Chapter Four

Krista paced the small confines of her cell, her gaze darting around, searching for any possible escape.

The walls closed in on her, the air thick with despair. She tested the bars on the tiny window, but it was useless. She couldn’t fit through it. The space felt suffocating, a chilling reminder of the basement where she and Devlin had once been trapped years ago.

Her breaths came faster, shallower. She tried to calm herself, to think rationally, but the memories clawed at her mind, threatening to drag her under. She could almost hear the echoes of their whispered plans, their desperate promises. Devlin’s voice, urging her to run, to escape while she could. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt the walls closing in, tighter and tighter.

Krista’s vision blurred as panic seized her. She sank to the floor, gasping for air, her hands trembling uncontrollably. She hugged her knees to her chest, willing the terror to subside, but it only intensified. The room spun, and she felt herself spiraling, lost in the grip of fear.

The door creaked open, and she barely registered the sound. She expected a guard. All thoughts of fighting disappeared, replaced by sheer desperation to breathe, to escape the crushing weight of her panic.

But it wasn’t a flunky who stepped into the cell. It was Devlin. He stood there for a moment, his eyes softening as they took in her trembling form. Instead of mocking her, as she had feared, Devlin approached her slowly, his movements gentle. He knelt beside her, his presence a steady anchor.

“Krista,” he murmured. “Krista, look at me.”

She forced her eyes to meet his, her breath hitching. Devlin reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. His touch was warm, grounding her in the present.

“Take a deep breath,” he instructed softly. “Focus on my voice. Just breathe with me.”

His words wrapped around her. She followed his lead, matching his slow, steady breaths. Gradually, the world stopped spinning, and the tightness in her chest began to ease.

Devlin continued to stroke her hair, his thumb tracing soothing circles on her cheek.

“I ’ m sorry, ” he said quietly, his voice laced with genuine regret. “I never wanted you to go through this again. I was so angry, I didn ’ t think. ”

Krista blinked, tears welling up despite herself. She hadn’t expected this tender and vulnerable side of him. He seemed like a completely different person from before.

“I … I didn’t think you cared,” she whispered, her voice cracking.

“I care.” Devlin hesitated, then added, “Come, on. Let’s get you out of here.”

The sincerity in his words, the warmth of his touch, made something inside her shift. She saw the boy he once was, the one who had sacrificed so much for her. And now, despite the years and the distance between them, that connection still flickered, fragile but unbroken.

Devlin helped her to her feet, his arm steady around her shoulders.

“Are you letting me go?” Krista asked, unable to keep the hope out of her voice.

He shook his head. “I need to ask you some questions first,” he said.

“Of course,” she replied dryly, the walls of her defenses slowly rebuilding.

Now that she had calmed down, embarrassment washed over her. He had seen her at her weakest, and for a moment, she had let her guard down, they both had. But what had she expected?

Nothing had changed between them.

The suits guarding her cell didn’t blink once as their boss emerged with her. She pulled away from Devlin’s grip, reclaiming a shred of her autonomy. He didn’t comment, but it didn’t matter, because they both knew she wasn’t going anywhere.

They got on an elevator. “Your men…” She paused once they were inside. “Won’t they talk about their boss taking a prisoner out?”

Devlin laughed, a deep, rich sound that was unfairly sexy to her ears, making her body tingle.

“My men are loyal to me. Most of the time.” His gaze darkened at those last words.

The elevator climbed to the building’s highest floor—the 70th. Looking at the elevator panel, she finally realized where she was being taken. Arrow Towers.

Devlin and his brothers owned this building, and while some floors were used for his legal companies, rumor had it the other floors were reserved for the shadier aspects of the family business.

The elevator doors opened to a penthouse. She took in the sleek modern furniture and the floor-to-ceiling windows with a breathtaking view of the city. Was this Devlin’s private sanctuary?

“Welcome to my suite,” he said, gesturing for her to step out.

Krista walked ahead, feeling his eyes on her every step of the way. The door slid shut behind them, sealing her in with him.

“ You live here? Not at the house? ” Krista asked, her curiosity piqued.

“I do. It’s more convenient,” Devlin replied with a casual shrug. “Although occasionally, I go back to the estate for business meetings.”

Krista watched him closely, noting the way his eyes darkened ever so slightly at the mention of the estate. She sensed he didn ’ t consider that house his home, not with the nightmares associated with it.

“Convenient, huh? Or maybe you just enjoy the view from up here,” she said, trying her hand at flirting. After all, she just discovered he still had a soft spot for her and Krista would use everything at her disposal to get out of this alive.

Devlin smirked, locking his gaze onto hers. “The view does have its perks,” he replied. “But it’s not the only reason I stay here.”

Krista arched an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? And what are the other reasons?”

He took a step closer, his eyes never leaving hers. “Privacy, for one. It’s hard to conduct certain … personal business at the estate.”

She felt a shiver run down her spine at the intensity in his voice.

“Personal business?” she echoed, her heart racing.

Devlin leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. “Yes, personal business. Like dealing with uninvited guests who try to steal from me,” he murmured, his lips brushing her earlobe.

Krista swallowed hard, trying to keep her composure. “Well, I suppose it ’ s good to know you value your privacy. ”

Like earlier, just when she thought things were about to heat up between them, he backed away suddenly. He led her to a plush chair and gestured for her to sit, taking the seat across from her.

“Let ’ s start with the basics, ” Devlin began, his tone professional again. “Why were you trying to steal from me?”

Krista held his gaze, refusing to be intimidated. “I needed the money,” she said simply. “For survival. You know how it is.”

Devlin leaned back, studying her.

“Let ’ s cut to the chase, ” Devlin said.

“What do you want from me?” Krista asked.

“I want the truth,” Devlin said, his voice low and commanding. “Who were you working for? How did you get past our security?”

Krista hesitated, weighing her options. She could lie, but he ’ d see through it. Devlin was too smart for that. She decided to give him the truth.

“ A client hired me to break into your safe to retrieve some documents. I paid a hacker to take down your security. I needed the money, nothing more.”

Devlin ’ s eyes narrowed, searching hers for any sign of deceit. “And you expect me to believe that?”

“It ’ s the truth, ” she insisted.

He stood up, walking around the coffee table to stand in front of her. He cupped her chin, tilting her face up to look at him.

“I want to believe you, Krista. But trust is a rare commodity in our world,” he told her.

She shivered at his touch, the warmth of his hand contrasting with the cold steel of his authority.

“Then you ’ ll have to decide whether to take my word or not, ” she whispered.

Devlin ’ s grip tightened slightly, a reminder of who held the power.

“We ’ ll see, ” he said.

As he released her and stepped back, Krista ’ s heart pounded in her chest. She was caught in his web, and despite the danger, a part of her didn ’ t want to escape. Not yet.

A surge of adrenaline and something deeper—desire—propelled her forward. She lunged for his tie, gripping it with a boldness she didn ’ t know she had.

Devlin tensed, his eyes widening in surprise, clearly expecting some kind of assault. But Krista had no such thoughts. She pulled him closer, her fingers curling around the fabric of his tie as she rose on her toes. Their lips collided in a fierce, electrifying kiss.

Devlin ’ s hesitation melted away in an instant. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her tightly against him as he deepened the kiss, his mouth moving hungrily over hers.

Krista’s hands moved to his shoulders, gripping them for support as the world spun around her. Devlin’s lips were demanding, exploring, claiming. The intensity of his kiss was overwhelming, yet she found herself matching his fervor, pouring years of unspoken emotions into that one moment.

He tasted like danger and desire, a heady mix that made her heart race even faster. Devlin’s hands roamed her back, pressing her closer, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. She responded in kind, her own hands sliding into his hair, tugging slightly, eliciting a low growl from deep within his chest.

For a moment, everything else faded away—their past, the danger, the uncertainty. All that mattered was the fire between them, the undeniable connection that neither had been able to forget.

As they finally broke apart, both breathless, Krista looked up into Devlin’s eyes, seeing a mixture of surprise, desire, and something she couldn’t quite place.

She didn ’ t know what the future held, but in that moment, she didn ’ t care. All she knew was that she was exactly where she needed to be.

Their clothes came off in a hurry and Krista didn ’ t know how she ended up lying on her back on his sofa. Her heart thumped at the hungry way he looked at her—like he didn ’ t just want a taste.

Devlin wanted to consume all of her and she didn ’ t mind him doing that one bit. The reckless thought scared her a little, but what the hell. For all Krista knew, this might be her last day on earth if Devlin decided to get rid of her after all.

She drank in the sight of Devlin, shirtless, inked, muscled and all kinds of hot. When her gaze landed on his thickening cock, she licked her lips. That got a laugh out of him.

“ Krista, you ’ re truly one of a kind, ” he said, before lowering his ravenous mouth to hers.

Krista parted her lips so he could deepen the kiss. She moaned when he made his way down her cheek, her neck, the hollow of her collarbones.

Krista sunk her fingers into his hair as he paid utmost attention to her nipples. When he bit the tightened bud, she gasped. At the same time, he slid two fingers inside her wet pussy.

“ I want you inside me, ” she whispered, swallowing as he pulled his fingers out and licked her need off them.

“ Funny, because I want the same thing, ” Devlin said.

He positioned himself between her legs. Impatient, Krista wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling her close. He rewarded her with one of those sexy laughs of his.

Then he entered her in one swift thrust. Krista gasped at the size of him. He started with slow strokes before increasing the speed. She found herself begging him to go faster, deeper.

Devlin did as she asked and Krista found herself meeting him for every push. Soon enough, he reduced them both to sweating and groaning animals.

Every time Devlin claimed her, it felt like a piece of her soul drifted out to touch hers. Krista had been with other men before, but none of them made her feel like this.

The pressure inside her threatened to burst open. Devlin switched the angle of his entry and Krista gasped, arching her back. He ’ d found her sweet spot.

Grinning down at her, Devlin kept going for the area repeatedly until Krista couldn’t take anymore. All her tense muscled relaxed. Her mind splintered and she soared in the air.