Part of me wants to believe Travis’s not all bad. His demeanor—stern, commanding, with that low growl—screams Daddy. I’ve seen enough Daddies with Jack and his friends to recognize the vibe.
The way Travis loomed over me, all control and menace, stirred something deep, something I pushed down hard in that moment. But now, alone with my thoughts, it’s harder to ignore.
Could he be a Daddy?
And if he is, does that mean there’s a heart beneath that gruff exterior?
I shake my head, annoyed at myself.
“Stop it, Miles,” I say. “He’s the enemy.”
I grab a handful of popcorn, crunching it aggressively. Travis’s not my friend, not my Daddy, not anything but a threat.
He thinks he can scare me into dropping my investigation?
He’s got another thing coming. The Night Ops Guard’s secrets—global operations, military tactics, high-end clients—are too big to ignore. They’re breaking laws, and I’m going to prove it. It’s cases like this that motivated me to join Knox & Rain in the first place instead of some corporate legal firm where the sole objective is to get rich people off the hook every day.
I set the popcorn bowl on the coffee table and grab my laptop, Bean watching from his perch on the couch.
I open my encrypted email and draft a message to Kyle Knox, my senior boss…
MILES: Kyle, I’m deep into the Night Ops Guard case. Got a lead, but it’s bigger than I thought. Need more time and resources to nail this. They’re dangerous, but I’m not backing down.
I hit send, my heart pounding with resolve. Less than a minute later, my phone pings with his reply:
KYLE: Miles, if it means taking down those bastards, you’ve got whatever you need. Stay sharp, stay safe. But most of all… take those assholes down.
I smile grimly. Kyle’s always had my back, and his trust fuels my fire.
I dive back into my research, pulling up the files I’ve compiled on the Guard. Encrypted emails, dark web chatter, a blurry photo of a man in tactical gear who might be one of them.
The leaked meeting details from last night are still my biggest clue, but now I’m wondering if they were too easy to get.
Was it a trap, like Travis’s smug face suggested?
I cross-reference the Redwood Lodge address with property records, digging for any ties to known Guard associates. Nothing concrete, but a shell company name keeps popping up:Obsidian Ventures.I jot it down, my pen scratching furiously.
My eyes burn from the screen’s glare, but I keep going, chasing the thread. A forum post mentions a “Joker” in connection to the Guard—same term I saw in the leaked file.
Is “Joker” Travis’s codename? It fits his cocky attitude.
I’m about to dive deeper when Ariel’s voice fades into the credits, snapping me back to the room.
The popcorn’s cold and my heart’s racing like I’ve run a marathon. I lean back, rubbing my temples.
“I’m not letting him win, Bean,” I mutter. “No way.”
But as I close my laptop, doubt creeps in.
Travis’s warning wasn’t just words—it was a promise. And that look in his eyes, like he could see every piece of me, makes me feel exposed in a way I’m not used to.
I hug Bean tight, wishing I could shake the feeling that this time I’m swimming too deep and won’t be able to get myself back to shore…
The next day, I’m still rattled as I step out of the elevator into my apartment building’s hallway. Lunch with Jack at his café was a nice distraction—his giggles and tales of a specialfunishmentspanking from his Daddy were certainly entertaining—but now I’m back, ready to dig into Obsidian Ventures.
I fumble with my keys, my bag slung over my shoulder, Bean peeking out of the zipper.
“Home sweet home,” I mutter, pushing the door open.
