The Safehouse
1247 Words
The rain followed them like a curse.
Aurora gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white as the city lights faded behind them. The windshield wipers moved frantically, barely keeping up with the storm.
Beside her, Damian’s breathing had grown slower.
Too slow.
Her stomach twisted.
“Stay with me,” she said sharply, glancing at him.
His head leaned back against the seat, eyes half-closed.
“I’m awake,” he muttered.
“You don’t sound awake.”
“Just… tired.”
Aurora’s heart hammered harder. People didn’t get tired after being shot.
They passed a row of dark warehouses before Damian lifted a weak hand and pointed.
“Turn there.”
She swung the car onto a narrow gravel road hidden between two abandoned buildings. Branches scraped against the sides of the car as they drove deeper into the darkness.
Finally a small concrete building appeared ahead.
It looked old and forgotten—cracked walls, rusted gate, and vines crawling across the windows.
“This is it?” Aurora asked.
Damian nodded faintly.
Aurora parked the car and rushed around to his side.
The moment she opened the door, his body tipped forward.
“Hey—hey!” she gasped, catching him just before he hit the ground.
He was heavier than she expected, his weight pressing against her as she pulled his arm over her shoulders.
“Come on,” she muttered. “Don’t die on me tonight.”
A weak chuckle left him.
“Bossy.”
“Shut up and walk.”
Step by step, she dragged him toward the door.
Rain soaked through her clothes and hair, but she barely noticed.
She finally managed to get the door open and half-carried him inside.
The safehouse was dimly lit by a single overhead bulb.
It wasn’t luxurious like his mansion—just a simple room with a couch, a table, and a cabinet filled with medical supplies.
Aurora helped him collapse onto the couch.
Blood instantly stained the dark fabric.
Her breath caught.
“Oh my God…”
Damian grabbed her wrist suddenly.
“Focus,” he said quietly.
She forced herself to look at him.
“Medical kit. Cabinet.”
Aurora hurried to the metal cabinet and grabbed the kit from the top shelf.
When she returned, her hands were trembling.
“I’ve never done this before,” she admitted.
His storm-gray eyes softened slightly.
“You’ll manage.”
Aurora swallowed hard and carefully cut open the side of his shirt with the scissors from the kit.
The fabric peeled away.
She froze.
The wound was worse than she expected.
A deep gash tore across his ribs, blood still flowing steadily.
“That looks really bad,” she whispered.
“I’ve had worse.”
“You say that like it’s normal.”
“For me it is.”
Aurora shook her head but grabbed the antiseptic and gauze.
“This is going to hurt.”
“Everything already does.”
She cleaned the wound carefully.
Damian’s muscles tensed beneath her hands, but he didn’t make a sound.
“You’re shaking,” he said quietly.
“I’m digging a bullet out of a billionaire’s body,” she replied. “I think shaking is reasonable.”
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
“You’re doing fine.”
Her chest tightened unexpectedly.
She leaned closer, focusing on the wound.
Finally she found the bullet lodged near the edge of the wound.
“Okay…” she whispered. “I see it.”
Damian braced himself.
Aurora used the tweezers carefully, her breath catching as she pulled the bullet free.
It clinked against the metal tray.
“There,” she said softly.
She quickly cleaned the wound again before wrapping it tightly with gauze.
When she finished, she sat back, exhausted.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
The rain tapped softly against the windows.
Damian watched her quietly.
“You stayed,” he said.
Aurora frowned slightly.
“What?”
“You could have run.”
She let out a quiet laugh.
“You were bleeding out on a warehouse floor.”
“That hasn’t stopped people before.”
The words hung heavily in the air.
Aurora studied his face.
For the first time, she saw the faint shadows beneath his eyes. The tension he always carried.
“You’re used to being alone,” she said softly.
He didn’t answer.
Instead he leaned forward slowly, wincing slightly.
Aurora instinctively reached out to steady him.
Her hand landed against his chest.
Warm.
Solid.
Too close.
Their eyes met.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
Aurora realized how close they were sitting.
Close enough to feel the warmth of his breath.
Close enough to notice the faint stubble along his jaw.
Her heart began to race.
Damian’s gaze darkened slightly as it moved across her face.
“You should stay away from me,” he said quietly.
“Why?”
His voice dropped lower.
“Because men like Viktor don’t stop.”
Aurora didn’t pull her hand away.
“And men like you?”
A dangerous look flickered in his eyes.
“Men like me are worse.”
The words should have scared her.
Instead they sent a strange warmth through her chest.
“You saved me tonight,” she said.
He shook his head.
“You saved yourself.”
“Only because you were there.”
For a moment neither of them moved.
Then Damian reached up slowly and brushed a strand of wet hair from her face.
The touch was gentle.
Unexpectedly gentle.
Aurora’s breath caught.
“Damian…”
His eyes darkened.
“You don’t know what you’re stepping into.”
“Then tell me.”
He stared at her for a long moment.
Like he was fighting something inside himself.
Finally he whispered:
“If you stay near me… people will try to use you.”
Aurora tilted her head slightly.
“They already tried.”
Something dangerous flashed across his face.
“That won’t happen again.”
His voice held a quiet promise.
A terrifying one.
Aurora’s pulse quickened.
“Why?”
The question lingered between them.
Why protect her?
Why risk everything?
Damian’s hand remained lightly against her cheek.
For a second it looked like he might actually answer.
But suddenly—
A sharp beep echoed from the corner of the room.
Both of them froze.
Damian’s expression changed instantly.
Cold.
Alert.
“What was that?” Aurora asked.
He stood slowly despite the pain in his side.
“A security alert.”
Her stomach dropped.
“What does that mean?”
Damian walked to a small screen mounted on the wall and checked it.
His jaw tightened.
“They found us.”
Aurora’s heart skipped.
“How?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
He grabbed a gun from the table and checked the magazine.
Footsteps echoed faintly outside.
More than one person.
Aurora felt fear creep into her chest.
“Damian…”
He looked back at her.
His eyes were calm.
Too calm.
“Stay behind me.”
The front door handle suddenly rattled.
Someone tried to force it open.
Aurora’s pulse exploded with panic.
The handle twisted again.
Then—
A voice called from outside.
Low.
Familiar.
“Damian,” the voice said calmly.
“Open the door.”
Damian’s expression went completely still.
Aurora whispered nervously:
“Who is that?”
Damian’s grip tightened on the gun.
And then he answered quietly:
“Someone even more dangerous than Viktor.”
- Writer
