Chapter Six: Marked
The second Ava saw the message, she froze.
> "Leave him… or you won't make it to Chapter 7."
It was a sick joke. But it didn't feel like one.
She spun around. The dark car was gone.
Her pulse thundered in her ears as she walked faster, then ran. By the time she slammed the door of her apartment behind her, her lungs were burning. She checked her locks twice. Then again.
The phone was still in her hand.
Her fingers trembled as she typed:
Ava: I got another message. They know where I live.
The reply came instantly.
Damon: Where are you?
Ava: Home.
Damon: Pack a bag. You're not staying there tonight.
---
❖ In His Penthouse
Damon's penthouse was a fortress—floor-to-ceiling glass, biometric locks, private security on every level. She'd only been there once, briefly, during a logistics drop. Now she was moving in like some fragile asset under threat.
"This isn't necessary," Ava insisted as he shut the door behind her.
His eyes cut to her. "They found your apartment. That means they're watching you. You think they care if you're comfortable?"
Her stomach twisted. "So what—this is just a cage with better furniture?"
"No," he said. "This is a shield. And I am the wall between you and everyone who wants to harm you."
---
❖ The First Real Crack
That night, after a silent dinner and awkward pacing, Ava finally cornered him in the living room.
"Why me, Damon?"
He glanced up from his drink. "What do you mean?"
"This isn't just business anymore. It's personal. You could've fired me. Distanced yourself. But you didn't. Why?"
He didn't answer right away. Just stared into his glass like it held answers.
Then he said quietly, "Because you don't flinch when you look at me."
"What?"
"You see me. The real me. You're not afraid… even when you should be."
She sat beside him. "Maybe I am. I'm just too stubborn to show it."
His voice was low. "Don't hide it from me. I don't want a doll. I want a woman who stands her ground—even if that means standing against me."
The air thickened between them. Heavy with truth. And tension.
---
❖ The Spark
Ava turned to him, barely whispering. "You don't make sense. You're cruel, demanding, impossible—and yet…"
"And yet?" he asked, voice rough.
"And yet when I'm near you, I forget how to breathe."
That was all it took.
He leaned in—slow, deliberate, giving her a second to back away. She didn't.
Their lips met—fierce, claiming, devastating.
It wasn't a kiss.
It was a war.
And Ava knew she'd already lost.
---
❖ Chapter Ending Hook
Later that night, wrapped in silence and tangled sheets, Damon whispered against her temple:
"If they come for you again… I'll burn the city to the ground."
And for the first time, Ava believed him.