Page 21 of His Dark Pull

Really?

Embers smolder within me, directed not at Alexander but at the man who had caused him so much pain,his father. The image of Alexander, the vulnerable boy hiding behind a mask of strength, shatters my heart.

“Oh,”I say. “I didn’t know that. I mean, I barely know him.”

And that is the truth. How much do I know about Alexander Bourne?

I can’t tell Tyler the truth, not yet. I need time to process everything, to understand the complexities of Alexander’s past and the implications of his possible involvement with the Veles Network.

“Well, yes, he didn’t have it easy,”Tyler replies. “But that doesn’t excuse what he’s become.”

“Which is?”

“Never mind,”Tyler says, hesitating.

He’s probably right, and I know it.

“Is your dad okay?”I ask, changing the subject.

“Well, these robberies—they’re getting out of hand. My father is working day and night to catch these guys, and it’s taking a toll on him. He’s worried about the city, about the people who are getting hurt.”

I strain my ears, a knot forming in the pit of my stomach. I knew the robberies had cost lives, lives taken carelessly and violently. I shudder at the thought, and Tyler’s words paint a picture of a city under siege, a city where fear and violence are becoming the norm. And with Alexander’s connection to Kovacs and maybe even the Veles Network, I can’t help but wonder if he’s part of the problem or if he’s somehow trying to find a way out.

Tyler’s concern for his father and the city resonates with me.It’soneof the things I admire most about him:his sense of justice and his desire to protect the innocent.I remember the story he told me about his childhood: about being bullied in school and feeling helpless and alone. That experience, he had said, had driven him to become a lawyer, to fight for those who couldn’t fight for themselves.

“Let’s talk in the morning, Ava,”Tyler says after a pause, his voice gentle but firm. “Try to get some sleep.”

He hangs up, and I’m left alone with my thoughts. I know I need to be honest with Tyler. But I can’t shake the feeling that telling him about Alexander would be like pouring gasoline on a fire. A fire that might consume us both.

With a sigh, I reach for my phone andtype out a message to Sarah.A drink by the harbor after work, a chance to escape the confines of my thoughts and the company of my best friend, is just what I need.

As I drift off to sleep, my dreams are filled with images of Tyler and Alexander, their faces morphing and blending, their personalities intertwined in a way that terrifies and excites me. They are two sides of the same coin, light and darkness, and I’m caught in the middle, drawn to both in a way that threatens to consume me.

Chapter 5

The Choice

The next morning, I wake to the caress of sunlight streaming through the curtains, casting a warm light across my bedroom. The familiar sounds of Port Haven drift in through the open window – the distant hum of traffic, the cheerful chirping of birds composing a peaceful symphony.

Just what I need.

Stretching my stiff limbs, I wince at the lingering soreness from the previous day’s emotional rollercoaster. My phone buzzes on the nightstand, snapping me out of my thoughts. I reach for it, my heart skipping a beat as I see Alexander’s name flashing on the screen.

“Meet me tonight. I need you,” the message reads his words as both a command and a plea.

I stare at the message. I’ve tried to distance myself from him, to protect myself from the darkness that surrounds him, but his pull is undeniable. His vulnerability, his pain, and the raw honesty of his confession have chipped away at the walls I’d built around my heart.

Another message arrives, this one from Sarah, confirming our meeting at the pier later.

Today, hiding the truth consumes me like a relentless beast. I need to tell Sarah about the tangled mess of my feelings for these two men. But how could I explain it to her when I can’t even understand it myself? Besides, she might judge me, but she’s the one who dated an asshole for five years– so maybe she’ll have mercy on me.

Summoning the strength to drag myself out of bed, I shuffle towards the bathroom, my bare feet sinking into the plush carpet with each step. Catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I cringe. My hair is a tangled mess, my eyes puffy from lack of sleep, and my skin pale and blotchy. I look like a wreck, a far cry from the confident, put-together woman I present to the world.

Get a grip, Ava,I scold myself.You can’t fall apart now. There would be no one to pick me up if I did.

I splash cold water on my face, the shock of it clearing the fog from my mind. I pull on a pair of jeans and a comfortable sweater, opting for comfort over style for once. My reflection still holds the traces of exhaustion and worry, but I refuse to let them define me.

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