LOGINWe pulled up to Bogart’s and the place looked deceptively normal - a quaint little coffee shop with a blue awning and flower boxes in the windows. It felt weird to picture it potentially bathed in blood by the end of today.
Talon helped me off his bike, pulling me in close and planting a kiss on my forehead. We still had almost an hour to kill before the time I was supposed to meet Craig.
The bell above the door chimed cheerfully as we walked into the shop. The smell of fresh coffee and pastries filled the air, a stark contrast to the dark tension humming through my body. The few patrons inside glanced up briefly, checking us out curiously before returning to their laptops and conversations.
Jake approached the counter, exchanging a meaningful look with the barista - a tall, tattooed man who I assumed was in on the plan. He nodded almost imperceptibly before turning
I stood on the edge of the patio, watching Laura rub sunscreen on Scarlett’s arms. The air was heavy and hot, and the sun was beating down on the white sand. Scarlett giggled as Laura tickled her belly, her laughter blending with the crash of the waves.Viktor’s villa was secluded, tucked away from prying eyes and with its own private beach. It was peaceful, in a deceptive kind of way. Beneath the surface, tension coiled tighter with each passing day.Laura looked up, catching my stare. Her blonde hair was loose, falling in waves down her back, and her skin had a deepening tan from the Cuban sun.“You gonna join us, or just stand there looking broody?” she teased, her smile lighting up across her face but tinged with concern. She’d been watching me closely lately, her eyes always searching mine for signs of the storm brewing beneath the surfa
I leaned my forehead against the cool glass of the patio door. Outside, the first gray light of dawn crept over the trees. I’d been up since 4 AM, wearing a hole in the floor between the living room and the kitchen.I needed to hold off until at least 9 o'clock to call Kat. Waking her up with an early phone call would only piss her off.The coffee in my hands had gone cold hours ago, but I kept sipping it anyway — anything to keep my hands busy, to give my mind something to focus on besides the slow, creeping dread tightening around my ribs.Scarlett was still asleep upstairs with her tiny body curled around her dragon. Laura was zonked, too, her breathing steady and deep, one hand resting protectively over the barely-there swell of her stomach.I should have been in bed beside her, soaking in every second of peace I could get. But
I watched her through the grainy surveillance footage Ledger had hacked into. On screen, the detective moved through the Philadelphia precinct with the kind of sharp efficiency that set my teeth on edge.Mid-forties, dark hair pulled into a tight bun, eyes like flint even in low resolution. This was the woman who’d dismantled the Delmonico cartel with nothing but a notepad and a Glock.And now she was hunting me.Jake leaned over my shoulder, his breath hot with yesterday’s whiskey. “She doesn’t look like much.”“That’s what the Delmonicos thought, Ledger muttered, tapping his keyboard. A new window popped up — Ryan’s service record. Marksmanship awards. Letters of commendation. A fucking medal of valor. “She’s thorough. And she doesn’t quit.”
TalonIt was two months since my trip to Philly before we felt the first aftershock. I was at the clubhouse, going over paperwork with Jake and Ledger, when Viktor’s call came in. His voice was calm as always, but there was an edge to it that made my blood run a little cold.“Talon,” he said, his tone measured. “We need to talk. I will be at your clubhouse in fifteen minutes.”I ended the call and glanced at Jake, who was leaning back in his chair. He raised an eyebrow at me, sensing the tension. “Everything alright?”“Not sure,” I said, standing and grabbing my cut from the back of my chair. “Viktor’s on his way here.”Jake’s expression darkened as he pushed away from the desk. “What the hell does he want?”
The room smelled faintly of dust and forgotten dreams, the air thick with the weight of words I’d never written.I stood in the doorway, staring at the blank walls, the untouched desk, the tower of unpacked boxes still sitting in the corner.This was supposed to be my writing room, a sanctuary where I would pen stories that would change the world — or at least my world. But instead, I got pregnant with Scarlett, lost my focus to other things, and the room had become a storage closet.A graveyard for ambitions I’d let slip through my fingers.Talon came up behind me, his presence a solid warmth at my back. His hands slid around my waist, his breath brushing against my neck as he spoke. “You sure about this, angel? We can turn my office into a nursery. It doesn’t have to be this room.”
LauraThe weeks passed by in a daze. Doctor Harris confirmed my pregnancy, and the morning sickness wasn’t nearly as bad this time around.Still, the exhaustion was relentless, weighing me down like a lead blanket by mid-afternoon.Talon hovered constantly, his green eyes tracking my every move with a mix of awe and concern. He’d press a hand to my belly when he thought I wasn’t paying attention, his calloused fingers gentle against my skin, as if he could already feel the life growing there.Scarlett, meanwhile, was ecstatic about becoming a big sister. She’d kiss my stomach every morning and whisper secrets to “Baby,” her tiny voice earnest with promises to share her toys — though I noticed she never mentioned her beloved stuffed dragon.Some sacrifices were too great, apparently. 







