Chapter 4: Betrayal in the Shadows

The car ride was silent.

Nina sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her hands curled into tight fists on her lap. The smell of leather and faint traces of blood filled the space between her and Kai, who was gripping the steering wheel with practiced ease despite the wound on his side.

He hadn’t said much since they left the warehouse.

Her mind was racing with questions, but she didn’t know where to begin. Who exactly was after him? Why was he bleeding in that alley? And more importantly… why was she still here?

She could’ve walked away. Should’ve walked away.

But here she was, in a car with a mafia boss.

The city lights flashed past them in streaks of white and red, the sound of the engine humming beneath the tension between them. Nina stole a glance at Kai. His face was unreadable, his jaw clenched in a way that made him look even more dangerous.

Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore.

“You’re bleeding,” she said, breaking the silence.

Kai didn’t look at her. “I’ve had worse.”

“That’s not an answer.”

He sighed but didn’t respond right away. Instead, he pulled the car into a quiet street, parking near a dimly lit convenience store. The neon glow reflected off the windshield as he leaned back against the seat, exhaling sharply.

Nina watched him carefully. He looked exhausted. Vulnerable. But there was something else, too—something deeper.

A kind of darkness she didn’t understand yet.

He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a small first-aid kit. “Help me patch this up.”

She blinked. “You want me to do it?”

“You were the one worried about it.” His lips curved into a smirk, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Unless you’d rather let me bleed out?”

Nina rolled her eyes but grabbed the kit. “Take off your jacket.”

Kai didn’t hesitate, shrugging off his bloodstained jacket before unbuttoning his shirt.

Nina swallowed hard.

It was one thing knowing he was hurt. It was another thing seeing his toned chest, streaked with blood and faint scars from past wounds. How many fights had he been in?

She quickly looked away and focused on cleaning the wound. He barely flinched as she pressed an alcohol-soaked cloth against his side.

“You’re really not going to tell me what happened back there?” she asked, her voice quieter now.

Kai studied her. “It’s better if you don’t know.”

“That’s not fair,” she shot back. “I saved your life. I deserve to know what I got myself into.”

A shadow crossed his face. “You got yourself into something you can’t walk away from.”

Her fingers froze for a moment before she resumed dabbing the wound. “So, what? You’re keeping me prisoner now?”

Kai chuckled, though there was no humor in it. “No, but I am keeping you under my protection.”

Nina frowned. “Protection from what?”

Kai hesitated. For the first time, she saw uncertainty flicker in his dark eyes.

“From people who want me dead,” he finally said.

Nina’s heart pounded. “And now they want me dead too?”

“Not yet,” Kai admitted. “But if they find out you were there… if they find out you helped me… they will come for you.”

She swallowed hard, her hands tightening around the bandage she was wrapping around his torso. “Who are they?”

Kai let out a slow breath. “The Vasquez family. My father’s biggest rivals.”

Nina’s hands trembled slightly, but she forced herself to stay calm. “So, you’re saying I got caught in a mafia war?”

Kai’s gaze met hers, sharp and unrelenting. “Yeah. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

Silence settled between them, heavy and suffocating.

Nina finished wrapping the bandage, pressing it firmly against his side. “There. That should hold for now.”

Kai looked down at her handiwork and gave a small nod. “Not bad, for someone with no medical experience.”

She rolled her eyes, but before she could respond, her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Her stomach dropped.

She had completely forgotten about her mother.

Fumbling, she pulled out her phone and stared at the screen. Missed calls: 12. Messages: 8 unread.

Her chest tightened. She hadn’t even told her mom where she was.

“I need to go home,” she muttered.

Kai leaned back against the seat, watching her carefully. “That’s a bad idea.”

Nina’s head snapped up. “Excuse me?”

“They’ll be watching,” he said simply. “If the Vasquez family knows you were involved, they might try to use you against me.”

She clenched her fists. “So, what? I just disappear? Leave my mother wondering what happened to me?”

Kai was quiet for a long moment before he said, “I’ll take care of it.”

Nina narrowed her eyes. “What does that mean?”

“It means I’ll make sure she doesn’t worry,” he replied, his voice calm but firm. “I have people who can keep an eye on her—make sure she’s safe.”

Nina stared at him. He was so sure of himself, so unshaken by all of this. It scared her.

“You’re asking me to just trust you?” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kai leaned in slightly, his dark eyes boring into hers. “I’m telling you that you don’t have a choice.”

Her breath hitched.

For a brief moment, the world outside the car didn’t exist. It was just them, trapped in this deadly, dangerous reality.

And Nina knew, deep down, that nothing in her life would ever be the same again.

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End of Chapter 4.

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