Ava's pulse kept racing without control. The steady knock on the door was like a war drum, each beat rattling her bones. She clutched her phone so tightly her knuckles turned white.
It could be Damian.
It could be him.
Or worse — Bryan.
The idea made her stomach twist painfully.
The knocking came again, firmer this time, followed by a calm voice.
"Ava. It's me."
Damian.
Relief flooded her limbs, though it was laced with dread. She shouldn't let him in. Not with Bryan which may be back any minute.
Not with the neighbor's lights still burning across the hall. But her shaking hands betrayed her better judgment as they twisted the lock.
She opened the door just wide enough to see him. Damian stood there in a dark coat, hair tousled by the wind, face shadowed under the flickering hallway light. His gaze swept over her, sharp and assessing.
"You didn't answer my calls," he said quietly.
"I was… I didn't…" Ava stammered, stepping aside without fully realizing it.
Damian entered, his presence filling the small apartment instantly. He scanned the living room, noting the discarded letter on the table, the drawn curtains, the bolted windows. She caught the flicker of anger in his eyes when he picked up the envelope.
"This was inside?" His voice dropped.
She nodded.
"Any idea how they got in?"
"No. The door was locked when I left this morning."
He exhaled slowly, his jaw tight. "I've already had someone tail Bryan. If he's involved in this—"
Ava flinched. "Don't. Whatever you're thinking, just… don't."
"I won't sit back while someone threatens you, Ava," Damian ground out. "Whether it's your husband or not."
The protective heat in his tone both terrified and warmed her. She didn't want to need him like this, but God, it felt like the first time in months someone truly cared.
"I can't have you here, Damian. Bryan will be home soon," she whispered.
"Then I'll be gone before he gets here." He moved closer, his hand briefly brushing her arm, the contact sending a strange jolt through her. "But I need you to listen carefully."
Ava's heart lodged somewhere in her throat.
"I had security sweep the hotel cameras. The man who was following you — he's been seen near your apartment twice before. I've got a name. His real identity. And it's someone your husband knows."
Ava's knees nearly buckled. "Who?"
"I need to be sure first. But if what I suspect is right, you've been in danger longer than you realize."
Before she could speak, the metallic clink of a key turning in the lock sounded from the door.
Ava's blood turned to ice.
Damian's expression hardened. He grabbed her wrist gently, pulling her toward the kitchen. "Stay there. I'll handle this."
"No!" she hissed, panic clawing at her throat. "If Bryan sees you—"
"It's too late," Damian muttered.
The front door opened.
"Ava?" Bryan's voice was thick with drink. The smell hit the room before he did. "Why's the damn light off?"
Ava pressed herself against the wall, heart battering her ribs. Damian remained perfectly still in the shadows of the kitchen doorway.
Bryan stumbled in, dropping his keys with a clatter. His shirt was half unbuttoned, face red from whatever bar he'd crawled out of. His bloodshot eyes swept the room.
Ava's mind raced. If he saw Damian… if he even suspected…
She stepped into the living room before Bryan could move further.
"There you are," she forced a smile. "I wasn't expecting you back so soon."
Bryan grunted, heading toward the fridge. "Didn't feel like staying out."
She blocked his path slightly. "Everything okay?"
He squinted at her. "Why're you acting weird?"
"I'm not."
He eyed her for another long, suspicious moment. Ava's palms slicked with sweat.
"Where's my jacket?" he muttered, moving toward the couch — toward the letter.
Ava's pulse spiked. She darted forward, snatching the envelope just as he spotted it.
"What's that?" Bryan demanded.
"Just some promotion thing from work. Coupons or whatever." She stuffed it in a drawer.
Bryan scowled but didn't press. "I'm going to bed. You coming or what?"
"I have to lock up," Ava said quickly, already moving toward the door.
Bryan didn't wait for a reply, shuffling down the hall and slamming the bedroom door behind him.
Only when his footsteps faded did Ava let out a shaky breath. She turned, and Damian emerged from the shadows.
"That was too close," she whispered.
His jaw was thick, his eyes darker than she'd ever seen them. "You can't stay here tonight."
"I don't have a choice."
"Yes," Damian said firmly. "You do."
Before she could argue, he pulled a keycard from his coat pocket and pressed it into her palm.
"My penthouse. Top floor of the Cross Tower. No one gets in without my clearance."
"I can't—"
"Either you come now," Damian's voice dropped, "or I carry you out of here myself."
The look in his eyes told her he meant it.
And God help her, a part of her wanted to say yes.
The tension hung thick in the air, heavy with unsaid things. His hand brushed hers as she gripped the card, the contact making her stomach flip. For a moment, neither of them spoke, lost in a moment neither of them dared name.
Then a noise from the bedroom broke the spell.
Ava swallowed hard. "I'll text you."
Damian gave a single, sharp nod. "I'll be waiting."
He slipped out the back entrance, his scent lingering behind.
Ava sank onto the couch, her heart hammering against her ribs.
And when her phone buzzed again — another unknown number, another message — her stomach dropped.
"You think he can protect you? You'll both pay."