Page 1 of Under His Protection

Chapter 1

The Shadow Returns

A year has passed since Dexter Hawkins vanished, a year of wary peace built on stolen moments and whispered promises. Port Haven, once choked by the Veles Network, now throbs with hope. Or so it seems.

The silk of my dress whispers against my skin as I stand beside Alexander on the balcony of his mansion. The city lights sprawl before us like a million scattered jewels. The night air is thick with the scent of jasmine, a perfume my mother used to wear. It is a scent that always brings back memories, both bittersweet and tender.

A distant siren wails like a mournful cry through Port Haven. The police have declared the Veles Network dismantled, but their influence still stretches across Port Haven, from the bustling waterfront, where Alexander’s ships bring in illegal shipments, to the upscale boutiques where they control businesses. No one knows who's behind it, but The Raven is spoken softly on every corner.

The pungent smell of salt and brine from the bustling fish market wafts up to the balcony, mingling with the jasmine. The Cabernet Sauvignon, usually flavorful, tastes like ash on my tongue. This city, this suffocating grip—it's all I can taste.

Even though Dexter Hawkins isn't in Port Haven, there's still a stranglehold on the city. Violence is still a whisper that keeps the city on edge. People have started disappearing lately without a trace, their names deleted from public records as if they had never existed. Those loyal to Veles are smuggling drugs, weapons, and stolen art again.

I glance down the street, but the city lights are just a blur of white and yellow, a facade hiding a million truths. Lately, there's been a feeling that the darkness is returning, this time with a different face.

Alexander's arm tightens around my waist. He's been on edge lately. I can feel it, not like his usual confident self. He's quiet, jumpy. His usual storm of blue eyes is a little too sharp, a little too alert.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask.

"Just making sure you're safe," he murmurs.

I force a laugh, the sound catching in my dry throat. "I'm always safe with you, Alexander. Aren't I?"

He turns, his eyes capturing mine, but I see a flicker in their depths. "I always keep my promises, Ava. But—" his voice drops "—there are forces even I can't control."

My gaze darts across the street to where a black sedan sits, its engine idling. "Like what?" I ask. "What forces could be stronger than you, Alexander?" My mouth dries, and I see his hand move towards the gun tucked beneath his jacket. That look of preparation. That look of readiness for action. He acts like a force he can't control is out there.

"I received a message today," he says. "A warning. From The Raven." His jaw clenches, the muscle ticking beneath his skin.

The name "Raven," spoken like a curse, radiates a chill. The mastermind behind Veles, the phantom puppeteer who orchestrated so much chaos, is back. Alexander suspects the Raven is behind the disappearance of Boris Romanov, a Veles enforcer loyal to Dexter, who vanished last month. His car was found abandoned miles outside town. Once a friend of Alexander's, Boris is now just another ghost in the city, a victim of the Raven's game.

I frown and sip my drink.

And then there were the news reports of lately: The death of Irina Kovacevic, an accountant, found dead in her apartment. No signs of struggle, no witnesses, a clean kill. As if she simply ceased to exist.

The names keep piling up—Irina, Boris, and more people—connected to Dexter Hawkins, all gone without a trace. A phantom sweeping through the city, erasing the past. Like a silent predator, he is waiting, watching, and plotting.

"What did he say?" I whisper, my voice stolen by a fear I thought I'd conquered. Do you think he's behind Boris' disappearance?"

Alexander's gaze returns to mine, his eyes filled with a darkness I'd only glimpsed before. "He says— he's coming for what's mine." He pulls me close, his lips brushing against my ear. "And you, Ava," he says, "are the most precious thing I possess."

Alexander has been involved in the Veles Network for years, using his legitimate shipping company as a front to move stolen artifacts. Now, he's trying to get out, but it's easier said than done. He's still a key player in the network's illegal operations, a double life he never wanted, bound by a wish to protect his younger sister, Michelle. And now, I'm a part of it by choice.

He pulls me close, but his embrace, usually a haven, suddenly feels like a cage. I flinch away, my body recoiling as if struck. A cold sweat breaks out on my skin, and the familiar tightness in my chest returns. The shattered glass, the blood-soaked garden, the lifeless weight of Mendel in my arms—these memories haunt my dreams. The Raven killed Mendel, and Alexander couldn't save him.

I love him with all my heart, a brutal, passionate love that burns with the fire of a thousand suns. Still, I can’t help but wonder: I’m under his protection, but can I trust him to protect me?

I watch him as he stands before me. The sharp lines of his jaw are softened by a mischievous smile, and the dark depths of his eyes sparkle.

"I won't let him touch you; he'll taste blood before that."

My breath catches in my throat. Alexander is like a puzzle, a collection of pieces that don't quite fit together. I feel a thrill of fascination, a need to understand the man behind the mask. Behind the ruthless exterior, there is a vulnerability. I can sense it; it is a fear that he hides so well. It is in the way his eyes flicker with a fleeting shadow, in the way his hand instinctively twitches towards the gun in his jacket. He is a man who carries a heavy burden, a burden of his own choices. It is a burden he carries alone, a burden he never shares.

"There's something I need you to understand," he whispers. "This life—it's not what you think. There are more dark things in my past. Things I don't speak of—"

A cold wind rushes through the balcony, carrying with it the taste of salt and the scent of rain. I pull my arms around myself, seeking warmth, but I feel the chill seeping into my bones.

"Let's go inside," I say, trembling slightly. He turns to me and nods.

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