SHADOWS AND GUNS
982 Words
Elara barely slept.
When morning came, she felt hollow. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, and her hand flew to it before she even processed the movement.
Unknown Number: You’re still breathing. Good.
Her stomach flipped.
She sat up, running a hand through her tangled hair. She had to get out—clear her head. Maybe if she walked through the city and pretended her life was still normal, it would feel that way.
But just as she threw on a jacket and grabbed her keys, there was a knock at the door.
Her fingers hovered over the handle. The memories from last night came rushing back—the way Aiden had held her against the wall, the weight of his words.
Was it him again?
“Elara.”
His voice cut through the door like a blade.
Her pulse quickened, but she didn’t open it. “Go away.”
“Not happening.”
She tightened her grip on the handle. “You can’t keep showing up here.”
“And you can’t keep pretending this will go away if you ignore it.”
Something in his voice made her chest tighten. It wasn’t anger this time—it was urgency.
“I just need time,” she said, softer now.
“You don’t have time.”
Her stomach knotted. “Why not?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, the door rattled as if he’d leaned against it.
“Elara, open the door.”
She hesitated.
Then the lock clicked.
Her eyes widened. “How the hell—”
Aiden pushed the door open and stepped inside, his expression grim.
“Your locks are pathetic,” he said.
“Are you serious right now?” She shoved at his chest, but he didn’t budge. “You can’t just—”
He caught her wrist mid-swing, and the sudden heat of his grip made her stop.
“Listen to me,” he said. “They know where you live.”
Her stomach sank.
“What are you talking about?” she asked, but her voice was shaky now.
Aiden’s jaw tensed. “You think those messages were a prank? Someone’s watching you. And not just me.”
The weight of his words sank in, and Elara stumbled back a step.
How did he know about the messages?
“You’re insane,” she whispered.
“I wish I was.”
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a crumpled photo. He tossed it onto the counter.
Elara’s breath hitched.
It was a picture of her—walking down the street near her office. She hadn’t even noticed the camera.
Her hands shook as she picked it up. “Who took this?”
Aiden didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped closer, voice low. “Pack a bag. You’re leaving with me.”
She looked up, her anger flaring again. “The hell I am.”
“Elara—”
“No.” She backed away. “I don’t even know you. You break into my home, you manhandle me, and now you’re telling me to just follow you? What kind of i***t do you think I am?”
His eyes darkened. “The kind who’s smart enough to know I’m the only thing keeping you alive right now.”
Elara crossed her arms, trying to hide the tremble in her fingers. “Why should I trust you?”
Aiden stepped closer, and this time, his voice dropped to something almost soft.
“Because I haven’t hurt you.”
The words hung in the air between them, heavy and sharp.
“And I could have,” he added, the edge returning.
Her breath hitched, but she didn’t look away.
“Give me one good reason,” she said, trying to hold steady.
Aiden hesitated—just for a fraction of a second—and she saw it. The crack. The slip in his armor.
“Because if they get to you first, it won’t matter what you believe about me.”
It wasn’t an answer, not really, but the fear in her gut told her it was the truth.
Elara didn’t want to trust him. Everything about Aiden screamed danger, but when she glanced back at the photo, her stomach twisted.
She couldn’t stay here.
“Fine,” she said, grabbing a bag and shoving clothes into it. “But this doesn’t mean I trust you.”
Aiden didn’t smile. “Good.”
Ten minutes later, they were in his car, speeding through the city streets.
Elara clutched her bag in her lap, staring out the window. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“Safe like your apartment? Or safe like a dungeon where you can keep me tied up?”
Aiden’s lips twitched, but his eyes stayed on the road. “If I wanted you tied up, Elara, you wouldn’t be holding that knife right now.”
Her cheeks flamed, and she gritted her teeth. “You’re a real bastard, you know that?”
“And yet, here you are.”
She hated how right he was.
~~~~~~~~~~
They didn’t make it out of the city.
The black SUV pulled up beside them at a stoplight, its tinted windows rolling down just enough for Elara to see the gun.
Aiden slammed on the gas before the first shot rang out.
“Get down!” he barked, shoving her head down as the windows shattered.
Elara screamed as glass rained around her, the car swerving through traffic. Her heart thundered as tires screeched and horns blared, but all she could hear was the pounding in her ears.
Aiden’s voice cut through the chaos. “Stay down and don’t move!”
She didn’t argue.
But as the gunfire stopped and Aiden veered into a side street, she knew one thing for sure—whatever trouble she was in, it wasn’t over.
Not even close.
- Writer
