LOGINMarcelloThe heavy glass door clicked shut behind Dante, immediately sealing the stale, copper-scented air of the reception office. He stood tall in the center of the cramped space, his massive frame completely blocking the only exit out of the facility, his large hand clamped like an iron vise around the collar of the bruised captive he had just dragged inside. The silence in the room became absolute, save for the rhythmic, wet gasping of the clerk bleeding out on the floorboards. Dante didn't drop his gaze, his expression completely unreadable as he maintained his grip on the intruder.Dante spoke first, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that broke the heavy quiet. "I caught this bastard slipping through the secondary corridor of the eastern block, boss," he said, giving the man’s collar a rough, downward jerk that forced him to stumble forward onto his knees.“He was holed up in one of the vacant utility rooms, completely focused on the courtyard. He had a rifle braced against the
MarcelloThe clerk hissed in pain, a sharp, ragged sound that echoed off the sterile walls of the front office as the reality of his situation fully set in. I released my iron grip on his wrist, stepping back slightly just to watch him collapse, his body hitting the floor in an uncoordinated heap, gasping like his life depended on it. He clutched his forearm desperately, but his ruined, dislocated knuckles couldn't form the grip necessary to stem the flow. Crimson blood pumped from the open artery in a steady pulse, pooling around his knees and staining the cheap floor tiles. He looked small down there, stripped of his explosive speed and reduced to a desperate animal trying to hold onto his leaking vitality.Yet, as he lay there panting, his chest heaving violently as his strength rapidly drained into the floor, the bastard managed to pull his lips back into a small, defiant smile. It was a weak, trembling smirk, but it was there.I leaned against the edge of the wooden counter, c
MarcelloI looked down at my side, my vision narrowing as the cold air of the reception office rushed into the tear in my clothes. For a single fraction of a second, the sensation of a deep abdominal puncture had threatened to lock my lungs. But as the layout of the strike registered in my mind, the truth became clear.The blade hadn't sunk into my gut. My split-second torso twist had altered the trajectory of his thrust. Instead of piercing my flesh, the heavy hunting knife had sliced cleanly and deeply across the palm of my left hand, which I had thrown up as a desperate shield to catch the weapon before it could reach my center.A small, ragged breath of relief left my lips, the tension draining out of my shoulders in a quiet hiss. It was just a flesh wound on my palm. I could handle a sliced hand; I had fought through far worse with bone exposed to the air. As I stared at the dark blood beginning to well up in the creases of my skin, a strange, uncharacteristic thought flashed
MarcelloMy eyes locked onto the perimeter the second the SUV pulled out of the gravel driveway, the heavy, reinforced tires kicking up a spray of dirt as it accelerated into the fading, late afternoon light. I didn't look directly at Sienna through the heavily tinted, armored glass, but my chest tightened with a rare, unwanted spike of raw adrenaline until the tail lights cleared the main iron gate. She was out of the immediate line of fire, moving toward safety, or at least the closest thing to a sanctuary that existed within the borders of my world.A sudden flicker of movement caught my attention, breaking my focus.Through a narrow, jagged gap in the crumbling concrete wall bordering the eastern edge of the property, I caught a bastard crouching near the edge of the alleyway. His frame was tense and rigid as he raised a high-caliber rifle, tracking the path of the vehicle. Before my hand could even clear my holster, the bastard pulled his trigger.Thud.His suppressed weapon c
Sienna The air in the small sitting room was dead, frozen solid by the terrifying presence of the men who had suddenly occupied our space.BANG! BANG!A couple more gunshots blasted through the thin exterior walls of the apartment building, the sounds incredibly loud, sharp, and violent. Right after the gunfire came a series of deep, agonizing groans, followed by a raw, curdling scream that was cut short by a heavy, wet thud. The sounds echoed clearly from the stairwell just beyond our front door. Hearing that brutal chaos so close made a wave of icy reality crash over me. The alleyway outside that Roxy and I had been so desperately running toward—it wasn't safe. There was no escape out there. We were completely trapped, caught between a firing squad outside and a room full of armed giants.My eyes darted frantically across the small space, scanning the crowded room desperately looking for Marcello. Among all the imposing, heavily tattooed strangers currently holding black firearm
Sienna The bedroom was dead quiet after the door closed, leaving the air heavy, still, and suffocating.I sat cross-legged on the edge of the mattress, already dressed in a pair of faded sweatpants and an oversized hoodie that felt too large for my frame. In my right hand, I held up a small plastic compact mirror, forcing myself to look directly at my reflection. The light cutting through the cheap blinds was unforgiving. It highlighted the raw, swollen puffiness around my eyelids, the dull emptiness in my stare, and the heavy, dark shadows bruising the pale skin beneath my eyes. I looked completely drained, like a ghost inhabiting a body that didn't belong to me anymore.I opened my concealer, dabbing the thick cream under my eyes in a mechanical, repetitive motion to try and hide how exhausted I was. But as I stared at my face, my hand froze. My mind drifted right back to the dark corner of the room. Back to the kiss.My heart gave a sudden, violent stutter against my ribs, the r
Sienna “I can’t do this.”The words came out smaller than I intended. Pathetic, almost.Like all the confidence I had been running on tonight had finally expired and left me stranded backstage in six-inch heels and a dress that could barely qualify as fabric.The crowd outside erupted again, impat
Sienna The cold of the alleyway fueled the fire roaring in my chest. I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth, erasing the last trace of the girl who had spent three years playing house with a monster.“Im in,” my voice sounded like gravel. “I’ll do it.”Roxy’s eyes lit up, a triumphant spark d
Sienna The world didn't just stop; it fractured.The mask hit the stage floor with a hollow thud that echoed louder than the bone-rattling bass. Under the harsh, blood-red spotlights, the "Healer" looked up.It was a face I had kissed every morning for three years. The same jawline I’d traced whil
Sienna “I’m telling you, Dave is acting strange.”I rolled my eyes at Roxy for the umpteenth time.“Dave isn't acting strange Rox, you don't know him well enough to say that.” I capped my mascara, and picked up my lip liner.“I have a strong feeling he's cheating on you.” Tina's calm voice filtere







