Chapter Two – His Name
The rain hadn't stopped. Neither had my racing heart.
"Move," I whispered, though my voice shook. He didn't.
Instead, he tilted his head, studying me as though I were the first puzzle he couldn't solve.
"I'm not here to hurt you," he said finally. His tone was steady, controlled, but there was an edge underneath. A warning, maybe. "Name?"
I hesitated. Something told me giving it to him was a mistake. Still… "Arielle."
A faint smirk tugged at his lips. Dangerous. Beautiful. "Arielle." He rolled my name over his tongue like a secret. "I'm Damian."
The name burned itself into me. Damian. It fit him — sharp, strong, unforgettable.
I tried to step back, but before I could, headlights flared at the end of the street. A black SUV, windows tinted, creeping toward us like a predator.
Damian's jaw clenched. In one motion, he pulled me close, his arm firm around my waist. My breath caught at the sudden contact — too close, too fast, too much.
"Stay behind me," he ordered, voice low but urgent.
And then, for the first time, I saw it: the gun tucked inside his jacket.
My world tilted. I had no idea who he really was.
But I already knew one thing—
I was in trouble.