Chapter Five — The Stranger In The Shadow

“You have five minutes to decide, Nova.”

Cruz said with a low and thunderous voice that made me tremble.

I crossed my arms, trying to stay upright despite the way my knees threatened to buckle. “Or what? You’ll burn down my life again?”

He took a step forward. “You already burned it when you ran.”

“You don’t get to do this.” I jabbed a finger at his chest, but it was like poking steel. “You don’t get to show up after four years and—”

“Three years, ten months and two weeks.” His voice was cold. “That’s how long it’s been since you disappeared.”

The pain in my throat choked me silent.

Cruz’s jaw ticked, and his eyes flickered down to where my hand still rested against his chest. He looked at it like it was both a miracle and a weapon.

“You didn’t even tell me,” he said, softer now. “You didn’t even give me a fucking chance.”

I couldn’t look at him. My eyes burned. “You would’ve dragged me back into that life. The drugs, the guns, the blood—”

“The club is clean now.”

I laughed, bitterly and broken. “There’s no such thing as a clean outlaw, Cruz.”

He didn’t flinch at that, didn’t deny it either.

“I built this life for me and my daughter, away from you. Away from everything you stand for,” I said, holding my voice steady.

He tilted his head. “And yet here I am in your home. After all your running.”

“You’re not staying.”

He smirked. “Then stop looking at me like you want me to.”

“I don’t—”

“You do.” He stepped closer. “You hate that I’m here. But you hate it more, that a part of you wants me to stay.”

His breath mingled with mine now. That scent—leather, dragged memories from places I’d buried deep.

I forced myself back a step. “Leave, Cruz.”

He didn’t move. His voice came out sharp. “Does she know?”

I froze.

“Does the kid know who I am?”

“No.”

He looked like I’d punched him in the gut. A flash of something raw cut through his expression, then disappeared just as quickly.

“You kept her from me.”

“She’s not a bargaining chip.”

“She’s my blood.”

“She’s mine,” I snapped, with a shaking voice. “And you’re not taking her.”

“I don’t want to take her.” He looked at me and I felt stripped bare. “I want to know her.”

My heart was pounding so loudly that I barely heard the next words.

“You’ll come with me, pack a bag.”

I shook my head. “No.”

Cruz stepped forward again, towering over me. “I’m not asking, Nova.”

“You think you can just bark orders and I’ll roll over? You don’t know me anymore.”

“No,” he said, with a burning eyes. “But I’m going to.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but a soft sound behind me stopped me cold.

“Mommy?”

I turned.

There she was, tiny feet, sleepy eyes and curls spilling over her forehead. My baby.

And Cruz’s breath left his chest like someone had punched it out of him.

He stared, hard like she was some kind of ghost.

She blinked up at him. “Who’s that man?”

I moved quickly, dropping beside her and smoothing her hair. “Just a friend, baby, go back to bed.”

She leaned into me, but her eyes stayed on him. “He looks mad.”

“I’m not,” Cruz said, with his voice cracking slightly. “Just… surprised.”

She tilted her head. “You talk funny.”

That dragged a strained chuckle from him. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

I picked her up gently, her small arms around my neck, and her breath warm against my skin. “Say goodnight.”

“Night, mad man.”

I shot him a glare. He had the nerve to smile.

Once I tucked her back into bed and shut her door, I turned on him.

“That was not okay.”

“She looks like me,” he said hoarsely. “Jesus, Nova.”

“Don’t make this harder than it already is.”

“She’s mine.”

“I don’t know that.” The lie tasted like poison.

He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t do that, don’t insult me.”

“I’m protecting her.”

“No, you’re punishing me.”

“I’m protecting her from your world, Cruz!”

His voice dropped. “She is my world now.”

I couldn’t breathe under the weight of his words.

He moved closer again, and I didn’t back away this time. His fingers grazed mine. “Come with me to the compound. I’m not asking again.”

“Why?” I whispered. “So you can what? Play happy families?”

“No. So I can keep you both alive.”

I blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“I’ve got enemies, Nova. And now they know about you.”

My stomach dropped.

He held up his phone. “Anonymous message. Picture of you and her.”

Oh god.

His voice dropped to a whisper. “They’re watching, and they know she’s mine.”

“You brought danger to our door.”

“No,” he said. “You did, when you ran.”

I felt cold all over. “How long do we have?”

“They’re already too close.”

My hands shook. “We have to leave.”

His jaw tightened. “We. Exactly.”

“I’m only going for her.”

He gave me a sharp look. “Keep telling yourself that.”

I turned away from him and went to pack, even though my body felt like it didn’t belong to me anymore.

Cruz was right.

The past I’d run from had caught up, and now it wore a leather cut, a haunted look, and a promise of war.

And somehow, the safest place for my daughter…

Was right back in his arms.