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Esme’s POV

I don't even know or realize how it happened—one minute I'm trying to argue with Cole on what's going on, demanding answers about the flight, about leaving, about everything he's hiding, and the next, I find myself in the car alongside my baby Lior who hugs me tightly.

Tears prick my eyes as I hold him back, inhaling his familiar scent, the one thing grounding me in this whirlwind of confusion. How did we get here? Cole had barked orders at Miriam after his cryptic words, and before I could protest, she'd whisked me out of the room, through the club's back halls, into a waiting black SUV.

Lior was already inside, wide-eyed but safe, and now we're speeding away, the city lights blurring past the windows.

"What's going on?" I ask Miriam, who's sitting in the front passenger seat, her face illuminated by the dashboard glow. The driver—a silent, burly man I assume is one of Cole’s men—keeps his eyes on the road, not saying a word.

She turns slightly, offering a small smil
Constance Luna.

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  • The Beta's Temptation    I know I'm dangerous

    Cole's POV We arrived at the house and I stopped the bike immediately, cutting the engine as soon as my feet touched the ground. I released a long, heavy breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding. My shoulder burned and my arms were shaking slightly now that the adrenaline was finally settling down.I scooped Lior down from the bike first, setting him gently on his feet. Before I could even turn around, Esme was already off the bike, standing solidly on the ground like nothing had happened.Interesting. She’d gotten tougher.I glanced at her for a second longer than necessary, then turned to Lior and held out my hand. “Come on,” I said. “Let’s go inside.”Lior took my hand instantly, squeezing it tight like he was afraid I might disappear again.As we walked toward the house, his eyes lit up, scanning the place like he was seeing it for the first time and also remembering it at the same time.“Finally,” he said happily. “We’re back here. I missed this place so much, Daddy.”My h

  • The Beta's Temptation    And mine

    Cole's POV The first gunshot echoed through the building like a warning bell from hell.I didn’t think.I reacted.I grabbed Lior instantly, pulling him tight against my chest, my arm locking around him like a shield. With my free hand, I caught Esme by the wrist and dragged her down with me as we ducked behind the couch just as another shot tore through the space above where our heads had been seconds ago.“Stay down,” I ordered quietly but firmly.My heart was pounding hard, not from fear for myself but from fear for them.Esme was shaking. Not just startled. She was terrified.She clutched the gun she had taken from me earlier with stiff fingers, her knuckles pale, her breathing shallow and uneven. This wasn’t the controlled doctor I had seen earlier. This was a mother whose child was in danger.I met her eyes and lifted two fingers, signaling to give me the gun.She understood immediately and handed me the gun, her hand trembling as she did.Real fear was written all over her fa

  • The Beta's Temptation    Leave

    Cole's POV After Shawn said what he said, I didn’t waste another second.I turned sharply and dashed out of the house like something was chasing me. My vision pulsed, and my body ached for rest, but I ignored every single warning. I slid onto my bike, the engine roaring to life beneath me, and I sped off into the road like hell itself was behind my back.Fuck.What if something had already happened?What if I was already too late?Bringing them to Italy had been a gamble. Shawn warned me back in the pack. Even my instincts warned me. I thought it would be quieter here with fewer enemies, fewer eyes watching my every move, but that was a lie I told myself because I was desperate.Turns out, I had enemies everywhere.Every country. Every street. Every shadow.I sped faster, the wind tearing against my face, my hands gripping the handles so tightly my knuckles ached. My mind was racing nonstop, replaying that message over and over again, twisting it into something darker with every se

  • The Beta's Temptation    Soulmates

    Cole’s POV That single message on my phone sent me spiraling in a way nothing else had managed to do tonight. She’s not safe. Best friend? Best friend?! Who the hell was that supposed to be? My thoughts raced wildly, slamming into each other, until one name forced its way to the front and refused to leave. Nolan. That bastard. He escaped. And now he was here, In Italy. Fuck!! My chest tightened painfully as the realization settled in. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Every ounce of morale I had left after the Albanians bloodbath evaporated instantly, leaving behind something raw and sharp and terrifyingly focused. I spun around and called for Raid immediately. He staggered toward me, blood soaking through his clothes, his face pale but still stubbornly alert, still refusing to drop even though his body was screaming at him to. “We’re leaving,” I said without hesitation. He nodded once, not asking questions, and followed me to the car. This time, I decided to drive beca

  • The Beta's Temptation    What happens when you test me

    Cole's POV The moment we dropped Alban to the floor, we turned and started walking away like it was already done.That was my mistake.Alban’s laugh suddenly echoed behind us, low and ugly, scraping against my nerves.“If you escape this place unscathed,” he called out, coughing as he laughed, “then good luck to you.”Something in my gut twisted.Before I could even turn fully, Mark’s voice exploded in my ear.“Cole—there’s movement everywhere. Multiple entries. This is a trap.”Then I saw them.Men poured in from the side doors, the back entrances, even from above on the metal walkways. They came fast, coordinated, disciplined. Not street thugs. Soldiers. Trained killers.“Count?” I muttered.“Rough estimate?” Mark replied quickly. “Forty. Maybe fifty.”Raid looked at me once.Just once and he nodded.Gunfire ripped through the air at once.I dove sideways as bullets tore into the space where I’d been standing a second earlier. The sound was deafening, metal screaming as rounds hit

  • The Beta's Temptation    Alban

    Cole's POV Night had already enveloped the entire city by the time we were ready to move.This wasn’t just a meeting. It was a gamble. A dangerous one. But it was the only fast way back to the top, and right now, speed mattered more than comfort. The Albanians weren’t allies. They were predators. But they respected power, and once that power was acknowledged, no one dared cross the Don they backed.That was the only way I could protect Esme and Lior.No one touched the family of the Don. Anyone stupid enough to try would be erased by the underworld itself before I even lifted a finger.Only Raid and I were going.Mark would be my eyes and ears from wherever the hell he was hiding, feeding me information through the earbuds fitted snugly in my ears. No extra men. No unnecessary noise. Too many bodies always made things messy.I adjusted the jacket over my shoulders when Shawn’s voice came from behind me.“Be careful, Cole,” he said seriously. “Don’t get too angry or violent. Remember

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