KAIREN
The first thing I felt when I woke up was the dull ache in my ass. Not exactly the good kind—just sore and sticky and fucking raw. My throat tasted like smoke and cum, and my mouth was dry like I'd swallowed sand. I blinked at the ceiling for a second, trying to remember where I was. Then I felt the weight of two warm bodies pressing in on either side of me.
Noah on my left, out cold, one arm slung across his stomach. Mika on my right, hair tangled, lips parted, breath soft and even.
I reached for Noah's phone on the nightstand, nudged it closer with my fingers and checked the time. 6:02 AM.
Fuck.
I slid out from under the sheets like a ghost, careful not to wake them. My legs ached too, and every step made me wince just a little. I grabbed a pair of shorts off the floor, pulled them on, didn't bother with underwear.
The balcony door creaked when I opened it. Cool air slapped my skin, and I welcomed it. Lit a half-smoked blunt I found in the ashtray and leaned against the railing, staring out at the world like it owed me something.
The sky was a weird shade of blue—like it couldn't decide whether to stay night or start morning. The kind of blue that made you feel like nothing was real and everything was already fucked.
I hated being sober.
So I smoked. Let the high creep in slow. Let my thoughts stay quiet. I didn't want to think about the shit waiting for me, or the calls I'd ignored, or the way everything always caught up with me eventually.
I just wanted to float in that nothingness a little longer.
The blunt burned low between my fingers, and I was too lazy to relight another. I just stood there, half-naked, still sore, eyes glazed as I unlocked my phone.
Nine missed calls. All from the same name.
Aisha.
Of course.
My father's shadow in high heels. Polished, cold, efficient but still bent over when I asked her to. She never called unless she was sent. Or it was a warning.
I stared at the screen, thumb hovering over the call button. A little voice in my head told me to be smart. The same voice that usually lost to the louder, reckless one. This time, I actually listened.
I hit "Call."
The phone started ringing in my hand as I leaned over the balcony, watching the courtyard below like I was outside of my own body. There were a few early risers—joggers, dog walkers, someone dragging out trash—but something felt…off.
Too quiet.
Then I saw them.
Black cars. Pulling in slow. Like predators circling something already half-dead.
Suits. At least five men stepping out. Earpieces, sunglasses, even at dawn. The kind of presence that said don't ask questions, just get out of the way.
My heart sank, heavy and cold.
They found me.
Still holding the phone to my ear, I ended the call before it could connect. Aisha wouldn't answer anyway. Not when she knew her precious prince was already in sight.
I crushed the blunt under my heel, slipped back inside, and my mind flipped from float to flight.
I moved fast.
Swept my shit into my bag like a hurricane—clothes, wallet, vape pen, the black card, burner phone, second burner, the glass jar of weed, all of it. My hands were shaking but my mind was on autopilot. I didn't let myself feel anything. Feeling slowed you down.
Mika stirred first.
Her voice was groggy, thick with sleep. "Kai? What're you doing?"
I didn't look at her. "Leaving."
"What? Why?"
"My father's men. They found me."
That woke her up real quick. She sat up, the sheets falling away from her naked body, eyes wide. "Wait, what? You're serious?"
I zipped the bag, grabbed a hoodie from the floor, tugged it on over my head. "They're downstairs."
Noah mumbled something, rubbing his eyes, but I didn't stop to explain. I had seconds, maybe less. Every second I wasted was a step closer to being dragged back to that house. That prison with glass walls and marble floors.
"I'll call later, love ya" I said, already halfway to the door.
"Kai—"
"Don't." I didn't mean to snap. I just couldn't afford the softness right now. Couldn't stand the way her voice trembled or the way Noah looked at me like he didn't understand.
I swung the door open and slipped out, heart pounding in my chest like it was trying to break free from my ribs.
I kept running.
Sharp turns, slippery pavement, breath tearing out of my throat like fire. My legs were screaming but I didn't stop. Couldn't. Every corner I took, every alley I ducked into, I swore I could still hear them.
"Kairen—young master!"
"Please stop! Your father—he just wants to talk!"
Bullshit. My father didn't talk. He commanded.
I veered right into a narrow street and jumped over a knocked-down trash bin. My heart was hammering like a drum in my ears. I could feel them behind me, the desperation in their voices trailing after me like smoke. Shit. Shut. Shit.
"Orders from your father, Kai! Don't make this worse!"
Worse? I wanted to laugh. Being born into that family was already the worst thing that happened to me.
I glanced back, breath ragged, trying to see if I'd shaken them—
BAM.
My body slammed into something solid and unmovable. My balance disappeared. I hit the ground, hard, the back of my skull brushing the pavement. "What the actual fuck—?"
Dizzy, confused, pissed, I looked up—
And froze.
A tall figure stood over me, the pale dawn catching the edge of his blond hair like a halo made of razors. His eyes were a light, icy blue, glowing with something cold and ancient. There was no warmth in them. No curiosity. Just… nothing. A void in a human body.
A cigarette hung from his lips, a picture in his hand.
He tilted his head, gave me a once-over like I was a puzzle missing too many pieces.
Then, in the most dry, deadpan voice I'd ever heard, he asked:
"Oi. This you?"
"Huh?" I blinked, still sprawled on the pavement. "What the hell are you talking about?"
I squinted at the photo he was holding, but it was still too dark to make anything out clearly. Just some blurry shape and the outline of a face. My face? Maybe. Maybe not.
The stranger clicked his tongue, real casual. "Ah. Right. Still dark. My apologies."
His voice was smooth and empty, like he'd forgotten how emotions worked years ago. It gave me goosebumps for reasons I didn't like.
Then—
Footsteps. Multiple. Heavy ones. Voices again, closer this time.
I snapped back to reality, heart lurching. Fuck.
I scrambled to my feet, tried to dart past him—but the guy moved like lightning. One arm shot out, clamping around my waist like a vice. I thrashed hard, elbowing and kicking, but it was like trying to fight a brick wall.
"Let me go! Who the fuck are you?!"
I cursed him, clawed at him, but he barely flinched. And then—
They arrived.
The suits. The goons.
Panting, a little sweaty, looking relieved. One of them nodded at my captor. "Ah, you managed to catch him. Good work."
And that's when it hit me. He was one of them. Of course he was. My stomach dropped. "You've got to be kidding me."
I turned wild in his arms, trying to slip out, trying anything—but then his grip shifted.
A sharp pain bloomed at the side of my neck. Something fast. Hard. The world tilted. My legs gave out.
The last thing I saw was the cigarette still burning between his lips and those icy eyes watching me with zero interest.
Then—black.