TRISTAN'S POV My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. Four days. It had been four glorious, peaceful days since I'd escaped Giovanni’s suffocating grip. Seven days since I’d tasted freedom, real freedom, here in Oakhaven. Seven days of breathing air that didn’t feel heavy with expectation and fear.I’d settled into a routine with Roman and Aida, a kind, elderly couple who’d lost their only child twenty-five years ago. Their son had gone missing and never been found, leaving a gaping hole in their lives. They’d taken me in, not as a tenant, but as… something more. Family, maybe. I dared to let myself hope.This morning had been perfect, almost idyllic. I’d been sitting at their small, wooden dining table, devouring Aida’s pancakes.“Hmmmm… this breakfast is really the best,” I mumbled, the sweetness dissolving on my tongue. It was true. Even simple things tasted better here, away from Giovanni’s sterile, controlled world.Aida chuckled, her eyes crinkling
GIOVANNI'S POV The thrill was a live wire under my skin. Tristan. Found. The word echoed in my head, a mantra I hadn't dared to whisper aloud for so long. Twelve hours. That's all it took. Twelve hours to unravel his painstakingly crafted escape, a testament to both his cunning and my own… unwavering dedication.I practically vibrated with pent-up energy, pacing the length of my office like a caged predator. The city lights blurred beyond the panoramic window, meaningless compared to the pinpoint on the map now burned into my memory: Oakhaven. A backwater town, nestled deep in the countryside. Picturesque, no doubt. And utterly, irrevocably, doomed.I snatched the folder from my desk, the crisp paper whispering promises of reunion. Oakhaven… He’d chosen well, I’ll give him that. Remote, unassuming, the kind of place you’d drive through without a second glance. If it weren't me searching, it might have worked.A grudging respect simmered within me. He'd been resourceful, I'll grant hi
GIOVANNI'S POV The rage still simmered beneath my skin, a burning acid eating away at my patience. Tristan. That slippery, beautiful, infuriating boy had managed to slip through my fingers. While I was busy cleaning up Feng Chu's mess... the spineless bastard siding with the Kuznetsovs, our rivals, Tristan was plotting his escape. I had dreamt of returning home, of finally claiming him, branding him mine in the most visceral way possible. I had envisioned a night, no, a dawn, filled with his cries, his submission. Now, thanks to Cole's weakness, his pathetic infatuation, I had to endure this… delay.Cole, and every guard on duty that night, were already reaping the consequences. Exile to Montevideo, essentially a forgotten outpost in our network. A slow, agonizing descent into irrelevance. They would learn the price of disobedience, the cost of letting my possessions slip away.Now, I sat in my office, the leather of my chair creaking under my restless movements. Impatience gnawed at
TRISTAN'S POVThe gravel crunched under my worn-out boots as I stepped off the fifth bus, a familiar knot of anxiety tightening in my gut. Twelve hours. It had been twelve hours since I slipped through Giovanni's fingers, twelve hours of looking over my shoulder, of swallowing down the bile of guilt and fear. Guilt for Cole, the poor bastard who’d fallen for my desperate act, and fear of the storm Giovanni would unleash when he discovered I was gone.Guilt gnawed at me. Cole. Damn him and his trusting eyes. "Just a little closer," I'd purred, and the fool had fallen right into my lap. I pictured his face, slack and unconscious, tied to the ridiculously opulent bed. Giovanni would skin him alive, metaphorically, maybe literally. Shoving the image away, I repeated my mantra: Survival. Freedom. Me.I had to keep moving, keep changing routes. Airports were out of the question. Too easy to track. Instead, I was bouncing between these backwater bus lines, a ghost trying to disappear into th
GIOVANNI'S POV The lingering scent of gunpowder and cheap cologne clung to the air, a grim reminder of the ambush. Not that I needed reminding. The dull throb of the bullet graze on my shoulder was enough. But the physical discomfort was nothing compared to the gnawing anticipation that had been building since dusk. Tristan.Being Giovanni Sokolov, and I get what I want. And what I wanted, needed, was Tristan Hayes. I practically tasted the victory tonight after securing the Feng Chu deal despite the small hiccups. Another piece of the puzzle locked into place, solidifying my family's grip. But all I could think about was sinking my teeth into Tristan.Dmitri's footsteps faded down the hall, and my muscles tightened. "Dmitri, take Tristan from his room and bring him to me," I'd commanded, and now I was a goddamn predator, pacing my gilded cage, waiting for my prey.I envisioned him, Tristan, stripped bare under my command. The image was a vibrant masterpiece painted on the back of my
TRISTAN'S POVThe sting of it was still there, a phantom burn on my lips. Giovanni. Just the thought of his name sent a tremor through me, a ridiculous, unwanted tremor. Just minutes ago, he’d had me pinned against the wall, his mouth a wildfire on mine, his body a hard promise against my own. Then, just as I was about to lose myself in the sensation, he’d pulled away. Snapped back to reality, leaving me gasping for air and… wanting."We will continue this when I return tonight. And until then, you are not allowed to touch yourself. You need to wait for me." he’d said, his voice a low growl against my ear. And then he was gone, leaving me standing there, a mess of confused frustration and something terrifyingly close to… anticipation.Now, alone in my room, I paced like a caged animal. I scrubbed a hand over my face, trying to erase the memory of his touch, the taste of him. "You fucking idiot!" I hissed at my reflection. "Don't fall for his trick!"It was a tri