A game of dangerous loyalties のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 11 - チャプター 20

The nagging feeling in my chest that someone was following me lingered even after I returned to the city. I wanted to drive straight home, search through my things, and confirm if the ring that had fallen from my jacket was what I thought it was. But the idea of unknowingly leading whoever was tailing me to my house made me rethink.My eyes darted to the rearview mirror for what felt like the fiftieth time. The cars behind me seemed normal, but paranoia clung to me, refusing to let go. My grip on the steering wheel tightened. I briefly considered heading to the academy, but it was Saturday morning, so the place would be deserted. Besides, the thought of Reid waiting there for me to show up was ridiculous—he was probably still shaken from yesterday's ambush No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake off the growing tension in my chest, like a rope being pulled tighter with each passing second. Missing fragments of memories from what had happened during the ambush still gnawed at me,

The warmth coursing through me was something I never wanted to end. My pulse quickened, my heart drumming softly as I tried to savor every fleeting second of this moment.Reid's lips brushed against mine—again and again—the sweet taste lingering like an unspoken promise. His hands tangled in my hair as he guided me back against the wall, his mouth never leaving mine.For a moment, it felt endless. Heck, I even dared to hope the kiss might lead to something more. But just as I was melting into the warmth of his body, the gentleness of his hands, the mingling of our breaths—he pulled away. His forehead rested against mine as I opened my eyes, the ghost of his kiss still tingling on my lips.Disappointment threatened to creep in, but his thumb brushed over my bottom lip, silencing any protest.“I've been wanting to do that since after our first training session,” he murmured.My gaze searched his, lingering on the way his eyes softened as he spoke. His own drifted to my lips before meeti

“Marcus, I'm about to do something really stupid, but right now, I don't care. I'm sharing my location with you—just in case things go south and I need backup.” I ended the call and threw the phone onto the passenger seat of the rental car I hadn't returned yet.My grip tightened on the steering wheel, my foot pressing harder on the gas pedal as I picked up speed. I didn't have a plan, just a burning determination not to let the Windsors push me around.At this point, I didn't care about who I was confronting or their status. All I knew was that I was getting answers tonight—or all hell was going to break loose.The sun had set, darkness creeping in, but sleep was the last thing on my mind. Not when I had a pretty good idea who was behind the root cause of my problems.I made a sharp turn, the shimmering lake coming into view as the road straightened ahead. My jaw clenched at the sight of the Windsor mansion. It no longer felt intimidating—just infuriating.Pulling up to the front, I

Marcus gave me a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, his gaze fixed on Reid as he answered. “Saving your ass, apparently. I didn't know we had company.” I looked between him and Reid, confusion prickling at the back of my mind. “Oh, I thought you two know each other? Reid is the reason I'm still alive, if I'm being honest.” Marcus didn't respond. Not a single word to acknowledge Reid’s presence. Instead, he shifted his attention to the rearview mirror, his expression unreadable. Reid, seemingly unfazed, followed his lead, both of them watching the road for any sign of the remaining bikers. “I thought you two knew each other?” I asked, this time directing my question to Reid. “We do,” Reid said with a grin that could only be described as infuriatingly smug. “But I'm guessing he doesn't fancy seeing you alone with me, given that I'm exceptionally handsome.” I rolled my eyes at his audacity. “Please. Marcus couldn't care less. He probably just wasn't expecting to see you

I swallowed hard, raising my hand in surrender. “Fine. I'll go with you. But for God's sake, put the damn gun away. You know I hate guns.”The pressure against my back eased, and I exhaled a shaky breath, relief washing over me.“Sorry,” Marcus muttered, slipping the gun back into his waistband. “I just wanted you to come with me.”“Then, jeez, just ask,” I snapped, running a hand through my hair. “Instead of pulling this whole kidnap-the-kid routine.”He sighed, dragging a hand over his face. “I'm not thinking straight, Eugene. I just…I just know we have to get out of here.”“Okay, but at least tell me where we're going,” I pressed.Marcus opened his mouth, hesitating before clamping it shut. He shook his head. “You just have to trust me, okay?”I folded my arms and leaned back on my heels, scrutinizing him. If he'd said this an hour ago, I probably would've followed him without question. But after that conversation with Reid, trust wasn't coming as easily. I needed answers.“I want