Chapter 7: Shadows of the Past
The motel room smelled of damp carpet and old coffee, but Isla barely noticed. Her knees were tucked to her chest on the edge of the bed, eyes tracing the dark corners where shadows seemed to breathe.
Rafe leaned against the wall, arms crossed, jaw tight. That playful, teasing look he always wore was gone. Tonight, he was all calculation and danger.
"They're closer than I thought," he said, voice low.
"Closer?" Her chest tightened. "I thought we lost them."
Rafe's hand rubbed the back of his neck. "You can't hide from people like this. Not when they've been hunting your family for decades. They don't forgive. They don't forget."
Her stomach dropped. "My family…?"
"Some are gone," he said, eyes darkening. "Some… were never really safe."
"I don't understand."
"You will. But not tonight. Right now, you survive."
Her throat went dry. "And if I can't?"
Then he stepped forward, closer than she thought he would. Closer than she knew she wanted. "Then I make sure you do."
She wanted to tell him to back off. To run. To push him away.
But she didn't.
Her pulse thundered. His gaze locked on hers, piercing and intense.
"You're trembling," he said.
"Cold," she whispered.
"No." His voice dropped. "Scared. And because you know there's no going back."
Isla's heart twisted, a dangerous mix of fear and something else she couldn't name. She tried to step away, but Rafe moved with her, their bodies brushing, sparks of warmth and tension lacing through every inch of contact.
Then his phone buzzed. Rafe snatched it up, eyes scanning the screen. His face darkened.
"They found her," he muttered.
"Who?" Isla's voice was barely a whisper.
"Someone I've been tracking. They're not after you yet… but they will be."
A shiver ran down her spine. "Then why am I still here with you?"
He closed the distance, so close she could feel the heat from his chest. "Because no one else can keep you alive. Not like I can. And because… I can't leave you."
Her breath caught. She wanted to run, to scream, to deny everything.
But she stayed.
And so did he.
Outside, the storm drowned the city. Inside, a different storm had begun—one neither of them could escape.