Sienna
"Zane Calloway, how could you do that to me...?"
The treachery filled my insides with uneasiness and as the car wheezed away in the chilly night, it did nothing to calm the storm raging in my chest. I stared out of the tainted window, my hands were clenched into fists in my lap, trying to put my rage to words. Nothing.
I hadn't spoken to Zane since we left the bloody and messy ruin of the lounge. I couldn't bring myself to say the words to express my hurt and betrayal without breaking.
Why did you put me in danger like that? And why did you keep me in the dark about the whole plan?
Those questions kept popping in my head until I could feel them seeping through my veins. Sweat beads formed on my forehead, while I soaked in air through my mouth. He had not only put me in danger but kept me in the dark about his plan. If the Cartel had believed they had walked in on the guys by surprise, I wouldn't be fooled. From the way Zane and his friends conducted the fight, I knew right away it was planned. Why had he withheld his plan from him? The same man whose hands had traced my skin while his breath warmed my neck as he whispered my name had used me as bait, luring them to the lounge like I was some expendable piece in his chess game. Had he suddenly realized he could no longer trust me with the cartel plan?
I tilted my head, watching him from the corner of my eyes. After the bloody chaos, he sat there with hands tight on the steering wheel, his knuckles still bruised from the fight, acting like it was just another night. Like he hadn't ripped my heart out and left it bleeding on the lounge floor. God, that fight. The way he had moved was like he was in sync with the wind itself, cutting through professionally. I heaved a sigh to ease the buzz my body felt at the memory, my pulse quickened as I processed the way he had taken down those men without flinching.
My protector.
It was infuriating, how much I wanted him even now. When I was so angry, I could have screamed at him.
"Sienna" Zane started to say when the car slowed, turning into the driveway of his place.
I opened the door and hopped out of the car, cutting him off. I slammed the door hard enough to make the frame shudder. He needed to know I wasn't pleased with his decision.
I heard his door close behind me.
"You don't get it, Sienna wait." Zane called after me, yet I quickened my pace, covering the distance to the elevator in quick strides. He strode toward me, his steps heavy. I couldn't let him catch up with me.
Of course, he was. Zane was always in control, who was I fooling, thinking I had earned his trust. I spun to face him, ready to let the words fly, but his eyes stopped me dead.
They were dark, stormy, like twin hurricanes ready to devour everything in their path. He was pissed too.
The nerve of it set my blood boiling. He had no right to make the moment about himself.
"Zane," I whispered.
He stopped abruptly, eyes searching for mine like he was trying to read the chaos swirling inside me. Then, without a word, he grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me to the elevator with a force that made my breath hitch... I tried to fight him off, but I knew I was no match for the man. I gave up trying. Waiting for him. Once again, he had taken control of my rage.
My body betrayed me. Despite the anger and hurt, all I wanted was to close the distance between us, to press my lips to his and forget the world. Blame it on the way he'd fought earlier, the raw power and confidence that radiated off him in waves. Or maybe it was just that I was hopelessly tangled up in him, no matter how much it hurt.
I stared at him, heart pounding, waiting for him to explain. Waiting for the truth.
The elevator doors slid open, and he pulled me inside the penthouse, not giving me the chance to even catch my breath. Zane's hands were in my arms, pushing me back against the door. He pressed his body into mine, pinning me between the door and himself. We were so close that I could feel the heat radiating off him like a wildfire.
My heart hammered in my chest, each beat louder than the last, echoing in my ears. I was dizzy with anticipation, the sharp ache of longing twisting deep in my gut. His face was so close, way too close, and when his lips brushed mine, I closed my eyes without hesitation. His lips brushed mine softly, and it sent a shiver racing down my spine. Oh, Zane!
I parted my mouth, aching to let him take me at that moment, to drown out the confusion and pain I was feeling at that moment. I was ready to forget, just for a moment, how he'd used me, how he had left me in the dark. I hated how much I wanted him, despite the betrayal still burning in my chest.
Then he chuckled in an intentional, low, mocking sound that sliced through the haze of my desire. My eyes snapped open, and the emptiness hit me, catching me as I stepped away, leaving me standing against the door, nothing but the weight of my own longing holding me up. My cheeks burned with humiliation, twisting down to my gut. How could I be so stupid? How could I still want him after everything that's happened?
He turned, walking toward the center of the room.
I yelled at him. "You pull me in, you push me away. "What the hell is wrong with you, Zane?"
He froze mid-step, his back to me, and for a moment, the silence was deafening. Then he turned, locking his eyes onto mine. They weren't just angry anymore; they were filled with a suspicious glare, like he was seeing me for the first time.
"Who are you, Sienna? How about you start by telling me your real name?"
The questions hit me like a slap, stealing my breath. I stared at him, my mouth open, but no words came. I thought we were past this. I thought he would trust me. But the way he was looking at me now, like I was the enemy, made my stomach twist.
"What?" I finally managed to voice out. "Zane, what are you talking about? You know me."
"Do I?" He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. "Because I'm starting to wonder. You show up out of nowhere, get close to me, get under my skin, and now..." He cut himself off, his jaw tightening as he ran a hand through his hair. "What's your angle, Sienna? What do you want from me?"
My heart pounded, a mix of hurt and anger swirling in my chest. I swallowed hard, trying to make sense of what had changed, what had turned him into this distrustful stranger. He had held me like I was his lifeline, his hands gentle. Now, he was looking at me as if I were a threat. What has happened between then and now? Had someone said something? Had he found something? My mind raced, searching for answers, but all I could feel was the sting of his doubt.
He moved suddenly, closing the distance between us in two long strides. Before I could react, he had me pinned against the wall, his hands on either side of my head, caging me in. His face was so close that I could see the flecks of gold in his dark eyes and feel the heat of his breath on my skin. "Tell me who you are, Sienna," he said, his voice low and commanding, sending a shiver down my spine despite my anger. "Tell me everything."
My breath hitched, my body betraying me again as it leaned toward him, drawn to his intensity like a moth to a flame. I wanted to shove him away, to scream at him for doubting me, but my hands were trembling, and my heart was racing for all the wrong reasons. God, he was so close, his scent filling my senses, making it hard to think.
"I'm not playing a game," I said. "I'm the same person I was before tonight, Zane. The same person who trusted you, who let you in, who..." I stopped, my throat tightening as the memory of his hands on me, his lips against mine, flooded back. "You know me. You know my name. Sienna Carter. Why are you doing this?"
His eyes searched mine, relentlessly, like he was trying to peel back my skin and see the truth underneath. "Because things don't add up," he said, "You're too good at this, Sienna. Too calm in a firefight, too quick to pick up on things most people wouldn't notice. You're not just some girl who stumbled into my world. So, who are you? Really?"
My stomach dropped. He wasn't entirely wrong. I had never told him about the years I had spent scraping by, learning to survive in places where trust was a luxury I couldn't afford. I had kept those parts of me buried. But now, pinned against the wall, his eyes boring into mine, I realized those omissions were coming back to haunt me.
"I'm not hiding anything. I told you who I am. I told you why I'm here. I didn't ask to get caught up in your world, Zane. You pulled me in, and then you..." My voice cracked, and I hated how weak it made me sound. "You used me. You put me in danger without even telling me, and now you're acting like I'm the one who betrayed you?"
He flinched, just barely, but I saw it. His hands dropped from the wall, but he didn't step back, his body still close enough to make my skin hum. "I didn't want to hurt you," he said. "But I need to know I can trust you, Sienna. I need to know you're not playing me."
"You think I'm the one playing games after tonight?"
He stared at me. "Sienna, these men don't just think you are a threat without a reason. They have intensified their attacks since you showed up here. They stayed away for years and suddenly they are acting this reckless just because of you and I am going to find out why you are this person of interest to them."
"No," I snapped, stepping forward, closing the distance between us again. "You don't get to do this. You don't get to make me feel like I'm the one who's done something wrong. I've been honest with you, Zane.
His hands were on me again, gentle this time, one cupping my face, the other gripping my waist. "I'm trying to protect what's mine."
"What's yours?"
"Yes, Sienna, you either come clean or nothing. I have come too far to project Atlas to let you ruin it," he said.
The air between us crackled, heavy with everything unsaid. My body was screaming for him, my lips aching to close the distance, but my heart was bruised. I didn't know if I could continue the confrontation, but I knew I was ready to walk away.
