The streets whispered of war.
Every deal.
Every glance.
Every shadow.
It all smelled like betrayal.
Kyler and I knew Dimitri was close—closer than ever.
But we didn't know just how close…
Until the first body dropped.
And it wasn't a stranger.
It was Leo—one of Kyler's oldest guards.
Shot in the back.
A message pinned to his chest:
"You crowned a queen.
Let's see how long she rules."
—D.S.
I couldn't breathe when I read it.
Because that wasn't a warning.
That was a declaration.
He wasn't just coming for Kyler anymore.
He was coming for me.
Kyler locked down everything.
More guards. More guns. More silence.
But I saw the fear in his eyes.
Not for himself.
For me.
"I'll kill him," he whispered. "I swear to God, Ash. I'll bury him so deep no one will remember his name."
"I don't want you to kill him for me," I said.
"I have to."
"No," I whispered. "You have to live for me."
He froze.
That broke him more than any bullet could.
Because loving someone like Kyler isn't about saving him from death.
It's saving him from becoming death.
The next night, I went to the graveyard.
Leo's grave.
I stood alone.
No guards.
No Kyler.
Just me and the dirt and the cold.
And then I heard footsteps behind me.
Dimitri.
I knew before I turned.
He didn't wear a mask.
Didn't bring a gun.
Just a smile full of venom.
"You're bolder than I thought," he said.
"And you're smaller than I imagined," I replied.
He smirked.
"You think being Kyler's little toy makes you untouchable?"
"No," I said. "But being me does."
He stepped closer.
"You've got fire. But fire dies when it runs out of oxygen. And I'll be that silence."
He leaned in, close.
"Run now, little queen. Because I'm not here to play anymore."
I didn't run.
I didn't scream.
I stared at him.
And said, "Good. I've never liked games."
He walked away.
But the threat stayed.
Heavy in the air.
When Kyler found out, he nearly tore the house apart.
"You faced him alone?! Are you insane?"
"Yes," I said. "But I'm still here."
He grabbed my face.
Desperate.
Raw.
"If I lose you—"
"You won't."
"You don't know that."
I pulled him close.
Pressed our foreheads together.
"Then let's make sure he loses first."