Trapped

The drive back to the hotel felt like I was suffocating. The quiet hum of the engine was the only sound, but it was deafening in its own way, as if it amplified the weight of everything pressing down on me.

I should've been focused. I should've been thinking about the mission, about finishing what I came here to do.

I had done my job, or at least, I thought I had. The arms dealer was dead, and the weapons were secured. But somehow, the reality of the situation hit me harder than any bullet could. I had killed for a cause, for something bigger than myself. I had played my part.

But now? Now, I was tangled in something far more dangerous than arms trades or clandestine missions.

Kirk.

I could still feel the heat of his hands on my skin, the way he had looked at me like I was something to be claimed. The darkness in his eyes, the power he wielded, it wasn't just about his mafia ties or his billionaire status.

There was something more to it, something insidious. And the worst part? I didn't want to fight it anymore.

I parked the car in the hotel garage, my hands shaking as I turned off the engine. The mission was still the priority, but with every step I took, I felt his presence, felt the weight of the decisions I was making. I couldn't escape him. I couldn't escape Luke, either.

I slammed the car door shut, the sound echoing in the silence of the garage. The tension in my chest was unbearable, the mix of fear and desire churning inside me like a storm.

But the moment I walked through the hotel door, I felt it. The pull.

I stepped into the elevator, the soft chime of the doors closing behind me the only sound filling the space. I pressed the button for the top floor, my fingers trembling slightly. Kirk had followed me, I knew it.

The doors dinged open, and I stepped out, heading toward my room. The hallway felt unnervingly empty. A quiet buzz of uncertainty settled in the pit of my stomach. Something wasn't right.

As I reached the door, my hand hesitated over the handle. I didn't know why. Maybe it was my instincts screaming at me, warning me of something. I had been doing this for years missions, danger, keeping control. But now, I wasn't sure anymore.

The door swung open.

I stepped inside, and just as I closed it behind me, a voice rang out from the hallway.

"Sophie, did you forget me?"

My stomach dropped, my heart skipping a beat. I froze, my hand still on the doorknob. The voice, it was unmistakable. Luke.

I quickly turned around, only to see him standing there in the doorway, his casual grin mocking me as he leaned against the frame.

He looked almost too pleased with himself, as if he knew exactly how this was going to play out. My pulse quickened, and frustration boiled inside me.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here," I snapped, my voice sharp as I tried to push down the wave of emotions that surged within me.

Luke's grin only widened. "Am I interrupting something?" His gaze flickered over me, his eyes taking in the tension in my posture, the way my hands were still trembling ever so slightly. "Or are we just getting started?"

I glared at him, trying to ignore the way his presence seemed to make everything in the room feel hotter, more suffocating.

"It's either you will leave me alone or you cannot leave this hotel alive ever." I said, the words coming out more forcefully than I intended.

Luke straightened, his expression turning more serious, though there was still a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"You think you can just walk away, Sophie? You think you can do everything and not have to deal with the consequences?"

My breath caught in my throat, confused. Where is that coming from? He smirked.

I didn't answer him. I couldn't.

Luke stepped closer, his presence looming over me as he reached out and gently grabbed my wrist. His fingers were warm, but they felt like a vise, tightening around me in a way that made my heart race.

"You're not as in control as you think, Sophie," he said softly, almost too softly, my gut felt something is wrong.

I pulled my wrist away, but the moment the space between us opened, I felt the weight of it.

"I'm not yours," I said, my voice trembling, but I stood my ground. "I never will be."

Luke's eyes darkened, his expression turning from playful to something far more dangerous. "We'll see about that."

Just then, a faint sound came from behind me, footsteps. I turned instinctively, and there he was. Kirk.

I froze. My heart slammed against my ribcage as his eyes met mine across the room.

He didn't speak. He didn't need to. The tension in the air thickened, and for a moment, it felt like the world around us had stopped moving.

Luke looked between us, and looked at Kirk with confusion, then he smirked, playing at his lips. "What did I tell you?" he said, his voice smooth, like he was enjoying the show. "You can't escape it, Sophie."

Kirk stepped into the room, his presence overwhelming as he stood next to Luke. His gaze never left me, and in that moment, I felt exposed, vulnerable in a way that I hadn't in years.

"You're mine, Sophie," Kirk said quietly, his voice low and filled with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. "And you'll learn to accept that."

I opened my mouth to protest, but the words didn't come. I was caught.