Chapter 53

Chapter 53
Alicia

The air outside felt heavier than before, thick with the weight of everything that had just happened. I could still hear the echo of the crowd in the distance, but it felt far away, like the sound belonged to another world. Damon walked beside me, silent, his jaw tight, his eyes fixed ahead. He didn’t need to say anything for me to feel the storm brewing inside him.

I knew this version of him. Cold. Focused. Dangerous. The side of Damon that had built an empire from nothing, that played every game like his life depended on it. But tonight wasn’t a game. This was personal. We climbed into his car, and the moment he turned the engine on, the tension between us became almost unbearable. The city lights flashed across his face as he drove, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles looked white.

“You’re quiet,” I said softly.

He didn’t look at me. “Trying to think.”

“About what?”

“How far Nathan’s willing to go this time.”

I watched him for a moment, the way his jaw clenched and unclenched. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

He gave a faint, humorless laugh. “I’ve been doing everything alone for a long time.”

“Maybe that’s the problem,” I said.

He turned his head slightly, his eyes meeting mine for a second before returning to the road. “You think you can fix that?”

“I’m not trying to fix you,” I replied. “I just don’t want to lose you.”

His hands tightened on the wheel, but he didn’t respond. The silence stretched again, filled only by the low hum of the car and the sound of my heart beating too fast.

The address Nathan had sent was on the outskirts of the city, near the industrial docks. It was the kind of place where people went to disappear. The kind of place that never made the news. As we got closer, the streets grew darker, emptier. Old warehouses lined the road, their windows shattered, their walls covered in graffiti. The only light came from a flickering streetlamp that made everything look haunted.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked.

Damon nodded once. “He wants me here. I’m giving him what he wants.”

“That doesn’t sound like a good plan.”

“It’s the only one we have.”

I swallowed hard and looked out the window. Every instinct in me screamed that this was wrong. Too easy. Too quiet. Nathan never did anything without purpose, and if he sent that location, it meant he had already planned how the night would end.

When Damon finally parked, I realized how far we had come. There was nothing but silence and the soft sound of the ocean somewhere behind the buildings.

He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a small pistol.

I blinked. “You’re kidding.”

“Do I look like I’m kidding?”

I stared at the weapon, my pulse quickening. “You think you’ll need that?”

“I think Nathan doesn’t play fair,” he said simply. “And I’m done pretending he does.”

He opened the door before I could argue, and I followed him out into the night. The air smelled of salt and rust, and every sound seemed louder in the dark.

We moved quietly, following the faint light spilling out from a building up ahead. Damon motioned for me to stay close, and I did. My hand brushed against his as we walked, and even though he didn’t say anything, I felt the tension ease slightly. It was strange how something so small could ground me when everything else felt like it was falling apart.

When we reached the entrance, he paused, listening. The metal door was slightly ajar.

“Stay behind me,” he whispered.

I wanted to argue, but I didn’t. I could see the way his shoulders had gone rigid, the way his body had shifted into something sharper. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The room was empty. Completely empty. No people, no sound, just a few broken crates and an old light bulb swinging from the ceiling.

Damon scanned the room, his jaw tightening. “He’s playing with us.”

Before I could reply, his phone buzzed. He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and froze.

“What is it?” I asked.

He turned the phone toward me. A new message. Nice to see you followed directions. Look up.

We both looked up at the same time. A red light blinked above us. A camera.

“Damon,” I whispered, “he’s watching.”

His expression darkened. He raised his voice, looking straight at the lens. “You want me here? I’m here. Let her go.”

For a second, nothing happened. Then a speaker somewhere in the corner crackled to life.

“You never learn, do you?” Nathan’s voice filled the room, smooth and mocking. “Always walking straight into my traps.”

Damon’s hand clenched around the gun. “Where is she?”

“She’s safe,” Nathan said lazily. “For now.”

“If you touch her...”

“Relax. I wouldn’t hurt a child. I’m not a monster.”

“Then what do you want?” Damon demanded.

Nathan chuckled. “What I’ve always wanted. To take back what’s mine.”

Damon’s jaw tightened. “You lost that right the day you betrayed me.”

“Oh, but betrayal is such a flexible word, isn’t it?” Nathan said. “You took something from me first. Don’t act like your hands are clean.”

I frowned, glancing between them. “What is he talking about?”

Damon didn’t answer. His eyes stayed locked on the camera, but something flickered in them. Guilt.

Nathan laughed again, a low, cold sound that made my stomach twist. “She doesn’t know, does she?”

“Enough,” Damon snapped.

“Tell her, Damon,” Nathan said, his tone soft now, almost taunting. “Tell her what you did. Tell her why I had to burn everything you built.”

“Shut up.”

Nathan ignored him. “You think he’s your hero, Alicia, but you should really ask him how he got his start. Who he ruined to get here.”

I turned to Damon, my heart pounding. “What is he talking about?”

He didn’t look at me. His jaw was set, his eyes hard. “He’s lying.”

“Am I?” Nathan said. “Maybe you should check your father’s records, sweetheart. You might find a few familiar signatures there.”

My breath caught. “My father?”

“Stop,” Damon said sharply.

Nathan’s voice grew colder. “He never told you how your family lost everything, did he? How convenient.”

“Damon,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “What is he saying?”

Before Damon could answer, the camera light blinked twice, and the speaker went silent. The next second, a small red light began flashing near the crates in the corner.

Damon’s eyes widened. “Alicia, get back!”

He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door just as an explosion ripped through the building. The blast threw us both to the ground, the heat and debris swallowing everything in a blinding roar.

I hit the floor hard, the breath knocked out of me. For a moment, all I could hear was ringing. The air was thick with smoke, and I could barely see Damon through it.

He pushed himself up, coughing. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head, still trying to breathe. “No. You?”

“Fine.” He looked toward the doorway. The fire was spreading fast, climbing the walls, swallowing everything in its path.

“We have to move,” he said.

I nodded, but something on the floor caught my eye—a small object near where the crates had been. A phone. It was still on, the screen cracked but glowing. A message was displayed across it.

This was just a warning. Next time, I won’t miss.

I picked it up with trembling hands, my chest tightening. Damon saw it too, his face turning grim.

Nathan wasn’t finished. He was just getting started.