Shadows of desire

Chapter 10: A Dangerous Game

Amara couldn't shake the unease twisting in her stomach. Jide's words lingered in her mind.

"The man who will protect you at any cost."

What exactly did that mean?

She turned on her side, facing him in the dim light. "Jide… what kind of trouble are you in?"

Jide exhaled slowly. "It's not trouble. It's… business."

Her chest tightened. "Business that has men like Tunde showing up at my door in the middle of the night?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he reached for her, his fingers skimming along her arm. "I don't want to talk about this right now."

Amara stiffened. "No, Jide. You don't get to distract me with sex and expect me to forget that I was just threatened."

His expression darkened. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"You keep saying that," she shot back. "But I don't even know what I'm being protected from."

Jide studied her for a long moment, then sat up, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. You want the truth?"

She nodded, her pulse quickening.

He turned to face her, his gaze heavy. "I used to work with men like Tunde. Powerful men. Men who don't play by the rules."

Amara's stomach dropped. "Are you saying you were—"

"A fixer," Jide cut in. "I handled problems. Cleaned up messes. Made sure certain people never saw the inside of a courtroom."

Her breath hitched. "That sounds a lot like—"

"Like I was involved in things I shouldn't have been?" He gave a humorless chuckle. "I was. But I left that world."

Amara's mind spun. "Then why is Tunde here? If you're out, why won't they let you go?"

Jide's expression darkened. "Because they don't believe anyone ever truly leaves."

A chill ran through her. "And now I'm caught in the middle."

Jide reached for her hand, squeezing gently. "I won't let them touch you."

But Amara wasn't sure it was that simple.

Because if Jide's past was coming for him…

Then it was coming for her too.