A DANCE WITH SHADOWS
634 Words
Ava – The Aftermath
Ava hadn't even had time to process what had just happened over dinner when Damien was ushering her out of the restaurant.
The moment they were standing in the dark alley where his car was parked, she yanked her arm from his hold.
"What in the name of the devil was that?" she exclaimed.
Damien's answer was to swing around to face her with a total nonchalance. "That was a test. And you passed.".
Ava laughed a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, so I owe you one? Perhaps pen a thank-you note to Viktor for good measure?"
Damien's smirk never wavered. "You think this is amusing?"
Ava's rage burned. "I think you just made me pretend like I'm part of a room full of criminals—or murder me. So yeah, forgive me if I'm not precisely leaping with joy."
Damien stepped forward, his overwhelming dominance. "That's why you had to be there, Ava. Because this world does not care if you're prepared or not. It does not wait for you to catch up."
Ava swallowed hard, realizing just how close he actually was.
His scent—rich, pricey, potent—clamped over her.
And then, before she could catch up with herself, she shoved him. Hard.
Damien wasn't really budged, but there was the flash of something in his eyes. Amusement.
"You're upset," he said.
“No,” she snapped. “I’m furious.”
His smirk widened. “Good.”
Ava clenched her fists. “I’m not your pawn, Damien.”
His hand reached up, fingers trailing lightly along her jaw.
“No,” he murmured. “You’re my queen.”
A shiver ran down her spine.
Because as much as she hated it…
Part of her wanted to believe him.
---
Lena & Xander – A Meeting with Ghosts
Lena followed Xander into the warehouse, her heart pounding.
The man waiting inside was older, scarred, and dangerous.
But it was his eyes that unsettled her the most—because they were cold, like someone who had seen too much and survived anyway.
“You’ve grown,” the man said, looking at Lena.
She stiffened. “You knew my father.”
The man nodded. “I worked for him before everything went to hell.”
Lena’s hands curled into fists. “Then tell me what really happened.”
Xander stood beside her, silent, watchful.
The man exhaled, running a hand over his face. "Your father and Damien's father—neither of them were businessmen. They were playing a power game. A game of betrayal."
Lena's breath caught. "Who betrayed whom?"
The man's lip curled. "Depending on whom you're talking to."
Lena's head reeled. "Why didn't my father tell me about this?"
The man's eyes tightened. "Because if you'd known the truth, you'd be in danger."
A pause.
And then Xander spoke.
"She's already in trouble."
The man gazed at them both for an incredibly long time. Then, finally, he nodded.
"Then you'd better listen well."
Because what he was going to tell them.
Would change everything.
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Ava & Damien – A Deal in the Dark
Ava sat in Damien's car, night closing in around them.
She was still angry. Still shaken.
But there was something else too.
Curiosity.
"Tell me the truth," she whispered. "What do you really want from me?"
Damien's hands on the steering wheel tightened.
Then, slowly, he turned to her.
"I want control."
Ava's breath stopped. "Of you?"
His eyes burned into hers. "Of everything."
She should have been afraid.
She should have run.
But instead, she drew a breath, "And what if I don't let you?"
Damien's smile was slow, dark, and utterly wicked.
"Then I'll just have to convince you."
And somehow, Ava understood.
That was exactly what he had planned to do.
---
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