ログインMELANIE “Ssshhh… look at her.”“Who?”“Her. The girl those cute hockey guys fought over.”“Really? That girl with the tattoos?”I kept my head down as I walked through the hallway, but I could feel the stares burning into my back, as whispers followed me like shadows.Ever since I stepped foot on campus this morning, people had been murmuring about some big fight, and I had a sinking feeling it had everything to do with me.I gripped the strap of my bag tighter and quickened my pace toward class, trying to ignore the way heads turned and conversations died whenever I passed. This was the last thing I needed right now.Then I spotted Tony, Reynold’s loud-mouthed friend and the campus gossip king. If you wanted the latest news, Tony was your guy.“Hey, Tony,” I called, stopping him just as he was about to enter a classroom.His face lit up with a huge grin when he saw me. “If it isn’t the latest campus celebrity.”My face twisted into a frown. “What?”He raised his eyebrows in surprise
GAVINBy the time I got to the university the next morning, the headache behind my eyes felt like it was trying to split my skull open.I was in no mood for any drama. All I wanted was a normal practice, a chance to lose myself in the familiar rhythm of drills and the sound of whistles. But the second I got close to the locker room, loud shouting and the sound of something heavy slamming against metal told me that peace was not on the agenda today.I quickened my steps and pushed the door open, and chaos greeted me.Reynold and Derek were in the middle of the room, locked in a brutal fistfight. Reynold had Derek pinned against a row of lockers, throwing punches while Derek landed a solid hit that split Reynold’s lip. Blood trickled down Derek’s nose, staining his practice jersey as the rest of the team stood around them, some shouting encouragement, while others looked uncomfortable but did nothing to break it up.“What the hell is going on here?” I thundered, and they broke apart, pa
GAVINWhen I finally got home that night, my body felt like it had been washed, wrung out, and hung up to dry. Every muscle ached. The weight of the failed operation, the NCAA investigation, and the ghost of my brother walking around as Silvio pressed down on me like a physical burden.If only I could take one full day to turn everything off and just rest. But the team had practice in the morning, and life didn’t stop for anyone.I stripped off my clothes and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water beat down on my shoulders. The steam filled the bathroom, but the heat did nothing to clear my head. Instead, memories of the restroom flooded back. Melanie on the counter, with her crimson gown bunched around her waist, and her loud moans echoing off the tiles as I thrust into her.Did I really have sex with her without a condom?The thought made my chest tighten. Why couldn’t I control myself around her? Whenever she was near, it felt like I couldn't think straight, and all logic d
MELANIE“Sir, that was an amazing decision to blame the opposition,” I overheard my father’s shameless PA, Jake, gushing as I walked into the house that night.Jake turned toward the door, his face still glowing with excitement, when he noticed me. “Your father is a genius, Melanie,” he continued, practically beaming. My plan was just to grab my power bank from the center table and disappear upstairs to my room. Now I was roped into a conversation I had zero interest in.I stopped moving, leaned my weight against one of the chairs, crossed my arms, and just stared at Jake. His smile faltered, suddenly looking uncomfortable under my gaze.My father turned and saw me. He shook his head, already knowing this wouldn’t end well. “Jake, you can leave. Go home. You’ve done well tonight.”“Thank you, sir.” Jake gave a quick nod, picked up his bag, and headed for the door.He was about to pass me when I stopped him. “Jake, you must be so proud.”The huge grin returned to his face instantly. “Y
GAVIN“Hey, calm down, Gavin,” Joe tried to soothe me as I paced back and forth across my office floor like a caged animal. We were back at the Federal Intelligence Unit headquarters, and I had slipped away from the chaos at the ballroom the moment the police arrived. I couldn’t go back inside with blood all over my hands and shirt from Agent Ramirez. How was I supposed to explain that to Dalton without blowing my entire cover?“Look, what happened is understandable,” Joe continued carefully. “Logan was your… or is your brother—”“Was,” I corrected him sharply.Joe gave me a long look but didn’t argue.“We almost lost an agent tonight,” I snapped, even though I knew I should have been directing that anger at myself. The image of Ramirez lying in a pool of his own blood on the patio kept flashing in my mind.“But he’s alive, okay?” Joe said firmly. “Cut yourself some slack, Gav. You’re only human.”The office door suddenly burst open. Director Flint walked in, his face hard and clearl
MELANIE“How on earth do you intend to take his phone from him and delete the video?” Eva asked urgently, her eyes darting left and right to make sure Reynold wasn’t close enough to hear.I shook my head, still trying to figure it out. “I don’t know yet. But I’m not just going to sit around and let him use that video against me.”I turned and noticed her giving me a strange look. “What?”“I don’t know,” she said, making a face. “I’m just trying to picture how he even caught you two. Were you doing it with the door open again?”“No,” I denied immediately. “Reynold is a fucking weirdo. He actually went all the way to the fire escape to record us through the transom window.”“It's a lie!” Eva covered her mouth in shock as she let out a series of loud, disbelieving laughs.I shoved her shoulder. “That’s not funny!”“I’m so sorry.” She tried to stop laughing but kept failing, her hand still over her mouth. “But it kind of is.” The words had barely left her lips when a loud crack of gunsho
GAVINThe shrill sound of the alarm cut through the room as I opened my eyes, blinking into the darkness.Shit! Why did I set that meeting so early? I hadn't slept a bit. I pressed my palms into my temples, wincing as a jackhammer throbbed behind my eyes, worse than last night. Stretching my hands
GAVIN“Who was that on the phone?” Joe pried, his ears practically pricking up and his eyes following my phone screen as I shoved my cell into my pocket, shutting my eyes for a few seconds, trying to get my breathing under control and hoping the hard-on Melanie had just given me wasn’t too obvious
MELANIESilvio?I sat up so fast the room spun, all thoughts of being horny vanishing in a heartbeat as a chilling wave of adrenaline shot straight into my veins.How did he get my number? No, scratch that… Why was he calling me in the middle of the night?“Melanie?” he repeated my name.“Hello, Si
MELANIEThe drive back to Eva’s house was filled with total silence. It had been fifteen minutes of suffocating tension between us, with the only sound in the car coming from the low hum of the engine and the occasional tap of my heel nervously hitting the floor mat. Eva sat in the passenger seat







