LOGINSurvival taught Elon Rivers that his body could be a weapon—just not in the way his stepfather intended. Now he works the con: dress pretty, play helpless, drug them, and disappear with their valuables. It's not honest work, but nothing about Elon's life has ever been honest. When he targets the wrong mark—Fort Thorne, a mafia enforcer with eyes like a winter grave—his carefully constructed world shatters. Fort knew exactly what Elon was from the moment he walked into that hotel room. The briefcase Elon stole contained information worth killing for, and Fort wants it back. There's just one problem: Elon's roommate has already stolen it from him, and now Fort is out two million dollars. Fort's offer is simple: return what was stolen, or work off the debt. Every single Penny. Trapped in Fort's world of violence and power, Elon discovers that his captor is as damaged as he is, and that the line between hatred and desire is thinner than he ever imagined. But in a world where trust is a luxury neither can afford, falling for the enemy might be the most dangerous con of all.
View MoreELON'S POV
The club was packed tonight. I walked through the entrance, adjusting the red dress that hugged my frame. The silicon implants felt uncomfortable, but they were necessary for the look I was going for.
Tonight, I wasn't Elon. I was Elena, the hot and sexy lady. I made my way to the bar, weaving through bodies on the dance floor. The music was loud—some remix I didn't recognize—but I tuned it out. I had work to do.
Sliding onto a barstool, I ordered a drink and started scanning the crowd. There were plenty of options tonight. Men in expensive suits, women dripping in jewelry, the usual clientele of Club Azure. I just needed to find the right one.
My drink arrived and I took a slow sip, letting my eyes drift across the room. That's when I noticed him—mid-forties, tailored suit, expensive watch. He was sitting in one of the VIP sections, surrounded by men who looked like they worked for him. More importantly, he had a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist.
Perfect.
I was still watching him when a bouncer approached me. He leaned in close so I could hear him over the music.
"Excuse me, miss." He held out a white piece of paper and a pen. "The gentleman over there would like your number."
I didn't even look at where he was pointing. "I'm not some cheap slut. Tell him I'm not interested."
The bouncer hesitated, then nodded and walked away. I took another sip of my drink, keeping my eyes on my target. The bouncer returned to the VIP section, spoke to someone, then walked away.
I was about to signal the bartender for another drink when I felt someone settle onto the stool beside me. I turned slightly, keeping my expression neutral.
"Hi," he said.
It was him, the man with the briefcase.
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?" I asked.
He chuckled, a low sound that suggested he was used to getting his way. "You're one feisty lady. I sent my guy over and you shot him down without even looking."
He turned to the bartender. "Hey, get her another drink. Whatever she's having."
I watched him carefully. Up close, I could tell that whatever that was in the briefcase that sat on the bar between us was very important.
"What do you really want from me?" I asked.
He smiled, his eyes traveling down to my chest and back up. "You're a very hot lady. I'd like to know you better."
I leaned in closer, making sure he got a good view of the silicon implants straining against the low neckline of my dress. "In what way do you want to know me?
Sexually or what?"
His smile widened. "You get it."
"Fort, by the way." He extended his hand.
I shook it briefly. "Elena."
"Elena." He said my name like he was tasting it. "Listen, there's a beautiful room upstairs. VIP access. Why don't you accompany me? We can have some privacy."
I pretended to consider it for a moment, then nodded. "Lead the way."
Fort stood, grabbing the briefcase—he never let go of it, I noticed—and gestured toward a staircase at the back of the club. I followed him up, my heels clicking against the steps. A bouncer at the top nodded at Fort and opened a door.
The room was exactly what I expected. Large bed, low lighting, a mini bar in the corner. A bit tacky but expensive.
Fort closed the door behind us and immediately reached for my waist, pulling me close. I could smell his cologne—something woody and overpowering.
I eased out of his arms, keeping my voice light. "Hold on. I like to have a drink first. Gets me in the mood, you know?"
He grinned. "I can work with that."
"Do you have red or blue lights in here? It makes it more fun."
"Yeah, the switch is over there." He pointed to the wall near the bathroom.
"Perfect. Why don't you turn them on while I fix us something?"
Fort walked over to the light switch while I moved to the mini bar. I heard the click as the lights changed, bathing the room in a reddish glow. Quickly, I reached into my dress, into the padding of the fake breasts, and pulled out the small vial I'd hidden there. The sedative was fast-acting—he'd be out in minutes.
I poured two glasses of whiskey, adding the sedative to one of them. By the time Fort came back, I was holding both glasses and smiling.
He wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Now this is more like it."
"Drink first," I said, turning in his arms and pressing the spiked glass toward him. "I like a man who can handle his liquor."
Fort took the glass from my hand and downed it in one go. He set the empty glass on the nearby table and pulled me toward the bed.
"Come here," he said.
I let him lead me to the bed. He lay back against the pillows, pulling me down on top of him. I straddled his hips, leaning down to kiss him. His hands roamed over my body, squeezing and grabbing. I forced myself to keep kissing him, to keep up the act.
One minute passed. Two minutes.
His grip started to loosen. His kisses became slower, less coordinated.
"What..." he mumbled against my mouth.
Then his head fell back against the pillow and his arms dropped to his sides.
I stayed still for a moment, listening to his breathing, that meant he was out cold
I climbed off him and checked his pulse just to be sure cause I wasn't trying to kill anyone tonight.
I went through his pockets first—wallet, phone, keys. The wallet had several credit cards and about three thousand in cash. I took the cash and left the cards. Less traceable that way.
Then I turned my attention to the briefcase. It was still handcuffed to his wrist. I'd need to take the whole thing.
I looked around the room and found what I needed in the bathroom—a first aid kit with scissors. They weren't strong enough to cut through the metal, but I didn't need to. I cut through the cuff of his shirt sleeve and slipped the handcuff chain through. The briefcase was mine.
I picked it up, testing the weight. Whatever was inside was worth the effort.
Before I left, I leaned down and kissed Fort on the cheek. "Thanks for the lovely evening."
Then I grabbed my clutch, tucked the briefcase under my arm, and walked out of the room. The bouncer at the top of the stairs didn't even look at me twice—just another woman leaving a VIP room.
I made my way down the stairs, through the club, and out into the night air. Only when I was three blocks away did I let myself smile.
Another successful night for Elena.
ELON’S POVI used to believe some stories were meant to end in pain.Maybe because every beautiful thing I had ever held onto felt temporary.Maybe because life had taught me that happiness could disappear without warning.But standing there with Fort, I finally understood something I had never truly believed before.Not every love story was about avoiding storms.Some were about finding the person who would stand beside you when the storms arrived.Fort had spent so much of his life fighting.Fighting his past.Fighting his fears.Fighting the belief that he had to carry everything alone.And somehow, without realizing it, he had fought his way toward me.I looked at him.The same man who once built walls around his heart.The same man who believed distance was protection.The same man who thought loving someone meant giving them the power to destroy him.But he had changed.Not because I forced him to.Not because I saved him.Because he chose to open the door.And that meant more t
ELON’S POVFor a few seconds, I could only stare at the message.Not because I didn’t understand the words.Because I understood them too well.You finally told him. Now tell him why you were the reason he survived that night.Every part of me wanted answers.I wanted to know what Fort had been carrying.I wanted to understand why he looked at me that night and decided I was worth saving.But more than that…I wanted to understand why he believed he had to hide it from me.Because after everything he had told me, one thing was clear.Fort had never been afraid of the truth.He had been afraid of what the truth would do to us.I looked at him.His expression had changed.The walls were back.Not completely.Not the way they used to be.But I could see him fighting himself.The instinct to protect.The instinct to keep everything inside.The instinct to decide what I could handle.“Fort.”He looked at me.“Don’t.”The word surprised me.Not because he sounded angry.Because he sounded t
FORT’S POVThe message remained on the screen longer than it should have.A few words.A simple question.But somehow, it carried the weight of years I had spent trying to forget.Ask him about the night he saved you. Ask him what he never told you.I had always known this moment would come.Maybe not today.Maybe not like this.But deep down, I knew the past never truly disappeared.It waited.It stayed buried until the right person came along and pulled everything back to the surface.And now that person was standing in front of me.Elon.The only person I had ever wanted to protect from the truth.The only person whose opinion could actually hurt me.I looked at him.He was watching me carefully.Not with suspicion.Not with anger.With concern.That was the hardest part.Because if he hated me, maybe it would have been easier.If he walked away, maybe I could convince myself I had expected it.But Elon had always been different.He looked at me like he was trying to understand me,
ELON’S POVThe moment I saw Fort’s expression change, I knew the message was not just another warning.I had seen him worried before.I had seen him angry.I had seen him become protective.But this was different.This was something deeper.Something that reached a place even I had never been allowed to touch.And that scared me more than the message itself.Because Fort was not afraid of many things.Danger did not scare him.Threats did not scare him.People trying to challenge him did not scare him.But whatever was written on that screen had managed to break through the walls he had spent years building.I stared at him.“Fort.”He didn’t answer.His eyes remained fixed on the phone.The silence between us stretched.Not because he didn’t hear me.Because he was somewhere else.Somewhere in a memory.Somewhere in a part of himself he had locked away.I moved closer.“Talk to me.”His jaw tightened.“I should have told you.”Those words immediately made my heart sink.Not because I
FORT'S POVI watched Elon from across my office, trying not to let my amusement show. The young con artist was clearly nervous, shifting his weight from foot to foot while Dimitri outlined the Chen job.It had been two days since Elon had signed the contract. Two days of him being sullen and silent
ELON'S POVThe guest room was nicer than any place I'd ever lived. A view of the city that would be stunning if I wasn't too furious to appreciate it.I'd been shown to the room by Dimitri, who'd taken entirely too much pleasure in explaining the "house rules." Don't leave the penthouse without per
The pounding in my head dragged me back to consciousness. For a disorienting moment, I didn't know where I was. Then it all came rushing back.The briefcase. The celebration. Levi."That son of a bitch," I groaned, forcing my eyes open. I was on the floor of the living room, my cheek pressed agains
FORT'S POVThe world came back in fragments. Muffled voices then the distant knocking. The taste of copper in my mouth.My eyelids felt like lead weights. I tried to lift them, but my body wouldn't cooperate. I knew hangovers but this was something else entirely.The knocking grew louder, more insi












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