Chapter Three
Lia
Ihead for the kitchen. I’d hoped to avoid dinner, but my stomach didn’t get the memo. It’s empty, except for Abel, who’s grabbing beers from the fridge.
“Look who wandered in.” Abel’s eyes sweep over me, unhurried.
“Where is everyone?”
“The dining hall. This way.”
I follow the massive man down the hall, past the training room, and into a wide space filled with rows of chairs and tables. The smell of grilled meat wafts toward me.
I spot Leo right away. He’s sitting at a table with Carter, Kylo, and another man.
No women.
The temperature in the room spikes. My palms prickle and tighten. I flatten my expression into a neutral blankness and keep moving, focusing only on the heels of Abel’s boots as I follow him to the table.
“You made it.” Leo pulls out the metal chair beside him. “Have a seat.”
“Nice to see you again, Lia,” Carter greets.
Kylo doesn’t glance in my direction. He’s busy talking to the man next to him.
“I’ll get you a plate,” Abel says. “Burgers and chips tonight.”
I sit down. “Anything’s fine.”
Carter finishes chewing and asks, “How was your first day of training?”
“It was fine.”
“How many people live at the compound?” Leo jumps in.
I owe him for the save.
Abel returns with a plate of food and a few condiments. He crowds the table as he sets it down in front of me, leaning in closer than necessary.
“Thank you,” I say, keeping my expression carefully pleasant.
He takes the seat on the other side of Carter, who’s sitting across from Leo and me.
“What are we discussing over here?” Abel asks.
“The compound,” Carter replies, then shifts his attention back to Leo and me. “There are only seven of us here, including you two. This isn’t a home. If you stay and fight, you’ll move on to our main compound, run by my friend, Elijah Mendez.”
“Don’t give too much away,” the man Kylo was talking to says.
He’s about the same size as Carter, broad through the shoulders and chest, with the kind of muscle that comes from years of training. Warm olive skin contrasts against the fitted black shirt stretched across his frame.
Thick dark hair is swept back from his face in unruly waves, a few strands falling across his forehead. Beneath strong brows, his warm brown eyes, almond-shaped and unblinking, study me with undisguised suspicion.
“I’d like to know who we’re staying with,” I tell him.
Carter chuckles. “Zayne Landon, meet Lia Collins. Lia, this is Zayne.”
I try to smile, but it drops as soon as it begins. Zayne doesn’t return it. His scowl matches Kylo’s.
“Can you tell us more about the building and its origins?” Leo asks.
“It all started with Uncle Piero,” Carter explains. “This place was an old resort; he bought it years ago and turned it into what it is now. It’s a great spot for us to crash between missions and house raids.”
“House raids?” I ask.
“The Aether Hunters break into people’s homes,” Zayne chimes in. “Sometimes we intercept them before they get inside. Sometimes we’re too late. Either way, we do what we can to stop them from kidnapping or killing anyone.”
Kylo meets my stare, his expression unreadable. I break eye contact.
“How do you keep this place hidden and safe?” I ask Carter.
“It’s meant to look like it’s falling apart. Old. Forgotten. Most people don’t give places like this a second glance.”
“If I’d known you existed, this would’ve been our first stop,” Leo says. “Lia and I bounced between motels. Slept in the truck when we had to.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” I tell him.
“All your belongings fit in a backpack. I’m sorry I couldn’t find us something better.”
I motion toward the building. “You found this place. You kept us alive. That’s all that matters.”
I’ll never forget those early days. It had been a week since we’d gone on the run, and we were already at our third motel. I remember the roaches on the floor, the stained sheets, and the sight of Leo hunched on the bed, crying into his shoulder.
“Leo, what’s wrong?”
“This.” He gestures around the room. “Mom and I wanted more for you, Lia. College. A life that didn’t look like this. I’m sorry we’re stuck here.”
Mom’s name snuffs the air from the room. The only sound left is the wheeze of the cheap fan above us.
“What do you mean you and Mom wanted better?”
“Something different.” He wipes his eyes with his hands. “Anything other than the path Joaquin set us on.”
“I don’t care where we are,” I say. “I just need you alive. And here. With me.”
Some nights, I woke up choking on Mom’s name, my shirt damp with sweat. Leo was always there, sitting on the edge of the bed, letting me bury my face in his shoulder until the shaking stopped.
“The hard days teach you more than the easy ones,” Carter tells Leo. “Give yourself some slack.”
“Thanks,” Leo says.
“Alright, enough with the heavy talk,” Abel cuts in. “Let’s drink and wind down. Who wants to play darts?”
“You know I’ll win,” Kylo says, finally adding to the conversation.
“Nah, I won last time,” Zayne adds.
“I’ll win today,” Abel challenges.
The three of them jump from their seats and cross the room.
“You said seven people live here total, including me and Leo,” I say to Carter. “Where’s the seventh person?”
“Marco’s working the night shift. Abel, Zayne, and Marco alternate patrolling the area.”
“Want to play pool?” Leo asks me.
“I’ll join,” Carter offers.
“Sure,” I say.
Carter’s been nothing but decent to us. It’s time to find out who the man in charge is.
“You want a beer?” Carter asks as we head toward the pool table.
“Not tonight,” Leo and I say together.
“Huh,” Carter chuckles. “Twin thing?”
“Yeah, something like that,” Leo says, nudging my shoulder.
Leo and I learned early to handle alcohol with caution.
One night after our high school graduation, we snuck a few friends over. Joaquin was working in Sacramento. Mom was out with a friend.
We got drunk. Loud. Careless.
Joaquin came home early.
We didn’t have control.
He did.
We never spoke of that night again.
“You ready?” Carter leans over the pool table, one brow arching. Cue in hand, he locks his gaze on the ball.
“Leo and I spent hours playing pool back in college,” I say, stepping into position.
Hours spent avoiding the house.
Leaving and never looking back always crossed our minds. Every dollar went to tuition. Joaquin didn’t know we were enrolled. But even if we had the money, we wouldn’t have left Mom with him.
We take turns—Carter, Leo, and me. Carter doesn’t boast when he makes a shot, nor does he apologize when he misses. His quiet amusement makes it easy to lose track of time.
Across the room, the others get louder. Cheers and swearing erupt as they crowd around the dartboard, tossing insults and clinking bottles.
For a moment, this place isn’t a hideout.
It’s people trying to live.
The dartboard crowd thins out.
Eventually, it’s just me, Leo, Carter, and Abel.
Leo yawns.
“You should get some sleep,” I tell him.
“You too.” He pushes up from the table. “Goodnight, guys.”
Carter starts clearing empty bottles and wrappers. I step in and grab the trash before he can.
“I’ve got this,” I offer.
“Thanks, Lia,” he says with a tired smile. “See you in the morning.”
I hum my favorite song as I toss scraps into the trash. I wipe down the table and counters, moving on autopilot.
The weight of a large hand clamps down on my shoulder. A yelp escapes as the towel slips from my hands. I stumble back, my shoulder hitting the wall.
“Need help, darlin’?” Abel drawls.
His massive frame looms in front of me, boxing me in against the wall. The stench of beer and sweat permeates the small gap between us.
I clear my throat, forcing calm into my voice. “No.”
His bleak, dark eyes drag downward—slow and unashamed, lingering far too long on my chest. I shift uncomfortably, angling my body away, but his foot slides out, blocking my path.
“Where you goin’? I thought we could hang out a bit more.” His words slur.
“I’m tired. Move.”
His hand drifts to my neck, fingers pressing into the delicate space above my collarbone.
“And miss my chance?” he breathes, his mouth twisting into a half-smile.
My pulse thunders in my ears. His face blurs. It’s no longer Abel’s—it’s someone else’s. A man from a memory I’ve fought to bury. I shove him, but he barely flinches. His finger slides lower.
“Abel, stop.”
“Tsk. Don’t be such a buzz—”
“What the fuck are you doing?” A furious voice slices through the room like a blade.
Abel is torn away from me and slammed into the wall. Drywall cracks as Kylo’s fist knots in his shirt, lifting him off the ground with terrifying ease.
“Put me down, cockblocker!” Abel shouts, flailing.
“She doesn’t want you touching her. Back off.” Kylo’s fist connects square with Abel’s jaw. The force sends him crumpling to the floor. “Touch her again and you’re done.”
“Fuck you,” Abel says, pushing himself upright. He stumbles, collapses twice, then drags himself along the wall for support and staggers out of the dining hall.
Kylo turns toward me, eyes scanning my body. I take a step back until my spine hits the wall. White spots swarm my vision.
“If he touches you again, tell me.” He shifts back, giving me space. “Go to bed.”
I peel away from the wall and leave the dining room. His presence trails behind me—close, but not crowding—shadowing my steps until I reach my room.
He’s still standing there as I close the door. The wood is solid against my back as I slowly slide to the floor. My fists clench in my lap, knuckles white, breath shallow as I wait for it to pass.
You’re okay. He didn’t hurt you.
In for four. Hold. Out for four.
The whiteness recedes. The room sharpens.
Carter said I was safe here.
He was wrong.
“What costumes are we wearing at the Halloween party?” Julian Vale asks, cornering me against the wall outside the student union.
His platinum blonde undercut is swept back. He’s wearing his orange and white jersey, basking in the attention it brings. But the guy standing in front of me isn’t the same one I thought I knew when we started dating.
All broad shoulders and bright blue eyes, Julian looks like the golden boy every girl is supposed to want.