Chapter 3: Cold Rain, Burning Touch

The cold night rain drenched Lily the moment she stepped out of the sedan, but she barely felt it. Her mind was racing, her eyes fixed on the glowing screen of the tablet she held tightly against her chest.

​Eliminated.

​The word next to her brother's name burned into her brain. She looked up through the downpour just in time to see Ren’s tall, powerful silhouette vanish into the smoky shadow of the warehouse entrance. Without a second thought, she sprinted after him, her heels splashing through deep puddles.

​Inside, the warehouse was a cavern of concrete and steel, illuminated only by the flickering orange glow of a fire starting near the back offices. The air was thick with the scent of ozone, smoke, and gasoline.

​Suddenly, a rough hand clamped down on Lily’s shoulder from behind, spinning her around.

​"Well, well. Look what wandered away from the boss's car," a rugged man in a leather jacket sneered, a dangerous glint in his eyes. He smelled of cheap tobacco and damp sweat. "A little corporate pet."

​Before Lily could even scream, a deafening BANG echoed through the warehouse.

​The man’s eyes went wide. He gasped, dropping to his knees as a bullet grazed his leg, sending him scrambling into the darkness.

​Lily spun around, gasping for air. Standing a few yards away was Ren. His suit jacket was gone, his white dress shirt completely soaked through and clinging to the sharp contours of his chest and shoulders. His blonde hair was plastered messily against his forehead, and his eyes were wild with a terrifying, protective fury.

​He marched over to her, his heavy boots echoing against the concrete. Before she could speak, he grabbed her waist, pulling her flush against his chest, trapping her behind a massive iron pillar.

​"I told you to stay in the car," Ren growled, his voice a deep, breathless rasp. He slammed his hand against the pillar right next to her head, pinning her body beneath his. He was so close she could feel the intense, radiating heat of his body cutting through the freezing rain. "Are you out of your mind? You almost got yourself killed!"

​"You left this," Lily breathed, her voice trembling—not from the gunman, but from the overwhelming proximity of the man looming over her. She pressed the tablet against his wet shirt, right over his beating heart. "You left the files open. Ren... why is my brother's name on your hit list?"

​Ren froze. The anger in his eyes faded into something darker, deeper, and heavily charged. He looked down at the tablet, then back down into her eyes. He didn't deny it. Instead, he leaned in closer, his lips almost brushing her ear as he exhaled a heavy, ragged breath.

​"If I wanted him dead, Lily, I would have killed him myself," Ren whispered, his voice dangerously low and smooth. He reached down, his gloved hand sliding up from her waist, tracing the damp curve of her ribs until his fingers curled tightly around the back of her neck, forcing her to look up at him. "And if I wanted you gone, I wouldn't be risking my life keeping you behind this pillar right now."

​The heat between them was suffocating despite the freezing storm outside. Lily’s breath hitched as his thumb brushed against her lower lip, his gaze dropping to her mouth with a dark, heavy hunger.

​"You're a distraction," Ren murmured, his eyes locking back onto hers, his grip tightening just enough to make her heart pound against her ribs. "A beautiful, dangerous distraction. And right now, I can't afford to lose my focus."

​"Then don't lose it," Lily whispered back, her hands gripping the wet fabric of his shirt, pulling herself a fraction of an inch closer until there was no space left between them. "Find the person who did this. Use me. I don't care about the danger anymore."

​Ren stared at her, a low, dark growl escaping his throat. For a second, it looked like he was going to kiss her right there amidst the smoke and gunfire. His grip on her neck softened into a fierce, possessive caress.

​Click.

​The sound of a gun cocking from the upper catwalk shattered the moment.

​Ren didn't hesitate. In one smooth, athletic motion, he wrapped his arm completely around Lily's waist, lifting her effortlessly against his side as he fired three blind shots into the darkness above, pulling her deeper into the shadows of the vault.

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