Damien pov
She looked away, tears streaming down her face now. The anger had drained out of her, leaving only guilt and confusion.
"I did want it," she admitted finally, her voice breaking. "God help , I wanted you so badly. I still do and that terrifies "
She turned to face , her expression carefully blank. "Just know that was casual sex and it was nothing more."
"You’re lying." I could see it in her eyes. "To or to yourself, I’m not sure. But you’re lying."
"Maybe I am." Her voice went cold. "But I’d rather lie than be stupid enough to fall for you again. Once was enough, thanks."
That landed like a punch to the gut. "I deserved that."
"You deserve worse than that." But her anger was cracking, showing the vulnerability beneath. "Damien, I can’t do this. I can’t let you back in just because we had good sex after a traumatic day. I have to protect myself and Noah."
"I’m not asking you to let all the way in." I took a careful step closer. "I’m just asking you not to shut out completely. Can we at least be honest about what happened? About how we feel?"
"How I feel is confusing." She wrapped her arms around herself. "Years ago, you destroyed . Then you spent months trying to make ands. Yesterday, you gave up everything for Noah. Last night..." She shook her head. "I don’t know what last night was. But I know it can’t happen again."
"Why not?"
"Because I can’t afford to need you!" The words burst out of her. "I spent three years learning to survive without you. Learning to be strong on my own. If I let you in and you hurt again" Her voice broke. "I don’t think I’d survive it twice."
The raw honesty in her voice shattered sothing in ."I won’t hurt you again," I said fiercely. "Aria, I swear to you"
"You can’t promise that." She was crying now, tears streaming down her face. "No one can promise that, and I can’t risk it. I can’t risk Noah losing his father if we try this and it falls apart. I can’t risk my heart breaking again."
I wanted to argue. Wanted to promise her the moon and stars and forever. But she was right. I couldn’t guarantee I wouldn’t hurt her again. I could only promise to try my best.
And she’d learned the hard way that my best wasn’t always good enough.
"Okay," I said quietly. "Okay. Last night was a one-ti thing. We don’t talk about it, we focus on Noah and co-parenting nothing more."
Relief and sothing that looked like disappointnt crossed her face. "Thank you."
She winced as she moved toward the door, one hand bracing against her lower back.
I noticed imdiately. "You’re hurt."
"I’m fine." But her movents were stiff, carefully controlled.
"Aria." I stepped closer. "You’re sore."
Her cheeks flushed. "It’s nothing."
"It’s not nothing." Guilt twisted in my gut. "I was too rough"
"You weren’t." She wouldn’t et my eyes. "I just... it’s been years, and we went... several rounds."
The mory of her begging for more flashed through my mind—her nails in my back, her voice hoarse from screaming my na. "You kept saying don’t stop."
"I know what I said." Her flush deepened.
"Want to run you a bath? I could" I reached for her, but she stepped back.
"Don’t." Her voice cracked. "Don’t be gentle with now. Don’t take care of it makes this harder."
"Or I could give you another taste," I said quietly, watching her eyes dilate despite her protests. "Remind you exactly how many tis you begged not to stop. How you clawed my back and scread for more."
She swallowed hard. "That’s not fair."
"Nothing about this is fair." I took a step closer, watching her body betray her even as she retreated. "But we both know if I touched you right now, you’d let sore or not."
"Stop." But it ca out breathless.
"Tell I’m wrong." I kept my hands to myself, barely. "Tell you don’t want it again."
For a mont, I thought she’d close the distance between us. Then she shook her head, wrapped her arms around herself protectively.
"I can’t do this. I can’t let you back in just because we had good sex..."
"But Aria?" I caught her hand as she moved toward the door. "When you’re ready—if you’re ever ready—I’ll be here. Waiting. For as long as it takes."
She looked at our joined hands, then up at my face. "Don’t wait for , Damien. You’ll be waiting a very long ti."
She pulled free and walked out, closing the door softly behind her.
I stood there in my bedroom, surrounded by the scent of her, the warmth of her still in my bed, and felt the loss all over again.
I’d had her in my arms. Had been inside her, had felt her co apart beneath , had held her while she slept. And I’d still lost her by morning.
My phone buzzed again. Another text, this one from an unknown number.
My blood ran cold.
Did you enjoy your night, brother? I hope so. It’ll be your last peaceful one for a while. The ga is just beginning. And this ti, I’m playing for keeps.
P.S. - Give Aria my regards. She looked so beautiful sleeping in your bed. Almost didn’t want to leave without saying hello.
The phone slipped from my fingers. Marcus had been here. In my house, while we slept while Noah slept.
He’d gotten past my security. Had been close enough to see Aria in my bed. Close enough to hurt her and Noah.
And I’d been too lost in my own selfish need to notice. I grabbed my phone and hit the speed dial for security. "Jas, we have a breach. Get everyone up here now. And check on Noah. Soone check on Noah!"
I was already running, barefoot and shirtless, down the hallway to my son’s room.
Please let him be there. Please let him be safe.
I burst through the door
And stopped.
Noah was sitting up in bed, playing quietly with his stuffed rabbit. He looked up when I entered, startled.
"Daddy?" He rubbed his eyes. "Why are you running?"
The relief nearly buckled my knees. "Hey, buddy. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"I’m okay." He held up the rabbit. "Mr. Hoppy and I were having a tea party, do you want to join us?"
"In a minute." I crossed to the window, checking the locks. Secure. The door—also secure. But Marcus had been here sohow. "Did you hear any noises last night? See anyone?"
"Just the shadow man." Noah said it so casually, like it was nothing.
My blood froze. "The shadow man?"
"Uh huh." Noah hopped his rabbit across the blanket. "He was standing by my door. But he didn’t co in, he just looked at for a while, then left."
"Noah." I knelt beside his bed, trying to keep my voice calm. "What did the shadow man look like?"
"I don’t know. It was dark." He shrugged. "But he had a scary face, like the man who took ."
Marcus. Marcus had been in Noah’s room. Had stood over my sleeping son and I hadn’t known.
The door opened behind . Aria, her face pale. "I heard you shouting. What’s wrong?"
I looked at her, saw the fear already creeping back into her eyes, and made a decision.
I couldn’t tell her at least not yet. Not when she was barely holding it together. Not when telling her would send her running and take Noah with her.
"Nothing," I lied, standing up. "Just thought I heard sothing but it was a false alarm."
But over her shoulder, I saw Jas appear, his expression grim. He’d found evidence of the breach. We’d need to talk. Privately.
"Why don’t you have breakfast with Noah?" I suggested to Aria. "I need to make so phone calls."
She studied my face, suspicious. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything’s fine." I said my heart beating faster. "I’ll join you both in a few minutes."
She didn’t believe . But she was too tired to push. She nodded and moved to Noah’s bed, scooping him up. "Co on, baby. Let’s see what we can find for breakfast in Daddy’s huge kitchen."
"Do we have dinosaur pancakes?" Noah asked hopefully.
"We’ll make dinosaur pancakes," she promised.
They left, and I turned to Jas.
"Tell ," I said quietly.
"Caras were disabled between 3:00 and 4:00 AM. Window in the east wing study—lock was picked. He was in and out in under twenty minutes." Jas’s jaw was tight. "He left this."
He handed a photograph.
It was from last night. Aria asleep in my bed, her face peaceful. The angle was from inside the room.
On the back, written in Marcus’s handwriting: She deserves better than you. But I’ll settle for taking her from you instead.
I crumpled the photo in my fist. "Double the security, in fact triple it. I want guards on every floor, every entrance, every window. And I want soone with Noah and Aria at all tis. Even in this house."
"Already on it, sir."
"And Jas?" I t his eyes. "Find Marcus. I don’t care what it costs, find him before he makes good on his threats."
"Yes, sir."
He left, and I stood alone in Noah’s room, looking at the race car bed where my son had slept while a monster watched.
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