Chapter 20 Aniyah #2
Finally, I turned to Lucus, who was still watching me like he was daring me to deny him. Posh, pale, and entirely too smug. Of course, he expected to stay.
And to be honest? I didn’t want him to leave either, but that didn’t mean I had to admit it.
He beat me to the punch.
“I’ll be sticking around to protect my investment since you don't want to talk about…” He trailed off, eyes flicking down at me. I narrowed mine in response, shooting lasers in his direction.
He sighed. “That thing until a later date. I’m in for whatever you need of me.” He gave a small bow, a gesture of loyalty that had something warm and steady pressing into my chest.
The sensation curled low, its slow heat spreading out in my ribs. It felt… right. Like this was how it was supposed to be. All of them falling into place around me.
My body responded before my brain could catch up. Muscles unclenched, shoulders lowered, and even the tension behind my eyes eased. A part of me, the part I always shoved down, welcomed the support. Their presence grounded me in a way that was maddening and comforting all at once.
They’re also a handsome group I’d like to—
No. No time for that. I didn’t need soul-deep connections or any of the mate-bonded nonsense clawing at the edge of my sanity.
What I needed was vengeance. Answers. To know who dared to walk into my territory and plant a bomb. Who tried to burn down my building and make a statement at my expense. But first, we needed to find the fuckers.
“Ras, we need access to the video logs. I want to see who went in and out of that room. Can you pull them quickly?”
His red eyes lit up, body practically vibrating. Eager puppy that he was, it seemed he’d been waiting for a command. “I mean, not from the club. The system goes into a twenty-four-hour lockdown whenever something catastrophic happens, like, say, the building almost collapsing.”
Van stepped forward, nodding. “He’s right. It’s a failsafe. The security room turns into a hybrid safehouse-bunker if there's structural failure. That way, even if everything else is gone, the data and whoever’s inside survives.”
Shit. I’d forgotten about that. The idea of sitting on my hands while time slipped away made my skin itch.
“I have another solution…” Ras said calmly. He was suddenly right next to me, his demeanor less sweet tech nerd, more coiled viper—intent and dangerous in the best kind of way.
“And?” I asked, raising a brow.
I wasn’t afraid of him, not even a little. Whatever darkness lingered beneath the surface, my instincts told me he’d never turn it on me.
He leaned in slightly, tilting his head as he studied me. “I don’t want you to get mad.”
I turned to face him. His ruby gaze flicked down to my lips, heating as I teased, “What if I promise I won’t?”
I had a feeling where this was going. Maybe he’d accessed the club’s system remotely.
Maybe he left himself tap in during a diagnostic.
That would technically be a breach, sure, but right now, I didn’t give a single damn.
Consequences could burn to ash for all I cared, as long as he got me what I needed.
“Then we have a deal,” he murmured. His breath caught, pupils dilating. “But we’ll have to go to my apartment. That’s where all the gear is.”
The look in his eyes, full of worship, of hunger, had me tipping forward before I could stop myself. My hand reached up, brushing back a wayward raven curl from his face. He shivered under the touch.
“I’m going with you,” Alic barked, glaring at the little space between us like we’d just committed a crime.
“And me,” Maso growled, his tone laced with something deeper, something possessive.
I pulled away from Ras with a sigh before this turned into a damn group outing.
“No,” I said, turning to Maso. I softened my voice, hoping he heard that this wasn’t a rejection.
His eyes betrayed a flicker of hurt, and it made something in my chest twist. “We need to split up. I need us to work as a team. I know the guests, and I know the staff. I’m the one who needs to watch the footage.
Alic can be there for security. Ras is there to get access. That’s it.”
I turned toward my golden boy. “Van, I need you to go to my office. Grab the backup thumb drive, the one with all the membership files. You know where I keep it.”
His eyes lit up as he held out his hand for the key.
I tapped my watch, opening the magical pocket of space Calix had given me for my twenty-first birthday. Still one of his best inventions, it was perfect for club nights when a purse was one accessory too many.
I reached in, dug around, and pulled out the small silver key. Handing it to Van, I stood on tiptoe and gave him a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth—a momentary break in our unspoken rules. His eyes went wide with surprise, then fluttered shut like he was savoring it.
“And what do I need to do to earn a kiss?” Lucus’ voice came from behind, his breath hot on my neck. There was something dangerous in his tone. Something about seeing another man earn my kiss had waved a red flag in front of this bull.
Smirking over my shoulder, I took the British bull head-on. “You and Maso are going back to the club to look for clues. You were with me on the main floor, and Maso was upstairs with Alic, so he’ll know where to look.”
I peeked around Lucus to check in with Maso. He gave me a curt nod, frustrated but obedient. He might’ve been Nova’s pick, but he still had to earn his place.
Then, just to mess with Lucus, I fisted a handful of his white-gold hair and yanked him down, punishing him with a kiss that left his lips parted and his thoughts scattered. I pulled away before he could enjoy it too much.
Facing the group, I raised a brow. “Are we all clear?”
“This way,” Ras called out, already tugging his hoodie over his head.
Not as prepared as he was, I was blinded by the morning sun when we turned the corner.
We were supes, so we could still live and function without sleep, but I didn't enjoy going out into the world during daylight, so I was a little cranky.
“Yeah, yeah, I heard you.”
I’d expected at least a few blocks of walking, which was why I’d swapped my shorts for an ultra-mini circle skirt and a cute set of kitten heels rather than stilettos.
A strategic fashion choice. Can’t step outside without giving something to look at.
However, the second we rounded the corner, he was heading up the steps and unlocking the front door of the first building we came across.
“You live this close?” I blinked, taking in the building. It was right behind mine and practically next door to the Winged Palace. We were neighbors. What were the odds?
His cheeks flushed, a dusting of pink under dark curls, and he gave a tiny nod. “Yeah.”
He opened the door for me, his eyes avoiding mine, though I was unsure what he was trying to hide from me.
The second I stepped through, he let it swing shut behind us, leaving Alic to deal with it while he guided me straight toward the elevator.
He treated me with the care you’d give something delicate, something precious.
Was he afraid I’d get second thoughts and turn around if he gave me a second to think about it?
He kept glancing back at me, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, fingers twitching, as nervous as a boy bringing his crush home to meet judgmental parents.
God, please don’t let his parents actually be home.
We squeezed into the elevator, definitely smaller than mine, and he hit the button for the top floor. Just like mine. Interesting.
Was Ras a secret rich kid? A trust-fund demon? Because when I moved into the city, I made it my business to research everyone. I memorized the names of the powerful, the connected, the dangerously rich. No one like him ever showed up.
Trust me, I would’ve remembered a sexy, soft-spoken tech demon with ruby eyes and a street-style edge.
The elevator dinged, and he moved to hold the door, casting another shy glance in my direction before looking down again as if my face might reveal something he wasn’t ready to see.
I stepped out.
A strangled growl behind me made me glance back. Alic was struggling, caught in the elevator doors, his face a storm cloud. Ras watched, a little too calm, and I caught the flash of something sharp and dark twinkling in his eyes. Just a flicker.
Huh. The more I watched him, the more interested I became.
“Come on,” Ras said casually, waving at me to follow. “He’ll catch up.”
He walked me down the hallway to the very end. It was there that his steps grew more hesitant, and he began cracking his knuckles. He was tense, on edge, vibrating with something I couldn’t name.
My instincts weren’t screaming danger. They were quiet. Watchful. Curious.
But my brain? My brain was on high alert. What had him this wound up?
Alic’s boots echoed down the hallway, and I watched Ras’ shoulders stiffen. He was bracing himself for some kind of impact, and that realization made it clear he didn’t want Alic to come inside.
I wondered why, but at the same time, it was his house… and Alic was already used to staying outside my door. This didn't need to be an issue.
I turned to Alic the moment he caught up. “Wait out here.”
Ras let out a full-body exhale behind me, the tension snapping out of his frame like a released rubber band. That told me everything.
“No! What if—”
“You’re right here,” I cut in. “What could he possibly do?”
Alic's eyes darted to Ras then back to me. He wanted to say more, wanted to protect me, but he also knew me well enough to know when I’d made up my mind.
I rested a hand on his chest, then my fingers drifted down the strong line of his arm. Finally, I took his hand, lifted it to my lips, and softly kissed his palm, my eyes locked on his through my lashes.
His resistance melted.
“Okay,” he murmured. “But I’ll be right here, and I can hear everything. If I hear one distressed sound—”
“I understand,” Ras said quickly, his voice quiet but clear, then he turned to me, placing his palm on the door.
Several clicks followed, locks disengaging one after the other, before he finally turned the knob and gestured for me to enter.
I winked at Alic, then slipped through the door. Ras followed and closed it behind us.
The air inside was… clean. Surprising. The apartment was sleek, organized. Sparse but intentional. Abstract art lined the walls. A huge leather couch faced a giant mounted screen. Modern, minimal, and masculine.
Not what I expected.
Ras didn’t say a word. He just watched me roam, silent as a shadow, letting me take control of this self-guided tour.
So, I wandered, drifting around until my body froze and my breath caught in my throat.
A massive desk stood against the far wall with at least six monitors arranged on top of it. Cables coiled underneath like snakes. Bits of equipment blinked with LED lights, but it wasn’t the tech that stopped me.
It was the wall behind it. A mural.
Of me.
Dozens of photos patched up the wall. Some close-up, some blurry from distance, some grainy like they’d been captured from security footage.
A few were beautiful, revealing stolen moments I never would have thought twice about.
Some felt invasive, things that were only supposed to be for me or for someone else.
The one common denominator was that they were all of me.
“What do you think?” Ras murmured behind me, his body suddenly flush with mine. His chin brushed my shoulder as he exhaled like he’d waited forever to share this moment. “Isn’t it magnificent?”
I didn't know what to say or do. I just looked at everything in awe. A petal caught my eye, and I realized I knew what this was from. Its color matched the rose I’d kept from my stalker. Then it all clicked.
Rasmus was my stalker… and I was in his house.