The night air hung heavy with the scent of rust and decay as Ava approached the abandoned warehouse on 12th Street, the clock on her phone ticking past 9 PM. The building loomed like a skeletal relic, its shattered windows gaping like hollow eyes, the walls streaked with years of neglect. Her leather jacket creaked with each step, the fake drive tucked into her pocket, its weight a deceptive promise. A knife rested against her thigh, its handle cool through the fabric, and though she'd told Julian to stay hidden nearby, his Alpha presence lingered in her mind like a shadow. The text Tonight's a trap. Bring backup hadn't changed her resolve; it had sharpened it, her badgirl instincts thrumming with anticipation.
The warehouse door groaned open, a rusted hinge protesting, and Elena stepped into the dim light, her gray coat blending with the darkness. Her green eyes glinted, assessing Ava with that same predatory calm from the park. "You came," she said, her voice steady despite the tension crackling between them. "The drive?"
Ava tossed the fake device, the plastic clattering as it hit the concrete at Elena's feet. She stepped closer, her stance wide, ready. "Where's the clear path you promised?" she demanded, her tone cutting through the silence.
Elena bent to retrieve the drive, her movements slow, deliberate. Before she could speak, a sharp crack split the air a gunshot splintering the concrete inches from Ava's boots. She dove to the side, rolling behind a stack of crates as masked figures emerged from the shadows, their weapons glinting under the faint streetlight seeping through the broken windows. The firm, the cartel, or both Julian's past had materialized, a storm of vengeance.
Julian burst from his hiding spot near the loading bay, his movements fluid and precise, a testament to his military training. He tackled the nearest assailant, a burly man with a submachine gun, driving him to the ground with a thud that echoed through the cavernous space. Ava didn't hesitate. She pulled her knife, its blade flashing as she slashed at another attacker's arm, the man cursing as blood sprayed across the crates. The chaos erupted, gunfire and shouts blending into a cacophony, the warehouse a battlefield of dust and desperation.
Elena scrambled for cover, but Ava was faster. She lunged, grabbing the woman by the collar and slamming her against a rusted pillar, the knife pressing against her throat. "Talk!" Ava snarled, her breath hot, her badgirl edge razor-sharp. Elena's eyes widened, but her lips curled into a faint, bitter smile.
"Both," she gasped, her voice strained against the blade. "The firm and the cartel. The drive's bait. They want Julian dead or broken. You're just the collateral." Another bullet whizzed past, embedding in the wood beside them, and Ava yanked Elena down, rolling them both behind the pillar as the fight raged on.
Julian dispatched another attacker, his fist connecting with a jaw, but a third raised a pistol, aiming at his back. Ava's heart lurched. She grabbed a loose pipe from the floor, hurling it with all her strength. It struck the shooter's hand, the gun clattering away, and Julian spun, finishing the man with a swift kick. He met her gaze across the chaos, a nod of gratitude, his Alpha resolve unshaken.
The skirmish shifted, the remaining attackers retreating into the shadows, their footsteps fading. Ava kept Elena pinned, the knife steady. "Who's leading this?" she pressed, her voice low, dangerous.
Elena's breath hitched, her defiance cracking. "A man called Viktor. Ex-firm, now cartel muscle. He's been tracking Julian since Prague. The bounty's his ticket back in." She paused, her eyes darting to the fake drive. "That's not the real one, is it?"
Ava smirked, tightening her grip. "Smart girl. Where's Viktor now?"
"Close," Elena whispered, her voice trembling. "He'll come for the real drive. You've got hours, maybe less."
Julian approached, his shirt torn, blood streaking his cheek from a shallow cut. He loomed over them, his presence commanding. "We move," he said, his tone brooking no argument. "Get her in the car. We'll use her as leverage."
Ava released Elena, shoving her toward Julian, who bound her wrists with a zip tie from his pocket. The adrenaline still coursed through Ava's veins, a heady mix of fear and triumph, but as they headed for the exit, the warehouse's shadows seemed to pulse with unseen threats. Outside, the alley was a narrow canyon, the city's lights a distant promise. They reached the car a nondescript sedan Julian had stashed and shoved Elena into the back, her protests muffled by the gag.
The drive back to Ava's loft was tense, the engine's hum a stark contrast to the silence between them. Ava sat in the front, her knife resting on her lap, her mind racing. The affair had escalated into a war, their contract marriage a fragile shield against the past closing in. Julian's hands gripped the wheel, his jaw tight, the scars on his knuckles a reminder of the battles he'd fought.
At the loft, the exposed brick walls felt like a fortress as they dragged Elena inside, securing her to a chair in the kitchen. Ava paced, her boots echoing, while Julian checked the windows, his Alpha instincts on high alert. The air was thick with unresolved tension, the steamy undercurrent of their dynamic reigniting despite the danger.
"We need the real drive," Ava said, stopping to face him. "If Viktor's coming, we use it to end this."
Julian nodded, his eyes dark. "Safe deposit box downtown. We'll go at dawn." He stepped closer, his hand brushing her arm, the touch electric. The fight had stoked something primal, and before she could think, he pulled her against him, his lips crashing into hers. The kiss was hungry, a release of the night's adrenaline, and she responded, her hands fisting in his shirt.
They stumbled to the living room, the worn couch a new stage. He lifted her onto it, her jeans sliding down as she tugged his belt free. His penis entered her vagina with a deep, urgent thrust, and she gasped, the pain a sharp edge that melted into pleasure. Her legs wrapped around him, pulling him closer, her nails digging into his back as he moved, the rhythm fast and fierce. The couch creaked, the leather slick with sweat, and she moaned, the sound raw, echoing off the brick.
Julian's hands roamed, one cupping her breast through her tank top, the other anchoring her hip. He thrust harder, his groans mingling with hers, and the pleasure built, a tidal wave that crashed over them. They climaxed together, bodies trembling, the release a momentary escape from the chaos.
Panting, they collapsed, Ava's head resting on his chest, his heartbeat a steady drum. "We can't keep doing this," she murmured, her voice soft but firm.
He chuckled, a low sound. "Try stopping me." But his hand stilled on her back, the Alpha mask slipping. "We end this tomorrow. For both our sakes."
Ava nodded, her mind on the drive, Viktor, the trap they'd narrowly escaped. The affair was a lifeline now, the forbidden love a risk they couldn't ignore. As they dressed, her phone buzzed with a new text:Viktor knows your loft. Move now.The game had turned deadly, and they were out of time.