Chapter 13 — Back To Hell
1092 Words
The private jet landed in London just before dawn.
Adaeze stared silently out the window as rain slid down the glass.
London.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Everything looked the same.
The gray skies.
The cold streets.
The city lights reflecting against wet roads like ghosts she never escaped.
She hated how quickly the memories returned.
Richard’s apartment.
The screaming.
The fear.
The blood.
“Adaeze.”
Damien’s voice pulled her back slowly.
She turned toward him.
He had been watching her for the last ten minutes.
Studying her.
Again.
“You disappeared into your head.”
She looked away quickly. “I’m fine.”
“You say that too often.”
Because people stopped asking if she was fine years ago.
Damien stood from his seat smoothly.
“We’re leaving.”
Outside the jet, black SUVs already waited beside armed security.
Of course they did.
Everything around Damien looked like power wrapped in violence.
The cold London air hit Adaeze instantly as she stepped outside.
Her stomach twisted harder.
She shouldn’t have come back here.
A guard approached Damien quickly.
“Sir. The hotel perimeter is secured.”
Damien nodded once.
“And the station list?”
“We narrowed it down to four possible locations.”
Adaeze’s pulse quickened immediately.
Four stations.
Four places hiding the thing powerful men were killing for.
Damien opened the SUV door for her.
The gesture surprised her.
Again.
Because for someone so terrifying, Damien kept doing strangely gentle things.
She slid inside silently.
Damien entered after her.
And instantly the atmosphere inside the car became too small.
Too intimate.
Especially when his thigh brushed against hers slightly.
Adaeze shifted subtly away.
Damien noticed.
Of course he did.
“You’re nervous.”
“I’m in the city where my life got destroyed.”
His expression darkened slightly.
“No,” he corrected quietly. “You survived here.”
The words hit her unexpectedly deep.
She looked out the window quickly before he noticed.
Too late.
He always noticed.
The convoy moved through London streets smoothly.
Adaeze’s heart became heavier with every familiar building they passed.
Then suddenly—
She froze.
“Oh my God.”
Damien’s eyes sharpened instantly.
“What?”
She pointed shakily outside the window.
A café.
Small.
Warm lights glowing behind the glass.
“It’s still there.”
Damien followed her gaze silently.
“What is it?”
Adaeze swallowed hard.
“I used to hide there after Richard and I fought.”
The confession made the atmosphere shift instantly.
Damien looked back toward the café again.
Longer this time.
Like he was memorizing it.
As if every place connected to her pain personally offended him.
Then quietly—
“Did he hurt you there too?”
The question stunned her slightly.
Because of the softness in his voice.
“No.”
A pause.
“The owner used to give me tea for free because she knew something was wrong.”
Damien’s jaw tightened subtly.
But before either of them could continue—
One of the security phones rang.
The guard in front answered quickly.
Then turned pale.
“Sir.”
Damien’s expression hardened immediately.
“What?”
“We lost contact with the Lagos team.”
Fear exploded inside Adaeze’s chest instantly.
“Chike.”
The guard continued nervously.
“The safe house was attacked.”
Everything inside Adaeze stopped.
“No.”
Damien grabbed the phone immediately.
“What happened?”
Silence.
Then his face turned deadly.
“How many casualties?”
Adaeze’s breathing became shaky.
Casualties?
Oh God.
Damien listened quietly for another moment before ending the call.
The silence afterward felt horrifying.
“What happened?” Adaeze whispered.
Damien looked at her.
And she already knew the answer before he spoke.
“Chike escaped.”
Relief nearly crushed her instantly.
But Damien’s expression remained dark.
“What’s wrong?”
“He escaped with someone.”
Her stomach twisted.
“Who?”
Damien’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“A woman.”
Confusion flashed across her face.
“What woman?”
“That’s the problem.” His voice lowered dangerously. “Nobody knows.”
The convoy suddenly stopped outside a towering luxury hotel.
Security immediately surrounded the vehicles.
Damien stepped out first before holding out his hand toward her.
Adaeze hesitated briefly before taking it.
Warm fingers wrapped around hers firmly.
Protectively.
The touch lasted longer than necessary.
And somehow neither of them pulled away immediately.
Then cameras flashed suddenly from across the street.
Reporters.
Damien’s entire body hardened instantly.
“Inside. Now.”
Questions exploded everywhere.
“Damien Black!”
“Who is the woman with you?!”
“Is this your new girlfriend?”
“Mr. Black, are the rumors about the Lagos attack true?”
Adaeze’s heart nearly stopped.
Rumors?
How did the media already know?
Damien’s hand tightened around hers as security rushed them inside.
The hotel lobby went silent the moment he entered.
People stared openly.
Fearfully.
Respectfully.
The power surrounding Damien followed him everywhere.
Inside the private elevator, silence filled the space again.
Then suddenly—
Adaeze laughed softly.
Damien looked down at her immediately.
“What’s funny?”
“I think this is officially the worst week of my life.”
To her surprise—
A small laugh escaped him too.
Real.
Deep.
Dangerously attractive.
Adaeze stared at him in shock.
“You actually know how to laugh.”
His eyes darkened slightly.
“Only around you apparently.”
Her heartbeat stumbled.
The elevator suddenly felt too warm.
Too close.
Then the doors opened.
Their hotel suite looked massive.
Luxury dripping from every corner.
But Adaeze barely noticed any of it.
Because standing near the windows—
Was Tunde.
Her blood froze instantly.
“Tunde?”
He turned slowly.
And smiled.
“I was wondering when you’d arrive.”
Damien’s expression became lethal immediately.
“What are you doing here?”
Tunde’s eyes moved lazily toward Adaeze.
Then back to Damien.
“Saving your lives.”
Silence crashed through the suite.
Adaeze frowned. “What?”
Tunde’s smile disappeared completely now.
And for the first time—
He looked genuinely serious.
“Richard isn’t the real problem.”
Damien stepped forward slowly.
“Start talking carefully.”
Tunde inhaled once.
Then said the words that made Adaeze’s blood run cold.
“The people hunting Adaeze aren’t businessmen.”
A pause.
“They’re part of a private organization called The Circle.”
The room became deadly quiet.
Then Tunde looked directly at Adaeze.
And whispered—
“And they’ve wanted you dead for years.”
- Writer
