Clair sat in the backseat of a sleek black Rolls Royce, her fingers curled around the leather edge of the seat. She tried not to look impressed, but the soft hum of the engine and the tinted windows made her feel like she was in a different world.
Austin sat beside her, silent, dressed in a tailored charcoal suit and black shirt. No tie. No smile.
Just calm control.
His phone buzzed.
He glanced at it, his jaw tightening slightly.
"Everything okay?" Clair asked.
He nodded. "Routine update."
She didn't believe him. She saw the flicker of tension in his eyes.
"You said we were going somewhere private," she said, trying to ease the strange weight in the air.
"We are," he replied. "A private villa on the edge of the city. Secluded. Safe."
Clair arched a brow. "Safe from what exactly?"
Austin didn't answer.
The car turned off the main road, onto a narrower, winding path. Trees blurred past the windows, and the city melted behind them.
Something about the quiet made her anxious.
Too quiet.
The villa looked like something out of a luxury magazine, stone walls covered in ivy, glass doors that opened to the sound of running water, and the faint scent of fresh lavender in the air.
Clair stepped out first, taking in the open space, the clean mountain air, the golden glow of sunset over a nearby lake.
She turned to Austin. "You own this too?"
He gave a small nod. "One of many."
She muttered, "Must be nice."
But even in all this beauty, her gut itched with unease.
Austin led her inside. "I brought you here to clear your head. There's a garden out back. A kitchen if you want to cook. And no security will follow us in."
Clair blinked. "Seriously?"
He nodded. "Just us."
That sounded romantic.
But her instincts whispered trap.
"Why now?" she asked.
Austin looked out a window. "Because I have a feeling trouble's coming sooner than expected."
Later, Clair wandered the garden behind the villa. She admired the stone path winding through lavender bushes and fruit trees. It was peaceful. Too peaceful.
A breeze swept through, carrying the rustle of leaves—and something else.
A crunch.
Clair froze.
Footsteps?
She turned.
No one.
She stepped deeper into the garden, toward the wall of trees at the edge.
And then she saw it.
A red laser dot flickering across a flower pot beside her.
Her breath caught.
Sniper?
Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her back.
Austin.
They hit the ground just as the flower pot exploded into ceramic shards.
Clair screamed.
Gunshot.
Austin rolled, pulling her behind a stone bench.
"Stay down!" he barked.
More shots echoed, bullets hitting the trees, the wall, the ground.
Clair's heart pounded. Her whole body trembled.
"Who....what..." she gasped.
Austin pulled a small black pistol from his back holster. "Don't move until I say."
He darted from the bench to a tree, fired two precise shots into the woods, and everything went silent.
Then: a thud.
And birds scattering.
Austin jogged back, eyes scanning the perimeter.
"Gone," he muttered. "One of them."
Clair was still on the ground, staring up at him.
"Who the hell is trying to kill me?"
Austin didn't answer right away.
He helped her up. "You okay?"
She pushed his hands off. "Don't baby me, answer me."
Austin exhaled through his nose. "Someone wants to hurt me. And they'll come through you to do it."
"I'm not even part of your world!"
"You are now."
Inside the villa, Austin locked every door and triggered silent alarms with hidden panels.
Clair sat on the couch, shaking.
He handed her a glass of whiskey. "Drink."
She hesitated, then took it. "How did they know we were here?"
"I don't know."
She looked up. "You brought me here knowing there was danger."
"I brought you here because I didn't think they'd move this fast."
"You don't get to make that call for me, Austin!"
"I do when your life's in danger."
"You don't own me!"
He stopped pacing.
The air between them crackled.
"You're right," he said slowly. "But I will protect you. Even if you hate me for it."
Clair stared at him, trying to figure out how a man could be so infuriating, so cold—and so determined to keep her alive.
"Who are they?" she asked.
Austin hesitated.
Then: "The Blacksons."
Clair frowned. "Sounds like a cartoon villain family."
Austin didn't smile. "They're real. And they're deadly. I've had a standing war with them for three years. They don't hit targets unless they want to make a statement."
"So what, now I'm the message?"
Austin nodded grimly. "They want to scare me. Or bait me."
"Is it working?"
He looked at her, and for the first time, there was something raw in his expression.
"Yes."
That night, neither of them slept.
Austin kept patrol near the windows while Clair sat curled in a blanket on the couch.
Her mind ran wild. One second she was baking in his kitchen. Now she was dodging bullets.
Was this her life now?
Was this man her future?
She didn't even know if she liked him… and yet, she didn't want him to die either.
When the sky began to lighten, she finally spoke.
"Is this going to happen again?"
Austin sat beside her. "Probably."
"Then take me back."
He looked at her. "What?"
"To your mansion. Where at least I know I'm not a sitting duck."
Austin's eyes narrowed. "You're not afraid?"
"I am."
"Then why not run?"
She met his gaze. "Because running doesn't fix the danger. And I'd rather see it coming than hide in a garden."
Austin stared at her like he was seeing something new.
"Smart," he said.
Clair leaned back. "I'm not just smart. I'm pissed."
He gave a half-smile.
And in that quiet moment, between tired eyes and shared adrenaline, something unspoken passed between them.
It wasn't love.
But it was something stronger than fear.
As they left the villa, two black SUVs followed them discreetly. The sun had risen fully now, casting long shadows over the road.
Clair glanced at Austin. "Next time, tell me if I'm being used as bait."
His knuckles tightened on the steering wheel. "Next time, I'll make sure no one dares."
She almost believed him.
Almost.