*Heidi*“Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you to talk to this guy?” my grandfather offers for the millionth time in the past hour. “I’m positive I can convince him to sell me the shop at half the price he’s demanding.”I chuckle, shaking my head.“I’m good, Grandpa. If he doesn’t accept my offer, I’m sure I can find another great place somewhere else. As much as I love this one, I’m not willing to pay more than it is worth.”Grandpa nods, finally conceding.“Well, I have to get going,” I say, getting up from the chair. “You guys have to get ready for dinner, and I stayed for too long already. I don’t want them to forbid me to come visit you next time.”“They wouldn’t dare,” Grandma murmurs, standing and pulling me into a tight hug. It instantly makes me feel like I can fight the entire world. Her embrace charges my battery, and I feel renewed. Determined. Ready for whatever the world throws my way.“Thanks, Granny. I love you,” I tell her. Then I pull away from her to hug m
*Cal*I spent most of the night and the morning trying to get something out of the cartel’s man I found lurking outside Heidi’s building. Anything useful at all that will help me put an end to all of this nonsense. The interrogation took several hours, and I was so fucking mad that I didn’t let any of my men deal with him even though I was exhausted. It was ugly, to say the least, and I split my knuckles multiple times as I tried to force some words out of his mouth. But in the end, I didn’t get much. The guy eventually murmured some addresses to me, but so far, my men only hit dead ends with the investigation on the De La Cruz cartel.At some point during the night, Tony showed up and helped me a little bit with the interrogation, and then he left, saying he would ask his men to start investigating as well.So far, I haven’t heard from him.The sun was rising in the sky by the time I came to my office. I sat down in my chair to clear my mind, hoping I could think about what I heard
*Cal*“What does this mean?” I want to know. I need to know. “What did you come here to talk to me about?”Heidi stares at me for a bit until she inhales sharply and turns her gaze to the ceiling. She is clearly uncomfortable with my questions, but I can’t move on not knowing what’s going through her mind.Does the fact that she came here to have sex with me in my office mean that she forgives me? That she’s willing to put everything behind us and start anew? That she belongs to me completely, no questions asked?Knowing her, I doubt that's what it means.But I need to hear her say it. I need to understand what she’s thinking. Otherwise, I might misinterpret all of it and ruin everything–again.“Heidi?” I call softly when she doesn’t answer me.She looks at me again, her beautiful, big eyes watching me intently. I push her hair out of her face, and lean forward to kiss her lips. It’s a soft kiss, but I try to convey all of my feelings for her through it.“I don’t know what this means,
*Cal*I consider going after Heidi. Following her upstairs, grabbing her by the arm, turning her to me and crashing my lips into hers, hoping she can feel how much I love her and how much I’m willing to fight for us.But that’d be a lie.And also unfair to her.Because if I truly was willing to do anything for her, I’d accept turning my back on the mafia and the Irish Kings without a question. I wouldn’t hesitate. I wouldn’t consider anything other than having her by my side.But I can’t.I can’t give her what she wants. I can’t promise her something I’m not ready to do. Therefore, I’d rather she hates me now, while she still has any feelings for me, then watch her fall out of love with me while we are together. That’d hurt me more than anything.Realization begins to sink in. We’re truly over now. There’s no turning back, no saving this relationship that’s barely even started. I try to convince myself that this is for the best. Heidi will finally be safe away from me. She can return
*Cal*Tony takes a little longer than I’d like with the cartel bastards the Saints captured. By the time his men haul in two guys who are, I’d say, unrecognizable, I’m basically digging a hole in the floor with all my anticipation and agitation, having spent the last hour pacing.The guy I cuffed in the basement looks up from his spot in the corner, and his eyes widen when he sees two more of his people have also been taken by us. He doesn’t have any strength in him to say anything, but he’s been pretty quiet anyway compared to some of the smart-mouthed assholes I’ve beaten the shit out before.“Hey,” Tony greets me, walking behind his guys who are now restraining the newly kidnapped men to chairs, away from the first one. “Brought you a little present.”I grunt. “After the day I just had, you have no idea how glad I am to see them,” I tell him, darting a deathly glance to the newcomers and cracking my knuckles.“I owe you already. I’m glad I could return the favor for once,” Tony say
*Heidi*Going after Cal was a mistake. I knew it would be, but I still did it anyway.What was I thinking? What was I even expecting to happen? That if I came and asked him to drop his entire life and career for me and he’d do it?Ha! What a joke.Even if I mean as much to him as he says I do, giving up something you’ve been building your whole life is hard. I should know better than that. I wouldn’t give up on my life and dreams either if he asked me to. So, why am I feeling so heartbroken? Why do I feel so sad, so left out?I storm out of his office with tears blurring my vision. His scent is all over me, and my lips are still tingling from our kisses. No matter how much I want to turn back and run into his arms, I know I can’t do it. This is it. This was the last straw, the confirmation I needed that we’re indeed over.For good.“Miss Heidi, is everything okay?” someone asked from behind me as I walked out of the bar. It was rude on my part to ignore whoever it was, but I couldn’
*Cal*Leaving the basement and making sure at least one of my men stays behind to watch the cartel assholes we have tied inside, I rush upstairs with Tony, Sam, and Hunter with the rest of my men on my tail.Even though the noises upstairs are muffed by closed doors and thick walls, I don’t like what I hear as I approach the bar. Frantic screams and intermittent gunfire can never be a good thing.“Fuck,” I hiss to myself. “They seem to be heavily armed,” I inform my men over my shoulder. “Are you guys loaded?”“I have a couple of guns with me. Armando is outside with my men,” Tony informs me. I don’t want to think about the possible scenarios we’re about to encounter. The rest of my men are also upstairs, but if they were caught off guard–even though I had them keeping a close eye out for any strange movement–things might be ugly.“I’ll grab a shotgun from the safe,” Hunter tells me. “Do you need me to get you anything, Boss?”“No, I have my pistol on me,” I reply through gritted tee
*Heidi*I step out of the shower and put on a set of comfortable sweats. The weather in New York City has been merciless lately, and even inside the apartment, I can still feel the cold wind blowing against the windows outside, seeping through cracks in the apartment I can’t see.I blow dry my hair in an attempt to warm myself, and that’s why I don’t hear my phone ringing the first two times. It’s only when I decide to order something to eat since I don’t feel like cooking anything that I notice I missed two calls.Before I grab the phone to check who it is that called me, I can’t stop myself from hoping it was Cal. But when I spot the unknown number, I roll my eyes. Of course he wouldn’t call me. I ended that. He made it pretty clear that he doesn’t intend to change his lifestyle, and since I’m not willing to give up on my principles either, I won’t hear from him again. I should make peace with that instead of keeping my hopes up.I’m about to put my phone down again, not really int
*Tatiana*I grit my teeth and force myself not to roll my eyes. Throwing a tantrum won’t help—but that doesn’t stop the anger simmering just beneath my skin. I don’t like the way Angelo drew that line between us. Cold. Sharp. Final.It’s not just that he’s shutting me out. It’s how he’s doing it—like I’m still some piece on his chessboard, a liability to manage. A prisoner, technically. But from him? That’s a slap in the face.He’s across the kitchen, body rigid, watching me. I ignore him. If he wants distance, fine. I’ve had worse from men with half his brain and twice his ego.I focus on the window, jaw tight. I will find a way to be useful, whether he lets me or not. I didn’t survive this long just to be benched.“Give me a cigarette,” Angelo mutters, moving toward Sal and snatching the pack from the table.My gaze flicks over in time to see the tension in his shoulders, the anger in his hands.He doesn’t smoke. Hasn’t since I got here.“Sure you wanna do that?” Kian asks, brows ra
AngeloI pull myself from the bed and get dressed, still feeling the rush from my quick encounter with Tatiana. As much as I want to spend more time with her, I know I can't afford to linger. Work’s been piling up, and I’ve been slacking lately—ever since things started getting heated between us. The Saints need me, and I can’t ignore them.Keeping an eye on Tatiana, as per Tony’s orders, has also taken a lot of my focus. I haven’t had a chance to personally discuss with him yet what Tatiana shared with me about her past and her involvement with the Rominas, but I know that Sal and Dice have already filled him in. I just hope Tony doesn’t see her as a liability or a potential threat, but instead, as an ally."Can I ask you something?" Tatiana’s voice pulls me from my thoughts. She’s lying there, looking up at me, her lashes fluttering in that way I know always gets me."Sure," I reply, trying to sound casual. I walk back toward her but keep my distance so we don’t end up going for ro
TatianaThe morning sun warms my skin, stirring me gently from sleep. I stretch my arms above my head, muscles loosening as a sense of peace settles over me. It’s strange how a good night’s sleep can reset everything—my mood, my resolve, even my sense of purpose. Today, I feel new. Whole.Turning to my side, I gaze at Angelo. He’s still asleep, facing me, his features relaxed and soft in the quiet light. I take him in—the curve of his lips, the strong line of his jaw, those unruly dark curls that slip over closed eyes, guarded by lashes so long they could make any woman jealous.He looks like a different man when he’s asleep—unbothered, weightless. Awake, he carries the world like it’s chained to his back.A part of me wants to believe I’m the reason for that peace. That I’m helping him, in the way he’s helped me—just by being here, by seeing him, really seeing him, the way that no one else has. Just as he’s able to see me differently.My heart pounds as flashes of the past two weeks
*Tatiana*Getting to finally meet two other members of the Saints feels somewhat… exciting. I was shocked to see the one I had cut while running away from the wedding was part of their gang. This whole time, I’d just assumed that he had been working for Oleg. At least he doesn’t seem to be holding a grudge against me, which is a relief.The other one, though—Dice—was harder to convince that he can trust me, but in the end, I think they both believed me and my story. I still don’t know the plans they have for me, and I assume they need to tell their boss what I’ve disclosed first, but surprisingly, I’m not that worried about my future anymore. I know Angelo won’t leave me on the street by myself. He’ll find a way to keep me protected, even if his boss tells him I’m of no use to them anymore.Maybe I can return to Russia and start again somehow. The mere thought of leaving Angelo behind hurts my heart, but if that’s what it comes to in the end, I’ll have to find a way. It’s a bit alar
AngeloTatiana and I spend the rest of the day in her room, only leaving for dinner, and we’re back in bed before midnight. The house is empty because the rest of the team had to go to a meeting with Tony and left me here watching her—since, in their words, I already know how to deal with her.I wanted to punch the smirks off their faces, but they weren’t wrong.I also don’t want them near Tatiana while they’re still so suspicious of her. That would only scare her. And now that she’s shared everything with me, I’m more convinced than ever that I was right all along—she was never a threat.There’s no way she could be such a good actor and lie about her past. I saw the pain in her eyes, the hatred, and the guilt she carries. It’s the exact same look I see in the mirror when I stare at myself.I told her I didn’t think I could hate Oleg any more than I already did, but now that I know what he put her through… God, rage boils inside me to the point I can barely control it.Luca, Tatiana’s
*Tatiana*I lie against Angelo’s chest, staring blankly at the wall, his thumb circling gentle caresses on my back. The sun is setting outside, and I have lost track of how long we’ve been here. For all I care, we could just stay here forever. I wouldn’t mind.I wonder where the other guys are or if they know what we’re doing in here, but I don’t bother to ask ngelo about it. Not that I’m embarrassed about what we did, but we’re supposed to be enemies, kidnapper and kidnapped. This isn’t how things were supposed to evolve between us.I bet they hate me for not giving them what they want, for wasting their time, and for fucking Angelo–something they’re all probably aware of by now.But what can I do? It’s not like I forced him to sleep with me. I didn’t even try that hard to seduce him.“What are you thinking about?” he whispers against my head, placing a soft kiss on my temple.“Not much,” I reply with a shrug.“I doubt that,” he says, continuing his featherlight strokes on my skin.H
*Tatiana*“Then what is the problem?” I stare into Angelo’s eyes, waiting for him to explain why he’s suddenly being so cold to me.His body language is fuckng confusing as hell. I see desire in his eyes, but he’s keeping his distance from me. I wish he would stop playing games and just be upfront with me. I don’t have time for bullshit right now.“Listen, you already know the situation we’re in. I don’t want to lie to you or pretend everything is okay because it is not,” he begins. The weight of this presses down on him enough that his shoulders slump a little.“I know,” I state firmly. “I’m not a child. I understand the situation we’re in right now. Trust me, you don’t have to worry about that.” If he only knew the things I’ve seen…. I take another bite of my steak, but I’m no longer hungry. I force myself to eat anyway since I don’t know when I’ll have another chance to.. If this conversation goes south, this might be my last meal of the day, so I’d better force it down.Angelo sig
*Tatiana*At first, I’m shocked by what’s going on, barely reacting to Angelo’s lips on mine. But it lasts less than a couple of seconds before I groan against him and grant his tongue the access he so desperately wants.Angelo pulls my body against his, his hands wrapped around my waist, keeping me trapped against him. His kiss is so delicious, so enticing, so… sexy. He knows exactly what he’s doing, his tongue dancing inside my mouth as if it wants to commit this moment to memory.When he sucks my bottom lip, I forget all the reasons why this is completely wrong. I shouldn’t let this happen, but right now, I can’t find any answer within me as to why not.A moan escapes my throat when I feel his hands moving from my hip, down to my ass. He grabs and squeezes before pulling me tightly against him.He’s already hard for me, and that’s the only sign I need to know he wants the same thing I do. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him down and deepening the kiss even more. Angelo doesn
*Tatiana*I wake up in a strange room, my entire body sore, my head pounding, my leg muscles weak from all the running yesterday, and to make it all worse, nightmares kept me up all night, so I’m also groggy–and irritable.Visions of my parents being murdered flashed before my eyes all night long. The blood dripping down their faces, Oleg’s vicious grin, a silent scream stuck on my lips. I’d wake up in a cold sweat, only to fall back asleep and start the cycle all over again.Each time I screamed, I woke up my babysitter. It wasn’t fair to him, and at one point, I considered staging away. But I couldn’t do that. I was too exhausted to keep my eyes open.Still in bed, I look over to find that the armchair Angelo stayed in all night is empty with no sign of him ever being there, other than the fact that it is closer to the bed than it originally was. My screaming must’ve alarmed him enough so that he moved it closer.Was he concerned about my well-being or annoyed that he had to keep cr