Jay's POV
"He won't stop," I whispered, the Commander's coldness bleeding back into my voice. "Lucas didn't come for money. He came for me. Aion was just the bait."
Keifer's grip on my waist tightened, his thumb brushing against the fabric of my dress. "Then we stop being the prey," he said, his voice a low, predatory rumble that sent a shiver down my spine.
He looked at Liam and the my Crew. "Your tech is good, but my resources are global. If he's on this planet, we find him by sunrise."
Max nodded, a grim smirk touching his lips. "We've already started the deep-web scrape. If he used that smoke tech, it has a signature. We're tracking the supplier."
My parents and the Watsons watched us—two worlds colliding and merging into one. They were proud, yes, but I could see the lingering fear in our mother's eyes. She realized that her "Sunshine Jay" lived in a world where "burning it down" was a daily chore.
"Jay," Angelo stepped forward, his expression serious. "You're the Head. That means you have a base. You have soldiers. If this Lucas is as dangerous as you say, we aren't staying here. This house is a glass box."
I looked at Keifer, then back at my brother. "I was going to suggest the Stronghold. It's the original base our Godfather built. Underground, EMP-shielded, and off every map."
"Then we move tonight," Keifer decided, his 'CEO' voice brookng no argument. "Pack only what you need. My security will coordinate with Section E and the Chaos Crew for the transport."
As everyone scrambled to prepare, I stood alone for a second, staring at the bloodstain on the floor. I had spent years keeping these two lives separate to protect their innocence. Now, they were packing bags to hide in a bunker because of me.
Keifer walked up behind me, his chin resting near my shoulder. "Don't overthink it, Jay. You didn't bring the war to them. You just finally gave them the weapons to survive it."
I was in my room, staring at my reflection in the vanity mirror—a girl with a blood-stained bandage on her arm.
The door clicked. I didn't even have to turn around to know it was him.
Keifer didn't just walk in; he invaded the space. Before I could speak, I heard the heavy thud of the lock sliding home. In two strides, he was across the room.
He grabbed my waist and pinned me against the cool wood of the door, his body a wall of heat and muscle that caged me in.
"Keifer—"
"Don't," he rasped, his voice a jagged, broken thing. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, his breath hitching. I felt his hands trembling against the small of my back—a weakness the 'King of Section E' never showed. "Do you have any idea what it felt like? Watching that bullet catch you? Seeing you dive into that smoke?"
He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes. His pupils were blown wide, dark with a terrifying mixture of possessiveness and raw fear. He was crying ."I've spent my life building empires, Jay. But I realized tonight that if you aren't in them, they're just piles of ash."
He leaned in, his forehead resting against mine. "I can't lose you . You are my life . And I love you, Jay. Not just as a partner, not just as a 'pawn.' I love you until the scientists find the end of the universe. And even then, I'll find a way to love you in the dark."
My heart did a slow, agonizing roll. The Commander in me melted, leaving only the girl who had been waiting for him to say those words. I didn't realise when tears came from my eyes.
I reached up, my good hand cupping his jaw, my thumb tracing the hard line of his lips.
"Then you better keep up," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "Because I loved you too. And I'm not going anywhere. And don't you ever think of cheating on me or you will meet my fist."
Keifer didn't wait. He crashed his lips against mine in a kiss that tasted of salt, desperation, and a hunger that had been building for years.
It was a hot, bruising claim, his hands tangling in my hair as he lifted me slightly, pressing me harder against the door.
I wrapped my legs around his waist, my fingers digging into his shoulders, the pain in my arm forgotten in the fire he was starting in my blood.
His lips moved to my throat, his breath hot against my skin, and for a moment, the world—the gangs, the textile mill, the danger—simply ceased to exist.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
"JAY! OPEN UP!"
The sound of small fists drumming on the bottom of the door made us both freeze
.
"Jay! Aion says there's a monster under the bed, but I told him it's just Cin's socks! He's scared" Keiren's muffled voice projected through the wood with the confidence of a king.
"Sis?" Aion's tiny voice followed, sounding sleepy and scared. "Is Keifer in there? He's voice came."
Keifer let out a long, tortured groan, his forehead dropping onto my shoulder as he let out a frustrated huff of laughter. "I am going to buy them their own wing of the house, when we return." he muttered against my skin.
I giggled, the tension finally breaking as I smoothed his hair. "Duty calls, 'Keifer."
Keifer stepped back, adjusting his shirt and looking at the door with a mock glare before looking back at me with a promise in his eyes. "This isn't over, Jay. We still have serious business to finish."
I opened the door, and the heat in the room was instantly replaced by a blur of small limbs and panicked whispers.
Aion and Keiren practically tumbled inside, nearly tripping over each other in their rush to get to me.
"Jay-jay! The monster! It made a growling sound!" Aion cried, his face pale as he scrambled onto my bed, dragging his teddy bear behind him.
"It was just the wind, Aion, don't be a baby," Keiren said, though he was standing suspiciously close to my legs, his eyes darting toward the dark hallway.
He looked up and saw Keifer standing by the vanity, looking slightly dishevelled and very frustrated. "Oh. Keifer. Why are your eyes red? Were you crying because of the monster too?"
Keifer let out a dry, strangled cough, smoothing his hair back with a shaky hand. "No, Keiren. I was just... discussing security protocols with your sister. Very intense protocols."
"Is that why the door was locked?" Keiren asked, narrowing his eyes with a wisdom far beyond his years. "Because if you're scaring her, I'll tell Kuya Angelo."
"He wasn't scaring me, Keiren," I said, biting back a laugh as I sat on the edge of the bed, pulling Aion into my lap. "He was just making sure I was okay. Now, what's this about a monster?"
"It's in the guest wing," Aion whispered, his eyes wide. "It sounds like... hissing."
Keifer walked over, the predatory King of Section E temporarily replaced by a man defeated by two eight-year-olds. He looked at me, his gaze lingering on my lips for a second too long, the 'promise' he made still burning in the air.
"I'll go check the 'monster,'" Keifer muttered, giving me a wink that made my cheeks flush all over again. "It's probably just Cin snoring or Edrix equipment overheating. You three stay here."
"Can we sleep here tonight, Jay?" Aion asked, his small hand gripping my thumb.
"Just until we move to the Stronghold?"
I looked at their tired, frightened faces and then at Keifer, who was standing by the door. He leaned against the frame, his expression softening as he watched me with the boys.
"Yeah," I whispered, kissing the top of Aion's head. "You can stay. We're all staying together tonight."
Keifer nodded, his eyes meeting mine one last time. "Sleep, Jay. Tomorrow, we go to the Stronghold. And then, I'm going to show Lucas exactly what happens when you touch someone mine."