LOGINI returned home, still weighed down by everything that had happened earlier. I couldn't stop thinking about how close I had come to losing Michelle. The thought alone was enough to drive me insane. If anything had happened to her, I honestly didn't know what I would have done with myself. I might have completely lost my mind.Sophie should be grateful that nothing happened to my girl. If Michelle had been hurt because of her carelessness, I would never have forgiven her."Hello, sir. You're back. How are you?" Miss Caroline greeted me as I stepped into the house."I'm fine. How is Michelle?""She's doing okay, sir."A small sigh of relief escaped my lips. "That's good.""Would you like me to prepare dinner for you?""No, I'm not hungry. You should go and get some rest, okay?""All right, sir," she replied before leaving.I watched her disappear down the hallway before letting out a frustrated sigh."Damn it!"Right now, all I needed was a drink. I needed something strong enough to hel
I pulled up outside the club and killed the engine. For a long moment I just sat there in the dark, both hands locked around the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles ached. The anger was still boiling under my ribs—hot, restless, demanding release—but I forced myself to breathe through it. Slow. Controlled. I couldn’t walk in there burning. I needed the rage cold and sharp, the kind that cut clean instead of spilling everywhere.I pulled the black face mask on, adjusted it until it sat right, then stepped out of the car into the night air.Eric was already crossing the lot toward me, steady and silent.“Boss,” he said with a short nod.I nodded back. That was all we needed.We walked inside together.The club hit us like a wall. Bass thundered through the floor and up into my bones. Strobe lights sliced through the darkness in sharp, blinding bursts. Bodies packed the space—people dancing, shouting, laughing, drinks raised high, completely lost in their own night. Perfect cover. If s
That evening, after my wound had been treated and bandaged.I paced the length of my office like a man trapped inside his own skin. Back and forth. Back and forth. Every step felt heavier than the last. I kept searching for some clean, believable excuse to give Dante—something that wouldn’t make him jump on the first flight to Miami—but nothing came. Every lie I tried on felt thin and ugly. My hands kept curling into fists at my sides. The silence in the room was starting to press against my ears when the phone suddenly lit up with his name.My stomach dropped so hard I almost lost my breath.This was it.I forced air into my lungs, smoothed my voice into something calm, and answered.“Hello, Dante. How are you? I was actually about to call you.”“Pedro.” His voice came through tight, already frayed with worry. “I’m fine. Look, I’ve been trying to reach Michelle all afternoon, but her phone isn’t going through. What’s going on? I hope she’s all right. Are we still expecting her today?
Just then, Eric walked toward us through the smoke and chaos, his gun still in hand.I turned around and surveyed the warehouse. Rico and all his men lay dead on the blood-stained floor. The silence that followed the gunfight was almost deafening.“Boss,” Eric said, setting his gun aside. His voice remained steady and professional as he tore a piece of his shirt and carefully tied it around my wounded arm. “You can take Michelle home now. We’ll take care of everything here. Please, sir, make sure you get that wound treated when you get home.”I gave him a grateful nod. “Thank you so much, Eric.”“No, boss,” he replied firmly. “You’ve done more for me than I could ever repay. Protecting you and the people you love is my duty.”I placed a hand on his shoulder for a brief moment. “Alright, Eric. Clean up the mess and you know what to do — no traces.”“Yes, boss.”We shared a knowing nod, the kind forged through years of loyalty and dangerous work. Then I turned my full attention back to
Pedro’s POVI stood outside the massive metal door, heart pounding with barely contained rage. I touched the earpiece in my ear and spoke quietly."Eric," I said quietly. "Everything in position?""Yes, Boss," Eric's voice crackled through the earpiece. "The warehouse is surrounded, but be careful. No one is going in there with you.”“It’s alright, Eric. Just wait for my signal,” I replied.Without another word, I kicked the door open with brutal force. It slammed against the wall with a deafening bang.There she was.My sweet Michelle She was tied to a chair like a common criminal, her face stained with tears.Rage exploded inside me.I raised my gun and aimed it straight at Rico's head.I barely noticed the armed men emerging from every corner of the warehouse, surrounding me with their weapons drawn. None of them mattered.All I could see was Michelle. The fear in her eyes…The bruises on her wrists…The gun pressed against her head.He was going to pay for this. Dearly.______Aft
Michelle’s POVMy eyes felt heavy, like they were glued shut. I struggled to open them, my head throbbing with a dull, painful ache. The moment consciousness returned, everything came rushing back in flashes.The violent crash. The car spinning out of control. Eric stepped out to check what happened. Then gunshots — loud, terrifying, echoing everywhere. Bang! Bang! Bang!The deafening sound echoed through the air. I had frozen in fear, too terrified to even breathe. Then... silence.A chilling, unnatural silence.I remembered trembling in the back seat, praying someone would save us. Suddenly, the rear door was yanked open, and two masked men grabbed me."Oh my God! Who are you? Let me go!" I screamed, my head still spinning from the crash.I fought with everything I had, kicking wildly and shoving at them. My hand found the opposite door, and I pushed it open with all my strength before scrambling out.For one brief second, I thought I was free.Then another man appeared from
I jolted awake.Sunlight stabbed my eyes. I threw an arm over my face, groaning. My chest heaved like I’d been running.I glanced at the clock.9:17 a.m.“Shit,” I whispered. “I slept too long.”It was just a dream.A stupid, vivid, mortifying dream.But then I remember how he held me tighter call
Michelle's POVI woke up early the next morning and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. The first thing I saw was Uncle Pedro sleeping peacefully beside me. My God, he was so handsome. Strong. His muscular arm was draped over me, holding me close like I belonged there. A silly smile spread across my fac
I remembered the day Dante and I ran into each other in Miami three months ago. He wouldn’t stop begging me to come visit him and the family, saying everyone was dying to see me again. The truth is, the moment I saw him, something in me lit up. I had missed him and his family more than I wanted to
Pedro's POV.I stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass window of my home office, phone pressed tightly to my ear, fury boiling in my veins.“Mr. Pascal. What the hell do you mean my shipment hasn't arrived yet?"There was a sudden knock on the door."Come in!" I barked, not taking my eyes off the city







