Dangerously His

Chapter 7 — Shadows in the Night

The city glittered below like a river of gold, but Amara couldn’t enjoy it. Her pulse thumped in her ears, every instinct screaming that danger was near.

She had survived Elena’s trap earlier, but something felt… different tonight. The penthouse, usually her sanctuary after a day of tests, now seemed like a cage.

Lucas’s absence weighed on her. He had meetings across the city, leaving her alone. Alone… in his empire. Alone… with threats lurking in the shadows.

A faint click echoed from the balcony.

Amara froze. Her mind raced. The balcony door had been locked, but now… someone was out there.

Before she could react, the lights flickered and went out, plunging the penthouse into darkness.

“Lucas?” Her voice trembled, though she tried to mask it.

No answer.

Then the sound of shattering glass—something heavy hit the floor behind her. Her back pressed against the wall as her heart slammed.

A shadow moved. Fast. Calculated. Dangerous.

And then, a hand grabbed her wrist, twisting it sharply.

“Stay still.” A low, menacing voice whispered.

Amara’s mind raced. She had faced threats before, but this… this was personal.

Suddenly, Lucas’s voice cut through the darkness, calm but deadly: “Let her go. Now.”

The shadow hesitated. Too late. Lucas moved faster than she thought possible. Within seconds, he was in front of her, body blocking hers, gun drawn, eyes blazing like a predator.

Amara pressed herself against him instinctively, heart hammering, chest tight against his. The danger was real—but so was the electric tension. Every movement, every breath, every touch made her pulse spike.

The intruder—a masked figure—lunged at Lucas. Shots rang out. The penthouse erupted in chaos.

Amara ducked instinctively behind a marble column, clutching herself. Her mind screamed panic, but another part—something she hated to admit—thrilled at the danger, the intensity, the raw power of Lucas protecting her.

After a tense few minutes, the intruder fled, disappearing into the night, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

Lucas turned to her, eyes dark, chest heaving. “Are you hurt?”

Amara shook her head, words caught in her throat.

His gaze softened for the briefest moment, lingering over her trembling frame. “You need to be careful,” he said quietly, voice low, intense. “In my world… curiosity and courage can get you killed. But…” His fingers brushed her hair back from her face, just for a heartbeat. “…you’re stronger than I thought.”

Amara’s chest tightened. Stronger than she thought… for him. For herself.

The lights flickered back on, but the penthouse didn’t feel safer. The threat was still out there. Elena, the shadowy intruder, or someone else… it didn’t matter. Tonight had proven one thing: in Lucas Reed’s world, danger was constant—and Amara was in the center of it.

Her body was still pressed against him, and she realized something terrifying: she didn’t want to move away.

Seven days. That was all she had.

Seven days to survive Elena, survive enemies, survive Lucas’s deadly world…

And maybe, just maybe, seven days to survive the feelings Lucas was making her feel—a dangerous, thrilling, and forbidden attraction she could neither fight nor ignore.