A Dangerous Proposition
954 Words
The private dining room went quiet when Damien set his phone on the table. For a moment he didn’t move. He replayed Lucas’s words in his head.
Blackwood International was built on control, loyalty, and scrutiny. Every senior hire was vetted. Every department was watched. The idea that someone inside his own company had funded an attack on Aria should have been impossible.
And yet.
Across from him, Aria caught the shift in his face. She’d known him less than a day, but she’d already learned he didn’t show much. If something had gotten under his skin, it was serious.
“What happened?” she asked.
He chose his words. “One of the men who attacked you has been identified.”
Her fingers tightened around her water glass. “Did the police catch him?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know who he is?”
“I have people looking into it.”
She nodded. That tracked. A man like Damien had resources most people didn’t.
“Who hired them?”
He met her eyes. “We don’t know yet.”
It wasn’t the whole truth. Until Lucas confirmed it, he wasn’t going to tell her the payment traced back to Blackwood International. Saying it now would only raise more questions than he could answer.
The waiter arrived with their food. The conversation paused, but neither of them ate right away.
“You should eat,” Damien said. “You haven’t since breakfast.”
Aria gave him a small smile. “You’ve been paying attention.”
“I notice things.”
“Clearly.”
She took a few bites, but her appetite was gone. She set her fork down. “Can I ask you something?”
“You’ve asked that a few times tonight.”
“And you’ve answered most of them.”
“Go ahead.”
She hesitated. “Why do I feel like you’re protecting me from more than those men?”
His hand stopped halfway to his coffee. “What makes you say that?”
“Because every time I ask about the attack, you’re careful. Like you’re deciding what I should know.”
She wasn’t wrong.
He respected how sharp she was, even when it made this harder. “I’m trying not to assume.”
“Or you’re trying not to tell me the truth.”
Silence settled between them.
He exhaled. “The truth is, I don’t have enough answers yet.”
She studied him. She still thought he was holding back. But it didn’t feel like deception. It felt like someone trying to shield her until he was sure it was safe.
For reasons she couldn’t name, that made it hard to stay upset.
After dinner, he drove her home. Her building sat on a narrow, dim street. Shops were shuttering for the night. A few streetlights buzzed overhead.
Damien looked at the building, then at her. “You live here alone?”
She nodded. “My grandmother died two years ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“So am I.” She smiled, small and sad. “She was all the family I had.”
He scanned the street. Poor lighting. Blind corners. Too many places to hide.
“This isn’t safe.”
She laughed softly. “I’ve been here for years.”
“You were attacked tonight.”
“That doesn’t mean they’ll come here.”
“It means they know where to find you.”
The smile dropped from her face.
She hadn’t thought of that.
“I can’t just leave,” she said. “Everything I own is upstairs.”
“I’m not asking you to leave for good.”
She frowned. “Then what?”
“Stay somewhere secure until we know who’s behind this.”
Her eyes widened. “A hotel?”
“My house.”
She stared. “Your house?”
“It’s secure. Few people know where it is.”
She shook her head immediately. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because we barely know each other.”
“That’s true.”
“And people will talk.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do.”
She took a breath. “Damien, I appreciate everything you’ve done today. I do. But moving into your home after knowing you for less than twenty-four hours is a bad idea.”
He couldn’t argue with that. If he were her, he’d say the same.
Before he could reply, her phone rang.
*Mr. Benson. Her landlord.*
“Hello?”
His voice was nervous. “Miss Stone… I’m sorry.”
Her stomach tightened. “Sorry about what?”
“Two men were here earlier. Asking about you.”
She glanced at Damien. “What did they want?”
“Details. I said you weren’t home.”
“They weren’t pleased.”
A pause.
“They paid six months’ rent. Up front.”
She blinked. “What?”
“They said if you came back tonight, I should give you a message.”
Her grip on the phone tightened. “What message?”
He swallowed. “‘Tell Aria Stone she can keep running, but eventually she’ll remember who she really is.’”
The line went dead.
Aria stared at the black screen.
She looked up at Damien, and for the first time since they met, fear was written plain on her face. “I never told anyone where I lived.”
Damien’s expression went cold. “They found you anyway.”
He opened the passenger door again. His voice was calm, but there was no room for debate.
“This isn’t a request anymore.”
“You’re coming with me.”
This time…
Aria didn’t say no.
- Writer
