Chapter 3
THREE
The bike moves much slower now as we make our way back to my place. My arms are wrapped around Sylus, my head resting against his bare back as the city’s sounds blur around us.
I try to take in the neon lights, the late-night crowd, a distant hum, something outside the small world that is just Sylus and me, and the pulse of his heart against my hands.
We turn the corner to my street, and I spot Ezra sitting in the Bronco, his bike parked beside it. His head lifts when we drive by, his gaze meeting Sylus’s for a second. He looks away again, disinterest masking whatever he’s really feeling.
Sylus pulls up in front of my building, the rumble of the bike fading as he kills the engine. He swings his leg over, and I follow, my legs a little shaky as he helps me off. He takes my hand in his, lacing our fingers together as he walks me to the door.
The stairwell is dark and quiet, each step slightly echoing as we climb.
My heart is still pounding from everything that’s happened tonight, but Sylus is steady beside me, his hand warm and reassuring.
When we finally reach my apartment, I let out a breath, but before I can even grab my keys, the door swings open.
Koen stands there, his eyes locked on mine, relief flickering over his face.
“How did you get inside?” I ask, blinking at him.
“Magic.” Sylus grins beside me.
But Koen doesn’t smile. Instead, he pulls me into a hug so fierce it takes my breath away. One hand presses against the small of my back, the other cradles the back of my head, and the scent of vanilla and spices suddenly surrounds me as he murmurs into my hair, “You’re okay.”
“I’m okay,” I parrot, my voice muffled against his chest. My arms come up, wrapping around him slowly as I sink into the warmth of his embrace. He holds me for a long moment, and the tension inside me begins to ease.
I’m safe.
When Koen finally lets me go, he steps back, eyes searching my face, then he looks over my head at Sylus. They exchange a look, and I turn to see Sylus nod, a grin spreading across his face. Koen gives a slight nod back, something like approval flickering in his eyes.
Then Sylus turns me to him, his hands on my waist as he rests his forehead against mine. “Be good for Koen,” he murmurs teasingly. “But don’t forget to think about me.”
“I couldn’t, even if I wanted to,” I answer truthfully.
He laughs, the sound warm and genuine, as he gives me one last peck on the lips. “Love you, baby,” he whispers, making my heart skip a beat.
Before I can respond—before I can even fully process the words—Sylus turns to Koen, holding out his fist. Koen bumps it, a grin twitching at the corners of his lips.
“If anyone comes in here, let her handle it,” Sylus teases. “She’s got a mean right hook, and you… yeah, you’re gonna hurt yourself.”
“Fuck you, Sy,” Koen huffs. “I can handle a punch.”
“Oh, you can,” Sylus agrees, grinning wider. “But you fold like a baby when your knuckles hurt afterward.”
A laugh escapes me, and Koen shoots me a playful scowl.
“Well, good thing Ezra’s out there keeping an eye on us,” he mutters, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Now fuck off, brother.”
Sylus doesn’t move right away. Instead, he turns back to me, his fingers curling around my throat, pulling me to him—his grip not too tight, just enough to make my pulse stutter. His thumb brushes the hollow of my neck, his touch firm, possessive.
“See you soon, Sparkle.” He presses a slow, deliberate kiss to my forehead. His lips linger for a second longer than necessary like he’s branding me with it. Then, with a smirk, he releases me and steps back, turning away without another word.
I watch as he heads down the hallway, disappearing around the corner. Then Koen pulls me inside my apartment and closes the door behind him. He turns back to me and takes in my expression. “You really okay?”
“Yeah.” I nod, swallowing hard. “I think I am.”
“Liar.”
I let out a weak laugh, shaking my head. “Maybe.”
“Come on.” Koen sighs. “Let’s sit.” He glances toward the couch, but seeing my scattered clothes makes his lips twitch in amusement. “Guess it’s the bed again.”
I cringe. “It’s not made.”
Koen shrugs, stepping into the bedroom without hesitation. “I don’t care.” He sits down on the rumpled sheets, the bed dipping slightly under his weight as he looks up at me, patting the spot next to him. “Sit.”
Reluctantly, I join him, sitting close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his body. He leans back slightly, one arm resting on his knee, his head tilted to look at me.
“Start from the top,” he commands. “What happened?”
“I thought I had him.” I fidget, picking at the hem of my shirt. “Not just hooked… but maybe even falling for me.”
“He is falling for you,” he states simply like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“Yeah, maybe.”
He studies me for a moment longer, then lets out a quiet breath. “What happened then?”
“He invited me back to his place. Said his mother’s out late on Tuesdays, so we’d have time alone. It felt… like the perfect opportunity.”
“Tell me about the penthouse.”
“He used a black access card to get the penthouse elevator working. It’s not a regular key card. And once we got there… God, Koen, it was huge, quiet, spotless like something out of a magazine. He called it a cage, though, and I believed him. It didn’t feel like a home.”
He pulls out his phone, his fingers moving quickly. I glance over to see he’s texting Ezra. “Anything else?”
I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts.
“There were cameras in the lobby, probably in the penthouse, too, but I didn’t see any.
He’s got a keypad near the door, but it didn’t look like an alarm.
Maybe a panic button? I made it to Veronica’s office, but I didn’t get a good look at anything.
I didn’t have time. Sylus said I didn’t even make it the minute he needed before Nicholas found me.
But like I said, he was just… hurt and told me to go. No security, no police.”
He nods, his expression serious, the glow from his phone reflecting off his handsome features as he types. When he’s done, he sets the phone aside and turns to me. “You got inside. That’s huge.”
“I got caught, Koen.” I huff a bitter laugh. “I fucked it all up.”
“You did what you could.” He shifts closer, his hand settling on my knee. “And you didn’t get hurt. That’s what I give a fuck about.” Something in his words settles the storm inside me. “Nicholas suspects us?”
“Yeah,” I admit, the knot of anxiety tightening again. “He asked if the twins sent me. I didn’t say anything, but he knew.”
“We’ll have to be careful.” Koen’s eyes narrow thoughtfully. “He’s not stupid, even if Levi believes otherwise.”
“What do we do now? I could reach out to him, could try to explai—”
“First, we keep you safe.” Koen cuts me off. “That’s the priority. We’ll regroup and figure out our next steps. But you’re not going anywhere near him until we’re sure it’s safe.”
“Koen, I can’t just—”
“You can,” he cuts me off once more. “You’re more important than this. We’ll figure it out.”
His phone buzzes loudly, the screen lighting up with Levi’s name. “This is going to be fun,” Koen mutters, squeezing my knee as he answers the call and puts it on speaker.
“Koen!” Immediately, Levi’s voice bursts through, loud and frantic. “What the fuck is going on? Nobody’s talking to Alaric and me. Sylus came home, but he locked himself in his room, and Ezra won’t answer his fucking phone. What happened?”
“Easy, Dove.” Koen glances at me. “Glitter got into the Penthouse and planted the ducky, but she got caught before Sylus could hack his way in.”
“What?” Levi barks. “Did she at least take the laptop?”
Why hadn’t I?
It wouldn’t have mattered now that they caught us anyway, right?
“No, but she got out and is okay.” Koen tries to reassure him. “Everything’s under control.”
“Under control?” Levi’s voice is incredulous. “We need to get in there and grab the evidence now if they know about us trying to gather it! Why didn’t she take the laptop? She’s a fucking thief! And she was right there! If anything was there in the first place, they’re gonna delete it now!”
“Levi, calm down,” Koen warns.
Ah, fuck.
“Bullshit!” Levi yells. “We’re sitting on our asses while she had the perfect opportunity, and now it’s gone!”
I swallow hard, the guilt gnawing at me as I listen. Because he’s right, isn’t he? He and Ezra are right, and Koen and Sylus are trying to be nice for my sake, but I fucked up badly.
Why do I have the urge to text Captain Bossy and see what his reaction to this shit show is?
“We’ll figure it out, okay?” Koen’s eyes flick to me. “But we can’t walk in there without a plan. We need the key card, and we’ll need to be smarter about our next move.”
“She was right there, Koen.” Levi lets out a frustrated growl. “She could’ve done it. Or at least grabbed the fucking key card.”
Again, he’s right.
“She did her best,” Koen asserts with an edge of finality.
The line goes dead, Levi having hung up on his twin, and Koen sets the phone aside, his gaze shifting back to me. The weight of Levi’s words still lingers in the air, making me feel nauseous. “Fuck,” I whisper. “I’m so damn sorry. Is he going to be okay?”
“Of course he is. He’s being a little drama queen, as always. Don’t take it too much to heart. He’ll cool off by tomorrow.”
“You sure?”
“I am.”
“Do you have to go to him?”
Koen watches me carefully as if reading the guilt tightening my shoulders. I can’t control the slight quiver of my lower lip. After Levi’s scolding, I’m back to feeling small sparks of anxiety sizzling beneath the surface of my skin.
He slides an arm around my waist, pulling me into a side hug, and dips his head to rest his chin lightly on the top of mine. The weight is barely there, but it holds me still, like an anchor, keeping me from drifting away. “I’m exactly where I’m needed.”