POV: Emily
His words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. A part of me still wanted to push him away, to tell him that none of this made sense, that I couldn't trust him. But there was another part, a much smaller part that knew Jake wasn't lying. At least, not completely.
I had spent years despising this man. I had built my company from the ground up, always looking over my shoulder, expecting him to make a move that would destroy everything. But this? A shadowy organization, powerful people operating behind the scenes, manipulating us all like puppets?
It sounded insane.
But the way Jake was looking at me, the intensity in his eyes… I knew there was more to this than I had ever imagined.
"So, what now?" I asked, folding my arms tightly across my chest. My mind raced as I tried to process everything he had just told me. "What's your plan, Jake? Because you're going to need more than vague warnings to make me believe we're suddenly on the same side."
He stepped closer, his gaze never leaving mine. "I'm not asking you to trust me overnight. But you need to understand that we don't have time to keep playing games. If we don't start working together, they'll come for both of us. And when they do, there won't be anywhere to hide."
I hated that he was right. Every instinct in me screamed to reject his words, to stand my ground, to keep fighting. But the truth was, I didn't know who these people were or what they wanted. I had spent so much time focusing on my own survival that I hadn't seen the bigger picture forming around me.
Jake had been one step ahead this whole time.
"I need proof," I said finally, narrowing my eyes at him. "If I'm going to trust you even a little, I need to know exactly who we're dealing with. No more secrets, Jake. If we're in this together, you're going to have to give me more than just cryptic warnings and half truths."
He held my gaze, his jaw tightening for a moment before he nodded. "You'll get it. Tomorrow, I'll show you everything. But you have to be ready. Once you know who they are, there's no turning back."
There was a coldness in his voice that sent a shiver down my spine. I should've been afraid, but instead, I felt something else curiosity. Whatever Jake knew, whatever world he had been living in, it was more dangerous than anything I had imagined. And yet, I was drawn to it. Drawn to him.
"Fine," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.
"Tomorrow."
Jake didn't move, didn't speak for a moment. His eyes softened slightly, his gaze sweeping over me like he was memorizing every detail.
"Emily," he said quietly, stepping closer. "You know I wouldn't do any of this if it wasn't necessary. I didn't marry you for a power play. I married you because I had no other choice. To keep you safe."
The words hit me harder than I expected. I had convinced myself that Jake was incapable of caring about anyone but himself. And maybe that had been true once. But now, standing here, I could feel the weight behind his words.
There was something deeper going on between us, something I didn't want to admit, but couldn't deny.
"I never asked for your protection," I said, my voice quieter now, almost vulnerable. "I never asked for any of this."
"I know," he said softly. "But it doesn't change the fact that I'm in this now. And whether you like it or not, I'm going to protect you."
I swallowed hard, the air between us thick with tension. I could feel the pull, the magnetic draw that had been simmering between us from the beginning. Every instinct told me to step back, to keep my distance, but I couldn't.
Not this time.
"Why?" I whispered, the question slipping out before I could stop it. "Why do you care so much?"
He stared at me for a long moment, his jaw clenching like he was fighting some internal battle. And then, before I could blink, he closed the space between us, his hand lifting to cup my jaw, tilting my face up toward his.
"Because somewhere along the line, I stopped seeing you as my enemy," he said, his voice low, rough. "And I started seeing you as something I needed to protect. Someone I couldn't afford to lose."
My breath hitched in my throat as his words sank in. His hand was warm against my skin, his thumb brushing lightly along the edge of my jaw, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. The intensity in his eyes, the raw vulnerability, was something I had never seen in him before.
I should've pulled away. I should've ended this moment before it went any further.
But I didn't.
Instead, I found myself leaning into him, drawn in by the unspoken connection that had been building between us from the start. My heart raced as I stared up at him, my pulse pounding in my ears, the world around us fading away.
"Jake…" I whispered, but whatever I was going to say died on my lips as his head dipped lower, his breath warm against my skin.
And then, before I could think, before I could stop it, his lips were on mine.
The kiss was slow at first, soft, tentative, like he was waiting for me to push him away. But I didn't. I couldn't. My hands slid up to his chest, grabbing onto the front of his shirt as I kissed him back, all the pent up tension between us exploding in that one moment.
It wasn't sweet. It wasn't gentle.
It was desperate. A release of all the anger, all the frustration, all the desire that had been simmering between us for so long.
Jake's hands gripped my waist, pulling me closer, and I could feel the raw power behind his touch, the way he held onto me like I was the only thing grounding him. My heart pounded as the kiss deepened, his lips rough, demanding, and I gave in, letting myself get lost in him.
I didn't know how long we stood there, wrapped up in each other, but eventually, the reality of the situation crept back in, pulling me out of the moment. I broke away, breathing hard, my heart racing, and took a step back.
Jake's eyes were still dark, full of that same intensity, but there was something else , something softer, something that scared me more than I was willing to admit.
"We can't do this," I said, my voice shaky, though I wasn't sure whether I was trying to convince him or myself.
"Emily," he said softly, stepping closer, but I held up a hand, stopping him.
"We can't," I repeated, shaking my head. "This… whatever this is, it complicates everything. We're supposed to be working together to stop whatever is coming for us. Not… this."
Jake exhaled, his gaze locked on mine. "You're right. But that doesn't mean I can turn off what I feel for you. It's already too late for that."
My heart twisted painfully in my chest. I didn't want to hear that. I didn't want to know that he felt anything for me because it made everything harder, more dangerous.
But the truth was, I felt it too.
I just wasn't sure I could handle it.
"Tomorrow," I said, pushing down the emotions swirling inside me. "Tomorrow we focus on whatever's coming. And after that…"
Jake nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. "We'll figure it out."
I wasn't so sure. But for now, I needed to put the kiss,the way his touch had ignited something deep inside me out of my mind.
The Next Day – The Meeting
I arrived at the agreed location early, nerves buzzing through me like electricity. It was an upscale hotel, one of those high rise towers that catered to the rich and powerful. I hated how perfect the setting was. Jake was already there when I stepped inside the private suite, leaning casually against the window, the city skyline glittering behind him.
I had barely slept the night before, my mind racing with everything that had happened. Every time I closed my eyes, I could still feel the ghost of his lips on mine, could still taste the heat of his kiss.
But I pushed it all down. Today wasn't about us. It couldn't be.
"You're here," he said, his voice low, calm.
"I'm ready for answers," I replied, my tone sharper than I intended.
He nodded and motioned toward the table in the center of the room, where a set of documents was already laid out. "Everything you need to know is here. The people we're dealing with… this will tell you who they are and why they're after you."
I approached the table cautiously, my eyes flicking over the neatly stacked papers, a sense of dread settling in my chest. Jake watched me closely, his posture tense, as though he was bracing for whatever reaction was coming.
"You're about to step into a world you've never seen before, Emily," he said quietly. "Once you open those files, there's no going back."
My fingers hovered over the edge of the first folder, but I didn't pick it up. A lump formed in my throat, my mind racing with questions I wasn't sure I was ready to answer.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jake asked, stepping closer. "I can protect you, but once you know the truth, you'll be a target just like me."
I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening. I could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on me, pulling me in two directions at once. Part of me wanted to back away, to shut this all down and pretend my life could go back to normal. But the other part, the stronger part knew that walking away would be the same as surrendering.
And Emily Carson never surrendered.
With one last glance at Jake, I grabbed the folder and opened it.
The first line of text jumped out at me, and my blood ran cold.
"No," I whispered, my hands trembling as I read further. "This… this can't be real."
But it was. Everything Jake had warned me about, everything I had refused to believe, was laid out in black and white. The truth was darker and more dangerous than I had ever imagined.
I looked up at Jake, my eyes wide, my breath coming in short, shallow bursts. "What have we gotten ourselves into?"
Jake's gaze softened, his expression full of a sadness I hadn't expected. "Welcome to the real game, Emily."