Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

LYNDSEY

The hum of Cerberus headquarters buzzed in the background, but inside the quiet haven of the safe room, the chaos of the outside world felt miles away. Lyndsey leaned against the armrest of the couch, her legs tucked beneath her as her laptop hummed on the table in front of her. Jake stood near the window, his broad frame outlined by the faint glow of the city lights beyond the bulletproof glass.

The strain of the day hung between them. Lyndsey shut her laptop, the clack of the lid breaking the silence. “You’re awfully quiet,” she said, her voice soft, almost tentative.

Jake glanced over his shoulder, his eyes meeting hers. “Just thinking.”

“About what?”

He turned fully, crossing the room to sit beside her. The couch dipped under his weight, and Lyndsey felt his warmth as he rested his forearms on his knees. “A lot of things. The op. Lang. You.”

Her heart skipped a beat, and she hated how easily he could unsettle her. “Me?”

Jake tilted his head, his gaze holding hers. “Yeah, you. Like how you’re holding up after today. How you’re still pushing forward despite everything.”

Lyndsey let out a soft laugh, though it lacked humor. “I don’t know if pushing forward is the right phrase. More like clinging to the edge of a cliff and hoping the wind doesn’t pick up.”

His lips curved into a faint smile. “You’re doing more than just holding on, Lyndsey. You’re fighting. And I admire the hell out of that.”

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks and quickly looked away. “Sometimes I don’t know if it’s bravery or stupidity,” she admitted. “Part of me thinks I should just let go. Let someone else take over.”

“That’s not who you are,” Jake said firmly, his voice low but steady. “You don’t let go. You fight because you care. Because you know what’s at stake.”

Her throat tightened, and she nodded, swallowing hard. “It’s terrifying, though. All of it. Not just Lang or the research but... everything else.”

Jake’s brows drew together in concern. “Everything else?”

She hesitated, her hands twisting in her lap. “Us. What happens after this is over? If it ever is over.”

The vulnerability in her voice struck something deep in him, and Jake reached out, his hand covering hers. His touch was warm, grounding. “Lyndsey, we’ll figure it out. One step at a time.”

She shook her head, her gaze dropping to their joined hands. “You say that, but how do we even begin? You live in this world of danger and adrenaline, and I... I’ve spent my life in labs and lectures. We’re so different, Jake. What if this...” She gestured between them. “What if it doesn’t work?”

Jake shifted closer, his hand tilting her chin up so she had no choice but to meet his eyes. “You think I don’t ask myself the same thing? But then I look at you, and all I can think is how much I want this to work. How much I want us to work.”

Her breath caught at the raw honesty in his voice, and for a moment, the room seemed to shrink around them. “What if we don’t know how?” she whispered.

Jake’s lips curved into a faint, wry smile. “Then we learn. Together.”

His words settled over her, soothing some of the doubts swirling in her mind. But a new fear crept in, one she hadn’t voiced before. “And what if I fail? Not just us, but the research? What if Lang’s already done too much damage?”

Jake leaned back slightly, his hand still holding hers. “You won’t fail, Lyndsey. You’ve already come too far. And even if Lang’s stolen pieces of your work, he doesn’t have you. That’s his biggest weakness.”

She let out a shaky laugh. “No pressure or anything.”

His expression softened, and he squeezed her hand gently. “It’s not pressure. It’s the truth. You’re brilliant, Lyndsey. And stubborn as hell. If anyone can finish this and stop Lang from corrupting it, it’s you.”

The sincerity in his voice made her chest ache, and she blinked back the tears that threatened to spill. “I’m scared, Jake,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “Of losing you. Of failing. Of everything.”

Jake cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away a tear that escaped. “I’m scared too. But I promise you, Lyndsey, they won’t win.”

The quiet intensity in his gaze made her heart stutter, and before she could overthink it, she leaned forward, her lips brushing his. The kiss was soft, tentative, but it carried all the emotions neither of them could put into words.

Jake’s hand slid to the back of her neck, deepening the kiss as he pulled her closer. The danger, the uncertainty, the weight of the world—all went on soft focus. It was just them, finding solace in each other.

When they finally pulled apart, Lyndsey rested her forehead against his, her breathing uneven. “We’ll figure it out,” she murmured, echoing the sentiment of his earlier words.

Jake smiled against her lips, his voice a quiet promise. “We will. I’ll make sure of it.”

A soft knock at the door broke the moment, and Reyna’s voice cut through the quiet. “Jake, Lyndsey. We’ve got movement on Lang’s facility.”

Lyndsey straightened, her heart pounding as reality came crashing back. Jake gave her hand one last squeeze before rising to his feet, his expression already solidifying into the focused determination she’d come to admire.

As she followed him out of the room, Lyndsey knew one thing for sure: whatever happened next, she meant to come out on the other side with both Jake and her research intact.

The safe room was dimly lit, the soft glow of the table lamp casting warm shadows on the walls. Lyndsey sat cross-legged on the leather Chesterfield sofa, her laptop balanced on her knees, though she wasn’t paying attention to the screen. Her thoughts were a tangled mess of a whirlwind of emotions and the strange, undeniable pull she felt toward the man sitting across from her.

Jake leaned back in the armchair, his eyes fixed on her as if he could see right through the walls she’d spent years building. The silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was charged, like the quiet before a storm.

“You’re thinking too much,” he said, his voice low but certain.

Lyndsey blinked, startled out of her thoughts. “What makes you say that?”

Jake smiled, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his knees. “Because I know that look. You’re overanalyzing, trying to figure out everything at once.”

She huffed a quiet laugh, closing the laptop and setting it aside. “Well, that’s what I do. Analyze. Break things down until they make sense.”

He nodded, his gaze unwavering. “I get that. But not everything fits neatly into a box, Lyndsey. Some things... some people... you just have to feel your way through.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the way he was looking at her, and she swallowed hard. “Are we still talking about Lang, or is this about us?”

Jake’s lips curved into a faint smile, and he sat back, crossing his arms. “Both, maybe. But right now? Definitely us.”

The directness of his words sent a shiver through her, and she forced herself to hold his gaze. “You’re not exactly an easy man to figure out, Jake.”

“Good,” he said simply, his voice tinged with amusement. “Keeps you on your toes.”

She rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched with the hint of a smile. “I’m serious. This... whatever this is between us—it’s not exactly straightforward.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” Jake said, his tone softening. “We don’t have to have it all figured out right now. But I know one thing for sure: a vanilla relationship isn’t something I can do.”

Lyndsey’s brows furrowed, and she tilted her head slightly. “Vanilla?”

Jake chuckled, the sound low and warm. “Traditional. Surface-level. A relationship where we pretend that who we are doesn’t matter as much as keeping things simple. That’s not me.”

She nodded slowly, absorbing his words. “You mean the whole dominant/submissive thing.”

He leaned forward again, his expression serious. “It’s not just a thing, Lyndsey. It’s who I am. It’s how I connect, how I love. And it’s not about control for control’s sake. It’s about trust, about creating something that’s bigger than the sum of its parts.”

Her breath caught at the raw honesty in his voice, and she shifted slightly, her hands twisting in her lap. “It’s a lot to wrap my head around. But... after talking to Reyna, and after watching what Samantha has with King, I think I’m starting to understand.”

Jake arched a brow, his gaze sharpening. “Oh?”

Lyndsey nodded, her voice steady despite the flutter of nerves in her chest. “Reyna said it’s about strength. About having the confidence to let go, to trust someone completely. And I see that in her. She’s not weak—far from it. She’s one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. And she finds peace in submitting. I... I want that. With you.”

Jake exhaled slowly, his eyes searching hers. “Do you understand what you’re saying, Lyndsey? This isn’t just about the bedroom. It’s about how we communicate, how we live, how we build a life.”

“I know,” she said softly. “And I know it’s not something I’ll learn overnight. But I want to try. Because the idea of a relationship where I can be both strong and vulnerable, where I don’t have to be in control all the time—it doesn’t scare me as much as it used to. It actually sounds... liberating.”

A slow, genuine smile spread across Jake’s face, and he reached for her hand, his touch firm and grounding. “You have no idea how much that means to me. And you’re right—it takes strength to let go. But it also takes strength to lead, to guide. And the most important thing you need to know is that the submissive always has the final say. Always.”

Lyndsey’s eyes widened slightly. “Always?”

Jake nodded. “Submission is a gift, Lyndsey. It’s never taken—it’s given. And if you ever decide you don’t want to give it, that’s the end of it. No questions, no pressure. But if you do submit... I’ll take care of you. I’ll make sure you get what you need.”

Her throat tightened, and she looked down at their joined hands. “And what about what you need?”

Jake’s grip on her hand tightened slightly, his voice dropping. “If we’re doing this—really doing this—what I need will come naturally. But it starts with trust. Without that, none of it works.”

She met his gaze again, her belief in him solidifying. “Then we’ll build it. I trust you, Jake. More than I’ve trusted anyone in a long time.”

Neither of them spoke, the conviction in her words settling between them. Then Jake leaned closer, his free hand brushing a strand of hair from her face. “We’ll take it one step at a time,” he said quietly. “And if you ever have doubts, you tell me. This only works if we’re honest with each other.”

“I can do that,” Lyndsey whispered, her voice barely audible. “But Jake... I’m scared. Not just of this, but of everything. Of losing you. Of not being enough.”

Jake’s hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing lightly over her skin. “You’re more than enough, Lyndsey. And as for losing me? Not gonna happen. I’m in this, all the way.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the intensity in his voice, and she nodded, her fear ebbing away under the strength of his reassurance. “Okay,” she said softly. “One step at a time.”

Jake smiled, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. “That’s my girl.”

The warmth of his words lingered long after he pulled back, and for the first time in weeks, Lyndsey felt like she could breathe. Whatever lay ahead—Lang, the research, the danger—they would face it together. And that, she realized, made all the difference.

“Don’t think I don’t know how much I’m asking you to take on.”

Her throat tightened. “Sometimes it feels like it’s too much, like I’m trying to outrun something I can never escape. My research... it was supposed to help people. Now, it’s at the center of this nightmare.”

Jake’s grip on her hand tightened slightly. “And it will help people. Once we take Lang down, we can control the narrative. You’ll get to finish your work the way you intended, without it being twisted into something it was never meant to be.”

Lyndsey glanced up at him, her eyes searching his. “You really believe that?”

“I do,” Jake said firmly. “And if you’re willing to fight for it, so am I. Whatever it takes, Lyndsey. I’ll make sure you see this through.”

The conviction in his voice sent a wave of warmth through her, and she smiled despite herself. “You make it sound so simple.”

“It’s not,” Jake admitted, his lips quirking into a faint smile. “But nothing worth fighting for ever is.”

The air between them shifted, charged with a tension that had been building since the moment they met. Lyndsey’s gaze dropped to his mouth, her breath hitching as he leaned in slightly, his presence overwhelming in the best possible way. Her heart pounded in her chest, and for the space of a heartbeat, the world outside the safe room ceased to exist.

“Jake...” she began, her voice barely above a whisper.

But before she could say more, the sound of urgent footsteps echoed down the hall, followed by a sharp knock on the door. Jake straightened instantly, his body tense and alert. “Come in.”

The door swung open, and Reyna stepped inside, her expression grim. “We’ve got a situation,” she said, her voice clipped. “Lang’s made his move.”

Lyndsey sat up straighter, her pulse quickening. “What happened?”

Reyna crossed the room, a tablet in hand. She set it on the table, and the screen displayed a grainy satellite image of a remote facility. “Our surveillance team picked this up an hour ago. Lang’s people are mobilizing. We’re not sure what they’re planning, but whatever it is, it’s big.”

Jake frowned, leaning over the tablet. “Location?”

“An abandoned industrial site just outside the other side of the city,” Reyna replied. “The chatter we intercepted suggests they’re moving something critical—likely intel or assets tied to the auction.”

Lyndsey’s stomach churned as she studied the image. “Do we know if Lang will be there?”

Reyna shook her head. “No confirmation yet, but it’s possible. He’s been unusually active in the past twenty-four hours. This could be our chance to catch him off guard.”

Jake’s jaw tightened, and he glanced at Lyndsey. “You’re staying here.”

“No,” she said immediately, her voice steady despite the fear bubbling beneath the surface.

“Yes. You can help them monitor everything from the war room, but you need to be kept safe.”

“He’s right,” said Reyna. “If you’re where they can get to you, the focus of the op will change, and we’ll be more worried about keeping you safe than getting Lang. If you’re here, we know you’re safe, and we can concentrate on taking Lang down.”

Lyndsey turned to Jake. “Is she always right?”

“Not always, but often enough for it to be annoying.” Jake leaned forward and kissed her.

Reyna cleared her throat. “We need to move fast. Daniels is mobilizing his team as we speak. We hit the facility at midnight.”

Jake nodded, his expression hardening. “Let’s gear up.”

As Jake and Reyna left the safe room, Lyndsey couldn’t help but wonder if the endgame wasn’t closer than any of them realized.