LOGINElena’s POVMy mind immediately jumps to one single thought: we’re being attacked.How else is this going to be explained? What else could be happening?But even though this thought cements itself in my mind, my body still refused to move. I stay there in my spot, completely frozen. I’m not even sure I’m breathing right.Bang!Tristan is on the go. As the second gunshot rings, he jumps to his feet and turns to me, holding his finger to his lips as though to silence me. As though he has anything to silence. He tosses our bag to me and motions me to start packing as more footsteps appear echo from outside.“Stay there and get ready to leave,” he murmurs, positioning himself by the window and peering outside, barely moving the curtains. “We’re in the first floor. It’s not going to be a jump at all.”“What do you think is happening?” I whisper back, finally managing to make myself move and gather all our things.My hands are shaking so hard that I’m barely able to grab and drag our stuff.
Elena’s POV“Top investment banker and CEO of Meridian Russell Finley-Harrington caught in a scandal.”“Meridian Foundation revealed to be a fake front for drug business.”The headlines keep coming. One after the other, fast and relentless.It’s only been a day since I told Uncle Marcus to spread the word. We gathered all the videos and the papers and every shred of evidence that we had, letting him give it to the media outlets that he trusted.The reporters apparently had a field day.They took the clips and ran with it. Russell and Portia became known overnight. Even those that aren’t in the business suddenly took interest, deciding that the fake charity organization is the worst thing of all.And maybe it is. Maybe it’s not. Honestly, they might have worse practices that are yet to come to light. But right now, it doesn’t matter.They’re going down in flames right before our eyes.I’m on the phone with Uncle Marcus, and he seems to be having way too much fun about it too. “Are you
Tristan’s POVI don’t know what I’m expecting, not really.But out of all the possibilities that I’ve been weighing in my mind, bags and bags of drugs wasn’t one of them.It just so happened that that is the exact thing in front of me, just stared against the wall like a gigantic sculpture. I brace my arm over the lower half of my face, scared to inhale.“Holy shit,” I mutter under my breath, craning my neck just to see the extent of it.I’ve never been one to dabble in drugs. Opportunities have come and gone, but I’ve always refused when it came around. I believed that it was something meant to ruin your mind, to erase your sharpness. Something that can ruin people’s lives. I would never use it, much less make a business out of it knowing its bloody history.However, it seems that Russell has no issue making this his thing.Now it all makes sense. The puzzle pieces start to fall into place. His wealth, his influence. The absence of fear. The fact that he doesn’t hesitate to end someo
Third Person POVIf there was something that could make Tristan snap into focus, that would be it—the sight of their only chance at blowing the whole case open escaping.Riding just on the edge of being discovered, he finds himself rushing closer to the gate, crouched down and hiding behind the bushes and the white fog of the falling snow.Elena’s heart is hammering inside her chest, screaming out a protest as Tristan gets even closer. “Tristan, what the hell are you doing?”“Getting closer,” he hisses. “We might be able to see what they’re putting in those goddamn trucks. Once they leave… our chance is lost.”Elena bites back her protest, knowing that he’s right. But there are a lot of people on the other side of the fence. Not to mention, they’re blocked out by an entire section of the wall.“What do you want me to do?” she asks desperately, trying to follow him.But Tristan shakes his head. “No, you stay here. Stay close to the car and hide. Don’t do anything. Don’t get too close.
Elena’s POVWe did… it.We crossed the line.Tristan called me his wife.Now we’re both breathing hard, still hazy from what we did. I can feel his essence slipping between my legs. His skin is warm on mine, perhaps too warm, because I’m starting to sweat. Starting to stew in my own nerves.Did we just make a mistake?No… two mistakes.We did it twice in the span of what, eight hours?We’ve never done that before.We’ve never laid down like this either, tangled and ragged and just sinking into our own satisfaction. Before, we’d always just awkwardly shuffle to the bathroom after the deed. Sometimes he would hand me a bathrobe to cover myself. We never showered together. Never tried to push our intimacy past the baseline lust.But now he’s stroking my hair, kissing my shoulders. I can tell that he’s smiling even though I can’t see his face. His heart has steadied but I can almost hear it shouting from the rooftops.And I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that my heart is doing the same.
Elena's POVTristan walks closer to me, and at long last, after what felt like a forever of nothing, he reaches down to kiss me.I close my eyes. I’m already moaning and it’s just a kiss. I don’t even remember kissing ever feeling this good, but I give into it. I open my mouth to let him slide his tongue inside me. He tastes like a drug, but it also tastes like love and sweetness and desire. I can feel my core getting impossibly wet.“I need you too,” he whispers as he trails his lips down to my neck. “God, I’ve been thinking about you. I’ve been stopping myself….”I want to question why he’s been stopping himself, but the last thing I want is to distract him and make him stop right now. I just throw my head back and moan as he nuzzles my neck, running his hands up and down my hips and waist.Tristan wraps his arms around me and guides me back on the bed, laying me back just enough so that my legs are hanging off the edge of the bed. He’s running his hands on my thighs now, letting hi







