Page 35 of Ruthless Kings of Obsession

"He's my stepbrother," she says flatly, but there's a wealth of history in those three words.

I shrug, maintaining my casual demeanor while cataloging every micro-expression that crosses her face. "And?"

"'And?'" She repeats, incredulity coloring her tone. "It's obvious we can't be together. We hate each other!"

The laugh escapes before I can stop it – rich and genuine because she still doesn't see it. "Oh yeah, you hate each other so much you orchestrated his complete social destruction." I rise smoothly to my feet, noting how she tracks my movement. "Tellme, was that viral video of his crimes your idea, or did someone help you plan it?"

Her speechless expression is priceless. I let my trademark playboy smirk spread across my face as I move closer, invading her space until our lips are barely inches apart. The familiar electricity crackles between us, but it's different now – charged with new dangers, new complications.

"Haven't stopped wishing I'd tried harder to find you," I murmur, watching how her breath catches despite her apparent indifference. "But then my little Moonflower had to go and infiltrate Leighton University, catching the eye of every criminal kingpin on our watch list. Made tracking you down something of an obsession."

The intensity in her gaze matches mine, that old fire still burning between us. But there's something else there now – a deeper purpose, a darker drive. She's not just the wild creature who ran through the forest with me anymore. She's become something more dangerous, more focused.

It's then that the emergency lights flicker on, harsh fluorescents replacing the shadowy atmosphere. At the end of the hall stand five agents – their stance and equipment marking them as definitely not part of my unit. Their weapons are raised, faces set with deadly intent.

"Friends of yours?" Eva asks quietly, her body already shifting into a combat stance.

"Definitely not." I recognize their type – mercenaries playing dress-up as law enforcement. The kind who leave no witnesses and ask no questions. "These are the other unit's men."

She nods once, decisive. There's no fear in her expression, only tactical assessment. "How good are you in a fight?"

The laugh bubbles up as I draw my weapon and disable the safety in one smooth motion. The first shot finds its mark beforeI even finish speaking, dropping one of the false agents with surgical precision. "Baby, you have no idea."

The hallway erupts into chaos, but I can't help grinning. Some things never change – my Moonflower still has a way of making life infinitely more interesting. And as bullets start flying and Eva moves like death incarnate beside me, I realize I wouldn't have it any other way.

This is going to be one hell of a reunion.

Lethal Entourage

~GEMINI~

The world narrows to pure instinct as the first shots ring out. Ren's already taking down one agent with surgical precision, but I'm focused on the other four advancing toward us. Their movements are too coordinated, too professional – these aren't ordinary mercenaries.

"Left side's mine," Ren calls out, already moving to engage two of them.

I don't waste breath responding. Instead, I launch forward, using the narrow hallway to my advantage. The first agent tries to aim his weapon, but I'm already inside his guard. My elbow connects with his throat while I simultaneously kick backward, catching the second agent in the knee. The crack of cartilage is oddly satisfying.

Ren fights with a fluid grace I'd forgotten about – each movement precise and economical. No wasted energy, no flashy moves. Just pure lethal efficiency. He disarms one agent while shooting the other, making it look effortless.

"Duck!" I shout, already throwing Knifey as Ren drops without hesitation. The blade embeds itself in the forehead of an agent who'd been about to shoot him from behind.

The remaining agent charges me, clearly trained in close combat. His fist grazes my cheek as I weave, but I use his momentum against him. A quick series of strikes – throat, solar plexus, groin – has him stumbling. Before I can finish him, movement behind me catches my attention.

"Eva!" Ren's warning comes just as strong arms wrap around me from behind. The agent I'd throat-struck earlier isn't as incapacitated as I'd thought. His grip is crushing, limiting my movement.

But Ren is already there, his elbow connecting with the agent's temple with devastating force. The arms around me loosen enough for me to drive my head back into the man's already-damaged throat. He drops with a gurgling sound I've heard too many times before.

The last agent standing looks between us, clearly reassessing his odds. He raises his hands in surrender, but I catch the slight movement of his finger on the trigger.

"Down!" I command, just as Ren and I both fire. Our shots hit simultaneously – his catching the agent in the chest while mine finds his head. The body hits the ground with a dull thud, and silence falls in the hallway.

We stand there for a moment, both breathing hard, surrounded by the aftermath of our deadly dance. Five bodies, various blood patterns on the walls, and the lingering scent of gunpowder.

"Nice shot," Ren comments, holstering his weapon.

"Nice save," I counter, retrieving Knifey from the dead agent's skull. "Though I had it handled."

His low chuckle sends an unwanted shiver down my spine. "Sure you did, Moonflower. Just like that time in Vancouver?"

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