Valeria stumbled into her condo unit, her legs betraying her as she closed the door behind her. The sound of the lock clicking into position echoed through her lavish living room. But none of the extravagance, none of the class, none of the sparkling chandeliers was relevant. None of it was relevant when the weight of her guilt was closing in on her chest.Seated on the ground, her body shattered with sobbing, her cheeks glimmering with tears, the picture of Vanessa's parents, their faces wrought with sorrow, their very features wracked with suffering, was etched forever in her consciousness. Kc's rage, the rage in his eyes, haunted her. His rage had enveloped her like shrouds, pulling her toward a darkness that she could not escape."Your killed her. Your killed my wife. Your killed my child."His words rang out in her mind, persistent and vicious. She could still sense the lash of his words, the gaze he had given her as if she were a beast. And perhaps she was. Perhaps she had earne
Kim nodded, his voice firm. "Then we'll find out the truth. We'll find out who did this. And when we do… we'll make them pay."Valeria's heart beat fiercely, combined with fear and resolve coursing through her veins. The weight of the promise was smothering but then it was the only thing she could hold on to. Kim's words were a light in the hopelessness that had surrounded her life."But what if." Valeria's words quivered as she hesitated, her eyes cast downward,". what if it's too late? What if Kc already has the choice made regarding me? What if no matter what we do, I'll never escape this?"Kim stepped in closer, his expression kind but with a hardness she so desperately required. "Valeria, you can't think like this. You had no option. Nobody could have foreseen what occurred. But now, we must concentrate on the truth. We must ensure the correct man pays.Valeria's breath was stuck in her throat as she looked into Kim's eyes, his eyes unfaltering. For the first time in days, a gli
And then, as if on command, a memory flitted through his head—the memory of the manner in which Valeria had pleaded for his pardon. It was little enough. A fleeting second, actually. A few words, a spattering of tears. But for an instant, he had caught a glimpse in her eyes—guilt. Desperation. A glimmer of humanity. But it didn't matter. She had stolen his future, his love, and the child they would have had together. Nothing, not even her apologies, could erase that. He snatched his coat from the back of his chair, moving quickly and erratically. He needed to see her. He needed to confront her. To make her realize what hell she had put him through. Kc's head was a battlefield, and Valeria was the attacker. She would never be rid of the fruits of her labour—not if he had anything to say about it. He burst out of his office, his mind dark, clouded with the rage that seethed in his chest. His heart pounded against his ribs, the heaviness of the sorrow near to crushing. But it was not eno
Valeria's hands trembled as she fumbled for her phone, her chest convulsing as her heart pounded against her at top speed. She could still feel Kc's rage lingering above her, suffocating her, consuming whatever last vestige of strength was left in her. As soon as he had shoved out of her condo unit, she collapsed onto the floor, panting, convulsing her whole body.She pushed the phone to her ear, her fingers frozen. As soon as the call went through, she collapsed utterly."Manager Kim," she wept, her words barely intelligible. "K-Kc… h-he was at my condo… he visited me."There was a moment of silence on the other end before Manager Kim's voice cut through, taut with alarm. "What?! When? Are you injured?""N-no, but—" Valeria couldn't catch her breath, holding her chest as fear took hold. "He was angry, Kim. He wants me to pay. He… he won't let up." Her voice broke, Kc's rage overwhelming her.Kim cursed. "I told you to call me Valeria, if he ever showed up anywhere around you! You don
Valeria slid into a seat, her hands trembling in buckling the seatbelt. "Kim. wh-what if he finds me?" she whispered, her voice hardly audible.Briefly, Kim clenched his teeth as he got into the driver's seat and turned on the car. "Then we'll be set in motion."As they sped away into the night, Valeria stared outside, her heart heavy with dread about what lay ahead.Would she ever escape Kc’s wrath?Meanwhile…Kc sat in his office, holding a glass of whiskey so hard it almost broke in his hand. His head was a jumble of sorrow, anger, and a pain so hollow it refused to let go.His phone vibrated on the desk. He ignored it.Then it rang again.He took a harsh breath before answering. "What?"A low voice came back. "You let her go."Kc's face darkened. "What are you talking about?""Valeria. She's fleeing."Kc sat bolt upright, his whole body stiffening. "Where?" "She departed her condo a few minutes ago. She's not heading home, Kc. She's in hiding."His hand around the phone clenched.
Valeria's own breath was trapped as Kc's hold on her collar tightened and she was brought closer until she felt the heat of his breath against her skin. His eyes, once intelligent and good, now black holes of fury and desperation. She was having trouble breathing, her body shaking in his arms."I ought to kill you," Kc snarled, his own voice low and frigid. "I should end your rotten existence here and now. Don't you see what you have taken from me?"Her own eyes welled with tears, but she was not going to weep. She was going to be strong."I did not do it," she wheezed. "I swear to you, Kc.She could not quite say the words as he drew her in, having her confront his intense, black eyes."Shut. Up." Kc's tone sliced through the air like a blade. "You don't get to speak. You don't get to beg. Do you know how my wife and my unborn son felt when you crashed into their car? Do you know how much terror they felt in their last minutes?" His fingers sank deep within the fabric of her shirt,
Kc gave a cold, emotionless laugh, his eyes flashing with contempt. "Human rights?" His venomous voice dripped with bile as he made a threatening movement forward. "Did my child and wife deserve to live, Valeria? Did they get a chance to beg for their lives when you stole from them their future?She shook her head forcefully, her whole body shaking. "I didn't steal anything! Someone sabotaged my car! Why won't you listen to me?!"His visage was curled into a scowl, breathing harsh and unpredictable. "Because it doesn't count!" he bellowed. "Vanessa died. My child died. And you—you get to stand here alive, crying, playing the victim!""I am a victim!" she screamed. "I lost everything too! My career, my dignity—my life is crumbling, Kc! And you—" She fought to gulp down the sobs. "You're only making it worse."Kc's hand darted out, his fingers wrapping around her chin, supporting her face up to meet the hard, merciless glint in his eyes. "Good," he grunted. "Because I am not through wit
The hotel room walls appeared to shut in on Valeria as she grabbed her throat, her body trembling uncontrollably. The bruises Kc had inflicted on her flesh were but a minor consideration compared to the agony he had seared into her heart. Even now, Valeria could hear venom-spiked words whose every syllable dripped with hate: "You can't run and you can't hide. You will suffer, Valeria."A bitter sob ripped from Valeria's throat as she placed her forehead against the cold marble floor.Her tears were overflowing. She was trapped.Even here, hidden behind pseudonyms and security doors, she wasn't safe.Not from Kc.Not from his rage.Not from the nightmare that just wouldn't end.Her fists clenched, nails pressing into the meat of her hands as she forced herself to take a breath. "I have to know the truth."Because if she didn't, Kc would be the one ending her life before she ever stood a chance of defending herself. Her cell phone rang from the bedside stand, breaking the silence. H
The morning wind had been dry and bitter.Kc stood at the lip of the helicopter pad, the blade he'd honed now sheathed at his back. His team stood beside him—Ty, Reina, Dax—battle-hardened, quiet, clad in armor from head to toe. This wasn't a mission like any other. This was the endgame.Valeria stood at his side, her eyes blazing with determination. She was dressed in tactical equipment fitted to her body, streamlined and quiet, a pistol at her hip, and a knife in her boot."You ready?" Kc asked without turning to look at her.Valeria nodded. "I've been ready since the day he tried to kill us.""No," Kc turned to her, his eyes sweeping hers. "I mean really ready. For what we might find."You mean… what's left of him?" she breathed.He paused. "There's part of me that wants him dead. Just a body to tell the nightmare is over. But if he lives—if he's changed—we can't risk pause."Valeria came forward, her voice barely above a whisper. "Then let's make the nightmare end tonight.The hel
The sun was barely rising, throwing a pale gold over the tops of the sea. The island still showed the wounds from last night's war—charred leaves, discarded shell casings littering the ground like abandoned tales. But in the small wooden hut under the cliffs, Kc and Valeria huddled in the quiet of survival.Valeria shifted, wrapped in the sheets, her head on Kc's chest. She felt the slow thud of his heart, powerful and unyielding, like a promise. The cuts on his body were a chart of all the fights they had engaged in—together."Couldn't sleep?" she whispered, her throat dry."I did," Kc replied, running his fingers through her hair. "But every time I closed my eyes, I was seeing you bleeding again. I was seeing him smiling through the fire."Valeria's fists gripped the blanket's edge. "He's dead. You saw that yourself.""Ah," Kc growled. "And yet. something inside me refuses to let me rest."She leaned up and eyed him, her eyebrows creased. "You think he's alive Kc?""I do not know. M
MEANTIME.The acrid smell of smoke hung over everything, flavored with ash and copper.Buried under the fallen beams and broken glass of the compound they had believed was reduced to rubble, a body moved.Coughing. Gasping. Shrouded in blood but alive.Sebastian's eyelashes fluttered up, visible only under a layer of dirt and smoke. Every bone in his frame rebelled, every muscle twisting with agony—but he lived. Somehow. Lived.He tried to voice a word, but a harsh croaking emerged from his lips.Then—a figure. Lean, set in shadows, moving across the smoldering detritus like a specter."Bad luck," the man panted, kneeling beside Sebastian's broken form.Sebastian's gaze went icy. "Who…""I'm Lazarus," the man replied with a twisted grin. "And I rather think we have an enemy in common."Sebastian spat blood. "They think I'm dead."Lazarus drew closer to him, voice frosty and distant. "Let them. It's best.""Why. help me?" Sebastian snarled, agony tightening each word."Because, Sebasti
The tempest raging outside had vanished, but the tempest raging within them had just begun to cease.In the faint light of the little room, bandages swathed and guns lying next to the bed, Kc and Valeria were entwined in each other's arms. The smell of rain, smoke, and salt still clung to their skin. Her slow hands caressed the reddening bruises on his ribs, his hand on the nape of her neck as if she would disappear if he released it.They both understood each other's mind without a word. There was no space between them for secrets, fear, or doubt anymore. Only common breaths in silence and heartbeats keeping time neither of them wanted to spend without.Valeria looked up at him with thick lashes, her voice barely above a whisper. "You still shake."Kc's jaw clenched, but he spoke the truth. "I still see it… the fire, your scream, the way you fell. I see it every time I blink."Her lips grazed the curve of his throat. "And I see you bleeding. Holding me like the world could end and yo
Batting her hand away he moved down and began to flicker his tongue upon her clit. This had the effect of making her moan louder and move to get her sensitive clit deeper onto his tongue. Pleased that it worked, He moved away and let her pleasure subside."No! Don't stop! Please, Kc!""Did you want more?" he asked already knowing her response.Her eyes widened at the response. It was unbelievable to her. Didn't he know how good he made her feel?"Yes! Yes! Of course, you wonderful fool!"Smiling, he crawled over her and kissed her deeply. At first she was somewhat reluctant but then melted into him. Her love for him reached out and embraced his passionate fire. She reached around him with her arms and pulled him to her, their hot skins touching.As she pulled him closer to her, Kc positioned his cock into her wet cunt. It was so slippery only his tip entered her. Valeria didn't respond at first but softly moaned and kissed him deeper as he began to enter her. Deeper and deeper we went
"Give it to me! Please...I want it but please be gentle." "I will no worries," Kc had to admit he wanted her too. Nothing would satisfy him more than plunging deep into her. Feeling every sweet drop of her wetness on his skin and to also feel her warm silken folds wrapping him and welcoming his presence. But his ultimate goal was to lavish her with an abundance of foreplay before the consummation of their mutual love. Torn by the conflict between his loving heart and his wanton lust he decided to compromise."Ok. But just a little bit. You don't want to spoil your appetite."Adjusting his position over her, Kc placed his cock between her moist pussy lips. Its hot tip parted her skin and delved into its silky wetness. Her breath came in short gasps as she felt every inch of his hard manhood slide into her. Deeper and deeper he plunged. The warm satisfying embrace of her sweet womanhood was like paradise to him. It seemed that the ecstasy would never end. Then his long shaft stopped a
Valeria sat upon the edge of the bed and positioned Kc between her open legs. She could already see the large bulge protruding through his pants. It was hard to miss being level with her head. Rubbing it with her hands she could feel the long length of his shaft. It was warm and stiff. Each glide of her hand brought deep stirring sounds from her lover's lips. His deep moans touched her deep inside. She hoped she could give him as much as he had been giving her.Finding his pants button, she pulled it open and pulled his pants down. She could not help but hurry. Her lust was a wanton beast craving its meal. His hard cock strained against his underwear. It looked almost comical being too large to fit inside them. She tucked her fingers into his waistband and firmly holding it tugged them down.The sight of it was awe-inspiring. His large thick cock bobbed free of its prison. It stood proudly before her, warm and inviting. She stroked its shaft in long smooth glides. His skin was hot. She
"I love you"Valeria utteredKc gazed into her eyes and responded, "I love you too."He leaned forward and kissed her passionately. Their lips met, she raised herself on her arms and pulled him tighter. Their flames fueled by the embrace, Kc decided to advance his passion. His tongue pierced through her mouth looking for its match, to discover it in turn. For eternal, wonderful moments they remained so clasped together. Only the pulsing of their hearts counted in their eternal universe.Valeria withdrew from Kc in a flash. She stood panting and backed away from him. Her breath was struggling to catch up with her. She gazed intensely into his wondering eyes. His watery, soft eyes were rich and dark like good brandy. She was losing herself in his stare. She moved her face aside bashfully."I don't believe what you do to me. No one ever did these things to me before."KC leaned forward and tilted her chin towards him. He stared intensely into her eyes. Valeria seemed to shiver in his han
MEANWHILE | UNKNOWN LOCATIONSebastian's breathing was rasps.He was taped to an infirmary bed, veins punctured with IVs, chest stitched in coarse layers under industrial lights that hummed like flies.The stranger—Lazarus—stood in the corner, arms crossed."You're healing faster than I expected."Sebastian's one good eye slashed at him. "They think I'm dead."Lazarus waved his hand. "Yes. Let them. Let them mourn, let them love, let them forget how frightened they were."Sebastian snarled in his voice. "And then we take it all.""No." Lazarus's smile was cold. "You take it all. I'm just the man who'll get you there."Sebastian's fingers trembled. "Kc Page… that bastard stole my ability."Lazarus stepped forward. "And now you steal his peace. But this time, we don't break in from the outside. This time… we rip them from the inside out."BACK IN THE SAFEHOUSE | NIGHTFALLKc slept next to Valeria, observing the rise and fall of her chest. The storm had passed by outside. There was quiet.