Ava surfaced slowly, dragged up by pain as her consciousness crept back in fragments.Each breath scraped, shallow and uneven, forcing a cough from her throat that tore through her body.
She gasped and then felt a hand press firmly against her shoulder.
"Easy."
Ava's eyes flew open as she heard the voice.She bolted upright and instantly paid for it as dizziness slammed into her skull while the room tilted violently. She swayed as her vision blurring which only stopped when strong hands steadied her again.
"Don't sit up," Ethan said, "You inhaled a lot of smoke."
"Where—" Her voice cracked painfully. "Where am I?"
"My apartment."
That answer landed harder than the smoke in her lungs.Ava froze as she became aware of everything all at once—the unfamiliar couch beneath her, the faint antiseptic smell in the air, the hum of a radiator somewhere nearby, and Ethan standing right in front of her.
"You passed out," he continued. "I couldn't leave you there."
Her throat tightened. "How long?"
"Night passed," he said. "You were unconscious for six hours."
"Six hours?"Ava said as she sucked in a breath, coughing once more as her vision swam. She let herself sink back against the couch cushions while her heart raced as she took in her surroundings.
A small living room that was clean but worn. A secondhand couch beneath her, its fabric rough against her palms. A narrow coffee table pushed close, scattered with case files, a closed laptop, and an ashtray that smelled faintly of smoke. The blinds on the single window were half-drawn, city light bleeding through the gaps.
She turned her head and saw Ethan standing a few feet away with his arms crossed loosely over his chest and posture relaxed in a way that didn't fool her for a second. He'd removed his jacket, leaving a dark long-sleeve shirt clinging to his broad frame. His hair was slightly mussed now which revealed a shallow cut visible near his temple.
Ava looked down at herself and noticed she was still dressed but her coat was gone,her shoes too and a thin blanket had been pulled up to her waist, tucked with
deliberate neatness.
Ethan followed her line of sight.
"I didn't undress you," he said evenly. "I loosened your collar. That's it."
The fact that he addressed it without her asking unsettled her more than silence would have.
"What did you do?" she asked hoarsely.
Ethan turned away, walking toward the
small kitchen without urgency. "Oxygen first and I monitored your breathing too."
He picked up a glass from the counter and returned, holding it out to her. "Drink slowly."
Ava hesitated.Not because she didn't trust him but because trusting him felt dangerous.
Still, her throat burned too badly to argue. She took the glass which made her fingers brush his briefly and the contact sent an unexpected jolt through her.
She drank the warm water which slid down her throat, easing the tightness in her chest just enough to breathe deeper.
Ethan watched closely with sharp eyes and loose posture but attentive.
"You should've gone to a hospital," she said between breaths.
"And put your name into a system?" he replied calmly. "After tonight?"
Ava kept silent for minutes before speaking up which made her throat burn as she swallowed again. "The fire—"
"Contained," Ethan said. "Office is a loss."
Something tightened in her chest that made her uneasy.
She inhaled carefully. "My bag."
"Where is it?" she asked, pushing herself a little more upright.
"Relax," he said. "It's here."
"Where?"
Ethan turned, reached down beside the armchair, and lifted it into view.
Ava's chest loosened just slightly and then tightened again because the bag was unzipped.
"You went through it," she said.
"I did."
"You had no right."Ava said as her hands clenched under the blanket.
Ethan stepped closer, stopping just out of reach. "You brought danger into my office. Someone tried to shoot you and then they set my office on fire. That makes it my right."
She met his gaze, fire sparking despite the fear coiled in her chest. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"I wasn't looking," he replied. "I was checking."
"For what?"
"For reasons."
Ava swallowed. "Did you take anything?"
"No."
"Did you see anything?"
"Yes."
"What did you see?" she asked while Ethan studied her for a moment, then reached into the bag and pulled out a slim flash drive.
"You want to explain this?" he asked.
"It's just work and I didn't do anything."Ava said as she stared at him.
"People who say that usually did something or saw something."Ethan said as he noticed Ava's lips pressed together.
"You don't have to tell me everything," he said. "But if you lie, we're done."
Her gaze dropped to her hands as she forced them to unclench.
"I'm not lying," she said quietly.
"You're withholding."
She looked up again with sharp eyes despite her exhaustion. "You said you'd protect me."
"I said you'd get protection," Ethan corrected. "That depends on cooperation."
"Protection isn't ownership."
"No," he agreed. "But survival requires trust."
Ava exhaled slowly, steadying herself.
"You're careful," he said. "You hid it well."
"That's not yours, that's just work," she said instantly.
"No," he agreed. "but I know it's trouble."
She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, he was still watching her.
"Tell me the truth,what's on it?" he asked.
"Not money," she said.
"I assumed."
"Not drugs."
"Good."
"Not names," she added carefully.
"Then what?"
"Proof," Ava said.
"Proof of what?" Ethan asked.
She shook her head. "Not yet."
His jaw tightened. "That may not be an option."
"Then don't ask yet," she said softly.
"Because once I say it, I can't take it back."
Ethan studied her in silence and finally, he nodded once. "Alright."
"But understand this," he continued.
"Whatever that drive contains, it's the reason they're escalating."
"I know," Ava whispered.
"Which means you don't go back to your apartment."
Her head snapped up. "I can't just disappear."
"You already have."
"I have a job."
"Not anymore," Ethan said bluntly. "Not safely."
She stared at him. "You can't decide that for me."
"No," he agreed. "But I can tell you the reality. They already know your pattern,your address and your habits."
Her chest tightened. "So what—you lock me in here?"
"No," he said. "You stay with me."
The words sent a strange jolt through her.
"With you," she repeated.
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"Until I figure out who's after you," Ethan said. "Or until this ends."
"And when will that be?"
"When one of you stops," he replied flatly.
Ava looked away, staring at the half-drawn blinds, the city moving on as if nothing had happened. As if her life hadn't just been reduced to a single room and the man standing in it.
"I don't even know you," she said quietly.
Ethan stepped closer, close enough now that she could see the faint exhaustion lining his eyes.
"That makes two of us," he said. "But right now, I'm the only reason you're breathing."
"Did anyone follow us here?" she asked.
"No."
"How do you know?"
"Because I checked," he replied. "Twice."
She nodded slowly.
"Can I use your bathroom?" she asked after a moment. "I feel—"
"Down the hall," Ethan said immediately. "Second door on the left."
She swung her legs off the couch carefully, standing on unsteady feet. He watched but didn't touch her this time, giving her space while staying close enough to catch her if she fell.
She paused at the hallway entrance.
"Ethan," she said.
"Yes?"
"If I wasn't worth it," she asked softly, "you wouldn't do this,so why are you?"
For a moment, something flickered behind his eyes but then it was gone.
"Because someone crossed a line," he said. "And because once they did, this stopped being just your problem."
She studied him for a long second,then nodded and disappeared down the hall.
Ethan remained where he was, listening to the sound of runni
ng water as his eyes drifted to the flash drive resting on his desk.
Whatever Ava Brooks was hiding—
—it was big enough to burn a building down and he had a feeling this was only the beginning.
Just then,he heard a crash….