This Means War

12. - MONICA -

twelve

- MONICA -

T he hum of the car’s engine filled the silence as I guided it onto the highway, the weight of the last few hours pressing down on me like a thick fog. The headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the empty road ahead. I’d been driving for a while now. My hands still gripped the steering wheel tightly, though I wasn’t sure if I was holding the car steady or trying to steady myself.

All I knew was that this car had been cleared of any bugs or danger earlier today. Rafael had insisted. He did a sweep, going over a checklist of safety measures, as I nodded along thinking I understood at the time. There was something about the simplicity of driving that calmed me, even when the world outside felt like it was unraveling.

In the passenger seat, Luis was quiet, his profile illuminated by the faint glow of the dashboard. He watched the road, though I could feel his attention flickering toward me occasionally, as if he were trying to read my thoughts.

“Where should we be headed?” I asked.

Luis hesitated, his gaze lingering on the road before he answered. “There’s a house outside the city. It’s… unofficial. But it’s safe.”

I glanced at him, arching an eyebrow. “Unofficial?”

“It’s a place we use sometimes. Off the grid,” he explained, his tone careful. “No one knows about it except a handful of people.”

“And you’re one of them,” I said, more of a statement than a question.

He nodded.

I didn’t press further, since he had sat silently when I needed a moment to process the past week. Still, my mind starteddissecting his words. The way he phrased it, the slight shift in his tone—it all felt calculated. But then again, so did most things Luis said or did. Not inherently a con, but nuanced.

The house came into view twenty minutes later, tucked behind a line of tall trees. It was modest, at least from the outside—a single-story structure with clean lines and large windows that reflected the moonlight. Wealth understated.

I parked the car in the driveway, cutting the engine. Luis was out before I could say anything, scanning the area like he was waiting for something to jump out of the shadows.

“Should I be worried?” I said, stepping out of the car.

He glanced at me, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “No, our neighbor lets their cat roam outside. I try to feed it when I see her.”

It was such a casually soft answer that I followed him inside, the door creaking slightly as we entered. The interior was just as understated as the exterior—functional yet elegant. Minimalist furniture, soft lighting, and a few tasteful artworks showing the coast. It felt like a place designed to disappear into, not to stand out.

Luis immediately went to check the locks, his movements efficient, and precise. I watched him for a moment, the way his shoulders stayed tense even when there was no visible threat. He moved like someone who couldn’t trust the quiet.

“Everything’s secure,” he said, turning back to me. “No need to worry any more than you are.”

“Good to know,” I said, though my tone was more nervous than I intended.

The quiet settled over us again as we moved to the living room. Luis busied himself with the fireplace, stacking wood and kindling with practiced ease. I sat on the edge of the sofa, my eyes flicking to the shadows that played across the walls.

“Tea?” Luis asked suddenly, glancing over his shoulder.

“Sure,” I said, though I wasn’t sure I’d drink it.

He disappeared into the kitchen, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

It wasn’t the first time I’d found myself in the middle of an unspoken tug-of-war between Luis and Rafael. They both had a way of commanding attention, of drawing people into their orbit, though in completely different ways. Luis was precise, methodical, and steady. Rafael was charm and chaos, a storm in a suit.

And then there was me—a queen at the center of their elaborate game full of allure, tension, and the unspoken intensity of every calculated move they made.

I could feel it, the way they circled each other under the guise of vying for my attention. It was almost amusing, watching two men who were so clearly playing a deeper game.

Because it wasn’t about me.

Not really.

Luis returned with two mugs, setting one in front of me before taking a seat across the room. His movements were deliberate, as always, but there was a hint of something else tonight. He seemed… distracted.

“Thank you,” I said, wrapping my hands around the mug.

He nodded, his eyes meeting mine briefly before looking away. “This place is my parents’.”

We sat in silence, the crackle of the fire filling the space between us. “Oh,” I said as I took a sip of the tea, letting the warmth of both settle in my chest.

“Can I ask you something?” I said finally.

Luis looked up, his expression guarded but curious. “Sure.”

“Why do you and Rafael act like you’re on opposite sides when you’re clearly not?”

He froze, his hand tightening around the mug. For a moment, I thought he wasn’t going to answer.

“I don’t know what you mean,” he said carefully.

I tilted my head, studying him. “You do. You two… It’s like you’re constantly trying to outdo each other, but when it matters, you’re on the same page. It’s not exactly normal.”

“It’s complicated,” Luis exhaled slowly, his shoulders relaxing just slightly. “Are men these days ever normal?”

“Not in my experience,” I replied, jokingly but with just enough edge to make my point.

He didn’t elaborate, nor did I push. Instead, I let the silence return, filling the room like a weighted blanket. It was nice. I could imagine the exchange being filled with anything I wanted.

As I watched the firelight, I thought about Luis and Rafael—the way they vied for my attention with quiet intensity, yet always moved in unison when it truly mattered. If you looked closely enough, the truth was as clear as the heat radiating from the flames.

They weren’t rivals.

They were magnets.

And me? I was just the thing between them—the excuse they used to stay close without having to admit why.

It wasn’t the first time I’d found myself in this position. Men saw what they wanted to see. They assumed, projected, and convinced themselves of things that weren’t true. It was easier to let them think I was part of their game than to explain the truth.

The truth was simpler.

I wasn’t interested in men.

But I was captivated by the way these two were drawn to each other. There was a gravity to it. And I was the star in between.

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway pulled me from my thoughts. I stood, moving to the window just as the headlights cut through the trees.

Rafael stepped out, his movements unhurried, but there was something about his posture that set me on edge. He wasn’t his usual self, all charm and bravado. Tonight, his confidence was more muted.

I opened the door before he could knock.

“Late night,” I said, leaning against the frame.

He gave me a faint smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Thought I’d stop by. Luis here?”

“Living room.”

Rafael stepped inside, his presence filling the quiet space. The warmth of the firelight flickered across his face as he glanced around. He looked like he belonged in a place like this, his sharp features softened by the golden glow, his tailored coat draped perfectly on his broad shoulders.

“I’m sure Luis will be right back,” I added.

“I figured,” Rafael replied, but he didn’t move to find him. Instead, his gaze settled on me, his expression unusually serious. “I’m sorry about this all.”

I tilted my head, studying him. “Whatever this all is.”

From the hallway, I heard the faint creak of a floorboard. Luis appeared a moment later. “Hey, what did you find out?” he asked Rafael, utterly unsurprised he was here. He must be one of the few Luis shared this address with.

“It’s not what you’d expect,” Rafael started, “They’re using the CEO’s followers as patsies—stirring them up to harass women and anyone else whose policies they don’t like, all while keeping their own hands clean.”

“Man,” I scoffed, “he sure has a lot of friends.”

Rafael shook his head. “No, they aren’t his friends. That would be easier to track. Even calling them fans could oversell it depending. My former boss is offering a million-dollar reward for the best viral moment, and unfortunately, you were tweeted about at a very inopportune time.”

“It’s not just personal?” Luis asked.

“There’s a group in L.A. that got arrested for an assumed bomb threat when they projected a ‘404 brIDGE NOT FOUND — get ready to watch the internet implode’ across the Golden Gate.”

“Are you telling me they got arrested for literally trolling a bridge?” I said utterly flabbergasted, “As a viral stunt?”

Rafael’s smirk faltered. “Yeah, well, the line between a clever stunt and a crime has gotten blurry.”

The tension in the room thickened, the air charged with the kind of rivalry that was as much unspoken as it was open competition. I could see it in the way Luis held his ground, the way Rafael’s all-knowing smirk softened just slightly when their eyes met.

I cleared my throat, breaking the moment. “If you two are done staring each other down, I’d like to know how we’re going to handle this.”

Rafael looked over at me. “Simple,” he said, his voice as calm as ever, though something dangerous flickered in his eyes. “We just keep moving. Be the more entertaining chaos that makes things interesting.” He glanced over at Luis, who was still tense and shrugged. “It will throw enough noise into the system, expose anyone still lurking, and the internet will do what it does best and move on to another trend soon enough.”

Luis scowled, clearly uncomfortable with the lack of a more structured plan. “This isn’t a prank. We’re dealing with real people here. Who wants to be the next trend? Who needed to be noticed like that?”

Rafael leaned back against the kitchen counter, unfazed. “Being noticed isn’t exclusively a bad thing. The more they try to figure us out, the bigger we get. The people we’re dealing with—tech billionaires and their followers who think they can 3D chess the whole world. They want the spotlight, the drama. So we give it to them. But this time, we’re the ones on top, not in the middle of it. Surely the U.N. is the one with the power anyway?”

Luis’ jaw clenched, frustration bubbling to the surface. “Why do you think we’ll stay on top of this ‘drama’ rather than getting buried under it?”

“We’ll be ready,” Rafael replied, his smirk returning as she spoke to us both. “Don’t want more than just a paycheck? Let’s start breaking their game with some serious noise. When it all goes sideways, we’ll ride to the top together.”

“Together?” Luis echoed, though his tone carried its own weight.

I watched the two of them, caught in the middle of something larger than any of us. They were both too proud to admit what was obvious, too stubborn to acknowledge the undercurrent that tied them together.

And me? I was just the audience to their game. But I could have my own part to play.

I smiled faintly, extending my hand between them as if calling for a huddle. “Then I suggest we start planning. Because if we’re pawns, we’d better learn how to play like we’re three queens.”