Cassian's povI dialed Sevan's line a few hours ago asking him to find any information the cops might have on me or Maya and he said he found something but couldn't say over the phone. I watch from the car as he places down a brown package the hat perched on his head casual brown trousers and a red shirt making him look inconspicuous among the crowd. He nods and I walk to the bench picking it up and heading back to the car.I unseal it my fingers twitching with anticipation. Pictures fill it and I look at the pictures and they are all about Maya. As she goes to work, inside her apartment, bank statements and worse of all, her kissing Holden.The fuck!She kissed Holden and the feds, they are onto her. My heart races as I dial his burner phone.“How long have they been watching her?” I ask my heart pounding. “Almost four months,” he answers nonchalantly and my fist clenches.“Aren't you supposed to tell me when something like this is going on?” I ask my hands trembling from anger.He
Maya's pov“For what?” I ask my eyes wide from shock.“You and your things are coming with us,” the redhead says motioning two of his men to grab me, while the other ones raided my apartment.“No…why?”They approach me. “What? Stop I didn't do anything wrong,” I shout apprehension clawing at my skin.This is insane. I haven't committed any crime.“We will decide that,” the man says as they grab me pulling me towards the door.God this cannot be happening. “I swear, I didn't do anything,” I choke looking at the man on the left.He barely meets my eyes as he pulls me down the stairs. I'm wearing shorts and I'm barefooted. “Please,” I cry trying to wiggle out of their hold.“Ma'am it would be better if you didn't resist,” the other says pulling me to the black Sedan parked just outside. “Then let go of me, I didn't do anything,” I repeat but they open the door shoving me inside. Two men sit next to me and the car starts moving. I look at the apartment tears rolling down my cheeks. This
Cassian's povI chew down on my lip as Holden sits next to me. I don't know what to talk about first, the fact that the feds have Maya or what the fuck he is doing kissing my wife.“What is your relationship with Maya?” I ask, my fingers tightening against the steering wheel.He looks at me, confusion etching on his face. “What do you mean?” He asks, trying to play dumb.I press on the brakes. “Stop playing stupid with me Holden I know you are seeing her.”His lips fall open. “What, How?”I scoff. “I have photos of you shoving your tongue down her throat and messaging her like a damn fool when you went in front of my face and told me we are done with her.”His face darkens. “Guess we're both liars.”My brows furrow. “What the fuck does that mean?”He shakes his head. “What are you keeping from me?”“I'm not keeping anything from you.”His eyebrows perk. “Really, so everything you're doing I know.”“Stop beating around the bush and just come out with it.”“I know one of us is not Dad's
Maya's pov“Let's go,” Giovanni says, coming in with a set of keys. He removes the cuffs pushing me forward.“Can I get some shoes?” I ask the cold floor biting at my skin. He gives me a bored look leading me to one of the female employees.“Do you have any shoes you can spare?” He asks.The brown girl looks at me from head to toe then moves to her desk where she removes some Dr Martins. “If those don't fit that's your problem.”I grimace at the thought of wearing someone's shoes but they look clean and it's not like I have an option. I slide them on and they fit perfectly.“Where are you taking me?” I ask as he presses the elevator door open. His hand still firmly tucked on my bicep.“I'd advise you to keep quiet,” he spits and I roll my eyes.“I deserve to know where I'm going if it's not back to my house.”He chuckles, bringing his face closer to mine. “If you haven't noticed this yet, you are never going back to your old life,” he says, his tone making a shiver run down my spine.
Maya's pov I grunt, rolling to the other side of the bed ducking my head under the pillow. The banging on my door intensifies with each minute, each thud sharper and more insistent. With a frustrated sigh, I shove the stack of books off my bed, shuffling for my phone under the covers. Coming out empty-handed I step off the bed; the polished floor biting at my bare feet. The pounding on my door grew louder and by now I wanted to kill whoever was on the other side. If it's another drunk who has confused his house number again, I will lose it. I grabbed the baseball bat that I had loaned from Mr Crawmey down stairs since it was either that or a gun that had a body count on it, and that was not an option. I reach the living room tripping over a can of coke and before I can regain my balance the door flies open. Silhouettes of men stand at the door, their clothes covered in dirt and blood. Two of them hold an injured man, dripping blood on the rug my mother hand-sewn for me. One flicks
Maya's pov Tears that I had been holding in stream down my face. “Please,” I beg, as he turns me around. “Are you deaf?” he asks. “I said don't move.” “I know… I know I just.” “I hate being disrespected,” he says, his voice low but controlled. “I'm sorry I'm just scared,” I cry. “Does it look like I care?” He asks, so close I can smell the mint on his breath. “No.” I shake my head and his hand, tight and firm presses on my jaw. His skin is hard, like someone that does manual labor, the callouses scraping against my skin. “Then why did you think to open this pretty mouth of yours to tell me that you're scared?” He pushes me to the door hard and I wince in pain. “Do you want to die?” he asks, running the butt of his gun on my stomach. The cold surface has me shivering. I try to shake my head, but he presses harder, till the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth. “I'm going to forgive you since you saved my brother, but if you ever disrespect me like that again I will take
Cassian's pov I turn from the couch and look at her. Her hair now is in a French-Braided ponytail. She wears a pair of blue jeans that accentuate her curves in a way that would make any man water for her. “I didn't tell anyone,” she says, fear laced in her tone. I grunt motioning for her to come in. “I didn't say you did.” “Then why are you here?” she questions, holding the strap of her bag so tight her knuckles turn white. I move from where I was seated, going to close the door. “Take a seat and I will tell you,” I say, pointing to the couch. She drags herself to the couch, her chapped lips open as if she wants to say something but decides otherwise. She looks at the gun and blue file on the table taking a seat. “What do you want?” She asks, her gray eyes wary. “To talk,” I reply, sitting beside her but leaving as much distance as possible. “I already told you I will not tell anybody,” she pleads, her jaw set. “I swear.” I open the file, crossing my legs over the other. “M
Maya's Pov I let out a guttural scream, the sound easing some of the tension in my chest. What just happened? My life was fine two days ago. I had a plan, finish my residency, become the future of Ophthalmology, pay off my medical debt and help my parents. Not treat goons or operate on murderers. The shrill cry of my phone takes me out of my thoughts. My mother's name flashes on the screen and I grunt. “Hello sweetie,” my mum says, her voice as cheerful as ever. I clear my throat, looking at the boxes of unopened items and stacks of medicine books lining the coffee table. “Uh, hi mum.” “How are you? How is the big city?” “It's fine, how are you, how is Dad?” I ask, wiping away my tears. “We're fine, but you're dad, he went to see Dr. Charles and he says his blood pressure is shooting up and his vision is getting blurry,” she says, worry laced in her tone. “Uh, is he taking his medicine properly?” I ask, knowing how stubborn he can be. “Yes, I remind him every day. Maya, I
Maya's pov“Let's go,” Giovanni says, coming in with a set of keys. He removes the cuffs pushing me forward.“Can I get some shoes?” I ask the cold floor biting at my skin. He gives me a bored look leading me to one of the female employees.“Do you have any shoes you can spare?” He asks.The brown girl looks at me from head to toe then moves to her desk where she removes some Dr Martins. “If those don't fit that's your problem.”I grimace at the thought of wearing someone's shoes but they look clean and it's not like I have an option. I slide them on and they fit perfectly.“Where are you taking me?” I ask as he presses the elevator door open. His hand still firmly tucked on my bicep.“I'd advise you to keep quiet,” he spits and I roll my eyes.“I deserve to know where I'm going if it's not back to my house.”He chuckles, bringing his face closer to mine. “If you haven't noticed this yet, you are never going back to your old life,” he says, his tone making a shiver run down my spine.
Cassian's povI chew down on my lip as Holden sits next to me. I don't know what to talk about first, the fact that the feds have Maya or what the fuck he is doing kissing my wife.“What is your relationship with Maya?” I ask, my fingers tightening against the steering wheel.He looks at me, confusion etching on his face. “What do you mean?” He asks, trying to play dumb.I press on the brakes. “Stop playing stupid with me Holden I know you are seeing her.”His lips fall open. “What, How?”I scoff. “I have photos of you shoving your tongue down her throat and messaging her like a damn fool when you went in front of my face and told me we are done with her.”His face darkens. “Guess we're both liars.”My brows furrow. “What the fuck does that mean?”He shakes his head. “What are you keeping from me?”“I'm not keeping anything from you.”His eyebrows perk. “Really, so everything you're doing I know.”“Stop beating around the bush and just come out with it.”“I know one of us is not Dad's
Maya's pov“For what?” I ask my eyes wide from shock.“You and your things are coming with us,” the redhead says motioning two of his men to grab me, while the other ones raided my apartment.“No…why?”They approach me. “What? Stop I didn't do anything wrong,” I shout apprehension clawing at my skin.This is insane. I haven't committed any crime.“We will decide that,” the man says as they grab me pulling me towards the door.God this cannot be happening. “I swear, I didn't do anything,” I choke looking at the man on the left.He barely meets my eyes as he pulls me down the stairs. I'm wearing shorts and I'm barefooted. “Please,” I cry trying to wiggle out of their hold.“Ma'am it would be better if you didn't resist,” the other says pulling me to the black Sedan parked just outside. “Then let go of me, I didn't do anything,” I repeat but they open the door shoving me inside. Two men sit next to me and the car starts moving. I look at the apartment tears rolling down my cheeks. This
Cassian's povI dialed Sevan's line a few hours ago asking him to find any information the cops might have on me or Maya and he said he found something but couldn't say over the phone. I watch from the car as he places down a brown package the hat perched on his head casual brown trousers and a red shirt making him look inconspicuous among the crowd. He nods and I walk to the bench picking it up and heading back to the car.I unseal it my fingers twitching with anticipation. Pictures fill it and I look at the pictures and they are all about Maya. As she goes to work, inside her apartment, bank statements and worse of all, her kissing Holden.The fuck!She kissed Holden and the feds, they are onto her. My heart races as I dial his burner phone.“How long have they been watching her?” I ask my heart pounding. “Almost four months,” he answers nonchalantly and my fist clenches.“Aren't you supposed to tell me when something like this is going on?” I ask my hands trembling from anger.He
Maya's pov“What do you mean someone is following you?” Jenny asks, unable to contain the shock on her face.I huff. “I'm telling you, I saw a car parked outside my house twice and one time I threw a rock at it and it drove off.”She touches my arm. “Have you reported it to the police?”“I did but all they said is we will get back to you.”“That is so scary,” she says as we take the food from the cafeteria. If she only knew I've been through worse.“I know but what can I do about it?” I ask sliding on the plastic chair while Jenny sits beside me.“Hmm, if you see that car again call me I will show them who I am.”I chuckle. “Okay, Wonder Woman.”I bite my sandwich Benta and Lisa come and join us bringing their bubbly energy with them. Jenny makes a funny face and I know she is not a fan of large crowds but she will have to deal. Or it's the fact that there has been this huge rift between surgeons and nurses that I've never come to understand.“Oh I didn't tell you something,” I mumble
Cassian's pov“I found out where she lives,” Leo says, his voice sounding a bit off.“Then why do you sound like that?” I ask. This should be good news.He lets out a sound. “They're are two police officers coming out of her house.”I stiffen. “Police officers!” I repeat just to be sure I heard correctly.“Yes.”The conversation with Don Hurio and Adelaide comes back. She will betray you. Feds.“Should I continue keeping watch?” He asks. I clear my throat.“No, come back we have more important issues to deal with.”The call disconnects. I look at the plate of food before and my appetite disappears.Can Maya betray me?Leo arrives shortly and I welcome him into my study. “Do you think it was a good idea to let Maya go?” I ask, cause everything right now is pointing to I shouldn't have.He purses his lips. “Like let her leave the mafia or let her live?”I pull at my hair. “Both.”He lowers his eyes. “I don't know sir.”I grit my teeth. “Do you think it was a good judgment call?”He shak
Maya's povIt's been a week since I saw Cassian, he has not attempted to contact me and it's driving me insane. Who pulls me onto his lap kisses me and then disappears?I clutch my phone tightly contemplating whether to call him, but I can't. I can't be the first to make contact, I won't stoop that low after he allowed me to wait for him this long.My phone dings and I jump thinking it's Cassian but it's just another text from Holden saying he misses me. Apparently, he has also been haywire and due to my leg injury we haven't repeated the mistake we did last time —not that I might regret it right now.I also type another corny I miss you too stopping myself from asking about Cassian. He made him a no-go zone.I stretch on the couch looking at the stupid comedy show doing a lousy down in cheering me up. I grab the remote from the table, tap the power off button and throw it back on the table.A knock has me groaning. “Who is it?” I ask my voice echoing inside the house. I am not in the
Cassian's pov“I have information,” Leo says, barging inside the study with some files in his hand.I sit up. “What is it about?” I ask my heart racing.He opens the file and takes out something that looks like letters. “I finally found out who your mother was having an affair with.”My heart stops and I grab the letters. “Who is it? And how did you find this?”“It's Matteo,” he says, making my blood run cold. What?“Who?”He clears his throat. “It's Matteo and it's clearly written in the letters.”I rub my cheeks. This is bad. “So one of us is his son,” I mumble bile rising in my throat. It had to be him.He nods a nervous smile on his lips. “Yes.”I look at the letters and it's my mother's handwriting. “What? How did you even find this?”“Celeste,” he answers, letting out a sigh. “She told me about the letters she found one day while cleaning the house andyour mother asked her to keep them since your father was starting to suspect them.”I sit down. I did not expect this. Matteo us
Cassian's povI don't think I can take it anymore, thinking about that man wrapping his arms around Maya has anger boiling beneath my skin. She can't be with anybody else, not as long as I have anything to do with it. Her photo sits on my screen like a silent reminder of what I've lost. Here, she's smiling so freely, her hair a mop on her head. She's everything to me and I don't think it was a good idea to let her go.I move to stand but Holden gets in an unfamiliar glow on his skin. “You look better,” I mutter my mood spilling onto my words.He doesn't catch it, instead, he grins his cheeks tinting a shade darker. “Yeah.”“Did you need something?” I ask when he remains quiet for too long.Realization settles on his face and whatever trance he was in fades away. He is seeing someone.“Just wanted to see if you wanted my help with anything,” he says, his eyes sweeping over my room.My brows furrow. “Like what?”He shrugs, slipping his hands in his pants pockets. “Anything really, I