Lucas
I hate that I need her.
Hate that when she smiles at me, my pulse skips like it's relearning how to beat. Hate that her laugh is the only thing that's sounded real to me in years.
And I especially hate that she's being watched.
I spot it first:
A black sedan parked across the street three nights in a row.
Same tinted windows. Same slight shift of movement behind the windshield.
Someone is keeping tabs on the gym.
On her.
Darius sees it too. We don't talk about it yet. We wait. Watch. Record.
These bastards—whoever they are—are ghosts with teeth. They lure women into vans and never let them out. They move money in patterns that lead back to warzones and bombs and bodies.
The same men who killed Connor are hunting in my city. As much as I am glad to observe them closely, I don't like the target they chose. Her.
Aria—with her protests and social media and courage that borders on recklessness—is exactly the kind of woman they target. Fear coils tight in my chest.
This is why I shouldn't want her.
This is why I shouldn't touch her.
This is why I should've kicked her out the day she stumbled in.
Because loving someone puts a bullseye on them. And Aria wears her heart like a neon sign. But when she swings a punch tonight and lights up like she just found her power? I realize something important:
Even if I pushed her away…
Even if I tried to forget the way she fits perfectly under my skin…
I would protect her anyway.
Even if it kills me.
Aria
After class, I'm in locker-room sweaty and happy and sore in the good way.
"Are you done, babe. Let's go" Zara says restlessly.
I quickly glance at Lucas and avert before he notices.
"Yeah. I want to finish this set. You go on, I'll come later" I say unsure, hoping she doesn't shout my intention I am a hundred percent sure she reads on my face.
She throws hands in the air. 'Seriously'
I gulp and gave a sorry expression. She glances at Lucas and presses her lips together. "Fine. Be safe. You call me if you need me, okay" she blows a kiss and walks to the door.
Theo calls after her. "Bye, Z! Miss you already!"
Zara smirks. "Get your eyes checked!"
Theo looks personally attacked; Darius laughs into his sleeve.
Then Lucas looks at me. There was confusion but something soft too. That man is a mystery to read what he was feeling. He doesn't speak. I expected he'd order me to go with her but surprisingly, he don't.
Lucas
She insisted she finish the set before closing. Every one left the gym. The gym is now quite and filled with unattended tension between us. I watch her finish the set and grab her things and getting ready. But she wasn't in a hurry as if the darkness outside doesn't hurry her. As if she doesn't want to leave.
Slowly enough she packs her things and leans on the locker. Watching me. Daring me. Are you ever gonna make a move. I heard her words without her speaking. I crossed the distance between us in a few lazy strides.
She doesn't move. Doesn't scared of the darkness around us.
"What are you waiting for, Aria" I say as gently as I could.
She leans off of the locker. Closes the distance I carefully adjusted. "Nothing" she says. My heart starts to jump. With excitement, with fear I'd break or the rush of instincts to grab her by the face and taste what her sweet red lips taste.
I don't give in. I resist. But not enough to hide from her. Her face is flustered. There is still a paper-thin distance between us. I never knew, less than an inch of distance could be this much painful.
She smirks as if she can see me fighting. God, I would destroy her in ways she could never forget. But I'll never hurt her. Never and I'll never let anyone hurt her either.
The thought of her getting hurt by someone else drags me out of my misery. I took a step back. She looks disappointed.
"Let's go. I'll come with you" I say. She raises her brows and bites her lower lip. When I leaned in to close the locker behind her, she grabs my collar. Fists it in her bony fingers.
My heart races, breath coming out in waves. "Aria." I whisper.
There is no space between us now. I'm touching her. She got me in grip. My hands are shaking from resisting the urge to grab her by the waist. She doesn't say anything. She just stares at me. Into my soul.
Please. Her eyes begging me. Please.
I almost did. Almost. Our breaths collide first. I was inches away from her lips.
Connor flashed first. Then all the missing girls. Their posters. Their parents. Blood. Flashes of girls being stuffed in cars, trunks and spaces. I curse under my breath. And pull away.
I turn back "Get your things" I say harshly and rush outside.
Her silence screamed at me. I couldn't look at her in the eyes. Coward.
She didn't argue, didn't run behind me. Instead, she calmly collected her things and followed me. Very unlikely of her natural behaviour. We walked along the streets. Passing food carts and people smoking and chatting in the corners of streets.
"I think you should go back to the Army" she says breaking the thick silence that is starting to feel heavy.
"What?"
"I say, you should go back to the army."
"You done with me already?" I commented
"No. But you might think you are done with the battle and quit the fight but fight didn't quit you, coach."
"What do you mean."
"I mean this." She gestured at me. "You are always on vigilance. You never relax like there is someone with a gun following you everywhere you go, waiting to strike. You always check your premises and aware of the possible threats and dangers around you"
"Is that a bad thing?"
"I don't know, you tell me." she says and turns towards me.
We halt and I look at her. She is waiting for an answer. I sigh and look around. There is a food truck ahead of us. "Come" I say and lead her to a bench near the food truck. She watches me confusedly.
I go to the food truck and order some crepes and a frappe.
She smiles when I approach her with food in my hands. I took a seat beside her and hand her one of the Strawberry chocolate chip crepes.
"I learned the hard way that there is danger in every corner even in the most lively and secured places. It taught me lessons at great cost. So, forgive me if my constant fear for danger makes you uncomfortable."
"No, it's not. But watching you being constantly on verge keeps me on toes." She shivers mimicking the fear.
"You don't have to be afraid. Not at least when I'm with you" I say and wipe the chocolate syrup dripping from the corner of her mouth while taking a bite. She halts mid bite chewing and stares at me.
"You are so confusing" she says and goes on eating.
"Why" I ask
"You're confusing me with your actions, Lucas. That's what it is. Back in the locker" she clicks tongue and shakes her head. She doesn't finish her thought.
I grab her hand and get her attention. "I want to show you something." I open my phone and pull up some photos. I show her. She looks at them enthusiastically but crunches her brows together in confusion.
"They look like some barcodes" she says "But they are tattooed"
"They are but not just tattoos. They are the marks of mafia. Human trafficking." I whisper the last part. "The people who wear this tattoo are the sign they are in a human trafficking ring. If you see closely, its not just lines mimicking a barcode. There is a silhouette of a human trapped behind the lines." I zoom in the picture to show her the silhouette. she gasps and gulps fear.
"Don't be afraid. They don't roam freely everywhere but don't think they are not everywhere. They look normal and blend in crowds. If you ever encounter someone with this tattoo, I want you to run in the opposite direction Aria. Don't draw attention to yourself. Just leave that place. Okay?"
She gulps again and looks scared. I hold her hand. Link my fingers with hers and squeeze. "I don't let anything happen to you" I promise her. She smiles at the linked fingers. I brush the skin on the back of her palm with a thumb. She looks relaxed. But a shadow of fear lingered.
I took a bite from her crepe out of her other hand while holding another. She was dumbfounded and closes her eyes. Flaps her long lashes.
"That's tasty." I say. She huffs a laugh and looks at me.
"What?"
"Lucas Hayes. You are something"
She stands up and walks ahead. I follow her. "You didn't finish"
She glances at her crepe and looks at me.
"You were saying I am something" I put my hands in the pockets of my jacket.
She was about to say something then an asshole drives recklessly past us. I grab her and pull closer to me, almost hugging. I curse the driver and hold her closer to me even after the car passed the street. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you" I aggressively search her.
"I'm fine. You kept your word. You saved me"
Lucas
Aria tried hard to focus on training the next day. Stealing glances. Missing punches.
"Is everything okay?" I approach beside her.
"Yeah. Everything is fine."
"Your punches are sloppy. Your stance is crooked. Where is your head" I didn't try to hide the amusement off my face.
"At a random food truck." She mumbles.
"What is that" I tease
"Nothing. I need a five." And she walks off to water.
When she decided she couldn't concentrate anymore, they leave the gym. Zara looping her arms.
The door closes behind them and the gym feels darker.
Theo nudges me. "Dude… you're in trouble."
I ignore him. But Darius steps to my side.
"We'll keep a three-night rotation," he says quietly. "We watch the street. We watch her."
"She can't know," I say.
He nods. "Agreed."
Theo looks between us, confusion fading into concern. "What's going on?"
"Danger," Darius says simply.
I stare out through the glass door at the street where Aria disappeared into the night.
No. Not disappeared. Stolen from sight.
"You think they've already noticed her?" Theo asks.
I exhale through my nose. "They notice everyone. They track the bold ones first."
Because bold ones don't hide when someone follows. Bold ones run toward trouble.
Bold ones get taken.
Not on my watch.
"As long as she's in my life," I tell them, voice edged with steel, "I will let nothing happen to her."
Darius nods once, solid as a wall at my back.
Theo puts a hand on my shoulder. "Then we protect her."
I look at the door again. Protecting her is easy.
Loving her is the real danger.