로그인CLAY’S POVThe text sat on Anyta’s phone between us in the back of the SUV. I saw the Venice address and the four words: “He’s waiting for you.”Anyta stared up at me, before glancing at her phone and putting it all away.“He’s trying to get in my head,” she said. “But at least now we know he’s there.”I kept hold of her hand. “We don’t rush anything. Well enjoy our stay if we can, and we move smart.”“Agreed.” She said, smiling up at me.The drive to the airstrip was quiet. We boarded the jet, and once we were in the air most of the team crashed. I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about that message. Anyta sat next to me, working on her laptop for a while, then closed it and leaned back.“You okay?” I asked.“Yeah. I’m just thinking about how weird all these feels. I’m realizing that I’m going back there after all this time.”We landed in Rome first, and Anyta took charge effortlessly. She spoke to the customs guy in smooth Italian, getting us through faster than the rest of the line
ANYTA’S POV“I know exactly where he’ll be,” I said.The words left my lips with a calm I hadn’t expected. The side room fell into a thoughtful hush as the team absorbed them. Clay’s hand remained firm around mine, his thumb tracing slow, grounding circles against my skin. Marcus Webb had already been escorted out.I stood, heightening up. “Victor won’t stay in Rome long because it’s too exposed. He’ll head north to Venice. It’s very likely that that’s where someone like him will go to disappear while still feeling in control.”Philip nodded once, already moving. “We’ll adjust the flight plan and coordinates. The wheels will be up in three hours.”The meeting broke quickly after that. I slipped upstairs to my bedroom for privacy. Packing had always been a ritual for me. At eighteen, I had done it in tears, shoving clothes into a suitcase hurriedly. This time, it was different. My hands moved with quiet efficiency choosing my clothes carefully.The suitcase lay open on my bed, as I fol
ANYTA’S POVThe side room felt smaller than it should have, the air thick with the scent of stale coffee and tension. Marcus Webb sat slumped in a metal chair, his words still hanging between us like smoke. Eldridge Manor. My family’s crumbling estate upstate—the place where my grandma once hosted lavish parties and made deals that ruined lives. The thought of Victor Crane hiding there, laughing and hiding out there made my skin crawl and my stomach twist.But something didn’t feel right.Clay pressed a hand to the small of my back, steady as always. “You okay?” he asked quietly while Philip stepped out to verify the details with our contacts.I nodded, but my mind was already spinning. Eldridge had been shuttered for months. The security was minimal and mostly automated. It felt too obvious for Victor and too theatrical.Marcus Webb left, with Clay giving provisions for a private flight for him.Philip returned after a while, his face grim, which I knew instinctively was bad news. He
CLAY’S POVThe silence after Philip’s speakerphone announcement lasted maybe three seconds before the war room exploded into controlled chaos.“Son of a bitch,” I muttered, my arm still locked around Anyta’s waist. I held on like it was the only steady thing left in my life.Victor was in the wind because he was tipped off two hours ahead of a federal warrant. The bastard had probably been watching us watch him.Philip was already barking orders to the agents. “Kill the decoy feeds. I want every private airstrip within three hundred miles pinged.”I forced myself back into operational mode, the shift automatic after years of training. But this time I didn’t let go of Anyta’s hand. She stayed right beside me at the main table, her shoulder brushing mine. Her presence was a quiet anchor while the rest of the room moved at double speed.“FBI’s taking point on the manhunt,” Philip told me, his phone still pressed to his ear. “They want everything we have, which includes you, Clay. Owen Gr
Anyta’s POVClay’s hand stayed gentle on my cheek, his thumb brushing my skin like I was something fragile and precious. His eyes searched mine, asking without words. I answered by leaning in the rest of the way.Our lips met slowly, his mouth warm and soft. He tasted like coffee and something unique.I let my eyes fall closed and kissed him back with the same unhurried care. One of my hands found the front of his shirt, my fingers curling into the fabric as if to anchor myself. His free arm slid around my waist, pulling me closer and pressing himself against me. We moved together, slowly, like we had all the time in the world. I spent every second devastating in his sweetness. When his lips parted slightly and I responded, a quiet sigh escaped him.We pulled back only when because we had to come up for air. I pressed my forehead to his, our noses brushing. Our breaths mingled in the small space between us, ragged but synchronized. The grey dawn light had brightened just enough to cat
Anyta POVThe study door clicked shut behind me softly. Clay sat hunched at the desk, the laptop’s cold glow carving sharp shadows across his face. His shoulders were rigid, one hand still gripping the edge of the printed photograph like it might vanish if he let go. I crossed the small room and eased myself onto the desk beside him, our shoulders brushing. Close enough to feel the faint tremor running through him.Outside the study, the team’s low voices filtered through the wall. The grey pre-dawn light was just beginning to seep through the narrow window, turning everything into muted silhouettes. I’ve learnt to give him space when he’s like this.Minutes stretched into what felt like an hour. Clay’s breathing was the only sound I focused on, deep as if he were fighting a war inside his chest. I kept my eyes on the photograph in his hands. A younger woman with warm brown eyes and a smile that reached straight into you, holding a chubby toddler version of Clay like he was her entire
CLAY'S POVThe morning air was a cooling, almost minty sensation on my warm face as I jogged through the tracks.The dog was internal today, because the sky was bright and blue, with a slight peek of a golden ray through the fluffy-looking clouds.Anyta.She was always on my mind, even at the most
ANYTA'S POV The bass in the club was alive. Like a physical entity, thumping against my ribs and vibrating through the soles of my feet until I felt like I was constantly being pumped full of adrenaline and buzz.The club itself was a sea of gyrating bodies, expensive perfume, and the sharp, antis
ANYTA'S POV“...I don't think you understand, Mr. Emilio,” I said, lowering my voice in an attempt to tamp down my premature victory cheer.“This isn't just something I woke up last night and decided I wanted, it's quite special to me,” I sighed, refraining from going into details on just how speci
CLAY'S POVAnyta let out a small as I shoved her down to the bed gently and covered her with my body.“You know I'm still offended you'd ever think I wasn't attracted to you.”She slipped her arms around my neck and gasped softly as I dipped my head and grazed my teeth over one taut nipple.“We alr







