جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 20

Cross didn't waste any time. With a feral growl, he grabbed my hips, his hands like steel bands around my waist. I could feel the tip of his erection probing at my entrance, the heat of him making me squirm with anticipation. He didn't bother with sweet talk or gentle persuasion—just one hard, swift thrust and he was inside me, filling me up with an intensity that made me gasp.He held my hair in his fist, pulling my head back so I was forced to look up at him. His eyes were blazing with lust, his face a mask of concentration and power. "You're no longer a virgin," he growled, his voice deep and guttural. "So you can handle this, cara."And with those words, he began to thrust into me with a ferocity that took my breath away. Each movement was punctuated by the sound of our bodies slapping together, the smack of his hips against my ass echoing in the room. I moaned, my eyes never leaving his, as he claimed me in a way that was both brutal and exhilarating. The pain had faded into th

Cross’s grip loosened slightly, but his eyes never left mine. “What do I want from you?” he asked, his voice low and cold. “Everything, cara. Your loyalty, your obedience… and your silence.”I swallowed hard, the tension in the room thick enough to choke me. “Silence about what?”His face hardened, and a dangerous edge crept into his tone. “About tonight. About me. About everything you think you know.” He tilted his head, his sharp gaze pinning me in place. “You were digging for answers, weren’t you? That’s why you came after me.”I opened my mouth to deny it, but the truth hung in the air between us. Cross smirked, his amusement clear as he saw the panic flash in my eyes.“You’re clever,” he admitted, his tone mocking. “But cleverness can get you killed.” He leaned back slightly, as if to give me space, but his presence was still overwhelming. “You think you’ve uncovered the monster in the dark, but you’re blind to what lies ahead.”Anger flared inside me, briefly pushing aside my fe

ARI’s povI didn’t sleep much. My eyes were bloodshot, and my mind wouldn’t shut off. It kept replaying everything that happened with Cross—his coldness, the way he brushed me off, the slap. I didn’t regret it, but I sure as hell wasn’t proud of it either. It was like I was fighting a battle inside myself—part of me wanted to run far away from everything, to quit this whole mess, to forget about him. But another part of me, the stupid part, the part that still couldn’t let go, wanted to stay in this twisted game I had no business being a part of.I forced myself out of bed, pushing the thoughts of Cross aside, at least for the moment. I had to go to work. I didn’t have a choice.The shower didn’t help clear my head, and the coffee didn’t taste as good as it usually did. I was running on fumes, but I still managed to pull myself together, throwing on my uniform, tying my hair into a tight ponytail, and pretending like nothing was wrong. But I knew better. The moment I stepped into

ARI’S POVNo, not tonight.He wasn’t going to waltz into the picture tonight again to be some Prince Charming coming in to save the day.Both men turned to Cross now.“This was supposed to be some guns aside game, dude, but looks like you cheated already!” Instantly, they each pulled out a trigger and trailed it on Cross.My heart skipped a beat, and I couldn’t understand why. I mean, if they opened fire and rained bullets on him right now, they’ll be putting all my stress to an end. They would be ridding the world off a criminal and my confusion will finally be over.But I noticed a feeling in that split second of picturing him dead and crashing to the ground – fear.I was scared of losing Cross!And everything about that just wasn’t right.I turned to him, partly pleading, partly also being defiant to having to accept the fact that we were outnumbered.“Cross, just put the gun away.” I muttered. It was only a psychological game we played as cops; one that could buy us time to do som

Ari’s POVThe walk back to my apartment felt longer than usual. The sharp night air bit at my exposed skin, but it wasn’t the cold that had my hands trembling—it was the memory of those two men lying lifeless on the bar floor. Blood pooling around them. Their faces frozen in shock. And Cross… he was gone. Just like that.I couldn’t make sense of it.How had I gotten tangled in such a mess?My footsteps echoed against the empty alleyway as I pulled my coat tighter around me, trying to shake off the weight of tonight. I had been in dangerous situations before—too many to count—but something about tonight felt… different. Like a thread had been pulled loose, and everything was starting to unravel.When I reached my door, my hands were shaking so badly I could barely fit the key into the lock. I finally shoved it open and slipped inside, bolting it shut behind me. The silence of my apartment felt deafening.I kicked off my boots, dropped my coat onto the floor, and sank onto the couch. My