Chapter 23 Poe
TWENTY-THREE
POE
The warmth of Orchid’s body still lingers on my skin when I finally slip out of bed.
She’s curled on her side, breathing slow and even, the sheet barely covering the curve of her hip.
For a long moment I just stand there in the dim light, looking at her.
My chest feels too tight, too full. It was everything I never knew I needed.
The way she took control, the way she called me her good boy, the way she fell apart under me and then pulled me right back in. I’ve never felt anything like it.
But reality is already creeping back in, cold and insistent.
I pull on my sweatpants and a clean t-shirt, moving quietly so I don’t wake her. She needs the sleep. We both do. I lean down and press one soft kiss to her bare shoulder before I force myself to leave the room.
Downstairs, the office glows with the blue light of the monitors.
I drop into the chair and wake the system, diving back into the dummy hack.
My fingers move across the keyboard on autopilot, feeding Serafina’s people exactly what they expect to see while the real Maddox systems stay protected behind layers of misdirection.
It’s careful, tedious work, but it buys time.
Every minute I stall is another minute Ozzy and the team have to find Enley.
I’m halfway through another progress report when a small notification pops up in the corner of the screen. Ozzy.
I open it fast, heart kicking hard.
O: We’re moving in on your position. Render is already en route to Enley’s location. We have a strong lead. Stay ready. Do not engage if you see us. We’ll extract you.
My breath catches. They’re coming. Actually coming.
Relief floods through me so strongly my hands shake on the keyboard.
I want to reply, to tell him everything, to beg him to get Enley out first, to warn him not to hurt Orchid.
But the channel is one-way right now, a burst transmission that doesn’t really allow an immediate response. I can only read and wait.
I type anyway, even if he can’t see it.
P: Do not hurt Orchid. She’s not what she seems. There’s more to her. I think she hates this as much as I do. Please. Just get Enley safe.
I stare at the unsent message for a long moment, then delete it. I can’t risk it. Not yet. Not until I know exactly where we stand. And where Orchid stands.
I keep working, feeding the dummy data through the system, making it look convincing.
My mind, however, is split in two. One half is focused on the code.
The other half is upstairs with Orchid, replaying every second of what we just shared, every command she gave me, every moan, every time she called me her good boy.
I’m confused as hell about how I feel about her.
She works for Serafina. She’s the reason I am here.
But she’s also the woman who looks at me like I’m more than just a tool.
There’s something different about her. Like she doesn’t like this whole operation any more than I do. Like she’s trapped too.
I’m still turning that thought over when soft footsteps sound on the stairs.
Orchid appears in the doorway a moment later, wearing leggings and one of my t-shirts. It swallows her, the hem hitting mid-thigh, and the sight of her in my clothes does dangerous things to my chest.
She leans against the doorframe, arms crossed. “Hey, looks like they’re still raging hard next door.”
I lean back in the chair with a small laugh. “They’re ridiculous.”
She nods, but her eyes are searching my face. She steps inside and closes the door behind her, then perches on the edge of the desk. “How’s it going?”
“Slow but steady,” I say. Silence settles between us again, comfortable but charged. I watch her for a moment, then decide to push a little. “What about you?” I ask. “I know you told me you grew up with your grandmother in the States. What was that like?”
She hesitates, then shrugs one shoulder. “It was tough. I felt like I had to fight for everything I had. My grandmother was one tough cookie. She taught me how to stand up for myself.”
I smile softly. “You definitely take after her.”
She huffs a small laugh. “Maybe. What about you? What was your childhood like?”
I lean back, thinking. “Normal, mostly. Enley and I used to play cops and robbers in the backyard for hours. She was always the robber. I was the cop. We had this secret code. Whenever things got too intense or one of us was about to get in real trouble, we would say ‘Super Duper Pineapple.’ That meant trouble was about to happen. Drop everything and run.”
Orchid’s lips curve into a genuine smile. It lights up her whole face. “Super Duper Pineapple? That’s ridiculous.”
“It worked,” I say, grinning. “One time I said it when our mom was about to catch us sneaking cookies. We both took off running in opposite directions. She still laughs about it.”
Orchid laughs too, the sound soft and real. It does something warm to my chest. Then she reaches into the pocket of her leggings and pulls out a small blue rosary, the beads worn smooth from years of handling. She holds it up, letting it dangle between us.
“My grandmother gave me this,” she says quietly. “I’m not religious. Not really. But I like having it. It makes me feel safer when I hold it. Like she’s still looking out for me somehow.”
I reach out and gently touch one of the beads with my fingertip. “It’s beautiful. You miss her?”
“Every day,” she admits. Her voice is softer now. “She was the only person who ever made me feel safe.”
The words hang between us. I watch her face, the way her thumb rubs over the cross at the end of the rosary. There’s something vulnerable in her expression that makes me want to pull her into my lap and hold her until the weight on her shoulders disappears.
I ask gently, “Has there ever been a time you haven’t felt safe?”
She’s quiet for a long moment. Then her eyes meet mine, dark and serious. “Whenever I’m around Serafina.”
The words land like a stone dropped into still water. The air in the room shifts. I can see the tension snap back into her shoulders, the walls starting to rise again. She slips the rosary back into her pocket and stands up, putting distance between us.
I want to ask more. I want to know exactly what Serafina has over her, what she’s really doing here. But before I can say anything, the distant sound of the neighbors’ party grows louder. Laughter. Music. Someone shouting about another round of burgers.
Orchid glances toward the window, jaw tight. “They’re never going to stop, are they?”
I stand up too, moving closer but not touching her. “We could go over for a minute. Just to keep up appearances. I’ll behave. I promise.”
She looks at me for a long beat, eyes searching mine. Then she sighs. “Fine. But only for a little while. And if Tammy tries to set us up for another double date, I’m shooting her with a water gun. Or maybe my real gun.”
I laugh, the sound surprising both of us. “Deal.”
We get ready quickly and then head outside together, stepping through the back gate into the chaos of the neighbors’ yard.
Tammy spots us immediately and waves us over like we’re long-lost family.
Mark’s at the grill, flipping burgers and shouting jokes.
Kids run everywhere. The music is loud and cheerful.
For the next hour we play the part. I keep my hand on Orchid’s lower back, thumb brushing her spine in small circles.
She leans into the touch more than she has to.
We laugh at the right moments, tell fake stories about our “work,” and steal glances at each other when no one’s looking.
Every time her eyes meet mine, something warm and dangerous sparks between us.
But underneath it all, my mind is still at the house with that rosary and her quiet admission.
Whenever I am around Serafina.
Those words keep echoing in my head.
Because if Orchid doesn’t feel safe around her own boss, then maybe she’s not the enemy I thought she was.
Maybe she’s just as trapped as I am.
And maybe we’re both fighting on the same side without realizing it. Or maybe it’s wishful thinking on my part.
The party noise swirls around us, but all I can think about is the woman beside me, the weight of her secrets, and the terrifying possibility that I’m falling for her in the middle of the worst possible situation.
I squeeze her waist gently, and when she looks up at me, I don’t hide the way I feel.
Not anymore.