Chapter 52: It was a Storm

Elias pulled the door open, his expression hard, his body still radiating heat from Lila’s touch. Harper stood there, arms crossed, her face unreadable, but her stance told him everything this wasn’t just a problem. It was a storm. Lila stepped up beside him, still wearing his shirt, her hair a mess, her skin flushed. She looked devastating, beautiful, untouchable except she was his to touch. He could still feel the warmth of her body pressed against his, the way she had melted for him, the way she had whispered his name like he was her only salvation. Harper arched a brow. “Should I come back later?” 

Lila rolled her eyes. “What’s the problem?” Harper sighed, stepping inside, shutting the door behind her. “Killian might be dead, but his mess isn’t.” Elias clenched his jaw. “What does that mean?” Harper glanced between them, her gaze lingering just a second too long. “Someone’s looking for you.” Lila stiffened. “Who?” Harper hesitated. “An old acquaintance. One that doesn’t like loose ends.” Elias didn’t react, but his mind was already moving, already working through the list of people who would want revenge, who would want to finish what Killian started. The past had never been kind to them. But this time? He wasn’t letting it touch Lila. Lila exhaled sharply. “How long do we have?” Harper shrugged. “They’re close. Too close. We need to decide if we’re running or fighting.” Elias glanced at Lila. She wasn’t the kind of woman who ran. And neither was he. She met his gaze, and he saw it the fire, the resolve, the absolute certainty. “We fight,” she said, voice steady. Elias smirked, something dark and dangerous curling in his chest. “That’s what I thought.” Harper sighed. “You two are impossible.”

Lila turned, walking toward the window, pulling the curtain back slightly, scanning the streets below. “How many?” Harper leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “A handful, maybe more. We don’t have a full count yet.” Elias stepped behind Lila, his hands sliding around her waist, grounding her. She leaned into him instinctively, because they had always been stronger together. His lips brushed against her ear, his voice low. “We end this.” Lila shivered under his touch, but it wasn’t from fear. She tilted her head, her breath hitching slightly as he tightened his grip. “We always do.” Harper cleared her throat. “Jesus, you two never stop.” Lila smirked, but she didn’t move. Elias pressed a soft kiss to the side of her neck before pulling away. “Let’s get ready.” 

They moved quickly, silently. Lila changed, slipping into something dark, something practical, but Elias had to force himself to look away as she pulled on her holster, strapping knives to her thighs, adjusting the way her shirt clung to her body. She was a vision. A force. A woman built for war. And God, he loved her. She caught him staring. “Focus.” Elias smirked, stepping closer, his fingers brushing against her wrist, trailing up her arm. “You make it hard.” Lila arched a brow. “Good.” Elias grabbed her waist, yanking her against him. “When this is over” She cut him off with a kiss, her hands threading through his hair, tugging, teasing. It was quick, but it was enough. Enough to remind him who she was. Who she belonged to. When she pulled back, her lips were swollen, her breath unsteady. “Let’s survive first.” Elias exhaled sharply, nodding. They would survive. And then? Then he was going to make her his in every way possible. The first shot came before they even stepped outside.

Elias moved fast, grabbing Lila’s wrist, pulling her against the wall as bullets slammed into the pavement where they had been standing. Harper was already returning fire, her aim steady, precise. “They’re not wasting time,” she muttered. Lila pulled her own gun free, eyes scanning the rooftops. “They want us dead. Not captured.” Elias’s jaw clenched. Good. That meant they weren’t here to play games. He reached for his earpiece, voice calm. “How many?” Harper’s voice crackled through. “Six confirmed. But there could be more.” Elias smirked. “Not enough.” Lila turned to him, something dangerous flashing in her eyes. “Let’s clean this up.” Elias didn’t hesitate. They moved together, their bodies in sync, the rhythm of battle second nature. They were fast. Lethal. Unstoppable. One by one, their enemies fell, their bullets finding targets, their knives cutting through the dark.

And when it was over, when the last body hit the ground, Lila stood beside him, her breath steady, her gun still warm in her hands. She turned to him, eyes scanning his body, checking for wounds even as her own blood stained the edge of her sleeve. Elias caught her wrist, his grip firm. “I’m fine.” Lila exhaled sharply, then nodded. “Good.” Harper walked toward them, gun still raised, surveying the damage. “That was too easy.” Elias wiped the blood from his blade. “It’s never easy.” Lila glanced at him. “What now?” Elias met her gaze, his jaw tight. “Now we make sure no one else comes for us.” Harper smirked. “You mean we start a war.” Elias nodded. Lila stepped closer, her fingers brushing against his. “Then let’s finish it.” And he knew this wasn’t the end. But it was close. And when it was over? Lila was his. Forever.