LOGINI was pinned. My shoulders were screaming, a throbbing ache radiating from where my wrists were lashed to the steel of the bedpost. The industrial zip-ties were unforgiving; every time I tried to test the tension, the plastic teeth clicked into the next notch, biting deeper into my skin until I could feel the pulse in my fingertips becoming more frantic.
I should have seen this coming. Caspian wasn’t just a drunk; he was a Vance. Even at his most intoxicated, the in
I retrieved my bike from the club before I went back to the garage.Cane’s black pickup was idling near the entrance. I pushed through the side door, my chest heaving.The garage was a hive of frantic activity. Rico and Rat were loading crates of weapons into the back of the SUV. Mako was checking the seals on a high-pressure breaching charge. But in the center of the room, leaning heavily against the workbench, was Cane.He looked worse than he had yesterday. He was trembling, a shudder that he couldn't hide even with his hands shoved into his pockets.I didn't see Jax.My eyes scanned the office.Nothing. The kid who was supposed to be my eyes, the only one who knew the truth about Nara, was gone."Jax!" I screamed, my voice echoing off the metal walls."Where is Jax?"The activity in the room f
I was pinned. My shoulders were screaming, a throbbing ache radiating from where my wrists were lashed to the steel of the bedpost. The industrial zip-ties were unforgiving; every time I tried to test the tension, the plastic teeth clicked into the next notch, biting deeper into my skin until I could feel the pulse in my fingertips becoming more frantic.I should have seen this coming. Caspian wasn’t just a drunk; he was a Vance. Even at his most intoxicated, the instinct to survive, to dominate, was still there.The door to the suite clicked open.Caspian walked in, looking composed. He had showered, shaved, and put on a fresh white shirt, the top three buttons undone. He carried two mugs of coffee, the aroma of it cutting through the penthouse. He looked at me with a terrifying, detached admiration.“You’re awake,” he said, his voice smooth, devoid of the slurred vulnerabili
The neon signage of The Mint pulsed in the dark street. I had exactly one move left.I had to play the only card I had: Caspian’s ego.I pushed past the velvet ropes. The bouncers recognized me, the "Princess" who had started a riot a week ago. I moved through the crowd of sound and sweat; my eyes fixed on the VIP section.There he was.Caspian sat in a semi-circle of white leather, surrounded by two models who looked like they were made of plastic. When he saw me, he waved the girls away with a dismissive flick of his wrist."Eloise," he called out, his voice barely audible over the bass.I didn't answer until I was sitting directly across from him. I signaled the waitress."A bottle of your best tequila. And a chaser of whatever beer you have on tap. Make it a pitcher."The bottle arrived, chilled, expensive, and lethal. I poured two heavy shots.We slammed them back. The burn was immediate, but I was ready. I immediately grabbed the mug of beer, taking a long, deep gulp. I tilted m
The neon signage of The Mint pulsed in the dark street. I had exactly one move left.I had to play the only card I had: Caspian’s ego.I pushed past the velvet ropes. The bouncers recognized me, the "Princess" who had started a riot a week ago. I moved through the crowd of sound and sweat; my eyes fixed on the VIP section.There he was.Caspian sat in a semi-circle of white leather, surrounded by two models who looked like they were made of plastic. When he saw me, he waved the girls away with a dismissive flick of his wrist."Eloise," he called out, his voice barely audible over the bass.I didn't answer until I was sitting directly across from him. I signaled the waitress."A bottle of your best tequila. And a chaser of whatever beer you have on tap. Make it a pitcher."The bottle arrived, chilled, expensive, and lethal. I poured two heavy shots.We slammed them back. The burn was immediate, but I was ready. I immediately grabbed the mug of beer, taking a long, deep gulp. I tilted m
The humidity of the Miami dawn hung over the shipyard. I hadn't slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the clinical, respectful way Vane had held that car door open for Silas. It was the posture of a man who had found a new god to serve.I heard the rumble of Cane’s truck before I saw it. When the bay doors opened, I was already at the workbench, the Black Ledger sitting innocently next to a disassembled alternator.Cane stepped out of the driver’s side, and my heart stuttered. He looked... diminished. The Alpha, who usually commanded the very air in the room seemed to be dragging the weight of the world behind him. His skin had a greyish colour, and the vibrant gold in his eyes looked tarnished. He moved with a slight stiffness, his hand resting briefly on the hood of the truck for support before he straightened his spine."You're back early," I said, my voice steady despite the screaming in my head.Cane’s eyes met mine. He looked at me with a mixture of possessive intensity and
I pressed my back against the wall, clutching the Black Ledger against my chest like a shield. Through the door, the muffled bass of Silas’s voice vibrated."The D.C. meeting was a bore, Harrison," Silas’s voice boomed, followed by the amber clink of a crystal decanter."But the General was more than impressed with the theoreticals."I froze. My father was on the line."The Pentagon isn't interested in theories anymore, Silas," my father’s voice crackled through a speakerphone."They want the Vance-Thorne Protocol. An army that doesn't question orders, doesn't feel fatigue, and, most importantly, doesn't leave a paper trail. An army to handle the state's more... delicate international interests.""The General is coming for the demonstration," Silas added, his footsteps heavy on the hardwood."If the serum holds, we’re looking at a contract that makes Aegis Zenith look like a lemonade stand. But we need a clean display. No feral outbursts. Just cold, obedient efficiency."My heart hamm
The silence following Vane’s outburst was more violent than any shout. Jax, the Omega, stood frozen in the corner, a witness to the crumbling of the only world he knew. The rest of the pack formed a half circle around the Alpha and the Beta. I stood between the two men. Vane was right; I was the va
The ride back to the garage was a blur of lights passing by at the speed of light. I cuddled against Cane’s back, my mind racing faster than the bike."Who were they?" I shouted over the wind; the image of Silas’s icy blue eyes burned into my memory."What did he mean about what you lost?"Cane did
The limestone ledge was cold beneath us, but I was burning. My heart was still hammering against my ribs."Let them come," I had told him.I meant it. I felt invincible.Cane stared at me, his eyes glowing. His head tilted sharply to the east. The softness in his eyes vanished, replaced by a lethal
I drove back to West Miami in a trance. My skin was stained with the very splatters of Saul’s blood. Vane’s cold, lethal twist played on a loop in my mind. The sound of the snap, the way Saul’s eyes had gone vacant.I pulled the Corolla up to the curb of my apartment building. But the sidewalk wasn







