บททั้งหมดของ CLAIMED IN THE DARK : บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

Eli couldn’t look away.Cove Voss stood barely three feet in front of him, larger than life and twice as terrifying in person. The penthouse lights cast sharp shadows across his face, highlighting the ruthless cut of his jaw and the storm-gray eyes that seemed to strip Eli bare without mercy. Up close, the man was even more imposing broad chest straining against the black dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal powerful forearms corded with muscle and faint scars. His presence filled the enormous room like smoke, heavy and inescapable.Eli’s wrists ached behind his back, the zip ties digging deeper every time he instinctively pulled against them. His bare feet pressed into the cool marble floor, grounding him even as his mind spun. He forced his breathing to stay even, refusing to let the fear show on his face. But inside, his thoughts were a whirlwind.*This is Cove Voss. The Cove Voss.*He had researched the man for months late nights spent digging through encrypted files, followin

Eli woke to sunlight.For one disorienting moment, he thought the entire nightmare had been just that a nightmare. But the ache in his wrists, the soreness in his shoulders, and the faint bruises blooming across his skin told a different story. He bolted upright in the massive bed, heart hammering, eyes darting wildly around the room.This wasn’t his apartment. This wasn’t anywhere he recognized.The bedroom was enormous and obscenely luxurious. Floor-to-ceiling windows dominated one wall, revealing a breathtaking view of the city skyline glittering under the morning sun. The bed beneath him was king-sized, draped in black silk sheets that felt sinfully soft against his bare skin. He was still wearing his torn hoodie and jeans from the night before, but someone had removed his socks and cleaned the blood from his face and hands.Cove.The name sent a fresh spike of adrenaline through Eli’s veins. Memories from the darkness crashed over him the blindfold coming off, those storm-gray ey

 Cove’s grip on Eli’s jaw stayed firm, their faces so close that Eli could feel the other man’s steady breath against his skin. The wall pressed cold and hard into Eli’s back. “You’ve got a mouth on you,” Cove said quietly. “That’s going to get you in trouble.” Eli stared straight into those gray eyes, refusing to look away. “Let go of me. Now.” Cove held him there for a few more seconds, then slowly released his jaw. He stepped back just enough for Eli to breathe, but not enough to feel free. “You smell like fear and dried blood,” Cove said. “You’re going to shower.” Eli wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I’m not doing anything you tell me to do.” “You will,” Cove replied. “Or I’ll drag you in t

Eli’s heart stopped.“You’re a hacker, Eli. A damn good one. You’ve been digging into my systems for the last four months.”Eli dropped his fork. It clattered loudly on the plate. “What did you just say?”Cove leaned back in his chair, calm as ever. “You heard me. Don’t bother lying. I know everything.”Eli’s mouth went dry. “You’re wrong. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”Cove shook his head slowly. “Four months ago you started poking around my offshore accounts. Then you tried the encrypted files on the weapons shipments. You’re careful, but not careful enough. I let you dig because it amused me.”Eli pushed his chair back. “This is crazy. You’re making shit up so you can justify keeping me here.”“I don’t need to make anything up,” Cove said. “I have the logs. I have your IP traces. I know it was you, Eli. The question is… why?”Eli stood up fast. “Because I wanted to know who the hell you were! My brother kept mentioning your name like you were the devil. I was curious, okay

The next morning, Cove woke Eli without ceremony.“Get up.” His voice cut through the haze of exhausted sleep. Eli blinked, disoriented, and found Cove already standing beside the bed, fully dressed in a dark gray shirt and black trousers, holding a slim laptop under one arm.The door was still slightly ajar, the way Cove had left it. Every light in the room still burned.Eli pushed himself upright, rubbing his eyes. “What time is it?”“Time to work.” Cove placed the laptop on the bed. “Simple job. I want you to get into a rival’s email account. Low-level guy. Nothing too important. Just prove you can do what I already know you can.”Eli stared at the laptop like it was a trap. “You want me to hack for you.”“Yes.” Cove’s tone left no room for argument. “Username and target details are already loaded. You’ve got one hour.”“And if I say no?”Cove’s eyes didn’t flicker. “Then we go back to the dark room. No lights. No company. Your choice.”Eli swallowed, the memory of last night still