MasukA heavy, metallic clack sounded loud in the quiet car.I slowly opened my eyes. He had pulled a heavy black handgun from a shoulder holster hidden under his jacket. But he didn't point the barrel at me. He casually checked the metal magazine, snapped it loudly back into place, and slid the weapon sm
"Get your fucking hands off me!" I kicked hard at his heavy boots.He didn't argue. He didn't try to negotiate or calm me down. He just stepped right into my space, completely overpowering my smaller frame. Before I could even process what was happening, his other massive arm wrapped entirely around
The bass from the massive speakers shook the floor right under my heavy leather boots. I was three drinks in, leaning against the sticky edge of the VIP bar, feeling a heavy, warm buzz settle over my brain. I laughed at something my friend yelled over the noise, throwing my head back.I felt good. I
The safety of the helicopter was an illusion. Freedom was a lie.They didn't take Yu Yan to a hospital. They didn't take him to his father.They took him to a penthouse in the center of Shanghai a tower of glass and steel that pierced the smog-choked sky.When Yu Yan woke up, he was in a bed softer
The Stranger the man Yu Yan had emailed, the man he had begged for mercy was not Lu Cheng.The realization hit Yu Yan with the force of a physical blow. All this time, he had thought Lu Cheng was the one on the other end of the screen. But Lu Cheng had been the target of the Stranger too.The screen
The word harvest hung in the air like a death sentence.Yu Yan stared at the nurse, his mind struggling to process the information. "Harvest? He's alive!""He's an 'expendable asset' now," the nurse—whose name tag read Xiao Li—said, her hands shaking as she worked on the lock of Yu Yan’s cuffs. "The
The next day at the worksite was torture. Every muscle in Leo's body ached. He moved stiffly, his mind replaying the previous night's events over and over. Gabe acted as if nothing had happened, barking orders at him and the rest of the crew like he always did. Around mid-morning, Gabe called him
"You're late." The voice was a low, flat accusation that cut through the sterile silence of the studio. Alex stood in the doorway, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs. The man who spoke, Marcus, was a legend in the fashion world. A reclusive genius whose photographs were worth a fortune. He w
"Your card was declined." The voice was flat, devoid of emotion. Kyle stood at the front desk of the gym, his heart sinking. The receptionist, a bored-looking girl, held his credit card between two fingers like it was contaminated. Behind him, the clank of weights and the grunts of men were a const
The final week of the project arrived. The frame of the house was up, and the crew was working on the roof. Leo was more comfortable now, his body accustomed to the physical labor and the constant, low-level arousal from his secret tasks with Gabe. One afternoon, Gabe called him up onto the partia







