Mag-log inADRIAN'S POVI sat behind the heavy metal desk in the back office of the clubhouse. Between me and my two lieutenants sat a worn canvas duffel bag. It was unzipped, spilling stacks of rubber-banded cash onto the metal surface of my desk. It was taken from the recent downtown shipment.I flipped through the leather-bound ledger, my pen scratching sharply against the thick paper. I finished the math and dropped the pen."The count is short," I stated flatly, looking up at Jax and Miller. "By ten thousand."Jax took a sip from his glass. "The Diablos hit the southern route last night. They spooked the runners and skimmed off the top before we could get boots on the ground."I leaned back in my leather chair, my expression hardening. "I don't care if they spooked the runners. The Diablos don't breathe in our territory without my permission. Find the men who ran the route. Bring them to the warehouse. We are going to have a conversation about securing my money.""Done," Miller nodded, ste
LEO'S POV The bar was a hole. It smelled of stale beer and wet sawdust. I hated being there, but it was the only place in the city where I could be invisible. I sat in a corner booth, nursing a drink and staring at the condensation on the glass.My head pounded. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the weight of Ronan’s rejection. It was a pattern I knew too well. My parents looked at me with cold eyes the day I told them the truth.They all shut me out. Jesse kept me at arm's length. And then there was Ronan. He looked at me with such indifference when he told me I meant nothing. I was just a placeholder in his life, someone to discard when things got inconvenient.I drank, hoping the alcohol would numb the ache behind my ribs. It did not. I just felt angry. Angry at the world and at myself for caring about a man who did not give a damn.A hand suddenly clamped down on my glass."I never thought you were the type to drink, nerd."His voice was like gravel. It hit me in the center of
NIRVANA'S POV I started pacing, my chest tight with frustration. I ran my hands through my hair, hating how helpless I felt. I was a victim all over again, forced to hide in the shadows while other people made decisions about my existence."Pacing won't change his mind."Adrian’s voice was calm and steady. I stopped and looked at him. He stood up from where he sat and stepped closer to me. "I don't want to hear it, Adrian," I warned, folding my arms around my chest."You need to calm down, Nirvana," he said. It was that voice that demanded obedience. "Ronan is doing what is necessary. You are reckless when you are angry, and right now, you need to be smart. Listen to your brother and stay put."But his commanding tone did the exact opposite of soothing me. It only ignited a spark of reckless rebellion deep in my stomach. The heat flushed through my veins, chasing away the cold dread.Really? He wanted to play the strict professor? He wanted to stand there, looking perfectly in contr
NIRVANA'S POV I slowly opened my eyes, disoriented by the darkness filling the room. The space beside me on the bed was cold. I reached out and my fingers brushed against the empty, wrinkled sheets where Adrian had been lying just hours ago. A soft ache settled low in my pelvis as I sat up. My body was sore, a reminder of the way he had pounded into me, making me forget the terror of the switchblade in my car. But the comforting haze of his touch vanished the second I looked at the clock glowing on the nightstand. It was late in the evening. I had slept for hours while my stalker was still out there.I slid out of bed, my bare feet hitting the cold floor. I picked up one of Adrian’s discarded button-down shirts and pulled it over my shoulders. The fabric still smelled like him, carrying the scent of expensive cologne and masculine heat. Buttoning it quickly, I stepped out into the hallway. A low murmur of voices drifted up from the lower level.I walked down the staircase, keepin
ADRIAN'S POVI cut the engine and parked outside the manor. Swinging off the bike, I reached back and helped Nirvana down. She trembled against my side, her small frame vibrating with a terror I couldn't simply erase.The adrenaline in my veins demanded violence. Someone had invaded her car, cut a lock of her hair, and left a switchblade on the driver's seat. I wanted to tear the city apart to find them and make them bleed for terrifying her.Iris stood waiting by the door. I needed someone to guard her when I left, and he was the only one I trusted. But Nirvana shuddered at the sight of him, her fingers digging into my jacket. The stalker had ruined her nerves, and Iris’s cold, ink-covered presence only pushed her closer to the edge.I pulled her flush against my chest, blocking her view."Stay put. Nobody gets past this door," I ordered.Iris nodded. I guided her inside and took her to the secure suite beside my room.She stood rigid in the middle of the carpet, her eyes red and puf
Nirvana's POV My mind spun violently. How could she possibly know about that? We were locked inside. We were entirely alone. The realization that someone had been watching us terrified me. It felt like I was losing my breath.I did not say a single word. I shoved hard past her shoulder and rushed out of the room.I walked fast across the campus. The cold morning wind hit my face but I felt numb. I just wanted the quiet sanctuary of my car. I needed to be alone to process what just happened.The garage was empty. My boots echoed in the damp air. I found my car parked in the far corner on the second level and pressed the unlock button on my keys.I pulled the heavy driver's door open and I stopped dead in my tracks. I gasped loudly, taking a fast step backward.Sitting dead center on my driver's seat was a small, square art canvas. The white fabric was splattered with dark bloodied ink or blood or ink. The metallic smell of copper hit my nose.A silver switchblade was thrust directly t
Nirvana's POV I rushed out of the car immediately it stopped. The lingering tension back at the manor made the ride to the university feel long and tiring. I needed the fresh air. I needed the loud noise and the chaotic distraction of the crowded campus to stop my mind from replaying Adrian's bl
Adrian's POV The knock came again, harder this time. It pulled me out of the moment. I stepped back from the desk and dragged a hand down my face. A lecture hall. I had lost my control in a lecture hall. Damn! I straightened my collar and forced my breathing to level out before I pulled the door
Adrian's POV The click of the front door shattered the air between us and I yanked myself back from Nirvana. The sudden loss of her heat hit me hard. I turned my back to her immediately, dragging my hands through my hair. Ronan's footsteps echoed down the corridor. But the voice that came ahead
The fresh white petal was more terrifying than the scorched rose had been. It meant someone had been inside my room. The locks and the height of the penthouse meant nothing to them. I felt a sudden prickly sensation on the back of my head. I looked around, expecting a shadow in the corner or a fig







