I hadn’t slept in days. Each second felt like a countdown to disaster, my nerves frayed from constantly looking over my shoulder. Baltimore’s streets, so familiar before, had transformed into a maze of danger.
I could feel Ethan’s charm pulling me in one direction, Xavier’s shadow tightening around me from another. There was no one I could trust.
So I vanished.
I found a rundown motel just outside the city, the kind of place where no one asked questions as long as you paid in cash. It smelled like cigarettes and stale beer, and the flickering overhead light added to the oppressive atmosphere. Perfect. No one would think to look for me here-not Ethan, and hopefully not Xavier.
I locked the door and shoved a chair under the handle. My heart hadn’t stopped racing since the ambush in the alley. I knew Lucas’s death wouldn’t be the end of Xavier’s hunt, and the only thing keeping me sane was the name he’d whispered: Adam Caldwell.
I pulled out the crumpled article about Adam, spreading it across the small, chipped desk. If I had any hope of getting answers-about my father, Xavier, and what the hell I had stumbled into-Adam was the key. But tracking down someone who’d gone off the grid wouldn’t be easy. And I didn’t have time to waste.
Just as I started another round of online searches, my phone buzzed on the nightstand. My stomach twisted at the sight of the number-blocked. I hesitated for only a moment before answering.
“Running won’t save you, Alyssa.”
Xavier’s voice slid through the line, smooth and dangerous. My fingers tightened around the phone.
“How did you find me?” I whispered, panic rising in my chest.
A low chuckle. “You think a motel outside Baltimore is enough to hide from me? I have eyes everywhere.”
My pulse raced, and I glanced at the door, half-expecting it to burst open.
“What do you want?” I forced out, trying to keep my voice steady.
“To talk.” His tone was disturbingly calm, as if we were negotiating over coffee instead of my life. “I’m offering you a choice, Alyssa. Ethan isn’t who you think he is.”
I clenched my jaw. “You’re one to talk.”
There was a long pause, and then Xavier spoke again, his voice darker. “You have no idea what kind of man Ethan is. You think I’m dangerous?” A soft laugh followed. “You haven’t seen what Ethan is capable of.”
I swallowed hard, trying not to let his words sink in. “Why should I believe you?”
“You don’t have to,” Xavier replied smoothly. “But I’m giving you a way out. Meet me, and I’ll tell you everything. No tricks. Just the truth.”
I scoffed. “Right. And after that, what? You’ll let me walk away?”
“No,” Xavier said, his voice turning cold. “But you’ll at least know what’s coming.”
The call cut off with a click, leaving me in suffocating silence. I tossed the phone onto the bed, frustration boiling under my skin. I hated how easily Xavier got under my skin, how smooth his words were-like a predator weaving his web, pulling me in no matter how much I resisted.
I spent the next few hours pacing the tiny motel room, debating my options. The truth was, I had no good ones. Xavier was ruthless, but Ethan? There were moments when I felt like Ethan was too polished, too perfect. What if Xavier wasn’t lying?
Before I could make up my mind, a soft knock echoed through the door. My heart jumped into my throat, and I grabbed the only thing within reach-a metal lamp.
“Who is it?” I whispered, inching closer to the door.
“It’s me.”
I froze. That voice was unmistakable. Ethan.
How the hell had he found me too?
“Alyssa, open the door,” he said, his tone calm but with an edge of urgency. “We need to talk.”
Every instinct screamed at me to keep the door shut, but I couldn’t ignore the pounding curiosity-and fear-rattling in my chest. Slowly, I removed the chair from under the door handle and cracked the door open.
Ethan stood there, looking infuriatingly perfect despite the late hour. His dark hair was tousled, and his piercing blue eyes pinned me in place.
“Can I come in?” he asked softly, as if we were old friends.
I hesitated for a heartbeat, then stepped aside. Ethan slipped inside, his gaze sweeping over the dingy room before settling on me.
“You shouldn’t have run,” he said, his voice low.
“Why? Because I made things inconvenient for you?” I shot back, folding my arms over my chest.
He exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through his hair. “It’s not safe out here, Alyssa. You don’t know the kind of enemies you’re dealing with.”
I snorted. “Oh, you mean like Xavier? Yeah, I’ve noticed.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened. “Xavier’s dangerous, yes. But there’s more to this than you understand.”
I crossed my arms tighter. “Then maybe you should start explaining.”
Ethan glanced toward the window, his expression shifting to something almost… haunted. “There are things I can’t tell you yet. Not without putting you in more danger.”
“Try me.”
He hesitated, as if weighing the risk. Then he took a step closer, his gaze locking onto mine. “Xavier wants to control you, Alyssa. He thinks you’re the key to something-something powerful.”
“And what do you want?” I asked, my voice sharp.
Ethan’s gaze darkened, and for a moment, the mask slipped. “I want to protect you. But there are forces at play that even I can’t stop.”
I shook my head, frustration bubbling over. “You’re both the same. Saying just enough to keep me in the dark. Why should I trust either of you?”
Ethan’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Because if you don’t, you’ll end up on the wrong side of this. And trust me, Alyssa-you don’t want to be on Xavier’s side when the dust settles.”
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed on the nightstand again. I glanced at the screen-and froze.
The message was short but chilling: “We’re not done, Alyssa. You belong to me.”
It was from Xavier.
Ethan saw the message too, his jaw tightening. “Pack your things. You’re coming with me.”
I backed away. “No way. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Ethan’s expression hardened. “You don’t have a choice. If you stay here, Xavier will find you-and this time, I won’t be able to stop him.”
My mind raced, every instinct screaming at me to run-but where? No matter where I went, one of them would find me.
“Why is Xavier so obsessed with me?” I demanded, desperate for some clarity.
Ethan hesitated, then leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Because you’re the only thing standing between him and total control of Baltimore’s underworld.”
I frowned, confused. “What does that even mean?”
Ethan’s gaze was unreadable, but the words that followed sent a shiver down my spine.
“Your father knew the truth. And Xavier isn’t the only one keeping secrets.”
I stared at him, heart pounding. “What are you saying?”
Ethan’s next words were like a knife slicing through the darkness.
“I’m saying that Xavier isn’t the one you should be afraid of.”
The room felt like it had tilted on its axis. I could barely breathe as Ethan’s meaning settled over me like a storm cloud.
Ethan stepped closer, his gaze sharp and deadly serious. “You think Xavier’s dangerous? You have no idea what I’m planning.”