Chapter 35 The Man at the Door
Elena woke up to Pierce already awake beside her, staring at the ceiling.
"How long have you been up?" She asked, voice rough with sleep.
"Awhile ago." He said quietly.
She turned to face him, propping herself on her elbow. "You can't stop thinking about it?"
"Something like that."
Elena traced a finger down his chest. "Want to talk about it?"
"Not really."
"Pierce...."
"Elena, I just need to figure this out on my own." His voice wasn't harsh, just tired. "Please."
She wanted to push, but she didn't. Instead, she kissed his shoulder and got up. "You want coffee?"
"That would be nice."
The morning routine felt almost normal with Elena making coffee while Pierce checked his phone, both moving around each other in the small kitchen. But the ease from yesterday was gone, replaced by Pierce's distraction and Elena's growing concern.
"You're doing that thing again," Elena said, setting his coffee in front of him.
"What thing?" He asked, eyes still on his phone.
"The brooding, shutting me out thing."
Pierce looked up from his phone. "I'm not shutting you out."
"You kind of are." Elena corrected.
He set the phone down with more force than necessary. "I'm trying to figure out who in my crew wants me dead, Elena. Sorry if that makes me a little distracted."
"I know you're stressed out right now." Elena said softly. "Which is why I'm trying to help."
"You can't help with this." His voice was sharp.
"Why not?"
"Because you don't know these people." He said, voice rough. "You don't know how my world works."
Elena crossed her arms. "Then explain it to me. Walk me through what you're looking for. Maybe I'll see something you don't."
"Elena..."
"I'm serious." Her voice was firm. "You said only five people knew about that shipment, right? Who were they?"
Pierce's jaw tightened. "Marcus, Derek, Leo, Xander, and myself."
"Okay." Elena said, already thinking. "And you trust Marcus?"
"With my life." Pierce said firmly. "He's been with me since the beginning."
"Derek and Leo?"
"Same." His voice was certain. 'They've proven themselves a hundred times over."
"So that leaves Xander."
Pierce was quiet for a moment too long. "Xander's my right-hand man. If I can't trust him, I can't trust anyone."
"But you're not sure about him." Elena said, studying Pierce.
"I didn't say that." Pierce said quickly.
"You didn't have to." Elena moved closer. "Pierce, if you suspect him..."
"I suspect everyone right now." His voice was sharp. "That's what happens when someone betrays you. You question everything."
Before Elena could respond, someone knocked on the apartment door making both of them froze.
Pierce's hand went immediately to his waistband, to the gun Elena knew he kept there. "Stay here."
He moved to the door, looking through the peephole. His shoulders relaxed slightly, but the tension didn't leave his face.
"It's Xander," he said quietly.
Elena's stomach flipped. The man they'd just been discussing was here now.
Pierce opened the door. "What are you doing here?"
Xander stood in the hallway, he was tall, lean, with dark hair and sharp eyes that immediately found Elena in the kitchen. "We need to talk. Got some intel on Rodrigo's next move."
"Why didn't you call?"
"Because phones aren't secure right now. You said so yourself." Xander's eyes flicked back to Elena. "Didn't know you had company."
"This is Elena." Pierce's voice was carefully calm. "Elena, this is Xander."
Elena forced a smile, moving closer. "Hello."
Xander's smile was easy, practiced. "The doctor. I've heard about you."
Something about the way he said it made Elena's skin prickle. Not threatening exactly, just... off. Like he knew more than he should.
"All good things, I hope," Elena said lightly.
"Of course." Xander's eyes were assessing, calculating. "Pierce doesn't shut up about you."
Pierce's jaw tightened. "We can talk in the hallway."
"No need. I'll be quick." Xander pulled out his phone, showing Pierce something on the screen. "Rodrigo's moving product through the south docks tomorrow night. Got the route, the timing, everything."
Pierce studied the screen, his expression unreadable. "How'd you get this?"
"Contact on the inside." He said quickly. "Same guy who's been feeding us intel for months."
"And you trust him?"
"He's been solid so far." Xander pocketed his phone. "But it's your call, boss."
Pierce was quiet for a moment, and Elena watched him calculate, weigh, decide. "I'll think about it."
Something flickered across Xander's face, too quick for Elena to identify. "We don't have much time. If we're hitting it, we need to move fast."
"I said I'll think about it." Pierce's voice rose slightly.
The tension in the room shifted. Xander smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Sure thing Boss. Let me know when you do."
He looked at Elena again, that same assessing gaze. "Nice to meet you, Elena. Take care of him, yeah? He needs someone keeping him in line."
"I'll do my best," Elena said.
After Xander left, Pierce closed the door and stood there, hand still on the knob.
"He seemed..." Elena searched for the word. "Intense."
"He's always intense."
"No," She said sharply. "I mean... something felt off."
Pierce turned to look at her. "Off how?"
"I don't know. Just a feeling." Elena wrapped her arms around herself. "The way he looked at me. Like he was sizing me up or something."
Pierce moved closer. "Did he threaten you before?"
"No, nothing like that. Just..." She shook her head. "Maybe I'm being paranoid."
"Or maybe your instincts are right." Pierce's voice was quiet. "What else did you notice?"
Elena thought back. "He seemed almost too casual. Like he wanted you to take the bait."
"The south docks intel."
"Yeah. And when you said you'd think about it, he looked..." She paused. "I don't know, frustrated? Annoyed?"
Pierce was quiet, his eyes distant as he processed.
"You think it's a trap," Elena said.
"I think everything's a trap right now." Pierce ran a hand through his hair. "But if Xander's the leak, why would he come here? Why expose himself?"
"Maybe he doesn't know you suspect him."
"Maybe." But Pierce didn't sound convinced.
"So what do we do?" Elena moved closer. "We could look into his background, see if there are any connections to Rodrigo we missed. Or check his financials, I mean people don't betray someone for free "
Pierce looked at her, something softening in his expression. "We?"
"Yeah. We." Elena reached for his hand. "You said I was the only one you're sure of. So let me help you figure this out. Two heads are better than one, right?"
For a moment, Pierce looked like he might actually agree. His thumb traced circles on her palm, his eyes searching hers.
Then his phone buzzed.
He glanced at it, and whatever he saw made his expression close off completely.
"I need to handle this," Pierce said, pulling his hand away.
"Handle what?" Elena asked concerned.
"It's work." He said coldly.
"Pierce, we were just..."
"I know. But this can't wait." He was already moving toward the door. "I'll have Derek come by. Stay here."
"Wait, you're leaving? Now?" She asked shocked.
"I have to."
"At least tell me what's going on..."
"Elena." Pierce stopped at the door, his back to her. "I'll handle it. Just... stay here. Please."
And then he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him, leaving Elena standing alone in her kitchen.
She stared at the closed door, frustration and hurt in her chest. They'd been connecting. Actually working together. And then he'd just... shut down. Shut her out.
Elena sank onto the couch, arms wrapped around herself.
This was becoming a pattern. Pierce letting her in just enough, then slamming the door when things got too close, too real.
She wanted to help him. Wanted to be his partner in this, not just someone he protected and kept in the dark.
But she couldn't force him to let her in.
Elena stared at the door Pierce had walked through, wondering how long she could keep doing this.
How long before the walls he kept building between them became permanent.