RUTHLESS DEVOTION

chapter two

Adrian Cross

She wasn’t like the others.

The second I walked into Murphy’s, I felt it. The shift. The quiet awareness that settled over her like a second skin. Most people pretended they didn’t notice me when I entered a room—some out of fear, others because they thought it was safer that way.

But her?

She noticed. And she didn’t know what to do with it.

Lena.

She stood behind the bar, gripping a glass like it was the only thing keeping her grounded. She didn’t flinch, didn’t cower, didn’t throw herself at me like most women did. Instead, she just… watched. Calculating. Debating.

Fight or flight.

And God, I could see it in her eyes—the war she was having with herself.

I almost wanted to tell her not to bother. That if I wanted her, she wouldn’t be able to outrun me.

But then, where was the fun in that?

Murphy poured my drink, but I wasn’t paying attention. Not really. My focus was on her—the way her dark hoodie swallowed her frame, the way she tried to keep her shoulders squared, like she wasn’t rattled. But she was.

She was trying to disappear.

I took a slow sip of my drink, letting the whiskey burn its way down my throat before setting the glass back on the counter. “You’re new.”

Her eyes snapped up to mine, and for a split second, I saw something there. A flash of something guarded, something raw.

“Been here a couple of weeks,” she said, voice even.

Short. Dismissive.

A challenge.

I smirked. Interesting.

She wasn’t playing the game most people did when they met me. No fake smiles, no mindless small talk. Just distance. Caution. Like she already knew I was dangerous, and she was deciding whether to stay or run.

Smart girl.

Murphy stepped in, vouching for her, saying she was a good worker. That was fine. That was cute. But I wasn’t interested in how well she poured drinks.

I wanted to know why she looked at me like that. Like I was a problem she didn’t want but couldn’t ignore.

I wanted to know what she was running from.

She turned away first, breaking the stare.

A shame. I liked the way she looked at me, even if she didn’t.

I leaned back, dragging my thumb along the rim of my glass as I watched her move behind the bar. Everything about her was controlled, careful. A woman who had spent too much time hiding.

But from what?

Or who?

The thought sent something dark and possessive curling in my chest.

I wasn’t used to people avoiding me. And I sure as hell wasn’t used to women looking at me like I was a decision they had to make.

I wanted to push. Just a little. See what she’d do.

I lifted my glass, took another sip, and smirked. “Interesting.”

She stiffened—just barely. Like she wasn’t sure if I meant her or something else.

And that? That reaction alone told me everything I needed to know.

Lena had secrets.

And now, she had my full attention

I should’ve walked away.

I should’ve finished my drink, thrown some cash on the bar, and forgotten about the girl who didn’t want to be noticed.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I watched her. The way she moved, the way she avoided my gaze like that would make me disappear. Like if she ignored me hard enough, I’d forget she existed.

Cute.

“Need another?” Murphy asked, jerking his chin at my empty glass.

I nodded, but my focus stayed on her.

She was pretending to be busy—wiping the counter, rearranging bottles, anything to look occupied. But her hands were too tight, too precise, like she was forcing herself to stay calm.

I tapped my fingers against the bar. “You always this quiet?”

She stilled for half a second before forcing herself to keep moving. “Depends.”

“On what?”

Her eyes flickered to mine, just for a second. “The company.”

A slow smirk pulled at my lips. Sharp. She wasn’t just avoiding me—she was pushing back.

“Good to know,” I murmured, taking the fresh glass Murphy set down. “Guess I’ll have to work on my charm.”

I expected her to roll her eyes. Maybe even ignore me.

Instead, she turned, grabbed a bottle, and poured a drink for a guy at the end of the bar like she hadn’t heard a damn word I said.

And for some reason, that made me want to grin.

Murphy chuckled under his breath. “Careful with that one,” he muttered. “She’s not looking for trouble.”

Trouble.

That word again.

I dragged my thumb along the rim of my glass. “Who said I was trouble?”

Murphy didn’t answer. He just gave me a look.

I smirked, shaking my head. Fair enough.

But Lena?

She still hadn’t looked at me again.

And that was the first time in a long time I felt something other than boredom.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the bar. Close enough that when she finally turned around, she had no choice but to see me.

“Tell me something,” I said, voice low. “What exactly do you think I am?”

Her grip tightened around the towel in her hands.

Don’t lie to me, Lena.

She knew. She knew I wasn’t some harmless guy grabbing a drink after work. She knew I wasn’t just another face in the crowd.

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. Then, finally, she looked me in the eye.

And said, “I think you’re the reason people leave town without saying goodbye.”

Damn.

Spicy.

I let out a low chuckle, dragging my tongue across my teeth as I studied her.

“Maybe,” I admitted, tilting my head. “But only if they give me a reason.”

For the first time, something flickered behind those guarded eyes.

Not fear.

Something else.

Something curious.

I should’ve let her go. Should’ve let her keep pretending I wasn’t getting under her skin.

But I was never one to walk away from a challenge.

And Lena?

She just became my favorite one yet.