Noah Morgan has always lived on her own terms — reckless, fearless, and fiercely independent. At nineteen, she’s had her share of bad choices, wild nights, and broken hearts. But nothing compares to the day she’s forced to leave her life behind and move into her mother’s new husband’s mansion. For Noah, this new world isn’t a chance to start over — it’s a prison made of polished floors, luxury cars, and cold silence.

Until she meets Nick Leister.

Nick is everything she shouldn’t want. He’s dangerous, impulsive, and too confident for his own good. He races cars, fights in underground rings, and collects trouble like trophies. He also happens to be her new stepbrother. From the moment they meet, sparks fly — not the romantic kind, but the kind that burns.

Nick doesn’t like being challenged, and Noah doesn’t know how to submit. Their attraction is instant, magnetic, and completely forbidden. But it’s not just physical. It’s emotional. They see through each other — past the arrogance, past the masks. Beneath Nick’s anger is pain. Beneath Noah’s fire is fear.

Their connection starts as a war. Glances that threaten. Words that sting. Accidental touches that linger longer than they should. In a house full of luxury and lies, Nick and Noah become each other’s only truth — and that truth is dangerous.

Their relationship is a slow, sensual explosion. It begins with arguments in the hallway, late-night rides on Nick’s motorcycle, and stolen stares across the dinner table. But soon it grows darker — into moments of intense desire, overwhelming jealousy, and the kind of intimacy that feels too real to be safe.

As their attraction deepens, Noah uncovers the truth about Nick’s world — the illegal street races, the underground fights, and the brutal past he tries to hide. Nick isn't just a bad boy — he's wounded. Abandoned by his real father, constantly at odds with the man his mother married, Nick lives on adrenaline and danger. He hides behind rage and rebellion because love has never been kind to him.

And yet, with Noah, he softens. Just not enough.

Noah, too, is battling ghosts. Her father walked out when she was a child. Her mother’s love is conditional — based on appearances and obedience. She feels like a pawn in someone else’s story. But when Nick touches her — really touches her — she feels seen, alive, and no longer invisible. The more they fall into each other, the more impossible it becomes to hide.

But secrets don’t stay buried for long.

Their relationship becomes physical. First in shadows. Then behind closed doors. Their bodies speak the things they cannot say aloud — desire, fear, possession. Noah is drawn to Nick's darkness, and Nick is terrified of how much he needs her.

But in a world of luxury and lies, love has no place.

Their parents can’t know. The world wouldn’t understand. And Nick is already on the edge — one wrong move and everything could fall apart. Noah tries to pull away. Nick refuses to let go. Their passion becomes a dangerous addiction, one they can’t quit.

Things begin to unravel fast.

Nick’s involvement in underground street races leads to an accident that nearly kills him. Noah finds out he’s in deeper trouble than she ever imagined — debt, enemies, and a violent past catching up fast. Meanwhile, rumors about their closeness start to spread. Their secret is not safe anymore.

Then comes the betrayal.

Nick, under pressure and drowning in guilt, pushes Noah away. Harsh words. Cold silence. The heat between them turns to fire — but this time, the kind that burns everything down. Noah is heartbroken, and Nick is lost in his own chaos.

But the heart wants what it wants.

Despite the risks, they come back to each other. Not because they’re perfect — but because without one another, they’re broken. In a moment of raw honesty, Nick confesses everything: the pain of his childhood, the violence in his veins, the way Noah is the only light in a world that has always been dark.

They come back together

Dawn broke like shattered glass across the horizon.


Noah stirred in the car seat, her body aching from the cramped position and tension she couldn't shake off. Nick was already awake, leaning against the hood, smoking a cigarette like it was the only thing grounding him.


> "We can't keep hiding," she said, joining him.


> "Planning what, Nick? To drive until we run out of gas? Money?"


> "To figure out who's coming after us first. Then decide what to burn."


His words were calm, but his hands trembled slightly — barely noticeable, unless you knew him like she did.


They ended up at an old motel on the outskirts of town — the kind with buzzing neon signs and doors that barely locked.


Inside, the room was small and smelled like smoke and cheap soap, but it was theirs — for now.


Noah sat on the edge of the bed, scrolling through messages on her phone. Thirty-seven missed calls from her father. A few from friends. Even a voicemail from her stepmother.


> "You think he'll come for us?" she asked.


> "He doesn't need to," Nick replied. "He'll send someone else."


A black SUV pulled up outside the motel.


> "William's dogs. I recognize the plates."


They barely made it out the bathroom window.


Noah's backpack ripped on the way out. She didn't care. They ran until the sound of boots faded behind them, until they were nothing but shadows in the night.


> "This is what we are now?" she asked, shivering.


> "No," he said, pulling her into his arms. "This is what we survive. So we can become something more."


She looked up at him — bruises, dirt, pain etched deep.


> "Don't let me turn into someone you regret loving."


> "You're the only thing I don't regret."


That night, beneath the stars and the hollow groan of passing trains, they made love like it was the only thing they had left.


Chapter 11 - Running With Fire