Chapter 9: Whispers in the Dark
The wind howled across the empty highway, battering the blacked-out SUV that Kai and Ava now traveled in. It was past midnight, and the city lights were long gone, swallowed by the dark stretch of road ahead. Only the faint glow of dashboard lights and the rhythmic beat of Ava's heart kept her grounded. Everything else had gone quiet.
She sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the landscape rolling past. Her mind replayed the events of the past twenty-four hours like a relentless loop: the rooftop shots, Kai's fury, Lucien's warning, and worst of all, the growing weight in her chest—the one that whispered she was losing control.
Beside her, Kai drove in complete silence. His jaw clenched, one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting near his gun. His knuckles were pale, skin stretched over veins like they might erupt any second.
She dared a glance at him.
"Are you going to stay angry forever?" she asked, her voice low.
"You almost died," he said flatly.
"But I didn't."
He didn't respond. Just pressed the gas harder.
She sighed. "You can't control everything."
"But I can control who I let near you. And clearly, I failed."
That silenced her. Not because he was wrong, but because his words hit deeper than she expected. He didn't just want to possess her—he wanted to protect her. From the world. From himself. From choices she wasn't ready to make.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"Safe house. It's off-grid. No signals. No tracking. Only people I trust know about it."
"Which is… who?"
Kai's lips curled into a wry smirk. "Nobody."
The road ahead dipped into a forested path. The trees swallowed them whole, cutting off the moonlight, replacing it with endless black.
An hour later, they arrived.
The cabin was hidden behind a ridge of rocks and pines, completely unremarkable on the outside. Inside, it was sleek, secure, and cold. Bulletproof glass, reinforced steel doors, surveillance monitors, and hidden compartments. A fortress disguised as a home.
Kai moved quickly, scanning every window, setting up motion sensors, then disappearing into another room. Ava stood awkwardly in the center of the space, feeling out of place.
When he finally returned, he tossed a towel at her.
"Bathroom's that way. Shower. Eat. Sleep."
She caught the towel. "Are you always this romantic after kidnapping women in the night?"
He arched a brow. "You're lucky I didn't tie you to the bed."
Her mouth parted slightly. Whether in challenge or desire, even she couldn't tell.
He stepped closer. Slowly. Deliberately.
"Don't tempt me, Ava."
She lifted her chin. "Or what?"
He brushed her hair behind her ear. His fingers grazed her skin.
"Or I'll remind you that no matter how many sides you're playing, I'm the one who gets to play you."
Her breath hitched.
Then, as if the tension hadn't just choked the room, he stepped back and disappeared into the bedroom.
Ava showered in silence. The warm water did little to relax her. Nothing could. Her body remembered Kai's touch too vividly. Her heart—if it was still hers—was torn between the mission and the man.
She dried off, pulled on one of his oversized black t-shirts from the closet, and stepped barefoot into the living room.
Kai was on the couch, sipping whiskey, files spread across the table.
"More secrets?" she asked.
He looked up. "Background checks. Someone paid for the hit."
"Lucien?"
"No. He's many things, but not sloppy. This was personal."
"So someone from your past?"
Kai downed the whiskey.
"Maybe. Or yours."
Her stomach tightened. "I never told anyone I was with you."
"That's the thing about masks, Ava," he said. "They fall off eventually."
She sat beside him. Close. Too close.
"So what happens when mine does?"
Kai turned to her. Eyes dark, voice softer than expected.
"Then I decide whether I love the woman underneath… or need to destroy her."
Her throat went dry.
Then he kissed her. Hard. Like he couldn't help himself anymore. His hands gripped her waist, pulling her onto his lap. She moaned into his mouth, heat unraveling inside her.
Clothes disappeared quickly.
She straddled him on the couch, fingers clutching his shoulders as he slid inside her with a growl. Their bodies moved in sync, raw, unfiltered, hungry. She dug her nails into his back. He bit her collarbone. The sex wasn't gentle—it never was with Kai. But it was real.
When they finished, breathless and tangled, Ava whispered into his ear.
"Do you want me to say it?"
"Say what?"
"That I'm yours."
He pulled her closer. Whispered against her skin.
"You don't have to. I already know."
The next day, Ava woke alone. Kai was in the hallway, speaking into his phone in low tones.
She eavesdropped.
"I need confirmation. I don't care how dangerous he is—if he's the one who ordered the hit, I want his name."
Pause.
"No, I don't care if he used to be untouchable. He's not anymore."
Another pause.
"Yeah. Find out what Lucien's been hiding, too. He's too quiet."
Ava slipped back into the bedroom before Kai saw her.
Her mind spun.
So he didn't trust Lucien either.
She got dressed quickly and walked into the kitchen, pretending she hadn't just overheard him.
"You're up early," she said.
"Didn't sleep."
She joined him at the table, pouring herself coffee.
"Do you ever sleep?"
"Not when I'm being hunted."
She sipped. Then:
"You mentioned someone powerful. Untouchable. Who is it?"
Kai gave her a long look. Then finally:
"Dorian Cross."
The name froze her blood.
"That's impossible. Dorian was—"
"—off the grid. I know. But he's back. And he's playing a new game."
"What kind of game?"
Kai leaned forward.
"One where you're the prize."
Her heart skipped. "Me?"
"He wants to break me. And he knows you're how to do it."
The room spun for a second.
Then she stood.
"I need air."
She walked outside, trembling.
Dorian Cross. A ghost from both their pasts.
One she had history with. One who had left her scarred—emotionally, physically.
A rustle in the woods made her turn.
Kai was suddenly beside her.
"You knew him, didn't you?"
She nodded slowly. "Before you. Before Lucien. He wanted me as his. When I refused, he made sure I remembered the pain of saying no."
Kai's jaw clenched.
"Then he dies."
She grabbed his arm. "Not like this. He's too smart. Too protected. You can't go in blindly."
"I won't," he said. "But I will go in."
They returned inside, and for hours, Kai poured over files, cross-checking data, making encrypted calls. Ava sat on the couch, quiet. Processing.
Then her phone buzzed.
Lucien.
We need to meet. It's about Dorian. Now.
She showed Kai the message.
"You trust him?" he asked.
"No. But I trust that he wants Dorian gone as badly as we do."
Kai nodded. "Then we meet him. Together."
Night fell again, and they headed to the rendezvous spot—an abandoned library near the river. The whole place smelled like dust and secrets.
Lucien emerged from the shadows, trench coat swirling, expression unreadable.
"You brought him," he said.
"You expected otherwise?" Kai replied.
"No. I expected you'd come armed."
"I am."
Lucien smirked.
"Then let's not waste time. Dorian Cross has taken control of the Syndicate. He's killed off anyone loyal to the old guard. What's worse—he's made alliances with politicians."
Kai growled. "Which ones?"
Lucien tossed a folder onto a broken table.
"All of them."
Ava opened the file.
Photos. Documents. Leaked messages.
"He wants control of the city," Lucien continued. "And you two are in his way."
"Why now?" Ava asked. "Why come out of hiding?"
Lucien looked her dead in the eyes.
"Because he wants what he couldn't have. And this time, he won't take no for an answer."
Ava's hand trembled.
Kai stepped forward. "Then we end this."
Lucien narrowed his eyes. "That's what I was hoping you'd say."
They left the building together, an uneasy alliance formed from mutual threats and scarred pasts.
As they drove away, Ava stared out the window, heart racing.
She wasn't just tangled in a love triangle anymore.
She was a spark in a war waiting to ignite.
And whether she survived or not would depend on who she truly trusted—Kai… Lucien… or herself.