005

Kehlani’s POV

Blood; that was the first thing I saw.

It was thick, dark and was splattered across a white surface that should not have been stained. 

My heart was pounding so loudly in my chest that I could hear it echo in my skull. 

I tried to move, tried to scream too but my body was frozen. It was trapped in a nightmare that refused to release me.

The moment Chase turned around to face me, I jolted awake with a violent gasp, my body jerking upright as if I had been yanked back from the edge of death. 

My chest was heaving and my lungs burned as I sucked in air like I had been drowning. 

My hair which was now damp with sweat clung to my face and my hands were shaking uncontrollably.

“God… no, no, no…” I whispered, my voice cracked and hoarse.

My eyes darted around the unfamiliar room, panic setting in almost immediately. The walls were dark, sleek, and expensive. 

This was not my apartment, nor was it a hospital. The bed beneath me was massive, the sheets were soft and luxurious too. 

Then my gaze landed on him.

Chase Ledger.

He was sitting on a chair across the room with one leg crossed over the other. His posture was relaxed in a way that made my stomach drop. 

His presence alone sucked the air out of the room. 

At first glance, I thought he was asleep but he wasn’t, instead he was watching me like I was an art piece in an exhibit. 

Almost at once, the memories came crashing back. It was sharp and unforgiving. 

“Oh God,” I whimpered with my heart in my mouth. 

Before I could think, before I could stop myself, I slid off the bed and dropped to my knees on the cold floor.

“Please,” I cried, my hands clasped together as tears streamed down my face. “Please, I won’t say anything. I swear. I didn’t see anything, I didn’t…”

My voice broke into sobs as fear took complete control of me.

“Please don’t kill me,” I begged, bowing my head. “I’ll do anything, anything you want. I have a family, I…” 

I didn't get to finish speaking because the door flung open with a loud bang.

Terrified, I screamed again, the sound ripping out of my throat as my body jolted in terror. 

Heavy footsteps made their way into the room in a slow and deliberate manner. Mustering a bit of courage, I lifted my head, my vision blurry with tears.

The man who had walked in was built like a wall. He had broad shoulders, thick arms and a face that looked like it was carved from stone. 

His eyes were cold and assessing, as they lingered on me kneeling on the floor begging for my life. 

He said nothing at first, he just looked at me then his gaze shifted to Chase.

“What should I do with her?” the man asked calmly, as if he was asking what to do with an unwanted piece of trash.

Blinking rapidly, my heart slammed violently against my ribs.

Still reeling with fear, I turned to Chase, desperation burning through me. “Please,” I whispered. “Please…”

Chase didn’t respond. His face remained unreadable and the silence he had chosen was more terrifying than any shouted threat.

The man sighed then reached inside his jacket.

My breath caught in my throat as he pulled out a gun. 

“No,” I choked out.

The black metal gleamed under the low lights of the room as he lifted it with practiced ease. 

Rubbing my palms together desperately, I sobbed, crawling backward on my knees, my kneecaps scraping painfully against the floor.

“Please!” I screamed. “Please, I didn’t mean to…”

The click of the safety being released was deafening.

Not showing any emotion, he raised the gun, aiming it directly at me.

With my life now flashing in front of me, I squeezed my eyes shut, my entire body shaking violently.

This is it, this is how I'm going to die. – I thought, already moving my lips as I muttered my last prayer. 

“Enough.”

Chase’s voice cut through the room like a blade.

My eyes flew open just in time to see him rise from his seat in one smooth movement. He crossed the distance between them in seconds, his hand shooting out to clamp around the man’s wrist.

“Lower it,” Chase said, his tone calm but lethal.

The man frowned slightly. “She saw…” He tried to argue but Chase didn’t allow him to finish. 

“I said lower it.” He repeated, his hand still resting on his wrist. 

The man hesitated, then slowly lowered the gun. Chase didn’t release him until the weapon was pointed at the floor.

A breath I didn’t realize I was holding rushed out of me in a shaky exhale. Relief flooded my chest so fast that it almost made me dizzy.

“She stays,” Chase said after what seemed like forever. 

The man studied Chase’s face for a long moment before nodding. “Well…” He scoffed. 

He glanced at me once more, his eyes devoid of sympathy, then turned and left the room. 

The silence that followed was unbearable.

With my heart now in my mouth, I crawled forward, my hands pressing against the floor as I sobbed in relief. 

My entire body was trembling but that was the least of my concern. I was alive and that was all that matters. 

“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Thank you so much. I won’t tell anyone. I promise. I swear on my life…” I trailed off the moment Chase took a step towards me. 

I felt him before I saw him. 

His presence loomed over me, his shadow swallowing my small and shaking form. 

Before I realized what was happening, he suddenly grabbed my chin, his fingers digging into my skin as he forced my head up.

I gasped, my tear-filled eyes locking onto his.

They were dark, cold and unforgiving.

His face was inches from mine and his grip was firm and unyielding. I could see every sharp line of his features. 

He didn’t look like a man who had just spared a life. He looked like a predator deciding how long to let his prey live.

“You’re mistaken if you think this is mercy,” he said quietly.

My lips trembled as I forced the words out. “I… I know. I’m grateful. I…”

His grip tightened, cutting off my words.

“Listen carefully, Kehlani,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. 

“What you saw never leaves this room. Am I understood?” He asked through his teeth. 

Desperate for freedom, I nodded frantically. “I understand. I promise…”

His eyes hardened further. 

“If a single word gets out,” he said slowly, each syllable deliberate and heavy, “I will kill you myself.”