Tough Girl

~Kai

We moved fast.

Rhea took point like the lethal machine she was, gun raised, moving through the shadows of the safe house with deadly grace.

I stayed close behind her, trying not to get distracted by how incredible her ass looked in those tight tactical pants even while bullets could start flying any second.

The moment we stepped outside, two armed men rounded the corner. Rhea didn’t even hesitate.

She dropped the first one with a precise double tap to the chest, then spun and elbowed the second guy so hard in the throat he dropped like a sack of bricks.

I managed to shoot the third one in the leg as he appeared, but Rhea finished him with a brutal kick to the head.

“Bike!” she snapped.

We sprinted to the sleek black power bike hidden behind the garage. She swung on first, and I jumped on behind her, arms wrapping tight around her waist, my chest pressed flush against her back.

The engine roared to life like thunder. She twisted the throttle and we shot forward, tires screeching as we blasted through the open gate.

Gunfire erupted behind us, bullets whizzing past, one clipping the side mirror. Rhea leaned low, weaving the bike like a pro through the narrow back roads while I twisted around and fired back blindly, hitting at least one more pursuer.

We tore through the city outskirts for nearly ten minutes before the immediate danger faded. The sound of sirens and engines behind us grew distant.

“Rhea, stop!” I shouted over the wind.

She ignored me at first, still pushing the bike hard. “Rhea! Pull over!”

She finally slowed down and stopped on the side of a quiet road, breathing hard. She turned her head slightly, visor up, hazel eyes sharp.

“What the hell, Kai? We don’t have time to chat.”

I leaned forward, my lips brushing her ear. “Take me to my house. Not another safe house. My father’s place is heavily guarded, and right now it’s probably the safest spot in the city.”

She immediately shook her head. “Absolutely not. That location is compromised. Too obvious.”

I tightened my arms around her waist, pulling her back against me more firmly. “Rhea. Please. I know the place better than anyone. We can regroup there, get supplies, and my father’s private security will be waiting. Just trust me this once.”

She stayed silent for a long moment, jaw tight. I could feel the war happening inside her, the professional bodyguard versus the woman who had screamed my name last night.

Finally, she let out a frustrated breath.

“Fine,” she muttered. “But if this gets us killed, I’m going to haunt your spoiled ass forever.”

I grinned and kissed the side of her neck quickly before she could protest.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Rhea shook her head again, but I caught the tiniest smile before she flipped her visor down.

She revved the engine and changed direction, heading toward my family’s private estate instead.

This night was far from over.

________

________

The iron gates hissed shut behind us, sealing out the chaos of the city. As the bike’s engine died, the silence of the estate felt heavy, broken only by the distant sound of the synchronized fountains.

Rhea stayed on the bike for a second, her head tilted back as she took in the sheer scale of the place.

The moonlight hit the white stone of the manor, making it look like a fortress carved from marble.

I could see the way her eyes tracked the security cameras, the height of the walls, and then finally, the architecture itself. It was a far cry from the cramped safe houses we’d been rotting in.

"You live here?" she asked, her voice sounding small for the first time tonight. "Just... you?"

I slid off the seat, stretching my arms above my head and feeling the adrenaline finally start to settle into a dull hum.

I gave her a slow, cocky grin, enjoying the way she looked against the backdrop of my family's wealth.

"Every square inch," I said, gesturing toward the massive double doors. "Unless I’m bringing home some sluts to fuck for the night. Or if the guys are over and we’re tearing the place apart for a party. Otherwise, yeah. Just me."

The look on her face shifted instantly. That momentary awe vanished, replaced by a sharp, cynical twist of her lips.

She finally dismounted, her tactical boots hitting the gravel with a purposeful thud.

"Right," she muttered, her tone turning back to that icy professionalism she used like a shield. "So it's not a home, it's a playground. I should have guessed."

"Don't sound so judgmental, Rhea," I laughed, walking toward the entrance. "It’s a big house. It gets lonely. I just find ways to fill the silence."

She followed me, though she kept her hand on the grip of her pistol, her eyes scanning the dark corners of the foyer as we stepped inside.

The chandeliers flickered to life, casting a golden glow over the expensive rugs and modern art.

"I don't care how you fill your time, Kai," she said, her voice echoing off the high ceilings. "But if I’m staying here, the sluts stay out. I’m not vetting your one night stands for concealed weapons while an enemy is trying to put a hole in my head."

She stopped in the center of the hall, looking at a particularly expensive piece of abstract art like it was a personal insult.

"Show me the security hub," she snapped, getting back to business. "I want to see the perimeter feeds. If this place is as safe as you claim, I want to see the proof on a screen, not take the word of a guy who spends his weekends hosting riots in his living room."

I leaned against the marble banister, watching the way her jaw tightened. She was annoyed, maybe even a little disgusted but there was a spark in her eyes that told me she wasn't nearly as indifferent as she wanted me to think.

"Top of the stairs, second door on the left," I said, nodding toward the grand staircase. "But relax, Rhea. The guards are elite, the glass is reinforced, and for tonight, you’re the only woman in the building. Doesn’t that make you feel special?"

She didn't even look back as she headed for the stairs. "It makes me feel like I need a drink and a better job.”

_______

_______

After showing her the security hub and letting her triple check every camera feed, I left Rhea to do her paranoid bodyguard thing and headed upstairs for a much needed shower.

The hot water felt like heaven after the night we’d had. I scrubbed off the sweat, gun oil, and dried blood, letting the steam clear my head a little.

When I came down to the dining room twenty minutes later, I was still wet, wearing only loose black sweatpants with a white towel slung casually over my bare shoulder.

My chest and abs were still glistening from the shower, water droplets trailing down the defined lines of my six pack.

Rhea was already seated at the long marble dining table, digging into the food the staff had quickly prepared, grilled chicken, rice, and some fancy salad.

She looked ridiculously hot even in her tactical gear, ponytail slightly messy, a few strands sticking to her neck from the earlier adrenaline.

I leaned against the doorframe, smirking as I watched her eat.

“Why couldn’t you wait for me?” I asked, voice teasing. “Hungry after all that riding?”

Rhea looked up, fork paused halfway to her mouth. Her hazel eyes flicked over my bare chest and abs, lingering just a second too long before she forced them back to my face.

She scoffed, trying to sound annoyed. “Be a good boy and put on a shirt, Kai. This isn’t a strip club.”

I grinned wider and walked closer, deliberately flexing a little as I dropped into the chair across from her.

“What’s wrong? Are my abs intimidating you?” I asked, running a hand slowly down my stomach. “Or are you just worried you won’t be able to keep your hands off me if I stay like this?”

She rolled her eyes, but I didn’t miss the way her gaze dipped again before she stabbed another piece of chicken a little too aggressively.

“Eat your food before it gets cold, pretty boy,” she muttered, though her voice had lost some of its ice. “And if you keep flashing those abs at me, I might actually shoot you myself.”

I laughed softly, grabbing a plate and starting to eat, but the air between us was already crackling again.

This night was definitely far from over.