Guns and Roses

Bleed

SAINT-LAURENT

They put me in holding like I was just another street rat off the block. Cold metal bench, thick air that smelled like rust and old sweat, and a flickering light above me like the universe was laughing in Morse code.

But all I could think about was her.

Genevieve Taylor.

She’d held a gun to my face like I was nothing. Like I was a stranger. Like I hadn’t once memorized the way her lips curled around my name or how her legs shook the first time I kissed her behind the gym. Like I didn’t carry the ghost of her everywhere I went.

She played it so well—cold, detached, stone-faced. Pretended she didn’t know me. Pretended I was some nameless trespasser. But I saw it. The hesitation. The tremor in her hand. The shadow in her eyes before she pulled the trigger—not at me, no. At the lights. Symbolic, wasn’t it? Genevieve always was poetic like that.

And me? I let her cuff me.

Because I had to see her up close one more time.

Even if it meant chains.

Even if it meant bruises.

Even if it meant swallowing every word I ever wanted to say.

She looked good. Grown. Sharper. Like life had carved her out of granite. But underneath it all—beneath the badge, beneath the hard lines—I still saw my Geni. The girl who asked me to be nicer. The one who thought love could fix monsters.

God, I hated myself for what I did to her.

But if she knew the truth… it would break her.

So let her hate me. Let her curse my name in every quiet moment. It was better than dragging her back into this mess. Better than her knowing the weight I carried—one that could ruin her career, her peace, her whole damn life.

I was deep in that thought when the door buzzed and in walked Marcus—my right-hand man. Day one. Watched my back when we were nobodies. Helped build my empire brick by bloody brick.

“Boss,” he nodded, eyeing the uniformed guard who kept his distance. “Had to see it for myself.”

I didn’t speak. Just stared through the glass.

He sat. Elbows on the table, voice low.

“We’re working on it. You’ll be out in twenty-four. Maybe less. Commissioner’s off grid right now, but we got people working every angle. You good?”

I scoffed. “Look at me, man. I’m great.”

“You don’t look great,” he muttered. “You look like you seen a ghost.”

I paused.

“I did,” I said finally. “She put me in these cuffs.”

Marcus leaned back, mouth twitching like he didn’t know whether to laugh or curse. “No way. Detective Taylor? You serious?”

“She’s not the girl I used to know.”

“Well, neither are you,” he said with a shrug. “You’re ten million up and own half the damn coast.”

I didn’t smile.

Ten million meant nothing when the only thing I ever wanted slipped through my fingers, again.

And now?

She was the one standing on the right side of the law. And me? I was still the same boy. Just richer. More dangerous. And a hell of a lot lonelier.

I leaned forward, voice barely a whisper.

“Marcus… if I go down for this, keep her name out of it. No leaks. No whispers. Not even a ghost of my past, you hear me?”

He nodded solemnly. “Got it.”

As he stood to leave, I looked at the steel door ahead of me.

Let her win this round. Let her believe she conquered her demon.

But she had no idea…

I was still watching.

Still waiting.

And the game wasn’t over yet.

GENEVIEVE

I knew something was wrong the moment I walked into the precinct.

The air was different. Officers shifted uncomfortably at their desks, whispering in clusters. Some barely looked at me. Others sent me quick, unreadable glances.

Then I saw the Chief of Police standing outside his office, arms crossed, face carved out of stone. And next to him? Saint-Laurent Leo.

Handcuff-free. Relaxed. Smirking.

A hot wave of anger surged through me.

I walked straight up to them, jaw tight. “What the hell is going on?”

Chief Reynolds barely sighed. “Taylor, we’re releasing him.”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Drop the charges,” he said like it was nothing. “This isn’t our fight.”

I turned to Leo, my heart pounding. He wasn’t even trying to hide his amusement. He just leaned against the wall like he had all the time in the world, watching me unravel.

“You have got to be kidding me,” I snapped, eyes back on Reynolds. “He broke into my house. That’s illegal the last time I checked. And now we’re just letting him walk?”

The Chief exhaled sharply, lowering his voice. “Taylor, let it go.”

“Let it go?” I laughed bitterly. “So that’s how we do things now? Rich criminals get to break and enter, and we—what? Just pretend it didn’t happen?”

“You don’t know who you’re messing with.” The warning in his voice was clear.

I clenched my fists. “This is a breach of justice. This is an abuse of power. If this were anyone else—”

“But it’s not,” Reynolds cut in. “It’s him. And he’s walking out that door whether you like it or not.”

I turned back to Leo. His smirk deepened, like he was enjoying every second of this.

I wanted to wipe it off his face.

I wanted to scream.

Instead, I stepped forward until we were inches apart. “You’re scum, you know that?” I hissed under my breath.

Leo tilted his head, looking me up and down with that slow, infuriating gaze. “Still look pretty when you’re mad, Geni.”

I saw red.

The Chief put a hand on my shoulder before I could do something stupid, like break his nose in front of a room full of cops. “Take the rest of the day off, Taylor.”

I yanked my arm away and turned on my heel, walking out before I said something that would get me fired.

⸻

Later That Afternoon – Brianna’s House

I needed out. Out of my head, out of the precinct, out of the mess that was Saint-Laurent Leo still ruining my life.

So I called Brianna.

It had been too long since we’d seen each other. She was one of the only good things left from my past—the only part of Willhound I didn’t hate.

When she opened the door, barefoot and glowing, I almost didn’t recognize her.

A baby bump.

A huge baby bump.

And that same Brianna smile, wide and warm, like the world had never once disappointed her.

“Oh my God, Geni!” she squealed, pulling me into a hug before I could react. “Look at you! All official-looking and stressed as hell.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Bri, you’re pregnant?!”

She laughed, stepping back and resting a hand on her stomach. “Six months. Can you believe it?”

My chest warmed a little. “Damn. Who let you become a whole wife and mother while I wasn’t looking?”

She grinned. “Some hotshot lawyer downtown. Drives me crazy, but hey, he put a ring on it, so here we are.”

I shook my head with a smirk. “Always knew you’d be the one to settle down first.”

“Please. I thought you would be first. Thought you’d be out here married to some fine-ass man by now, poppin’ out little detectives.”

I snorted. “Yeah, well… turns out I have a terrible taste in men.”

Her smile faded just a little. “You saw him, didn’t you?”

I exhaled through my nose. “He broke into my damn house, Bri. Broke in. And you know what happened?”

She already knew. I could see it in her eyes.

“They let him go,” I said bitterly. “No charges. No consequences. Just walked out like he owned the place.”

Brianna sighed, rubbing her stomach. “And that surprises you?”

No.

It didn’t.

Because Saint-Laurent Leo always got away with everything.

I slumped onto her couch, letting my head fall back against the cushions. “I hate him.”

Brianna sat beside me, smirking. “You sure about that?”

I turned my head, glaring. “Don’t start.”

She held her hands up. “I’m just saying. If you really hated him, you wouldn’t be this mad.”

I groaned. “Bri, he’s a criminal. A dangerous one.”

She sighed. “Yeah. But he’s also the only boy you ever really loved.”

I sat up straight. “That was a long time ago.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Then why you still talking about him like he’s got his hands around your heart?”

I didn’t answer.

Because I hated that she was right.

And I hated even more that no matter how much I tried to run from him—Saint-Laurent Leo was still the only man who had ever made my heart bleed.