Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

Silence filled the entire café as Santiago’s eyes burned holes in mine. And then chaos erupted simultaneously. Ana gasped and clung to Dom’s arm for support. Dom’s eyes widened in horror at the sight of coffee on Santiago’s jacket which made him unaware of that his hands were directly under the tab on the espresso machine because of Ana’s slightly pull. “¡Dios mío!” Javier murmured, desperately grabbing a towel and rushing towards Santiago. “Oh my god,” I squealed, dropping the tray on the floor, landing in the pool of coffee, splashing more on his pants. His gaze lowered to the new incident. And his eyes didn’t exactly get kinder. “Señor Morales,” Javier’s voice was heavy with equally respect and regret. “Please allow me to – “ Before he could reach Santiago with the towel, Santiago raised a single hand to silence him – and the entire café. In the same moment, the espresso machine hissed, and hot espresso burned Dom’s hand, making him yell out, swearing in Spanish. Santiago’s

The espresso was done, thanks to Dom’s secretly guidance, and I had placed it on the tray, balancing it carefully out toward Santiago – turning, smiling softly to Ana and Dom, whispering wish me luck – when the doorbell rung, as it had so many times already today. But this time, Ana’s eyes widened in horror, and she muttered “Mi*rda…” Dom’s eyes widened as well before they sharpened, his arm tugging Ana protectively behind him.I turned to look at whoever got them rattled and flinched at the sight of a man standing right behind me, blocking my way. He was tall, dark-blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and had a vicious scar across his left eye. He was wearing a white shirt underneath a dark leather jacket, soaked in rain. He took one look at me, smiling with a worrisome hunger, before looking toward the counter. “Ana.” His voice was low and cold, carrying an Eastern-European accent, maybe Polish. “It’s Friday.” His eyes were unnervingly icy. Ana clung to Dom’s arm without shifting her gaz

At the end of the square, across the street, a black SUV idled at the curb - the kind of car with tinted windows that stood out in a quiet neighborhood. As soon as Santiago appeared, the driver's door opened and a tall man in a perfectly tailored suit stepped out, scanning the street before walking around to open the rear passenger door.I froze, glancing between them. The tall, slender, and very serious-looking man gave Santiago a curt nod, the kind that carried more weight than words, before his eyes flickered to me. He looked a little curious, surprised even, but it felt more like he was assessing me than interested in Santiago’s company."Julián," Santiago said casually, answering the unspoken question, "this is Valerie."Julián's gaze scanned me, like mentally filing me away, before he turned his attention back to Santiago."¿A dónde, Señor Morales?" Where to?Santiago didn’t answer immediately. He looked past Julián, toward the café window where Javier stood with his hand on Ana

My eyes widened. “What?” His hand tightened on mine, iron wrapped in silk. “If I drop you off tonight, Wiktor’s men will follow – and knowing Wiktor, he will try to hurt me any way he can.” The way he said the words send a shiver down my spine. “So, until I decide how to deal with him, you’re not out of my sight.” “Santiago – “ I started, panic and heat clashing in my chest. He cut me off, his gaze molten. “You’re under my protection now, mi ángel. You sleep where I sleep.” I wanted to argue. I wanted to scream. But the words caught in my throat as Julián stepped closer, murmuring rapid Spanish. I couldn’t follow the words, but I saw the way Santiago’s jaw flexed, before he nodded. Then he turned back to me, brushing a strand of hair from my face with unexpected gentleness. “You’re coming with me, mi ángel.” His voice was soft, but his words left no room for argument. “Your apartment isn’t safe. And I don’t share what’s mine with scavengers.” I recoiled slightly. “What I am is no

The doors sealed behind him with a click - a sound that made my chest tighten and my stomach twist. For a long moment I just stood there, pulse hammering in my throat, staring at the tall doors that he had locked. Apparently, he had other business to attend to before dealing with me.We have unfinished business, you and I. His words made me shiver.I turned, my eyes falling on the massive bed with its wine-colored silk sheets. It looked… soft, alluring, but also a bit terrifying. Like it was waiting to swallow me whole.His jacket, draped over my shoulders, smelled of him. Cedar. Smoke. Sandalwood. The scent was suffocating me. It made his presence stronger. I yanked it off and tossed it onto the bed.Wrapping my arms around myself, I rubbed soothing circles against my skin, trying to steady my breathing. Turning away from the bed, needing to move, to do something, I studied my surroundings. The room was beautiful in a way that made me uneasy. A carved dark wooden wardrobe stood agai