LOGINEverything is a blur.
The purple and red glow coming from the neon sign is burning into my skin. We have already been outside for ten minutes waiting for Mr.Luca to arrive.
I can hear the bass pounding from inside.
It isn't as loud as my heart beat though. The cool air keeps sending chills down my exposed skin. I am dressed in the sluttiest black and white outfit I could put together.
They couldn't keep their eyes off of me the entire ride over.
Mine couldn't resist Liam.
His tight black dress shirt only has the bottom two buttons done, and it is tucked into his gray jeans.
His sleeves are rolled revealing his tattoos I have never seen before. He has on silver earrings, and a long necklace with a cross at the end. It rests against his massive chest so perfectly.
I want to rip it off with my teeth.
Nathaniel also looks pretty damn good. He has his short sleeved shirt open at his chest too. His tattoos fit him so well. He has bands around his arms, and Japanese lettering down his left one. I love how he wears thick boots with everything. It suits him.
I really wish I had some water with me,vodka would help too.
Eventually my hearing comes back to me, but I discover that everyone is silent.
"Liam?" I say shyly.
"Hm." He says, still lost in his phone.
"Do you know what Dante looks like?"
"No, but you said he is Venezuelan. He should stick out like a sore thumb next to all of the Serbians." "Alright..."I looked up at Nathaniel , who is standing next to me. I guess he can detect the nerves.
He leans over so he is level with my ear.
"You'll be fine." He says quietly.
His reassurance gives me the calm I need to push through a little longer. I smile back at him.
We saw Mr. Luca walk towards us.
"Ready?" He asks.
Everyone nods, and we follow him single file around the back of the club. I think he just drops his name and the bouncer let us all in. There is a large table with leather seats for us to sit at. Bruno runs off to get us beers.
Sitting next to Liam gives me goosebumps.
My breath is uneasy every time he is in my sight. I'm such a small person compared to him.
Bruno returns with 5 beers. He hands them out to each of the guys.
"And we have a lite for the little one." He says, presenting it to me like he is my butler.
I spot his beer in his other hand, so I grasp it at the neck and take a swig. I'm not in the mood to be patronized.
Liam and Leon laugh at this. Bruno is just upset his beer is now a lite.
We sit and chat for a little longer. When I am mid-drink, I hear Mr. Luca warning.
"Here they are."
I look up and see a lot of slavic men enter.
"Nara, sit at the bar closer to the bartender." Liam says.
I take a deep breath before I go. I'm on my own now.
I drag myself over to the bar and look around to see if I can spot killian .
Liam was right. I spot him in the middle of all the Serbians easily. The memory of him
from ten years ago flashes into my head.His brown eyes might of well have been in a time capsule. They were preserved so perfectly.
He is still a little young looking. I guess the shaven face helps with that. His black hair is tied up into a messy bun behind his head. From what I can see, his torso and arms are covered in tattoos.
He has on a black t-shirt tucked into jeans, and an orange collared tee over it covering all of the ink.
On his neck there is a silver pendant.
I can't believe how attractive he has gotten. Not only that but he is fit, and that fact sits in my stomach too.
As if he can see me staring, he splits off from the serbs and walks up to the bartender I am sitting next to. I prepare myself mentally while I can.
"Could I get a couple beers, one coke and rum, and one whiskey?"
I look over at him as he waits for his drinks.
"Is it not rum and coke?" I ask.He parts his lips and angles his head.
Those brown eyes instantly look me up and down, quickly swaying his attitude.
"I guess I learned it backwards." He grins.
His voice isn't too deep, and he still has the smallest accent. It's kinda sexy.
I giggle playfully.
He is handed his drinks by the bartender.
"I'll be right back..." He says to me.
It is definitely working. I take a second to look over at the guys. Liam gives me a thumbs up.
I turn back, and I catch Killian walking towards me.
He leans onto the bar and takes a sip of his drink.
"Are you here alone?" He asks, giving me a cute smile.
"I'm with a few friends, but I needed a drink."
"Well, I hope you don't mind the company."
"Not at all." I smile back.
He looks at my outfit one more time.
"That lace garter is sexy as hell." He says, darting it.
I feel my face flush. I know I have to be bold.
"You can have it if you'd like..." I say.
He quickly props his surprised face up to mine.
"Oh yeah?" He smirks.
"Yeah, but you have to take it off."
He takes a second to smile at me. I guess he likes the confidence I'm displaying.
His hand gently graces my inner thigh, making my breath shaky. He wraps his index and middle finger around the garter and slowly slides it off.
He doesn't break eye contact, even as he lowers to slip it off of my leg.
I do my best to hide my trembling body, but i can't deny that he's turning me on.
Liam’s PoVSleep had become a stranger.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw two futures.One had London.The other had Nara.No matter which one I imagined…I lost something.I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling of my apartment, the silence almost unbearable.My phone lit up on the bedside table.Decision Deadline: 18 Hours Remaining.I sighed heavily.“Eighteen hours…”That was all I had left before choosing the rest of my life.I sat up and rubbed both hands over my face.When had life become so complicated?Months ago…If someone had told me I’d been accepted into one of the most prestigious architectural fellowships in Europe…I would’ve packed my bags before they finished the sentence.Now…The thought of boarding that plane made me feel sick.Because every mile between London and home…Would be another mile away from Nara.Work was a disaster.I hadn’t finished a single drawing.Three different coworkers had asked if I was feeling okay.I lied every single time.“I’m f
Liam's PoVIt happened on a Tuesday.The kind of Tuesday that should have been ordinary.The kind where the biggest decision I expected to make was whether the new apartment needed a bigger couch.Instead...My entire future changed with one phone call.I was halfway through work when my phone buzzed across my desk.Unknown Number….Normally, I would've ignored it.Something told me not to."Hello?""Good afternoon. Am I speaking with Liam Carter?""Yes.""My name is Rachel from Morrison & Co. We received your international fellowship application several months ago."I frowned.Application?Then it hit me.Before Daphne.Before we found our way back to each other.Back when I believed my future was going to be just...me.I had applied for an international architectural fellowship in London.A program so competitive I never expected to hear back.Honestly...I'd forgotten it even existed."We're pleased to inform you that you've been selected."Everything around me went silent."...What?""Yo
Daphne's PoVThe first morning after we chose each other felt...Different.Not because the apartment had changed.Not because the city outside our windows suddenly looked brighter.But because my heart was quiet.For months, my mind had been a battlefield.Questions….Doubts."What if?""What if there's someone else?What if I'm missing something?"Now...Nothing.Just peace.I woke slowly to the scent of coffee drifting through the apartment.The other side of the bed was empty.I smiled before I even opened my eyes.Liam.I wrapped one of his oversized hoodies around myself and padded barefoot toward the kitchen.There he was.Standing in gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt, his hair sticking up in every direction as he flipped pancakes with far too much concentration.I leaned against the doorway."You know you're making breakfast like it's brain surgery."Without turning around, he smiled."These pancakes deserve respect.""They're pancakes.""They're our pancakes."I laughed."I stand c
Daphne’s PoVThe apartment was quiet.Not the uncomfortable kind of quiet that begged to be filled, but the peaceful silence that only existed when two people didn’t need words to understand each other.Liam still had his arms around me.His heartbeat was slow against my chest, steady enough that I found myself matching my breathing to it.Neither of us moved.Neither of us wanted to.Eventually, he pulled back just enough to look at me.“You hungry?”I laughed.“That’s your first question?”He shrugged, a small smile appearing.“I always think better after food.”“I’ve noticed.”“And you haven’t eaten.”“How do you know that?”“You get quieter when you’re hungry.”I blinked.“Seriously?”“You also rub your left wrist when you’re tired.”Without thinking, I looked down.My fingers were rubbing my wrist.He chuckled.“Told you.”“I don’t know whether that’s sweet or creepy.”“I’m hoping sweet.”“It depends.”“On what?”“Whether you’re secretly keeping a notebook about me.”His eyes widen
The ride back to the apartment was unusually quiet.Nat kept the music low, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as the city lights blurred past the windows."You've been smiling for the last ten minutes," he finally said."I have not.""You definitely have."I rolled my eyes, trying and failing to hide the grin tugging at my lips."It was... different.""Good different?"I stared out the window."I don't know."Nat laughed softly."That's the most confusing answer I've ever heard.""Because it is confusing."He nodded as if he understood."I think you're comparing two completely different people."Maybe he was right.Javier had been confident, experienced, effortless. There had never been a moment where he hesitated.Liam...Liam overthought everything.He could spend an hour deciding where we should eat dinner and another apologizing if he thought he'd upset me. He remembered tiny details I had forgotten telling him. He always noticed when I was tired before I admitted it.
"What was so special about me?" I ask, leaning back against the table as I wait for his answer.He pauses for a moment, pulling on his clothes before letting out a quiet sigh."I don't really know," he admits. "You're mature for your age, but there's still something youthful about you. You're smart. You're not fragile. And you're not scared."I raise an eyebrow."I get scared.""Sometimes," he says with a small smile. "But when it matters, you don't run. You get nervous, sure, but you're always prepared."A smile tugs at my lips, though he doesn't notice. He's too busy reaching for his turtleneck."I see why Liam likes you so much."The mention of Liam makes guilt twist in my stomach."Sorry about that again..."He waves the apology away."Don't be. It was interesting."I laugh softly and begin fixing my dress."So you'd maybe want to do this another time?"His footsteps move closer."Sure."I feel him gently zip up my dress."I won't be in New York as often," he continues, "but whene
Everyone on their side begins discussing things among themselves while we remain quiet.Killian isn’t included in their conversation.He leans forward, his hands resting behind his head. The tension in his posture tells me this must be stressful for him.Finally, Killian speaks quietly.“He’s right…
“Well, please do share,” says Mr. Luca.“We will meet with Killian at a public place to try and make some amends. Then we take her with us as someone’s side piece or something. We would dress her up enough so Killian can’t resist any seduction from her.Once he asks her name, she tells him.”“Why w
"Holy shit. Do you think...?""I'm asking my dad. Come on."They both walk to the other side of the alley where Nathaniel, the blond guy, and that guy's father are standing. I can't hear them as well, but i can make out what they were saying."Is this shit related to a Nara Voss dad?"His dad looks
CHAPTER 1:THE OBSIDIAN SECRETThe atmosphere inside this nightclub is making me anxious. The people aren't very welcoming either. I go out the first door I can find to get some fresh air.Kimora told me this girl's party would be at some high end bar. Instead, we are at a this dump of a club. The s







