Se connecterThe matte-black SUV tore down the empty industrial avenue, tires hissing against the damp asphalt before fishtailing sharply into the private loading bay of the Titans’ training facility. Hunter threw the gearshift into park, killed the engine, and wrenched the door open before the vehicle had even completely stopped.The cold night air whipped his jacket around his broad shoulders as he strode toward the heavy steel basement doors, his jaw locked so tight a muscle ticked rhythmically beneath his left eye.Inside the subterranean storage room, the air was thick with the metallic tang of dried blood, sweat, and cheap adrenaline. The fluorescent overhead lights flickered violently, casting jagged, dancing shadows across concrete walls that had seen plenty of brutal hockey brawls, but nothing quite like this.Devon was slumped sideways in a steel folding chair, his head hanging limply toward his chest. His face was a swollen, unrecognizable mosaic of purple bruises, split skin, and c
“What?” Her voice dropped to a breathless, horrified whisper, her entire expression instantly crumbling into ash.Hunter watched the color drain from her face, his brow knitting together in a hard, confused frown.“Wait, you know about Devon, Mrs. Adams?” Hunter asked, stepping closer as the pieces suddenly started shifting into a darker, more disturbing pattern.Nora looked down at her sleeping daughter, her thumb gently tracing the edge of the blanket, before looking back up at Hunter. Her expression turned grim with every passing second, heavy with the weight of old, unresolved dread.“He's part of the main reason we moved from Chicago to New York,” Nora said, her voice shaky and low.Hunter’s frown deepened. “What exactly happened?”He was in the dark here.It was either that Devon was a textbook, unhinged psychopath, or something deep and destructive had gone down between him and Maya back in Illinois that had triggered this violent, relentless obsession.“Did Maya and Devon dat
Hunter pushed through the heavy swing doors of the private recovery wing, his boots clicking sharply against the polished hospital floor. The air smelled of sterile antiseptic and cold floor wax, a stark contrast to the heavy iron-and-blood scent of the Titans' storage basement he had just left.He strode down the quiet corridor and stopped outside Maya’s room, where the door stood slightly ajar.Inside, Maya was stubbornly arguing with a young nurse, her voice raspy, frantic, and entirely devoid of reason."I don't care what the chart says!" Maya insisted, trying to swing her legs over the side of the hospital mattress, her hospital gown slipping awkwardly over one bruised shoulder. "I need to go see my brother. Ethan is right down the hall—I have to see him!""Miss Adams, please, you need to lie back down," the nurse urged gently, holding out a calming hand. "Your vitals are unstable, and—""Maya, Maya, calm down, please," Hunter interrupted smoothly, stepping into the room with hi
“She was mine before you,” Devon sneered, his dark eyes burning with twisted pride. “If she hadn't been so stubborn, none of this would have happened. She belongs to me, Callum.” he spat.“Yours?” Hunter gave a short, dangerous laugh, his expression instantly hardening into pure, unyielding stone. “When did she ever become yours? Is your brain so knocked out that you think Maya Adams is your property?”Devon stared him square in the eyes, showing no fear despite the blood pouring down his nose.“Whether you like it or not, golden boy, Maya and I have history,” Devon spat out, his voice laced with sick satisfaction.He leaned his face forward as much as Hunter’s grip would allow, his grin widening into something vile.“You have no idea all the fun things we've done,” Devon laughed, leaning in to whisper the next words. “Her tight little cunt has always been mine.”His last words pissed an already enraged Hunter off even more. Hunter nodded slowly, giving an exasperated, short laugh t
Maya passed out the exact second the cool, damp evening air hit her skin.Hunter carried her out of the house cradling her against his broad chest like fragile glass.“Stay with me, Maya,” Hunter pleaded, his voice shaking with a rare, suffocating panic as he sprinted down the front porch steps. “Open your eyes for me, baby. Please, just keep your eyes on me.”Her head only laved limply against his shoulder, her breathing dangerously shallow.In the driveway, the flashing red lights of the ambulance painted the wet pavement in harsh crimson hues. Paramedics rushed past them, wheeling a gurney toward the front entry where Ethan was being brought out“We’ve got a male, eighteen, severe blunt force trauma to the face and torso!” one paramedic shouted over the rain, snapping latex gloves onto his hands. “BP is dropping, secure the cervical collar and get him loaded right now!”“She’s non-responsive!” Hunter barked, his voice raw as he pulled Maya tighter into his arms, cutting off the se
“What are you doing to her?!”Both Maya and Devon's heads snapped towards the voice.Ethan stood at the door, wide-eyed and pissed at seeing the strange man pinning his sister helpless on the bed. The teenager’s chest heaved with immediate, blinding rage, his eyes darting from the torn fabric of Maya's shirt to Devon’s hands pinning her down.Before Maya could register it, Ethan had already taken two long strides into the room.He grabbed Devon by the back of his coat and hurled him off Maya. Then he drove his fist straight into the man's jaw with every ounce of momentum he had.Devon stumbled back against the dresser, his head snapping sideways from the impact. He slowly wiped a thin stream of crimson from his lower lip with the back of his hand and looked at the younger boy with a twisted, chilling grin.“You hit like a fucking bitch, boy,” Devon chuckled mockingly.He spat out blood onto the wooden floorboards and then lunged for Ethan.“Ethan!!!” Maya screamed as Devon's fist c
Maya stirred slowly to warmth pressed firmly against her back and an arm draped heavily across her waist beneath the blankets.For a few quiet seconds, she didn’t move.Hanger over effects. Her head felt heavy. Her thoughts slow and foggy beneath the lingering haze of alcohol while soft morning lig
“Hunter Callum?” Someone gasped from the crowd.It couldn't be him right?Maya stared at him through the flashing club lights, her tequila-soaked brain trying and failing to properly process what the hell was happening.Then she frowned. “No.”The man standing in front of her raised a brow slightly
“Jessie,” Maya muttered without looking up, “if you came back just to judge me some more, I want you to know our friendship is becoming toxic.” A low laugh sounded beside her. It didn't sound like Jessie. Definitely not Jessie. Maya paused for a second too long, her brain slightly delayed in catc
“Fuck Hunter Callum.” She said the second she sat down, before Jessie could even open her mouth. Jessie blinked at her. “Hello to you too.” “And fuck Chloe Miller.” She added, flagging down the bartender. “Especially Chloe Miller.” “Okay.” Jessie nodded slowly. “We’re doing this.” “Whiskey,” sh







