CHAPTER 5: THE FIRST REPORT
1121 Words
Selene moved through the city like every step might be her last. Neon lights splashed off wet pavement, painting everything with that weird mix of beauty and threat. She hugged her camera bag to her chest, knowing what she’d just captured their faces, their shipments, their secrets was proof of her guts and, maybe, just a little bit of madness.
Lucian hadn’t bothered telling her when to check back in, so she spent the whole walk to the club feeling the nerves twist inside her. That sharp anticipation waiting for him was worse than any danger. She hated herself for feeling anything about him, hated the flutter in her chest.
She slipped inside through the back, avoiding the noisy main floor, letting herself fade into a patch of shadow. The mix of whiskey and expensive cologne hung heavy in the air. Then she saw him.
Lucian DeLuca stood waiting, looking like he belonged there like he owned the place. His gaze hit her, all dark and intense. He didn’t say a word at first, but somehow he made her feel exposed, like he could see everything she’d tried to hide. She clenched her teeth and tried to hold on to some piece of control.
“You’re back,” Lucian said, low and smooth, dangerous as ever. “Still breathing. That’s a good sign.”
Her fingers tightened on the bag. “I got the job done.” She forced her voice steady, even as her heart hammered.
He curved his lips into something like a smile. “You have no idea how rare that is, hearing those words in my business.”
She kept it flat. “I know. Trust me, I know.” She refused to sound scared.
He closed the distance, and Selene felt the heat building again intense, impossible to ignore. “Let me see.”
She set the bag on the table and unzipped it. Camera, photos, all her evidence spread out, each shot sharp and clear: faces, shipments proof of everything. Lucian leaned in, eyes raking over each image with careful attention.
“Impressive,” he murmured. “You got everything.”
Selene squared her shoulders. Pride bubbled up despite herself. “There couldn’t be mistakes. One screw-up and…”
“you’d be dead?” Lucian finished for her, his voice a little teasing, his gaze holding hers like a challenge. “You made it anyway. That says something.”
She tried to focus on the photos, but his eyes wouldn’t let her go. “I survived,” she said again, the words tasting like grit.
Lucian’s expression softened for a split second, enough to make her stomach knot. “You’ll survive again. I’ll make sure of it.”
Her grip on the camera strap tightened. Everything between them burned tension so thick it almost hurt. She hated it, but she couldn’t fight it, either.
Lucian leaned closer, voice low enough to make her shiver. “Tell me everything,” he commanded. His scent wrapped around her—sandalwood and threat, and maybe something she wanted, against her better judgment.
She swallowed. “They’re moving a shipment tomorrow night. Electronics, cash, plus something off-the-books. I caught the men in charge, the entry points, times. It’s all here.”
His eyes flicked from her face to the photos. He nodded. “Well done.”
She should’ve felt proud. Part of her did but the way his words lingered, the way he looked at her, made her feel exposed. She hated the heat rising in her chest.
He lowered his voice, almost intimate. “You know what’s at stake. If you screw this up, I won’t go easy on you.”
Her pulse rattled. She nodded. “I get it.”
“Good.” He stepped away just a bit, but the intensity didn’t leave. He was like a storm bottled up inside a man, one she dreaded but couldn’t shake. “Keep going like this and maybe just maybe you’ll earn my trust.”
Selene raised an eyebrow. “Earn your trust?” She tried to sound unimpressed, but something twisted in her.
Lucian’s smile was pure trouble. “Trust isn’t free here. Neither is forgiveness.”
The quiet between them felt heavy. Selene forced herself to focus on the plan, the danger, anything except the way he made her feel.
“You’re reckless,” he snapped suddenly, the words rough. “You know that?”
“I’m careful,” she shot back, even though his gaze set her on edge. “I know what I’m doing.”
He leveled another look at her, sharp enough to cut. “Careful isn’t clever. Clever gets noticed and noticed people usually end up in trouble.”
His words made her burn, but not in the way they should. It wasn’t just what he said it was how he said it. She wanted to curse him for that.
She pushed back, almost daring him. “And you? Careful?”
He let his smile twist. “Me? Careful’s a luxury I can’t afford. But I am precise.”
That word. It sent a shiver through her dangerous, exact, everything she’d tried to avoid and everything she couldn’t stop wanting.
Lucian closed in, just a breath away. His whisper was pure temptation and threat. “I want you to succeed. But don’t forget my attention isn’t free. One mistake, and you’ll have more than the gangs to fear.”
She shivered, not just from nerves, not only from fear. “I’ll be careful,” she whispered.
He smirked. “That’s what I like.”
For a heartbeat, they were inches apart, the air thick enough to choke. She wanted to step away. She wanted to fight it. She didn’t.
Lucian finally pulled back, breaking the spell. The room felt colder but the pull didn’t fade. Electric, undeniable.
He snapped back into command mode. “Report tomorrow night. And Selene..”
She didn’t trust her voice not to tremble. “Yeah?”
“Stay alive. I don’t like losing people who catch my eye.”
Her chest clenched at that word intrigue. Dangerous as hell. She wanted to deny it, to pretend she didn’t care, but she couldn’t. And deep down, she knew this was just the start of the job, of the twisted game they were playing, of everything between them that felt both thrilling and terrifying.
She left the club, feeling the darkness pressing close: rival gangs, impossible choices, and that man who hovered between torment and protection. Survival meant everything now. She’d have to fight for it, dig deep into her courage. Maybe even risk more than she wanted to admit.
But backing down? Not Selene. Not now, not ever.
- Writer
