MasukAfter dinner, the four of them still talked for a while. Andrew was spending more time at the clinic than at home; at that moment, he preferred Pedro’s company to that of his own family. Adam wasn’t saying anything about it, because he knew his brother was in love—maybe even for the first time.The topics they talked about ranged from Sophia’s wedding with Caio to some of the absurd stories Samantha had witnessed at the hotel. Adam thought that was great. Those moments when he could talk about ordinary, even simple things made him feel even closer to his family.When it was time to go to bed, Adam thought a little about the nightmares and about his own past. He decided to tell Samantha everything. That was something few people knew about him—not even his siblings had ever asked much about it. He pulled Samantha against his chest and began to speak:“Do you remember when I asked you not to hug me from behind without me noticing you were there?”“Yes, I remember. But why are you bringin
Samantha wanted to keep learning more about that story to see if she could help her somehow.“Was it because of this whole story with Marcos that you never took anyone seriously?”“Maybe. He was my first love, and I felt completely broken when all of that happened. Now I’m not sure if I should have entered his life… or if I should have just stayed his secret admirer.”“I don’t think so. You didn’t force him into anything. You simply played your game, and he started liking you. It could have gone wrong, but it worked. If you held onto those feelings for him for so long, you shouldn’t give up at the finish line. Like I said, let him get used to all of this first. But I have a feeling this is going to work out.”Samantha even found it romantic that Marcos was Alice’s first love. After finding that out, more than ever, she was going to help the two of them get together.In his room, Marcos finished taking a shower, looked out the window, and noticed that the car Alice was in was still the
Samantha saw Adam walking by and called him over.“Can I borrow your office for a few minutes? I wanted to talk to Alice about Marcos.” She really wanted to help the two of them.Adam knew something was going on between them. He also knew the two women had been friends for a long time. He no longer had any reason to feel jealous of Alice, the way he had at the club.“Of course. Make yourself at home. I’m going upstairs to take a shower.” He kissed her before heading up.After he walked away, Samantha ran a finger over her nose. She hadn’t noticed before how strong his cologne was. Since he had already given her permission to use the room, she waited for Alice where she was. When she appeared, she wanted to say goodbye to her friend. She wouldn’t have any more plans that morning that required her shooting skills, so she figured it was better to leave soon to avoid running into Marcos.“I want to talk to you before you leave,” Samantha said, serious.“Can’t it be another time? I’ve got
Samantha approached Marcos. He was sitting with his legs drawn up and both hands on his head.“Can I sit with you?”“Sure. Just not sure I’ll be very good company,” he replied.She took off her flip-flops and sat down next to him.“What’s really going on between you two?” she asked.Marcos went on the defensive.“Nothing’s going on. She’s just really irritating.” He tried to brush it off.It was clear that wasn’t all there was to it. Samantha wanted him to talk so she could try to help.“I know Alice can be a little irritating sometimes, but there’s something more going on between you two, isn’t there? You can open up to me. Holding certain kinds of feelings in is never the best solution.”She wanted to help both of her friends. She knew about the rivalry Marcos had always had with “the Raven,” even without knowing it was Alice, and she also knew he had never dated anyone seriously.Marcos lifted his head and looked at Samantha. She inspired trust. He decided to open up.“Everything’s
Love and ViolenceSamantha wanted to continue the conversation with Alice, but first she decided to talk to Adam. Pedro had already called once more, wanting to know about the job at the clinic, and she decided to resolve that right away before he drove her crazy. She went to the office, knocked on the door, and heard Adam’s voice telling her to come in.“Can I talk to you?” she asked, not knowing if she was interrupting something important.Adam nodded. Caio and Andrew stood up to leave, giving the two of them some privacy. Caio would take the opportunity to talk to his future fiancée about the marriage proposal—after Adam had allowed the union, they hadn’t even had a proper chance to talk.“Do you need something?” Adam motioned for her to sit on his lap.“Actually, yes. Pedro won’t stop calling me, wanting to know if you can get him a job at the clinic. He said he’s going to refuse to be discharged until you hire him.” They both smiled at Pedro’s craziness, and she continued. “At fi
Caio grabbed a black bag that already contained what was needed and left the room. Adam approached Marcos and tapped his shoulder.“I’m sorry, my friend, but it’s checkmate for you.”He gave a smile and also left. Marcos, still a little slow when it came to himself, went after Adam, calling him and questioning:“Adam, wait. What’s this about checkmate?”Everyone had already noticed that he was falling for Alice. The only thing left was for him to admit it to himself. They got what they needed and headed to the cars. Adam and Caio went in the front; Andrew, Marcos, and Alice sat in the back.Marcos made a point of putting Andrew in the middle so he could stay away from her. Alice kept playing the same game of getting closer and then pretending she didn’t care, while he still glanced at her from time to time. At the first opportunity, she would move on to the next phase of her plan.The men Adam was going to meet were part of a Brazilian cartel. He would negotiate the weapons that Olive
Adam held her steady so she wouldn’t collapse. He knew her legs had given out after two back-to-back orgasms.He slowly pulled his hand from her panties. Waited until she met his eyes, then brought his fingers to his mouth and tasted them deliberately.“I could never get tired of how you taste.”He
Breakfast went smoothly. Conversation was light and sparse. Samantha noticed no one brought up work or anything heavy. When they did talk, it was about easy, casual things.She was almost finished when Andrew decided to break the unspoken rule and aimed a question right at her.“So, Samantha—are yo
Adam paced back and forth, restless. The thought of Samantha getting hurt because of him was eating him alive. Worst of all, the guilt—he knew it was his fault. If he hadn’t flagged her down that night and forced his way into her car, none of this would be happening.But then another thought slippe
Samantha came back loaded with everything and dumped it on the counter. The first-aid kit was already under the sink—she prayed it had what they needed.When she stepped in, Adam was struggling with his shirt buttons, jaw clenched. She flicked him a quick glance, then busied herself at the cabinet,







