Elegbede_Habeeb

The first time they met, it felt like fate. The second time, it felt like a warning.

She was running from a past that refused to die. He was chasing a future that seemed just out of reach. When their worlds collided, it was more than just love—it was an obsession, a wildfire that threatened to burn them both alive.

But love isn’t always salvation. Sometimes, it’s destruction in disguise.

Bound by Fire: Ashes of Desire

Smoke curled around them like a living thing, the orange glow of fire casting wicked shadows against the walls. But none of it mattered.

Elena's breath hitched, her pulse a wild drumbeat against her ribs.

He stepped forward, hands in his pockets, the same arrogant smirk playing on his lips. He looked exactly as she remembered—tall, lean, with sharp blue eyes that had once made her weak in the knees.

"Did you miss me?" Luca asked, tilting his head.

Elena clenched her fists. "You should be dead."

His smirk deepened. "I get that a lot."

Damian stepped in front of her, gun steady, eyes hard. "I don't know who you are, but I already don't like you."

Luca barely spared him a glance. "And yet, here you are. Getting in the way."

Damian cocked his head. "Funny. I was thinking the same thing."

The tension thickened, heat from both the fire and their standoff wrapping around them.

Luca sighed, shaking his head. "I didn't come here for him, Elena. I came for you." His gaze raked over her, a slow, deliberate assessment. "You've been very naughty, running away like that."

Elena's stomach twisted. The memories came rushing back—his hands on her skin, his words like poison, the way he made her believe she needed him.

She stepped out from behind Damian, ignoring his slight shift of protest. "You don't scare me anymore."

Luca's smirk faded, his eyes darkening. "That's your first mistake."

The air between them crackled, something raw and dangerous brewing in the space where love had once lived.

Elena barely had time to react before he was in front of her, his hand closing around her wrist, pulling her close. She gasped at the sudden proximity, the scent of him—a mix of leather, smoke, and something darker—assaulting her senses.

Damian was already moving, gun raised, but Luca only chuckled. "Shoot me, and you risk hitting her."

Damian's finger twitched on the trigger. His jaw clenched.

Elena met Luca's gaze, fire burning behind her eyes. "Let. Me. Go."

Luca's thumb brushed her pulse point, his touch deceptively gentle. "Not yet, darling. We have unfinished business."

Elena's heart pounded, but not from fear.

With a sharp twist, she yanked free, driving her knee up—fast, brutal.

Luca grunted, stepping back, but he was laughing.

"Still a fighter," he murmured, shaking his head. "God, I've missed you."

Elena wiped her wrist against her jacket like his touch had burned her. "You're going to wish you stayed dead."

Luca's grin was all teeth. "Maybe. But we both know you're not ready for that yet."

The fire crackled around them, the warehouse groaning under the weight of its impending collapse.

Luca turned, walking backward toward the exit, completely at ease. "I'll see you soon, Elena." His eyes flicked to Damian, something amused flickering in them. "Try not to break my toy while I'm gone."

And then he disappeared into the smoke.

Elena stood frozen, breath heaving, hands shaking with fury.

Damian exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Well. That was a lot."

She turned, eyes flashing. "We have to find him."

Damian studied her for a moment. "Why do I get the feeling this is personal?"

Elena's jaw tightened. "Because it is."

The Devil You Know