Jomiloju's POV
The first light of dawn crept slowly through the narrow window of our safehouse, casting long, fragile beams over the cracked walls and worn furniture. Outside, Lagos was waking—its chaotic heartbeat pulsing through the streets like a living thing. Inside, though, a quiet tension filled the air, thicker than the dust that settled in the corners.
Steve was sitting at the battered kitchen table, head bowed low as he sifted through a stack of papers — plans, contacts, threats. His jaw was tight, eyes shadowed with exhaustion. But even that didn't hide the fierce determination that radiated from him like heat.
I leaned against the doorframe, clutching the bracelet he had given me, my fingers tracing its delicate curves. It was a talisman of sorts, a symbol that tethered me to him — to us — and to the fragile hope that had been growing between us.
"Steve," I said softly, stepping closer. "When was the last time you rested?"
He looked up, eyes locking with mine. "Rest? That's a luxury we can't afford. Not now."
His voice was low but laced with something unspoken — maybe guilt, maybe fear.
Steve's POV
She stood there, fragile yet fierce, a contradiction that both comforted and unsettled me.
How could someone so young carry such weight without breaking?
I wanted to tell her to run, to escape this nightmare I'd dragged her into. But I couldn't.
Because she was no longer just the girl I'd kidnapped.
She was my partner. My equal. The reason I still fought.
"I know it's hard," I said quietly, "but every moment counts. Koleosho's reach is vast. He won't stop."
Her eyes burned with silent fury. "Neither will we."
Jomiloju's POV
The words settled between us like a fragile promise.
But beneath them, a storm was brewing.
Koleosho was not the only threat we faced.
A New Danger
Later that day, a courier arrived — a man with cold eyes and a message that chilled me to the bone.
A single envelope, sealed with the symbol of a rival faction — one we hadn't seen before.
Inside, a note: "Step lightly. Not all shadows are enemies."
Steve's POV
I held the note, mind racing.
This was no random threat.
It was a warning.
And a challenge.
Jomiloju's POV
That night, as rain battered the safehouse windows, I sat beside Steve, the tension between us thick and electric.
He reached for my hand, his touch grounding me.
"We need to be careful," he whispered. "There are forces moving in the dark we don't understand yet."
I nodded, heart pounding.
"We face this together," I promised.
Trust and Secrets
Days blurred into nights as we prepared for the unknown.
The team grew restless, nerves frayed.
Ada confronted me one evening, her eyes sharp.
"Jomi," she said, "you need to know — not everyone here trusts you."
Her words stung, but I refused to back down.
"I'm here for the fight," I said firmly. "Not to make friends."
Steve's POV
Watching Jomi face the team's suspicion was both painful and inspiring.
She was growing into her role — fierce and unyielding.
But the cracks in our alliance were spreading.
The Rival's Move
Then, without warning, the rival faction made their play.
Our supply lines were sabotaged.
A trusted informant vanished.
The web was tightening.
Jomiloju's POV
I stared at the destruction, fury boiling inside me.
"This war isn't just Koleosho's," I said through clenched teeth. "It's everyone's."
Steve's Plan
We regrouped, plans shifting like sand beneath our feet.
Steve outlined a risky counterstrike — one that would force the rival faction into the open.
I felt the weight of the decision pressing down.
The Night Before
In the quiet moments before the storm, Steve and I found ourselves alone.
His gaze was intense, searching mine.
"Whatever happens," he said, voice trembling, "know that you've changed everything for me."
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"You're not alone," I whispered.