- 1 week ago
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00:00My name's Clara Hayes, and by the time this story began, I was hanging by a thread.
00:05Rent overdue, car coughing its last breath, and a boss who thought overtime was a synonym for
00:10indentured servitude. Chicago's win bit harder when your wallet was empty. That morning, I spilled
00:16lukewarm coffee down my blouse before a client meeting, ripped my tights climbing the office
00:21stairs, and realized my phone bill was due in an hour. It was one of those days where you start
00:26wondering if the universe has a personal vendetta. Then I opened that message. It wasn't supposed to
00:32come to me. It was encrypted, labeled private, for AV, and came from an address with no name,
00:39just a symbol, something like a wolf's head. I worked in a logistics firm, nothing glamorous,
00:46just spreadsheets and late payments. We handled imports, shipments, big clients. But this message
00:53was different. One line that made my stomach drop. The shipment leaves tonight. No mistakes this time.
01:00My hand froze on the mouse. I should have deleted it. I should have looked away, reported it, anything
01:07but read it twice. But curiosity is a disease, and mine was terminal. Before I could blink, a second
01:14email followed. Who opened this? The cursor blinked at me like a heartbeat. That's when the lights flickered.
01:21By noon, three men in dark suits walked through the glass doors of our office. They didn't belong
01:27there. Their silence was heavier than the city noise outside. One of them spoke to the receptionist,
01:32and her smile faltered. Then he pointed straight at me. I remember the click of my keyboard stopping.
01:39Everyone else kept typing, pretending not to notice. That's what people do in danger. They hide behind
01:44normalcy. The tallest man approached my desk. No badge, no smile. Just a jawline sharp enough to
01:51cut glass and eyes the color of storm clouds. You're Clara Hayes? His voice wasn't a question.
01:59Yes, I said, hating how small it sounded. He studied me for a beat, then leaned closer.
02:06You opened the wrong door today. Before I could ask what that meant, my boss came rushing out of his
02:11office, all fake confidence and nervous sweat. Is there a problem here? The man didn't even look
02:18at him. None. She's coming with us. That was the first time I met Adrian Vale, the man who would ruin
02:25and save me in equal measure. They didn't handcuff me, just told me to walk. Out of the office, past the
02:32confused faces of people I'd worked beside for years. My pulse drummed in my ears as we stepped
02:38into a black SUV idling outside. I kept telling myself this was a mistake, a misunderstanding.
02:45Someone would laugh, apologize, and drop me back before lunch. But the moment the door locked and
02:51the city blurred past the tinted windows, I knew this wasn't corporate business.
02:56Adrian sat across from me, quiet, unreadable. His presence filled the space, commanding,
03:02almost suffocating. I tried to speak, but my throat dried out.
03:07What's going on? I finally asked. He tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly, like he was deciding
03:13whether I was a liar or an idiot. You tell me. I... I work in finance. I don't know what you're
03:20talking about. Then why did you open a secure message meant for me? His tone wasn't loud,
03:27but it carried weight. I wanted to explain that it popped up by accident, that I was just a nobody
03:32trying to make ends meet. But my pride got there first. Maybe you should password protect your
03:37criminal activity next time, I said before thinking. His lips twitched, the ghost of a smile,
03:44gone before it even formed. You've got nerve. Most people beg by now. Maybe I just haven't
03:50realized how much trouble I'm in. Maybe. We drove in silence after that. He didn't threaten me,
03:57didn't comfort me either. Just sat there, studying me like I was an unsolved riddle he didn't have
04:03time for but couldn't ignore. When the car stopped, we were outside a building that looked nothing like
04:08a police station. More like an old luxury hotel. Marble stairs, heavy curtains, the faint scent of
04:15cigar smoke. Inside, the air felt charged. Men in suits moved like shadows, nodding respectfully to
04:22Adrian. Whoever he was, he commanded power, the kind that didn't need explaining. He led me to
04:29a dim office, motioned for me to sit. You saw something you shouldn't have. That puts you in
04:35danger. From who? I asked. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. From people who think you
04:43know more than you do. And maybe, from me. The words were calm, but they chilled me. I didn't do
04:52anything, I said softly. I know, he replied. That's the problem. For a long second, our eyes
05:00locked. The kind of silence that hums between strangers who shouldn't care but do. There was
05:06something unreadable in his expression. A flicker of regret, maybe. Or curiosity. Then his phone buzzed.
05:14He checked the screen, jaw tightening. They're already looking for you, he said. If you go home,
05:22you won't make it through the night. My pulse kicked. You're kidding. I don't kid. He stood
05:29shrugging off his coat and tossing it toward me. You'll stay here, until I figure out what they want
05:34with you. I caught it. Soft leather, still warm from his body. It smelled like rain and something
05:41darker, sharper. I should have been terrified, and I was. But beneath the fear, something else
05:47sparked. A dangerous curiosity. Why are you helping me? I asked. His eyes softened for a heartbeat,
05:55then hardened again. Because you looked at me like I was human. He walked out before I could reply,
06:02the door clicking shut behind him. For a moment, I just sat there in his coat,
06:08feeling its weight, the faint echo of his warmth against my skin.
06:12Somewhere beneath the fear, a strange thought formed, a pull I couldn't explain,
06:18toward the very man who'd just turned my life upside down.
06:21Then, outside the door, someone whispered urgently, too quiet to catch.
06:27A sudden crash followed, a gunshot splitting the air.
06:32And then, silence.
06:35I froze, breath caught in my throat. When the door handle turned again, my heart nearly stopped.
06:42The man who stepped in wasn't Adrian. He was holding a gun, and he was smiling.
06:46I didn't sleep that first night. Not even a minute. Every sound in that room, the creak of wood,
06:59the soft hum of distant traffic, felt like a countdown. The man with the gun hadn't fired.
07:05Adrian's people took him down before he could. I didn't see it happen. I just heard the chaos,
07:10the thud of footsteps, the sharp yell, then silence again.
07:14By the time Adrian walked back in, his shirt was stained, his expression unreadable.
07:19He didn't look at me. Just said,
07:21it's over, and walked out. But it wasn't over. Not for me.
07:26When the adrenaline drained, all that was left was the shaking. My body wouldn't stop.
07:32I sat on that cold couch, wrapped in his coat, trying to breathe like a normal person.
07:37I was a 28-year-old woman with two jobs, half a degree, and zero time for drama.
07:42And now I was apparently the accidental witness in someone's criminal empire.
07:46I wanted to go home. I wanted my sister. Her name's June. Younger, diabetic, too kind for this world.
07:54Every decision I've made in my life has revolved around keeping her alive and stable.
07:59When our parents left, I stayed. I worked two shifts, sold my car, skipped meals.
08:05Every cent I earned went to her medication. That's who I was. Someone who fixed things.
08:11Who endured. Until now.
08:13By sunrise, Adrian had me move to a different part of the building.
08:17Top floor, overlooking the city.
08:20His idea of safety, I guess.
08:23The room was too big, too quiet.
08:25Like being locked inside a museum exhibit of wealth.
08:28When he finally came back, his shirt was clean, his hair damp, and he looked...
08:33human again.
08:35Tired.
08:36Like he'd been through his own kind of night.
08:39You can use the shower, he said, nodding toward the door.
08:43I hesitated.
08:45You planning to watch?
08:47His eyes flicked up, one brow lifting.
08:50You think too highly of yourself, Clara.
08:53The nerve of him.
08:56Still, I used the shower.
08:58Steam and heat blurred everything for a while.
09:01Let me pretend I was home again.
09:03Except the water pressure was perfect.
09:05And the towels were softer than anything I owned.
09:07When I came out, he was sitting by the window, phone in hand.
09:11I could tell by the tension in his posture that whoever he was talking to wasn't giving
09:15him good news.
09:15Then find out who leaked it, he said, voice low and controlled.
09:20And clean it up.
09:22When he hung up, his gaze met mine in the reflection.
09:26Who are you?
09:27I asked quietly.
09:29He turned, as if deciding how much truth I could handle.
09:32I move things.
09:34Quietly.
09:35Expensively.
09:36Illegal things?
09:38His silence was answer enough.
09:40Then why not just let me go?
09:42I pressed.
09:43I don't know anything.
09:45That's not how this works.
09:47Something in his tone made me flinch.
09:50Not cruelty, just inevitability.
09:52I crossed my arms.
09:55So what?
09:56I'm your prisoner now?
09:58His lips curved slightly.
10:01If you were, you wouldn't be standing.
10:04Touché.
10:06He looked at me for a moment longer than necessary.
10:08The kind of look that doesn't belong to a man used to explaining himself.
10:13There was curiosity in it.
10:15Maybe even admiration.
10:16Like he didn't expect me to still have fight left in me.
10:20You're not what I thought, he said finally.
10:24What's that supposed to mean?
10:26Most people break faster.
10:28I'm not most people.
10:30No, he said quietly.
10:32You're not.
10:33The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable.
10:35Just heavy with things neither of us could admit yet.
10:39He left soon after, and for the rest of the day, I wandered the room like a ghost.
10:44The city below looked alive.
10:47Cars, sirens, people with coffee cups and errands.
10:50I envied them.
10:52I tried calling June, but my phone was gone.
10:55Probably taken when they brought me here.
10:57By late afternoon, someone knocked, a woman this time, dressed in black, holding a tray
11:02of food.
11:03She looked professional, polite, and absolutely terrified to make eye contact.
11:09Mr. Vale asked me to bring this, she murmured, setting it down.
11:13I thanked her, but she was gone before the words left my mouth.
11:17Dinner was simple but perfect.
11:19Salmon, vegetables, wine.
11:21I hated that I liked it.
11:23Hated that I noticed the details.
11:25Like how the napkin was folded or how the cutlery was heavier than mine back home.
11:30That's when it hit me.
11:32This world.
11:33The quiet authority.
11:35The luxury.
11:36The power.
11:38It wasn't just around Adrian Vale.
11:40It was him.
11:42Every inch of it.
11:43That realization scared me more than the gun did.
11:46Because men like him didn't help people like me for free.
11:50Night fell again, and I sat by the window, watching the lights blur through glass.
11:55I started thinking about the choices that led me here.
11:58Every yes I gave to survive.
12:01Every dream I'd buried under responsibility.
12:04My father used to say I was born tired.
12:07Maybe he was right.
12:09But Adrian Vale didn't seem tired of anything.
12:12He lived like the world bent to his will.
12:14And somehow, I'd fallen right into his orbit.
12:19Around midnight, I heard him outside, arguing in a low voice with someone.
12:24The tension cracked through the door like static.
12:26When he came in, I didn't pretend to sleep.
12:29He leaned against the doorway.
12:31Exhaustion etched into the lines around his mouth.
12:34You shouldn't have opened that message.
12:37I swallowed.
12:39Yeah, I figured that out.
12:40I can make this go away, he said.
12:44The problem.
12:46The people after you.
12:47But that means staying under my protection for now.
12:51Protection or control?
12:53Depends how much you fight me.
12:55That should have angered me.
12:56It should have made me want to run.
12:59But the truth was, I was too tired to keep resisting.
13:01And a part of me, one I didn't want to admit existed, felt safer near him than I'd felt in months.
13:08He walked closer.
13:09Close enough for me to smell the faint mix of rain and smoke on his skin.
13:13My pulse betrayed me.
13:15What are you really afraid of, Clara?
13:17He asked softly.
13:19I don't know.
13:21I whispered.
13:22Liar.
13:23His voice was low now.
13:25Dangerous in its calm.
13:27You're afraid of what you want.
13:29His words hit harder than any threat.
13:32He stepped back then, as if catching himself, turning toward the door.
13:37Get some rest, he said quietly.
13:39You'll need it.
13:41I waited until he was gone to exhale.
13:45My reflection in the glass looked pale.
13:47Shaken.
13:48But alive.
13:50And for the first time, I realized I didn't just fear Adrian Vale.
13:54I wanted to understand him.
13:55That night, as thunder rolled over Chicago, I admitted something I hadn't said out loud in years.
14:02Meeting him didn't feel like danger.
14:04It felt like gravity.
14:06And it terrified me.
14:08The second morning in Adrian Vale's world began with silence.
14:11The kind that hums in your bones and makes you aware you're somewhere you don't belong.
14:15I woke in a room too soft, too quiet, sunlight leaking through heavy drapes.
14:21For a moment, I forgot where I was, until I saw the suit jacket on the chair.
14:26His jacket.
14:27The one that still smelled faintly like smoke and rain.
14:30He hadn't come back last night.
14:32But someone had brought fresh clothes, breakfast, and a note.
14:36Just one line, written in sharp, deliberate handwriting.
14:40Stay inside.
14:41Don't open the door for anyone but me.
14:43No signature.
14:44No warmth.
14:45Just command.
14:47I should have hated that.
14:49I should have felt trapped.
14:50But instead, that tiny piece of control he handed me.
14:54Don't open the door.
14:55Felt almost like protection.
14:58By noon, I was pacing the floor.
15:00Restless.
15:01Glancing at the skyline beyond the glass.
15:04Somewhere out there, June was probably calling me.
15:07Wondering why I hadn't texted back.
15:09The thought twisted my chest.
15:11I'd always been the one holding things together.
15:14Now, I was the mess.
15:16The door opened, just as I was deciding whether to break his rule.
15:20Adrian walked in, phone in hand, sleeves rolled up.
15:23Every inch of him sharp and composed.
15:25But his eyes.
15:26There was something tired behind them.
15:29You didn't sleep.
15:30He said, not asking.
15:33I didn't know I was supposed to.
15:34I replied.
15:36He almost smiled.
15:38Almost.
15:38You're not a guest here, Clara.
15:41You're a complication.
15:43Wow.
15:44You really know how to make a girl feel special.
15:47His gaze lingered.
15:48Unreadable.
15:50If you weren't scared, I'd say you're enjoying this.
15:54Being kidnapped by a crime lord?
15:56Definitely top of my bucket list.
15:58That earned me a low laugh.
16:00The sound startled me.
16:02It didn't match his reputation, whatever that truly was.
16:05For a heartbeat, he looked almost normal.
16:08He motioned toward the hall.
16:10Come on.
16:11You need air.
16:12I followed him through the maze of hallways into a glass elevator that opened to the rooftop.
16:17The wind hit hard.
16:19Clean and cold.
16:20Below us, Chicago stretched endlessly.
16:23Steel.
16:24Traffic.
16:25Chaos.
16:25This view, I murmured, doesn't feel real.
16:30He watched me quietly.
16:33Reality's overrated.
16:35Easy to say when you own it.
16:37He didn't respond, but there was a flicker in his eyes.
16:40Some memory I couldn't see.
16:42We stood there a long time without talking.
16:45For once, silence didn't feel dangerous.
16:48Just heavy.
16:49Charged.
16:50Finally, I said, why me?
16:53You have hundreds of people who probably work for you.
16:56Why deal with this yourself?
16:58He turned to me, gaze sharp.
17:01Because they would have killed you already.
17:04That sank in like ice.
17:06I told them no, he continued.
17:09Which means I just made you my problem.
17:12And in my world, problems don't survive long.
17:15Then why protect me?
17:18Something flickered in his expression.
17:21Softer now.
17:22Because you didn't flinch.
17:25I didn't know I was supposed to.
17:28You were.
17:29Everyone does.
17:31He stepped closer.
17:33The space between us dissolving until I could see the faint scar near his temple.
17:37The slight stubble along his jaw.
17:39I told myself not to look.
17:41Not to care.
17:42Who hurt you, Clara?
17:44He asked suddenly.
17:46The question cut through the air.
17:49What?
17:50You talk like someone who's used to surviving.
17:53That doesn't come from nowhere.
17:55My throat tightened.
17:57You think you get to psychoanalyze me now.
18:00I think I get to ask.
18:02He said, voice softer.
18:04You're standing on my roof, in my world, under my protection.
18:08I have a right to know who I'm risking this for.
18:10However, the words hit harder than I expected.
18:13My father, I said finally, barely above a whisper.
18:17He left when we were kids.
18:19My mom lost herself after that.
18:21So yeah, I learned early.
18:23Don't depend on anyone.
18:25Not for money.
18:26Not for safety.
18:27Not for love.
18:29Adrian's expression didn't change.
18:31But something shifted in his posture, like he understood more than he wanted to.
18:36Dependence is weakness, he said quietly.
18:39No, I said, meeting his eyes.
18:42It's human.
18:43The wind picked up.
18:45Neither of us moved.
18:47For the first time, I noticed how close he was.
18:50His hand brushed against mine.
18:52Barely there.
18:53But it felt like static.
18:55Every nerve in my body woke up at once.
18:59He didn't pull away.
19:01Neither did I.
19:02When he finally spoke, his voice had dropped lower, almost a whisper.
19:07You don't belong in my world, Clara.
19:09People like me, we ruin the things we touch.
19:13Then stop touching, I said.
19:15But the words came out softer than I meant them to.
19:18He exhaled, slow.
19:20I can't.
19:22It wasn't a declaration.
19:24Not even an apology.
19:26Just truth.
19:27That's when his phone buzzed again.
19:29He looked down, and the calm in his face cracked.
19:32He turned away, voice cold as he answered.
19:35Handle it.
19:37A pause.
19:38No, not her.
19:40She stays out of it.
19:41When he hung up, his jaw was tight, his knuckles white.
19:45What's happening?
19:46I asked.
19:47He hesitated.
19:49Something I hoped wouldn't reach you.
19:52Too late for that, don't you think?
19:54His eyes met mine, hard, searching.
19:58Then, without warning, he reached out, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me close enough that I could feel his heartbeat.
20:05If anything happens tonight, he said quietly.
20:09You don't open that door.
20:11You don't move until I come for you.
20:13Adrian, promise me.
20:16There was no space for argument.
20:18I nodded.
20:19He released me slowly, his fingers trailing just long enough to make my chest tighten.
20:25Then he was gone.
20:26I stood there alone on that rooftop, staring at the skyline, and wondering when protection started feeling like possession.
20:34Hours later, I was still replaying his voice in my head when the power flickered.
20:41Once.
20:41Twice.
20:43Then everything went dark.
20:45Footsteps echoed down the hall.
20:47Someone was coming.
21:04The power didn't stay out for long, just long enough for the world to feel wrong.
21:16Long enough for my pulse to start racing and my body to remember fear again.
21:19The footsteps stopped outside my door.
21:22Then silence.
21:24I stood frozen by the window, gripping the edge of the table, waiting for the sound of a key, a voice, anything.
21:31But it wasn't Adrian.
21:33He wouldn't knock like that.
21:35He didn't knock at all.
21:37Then the door opened a few inches.
21:39Clara?
21:40It was a woman's voice.
21:42Calm.
21:43Soft.
21:44I didn't answer.
21:46Mr. Vail sent me, she said.
21:49He wanted to make sure you're all right.
21:51She stepped into the light that seeped in through the curtains.
21:54Mid-30s.
21:55Dark hair.
21:56Expensive coat.
21:57Eyes that didn't blink enough.
21:59I didn't know what exactly she was, but I knew instinctively she wasn't staff.
22:04Who are you?
22:06I asked.
22:07Someone who keeps Adrian's life from falling apart.
22:10Must be a full-time job.
22:12She smiled faintly.
22:14You're the reason it's harder lately.
22:16That made my stomach drop.
22:18What's that supposed to mean?
22:20It means, she said, stepping closer, he's making decisions that aren't like him.
22:25Risking people.
22:26Money.
22:27Loyalty.
22:28All for some girl who opened the wrong message.
22:31I took a step back.
22:33I didn't ask for his help.
22:35No, she said.
22:36But you have it.
22:38And that's the problem.
22:39Before I could reply, the door opened again.
22:42Adrian.
22:43He filled the doorway, tension radiating off him.
22:46His voice came out low, dangerous.
22:49Out.
22:50The woman turned, unfazed.
22:52We need to talk about last night.
22:54Not here.
22:56Her eyes flicked toward me, sharp.
22:57She should hear it.
22:59Out, Lena.
23:01She hesitated, then left, brushing past him with a knowing glance.
23:06The moment she was gone, the air between us tightened.
23:09What was that?
23:10I demanded.
23:12Business.
23:13Business that involves me?
23:15Not anymore.
23:17Adrian, I'm not stupid.
23:18He ran a hand through his hair, the first visible crack in his calm.
23:23There was an attack last night.
23:25Someone got close to this building.
23:27Too close.
23:28Because of me?
23:29He didn't answer.
23:31Which was an answer.
23:33God.
23:33I whispered, turning away.
23:35This is insane.
23:37I didn't do anything.
23:38I just opened a message.
23:40From a man who's now dead.
23:42He cut in.
23:43You don't get to say it meant nothing.
23:46The words hit hard.
23:48Final.
23:49For the first time, I saw the exhaustion in him wasn't just physical.
23:53It was moral.
23:54Like every choice he made cost him a little piece of himself.
23:58I didn't choose this, I said quietly.
24:01Neither did I, he said, softer now.
24:04But here we are.
24:05Silence stretched between us again.
24:08Heavy.
24:08Fragile.
24:10Finally, I asked,
24:11That woman, Lena, she works for you?
24:14She used to.
24:16Used to.
24:17He hesitated.
24:18We had history.
24:20It wasn't just his tone that gave it away.
24:22It was the way his gaze dropped slightly.
24:24Like even admitting that cost him control.
24:26So that was it.
24:28The woman with the perfect coat.
24:30The calm voice.
24:31She was his past.
24:32I laughed bitterly.
24:34Perfect.
24:35I'm locked in a penthouse with a man who keeps his ex on payroll.
24:39It's not like that.
24:41Then how is it, Adrian?
24:43Because I'm starting to think you don't even know.
24:46He moved closer.
24:47Too close.
24:48The kind of close that made breathing a conscious effort.
24:52She doesn't matter, he said.
24:54Then why do I?
24:57He stared at me for a long time, like he was weighing every word before speaking.
25:02Because I can't stop thinking about you.
25:05And that's a problem.
25:06My breath caught.
25:09I wanted to say something sharp.
25:11Something that would protect me.
25:13But my voice wouldn't come.
25:15He reached out, fingers brushing a strand of hair from my face.
25:19I should have stepped back.
25:21I didn't.
25:23His hand lingered just long enough for my heart to betray me again.
25:27Adrian?
25:29Don't, he said softly.
25:31If I touch you again, I won't stop.
25:33The honesty in his voice wrecked me, because I knew he meant it.
25:38He took a step back, like it cost him everything.
25:42Then quieter.
25:42There are things about me you don't want to know, Clara.
25:47Things that make this, whatever this is, impossible.
25:51I already know too much, I said.
25:53Not yet.
25:55He turned toward the door, shoulders tense, jaw locked.
25:58Before he left, he looked back once.
26:01Don't let her talk to you again.
26:03Lena?
26:04He nodded.
26:05She's dangerous when she feels replaced.
26:08Then he was gone.
26:10I stood there, trying to steady my breathing,
26:13wondering what kind of world I'd stumbled into.
26:16One where protection felt like prison,
26:18and love came wrapped in warning labels.
26:21Hours passed.
26:23Rain started falling again,
26:24streaking the glass with long, trembling lines.
26:27I sat on the floor, knees pulled to my chest,
26:30listening to the sound of thunder and my own heart beating too fast.
26:34And that's when my phone, my real phone,
26:36buzzed from inside my bag.
26:38It shouldn't have been there.
26:39I was sure it had been taken.
26:41The screen lit up with a message.
26:43Unknown number.
26:45You're not safe with him.
26:47He killed the man who tried to help you.
26:49My hands went cold.
26:52The sender?
26:53Lena.
26:54And before I could delete it,
26:55before I could even breathe,
26:57the door handle turned again.
27:00I didn't sleep the night before.
27:02The city's hum crawled through the window like static.
27:04And every time I closed my eyes,
27:07I saw Dominic's face.
27:09Harder now.
27:10More shadow than light.
27:11It had been weeks since that first night at his club.
27:14And yet everything in my life felt like it had been cracked open and rearranged.
27:18My apartment smelled like burnt coffee,
27:22unpaid bills piled on the counter,
27:24and the sound of my little sister's cough coming from the next room was a constant reminder
27:29of why I'd ever let him in.
27:31Dominic had been careful not to make promises.
27:34I knew that about him.
27:35He'd show up at odd hours,
27:37slide envelopes across my kitchen table,
27:39his dark eyes soft for a moment,
27:41then gone again.
27:43But I also knew something was shifting.
27:45Calls came at midnight,
27:46abrupt silences when I answered.
27:49One night,
27:49I caught a glimpse of a man across the street watching my window.
27:52When I asked Dominic,
27:53he said only,
27:55Handle your business.
27:56I'll handle mine.
27:57It wasn't enough anymore.
27:59My sister's medical bills had doubled.
28:02My father had disappeared into another state,
28:04owing favors and money he couldn't pay back.
28:06And now,
28:07someone had sent me a text at work.
28:09A single image of my sister leaving school.
28:12A black car idling near the curb.
28:14No words,
28:15just the picture.
28:17I called Dominic immediately,
28:19hands shaking so badly I dropped the phone twice.
28:22She's being watched,
28:23I whispered,
28:25my voice breaking.
28:26Who is it?
28:28There was a pause,
28:30and then his voice,
28:31low and dangerous.
28:33Stay where you are.
28:35Don't call anyone.
28:37I'm sending a car.
28:39I'm not just sitting here.
28:41You're not moving,
28:42he cut me off,
28:44sharper than he'd ever been with me.
28:46If you step outside,
28:47you won't make it back in.
28:49The line went dead.
28:51I stared at the phone,
28:52my heart banging against my ribs.
28:54For a moment,
28:55everything in me wanted to scream.
28:57But instead,
28:58I went to my sister's room,
29:00tucked a blanket around her,
29:01and whispered,
29:01it's okay.
29:03I've got you.
29:05My hands trembled against her hair.
29:08Dominic's world was bleeding into mine,
29:10and I was drowning in it.
29:11Later that night,
29:12he showed up at my apartment.
29:14No suit this time,
29:15just a black shirt,
29:16sleeves rolled up,
29:17tattoos sliding like dark water up his arms.
29:20He looked like war walking through my doorway.
29:23Pack a bag,
29:25he said.
29:26Now.
29:27No,
29:28I said.
29:29Tell me what's happening.
29:31He stepped closer until the air between us thinned.
29:34This is not a negotiation.
29:36I swallowed hard.
29:38She's a kid, Dominic.
29:40She's my whole life.
29:42If you've brought this here...
29:43I didn't bring it,
29:45he said,
29:46his voice breaking for just a second.
29:48It was already at your door.
29:50I'm the only reason it hasn't kicked it down yet.
29:53I almost hated him in that moment.
29:55Almost.
29:56But when he reached past me to grab my bag and my sister's jacket,
30:00his hand brushed mine.
30:02The contact was small,
30:05accidental,
30:05but it burned through me like a fuse.
30:09We were in his car an hour later,
30:12my sister asleep in the back seat,
30:14the city sliding past like a dark ocean.
30:17Dominic drove like a man holding back an army.
30:20You've got to trust me,
30:22he said quietly.
30:24I don't know how,
30:25I whispered.
30:27His eyes flicked to mine,
30:28softer now.
30:30Then start by not running.
30:32We ended up at one of his safe houses outside the city,
30:35a glass and concrete place on a cliff above the lake,
30:38all windows and shadows.
30:40It should have felt like a prison,
30:42but instead it felt like the first breath after drowning.
30:45That night,
30:46after I got my sister settled,
30:48I found him on the balcony,
30:50phone to his ear,
30:51voice low and sharp.
30:53When he hung up,
30:54he stayed there,
30:54gripping the railing like it was the only thing holding him upright.
30:58I stepped outside.
31:00Tell me the truth.
31:02He didn't look at me at first.
31:05There's a leak.
31:06Someone close to me sold your name.
31:08They know what you mean to me now.
31:10That's why they went after your sister.
31:12I felt my knees go weak.
31:15What I mean to you?
31:17His jaw tightened.
31:18Don't make me say it like this.
31:21I stared at him.
31:22Then don't hide it.
31:24Either I'm just a girl you're protecting because you feel guilty or...
31:28He turned then.
31:29Sudden.
31:30Fierce.
31:30Or you're the only thing that's kept me from burning this whole city to the ground.
31:34Silence.
31:36Only the lake crashing below us.
31:37Ake.
31:38I didn't even realize I was crying until he stepped forward and wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb.
31:45I'm not leaving you,
31:46he said softly.
31:47But you have to be strong now.
31:50Stronger than you've ever been.
31:51I don't know if I can, I whispered.
31:56Yes, you do.
31:58His hand lingered against my face, and for a second his mask slipped.
32:03You already are.
32:05I wanted to hate him.
32:07I wanted to lean into him.
32:09I wanted everything at once.
32:11Inside, my sister stirred.
32:13Outside, the darkness closed in.
32:15Dominic's phone vibrated again, and when he answered, his face went still.
32:19Like stone.
32:20They found the house, he said.
32:23The line went dead.
32:24He grabbed my hand, his grip like iron.
32:27We're out of time.
32:28And before I could breathe, the glass behind us shattered.
32:39The sound of shattering glass was like a gunshot through my veins.
32:43Instinct, not logic, took over.
32:46I shoved my sister behind the heavy kitchen island,
32:49crouched low, heart thundering, every nerve screaming.
32:54Dominic was already moving, one arm sweeping me behind him, the other reaching beneath his jacket.
33:00Stay down, he hissed.
33:02The safe house, so clean and sterile an hour ago, was suddenly alive with chaos.
33:09Boots hitting the deck outside, the low bark of orders, the metallic clink of weapons.
33:14The lake's wind howled through the broken window, carrying the smell of rain and gun oil.
33:20I pressed my palms to my ears, forcing myself to breathe.
33:24This wasn't a nightmare.
33:26This was Dominic's world clawing its way into mine, and it was going to kill us if I froze.
33:31I crawled to my sister, pulled her into my arms.
33:34Close your eyes, baby.
33:36Don't look, I whispered, my voice shaking.
33:40Dominic fired once, twice.
33:42The sound cracked like thunder.
33:44Move toward the stairs.
33:46He barked at me without looking.
33:47Basements reinforced.
33:49I'm not leaving you, I shot back.
33:52His head whipped toward me, eyes burning even in the dim light.
33:56This is not a choice, Olivia.
33:58Something in his face, raw, almost panicked, made me obey.
34:03I pulled my sister toward the basement door.
34:06Halfway there, a shadow moved in the hallway.
34:09One of them, dark clothes, mask, rifle raised.
34:13Without thinking, I grabbed the nearest thing, Dominic's heavy glass decanter, and hurled it.
34:18It smashed against the man's face, sending him stumbling.
34:21Dominic was on him a heartbeat later.
34:23A blur of fists, elbow, a crack of bone.
34:27The man crumpled to the floor.
34:29Dominic's breath was ragged when he turned back to me.
34:32Good girl, he muttered, almost to himself.
34:37Downstairs, the basement was concrete and steel, a panic room hidden behind a false wall.
34:43Dominic shoved us inside, slammed the door.
34:47For a moment, it was silent except for our breathing, his like a caged animal, mine like broken glass.
34:52They won't stop, he said quietly, leaning his head against the steel.
34:59Not until I end it.
35:01I held my sister tight, watching him.
35:04He was a storm, blood on his knuckles, jaw clenched, chest rising and falling like he'd been running for years.
35:10What are you going to do, I asked.
35:14His eyes found mine, and something inside them cracked open.
35:18What I should have done the second I met you, he said.
35:21Finish this.
35:23No, I whispered.
35:25You'll get yourself killed.
35:27I don't care, he said.
35:30His voice was rough, almost breaking.
35:32I can't keep you safe like this.
35:35They'll always come.
35:36You don't deserve this.
35:38I crawled across the floor to him, took his bloodied hand in mine.
35:42Don't you dare disappear on me, I said fiercely.
35:46Not now.
35:47Not after everything.
35:49He stared at me, the mask of the mafia boss flickering, and underneath it, God help me.
35:55I saw the boy he must have been before the violence.
35:59You should hate me, he murmured.
36:02I should, I said.
36:05But I don't.
36:07He reached up, cupped the back of my neck, pulling me closer until our foreheads touched.
36:12For a heartbeat, the world narrowed to his breath against my skin, his thumb against my jaw.
36:18I love you, he whispered, like it was a confession dragged from his soul.
36:23I've loved you from the second you walked into that office.
36:26Tears burned hot down my cheeks.
36:29Then don't you dare make me a widow before I'm even yours, I said, my voice breaking.
36:34His mouth found mine.
36:35Rough, desperate, a collision more than a kiss.
36:38It wasn't soft.
36:39It was survival, a promise, a plea.
36:42Then the door above us blew open.
36:44Shouts, boots.
36:46Dominic pulled back, eyes blazing.
36:49Stay here, no matter what you hear.
36:51Don't open this door.
36:53Dominic, he pressed something into my palm, a small, cold key.
36:56If I don't come back in ten minutes, you take her and run.
37:01Follow the lake.
37:02There's a boat under the cliff.
37:03You'll make it.
37:05I'm not leaving you, I choked.
37:07You have to.
37:08His hand trembled on my face.
37:11I can't lose you, too.
37:13Then he was gone, slipping through the steel door, locking it behind him.
37:18I pressed my ear to the cold metal, clutching my sister with one arm, the key digging into
37:23my palm.
37:23Above us, chaos exploded, gunfire, shouting, a scream I couldn't place.
37:29I closed my eyes, tears streaking down my face.
37:36He has to, I whispered.
37:39He promised.
37:40Then everything went silent.
37:43When the door finally opened, the silence hurt more than the gunfire ever had.
37:48I was still crouched on the cold basement floor, my sister's face buried against my chest,
37:53the key Dominic had pressed into my hand, cutting a crescent into my palm.
37:56Boots appeared first, not the heavy, hostile ones from before.
38:02Lighter, slower, then his voice hoarse and low.
38:06Olivia, it's me.
38:08I didn't move at first.
38:10I'd imagined his voice so many times during that endless silence that I didn't trust my
38:14own ears.
38:15But then he stepped into the light, shirt torn, streaks of blood on his neck and hands, and
38:21his eyes, God, his eyes, were still burning.
38:24I launched myself at him.
38:27He caught me mid-stride, both arms wrapping tight around me, burying his face in my hair.
38:33He smelled of rain, sweat, and gunpowder.
38:36His body was shaking.
38:39It's over, he whispered.
38:41They're gone.
38:43I pulled back, cupping his face.
38:45Gone how?
38:46Gone.
38:46Dead.
38:47The ones who came tonight.
38:49The others.
38:50They'll know better now.
38:54He swallowed hard.
38:56I made sure.
38:58There was no triumph in his voice.
39:00No victory.
39:01Only exhaustion, like a man who'd been holding his breath for years.
39:06My sister slipped out from behind me and stood there, watching him with wide eyes.
39:11Is he...
39:12Are you okay now?
39:14She asked quietly.
39:15Dominic managed a faint, crooked smile.
39:20I'm not okay, he said.
39:22But you're safe.
39:24That's all that matters.
39:26Sixteen months later, the lake looked different.
39:29Calmer, almost gentle.
39:31Spring sunlight glittered across the water, and the old house at the edge of the pines was
39:35unrecognizable.
39:37Fresh paint.
39:38Flowers in the window boxes.
39:40My sister's laugh echoing from the yard where she and the dog chased each other in circles.
39:44I leaned against the porch rail, a mug of coffee warming my hands.
39:49Dominic came up behind me, sliding an arm around my waist.
39:53His hands were still scarred.
39:55He still had nightmares sometimes.
39:57But his eyes, when he looked at me, were softer now.
40:01Good morning, he murmured, kissing my temple.
40:05Morning, I said, leaning back into him.
40:07You sleep?
40:09A little, he said.
40:11You?
40:12I nodded.
40:15I dreamed of the first time I saw you.
40:17That message at my desk.
40:19I had no idea what you were about to do to my life.
40:22He chuckled, low and rough.
40:25I had no idea either.
40:27We stood there in the sunlight, the ghosts of that night always near but no longer in control.
40:33He'd walked away from parts of his world after that.
40:36Burned bridges, cut ties, disappeared names and accounts.
40:40It hadn't been easy.
40:42It had been bloody and dangerous.
40:44But he'd done it, and somehow we were still here.
40:48He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny velvet box.
40:52Not flashy, not even particularly expensive.
40:54Just simple and solid.
40:57He opened it with fingers that still bore faint tremors.
41:00I never thought I'd be this guy, he said softly.
41:04Never thought I'd have a porch or a dog or you.
41:06But if you'll have me, I want all of it.
41:09I want a life.
41:10I stared at him, the mug trembling in my hands.
41:14For a second I couldn't speak.
41:16Then I set it down, took the ring, and slid it onto my own finger before he could even ask.
41:21I already chose you, I whispered.
41:24That night, when you handed me that key, you just didn't know.
41:29His forehead came to rest against mine.
41:31I thought I'd lost you forever, he murmured.
41:34Sometimes love doesn't let go, I said, my voice breaking as tears ran hot down my cheeks.
41:41It fights back.
41:43The wind off the lake smelled of rain and new grass.
41:47My sister's laughter rose again from the yard, bright and clear.
41:51Dominic's hands tightened on my waist.
41:53For the first time in years, I let myself breathe all the way in.
42:04I let myself breathe all the way in.
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