His Forbidden Obsession

Chapter 5: Midnight

Midnight*

Midnight smelled like salt, rust, and something rotten.

The docks were a graveyard. No boats. No voices. Just fog rolling off the water and the slow creak of wood against water.

Warehouse 17 stood at the very end of the pier. One dirty bulb flickered above the door.

Malia stood across the street. Alone.

Her hands were buried in her hoodie pockets. No phone. No weapon. Nothing Aiden could use against her.

Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears.

_He’s in there._

_He’s hurt because of me._

She took one step. Then another.

The wood of the pier groaned under her shoes.

The warehouse door was open 2 inches. Black inside.

From somewhere deep in there, she heard a cough. Male. Pained.

“Hello?” Her voice sounded small. It echoed.

Footsteps.

*Aiden* stepped into the light first. Jeans. Black shirt. Gun in a holster. No tie. No jacket. He looked like the brother she remembered from 10 years ago.

Behind him: *Monica*. Red dress. Knife on her belt. Lips painted dark. Smiling like she’d been waiting for this.

And in the middle of the concrete floor, tied to a metal chair: *Lorenzo*.

Malia stopped breathing.

His head was down. Dark hair over his face.

Blood on his cheek. On his white shirt. On the floor under him.

One eye was swollen shut, purple and black. His hands were zip-tied behind the chair, wrists raw.

But his chest was moving. Up. Down.

“Lorenzo,” Malia whispered.

His head lifted. Slow. Like it weighed 100 pounds.

When his good eye found her, his whole body jerked.

“No,” he said. His voice was torn. “Malia. No. You weren’t supposed to come.”

Aiden clapped. Once. Twice. Slow.

“How touching,” he said. “The runaway and the traitor. Reunited.”

“You said alone,” Malia said. She didn’t look at Aiden. Only at Lorenzo. “I’m here. Let him go.”

Monica laughed. It bounced off the walls. “Oh sweetie. You really thought this was a trade?”

She walked to Lorenzo and grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking his head back.

He didn’t cry out. He just stared at Malia.

“Look at me,” Monica said to Malia. “This is what happens when you embarrass the family. People bleed.”

“Don’t touch her,” Lorenzo growled. Blood ran from the corner of his mouth. “Touch her and I’ll—”

“You’ll what?” Monica cut him off. She slapped him. “You’re in no position to threaten anyone, perro.”

Aiden stepped between them. “Enough, Monica.”

He turned to Malia. “You have two choices. One: you come home with me. Right now. We do the wedding next week. Damian is waiting.”

“And two?” Malia asked.

“Two: I put a bullet in his head. Right here. Right now.” Aiden pulled his gun out.

Malia’s knees went weak. “And if I come home?”

“Then he walks out of here,” Aiden said. “I don’t care about him. I care about you. And the alliance.”

Lorenzo shook his head, hard. “Don’t. Malia. Don’t do it. He’s lying.”

Aiden hit him. Open palm across the face. Lorenzo’s head snapped to the side.

“Shut up,” Aiden said.

Malia flinched like the hit landed on her.

“Stop,” she said. Her voice cracked. “Please. Stop.”

She took a step forward. The concrete was cold through her shoes.

“I’ll go,” she said. “But only if you let him walk out first. Alive. No one follows him.”

Aiden tilted his head. “Negotiating? That’s new.”

“I learned from you,” Malia said. “You want me. More than you want him dead. So let him go. Then I come with you. No running. No cops.”

For a long second, the only sound was water hitting the pier.

Then Lorenzo laughed. It sounded broken.

“You’re so stupid,” he said to her. “I don’t need you to save me.”

“Yes, you do,” Malia said. Tears were falling now, hot and fast. “You chose me in that alley. You took a bullet for me. Let me choose you now.”

Aiden sighed. “Fine.” He waved to two men in the corner. “Untie him. But the second he runs, I shoot her in the leg. Understand?”

They moved. Cut the zip ties. Lorenzo groaned. He was too weak to stand. One of the men hauled him up.

“Go,” Aiden said. He pointed at the door. “Front exit. Walk. Don’t look back. Don’t talk.”

Lorenzo swayed. He looked at Malia.

“I’m not leaving you,” he said.

“You have to,” Malia whispered. “Please. For me. Live.”

Lorenzo closed his good eye. When he opened it, he nodded once.

He took one step. Then another. Limping. Bleeding.

At the door, he paused. Didn’t turn around.

“Malia,” he said.

“Go,” she said.

The door closed behind him.

The silence was worse than the gunshots.

Aiden turned to her. “Proud of yourself?”

Malia wiped her face with her sleeve. “Can we go now?”

Monica moved before anyone could stop her.

The slap cracked across Malia’s face. Her head snapped to the side. Her cheek burned.

“That’s for making me look like a fool in front of Don Cole,” Monica hissed. “That’s for choosing him over us.”

Aiden grabbed Monica’s wrist mid-air. “That’s enough.”

He looked at Malia. There was something like regret in his eyes. Gone in a second.

“Car’s outside,” he said. “Let’s go home, hermanita.”

They walked out. 3 men in front. Aiden beside her. Monica behind.

The fog was thicker outside. It clung to her skin.

A black SUV was idling at the end of the pier. Engine running. Driver waiting.

And leaning against the hood, bleeding through his shirt, gun in his hand: *Lorenzo*.

He didn’t leave.

“Get in the car,” Aiden said to Malia.

“No,” Lorenzo said. His voice was hoarse but clear.

Aiden stopped walking. “What did you say to me?”

“I said no,” Lorenzo repeated. He raised the gun. It shook in his hand. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”

For half a second, no one moved.

Then hell broke loose.

Gunshots.

Aiden’s men drew. Mateo appeared out of the fog on the left, firing.

Lorenzo fired twice. One of Aiden’s men dropped.

“Down!” Lorenzo yelled. He grabbed Malia and dragged her behind the SUV.

She hit the ground hard. Gravel cut her palms.

“I told you to go,” Malia sobbed. “Why are you here?”

“I don’t take orders well,” Lorenzo said. He was breathing hard. He pressed a hand to her cheek, thumb brushing the red mark from Monica’s slap. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I put you in this.”

“Don’t apologize,” Malia said. She grabbed his shirt. “Just stay with me. Please stay.”

A bullet pinged off the SUV above their heads.

Lorenzo looked at her. Blood was running down his temple. He looked so tired.

“Always,” he said.

He stood up, using the SUV for cover, and started shooting.

Mateo was yelling orders. Aiden was yelling too.

Malia crawled to the front tire and found a gun on the ground. One of the fallen men.

She’d never held one before. Her hands shook.

Lorenzo glanced back and saw it. His eyes widened.

“Malia, no—”

*BANG.*

One of Aiden’s men was running at them. Malia fired.

She missed.

The man raised his gun.

Lorenzo stepped in front of her.

The shot hit him. In the shoulder.

He grunted and went down to one knee.

“LORENZO!” Malia screamed.

She fired again. This time she didn’t miss. The man fell.

Lorenzo looked up at her. Shock. Then something soft.

“You did it,” he whispered.

“Don’t talk,” Malia said. She was crying and trying to press her hand to his shoulder. “Don’t you dare die on me.”

Sirens in the distance. Real ones this time.

Aiden cursed from across the lot. “We’re leaving! Now!”

He and Monica ran to another car and peeled out.

It went quiet. Just sirens and water and Lorenzo’s breathing.

Mateo ran to them. “Boss! Boss, stay with me.”

Lorenzo looked at Malia. He lifted a bloody hand and touched her face.

“You came for me,” he said.

“You came back for me,” Malia whispered. “So we’re even.”

His eyes started to close.

“Don’t,” Malia said. Panic in her voice. “Lorenzo. Look at me. Stay awake.”

“Malia...”

“I’m right here,” she said. She laid her head on his chest, over his heart. It was still beating. “I’m not going anywhere. Not ever again.”

Mateo was on the phone. “Ambulance! Now!”

Lorenzo’s last words before he passed out were barely audible.

“Choose me...”

“I did,” Malia said. “I choose you.”

*TO BE CONTINUED...*

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