Page 45 of Shadowed Vows: Ghost (Nightfall Syndicate #1)

I end the call and look up. The team is staring at me. Alina's eyes are wide, searching my face. I can see the questions forming on her lips, but I turn away before she can ask them.

"Cole, I want every scrap of data from those communications. Jax, start mapping potential safe houses based on Steele's movement patterns. Damian, reach out to your contacts in the underground. I want to know where he sleeps, where he eats, and who he talks to. Anyone helping him is fair game."

"What about me?" Alina asks, her voice steady despite the tension in her shoulders.

I meet her gaze, seeing the determination there. For a moment, I'm tempted to tell her to stay out of it, to keep her safe. But I know better.

"Work with Cole," I say. "Your investigative skills might spot something we've missed."

She nods, moving to join Cole at his workstation. As she passes me, her hand brushes mine—a silent gesture of support. I give her rear another light pat as she walks by, a subtle reminder of both my protection and possession.

The team settles into their tasks, a familiar rhythm taking hold. Damian catches my eye, giving a subtle nod of approval. It's a small gesture, but it speaks volumes. He understands the necessity of my methods, even if they're not always pretty .

Jax leans over to Damian, his voice low but not quite low enough, words tumbling out quickly. "Classic Ghost. Zero to a hundred in two seconds flat."

Damian's only response is a barely perceptible nod, his eyes already focused on the task at hand.

As the team works, I feel Alina's eyes on me. There's a tension in her posture that tells me this conversation isn't over. Sure enough, she approaches me a few minutes later, her voice pitched low for privacy.

"Can we talk?" She jerks her head towards the hallway.

I follow her out, my body instinctively angling to keep the team in my peripheral vision. Old habits die hard.

Once we're alone, Alina turns to face me, her green eyes blazing with a mix of emotions I can't quite decipher.

"Is this how you solve every problem? With calculated violence?"

Her words hit me like a physical blow, but I keep my expression neutral. "Would you prefer I wait and let the threat grow?"

Alina gives me a challenging look. "I prefer solutions that don't compromise our humanity."

My jaw clenches as I process her words. Something twists in my gut—an uneasy tightness I can't quite name. I force my expression to remain neutral, even as my mind races. I take a measured breath, wrestling to keep my tone even as I respond.

"Sometimes," I say softly, "protecting humanity requires actions that look inhumane."

The words hang between us, heavy with implication. I can see the conflict in Alina's eyes, the way she's wrestling with her own beliefs and the harsh reality of our world .

I take a step closer, close enough to catch the faint scent of her shampoo. "I don't enjoy this, Alina. But I've seen what happens when we hesitate, when we prioritize our own moral comfort over the lives at stake."

My voice drops even lower, vulnerability seeping through despite my best efforts. "I can't lose anyone else. Not you, not the team, not the innocent people caught in Steele's crosshairs."

Alina's face relaxes a bit, though her eyes still hold that stubborn glint. "There has to be a middle ground, Kade. A way to fight without losing ourselves in the process."

"Then you should be fucking thrilled Ryan's still breathing," I say, crossing my arms. "That security guard at The Bay Herald who let you waltz right into that meet? Most guys in my position would've put a bullet in his head without blinking."

She flinches, just barely. "That doesn't make you a hero, Ghost. It makes you slightly less of a monster than you could be."

I want to believe her. God, how I want to believe there's a cleaner path through this bloodbath. But experience has beaten that fantasy out of me long ago.

"You don't understand, Alina. This world... it's not black and white. It's all shades of gray, and sometimes the choices we make are impossible."

My voice drops slightly, betraying the emotions I've kept locked away for so long. "I'm afraid you'll never truly understand what we do here, what I have to do. And when you see the darkest parts of me, you'll run."

Alina's eyes widen, surprised by my sudden vulnerability. She reaches out, her hand hesitating before resting on my arm. "Kade, I—"

I shake my head, cutting her off. "I've told you about the people I couldn't save, their ghosts still haunt me."

My hands are shaking, and I clench them into fists to stop the trembling. "I can't lose anyone else. I won't. Even if it means crossing lines you might not be able to forgive."

Alina's touch becomes firmer, grounding me. "I'm not going anywhere, Kade. I might not understand everything, but I'm here."

"I want to believe that," I whisper. "But this life... it changes people. It's changed me."

Alina steps closer, her body mere inches from mine. The air between us crackles with tension, both emotional and physical.

"Then let me in. Help me understand."

As her lips brush against mine, the familiar warmth spreads through my chest. But this time, something darker follows—a possessive need that threatens to consume us both.

My hands tighten on her waist, and I turn her, pressing her against the wall. She gasps, surprise warring with desire in her eyes as I pin her there with my body.

"You're mine to protect," I growl against her ear. "Mine to save. Mine to keep."

She trembles against me, her body responding even as her mind challenges. "I'm not a possession, Kade."

I pull back just enough to meet her gaze. "No, you're so much more dangerous than that."

I slide my hand down to her hip, then lower, giving her tender rear another gentle squeeze. The small wince and gasp that escapes her lips makes me smile against her mouth .

"I like seeing my marks on you," I admit, the words raw and honest. "Knowing you feel me even when I'm not touching you."

She smiles against my mouth, unafraid of the monster she's awakening. "Good. Then leave some more."