Chapter Six

“Ma’am? We’ve arrived,” said an unfamiliar voice.

Krista jolted awake, her heart pounding. She silently berated herself for falling asleep during the drive back to her apartment. Mark, one of the men Devlin had entrusted to guard her, opened the car door.

“Thank you,” she murmured, stepping out into the dimly lit alleyway behind her apartment building.

She noted the precautionary measure—dropping her off in the back alley in case she was being watched.

“We’ll be around. Call us if you need us,” Mark told her, his tone professional.

“Fine,” she answered, maintaining her composure.

She walked briskly to her apartment, pretending everything was fine. Once inside, she locked the door and leaned against it, starting to shake. The reality of the situation hit her like a freight train.

She couldn’t believe what had just happened. When she got caught and brought to Devlin, she thought she’d been a goner. Now, things were far more complicated. She had agreed to Devlin’s offer because she had no other choice.

Her father ’ s death had taught her one crucial lesson: to survive in this world, one had to be willing to do anything, including resorting to desperate measures.

Her heart raced as she thought of Devlin with his hot mouth over hers. His clever hands on her body and his cock sheathed inside her. The way he’d completely unraveled her after just one fuck. Krista had never experienced anything like it.

No , she furiously thought. Krista couldn’t let her feelings interfere with her survival. She took deep breaths, trying to steady herself. She needed to focus, to stay sharp.

Krista took out the altered documents from her bag, spreading them out on the small table in her living room. The fake documents were a crucial part of Devlin’s plan, and now they were her lifeline. She examined them carefully, making sure everything was in order.

As she worked, she couldn ’ t shake the image of Devlin from her mind. His touch, his voice, the way he had looked at her—it all haunted her. But she had to push those thoughts away. She couldn ’ t afford to be distracted, not now.

A sudden noise outside her window made her jump. She quickly turned off the lights and peeked through the blinds, her heart pounding in her chest. It was just a cat knocking over a trash can, but the adrenaline rush didn’t fade. She was on edge, every nerve in her body screaming at her to stay alert.

At first, Krista debated running. She had no sentimental ties to this city, after all. The prospect of leaving everything behind and starting fresh in a new place was tempting.

She gave her studio apartment a quick, assessing look. Due to the dangerous nature of her job, she shifted places often. This apartment wasn’t home, just a place to crash. She owned few possessions, and the things she did cherish could fit in a duffel bag.

The bag peeked out from under her bed, a silent reminder of the life she could so easily escape. It was tempting to take it out and simply be done with all this—to vanish into the night and start anew somewhere far away from Devlin, Enzo, and Phantom.

But her father didn ’ t raise her to be a coward.

Krista took a deep breath, pushing the impulse to flee aside. Running was easy. Facing her problems head-on was the real challenge. She glanced at the duffel bag again, then deliberately turned away from it.

Krista moved away from the window and sat back down at the table. She couldn ’ t let her guard down again. The stakes were too high.

With a deep breath, she took out her cell phone. Her next step was to contact her client and schedule a meeting to hand the documents over. Survival was all that mattered now, and she would do whatever it took to ensure it. Her fingers drummed nervously on the table. She picked up her phone and dialed Enzo Rosso’s number, her heart pounding with each ring. Finally, he answered.

“Enzo, it’s Krista,” she said.

“ Krista, ” Enzo ’ s voice was smooth, but there was always an edge of suspicion. “ Do you have what I need? ”

“ Yes, I ’ ve got the documents. Everything is as you requested, ” she answered.

“ Good. We ’ ll meet tomorrow, same place as before. Noon. And don ’ t even think about scanning and sending them via email. I want to see them with my own eyes, ” Enzo said.

Krista wasn ’ t surprised. “ I understand. I ’ ll be there, ” she said.

“ Don ’ t be late, ” Enzo warned, then ended the call abruptly.

Krista sighed, placing her phone down. She wasn’t surprised Enzo refused to have her send the documents electronically. Enzo Rosso was notoriously paranoid. He was brother to Lorenzo Rosso, head of the Rosso Family and a long-time enemy of the Arrows.

The thought that Enzo might somehow know she was now working for Devlin worried her. Maybe she was overthinking things, but in her line of work, one couldn’t be too careful.

She ran her fingers through her hair, frustration and anxiety battling for dominance. How did she end up in this mess in the first place? She shouldn’t have taken this job, but now it was too late. Krista was in too deep. And yet, a part of her didn’t regret it. A part of her was almost glad she’d been forced to speak and meet Devlin again. It was a girl’s naive wish, of course, but she couldn’t help it.

Krista chastised herself. She was thinking with her heart, not her mind, and in her world, mistakes like that could cost her life. She needed to stay sharp, stay focused.

Yet, she couldn’t forget the way Devlin looked at her, like he would burn the entire world for her.

She shivered. What would it be like, to be Devlin’s woman? Krista would no longer have to constantly watch her back or worry if she had enough money to pay her bills. The thought of having his protection, of being his, was intoxicating. She imagined a life where she could sleep soundly at night, knowing Devlin was there to keep her safe.

Then again, Devlin could just see her as a distraction, a toy he could throw away after he was done with her … and yet, she didn’t think so. There was something in his eyes, something in the way he touched her, that suggested she was more than a fleeting amusement.

Devlin’s touch, his voice, his intensity—they were all burned into her memory. It was as if he had marked her, claimed her in a way that went beyond mere physicality. Krista wasn’t a betting woman, yet she wanted so desperately to believe Devlin saw her as something more. There was a raw, unspoken connection between them.

She remembered the way his gaze softened when he looked at her, the rare moments of vulnerability he allowed himself to show. Could she risk everything on that fragile hope? Could she trust Devlin with her heart, her life?

His father killed yours , an ugly voice in her head reminded her. The weight of that reality was a constant, gnawing pain, one that threatened to overshadow any feelings she had for Devlin.

Her father had been her world, her protector, and his brutal murder had left a void in her heart that nothing could fill. How could she even think about aligning herself with the son of the man who had taken everything from her?

Then again, Devlin was a victim of his father as well. She couldn’t put all the blame for her father’s murder on Devlin. He had inherited a legacy of violence and cruelty, a throne built on blood and betrayal. It wasn’t fair to hold Devlin accountable for his father’s sins, just as it wasn’t fair to blame herself for the choices she had made to survive.

They had only reunited today and yet, Devlin had shown her glimpses of the man he could be. Besides, Devlin could have gotten rid of her, but instead he offered her his protection. Krista didn’t know if she had the strength to let go of the past, but she knew she had to try.

After messaging Devlin about her conversation with Enzo, Krista leaned back in her chair, exhausted but resolute. Today had been a long day. She had to be careful, stay one step ahead. And most importantly, she had to keep her emotions in check until this job was over. There was no room for mistakes.

Krista was about to call it a night when she received an encrypted email. Her heart raced upon seeing it was from Phantom. Devlin believed Phantom was responsible for selling some of his family secrets to his rivals and suspected Phantom either worked for him or used to.

Even worse, Devlin speculated that this hacker knew about their history, which alarmed Krista. She clicked the message open.

Krista,

I know the Arrows caught you. I’m surprised they let you go.

-Phantom

Krista ’ s breath caught. She didn ’ t like the idea of Phantom knowing her every move, manipulating her like a chess piece.

At least Devlin was upfront about what he wanted from her. And in a twisted way, she had agreed to work with him because she also wanted to get back at Phantom for thinking he could use her.

Krista sent a quick message to Devlin: Devlin, Just received an encrypted email from Phantom. He knows you let me go. We need to figure out our next move. Krista

Her phone buzzed almost immediately. It was a message from Devlin. She didn’t think he’d get back to her so quickly. Had Devlin been waiting for Krista to contact him? Don’t overthink this , she reminded herself. Krista read his message.

We need to meet. Now. Your place. Devlin

Krista sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She was worried about Devlin being sighted, now that she knew Phantom was somehow keeping tabs on her movements.

An hour later, there was a knock on her apartment door. She peered through the peephole and, recognizing who it was, opened the door.

It was odd seeing Devlin in a disguise. Dressed in faded jeans and a hoodie, he was barely recognizable. He stepped inside quickly, glancing around the apartment as if expecting someone to jump out at any moment.

“Let me see Phantom’s email,” he said, his voice low.

Krista handed him her phone, and he scanned the message, his expression darkening.

“This complicates matters,” he muttered. “Cancel that meeting with Enzo tomorrow.”

“I can’t just cancel it. Enzo would be suspicious,” she argued, her voice tense.

“Krista,” Devlin said, gripping her shoulders and searching her eyes. “Phantom could’ve already told Enzo in some way that you’re compromised.”

“Then isn’t this our best shot to get them both?” she countered, her gaze steady.

Devlin paused, considering her words. The intensity in his eyes softened slightly, replaced by a grudging respect.

“You’re right,” he admitted. “But we’ll have to be extremely careful.”

Krista nodded, feeling a mix of fear and determination. “What’s the plan?” she asked.

“We’ll set a trap,” Devlin said, his mind already working on the details. “You’ll go to the meeting as planned, but we’ll be ready for any moves Enzo or Phantom might make.”

He pulled her closer, his grip firm but reassuring. “I need you to trust me,” he said softly. “Whatever happens, I’ll protect you.”

Krista felt a shiver run down her spine, a mix of anticipation and dread. She had always been able to rely on herself, but now she was taking a leap of faith. Could she truly rely on Devlin?

“I trust you,” she whispered, surprising herself with the truth of her words. Krista decided to take on a gamble, but she didn ’ t think she ’ d regret her decision.

Devlin nodded, releasing her but keeping his gaze locked on hers. “Good. Now let’s make sure we’re ready for tomorrow,” he said.