“You’ve got two options, Remika,” he says evenly, his eyes never leaving mine. “One, hand me the bag and get back inside.” I swallow hard, my grip tightening on the strap. “Or two,” he continues, tilting his head slightly, “leave.”
Hope sparks in my chest, sharp and dizzying. For a heartbeat, I actually believe he’ll let me go. Then his mouth curves, dark amusement flickering in his eyes. “But the money has a tracker. And as much as I love a game of chase,” his voice drops, low and dangerous, “this one will end very badly for you.”
My breath stutters, hope crashing into dread. He’s so close now, the rag still in his hand, blood smudged across his knuckles. There’s no escape. Not really.
“If I go back inside,” I whisper, my voice breaking, “what will happen to me?”
Shadow stops just in front of me, close enough that the heat of him seeps through the night air. His eyes drag over my face, unreadable, until they finally settle on mine. “That depends,” he says calmly, though the steel in his tone makes my stomach twist. “On whether you’re gonna start telling me some truths.” His hand comes up, slow, deliberate, palm open between us. An offer. A warning. “Hand the bag over.” My chest tightens. If I give it back, I’m admitting everything. If I don’t . . .
His gaze hardens, leaving no space for hope. “We both know you’re not gonna make it out of those gates. Even if I gave you a head start, I’d still find you. That’s what I do, Remika. That’s my job.”
“Are you going to hurt me, Logan?” I whisper, the question tearing from me before I can stop it.
For the first time, he breaks eye contact. His jaw clenches, and when he finally speaks, his voice is quieter but rougher, scraped raw.
“Shadow,” he corrects. “My name is Shadow.”
The way he says it sends a chill racing down my spine. Logan, the man who held me, kissed me, begged me to stay, has been shoved aside, and what’s left standing in front of me is the Enforcer, the man everyone else fears. His gaze lifts back to mine, hard as steel. “And you already know the answer to your question.”
A sob escapes me, and with a shaking hand, I hand the bag over to him. He takes it, moving to one side, waiting for me to take the first step.
I do. What choice do I have? And with each step, I lose any chance of hope.
Shadow
I follow behind, working out my next move. I need to know everything before I get Axel and Grizz involved, so as we go through the door, I grasp the top of her arm and march her through the room, straight to the stairs. We get back into my bedroom, where I stuff the cash back under the bed.
“Sit,” I tell her, pointing to the chair.
She lowers into it, perching on the edge like she’s thinking about running.
I pull my bag from the wardrobe. She follows with her eyes, watching as I take out the rope. “Wrists together,” I say coldly. She offers them without question, her eyes full of sadness as I twist the rope tight around her delicate skin. She winces, but I don’t take any notice as I pull the rope down to her ankles, threading it around each one before tying it off. I tug hard to check it’s secure, then I stand, putting space between us. “Start talking.”
“Colin sent a man after me. He sold my mother’s debt on, and this guy wants paid.”
“What guy?”
“I don’t know his name.”
I scoff. “You expect me to believe that?”
She shrugs. “I don’t care what you believe, Shadow.” The way she says my name, like it leaves a bad taste, pisses me off further. I reach into my bag and pull out a blindfold. She frowns.
“So, some guy randomly what . . . called, texted, emailed? And he didn’t give you his name, just said he wanted the money?”
I cover her eyes. Taking away senses one at a time can rattle the hardest of men, and it’ll break her enough for her to be honest.
“He pulled up alongside me in the street.”
I laugh. “Right.” It’s sounding more unbelievable by the second.
I rummage in the bag. “What are you doing?” she asks.
I grip her chair and drag it closer to the bed, causing her to jump in fright. I sit on the edge of the bed. “And what did this mystery guy say?”
“That my mum owed him twenty grand and I had to pay it.”
I roll my eyes, taking her hand and forcing her to splay her fingers out. “What are you doing?” she cries, trying to pull free.
