ARI’s POV
Shocked was an understatement as I gaped at the man from last night. He looked calm and collected, like it was normal to be here. It made irritation and questions rise, the most visible one being; What was he doing here? His gaze seemed to rove over me before his lips quirked up into a smug looking smirk. It was like a kick to reality. Had I been staring this whole time? My heart hammered in my chest as I turned away. Maybe I'd gone far enough for today. “Going somewhere?” he said, stopping me before I could leave. I clenched my jaw defensively. “What are you doing here?” I demanded, “Is it a crime to relax in a back alley?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. Irritation crawled up my veins. “It does when it involves stalking.” I said. Instead he leaned in, a smile on his face. “Very presumptuous of you…Detective,” he purred. A shiver ran through me at his words. “Maybe it's a coincidence that we met again. Maybe I am a stalker. Maybe I've gone crazy after the night we had.” A gasp left my lips as heat bloomed inside me. “I wondered why you left so early. Didn't you enjoy our night together?” he asked, tilting his head. Heat rose to my cheeks at the reminder of last night. Yes, that was probably the best night I'd ever had and now it was the biggest fumble I'd had in my entire career. “Look, what happened last night was fun and all, but it was a one night thing. A mistake.” I bit out, “Is that what they call it now? In that case it seems like I would like more mistakes,” he said. I blinked, at a loss of words. Was he…flirting with me right now? His chuckle cut my thoughts off. “It wasn't a mistake when you asked me to show you something dangerous. Am I not dangerous enough for you?” he asked, More shame welled up in me. “I was drunk and heartbroken from my breakup ” I said, even if the reminder of said breakup didn't feel as painful now. “That's the only reason I slept with you.” I could have sworn his eyes hardened a fraction before the look completely disappeared. “That's what you say, but do you even believe it?” He murmured, taking a step towards me. I stiffened, keeping my guard up against him but he wasn’t swayed. Logic told me to move back, punch him in self defense or leave but I stayed. The heat in my belly crew as he entered my space. My breath hitched as a warm weight fell over my gear, trailing down to my pants. His hand remained there, sending heat down to my core. “Couldn't have been that drunk if you remember it so clearly? Do you deny that?” he raised his eyebrow, eyes dark just like last night. “Look at me again and tell me it was a mistake.” his voice rumbled. My breath hitched. My lips parted but I couldn't say a word. Instead my gaze remained fixated on him. He looked even more handsome up close, without the club lights. His eyes, dark and smoldering and his skin tan. ‘Don't do it.’ Warning bells rang in my head to pull away and do anything else. Yet my mouth still went dry as his eyes trailed downwards to my lips. Our lips collided and I was soon refreshed with the memories of last night. The pleasure and bruises he gave. His groan went straight to my core, making me pull him closer as his hands cupped my bottom. I didn't notice when I was pushed against the wall, holding onto him for purchase. I never felt this way around anyone before. He was so addictive. I hated it. I wanted more. Suddenly the kiss ended. He whispered a curse I couldn't hear before separating. I protested as his weight left mine, before I heard the sound of a phone ringing. He pulled away, taking out the phone from his pocket before slipping it in. “It seems like we'll have to cut this short,” he said and I swore there was disappointment in his voice. “I'll see you later…cara.” I remained frozen against the wall as he left the alleyway. The cold penetrated my skin leaving only the lingering taste left on my lips. What had I done? I turned away dazed. It wasn't until I was near headquarters that another realization hit me I didn't even know his name. …. The moment I reached my desk, a dull ache in my head made me groan. The leftover ache of my hangover still remained. I was sure I stashed aspirin somewhere… I checked my jacket for the drug only to freeze as I felt something else in my gear. It was something solid. I rushed to open it only to find that it was a small jewelry box with a note attached to it. ‘Happy Belated Birthday’ it said with a single heart below it. “What the -” I whispered aloud, mortified and shocked. I was sure this wasn't here before. Nobody ever touched my gear, unless… The recent memory of Mystery Man pushing against me, dragging me against him, putting his hands against it… Heat rose to my cheeks. Instantly I pushed the box into my desk drawer, slamming it loud enough to get some attention. My gaze quickly darted around before I relaxed, covering my face. What was wrong with me? Shame and anger filled me, aimed at myself. There were more important things to think about than a stranger yet here I was losing my freaking head. Had last night not happened, the mission might have been a success yet now I had to deal with the weight of my failures. I had to track down the mafia like I'd done with others. From that day years ago, that had been my single resolve. A memory from years ago mixed with police sirens and empty condolences felt so real. My father, a supermarket cashier, died because of a gang war. Since then my resolve to become a police officer came , to stop all the gang violence and save others from getting hurt like I did. Since then I hated all gangs, especially the mafia. It was the reason I'd risen the ranks so quickly, gaining experience and rarely failing to catch any of my targets. And today was my biggest failure yet. Wiping my face, my past resolve filled me. Last night didn't happen, and neither did what happened this morning. It was a mistake that had cost my career. This job was a thousand times more important than a stranger with sexy dark eyes. …. After hours of paperwork, I got off work early and headed to my apartment walking through the mostly empty streets. All I wanted to do as I reached my home was sleep and forget about everything before my phone rang. It was Kaelie. I answered the call and received noises I recognized as apologizing. “I'm so, so sorry Ari. I don't know what was up with me last night. I was working the night shift and my boss was nagging but it doesn't excuse how I left you in the call. I'm so sorry. I couldn't even wish you a proper happy birthday,” she cried out, sounding like she was near tears. The reminder of last night made me upset. But Kaelie sounded so upset and sincere that the bad feelings faded away. “It's okay. I forgive you,” I said, “Look, I'm about to cross the road right now but I'll call you in a few minutes, Kay?” I ended the call as soon as she agreed, taking a step across the street when suddenly I was pulled back. Shock filled me and I nearly protested until a car passed me at high speed. ‘That would have been me,’ My heart skipped a beat as I realized I'd just been saved from an accident. I turned around to thank my savior only to be shocked. It was the Stranger again. “You shouldn't be distracted on roads like these,” he said in a teasing tone, a smirk on his face.Cross’ POVThe roar of the engine filled my ears as I sped down the deserted road, the air slashing across my face. My mind was a storm, thoughts slamming into each other. Ari was in trouble. I didn’t know where, I didn’t know how, but I could feel it. The moment I saw that unknown number flash on my screen, I knew. And when the call disconnected before a voice could even come through, I didn’t hesitate. With a flick of my wrist, I activated the tracker embedded in my device, hacking into the last known coordinates of the signal.The result made my blood run cold.A forest. The middle of nowhere. And a part of me already knew who had taken her.Jonathan.If Mira could have worked with someone… Could it be him?The bastard wasn’t dead. Not yet. But I was about to fix that.I pushed the bike harder, trees blurring past me in dark smudges. The location was getting closer, the beeping on my tracker speeding up. My gut clenched as a shadowy structure came into view. An uncompleted buildi
Ari’s POVI ran.Blindly. Desperately. My breath came in ragged gasps, my legs screaming for rest, but I didn't dare stop. What I didn’t expect outside the building was a stretch of green - the woods…I cursed.Behind me, his voice slithered through the trees, taunting, sing-song, twisted in its mockery."Ari, come out, come out wherever you are…"A shudder ripped through me. He was enjoying this. The chase. The fear. The sheer power he had over me.I pushed forward, stumbling over uneven ground. My body ached, but I forced myself onward, lungs burning, heart hammering against my ribs. If I stopped, I was dead.Up ahead, a fallen tree loomed. I dropped to my knees, crawling underneath, pressing myself against the damp earth. I clenched my fists, holding my breath. Maybe, just maybe, I could disappear into the shadows.The silence stretched.Then—a hand clamped around my ankle.A scream tore from my throat as I was yanked backward, my nails clawing at the ground, grasping for anything
Ariana’s POVDarkness.It was thick, suffocating, pressing against me like a second skin.My wrists burned from the restraints, bound so tightly I could feel the circulation slowing. My ankles were the same—tied, restrained, useless. My breath was uneven, a mix of panic and frustration, chest rising and falling against the gag tied around my mouth.I tried to move. Failed.I tried again, twisting my body, but all it did was send a sharp pain shooting through my shoulders.Where the hell was I?The last thing I remembered was stepping into my apartment. Then—darkness.Now I was here.And I wasn’t alone.A noise—a rustling, a whimper—echoed through the blackness.Then, a voice. Weak. Trembling. Familiar.“…Ari?”My body froze.That voice.That broken, barely-there whisper.Kaelie.My head snapped toward the sound, my eyes adjusting to the dimness of what little light seeped through the cracks of wherever the fuck we were.And then—I saw her.Tied. Beaten. Bloody.She was slumped against
Cross’ POVAs I ran through to the car, I already spotted what was coming. If Mira already knew about Ari, she had definitely told the Don, and the Don was already in the picture. If the Don was in the picture, they were coming for me. I and the Don had made an agreement, and that was to stay faithful to Mira.That agreement was broken.In no time, the Don’s men would be here.The air was thick with gasoline and sweat as I slipped into the car. My fingers tightened around the steering wheel as I reached for my phone, barely suppressing the rush of adrenaline flooding my veins.The Don may be on me, but I also had my plans.And it was time to put it in motion.The call rang once before Gustav answered.“It’s time.”There was no hesitation. No questions. Only a sharp exhale from the other end of the line before the call cut off.And then—The roar of engines.Headlights flared in the distance, then multiplied like wildfire. The Don’s men poured in from every alley, every street, surroun
Cross’ POVThe city streets were still drenched in the silence of the early morning when I arrived at the hideout. My body ached from exhaustion, but my mind was sharper than ever.Leo was dead.That truth weighed on me like chains, heavy and unrelenting. I had spent years crawling out of the grave only to return and find the ones I left behind buried instead.Leo should have been here. Laughing. Drinking. Breathing.Instead, we were about to put him in the ground.I entered the dimly lit warehouse, my boots echoing against the cold concrete. Gustav was already there, leaning against a wooden crate, a cigarette burning low between his fingers.He looked up at me, his sharp eyes unreadable. "You're back."I nodded. "Get the men ready. We're taking Leo home."Gustav exhaled a cloud of smoke before flicking the cigarette away. “Took you long enough, boss. I gat you, anyway.” he muttered, pushing off the crate. “I’ll round them up.”Within minutes, my men—Leo’s men—our family—began to gat
Ari's POVThe world was still wrapped in the quiet, heavy embrace of the early morning when I stirred. My body felt warm, blanketed by the remnants of a presence so familiar yet so distant that, for a moment, I thought I was still dreaming.And then I felt it.A slow, steady breath against my neck.The warmth of a body pressed against mine.An arm lazily draped over my waist.Reality settled in.I didn't dare move—not yet. I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, my heart swelling, aching, twisting. He was here. Cross was here. Alive. In my bed.The night had been a storm of emotions, fists, accusations, and unbridled relief. And now, here we were, tangled in the stillness, as if the world hadn’t turned upside down just hours ago.Slowly, I turned my head, and there he was.Cross.His face, barely inches from mine, softened in sleep. His long lashes cast faint shadows on his sharp cheekbones, his lips slightly parted, chest rising and falling in a rhythm that had once been the most c