Chapter Six: I Will Wait All Night If I Have To

The handle rattled again.

Kai pressed his back against the wood, his heart slamming so hard he could hear it in his ears. Damien’s voice came through the door, very low but still having a bit of control, every word carried the weight of a man who did not accept refusal.

“Open the door, Kai.”

Kai stayed silent. He could still feel Victor’s grip on his wrists, the phantom pain burning under his skin. The café meeting replayed in his head like a nightmare he could not shut off. One million dollars. Or become his again. And if he refused… his mother. His heart sank.

Damien knocked once more, harder this time around. “I know you’re in there. I can hear you breathing.”

“Go away,” Kai finally said. His voice came out rougher than he intended.

“Not happening.” A soft thud sounded, like Damien had leaned his forehead against the door. “You left the house looking ready to kill someone. You came back looking worse. Then you locked yourself in here like a criminal. Talk to me.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“There’s everything to talk about.” Damien’s tone sharpened. “Last night. The way you pinned me. The way my body reacted when nothing has worked in years. The smell of leather that still clings to you even after a shower. And yes, the club. The masked man who suddenly appeared the same week you moved into this house. You see? There is everything to talk about”

Kai’s stomach twisted. He slid down to the floor, his knees pulled to his chest looking drained out.

“You’re imagining things,” he said.

“Am I?” Damien’s voice dropped lower. “Then open the door and prove it. Look me in the eye and tell me I’m wrong.”

Silence stretched between them for some time. Outside, the mansion was quiet except from the billowing soft breeze. Magnus and Elena had left for another meeting. There was no one coming to interrupt.

Damien continued, this time softer, almost coaxing. “You think I don’t notice? The way you watch me when you think I’m not looking. The way you fight every time I get too close. You’re hiding something, Kai. And I’m done pretending I don’t care.”

Kai pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. “You don’t care about me. You care about control. About winning.”

“Maybe,” Damien admitted. “But right now I care about the fact that my stepbrother is sitting on the other side of this door looking like the world is ending. And I want to know why.”

“I said leave me alone.”

“And I said no.”

Another soft knock interrupted. Then the sound of Damien sliding down the other side of the door. Kai could almost picture him sitting there, his back against the wood, legs stretched out in the hallway.

“Fine,” Damien said. “We can do this the hard way. I’ll sit here all night. Every hour. Every minute. Until you open this door or tell me what the hell is going on.”

Kai’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out carefully, angling the screen away from the door as if Damien could somehow see through wood.

Another message from Victor.

Clock is still ticking, cutie. One million. Or I start with your mother.

Kai’s hands shook. He typed a quick reply before he could stop himself.

Leave her out of this.

Victor’s response came almost instantly.

Then pay. Or come back to me. Your choice.

Kai locked the phone and shoved it under the bed like it was poison.

“Who are you texting?” Damien asked from the other side.

Kai froze. “No one.”

“Liar.” Damien’s voice was calm, almost amused. “You’ve been on edge since that café trip. Don’t think I didn’t notice the way you looked when you walked back in. Like someone had put a gun to your head.”

“Drop it.”

“Not a chance.” A pause. “Is someone threatening you?”

Kai’s blood ran cold. “What?”

“You heard me.” Damien’s tone hardened. “Because if someone is, I can end it. Money. Power. Connections. Whatever it takes. Just say the word.”

For one dangerous second, Kai almost opened the door. Almost told him everything. About Victor. The club. The mask. The way Damien’s body responded only to him. The way Kai’s own chest ached every time Damien looked at him like he was something worth chasing.

He almost twisted the knob, envisioned running into Damien’s waiting arms, crying and seeking his comfort but… Instead he stayed silent.

Damien exhaled slowly. “You’re stubborn. I’ll give you that. Most people would have cracked by now.”

“I’m not most people.”

“No,” Damien agreed quietly. “You’re not. That’s the problem.”

The hallway went quiet for a long moment again. Kai thought maybe Damien had finally given up. Then he heard the soft rustle of paper.

Something white slid under the door.

It was a folded note.

Kai stared at it like it might explode. Slowly, carefully, he reached out and picked it up. His fingers trembled as he unfolded the single sheet of paper.

Damien’s handwriting was sharp, controlled, elegant. Everything about him was rich and elegant.

I will wait all night if I have to.

— D

Kai’s breath caught. He could hear Damien still sitting on the other side, patient and relentless.

The note felt heavy in his hand. He could almost hear the unspoken promise underneath the words.

I will wait. I will dig. I will find out every secret you’re hiding. And when I do…

Kai pressed the paper against his chest, heart hammering, and closed his eyes.

Outside the door, Damien’s voice came one last time, soft and dangerous.

“Your move, stepbrother.”