Jomiloju's POV
The first light of dawn barely pierced the thick curtains of the safehouse, painting the dim room with a pale, uncertain glow. I sat on the cold, cracked floor, my back pressed against the wall, feeling the lingering ache of last night's ambush ripple through my limbs. The adrenaline had long since faded, replaced by a weight I could hardly lift—the crushing reality of the war we had stepped into.
Steve was standing by the window, his broad shoulders tense, his silhouette outlined against the early morning light. The shadows in his eyes were deeper than ever—haunted by memories I couldn't reach and a guilt he bore like a second skin.
I wanted to reach out to him, to break through the wall of steel and pain, but I stayed silent. There was a quiet between us — not the comforting kind, but the kind that spoke of battles fought in silence.
"I shouldn't have let it happen," he muttered without turning around.
I swallowed hard, unsure how to respond. The words hung heavy in the air.
Steve's POV
I closed my eyes briefly, trying to will away the images that haunted me—faces twisted in pain, the cold weight of betrayal cutting deeper than any bullet.
This wasn't just a random attack. It was precise. Calculated. Designed to hurt.
But the hardest part was knowing the enemy was not just outside — it was inside. Among us.
Someone I trusted had betrayed us.
The thought twisted inside me, a knife sharper than any I'd ever faced in the streets of Lagos.
I turned to Jomi, seeing the exhaustion etched into her delicate features.
"This isn't over," I said quietly. "And whoever did this… they'll pay."
Jomiloju's POV
I reached out, placing a trembling hand on his arm. The skin was warm but tense beneath my touch.
"Steve," I whispered, "we can't keep running forever."
His gaze met mine, fierce and unyielding.
"We'll fight. We'll survive. But only if we're smarter. Faster. Together."
The room felt smaller then, the world outside a distant storm.
Dourochy's Arrival
The silence shattered as Dourochy slipped inside, her presence commanding immediate attention. She didn't waste words.
"We have a problem," she said bluntly, eyes scanning us both like a hawk.
I braced myself. The word 'problem' in this world meant something far more dangerous than usual.
"There's a traitor," she continued, voice low but cold. "Someone feeding Koleosho's enemies information. Someone close."
The betrayal hit like a fist to the chest.
"Who?" Steve demanded, his jaw clenched so tight I feared it might break.
Dourochy's gaze hardened. "I don't know yet. But I'm finding out."
Steve's POV
Betrayal was a poison I'd tasted before — bitter, corrosive, and deadly. But this felt worse. It was personal.
We had built fragile alliances on shaky ground. Trust was a currency more valuable than cash or weapons — and someone had just stolen our fortune.
I paced the room, thoughts spinning.
"Dourochy, we need names. Contacts. Anyone suspicious. We can't survive another ambush."
She nodded. "I have a few leads. We move fast."
Jomiloju's POV
The safehouse, once a sanctuary, now felt like a cage tightening around us.
Every shadow seemed to hide eyes watching, waiting.
We couldn't stay.
Preparing to Move
The hours that followed were a whirlwind.
Packing what little we could carry, gathering information, making plans.
Steve was a man on a mission—focused, relentless.
But beneath the surface, I sensed the storm raging inside him. The struggle to balance the man I was falling for and the ruthless enforcer he had to be.
Steve's POV
We reached out to our contacts in the city's underbelly — whispers on the wind, coded messages, quiet promises.
Every call was a risk, every meeting a potential trap.
But we had no choice.
The new safehouse was on the outskirts, away from prying eyes.
As we drove, I glanced at Jomi — her jaw set, eyes steely.
She was no longer just the politician's daughter or a hostage.
She was a fighter.
Jomiloju's POV
Arriving at the new safehouse felt like stepping into another world.
The building was modest but secure, tucked away behind rusted gates and overgrown hedges.
A wiry man named Tunde greeted us with wary eyes, his fingers twitching near the pistol holstered at his side.
"We don't get many visitors," he said gruffly.
I swallowed my nerves. This world was raw and unforgiving — but it was becoming my new reality.
The Weight of Loyalty
That night, as darkness wrapped around us like a shroud, I watched Steve close the door behind Tunde with a firm click.
There was a moment — a breath suspended in time — where I saw the vulnerability beneath his hardened exterior.
We were at war.
Loyalty was the price.
Trust was the gamble.
And betrayal… was the most deadly enemy of all.
Steve's POV
I sat across from Jomi, studying her face.
She was no longer just a girl caught in a web of mafia violence. She had changed.
We had both changed.
The line between protector and partner blurred.
"We don't have much time," I said. "We have to root out the traitor before they strike again."
Her eyes met mine, steady and unflinching.
"Then let's find them."
Jomiloju's POV
We knew the road ahead would be treacherous.
Enemies lurked in every shadow.
Friends could become foes.
But with Steve by my side, I found a fierce hope.
We weren't just fighting for survival.
We were fighting for a future — for love, for freedom, for redemption.
And whatever the cost, I was ready.