Vera's POV

I clenched my jaw, exhaling sharply as I tried to ground myself. Claire was watching me, that softness still in her eyes, her fingers lingering on my face. It made me feel exposed. Vulnerable. And I hated it.

"I need to go," I muttered, pulling away from her touch.

Claire’s brows furrowed, concern flashing across her face. "Vera—"

"I have work to do," I cut her off. My skin still burned where her lips had been, the weight of what just happened sitting heavy between us. I needed to step away before I did something reckless.

Claire sighed, sitting up, watching me closely. "You're not going to escalate things with Antonio, right?"

My jaw clenched.

"Vera," she pressed, voice warning. "I mean it. No unnecessary fights."

I rolled my shoulders, exhaling through my nose. "I’ll try."

She gave me a look like she didn’t quite believe me, but nodded anyway. "Good."

I turned to leave but stopped at the door, glancing at her over my shoulder. "Stay in here. If you need anything, call me."

Claire leaned back on her hands, arching a brow. "Yes, boss."

I narrowed my eyes at her sarcasm but let it slide. I had more pressing matters to handle.

I approached Antonio, my steps slow and deliberate. He was leaning against the SUV, arms crossed, the picture of ease. That easy confidence of his had always irritated me. Too laid-back. Too damn sure of himself. He straightened when he noticed me coming, pushing off the car, tilting his head in acknowledgment.

"Boss," he greeted, casual as always.

I didn’t answer right away. I let the silence stretch, watching him, letting him feel the weight of my gaze. I wanted him to know this wasn’t just some passing conversation.

"I need you to keep an eye on Claire while I’m out."

Antonio gave a single nod, unfazed. "Alright."

I stayed quiet, letting the air between us settle into something heavier. Then, finally, I spoke again. "That means watching over her. Not… overstepping."

His brows pulled together slightly, confusion flickering across his face. "Overstepping?"

I smirked, but there was nothing amused about it. It was slow, sharp, deliberate. "I don’t like repeating myself, Antonio."

He let out a breath, shaking his head. "Boss, if this is about breakfast—"

I stepped in, closing the space between us just enough that he felt the shift in pressure. "I don’t care what it’s about," I murmured, voice low and even. "I’m telling you now, and I’m only going to tell you once—just remember where she stands."

His eyes held mine, searching for the meaning beneath my words. I could see the exact moment it clicked. His jaw tensed slightly, his fingers flexing at his sides.

He scoffed under his breath, shaking his head again. "Shit, alright. You don’t have to tell me twice."

I didn’t respond. I just stood there, making sure the message sank in. Making sure he understood.

Because this wasn’t a warning.

It was a fact.

I turned away, leaving him in silence, my voice coming out low and final.

"Good," I murmured. "I’d hate to have this conversation again."

Antonio didn’t reply. He didn’t need to.

His silence told me everything.

Claire's POV

I stretched my arms above my head, exhaling loudly as I lay sprawled across the bed. The room felt suffocating. The air stale, the walls too bare, the silence too loud. I wasn’t used to this—just waiting around, doing nothing.

I sat up with a groan, rubbing a hand over my face. Vera told me to stay put, and part of me wanted to listen just to prove a point—that I could. But she’d been gone for a while now, and I was starting to feel like a caged animal. I wanted movement. Noise. Something to break up the endless cycle of waiting for Vera to pull me into something.

Swinging my legs off the bed, I stood and stretched before heading for the door. Maybe I’d grab some coffee. Maybe I’d run into Vera. Or maybe I’d just do something that didn’t involve staring at these goddamn walls.

I made my way to the kitchen, finding it empty. Not a surprise. Most of the crew were either out or holed up in their usual spots. I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a slow breath before reaching for the coffee pot.

“Didn’t peg you for the type who’d settle for garbage coffee.”

I turned toward the voice, recognizing the familiar figure leaning against the doorway. Elias. One of Vera’s guys—not exactly a high rank, but not just some grunt either. I’d seen him around enough to know he wasn’t a complete idiot.

I smirked, pouring the coffee anyway. “I'm not, I drink expensive imported coffee from Italy. This is just my backup. You can say I’m expanding my horizons. Burnt coffee is very in right now.”

Elias chuckled, stepping further into the room. “You should expand them a little further. There’s a café a few blocks from here that actually serves drinkable coffee. This stuff tastes like gasoline."

"More like burnt tar with a hint of regret." I shot back, pouring myself a cup anyway.

I lifted the mug to my lips, blowing at the steam. “and the offer is tempting, but I doubt Vera would be thrilled about me wandering off.”

Elias shrugged. “She doesn’t have to know. Won’t be gone long.”

I gave him a look. “That sounds like a terrible idea.”

I tilted my head, studying him. “You trying to get me in trouble?”

Elias smirked. “It's just coffe.”

“Hm,” I muttered, tapping my fingers against the counter. “Just coffee.”

He nodded. “Won’t be gone long.”

“It’s just coffee.” He grinned, grabbing a mug for himself. “Unless you’re scared of stepping outside without Vera holding your leash?”

I narrowed my eyes, but there was no real heat behind it. “Bold thing to say about your boss.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Look, if you’re worried, we can bring Antonio along. Make it a whole chaperoned event.”

I hesitated. Antonio was still tied up with whatever work Vera had dumped on him. And honestly? The thought of stepping outside, even just for a little bit, was tempting.

I exhaled, rolling my shoulders. “Fine. But if the coffee sucks, I’m blaming you.”

---

Fresh air. God, it felt good. The safe house had started to feel like a prison, suffocating, the same four walls caging her in day after day. Claire knew it was probably reckless to be out like this, but for once, she wanted to do something normal. No tension, no power plays, no tiptoeing around Vera’s moods—just a damn cup of coffee.

Elias walked beside me, hands in his pockets, moving like he had no worries in the world. I almost envied him for it. The lack of paranoia, the ease of just existing without constantly looking over your shoulder.

“I can’t believe you actually made it out,” he said, throwing me a side glance. “I half expected Vera to have you on a leash.”

I snorted. “Oh, trust me. She would if she could.”

“So why didn’t you tell her?”

I hesitated, then shrugged. “Because she’d make a big deal out of it.”

Elias hummed, like he understood exactly what I meant. “Must be exhausting, having someone like that breathing down your neck all the time.”

I let out a short laugh. “Yeah, well, it’s never boring.”

The café was small, tucked between two larger buildings, the kind of spot you only knew about if you lived in the area. The moment we stepped inside, the scent of fresh coffee and baked bread wrapped around me, and my stomach growled in betrayal. I hadn’t even realized how little I’d been eating.

We grabbed a table by the window, and Elias, clearly familiar with the place, ordered for both of us before I could even open my mouth. I raised a brow but didn’t argue. If it was bad, I’d just make fun of him for it later.

When the coffee arrived, I took a sip, expecting the usual burnt taste that passed as caffeine at the safe house. Instead, I let out an appreciative hum.

“Okay,” I admitted, nodding. “I’ll give you this one. It’s actually good.”

Elias grinned, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “Told you. Stick with me, and you’ll get all the insider perks.”

I rolled my eyes. “So what, I get a loyalty card after five missions?”

“Nah,” he mused, taking a sip. “But I might let you in on the next great coffee spot.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. This—this felt normal. No guns, no threats, no silent battles of control. Just coffee and casual conversation. It had been so long since I had something like this, I almost forgot what it felt like.

“So,” Elias leaned back in his chair, giving me a look. “Why’d you stick around?”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You had a way out, didn’t you?”

I studied him for a second, gauging if there was something deeper behind the question. But he just looked at me curiously, no hidden edge, no ulterior motive. I exhaled, fingers tapping against my cup.

“I had a choice, yeah,” I admitted.

“And you picked her.”

It wasn’t even a question. It was just a fact.

I hesitated, my fingers tracing the rim of the cup. “It’s not that simple.”

“It never is,” he said, nodding like he got it. “But for what it’s worth, I think you made the right call.”

I let out a breathy laugh. “That so?”

“Yeah,” he smirked. “You’ve got that ‘I’m-in-way-too-deep’ look, but you don’t seem like you regret it.”

I didn’t answer. Because maybe he was right. Maybe I didn’t regret it. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t complicated.

Elias let the silence settle, drinking the last of his coffee before waving down the waitress. When I reached for my wallet, he shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Consider it a welcome gift to the dark side.”

I scoffed, crossing my arms. “What, no initiation ritual?”

“Nah,” he said, grinning. “Just coffee and good company.”

I smirked but didn’t argue. For the first time in a long time, I let myself just exist in the moment. No looking over my shoulder, no worrying about Vera, no pretending I wasn’t always one step away from something dangerous.

For now, I let myself enjoy it.

Vera's POV

I walked into my office, rolling my shoulders to shake off the exhaustion clinging to me like a second skin. It had been a long night, and I needed a moment to think—to breathe—but as soon as I pushed the door open, I found Antonio sitting at my desk, filling out paperwork like he belonged there.

My patience was thin.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked, voice sharp.

Antonio barely looked up, flipping a page. “Working.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You’re supposed to be watching Claire.”

He finally glanced up, brows raised. “She’s in her room. Didn’t leave.”

Something about the way he said it put me on edge. I didn’t know why. Maybe it was just exhaustion making me restless. Or maybe it was the fact that Claire never stayed still for long.

I turned on my heel and left without another word.

By the time I reached Claire’s door, my heartbeat had picked up for no reason I was willing to name. I didn’t knock. I never knocked. I twisted the handle and pushed the door open with enough force that it hit the wall with a sharp thud.

Claire shot upright in bed, eyes wide, hands gripping the blanket as if she’d just been caught doing something she shouldn’t.

My gaze sharpened.

“Why do you look guilty?” I asked, voice flat.

She swallowed. “What—? Nothing. Who opens a door like that? Of course I got scared.”

I exhaled through my nose, rubbing my temple. Maybe I was wound too tight. Maybe I needed to get my head on straight before I threw accusations I didn’t have proof for. I inhaled, let it out slowly.

“Right,” I muttered. “Sorry.”

Claire watched me cautiously, and I hated that I had made her look at me like that.

I forced my expression to smooth out, stepping further into the room. “What have you been doing?”

She hesitated for half a second before lifting a book from her lap. “Reading.”

I studied her for a beat longer than necessary before nodding, my body relaxing just slightly. I glanced around the room, my eyes landing back on her, taking her in. The way her hair fell loosely around her shoulders, the way her lips were still parted from the sharp breath she had taken when I barged in. The way she was looking at me now, uncertain but curious.

I stepped forward and turned the lock on the door.

Claire raised an eyebrow. “What, afraid someone’s gonna barge in like you did?”

I ignored the teasing in her voice and walked toward the bed, my movements slower than usual. She didn’t move away as I sat next to her, close enough to feel the heat radiating off her skin.

I didn’t know what I was doing.

I wanted to touch her. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted something, but for once, I didn’t know how to take it.

Claire must have sensed my hesitation because her expression softened, lips curling slightly at the corners. “What’s wrong with you?”

I exhaled through my nose, shaking my head. “Nothing.”

She tilted her head slightly, studying me. “Then why do you look like you don’t know what to do with yourself?”

I didn’t answer.

Because she was right.

I felt Claire’s smirk before I even saw it. The slow curl of her lips, the shift in her posture—she had figured something out, and I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like it.

She set her book aside with a deliberate slowness, then, without warning, swung her leg over mine and straddled my lap.

“Miss me?” she teased, her hands resting lightly on my shoulders, her weight settling against me in a way that made my breath hitch.

I hummed, keeping my expression neutral, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of knowing just how much I did.

Claire, of course, wasn’t buying it.

Her fingers trailed up the back of my neck, tilting my chin up slightly as she leaned in, pressing her lips softly against mine. It was slow at first, unhurried, teasing. Then she pulled back just enough to murmur, “You know what I think?”

I raised an eyebrow. “What?”

She studied me for a moment, something flashing in her eyes—something that made my stomach tighten with anticipation. Then, slowly, she pushed against my shoulders, forcing me to lay back against the bed.

My hands instinctively reached for her, but she was faster, pinning them above my head, her grip just firm enough to keep me in place.

I exhaled, closing my eyes for a second as heat curled in my stomach.

When I opened them, Claire was smiling.

She leaned in again, capturing my lips with more demand this time, her kiss deeper, more possessive. I felt it in the way she held me down, the way her body pressed against mine like she was claiming me.

Then her lips moved lower, down my jaw, to my neck. I let out a slow breath as she bit down softly, dragging her tongue against my skin, making me shiver.

I was losing myself in her touch, in the heat of it, in the way my body was reacting without permission.

Claire’s lips found my ear, her breath warm as she nibbled at my earlobe before whispering, “I think the big bad Vera likes when I’m in command of her body.”

My breath hitched.

My body tensed beneath her, but not in resistance.

Because she was right.

And fuck, it hit me harder than I thought.

I was always in control. Always the one calling the shots, taking what I wanted, keeping my power locked tight in my grip.

But Claire?

She was slipping through my defenses with ease, breaking down walls I hadn’t realized I had let her near.

The worst part?

I didn’t want her to stop.

Her fingers trailed down my sides, nails dragging lightly, her lips returning to my neck as I let my head fall back, my breathing uneven.

I should have stopped her.

But instead, I gave in.