacy but public enough to seem normal We've used it for dead drops and briefings for the past two years.Nicholas is already there when I arrive, feeding the ducks with stale bread he probably bought specifically for cover. "Walk with me," he says without looking up.I fall into step beside him, and we move along the path away from other early morning joggers and dog walkers. For the first few minutes, neither of us speaks. This is standard protocol—sweep for surveillance, ensure we're not being fo
OliviaI wake up wrapped in warmth and the scent of Leonard's cologne still clinging to my sheets. My hand reaches across the bed automatically, searching for him, but finds only cool cotton. He's gone.For a moment, panic floods through me—did he leave? Did last night mean nothing to him? But then I hear the distant sounds of movement from the kitchen, the clink of dishes, and I release a breath I didn't know I was holding.He stayed.Sunlight filters through my curtains, and I lie there for a moment, letting the memories of last night wash over me. The way he held me while I cried. The way he looked at me before he kissed me. The way he made love to me like I was something precious, something worth cherishing.The way he made me feel safe for the first time since Emma destroyed everything.Emma. The thought of her still hurts, a sharp ache in my chest that I don't think will fade anytime soon. My best friend since childhood, and she hated me. She was in love with Leonard and plotted
LeoI stand, lifting her with me, and her legs wrap around my waist. She directs me down the hallway to her bedroom, and I'm grateful it's not the first time I've been in her house because I'm not sure I could focus enough to find it on my own. Every step reminds me of how perfectly she fits against me, how right this feels despite everything that says it shouldn't.In her room, I set her down gently beside the bed. The last rays of sunset filter through her curtains, painting everything in soft gold. For a moment, we just look at each other, and I see the question in her eyes. I kiss her again, slower this time, trying to pour everything I can't say into it. My hands, clumsy with the bandages, fumble with the buttons of her blouse. She helps me, and soon it falls to the floor, followed by my own shirt.We move together with an urgency that surprises me.I slide fingers up her thighs, stopping at the hem of her underwear. She gasps into my mouth as I cup her pussy. She's all wet for m
Leo"Maybe," I take a step closer to her, my bandaged hands trembling. "I am crazily into you, Liv!"The words hang in the air between us, raw and exposed in a way I've never allowed myself to be. Olivia stares at me, her tear-stained face a mixture of shock and exhaustion, and I wonder if I've just made the biggest mistake of my life."Leonard, I can't—" Her voice breaks, and suddenly she's crying again, her whole body shaking with the force of it.I don't think. I just move, closing the distance between us and pulling her into my arms. She collapses against my chest, her fingers clutching my shirt like I'm the only solid thing in a world that's spinning out of control. The bandages on my hands make it awkward, but I hold her as tightly as I can, one hand on her back, the other cradling her head."I've got you," I murmur into her hair. "I've got you, Liv."She sobs harder, and I feel the wetness of her tears seeping through my shirt. I don't care. I just hold her, letting her break a







