Chapter 57

Damien pov
She looked away, tears streaming down her face now. The anger had drained out of her, leaving only guilt and confusion.
“I did want it,” she admitted finally, her voice breaking. “God help me, I wanted you so badly. I still do and that terrifies me”
She turned to face me, her expression carefully blank. “Just know that was casual sex and it was nothing more.”
“You’re lying.” I could see it in her eyes. “To me or to yourself, I’m not sure. But you’re lying.”
“Maybe I am.” Her voice went cold. “But I’d rather lie than be stupid enough to fall for you again. Once was enough, thanks.”
That landed like a punch to the gut. “I deserved that.”
“You deserve worse than that.” But her anger was cracking, showing the vulnerability beneath. “Damien, I can’t do this. I can’t let you back in just because we had good sex after a traumatic day. I have to protect myself and Noah.”
“I’m not asking you to let me all the way in.” I took a careful step closer. “I’m just asking you not to shut me out completely. Can we at least be honest about what happened? About how we feel?”
“How I feel is confusing.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Years ago, you destroyed me. Then you spent months trying to make amends. Yesterday, you gave up everything for Noah. Last night She shook her head. “I don’t know what last night was. But I know it can’t happen again.”
“Why not?”
“Because I can’t afford to need you!” The words burst out of her. “I spent three years learning to survive without you. Learning to be strong on my own. If I let you in and you hurt me again” Her voice broke. “I don’t think I’d survive it twice.”
The raw honesty in her voice shattered something in me.”I won’t hurt you again,” I said fiercely. “Aria, I swear to you”
“You can’t promise that.” She was crying now, tears streaming down her face. “No one can promise that, and I can’t risk it. I can’t risk Noah losing his father if we try this and it falls apart. I can’t risk my heart breaking again.”
I wanted to argue. Wanted to promise her the moon and stars and forever. But she was right. I couldn’t guarantee I wouldn’t hurt her again. I could only promise to try my best.
And she’d learned the hard way that my best wasn’t always good enough.
“Okay,” I said quietly. “Okay. Last night was a one-time thing. We don’t talk about it, we focus on Noah and co-parenting nothing more.”
Relief and something that looked like disappointment crossed her face. “Thank you.”
She winced as she moved toward the door, one hand bracing against her lower back.
I noticed immediately. “You’re hurt.”
“I’m fine.” But her movements were stiff, carefully controlled.
“Aria.” I stepped closer. “You’re sore.”
Her cheeks flushed. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing.” Guilt twisted in my gut. “I was too rough”
“You weren’t.” She wouldn’t meet my eyes. “I just… it’s been years, and we went… several rounds.”
The memory of her begging for more flashed through my mind—her nails in my back, her voice hoarse from screaming my name. “You kept saying don’t stop.”
“I know what I said.” Her flush deepened.
“Want me to run you a bath? I could” I reached for her, but she stepped back.
“Don’t.” Her voice cracked. “Don’t be gentle with me now. Don’t take care of me it makes this harder.”
“Or I could give you another taste,” I said quietly, watching her eyes dilate despite her protests. “Remind you exactly how many times you begged me not to stop. How you clawed my back and screamed for more.”
She swallowed hard. “That’s not fair.”
“Nothing about this is fair.” I took a step closer, watching her body betray her even as she retreated. “But we both know if I touched you right now, you’d let me sore or not.”
“Stop.” But it came out breathless.
“Tell me I’m wrong.” I kept my hands to myself, barely. “Tell me you don’t want it again.”
For a moment, I thought she’d close the distance between us. Then she shook her head, wrapped her arms around herself protectively.
“I can’t do this. I can’t let you back in just because we had good sex
“But Aria?” I caught her hand as she moved toward the door. “When you’re ready—if you’re ever ready—I’ll be here. Waiting. For as long as it takes.”
She looked at our joined hands, then up at my face. “Don’t wait for me, Damien. You’ll be waiting a very long time.”
She pulled free and walked out, closing the door softly behind her.
I stood there in my bedroom, surrounded by the scent of her, the warmth of her still in my bed, and felt the loss all over again.
I’d had her in my arms. Had been inside her, had felt her come apart beneath me, had held her while she slept. And I’d still lost her by morning.
My phone buzzed again. Another text, this one from an unknown number.
My blood ran cold.
Did you enjoy your night, brother? I hope so. It’ll be your last peaceful one for a while. The game is just beginning. And this time, I’m playing for keeps.
P.S. – Give Aria my regards. She looked so beautiful sleeping in your bed. Almost didn’t want to leave without saying hello.
The phone slipped from my fingers. Marcus had been here. In my house, while we slept while Noah slept.
He’d gotten past my security. Had been close enough to see Aria in my bed. Close enough to hurt her and Noah.
And I’d been too lost in my own selfish need to notice. I grabbed my phone and hit the speed dial for security. “James, we have a breach. Get everyone up here now. And check on Noah. Someone check on Noah!”
I was already running, barefoot and shirtless, down the hallway to my son’s room.
Please let him be there. Please let him be safe.
I burst through the door
And stopped.
Noah was sitting up in bed, playing quietly with his stuffed rabbit. He looked up when I entered, startled.
“Daddy?” He rubbed his eyes. “Why are you running?”
The relief nearly buckled my knees. “Hey, buddy. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m okay.” He held up the rabbit. “Mr. Hoppy and I were having a tea party, do you want to join us?”
“In a minute.” I crossed to the window, checking the locks. Secure. The door—also secure. But Marcus had been here somehow. “Did you hear any noises last night? See anyone?”
“Just the shadow man.” Noah said it so casually, like it was nothing.
My blood froze. “The shadow man?”
“Uh huh.” Noah hopped his rabbit across the blanket. “He was standing by my door. But he didn’t come in, he just looked at me for a while, then left.”
“Noah.” I knelt beside his bed, trying to keep my voice calm. “What did the shadow man look like?”
“I don’t know. It was dark.” He shrugged. “But he had a scary face, like the man who took me.”
Marcus. Marcus had been in Noah’s room. Had stood over my sleeping son and I hadn’t known.
The door opened behind me. Aria, her face pale. “I heard you shouting. What’s wrong?”
I looked at her, saw the fear already creeping back into her eyes, and made a decision.
I couldn’t tell her at least not yet. Not when she was barely holding it together. Not when telling her would send her running and take Noah with her.
“Nothing,” I lied, standing up. “Just thought I heard something but it was a false alarm.”
But over her shoulder, I saw James appear, his expression grim. He’d found evidence of the breach. We’d need to talk. Privately.
“Why don’t you have breakfast with Noah?” I suggested to Aria. “I need to make some phone calls.”
She studied my face, suspicious. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine.” I said my heart beating faster. “I’ll join you both in a few minutes.”
She didn’t believe me. But she was too tired to push. She nodded and moved to Noah’s bed, scooping him up. “Come on, baby. Let’s see what we can find for breakfast in Daddy’s huge kitchen.”
“Do we have dinosaur pancakes?” Noah asked hopefully.
“We’ll make dinosaur pancakes,” she promised.
They left, and I turned to James.
“Tell me,” I said quietly.
“Cameras were disabled between 3:00 and 4:00 AM. Window in the east wing study—lock was picked. He was in and out in under twenty minutes.” James’s jaw was tight. “He left this.”
He handed me a photograph.
It was from last night. Aria asleep in my bed, her face peaceful. The angle was from inside the room.
On the back, written in Marcus’s handwriting: She deserves better than you. But I’ll settle for taking her from you instead.
I crumpled the photo in my fist. “Double the security, in fact triple it. I want guards on every floor, every entrance, every window. And I want someone with Noah and Aria at all times. Even in this house.”
“Already on it, sir.”
“And James?” I met his eyes. “Find Marcus. I don’t care what it costs, find him before he makes good on his threats.”
“Yes, sir.”
He left, and I stood alone in Noah’s room, looking at the race car bed where my son had slept while a monster watched.