NICO
The knock on my door the next morning wasn't normal. It wasn't the kind neighbors give, you know? Not polite. Not quick. Not impatient. No-it was heavy. Solid. Each thud made the hinges rattle and, honestly, it felt like it went straight through my chest.
I froze. Coffee halfway to my mouth. Black, bitter, the way I always drank it because sugar was too expensive and I'd grown used to the taste. My heart skipped, then took off like it wanted to rip right through my ribs.
The mug slipped. It hit the counter with a dull sound and spilled over the rim. My hands were suddenly wet and sticky, but I barely noticed. The apartment-already small, already bare-felt like it was shrinking in around me. Fragile walls, paper-thin, like they couldn't hold whoever was standing outside.
I forced my feet to move. Every step felt like I was dragging weights.
And then I opened the door.
There he was.
Cassian DeSantis.
He didn't just stand there-he owned the doorway. Dark suit, sharp enough to cut, tailored like it had been built onto him. His tie hung a little loose, and just above the collar, tattoos curled like smoke escaping a fire. His eyes-God-those eyes didn't just look at me. They studied me. Like a predator deciding how hungry it was.
Two of his men lingered behind him, sunglasses on even though we were inside. They weren't looking at me, but somehow it felt like they were.
"Señor Caruso," Cassian said. His voice was low, smooth, the kind of sound that made your spine straighten whether you wanted to or not. "You didn't think I'd forget you so soon, did you?"
I swallowed hard and tried to keep my voice steady. "I figured after last night you'd have... bigger things to worry about than tracking down your waiter."
His lips curved. Not a smile. Something sharper. "You're not just a waiter anymore."
And then-without asking-he walked inside. He didn't hesitate. Didn't check. Just moved, like he knew the space belonged to him now. His cologne hit me-rich, woodsy, expensive. The kind of scent that lingered. The kind that stayed on your skin if you stood too close. And suddenly my tiny apartment felt too full.
I closed the door. My pulse was a wild drum in my ears.
Cassian walked the room like he was inspecting it. The couch with stuffing poking out. The cracked tiles. The pile of books leaning against the wall. His footsteps were steady, deliberate. At the window, he paused, hands clasped behind his back, looking out like the street belonged to him too.
Finally, he turned. His eyes pinned me where I stood.
"You saved my life last night."
I opened my mouth to say something-shrug it off maybe-but he lifted a hand. Just one. And I shut up instantly.
"Don't," he said. Firm. Unshakable. "Men don't throw themselves into gunfire for me. Not unless they have something to gain... or something to prove." He stepped closer, slow and deliberate. "Which one are you, Nico?"
I exhaled, shaky. "Maybe I didn't think. Maybe I just... moved."
He studied me, like he could peel me apart layer by layer until there was nothing left to hide. He stopped a foot away. His voice dropped lower.
"You don't save a man like me and walk away unchanged."
Something inside me tightened. It wasn't a threat. It was just-truth.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a silver cigarette case. Didn't open it. Just rolled it in his palm, metal catching the light. "I've had men by my side for years. Soldiers. Wolves. But last night, not one of them moved as quickly as you."
"I'm not a soldier," I blurted. My voice cracked.
His smirk cut like a blade. "No. You're not. But you could be."
That should've been my cue to back off. Instead, I felt it-this pull, heavier than fear. Stronger than reason. My throat went dry. "What are you saying?"
Cassian's eyes darkened. His tone softened, coaxing. "Be my bodyguard. My shadow. My right hand."
The words hung there, thick, dangerous.
I laughed. It came out nervous, shaky. "You want a waiter to guard your life?"
His smirk deepened. "You already did. And don't insult yourself, Nico. I've seen how you move. You don't flinch at blood. You don't fold under pressure. That makes you rarer than half the men I pay fortunes to."
His words dug into me. Turned things I'd been ignoring over in my chest.
"And if I say no?" I asked, quiet.
Cassian leaned in, close enough that his breath brushed my cheek. His cologne was dizzying, overwhelming. "Then you'll go back to carrying trays for tourists, siempre pequeño. Always small. Always wondering why you let fear keep you there. And you'll remember that you saved my life, and that I offered you the chance to step into mine."
It cut deeper than I expected.
Truth was, I had been restless. For years. Stuck in place, invisible. And Cassian... he didn't just see me. He pulled me into his orbit like gravity.
Before I even thought it through, before I could stop myself, I heard my own voice. "I'll do it."
Something flickered in his eyes. Approval? Satisfaction? Maybe both. He slipped the cigarette case back into his jacket and adjusted his cufflinks like it was already decided.
"Bien," he said. "Good. Then we waste no time. You'll come with me now."
I blinked. "Now?"
"Yes." Final. Sharp. A command. "There's a meeting I need to attend. Consider it your first lesson."
I hesitated, glancing around at my life-the spilled coffee, the mess of dishes, the walls that had been my cage for so long. Could I just walk away?
Cassian's voice cut through my hesitation. "You saved me, Nico. That makes you mine now. And mine don't hesitate."
Instead of fear, something else rushed through me. Excitement. Fire.
I grabbed my jacket. "Let's go then."
Cassian's smirk deepened. For a second-just a second-I thought I saw pride flicker in his eyes. He gestured toward the door, letting me go first. His men followed, silent shadows, their Spanish whispers trailing behind-"cuidado," "rápido," "vamos."
As we stepped into the hall, Cassian leaned close, his words for me alone.
"You'll learn fast, Nico. Or you won't last. But remember this-once you step into my world, there's no way back."
And with that, he pulled me out of my old life and straight into his.
