Chapter 32: After the Battle
(Keifer's POV)
The rooftop slowly emptied after the sniper was secured.
Aries and Amy were still arguing about who tackled him first.
Amy:
"I literally jumped from the ventilation pipe."
Aries:
"You tripped."
Amy:
"That was a tactical fall."
Luis laughed loudly somewhere near the stairwell.
Savannah and Sophia were already discussing the next targets quietly while looking at the tablet.
Kuya Angelo stood near the edge of the rooftop, staring at the city lights like he was still trying to accept that Jay Jay had secretly built an entire underground organization.
Olivia and Mia helped tie the sniper properly before dragging him downstairs for interrogation.
Which left…
Just me and Jay.
The night air felt cooler now.
Wind moved her hair slightly as she leaned on the railing.
For the first time since the reveal, everything was quiet.
No strategies.
No enemies.
No planning.
Just us.
I walked over and stood beside her.
Keifer:
"So…"
Jay Jay:
"So…"
Keifer:
"That was a dramatic reveal."
Jay rolled her eyes.
Jay Jay:
"You're enjoying this too much."
I leaned against the railing beside her.
Keifer:
"Can you blame me?"
I gestured vaguely behind us.
Keifer:
"My girlfriend turned out to be a secret mastermind."
Jay Jay:
"You're still stuck on that."
Keifer:
"I'm impressed."
Jay Jay:
"You're weird."
For a moment she just looked out at the city again.
Then she spoke quietly.
Jay Jay:
"Are you mad?"
I looked at her.
Really looked at her.
She looked calm, but I knew her well enough to see the tension in her shoulders.
Keifer:
"I'm a little mad."
She nodded slowly.
Jay Jay:
"Because I didn't tell you."
Keifer:
"Because you kept it hidden."
She sighed softly.
Jay Jay:
"I didn't want you involved."
Keifer:
"I was already involved."
Jay Jay:
"I meant deeper."
I crossed my arms.
Keifer:
"You ran an entire operation behind my back."
Jay Jay:
"To protect you."
That made me pause.
Jay continued quietly.
Jay Jay:
"You were on a hit list."
Jay Jay:
"More than one."
Jay Jay:
"And if you knew…"
She shook her head slightly.
Jay Jay:
"You would have tried to help."
I smirked.
Keifer:
"Obviously."
Jay Jay:
"And you would have gotten hurt."
She finally looked at me again.
Jay Jay:
"I couldn't let that happen."
Something in my chest softened a little.
But I kept my voice teasing.
Keifer:
"You know what Kuya Angelo would do right now?"
Jay raised an eyebrow.
Jay Jay:
"What?"
I imitated Angelo's serious tone.
Keifer:
"He'd lecture you for five hours."
Jay groaned immediately.
Jay Jay:
"Oh my god."
Jay Jay:
"You're not going to lecture me for five hours straight too, are you?"
I laughed.
Keifer:
"No."
She looked slightly relieved.
Jay Jay:
"Good."
I leaned a little closer.
Keifer:
"I have my own ways."
Her eyebrows lifted.
Jay Jay:
"That sounds suspicious."
I shrugged casually.
Keifer:
"Maybe."
She studied me carefully now.
Jay Jay:
"You're smiling like you're planning something."
Keifer:
"I might be."
Jay Jay:
"That's concerning."
I stepped closer.
Close enough that there was barely any space between us.
The wind moved softly around us, but neither of us stepped away.
Keifer:
"You kept a huge secret."
Jay Jay:
"Yes."
Keifer:
"You lied to me."
Jay Jay:
"I didn't lie."
Keifer:
"You definitely avoided the truth."
Jay Jay:
"…maybe."
I tilted my head slightly.
Keifer:
"So I deserve some kind of compensation."
Jay blinked.
Jay Jay:
"Compensation?"
Keifer:
"Yes."
Jay Jay:
"For what?"
I smirked.
Keifer:
"For emotional damages."
She stared at me for two seconds.
Then laughed.
Jay Jay:
"You're unbelievable."
But she didn't move away.
Not even a little.
The distance between us stayed small.
Very small.
Keifer:
"You were worried I'd be angry."
Jay Jay:
"I was."
Keifer:
"You should know me better."
Jay Jay:
"I do."
She crossed her arms slightly.
Jay Jay:
"That's why I knew you'd be dramatic."
I leaned closer again.
Keifer:
"Dramatic?"
Jay Jay:
"Yes."
Our faces were only inches apart now.
Her voice dropped slightly.
Jay Jay:
"You're still being dramatic."
I smiled slowly.
Keifer:
"You like it."
Jay Jay:
"Sometimes."
The moment stretched.
Neither of us speaking.
Just watching each other.
Then she shook her head slightly.
Jay Jay:
"You're impossible."
Keifer:
"And yet you like me."
Jay Jay:
"Unfortunately."
I gently placed a hand against the railing beside her.
Trapping her between me and the metal bar.
Not aggressively.
Just close.
Jay's eyes flicked down briefly before returning to mine.
Jay Jay:
"You're doing that thing again."
Keifer:
"What thing?"
Jay Jay:
"The annoying confident smile."
I lowered my voice slightly.
Keifer:
"It works though."
Jay Jay:
"Sometimes."
The wind moved again, brushing her hair across her face.
Without thinking, I reached out and moved the strand away.
My fingers brushed her cheek briefly.
Jay didn't pull away.
Keifer:
"You know something?"
Jay Jay:
"What?"
Keifer:
"I'm actually proud of you."
She looked genuinely surprised.
Jay Jay:
"Proud?"
Keifer:
"You protected people."
Keifer:
"You stopped criminals."
Keifer:
"You built something powerful."
Her expression softened slightly.
Jay Jay:
"You're not scared?"
Keifer:
"Of you?"
I smiled.
Keifer:
"Never."
She shook her head softly.
Jay Jay:
"You should be."
I leaned closer again.
Keifer:
"I think I like dangerous girls."
Jay laughed quietly.
Jay Jay:
"You're definitely weird."
Then she nudged my shoulder lightly.
Jay Jay:
"Come on."
Keifer:
"Where?"
Jay Jay:
"Back to the others."
I didn't move.
Jay looked at me.
Jay Jay:
"What?"
I shrugged.
Keifer:
"I'm still considering that compensation."
She narrowed her eyes.
Jay Jay:
"You're not letting that go, are you?"
Keifer:
"Not anytime soon."
She sighed dramatically.
Jay Jay:
"Fine."
Keifer:
"Fine what?"
She stepped closer suddenly.
Close enough that I could feel her breath.
Then she whispered softly.
Jay Jay:
"That counts as compensation."
Before I could respond…
She turned and started walking toward the stairwell.
I stood there for a second.
Processing.
Aries appeared behind me.
Aries:
"You look stunned."
I pointed toward the stairs where Jay disappeared.
Keifer:
"She just played me."
Aries laughed loudly.
Aries:
"Your girlfriend is a criminal mastermind."
Aries:
"What did you expect?"
I shook my head and followed them downstairs.
But one thing was certain now.
The alliance between Iron Vipers and Obsidian Circle had officially begun.
The enemies were still out there.
The danger wasn't over.
But somehow.…
With Jay beside me…
The war ahead felt a lot more interesting.