๊ณต์œ 

047: Realization

์ž‘๊ฐ€: Bee Diaz
last update ์ตœ์‹  ์—…๋ฐ์ดํŠธ: 2024-06-30 23:06:18

Dexter

I meet up with Damson for a late breakfast at a nearby diner that I think serves really great food.

Naturally, he comes with all the guys from what he calls his โ€˜squadโ€™. There are five of them, and the leader is pretty clearly identifiable. Heโ€™s the big guy with even more eyeliner around his eyes, and I have to admit that I donโ€™t like him.

Iโ€™ve worked alongside the authorities for a very long time, and so, itโ€™s easy for me to identify a crook. And this guyโ€”this Julesโ€”is a fucking crook. He also likes to intimidate people.

We sit in a booth, all six of us. Damson is the one talking the most. The rest of us are just sizing each other up. My cousin is clearly the youngest of the group. The rest seem to be around my age. Itโ€™s incredible how Iโ€™ve known Damson only for a few hours and yet I already feel overprotective of him. I hope heโ€™s respected in this group and that nobody takes advantage of him.

Because I donโ€™t like Jules. Not one bit.

By the looks of it, he doesnโ€™t like me
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  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย 048: Competitive

    LaraOnce Dexter leaves, I realize that I really donโ€™t want to see the apartment anymore. I wish I could say that he was following me or that heโ€™s even stalking me, but I could tell that our meeting in that apartment was coincidental. And imagine my embarrassment. Iโ€™m home-hunting with his money and he caught me red-handed. Thatโ€™s how I felt. But now heโ€™s gone and even tried to make me feel more comfortable about the fact that he gave me a million fucking dollars. And the worst part? I am reassured. I am calmer about it now. Itโ€™s so messed up. I apologize to Nina and decide to go home and stop hunting for apartments. I donโ€™t want to have to run into him again. I just feel so mortified. Itโ€™ll take a few more hours for Ander to be free, and so I decide to just drive around. I even go to car dealerships and look for new cars. There are so many that I like. I think Iโ€™ll ask Ander what he thinks. Heโ€™ll undoubtedly choose something big, shiny, and red, but thatโ€™s okay. Why canโ€™t I have

    ์ตœ์‹  ์—…๋ฐ์ดํŠธ : 2024-06-30
  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย 049: Crazy Confessions

    LaraI walk into the private room, way ahead of Dexter, and he closes the door.Tingles spread all the way to the tips of my fingers at the thought of us being alone in the same room. To think that we'll be alone in this room for two hours is...I just have to find a way to see this through and not lose my cool. I have to remind myself that I'm doing this to survive. Nothing more, nothing less. I take a deep breath and try to remember to stick to my professionalism. Although I hate him, I have to treat him the same way I treat all my other clients. On top of that, he has his additional requests. He wants me to be more verbal."So, are you ready to have a mind-blowing evening?" I ask him, trying not to cringe. I hear him let out a short, humorless chuckle. "Vanessa, come on."I close my eyes and force myself to calm down. He's not looking at my face so it's easy for me to make these little facial expressions of annoyance. I tell him, "I'd appreciate it if you would let me do my job,

    ์ตœ์‹  ์—…๋ฐ์ดํŠธ : 2024-07-03
  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย 050: Intrusion

    LaraI take a sip of water and try not to think about how heavy my cheek feels. The woman was gone by the time we went outside to look for her. Goddess, I have no idea who she was or why she did that to me. Who would just walk into a strip club to attack someone?Is she crazy, perhaps?Jensenโ€™s eyes are on my face as he says, โ€œWeโ€™ll talk to Ambrose about this. I think we need to really keep an eye on who comes in here. This is dangerous.โ€โ€œYeah,โ€ Angela agrees. Sheโ€™s seated right beside me. She saw the whole thing and is as equally horrified by what happened as I am. โ€œIf she had a gun, she would have shot you dead.โ€I shudder and take another sip of water. The whole thing was so random and honestly, I donโ€™t know what to think about it. My cheek really hurts from that punch. Iโ€™m pretty sure itโ€™ll be bruised tomorrow. โ€œYouโ€™re sure you donโ€™t know who she is?โ€โ€œNo,โ€ I insist. โ€œNo, I have no idea who she was. Iโ€™ve never seen her before in all my life!โ€โ€œHm,โ€ Angela says, deep in thought.

    ์ตœ์‹  ์—…๋ฐ์ดํŠธ : 2024-07-04
  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย 051: Black Out

    Dexter Leaving the strip club never fails to make me feel a certain way. I don't want to say that it's sadness because that would be me grossly exaggerating it. But if I had to be honest, then I'd say that I really don't want to leave even when I'm supposed to. I want to be around Vanessa all the time. It's kind of hilarious, really. I've never been in love, not once. I suppose this is what love must feel like. She's on my mind all the time and as I'm leaving, I'm thinking about the next time when I'll be able to see her again. I start the car and drive out of the parking lot. I don't see the kid anywhere near the staircase, so that's a good thing. At least he listened to me. I'm on my way to the hotel because what else is there to do? I'm finalizing the paperwork for the new apartment I bought and things seem to be coming along smoothly. After that, I'll have it furnished and I'll throw my very first dinner, one in which I'm planning on inviting the people who will help me acco

    ์ตœ์‹  ์—…๋ฐ์ดํŠธ : 2024-07-06
  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย 052: Compromise

    Lara I stare at Dexterโ€™s body, feeling frozen and rooted to the spot. I donโ€™t know if heโ€™s dead and thatโ€™s the part that scares me the most. When I slid out from under him a minute ago, I didnโ€™t think he was dead. Looking at him now, Iโ€™m not so sure anymore. Heโ€™s immobile and doesnโ€™t look like heโ€™s breathing. This is insane. I cover my face with my hands and then quickly think about what Iโ€™m going to do. I canโ€™t leave him here, thatโ€™s for sure, and I have to find out whether heโ€™s dead or not. Thereโ€™s only one way I can do that.I push him further into my apartment so I can close the door behind him and then hurry downstairs. Ambrose is the only person I can think about right now. Heโ€™ll help me resolve this matter because Iโ€™m genuinely lost and donโ€™t know what to do. I push the door open and hurry inside. Itโ€™s one of those days when everything is silent and nobody is around during the morning period. The other girls are only here when thereโ€™s a new dance routine that needs to be

    ์ตœ์‹  ์—…๋ฐ์ดํŠธ : 2024-07-08
  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย 053: Hope

    Dexter I peel my eyes open slowly. My vision is pretty blurry, so I have to blink a few times to clear it. Afterward, I look around with a crinkled brow, trying to make sense of where I am. I try to move. My back is sore. I try to figure out why and then it hits me as quickly as a bullet would. The attack. The fucking knife. I try to reach behind me to feel my back and I realize thereโ€™s nothing there. Rather, I canโ€™t feel it. I sit up quickly and look around. Iโ€™m in a room that I donโ€™t recognize, and for some reason, the knife isnโ€™t in me anymore and I feel better. The door of the bedroom is closed. I look around and spot womenโ€™s clothes. Where am I?I stand up and walk toward the door. I press my ear close to it and donโ€™t hear a thing. Thereโ€™s only silence. I then turn the handle and open the door. This floorโ€ฆl recognize it. I hear footsteps heading toward me and then I see Vanessa staring at me. Her eyes are wide, and I instantly notice that sheโ€™s wearing a red top and jeans t

    ์ตœ์‹  ์—…๋ฐ์ดํŠธ : 2024-07-09
  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย 054: Invasive

    Lara I hand the list of names along with their phone numbers to Ambrose. โ€œThis is everything I got from his phone. I also took pictures of some of his messages. He doesnโ€™t seem to talk to anyone by text, though, but you never know. You might find something useful.โ€Going through Dexterโ€™s phone gave me a thrill thatโ€™s hard to describe. My fingers were shaking as I scrolled through his phone, trying to get as much information as I could while being cautious not to get distracted so he wouldnโ€™t catch me red-handed. โ€œYouโ€™ve done a great job, Lara,โ€ Ambrose says to me as he takes the list from me along with some of the pictures I printed out. He skims over them briefly before asking, โ€œWhere is he now?โ€โ€œHe left but he said heโ€™d come back,โ€ I explain. โ€œWhat about Ander? How is he?โ€โ€œHeโ€™s with my associate. Iโ€™ll give you her number. Call any time you want to talk to him.โ€ He grabs one of his business cards, flips it, and notes the number down. โ€œHere.โ€I take it from him. โ€œThanks.โ€โ€œLet me

    ์ตœ์‹  ์—…๋ฐ์ดํŠธ : 2024-07-10
  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย 055: Bitter Goodbye

    Laraโ€œI think itโ€™s a good idea, Lara,โ€ Ambrose says to me. โ€œIt would be a way for you to get close to him.โ€I sigh. The worst part is that deep down, I know heโ€™s right. I know that he means well when he says that I have to get closer to Dexter and make the most of the opportunities presented to me. My only concern is Ander and I was thinking about him even when Dexter made me the offer. I had to ask him for some time to think the offer through because I didnโ€™t feel ready to give him an answer then just as I donโ€™t feel ready now. Ambrose must be sensing my confusion because he stands up and moves to stand in front of me. His eyes soften as he says, โ€œItโ€™s your decision to make. I canโ€™t force or convince you into doing something you donโ€™t want. I wonโ€™t either. But as an outsider and as a friend, Iโ€™ll have to tell you that I think youโ€™re making a mistake in not seriously considering this. It could change your life. While this man is alive and powerful, youโ€™ll never have the guarantee t

    ์ตœ์‹  ์—…๋ฐ์ดํŠธ : 2024-07-11

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  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย Epilogue 4

    DexterA month has passed since Finchโ€™s untimely death, and Lara hasnโ€™t quite been the same. Sheโ€™s been suffering quite a lot, and honestly, I understand why. Nothing he said made sense to me. Yesterday, she told me that she started to understand a little, but this is all a mystery to me. Maybe she gets it because she knew him better than I did. She grew up with him even though he was my biological brother and not hers. That gives her a pretty fair advantage over me. Iโ€™m haunted by the brief conversation we had over the phone. I hadnโ€™t guessed at the time that it would be our first and last one. To sum it up, he told me that he wanted me to be Beta, and that he wanted me to promise that Iโ€™d take care of Lara and never hurt her again. But before that, he told me that he wasnโ€™t as forgiving as she was and that he was glad I lose a hand. It was a crazy damn day, and it ended so tragically. But slowly, sheโ€™s been crawling out of her shell. Of course, her grief is only noticeable to t

  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย Epilogue 3

    Laraโ€œIs it done?โ€ Finch asks me over the phone. I find myself nodding, and then say, โ€œYes. It is.โ€Putting my father down was a decision we all made. It was ultimately what was best for everyone. Weโ€™ve all been hurt by him, and I think now, we can have that closure. With him being alive, thereโ€™s always that fear that he might run away from prison and target us. Heโ€™s always been vindictive. We had an incident with Jensenโ€™s father, who had been Ambroseโ€™s employer. When he heard of his sonโ€™s death, he orchestrated a prison break and came after us. Well, thatโ€™s what we gathered from the Gammas and Deltas who protect us. He never got close, but that didnโ€™t mean the worst couldnโ€™t have happened. Heโ€™s dead now, but he was a reminder that Lycans are very vindictive and will stop at nothing to get revenge. Weโ€™re all part-Lycan, so we understand this better than anyone else. Weโ€™re also vengeful in our own ways. All of us. Finch heaves a sigh. โ€œWell, thatโ€™s the end of it.โ€For some reason,

  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย Epilogue 2

    Dexterโ€œYouโ€™re free to pass through,โ€ the prison guard tells me as he opens the door to the visitorโ€™s room. I never thought that I would find myself here. After I sent Victor to prison for the murder of my mother, I thought I wouldnโ€™t need to speak to him again. I didnโ€™t need him to explain to me why the fuck he killed my mother so brutally. I didnโ€™t want to hear any of it. But since I got together with Lara, I started feeling this sense for closure. My story doesnโ€™t feel complete yet, and thatโ€™s because there are loose ends that I havenโ€™t tied up. Well, thereโ€™s one, and thatโ€™s Victor. Heโ€™s sitting alone at the metal table. His hands are out of sight, and he looks older than I remember him. Maybe itโ€™s the orange uniform thatโ€™s giving me that impression.When he sees me approaching, his eyes donโ€™t leave my face. Thereโ€™s not a single thought behind them, and as I sit across from him, I try to convince myself not to lose my cool and end this in a way that wonโ€™t land me in prison.โ€œD

  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย Epilogue

    LaraI stand in the balcony of my room and stare at the moon, which is high in the sky.The sky has never looked more lovely. Itโ€™s like a velvety canvas dusted with thousands of glittering stars. Then, thereโ€™s the moon, of course. Sheโ€™s the star of the show. I canโ€™t help but feel gratitude spreading all through my body as I stare up at Her. Things worked out well for me. For us. The air is cool and still, and itโ€™s carrying this fresh scent of pine from the surrounding forest that invades my nostrils every my time the wind blows. Itโ€™s so serene at this time of the night. Everything is still and peaceful. Arms encircle my waist from behind, and I feel the coldness of the metal of his prosthetic against my bare belly. I nestle into Dexโ€™s warmth. I know itโ€™s him. His warm scent envelops me like a cloud, and he kisses the arch of my neck sensually. โ€œAwake at this time?โ€ he asks hoarsely. โ€œCouldnโ€™t sleep,โ€ I say. โ€œToday was a good day, wasnโ€™t it?โ€I think about the trial that happened

  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย 114: Generosity

    Lara"So," Finch begins when I sit directly across from him. "What happens now?"I've been asking myself this for the past few days and honestly, there's no answer. I don't think that's such a bad thing, though. Sometimes, it's great to not be able to predict anything. I want to see where this goes, too. Why should there always be an answer to everything?I tell him this, and add, "I'm happy with the progress that we've made. Isn't that great? We're taking it a day at a time. All of us."Finch looks right and stares out the window to the spot where Ander is flying a kite with Dex. The two of them are inseparable and it's a joy to see. Ander is a lot more active and they get along. "Hm," Finch says. "What?" I ask, my lips curving into a smile. "Stop being so pessimistic all the time. Why can't you be happy with me for once? I know how you feel about Dex, but he's a part of the family now. You have to put in an effort."Finch scoffs. "When hasn't he not been a part of the family?"I

  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย 113: Acceptance

    DexterThree days later, I'm as good as new.As soon as I step out of the hospital, Lara is outside. Sheโ€™s in the driverโ€™s seat of the car, wearing dark sunglasses. The sight of her fills me with a fresh new will to live. When I left her room that nightโ€”right before getting jumped by fucking Jensen and his menโ€”I thought there was no hope for us. I left that house with no expectations. But look at where we are now. I climb in the passengerโ€™s seat. I lean toward her and press a kiss to her lips. Theyโ€™re soft and she smiles against me. For the past three days, sheโ€™s barely left my side, and weโ€™ve gotten close in a way that I didnโ€™t think would be possible for us. Iโ€™m a brand new man, and suddenly, my life is full of possibilities. โ€œItโ€™s so fucking good to see you,โ€ I tell her as I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. She smiles, but then it falters. โ€œWeโ€™ve got our work cut out for us. You know what today is.โ€The reminder makes my heart skip a fucking beat. We both agreed that

  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย 112: The Alpha

    LaraWhen we reach the house, I tell the men to stay outside with Dexter. โ€œIโ€™m sorry,โ€ I tell them, looking at the injured man. โ€œItโ€™s only going to be for a few minutes. Iโ€™ll send a signal for you to come back.โ€Dex grabs my hand before I step out of the car. He stares at me and says, โ€œPromise me that youโ€™re going to take care of yourself. That you wonโ€™t get hurt.โ€โ€œI promise,โ€ I say. We stare intently at each other before he pushes me toward him. Our lips collide and we share a brief but passionate kiss. Itโ€™s time to go, though. I head toward the house and the gates open. I step in. I canโ€™t meet them yet, not when Iโ€™m in only a coat and have my scrapes and cuts on display. I have to get dressed. There canโ€™t be signs of a fight on me. It only occurs to me as I step inside the house that someone couldโ€™ve called Jensen to warn him that we attacked. But they didnโ€™t have the time to do it, not when they were fighting for their lives. A man meets me at the door. I think his name is G

  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย 111: Lucky Guess

    Lara But wait. Something keeps tugging at me, and when I pay close attention to it, I realize that itโ€™s the background noise that caught my attention. The rattling chains. That almost metallic sound of the door opening. Thatโ€™s all familiar to me. I chew my bottom lip and think deeply as we head home. Itโ€™s been three minutes since I last spoke to Jensen and I havenโ€™t stopped thinking about that tiny detail. Whyโ€™s it all so familiar to me?I close my eyes and try to think. Chains. The first thing that comes to mind is Dexterโ€™s ex. She was tied up in them when he took me there so I could decide her fate. And then there was the sound of him opening the door to the warehouse. Thatโ€™s how I figure out where Dexter is. Jensen took him to the warehouse where the money had initially been stashed. The realization makes my heart pump faster and I tell the driver. โ€œStop. Weโ€™re going someplace else first.โ€My nerves are making my fingers shake with anxiety. I just have to take a deep breath

  • Tempted by the Rogue Alphaย ย ย 110: Ultimatum

    Lara Thereโ€™s no way that Jensen has Dexter. This has to be another bluff. Thatโ€™s what I tell to myself to calm down. My heart is slamming against the base of my throat and I find it hard to breathe. โ€œYouโ€™re a damn fucking liar, Jensen.โ€โ€œAm I?โ€ he asks quizzically. โ€œThe plan was always to use capture Dexter. Only, we figured it would be hard to get him to talk, considering heโ€™s tough as nails and would rather die than tell us where the money was. I suppose you know about that by now, donโ€™t you? That Iโ€™m the one who was your employer? If not, now you do. This filthy fucking rogue took my money and I want it back. Iโ€™m prepared to take this to hell if necessary. What the fuck do I have to lose?โ€I say nothing for a good few seconds as I try to figure out what I have established so far. Jensen is my employer. Earlier, he told me he had someone I cared about and that he wanted to negotiate. I thought it was Ambrose, but itโ€™s actually Dexter. Suddenly, someone comes to mind. I was talkin

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