NEON HEARTBEATS: His To Protect

CHAPTER FOUR

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*CHAPTER FOUR *

*46:10:00*

The safehouse door blew open before Marcus could reach it.

Two guns up.

Two voices.

"Lila!"

"Get down!"

Lila froze.

Marcus was already moving.

Gun drawn.

Body in front of her.

And then he stopped.

Damian Vex. 34.

Same dark hair as Lila. Same eyes.

But 14 years of running Vex Corp’s dirty work carved into him.

And behind him: Ava Reyes. 25.

Knife in her hand. Calm. The one who actually pulled the trigger on their father’s takedown.

"Drop the gun," Damian said.

His voice was steel.

"Damian," Lila said. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving you," Damian said.

Then his eyes cut to Marcus.

And went ice cold.

"What the hell is HE doing here?"

Marcus didn’t lower the gun.

"Protecting her."

"Bullshit."

Damian stepped in. "You’re the reason she’s in danger.

You’re the one they hired first."

"And I’m the one who stopped the first team," Marcus shot back.

"Where were you?"

"London," Ava said quietly. "."

Her eyes flicked to Marcus. No warmth.

"We got the call an hour ago.

The board’s not just after Lila.

They’re after all of us."

The room went silent.

Lila looked between them.

Her brother.

Her partner-in-crime.

Her... problem.

"Come in," she said. "Before someone calls the cops."

Damian and Ava stepped inside.

Marcus shut the door. Locked it. Set traps.

Then the staring contest began.

"Explain," Marcus said.

Damian ran a hand through his hair.

"The board called an emergency meeting.

They voted to dissolve Vex Corp.

Sell it off.

Erase the Vex name."

"Why?" Lila asked.

"Because Dad’s still talking," Ava said.

"From prison. He’s telling them to burn it all.

If he can’t have it, no one can."

Marcus swore under his breath.

"They sent Adrian Cole to negotiate," Lila said.

"Marcus choked him out."

Damian looked at Marcus.

"You always were a psycho."

"And you always left her exposed," Marcus replied.

"For four years."

"I didn’t leave her," Damian snapped.

"Ava and I were dismantling Dad’s network.

Someone had to."

"While I was the one pulling knives out of her."

"ENOUGH."

Lila’s voice cracked.

Everyone shut up.

Ava hugged Lila first. Hard.

"Sorry we weren’t faster."

"It’s okay," Lila said.

But her eyes were on Marcus.

Damian caught it.

Of course he did.

His gaze snapped to Marcus.

"So. You’re back."

"Temporarily," Marcus said. Flat.

"Until the contract is void."

"Right."

Damian didn’t believe him.

Ava pulled up a tablet.

"Victor Hale. Chairman. Geneva tonight.

He’s the one signing the checks."

Marcus was already loading magazines.

"Then we cut the head off."

"I’m coming," Damian said.

"No," Marcus said.

"Lila and I go in.

You two cover exits."

"The hell we are," Damian said.

"I’m not letting you take my sister into a kill box alone."

"You don’t get a say," Marcus said.

"Because I’m not letting her out of my sight."

The possessiveness dripped from his voice.

Damian bristled.

"Watch your tone with me, Blackwood."

"Or what?"

Marcus stepped forward.

"Gonna fire me?

Too late. I quit four years ago."

Lila stepped between them.

"Stop.

Both of you.

We have 46 hours."

Ava put a hand on Damian’s chest.

"Later," she murmured.

Then to Marcus: "Fine.

But if anything happens to her—"

"It won’t," Marcus cut her off.

"Because she’s my responsibility."

He said it like a wall.

Like a contract.

Nothing more.

Damian’s jaw ticked.

"Let’s go."

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*PRIVATE JET TO GENEVA | 45:30:00*

Four hours.

Tension thick enough to cut.

Damian and Ava in back, planning.

Marcus and Lila in front.

Silence.

Until Lila broke.

"What you said," she whispered.

"That I’m yours."

Marcus didn’t look at her.

"Figure of speech."

Lila stared at him.

"Don’t."

"Don’t what?"

"Lie."

Marcus finally turned to her.

Eyes dark. Guarded.

"I don’t lie, Lila.

I’m your bodyguard.

My job is to keep you alive for 48 hours.

That’s it."

"Then why did you say it?"

"Because Damian needed to hear it."

His voice was cold.

"To keep him off your back.

To keep him from getting in the way."

Lila felt something crack.

"So it meant nothing."

Marcus held her gaze.

"Nothing."

He let go of the armrest.

Leaned back.

Closed his eyes.

Behind them, Ava watched.

She didn’t say anything.

But she saw the way Marcus’s hand was shaking.

Damian saw it too.

And said nothing.

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*GENEVA | 44:00:00*

Victor Hale’s penthouse.

Glass. Money. Arrogance.

Marcus went in first.

Gun to Hale’s head in 8 seconds.

"Call it off," Marcus said.

Hale smiled. "No."

Lila stepped in.

Phone out.

Pressed send.

Leaked everything.

Hale went pale.

"Police are coming," Ava said from the hall.

As they left, Marcus’s hand hovered at Lila’s back.

Didn’t touch.

Professional only.

Damian watched.

Didn’t say a word.

In the car, Lila stared out the window.

Marcus stared at the road.

*44:00:00* on the timer.

No one mentioned the word "mine" again.

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