Chapter 109

Chapter 109: The Calm Before the Storm

The flames from the bookstore were still fresh in their minds. Smoke clung to their clothes like memories they couldn’t shake. Damian gripped the steering wheel tighter as the car sped through the back roads, headlights cutting across trees and shadows.

Brielle sat beside him in silence. The air between them was thick, like fog that refused to lift. She kept her hands in her lap, fingers twitching, mind spinning. So much had happened. So many lies. And yet, the thing she kept returning to was the way his mouth had felt on hers back in that shack. The way his body had pinned her to the floor, wild and hungry.

It shouldn’t matter now. Not with people trying to kill them. Not with secrets unraveling faster than she could hold onto them. But it did. That feeling still burned beneath her skin, hotter than the fire they’d just escaped.

Damian didn’t say a word. His jaw was tense, his eyes locked on the road like looking away for even a second might bring everything crashing down.

Where are we going? she asked finally, her voice low.

Safe house. An old one. It used to belong to Lira before she went into hiding.

So we just keep running?

For now.

She hated the way his voice sounded so final, like there was no other option. She hated how calm he looked. But most of all, she hated the ache in her chest whenever she looked at him.

A storm began to rise in the distance, faint flashes of lightning glowing over the hills. The wind picked up, pushing branches and leaves across the road. Brielle leaned her head against the window, her thoughts loud inside her skull.

When they finally stopped, it was in front of a crumbling house hidden deep in the woods. The door creaked as Damian pushed it open, flashlight in hand. Inside was dust, cobwebs, silence.

We’ll stay here tonight, he said. Then we’ll figure out the next move.

Brielle nodded slowly, following him in. The air was cold and still. But it felt… safe. For now.

He set down his bag and pulled off his jacket, revealing the bruises still fresh across his arms and shoulders. She didn’t mean to stare, but her eyes caught on every line, every scar. She remembered how they felt beneath her hands. How he tasted when she kissed him. How he made her forget everything else.

Damian glanced at her, catching her gaze. She looked away fast, but the damage was already done.

You okay? he asked.

No, she said honestly.

He stepped closer. She could feel the heat coming off him, even though the room was cold.

Brielle, I—

Don’t, she whispered.

But he didn’t stop. His fingers brushed her arm, light at first. Testing.

She didn’t pull away.

His other hand came up, resting on her waist.

I keep trying to stay away from you, he said. But it’s impossible.

She met his eyes. They were burning. Not with anger. Not with fear. But with something rawer, something that reached straight into her.

Say it again, she breathed.

I want you.

That was all it took.

Their mouths crashed together, teeth and lips and heat. She gripped the front of his shirt, yanking him closer, needing to feel his body against hers. He pushed her back against the wall, his hands sliding down to her hips, pulling her against him.

Every kiss was a release. Every touch a demand.

You drive me insane, she whispered between breaths.

Good, he growled.

She pulled his shirt over his head, her nails dragging down his chest. He hissed, but didn’t stop her. His hands found the hem of her top, lifting it slowly, inch by inch. His mouth followed, kissing every exposed piece of skin.

You’re shaking, he murmured against her collarbone.

So are you.

He lifted her off the floor and carried her to the old couch, laying her down gently like she was something fragile. But when he kissed her again, there was nothing gentle about it. It was fire. It was hunger.

She pulled him on top of her, wrapping her legs around his waist.

I don’t care what happens tomorrow, she said. I just want this.

Me too.

His mouth moved down her neck, her chest, lower. Her hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. Her breath hitched, her body arching into him.

They lost themselves in each other, again and again, until there was nothing left but sweat and heat and the sound of their hearts pounding in the dark.

When it was over, they didn’t speak.

He pulled her into his arms and they lay there, tangled and quiet, listening to the storm outside begin to howl.

But inside, it was calm.

For now.