Chapter 13 Chapter 13
Damien’s POV
I stepped out of the bathroom, adjusting my cufflinks as I walked into the main room.
The space was empty.
My eyes scanned the penthouse, landing on the rumpled sheets by the pool, the discarded clothes, but no Hailey.
A flicker of something unfamiliar stirred in my chest, irritation maybe, or disappointment.
Then I heard footsteps.
I turned to see her standing near the doorway, fully dressed in the clothes I’d given her. Her hair was still damp, falling in soft waves around her face, and she looked… tense.
Like she had something to say but couldn’t find the words.
Her eyes darted to mine, then away, her fingers clutching the strap of her bag so tightly her knuckles had turned white.
“I have to go,” she said abruptly, her voice strained.
I raised an eyebrow. “Without saying anything?”
“I just…” She hesitated, her gaze flickering to the floor. “I need to get to campus.”
Before I could respond, she turned and headed for the door.
But she stopped.
Her hand rested on the handle for a moment, and I could see the conflict written all over her body language, the tension in her shoulders, the way she bit her bottom lip.
Then she turned back around.
“Actually,” she said quietly, not quite meeting my eyes. “Could you… could you take me? To campus, I mean.”
I studied her for a moment, noting the nervousness radiating off her in waves.
“Kai can drive you,” I offered.
Her eyes widened slightly, and I saw the fear flash across her face before she quickly masked it.
Ah. So that was it.
Kai’s imposing build and tattooed arms had a way of intimidating people, even when he wasn’t trying.
“I’ll take you myself,” I said, grabbing my jacket from the back of the chair.
Relief washed over her features, subtle but unmistakable.
“But we’re making a stop first,” I added, my tone leaving no room for negotiation.
She hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”
———
Hailey sat pressed against the passenger door, staring out the window like she was trying to disappear into the leather seat.
I could feel the tension rolling off her, could see the way her hands twisted nervously in her lap.
She was overthinking. I could practically hear the wheels turning in her head.
When we pulled up to one of my properties, a nondescript building nestled between warehouses on the outskirts of the city, she finally spoke.
“What is this place?”
“Business,” I said simply, cutting the engine. “Stay in the car. I won’t be long.”
Her eyes darted to the building, then back to me, uncertainty flickering across her face.
“How long?”
“Ten minutes. Maybe less.”
She nodded slowly, settling back into her seat.
I stepped out and signaled to Kai, who was already waiting by the entrance.
“Everything ready?” I asked as we walked inside.
“Yes, boss,” Kai replied, his deep voice echoing in the empty hallway. “He’s in the back room.”
We moved through the building, past rows of storage crates and dim lighting, until we reached a heavy metal door at the end of the corridor.
Kai pushed it open, and the smell hit me first, sweat, blood, and fear.
The man was tied to a chair in the center of the room, his face bruised and swollen. His head hung low, but when he heard us enter, he looked up, his eyes widening with terror.
“Please,” he rasped, his voice hoarse. “Please, I don’t know anything.”
I walked slowly around him, my hands in my pockets, my expression calm.
“You’ve been saying that for three days now,” I said quietly. “And yet, here we are.”
“I swear, I don’t know who attacked your cartel,” he pleaded, his voice breaking. “I wasn’t involved. I’m just a courier, I don’t know anything about the higher-ups.”
I stopped in front of him, crouching down so we were at eye level.
“Then give me a name,” I said softly. “Any name. And I’ll consider letting you walk out of here.”
“I can’t,” he sobbed, shaking his head frantically. “They’ll kill me. They’ll kill my family.”
“And you think I won’t?” I asked, my voice dropping to something colder.
His breath hitched, fresh tears streaming down his face.
I stood, flexing my fingers as I pulled off my jacket and rolled up my sleeves. A dull ache of anticipation settled in my knuckles.
“Last chance,” I said.
He just kept shaking his head, whimpering.
I sighed, my fist connected with his jaw, and I felt teeth crack under the impact. Blood sprayed across the floor as he screamed, the sound raw and guttural.
“Who ordered the attack?” I demanded, grabbing him by the collar and forcing his head up.
He spat blood, gasping for air. “I… I can’t…”
I hit him again. And again.
Each punch was calculated, controlled, designed to inflict maximum pain without killing him. Not yet, anyway.
“Damien,” Kai said quietly from behind me. “Boss.”
I ignored him, raising my fist for another blow.
“Boss,” Kai said again, more urgently this time.
“What?” I snapped, turning toward him.
That’s when I saw the door was open.
And standing in the doorway, her face pale and her eyes wide with horror, was Hailey.
She stared at me, at the man bleeding and broken in the chair, at the blood on my hands.