CHAPTER 27- A Close Save

The city skyline sprawled beyond the vast window, neon lights flickering like restless spirits in the storm-ridden night. Rain slithered down the glass in ghostly trails, drowning the world outside in a melancholic haze. Thunder rumbled low, a beast growling in the distance. The room, a cocoon of shadows and velvet warmth, felt almost unreal against the chaos beyond. A circular bed lay at the heart of it, its silk sheets tangled, whispering of restless nights and untamed dreams. Above, a mezzanine curled into darkness, the faint glow of embedded lights tracing its path like secrets unwilling to be fully seen.

The air was thick with the scent of antiseptic, clashing against musk, leather, and the underlying traces of something darker—blood, sweat, the remnants of violence. Cassian, ever the responsible one, pressed a gauze to my temple. I didn't flinch, but I could feel the sting, sharp and persistent. Across the bed, Zavier sprawled like a king without a throne, grinning even as Cassian wrapped his bruised knuckles.

"You should be grateful you're not dead, Zavier," Cassian muttered, voice tinged with amusement and barely concealed annoyance.

Zavier chuckled, wincing slightly. "Jealous, Cassian?"

Cassian's brow twitched, eyes narrowing. "Unlike you, I don't have a fetish for getting beaten half to death by Aeron." He stood, casting a glare that should've been a death sentence.

Zavier, ever the insufferable menace, smirked. "Ah, but your fetishes are far worse." He turned to me, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Isn't that right, big brother?"

I exhaled through my nose, refusing to engage. A mistake. Cassian scoffed, "Even Aeron is ignoring you, you freak."

"Big Brother isn't ignoring me; he's just... thinking about life choices," Zavier grinned. Cassian, clearly done, patted Zavier's cheek hard enough to be considered assault.

"Shut up, both of you, or I'll throw you into the sea," I snapped.

They fell silent for approximately three seconds. Then, simultaneously, their eyes lit up like mischievous demons.

I sighed. What had I picked up on a whim?

But the moment of reckless amusement shattered when I felt a gaze drilling into me. Dark. Unwavering. Kaizen.

He sat in the corner, his frame draped in shadow, but his presence swallowed the room. A creature carved from darkness and steel, the kind of man who could command a room without ever speaking. His gaze held the weight of an executioner's blade—cold, sharp, unwavering.

"Ask," I said.

His lips parted slightly, hesitating. Then, "Why did you choose me?"

His voice was dry, edged with something raw.

Cassian and Zavier stopped their antics, turning to look at him, then me.

"Choose you?" Cassian echoed.

"For what?" Zavier asked.

I ignored them. "You looked trustworthy."

A lie. And Kaizen knew it. His eyes narrowed slightly, assessing me, his mind working behind those unsettlingly dark eyes.

"Trustworthy? The man who tried to kill you?" He scoffed.

Without answering, I stood, moving toward him, slow and deliberate. He didn't flinch, didn't shift. That wasn't surprising. Kaizen feared nothing. Or rather, he had trained himself to fear nothing.

My voice dropped into something lethal. "You're right. I don't trust you." I pulled my gun from my pocket, not even looking as I fired twice into the wall.

The silence that followed was thick, oppressive. Three pairs of eyes snapped toward me, bodies tensing. But it wasn't them I was aiming for.

The wall connected to the next room.

Seven seconds. That's how long it took before the door burst open.

Ivelle.

Her presence was like a knife to the throat—razor-sharp, cold, yet leaving an undeniable sting in its wake. Her uranous blue eyes darted around the room, landing on Kaizen first, then me. Relief flickered for a millisecond before it was masked with irritation.

"What the hell are you doing?" Her voice was calm, but her stance screamed of restrained violence.

Kaizen exhaled, shoulders loosening slightly. Interesting.

"Oh, worried for me, princess?" I smirked, leaning against the wall lazily.

She narrowed her eyes. "Have you lost your damn mind?"

I shrugged. "Somewhat, yeah. I just lost my secret warehouse to some little sly rat."

Her lips curled into a mirthless smirk. "And whose fault is that? Leaving loose ends?"

I stepped forward, closing the space between us. She didn't move, didn't blink.

"You aren't wrong," I murmured, voice dipping into something darker, something more intimate. "It's just…" My fingers ghosted over the gun in my grip. "I never expected a dead person to come back."

Silence fell between us like a guillotine. Ivelle's face paled for half a second before it was gone, masked beneath an iron expression.

My pulse thundered. Was she Erika?

IS SHE ERIKA OR NOT? IS SHE ERIKA OR NOT? IS SHE ERIKA OR NOT?

Her gaze met mine, detached yet piercing. "Seems like you're doubting a ghost, Aeron."

And it made me feel like shit.

A smirk slithered onto my face, masking the spiraling inside me. "Why would I doubt the dead?" I said smoothly. "Dead people stay dead."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to sleep."

As she walked away, her back straight and unyielding, I felt a pang of something I couldn't quite name. Regret? Longing? It didn't matter. I couldn't afford to let my guard down, not now.

I turned back to Kaizen, my expression hardening. "You're smart, Little Ranger. You know what's at stake."

He clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with fear and defiance. "You won't hurt her."

I smirked, the darkness in my aura intensifying. "What makes you think I won't?"

He lowered his head, his shoulders trembling as tears filled his eyes. "I'll do whatever you want. Just… don't hurt her."

I leaned in, my voice a cold whisper. "Make sure not a single soul from Ghost Fleet so much as glances at my son. Do you understand?"

He nodded, a single tear slipping down his cheek. "If I do this, you'll leave her alone?"

I straightened my mask of arrogance firmly in place. "You have my word."

But as I walked away, the weight of my promise settled heavily on my shoulders. Ivelle was his weakness, the one chink in his armor. I guess it's not as bad as it sounds. I was worried about Bubu's safety, and having this kid as his standby guard would help me to ensure his safety to some extent.

"Fuck..." Looking at my watch, I realize only 4 hours are left before sunrise, and I have no plan of breaking my promise to my son.