登入Fernando's POVFor the first time since arriving at Michael's house, I felt like fate was finally giving me a break.Roberto had gone upstairs to check on Theo.The annoying rival who seemed determined to appear every time Michael and I shared even a single meaningful moment was temporarily out of sight.And Michael was standing right in front of me, alone.Well, as alone as we could be in a house filled with complicated relationships and unfinished history.The sunlights cast a warm glow across the room. Outside, the warm sky pressed against the windows, quiet and cool.Michael stood by the counter with his arms folded which usually wasn't a good sign.Whenever he folded his arms like that, it meant he was preparing to disagree with me, or lecture me.Or both."You need to stop glaring at me," he said.I raised an eyebrow."I'm not glaring" I replied. "You absolutely are.""I prefer the word observing" I corrected. Michael rolled his eyes.God, I had missed this. Not the arguing. W
Theo's POVThe moment Michael left the room, I opened my eyes.The door clicked shut behind him, silence followed and for several seconds, I remained exactly where I was, staring at the ceiling.If anyone had walked in right now, they would have assumed I was asleep.That was exactly what I wanted.Slowly, carefully, I pushed myself upright then pain immediately shot through my side."Son of a—"I stopped myself.The doctors had been right. I had no business leaving the hospital. Every muscle in my body felt like it had been run over by a truck but that wasn't important.What was important was Fernando.I looked toward the bedroom door and my jaw tightened.I didn't trust him, not even a little, especially after everything that had happened.The threats, the lies, the suspicious timing of his arrival and the fact that I had ended up in surgery after he conveniently decided I was a problem.No. I wasn't taking chances.I reached into the small bag Roberto had brought for me and Inside
Michael’s POVIt took much longer than I expected to get Theo to fall asleep, partly because he was stubborn and mostly because he clearly didn't want to sleep.Every time his eyes started closing, he would somehow find a reason to continue talking.At first it had been about the hospital then Kim, Henry, Ashley and Nick then somehow he had started talking about the terrible quality of hospital food again.I was beginning to suspect he was deliberately trying to stay awake."Theo, you need to sleep" I said."I'm trying" he replied. "No, you're talking" I corrected. "I'm multitasking" he argued. I rolled my eyes then pinched the bridge of my nose as Theo smiled weakly."I like when you worry about me" he said."That's not helping your case" I replied. Eventually exhaustion won and his voice became slower. His words started slurring together and finally his eyes closed completely.I sat beside the bed for another minute just to make sure the rise and fall of his chest became steady.
Fernando’s POVI hated Theo.At this point, I wasn't even trying to pretend otherwise. The man had an incredible talent for appearing at exactly the wrong moment.I stood alone in Michael's kitchen, staring at the refrigerator while holding a bottle of water I hadn't actually taken a drink from yet.The house was too quiet. The kind of quiet that allowed thoughts to become dangerous and my thoughts kept replaying the same scene.Michael against the wall, his eyes on mine, the way he had looked at me, the way he had pulled me closer and the way he had kissed me back.My grip tightened around the water bottle.Damn it. Even now, remembering it made my heart quicken. I could still taste his saliva in my mouth and I wanted more.For weeks I had been trying to convince Michael that what existed between us wasn't dead. That all those years hadn't erased everything.Tonight had proven I wasn't imagining it. Michael still felt something and I knew it.I had felt it, seen it and for a brief m
Michael's POVI still couldn't believe this was happening. My house had somehow become a gathering place for all the people currently causing me stress.Fernando was here, Theo was here and a small army of Fernando's bodyguards was somewhere outside.I honestly deserved a fucking medal."Theo, slow down" I said as we made our way to the rooms."I'm walking slowly" he said.I sighed."You're impossible."Theo grinned."Yet here you are helping me" he replied. I narrowed my eyes at him and Theo looked entirely too pleased with himself.One arm was draped around my shoulders while I carefully guided him down the hallway toward my bedroom.I had originally intended to put him in one of the guest rooms. That plan had lasted approximately fifteen seconds because Theo had rejected it immediately."The guest room is too far away" he said."It's literally across the hall" I replied. "What if I need help?" He asked."Then call me" I answered. "What if I can't reach my phone?" He asked. "The
Fernando's POVI was going to kill Theo.As I stood in Michael's living room watching him march toward the front door, I felt a level of irritation that was difficult to describe.Five minutes. That was all I had needed. Five more minutes and Theo would have been the furthest thing from Michael's mind.Instead, the stubborn bastard had somehow dragged himself out of a hospital bed and shown up at Michael's house.Of all the reckless, idiotic things he could have done.Michael reached the front door and opened it. Cold evening air rushed into the house and there Theo was, looking terrible.His face was pale, dark circles sat beneath his eyes. One arm was wrapped in bandages while another bandage disappeared beneath the collar of his shirt.He looked like someone who should have been unconscious in a hospital bed. Beside him stood Roberto, who looked equally exhausted.Michael immediately frowned."Theo!"Theo smiled weakly."Hi.""What are you doing here?" He asked.His tone was full o
Fernando’s POVThe hallway still echoed with dying groans.Blood pooled beneath my boots, and the smell of gunpowder clung to the air like a curse. The last of the gunmen collapsed at my feet, Marlo’s bullet buried neatly in his forehead.I exhaled hard, my chest burning, adrenaline crashing throu
Fernando’s POVThe sound of Michael’s voice faded as he lowered the phone from his ear. I watched him closely, the faint tremor in his hand, the small light dying in his expression when he said her name for the last time.He held the phone out to me without looking up.“She’s gone,” he said, his vo
Fernando’s POVI could smell her fear before she even spoke. It wasn’t the kind that showed on the surface, no, Ashley’s fear was quieter, buried beneath layers of defiance. She stood a few feet away, her eyes wide and alert, one hand hovering near the gun on her hip. Nick was behind her, his ches
Fernando’s POV Marlo kept his hands tight on the steering wheel as we drove through the outskirts of the city, the night stretching out before us.As i sat quietly in the passenger's seat and replayed the events of tonight in my head, I couldn't help but feel like it was my fault.“Boss” Marlo’s v







