Fragments of Fate

Chapter 5

June’s Point of View

"Oh, you’re home late," Finn remarked as I walked into our apartment, his voice pulling me from the haze I’d been drifting in. I didn’t respond, just sank onto the couch, every movement heavy with the weight of the evening. My fingers brushed against my lips, as if by touching them, I could somehow understand the whirlwind of emotions coursing through me. The sensation of Dos’s lips still lingered, warm and persistent, like a secret that refused to be forgotten.

My heart raced, a wild thing caged in my chest, pounding out a rhythm that echoed only one name—Dos. What just happened? What am I feeling right now?

"Hey! Are you okay? You’re spacing out," Finn’s concerned voice broke through my thoughts. He sat down in front of me, his brow furrowed with worry as he searched my face for answers.

I turned my gaze to him, still dazed. "Finn..." I whispered his name, my voice so soft it barely reached my own ears.

His frown deepened, eyes narrowing in confusion. "What’s going on with you? Why are you holding your lips like that?" he asked, his tone edging toward panic.

I didn’t know how to explain it, how to articulate the storm raging inside me. Questions and doubts swirled in my mind, a maelstrom I couldn’t escape. Why did he kiss me? I thought we were just friends. What does he really want from me? Ugh! I’m losing my mind!

"He kissed me," I said softly, almost as if I were telling a secret to myself. The words slipped out, a confession to the air more than to Finn. His eyebrows knitted together, his confusion deepening.

"Huh? What did you say?" he asked, leaning in closer as if he hadn’t heard me right. I met his gaze, seeing the concern mirrored in his eyes.

"He kissed me. Dos kissed me," I repeated, the reality of it settling over me like a heavy blanket. The room fell into silence, a thick, suffocating pause where only the sound of my heartbeat filled the space between us. Finn stared at me, his own disbelief etched clearly across his face, while I sat there, my lips still slightly parted, replaying the moment over and over in my head. My heart raced faster, a wild thrum that I couldn’t control, threatening to break free from the confines of my ribcage.

"What did you just say?" Finn asked again, this time his voice tinged with disbelief, as if he couldn’t quite process what I’d just told him. I stayed silent, the weight of my confession hanging between us. And then, as if a switch had been flipped, understanding dawned on him.

His eyes widened with realization, and before I could react, his hands were on my shoulders, shaking me slightly, jolting me from my daze. My vision swam from the sudden motion, but I was too overwhelmed, too lost in the aftermath of what had happened, to even care.

"Are you serious?! Is that why you were out so late, because you were with him?!" Finn’s voice rose with each word, disbelief coloring his tone.

"June, answer me!!! Did you give up your virginity too?!" He shook me again, but this time I pushed his hands off me, finding some small reserve of strength.

"Finn! Of course not! It was just a kiss! Nothing more, nothing less!" I retorted, my voice tinged with embarrassment. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, flushing my skin with a telltale blush. The words felt inadequate, like they didn’t fully capture the depth of what had happened, or how it had shaken me to my core.

But as his words sank in, a thought struck me. What if we hadn’t been interrupted by the call Dos received? Where could that kiss have led? My mind raced with possibilities, with the what-ifs that now hung in the air, tantalizing and terrifying all at once.

I could still see the way Dos looked at me, the intensity in his gaze, so different from how he looked at anyone else. There was something there, something deeper, something that sent shivers down my spine.

Finn moved back, giving me space to breathe. "No wonder you’re so out of it. And it’s not just a kiss, girly. It’s your very first kiss," he said, his voice softening slightly as he realized the magnitude of what had happened. His words hit me like a ton of bricks, leaving me momentarily speechless.

He was right. It was my first kiss. And Dos had stolen it from me, taken it with such ease, and I… I had given in so easily, wrapped my arms around him like I had been waiting for that moment my whole life. Ugh! How does he have this effect on me? How does he make me forget myself so completely?

"Tsk, you’re really in deep, June. Dos really has an effect on you, huh," Finn observed, shaking his head in disbelief. I pouted at him, feeling like a child who had been caught in some mischief.

"I even confessed that I like him," I muttered, my voice barely audible. The memory of my own words, blurted out in a moment of weakness, made me cringe inwardly. What is wrong with me? Why did I have to go and say that?

"You what? Oh my goodness!" Finn reacted, clearly stressed, his hands flying up in exasperation as he shook his head at me. I bit my lower lip, feeling the sting of my own foolishness.

"I just… I don’t know… it slipped out," I said, my tone filled with dismay. The words had come so easily in that moment, but now they felt like a weight I couldn’t lift.

"You’re completely hopeless," Finn declared, shaking his head as if to emphasize just how far gone I was.

"I know, right," I whispered in agreement. But what could I do? The words had been spoken, the kiss had happened, and there was no going back now.

What was going to happen between Dos and me now? How was I supposed to face him after this? The thought of seeing him again, of confronting what had happened between us, filled me with a mixture of dread and excitement. Ugh! Just thinking about it made me want to curl up and hide. I was so embarrassed, so overwhelmed by it all.

Why should I be embarrassed, though? He was the one who kissed me first, after all. But… I had kissed him back. I had wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer, wanting that kiss just as much as he did.

I closed my eyes, the stress of it all causing my head to pound. So many thoughts, so many emotions swirling inside me, I didn’t know how to sort through them all.

But one thing was certain: after that kiss, something was going to change between Dos and me. I could feel it, like a storm on the horizon, waiting to break.

Dos’s Point of View

I collapsed onto my bed, my body still humming with the remnants of the adrenaline that had surged through me earlier. The cold shower I’d taken was supposed to calm me down, but even now, the kiss June and I had shared replayed over and over in my mind, refusing to let me rest. I had practically bolted into the bathroom after dropping her off, desperate to cool the fire that had ignited inside me.

But even now, with the cold water long gone, I could still feel the warmth of her lips against mine, the softness that had sent my mind spinning. It lingered, refusing to fade, and damn it, what the hell is this feeling?

Don’t even ask me why I kissed June, because I don’t have a clue. It was like her eyes had a hold on me, pulling me in with a force I couldn’t resist. There was something in the way she looked at me, a light in her eyes that was both enchanting and dangerous, a pull that I couldn’t escape. She was hypnotic, alluring in a way that was almost otherworldly. And before I knew it, I was lost, caught in her spell, unable to stop myself from closing the distance between us.

And when our lips touched… f**k! It was like the world had stopped spinning, like nothing else mattered except the feel of her lips against mine. That kiss… it was like nothing I’d ever felt before. It made me want her, crave her in a way that scared me. If it hadn’t been for that call… Who knows what could’ve happened?

I sighed heavily, draping my arms over my eyes as if that could block out the chaos swirling in my head. My heart pounded in my chest, the beat loud and erratic, like a wild animal trying to escape. I know this feeling, but damn it, I can’t.

My world is too chaotic, too dark, and I can’t drag her into it. I won’t. I want her, God knows I do, but I can’t have her. She’s too innocent, too pure for the kind of life I lead. But damn it, I want her. I really f*****g want her.

Ever since I bumped into her on that street, she’s been stuck in my head. Those pretty, innocent eyes, those plump pink lips, that cute little nose… She’s so damn beautiful it’s impossible not to look at her. Impossible not to want her.

I thought I wouldn’t see her again, that maybe it was just some fluke. But then, as if fate had its own plans, I found out she was Belle’s friend. Her secretary, no less. Small world, huh?

I love teasing her, hearing her laugh, seeing that spark of irritation in her eyes when she’s had enough of my antics. It’s like she sees right through me, right past the darkness that surrounds me, straight to whatever’s left of my soul. When she’s with me, it makes me want to do crazy things, things I shouldn’t even be thinking about, like giving up everything I’ve known just to be near her.

If I could be selfish, I would. I’d keep her close, be with her every single day, drown in the sweetness of her presence. But I can’t. I won’t. She’s too good, too pure for this world I live in.

I opened my eyes, staring at the black ceiling above me, the darkness a mirror of what lay ahead. This is the first time I’ve ever felt like this, the first time I’ve ever wanted to escape the darkness that’s surrounded me for so long, just to be with a girl I barely know.

"What is it about you, June, that’s making me feel this way?" I whispered into the darkness, my voice a breathless plea for answers I wasn’t sure I wanted to find.

But the darkness held no answers, only more questions, more doubts, more of the unknown. And I knew… I knew that this was just the beginning.

Because something had changed tonight, something that neither of us could ignore. And whatever it was, it was going to alter everything.

…

The next day…

The door to my dark world’s office creaked open, its weight echoing the gravity of the world I was about to step back into. The familiar scent of leather, smoke, and cold steel greeted me as I entered. This place was as much a fortress as it was a prison—a sanctuary for those of us bound by blood and secrets, yet trapped by them at the same time.

The office was dimly lit, the shadows playing tricks on the mind, but I had long since learned to see through them. The walls were lined with mementos of our operations—photos, documents, and maps, each a silent witness to the deals struck and the lives taken. I moved forward with steady steps, each one a reminder of the responsibilities that came with this life.

Behind a large mahogany desk sat the Boss, his figure silhouetted against the faint light filtering through the blinds. He didn’t look up as I approached, but I knew he was aware of every move I made. The man had an uncanny ability to see without looking, to know without asking. His silence was as much a test as it was a command.

“Dos,” he finally said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to reverberate through the room. “You’re late.”

“Had some personal matters to attend to,” I replied, keeping my tone even. I couldn't afford to show any hint of the unease that lingered after my time with June. In this world, emotions were weaknesses, and weaknesses were exploited.

The Boss raised an eyebrow, but didn’t press the issue. He gestured for me to sit, and I lowered myself into the chair opposite him. His eyes were cold, calculating—always weighing, always measuring.

“There’s a shipment coming in next week,” he began, sliding a thick folder across the desk toward me. “High-value, highly sensitive. I want you to oversee it personally.”

I opened the folder, my eyes scanning the details. Weapons, drugs, money—it was the usual, but the stakes were higher this time. Failure wasn’t an option; it never was.

“Consider it done,” I said, closing the folder with a firm nod. “Everything will go smoothly.”

The Boss nodded, but his gaze lingered on me, searching for something beneath the surface. “You’ve been distracted lately,” he remarked, his tone casual but with an edge that couldn’t be ignored. “Is there something I should know?”

I kept my face impassive, though my mind raced. He couldn’t know about June—there was no way. I’d been careful, keeping my personal life well away from the business. But in this world, secrets had a way of surfacing at the worst possible times.

“Nothing that concerns the business,” I answered, my voice steady.

The Boss didn’t seem convinced. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk as he studied me. After a moment, he reached for another file, this one thicker, more worn with age. He pushed it across the desk toward me, a thin smile on his lips.

“This next matter is more delicate,” he said, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial tone. “It’s been in the works for a long time, and you’re going to play a crucial role.”

I picked up the file, but didn’t open it. The weight of it was unnerving, a reminder that in this world, information could be as dangerous as any weapon. I met the Boss’s gaze, waiting for him to elaborate.

“This is about expanding our reach,” he continued, his voice laced with anticipation. “New territories, new alliances. But it’s not just business as usual. There are...personal stakes involved.”

I frowned slightly, unsure of what he meant. “Personal stakes?”

The Boss leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t quite place—something dangerous. “Yes. You see, it’s not just about the shipment or the territories. It’s about protecting what’s ours...and ensuring that nothing, and no one, interferes.”

My grip tightened on the file, my mind racing to catch up with his words. There was something more to this, something he wasn’t saying outright. Before I could press him further, he continued, his next words sending a cold chill down my spine.

“That includes keeping a close eye on certain individuals,” he said, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. “Like this woman you’ve been spending time with...June, isn’t it?”

Time seemed to freeze, the weight of his words crashing down on me like a ton of bricks. I kept my expression neutral, but inside, a storm was brewing. How did he know about June? I had been so careful, so meticulous in keeping her out of this world. My mind raced, calculating every possible angle, every move that could have led him to her.

“What do you know about June?” I asked, my voice low and dangerously calm, though I could feel the anger simmering beneath the surface.

The Boss leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips. “I know enough. Enough to see that she’s become a...distraction. And distractions are dangerous in our line of work.”

I could feel my blood boiling, the calm facade I’d maintained beginning to c***k. “You stay away from her,” I warned, my voice steady but laced with a threat. “She has nothing to do with this.”

The Boss’s smirk widened, his eyes narrowing as he observed my reaction. “Oh, Dos. You should know by now that nothing is off-limits in this business. If she becomes a liability—”

“She won’t,” I cut him off, my tone leaving no room for argument. “She’s got nothing to do with any of this.”

His eyes darkened, the playful glint replaced with something far more sinister. “That’s not for you to decide.”

The tension in the room was suffocating, the air thick with unspoken threats. I leaned forward, locking eyes with the Boss, my voice dropping to a deadly whisper. “If you lay a single finger on her, I will make you regret it. I don’t care who you are, or how long we’ve worked together. You stay away from her.”

For a moment, the room was silent, the two of us locked in a battle of wills. Then, slowly, the Boss’s expression shifted, his smirk returning as he leaned back in his chair. “Careful, Dos. Threats are a dangerous game, especially when you’re playing against someone who knows all your weaknesses.”

My jaw clenched, the anger threatening to bubble over, but I forced myself to stay in control. “This isn’t a game. This is me telling you to stay away from her.”

The Boss studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he nodded, a small, almost imperceptible gesture. “Very well. But remember, Dos—everything comes with a price. Even love.”

I stood up, the file still clutched in my hand, my heart pounding with a mix of anger and fear. I didn’t say another word as I turned and walked out of the office, the door closing behind me with a heavy thud.

But as I left, one thing was clear in my mind: June was now in the crosshairs, and it was up to me to keep her safe. No matter the cost.