LOVE AND BULLET
PART 6
The underground safe room hummed with tension, the glow of surveillance screens casting flickering shadows across Obinna’s sharp features. Ava stood frozen, her fingers still curled around the cold metal of the gun he had given her.
His brother’s men.
The words echoed in her mind, unraveling everything she thought she knew.
Obinna moved with lethal grace, his agbada now slightly undone at the collar, revealing the strong column of his throat. He didn’t look at her as he checked the monitors, his voice low. “They’ll be here in minutes.”
Ava swallowed. “Why would your own brother send men to kill you?”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Because power is a poison, little detective. And family?” He finally met her gaze, his eyes dark with something unreadable. “Family is just the first betrayal.”
The rawness in his voice sent an unexpected pang through her chest.
A distant thud echoed from the tunnel.
They were out of time.
Obinna grabbed her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers as he pulled her toward the SUV. “Drive.” He tossed her the keys.
Ava caught them on reflex. “You’re trusting me to drive?”
His lips curved, but there was no humor in it. “I’m trusting you to survive.”
The engine roared to life as Ava slammed her foot on the accelerator, the tires screeching against concrete as they shot up the ramp. The garage door groaned open, revealing the storm-lashed streets of Lagos.
Rain pelted the windshield in sheets, the city lights blurring into streaks of gold and neon. Ava’s pulse hammered as she swerved through traffic, her knuckles white on the wheel.
Obinna braced a hand on the dashboard, his other gripping her thigh—not possessive, not demanding, just *there*. A silent anchor in the chaos.
“Left,” he commanded, his voice steady.
Ava obeyed, cutting sharply down a narrow alley. The SUV’s side mirror clipped a stack of crates, sending them crashing to the ground behind them.
A glance in the rearview mirror confirmed what she already knew—headlights. Closing in.
“They’re still on us,” she breathed.
Obinna’s thumb stroked absently over her skin, his touch sending a traitorous shiver up her spine. “Then lose them.”
The safe house was a nondescript apartment in the heart of Lagos, tucked between a bustling market and a mechanic’s shop.
Ava barely had time to register the sparse furnishings before Obinna was crowding her against the door, his body a wall of heat as he caged her in. Rain dripped from his locs onto her cheeks, his breath warm against her lips.
“Why did you follow me?” he demanded.
Ava’s chest rose and fell rapidly. “You didn’t leave me much choice.”
“There’s always a choice.” His gaze dropped to her mouth. “You could have run.”
She should have. Every instinct screamed at her to.
But then his hand slid up her waist, his calloused fingers branding her through the thin fabric of her ruined dress.
Ava’s breath hitched.
Obinna stilled, his eyes searching hers. **“Tell me to stop.”
She didn’t.
His kiss was fire and fury, a clash of teeth and tongue that stole the breath from her lungs. Ava arched into him, her fingers tangling in his locs as he backed her toward the bed.
The storm outside raged on, thunder shaking the windows as Obinna’s hands mapped every inch of her—her waist, her hips, the curve of her throat.
“You’re mine tonight,” he growled against her skin. “No lies. No games.”
Ava gasped as his teeth grazed her collarbone. “And tomorrow?”
Obinna pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, his own blazing with something fierce. “Tomorrow, we go to war.”
Then his mouth was on hers again, and Ava let herself drown in him.
TO BE CONTINUED...
LOVE AND BULLET
PART 6
The underground safe room hummed with tension, the glow of surveillance screens casting flickering shadows across Obinna’s sharp features. Ava stood frozen, her fingers still curled around the cold metal of the gun he had given her.
His brother’s men.
The words echoed in her mind, unraveling everything she thought she knew.
Obinna moved with lethal grace, his agbada now slightly undone at the collar, revealing the strong column of his throat. He didn’t look at her as he checked the monitors, his voice low. “They’ll be here in minutes.”
Ava swallowed. “Why would your own brother send men to kill you?”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Because power is a poison, little detective. And family?” He finally met her gaze, his eyes dark with something unreadable. “Family is just the first betrayal.”
The rawness in his voice sent an unexpected pang through her chest.
A distant thud echoed from the tunnel.
They were out of time.
Obinna grabbed her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers as he pulled her toward the SUV. “Drive.” He tossed her the keys.
Ava caught them on reflex. “You’re trusting me to drive?”
His lips curved, but there was no humor in it. “I’m trusting you to survive.”
The engine roared to life as Ava slammed her foot on the accelerator, the tires screeching against concrete as they shot up the ramp. The garage door groaned open, revealing the storm-lashed streets of Lagos.
Rain pelted the windshield in sheets, the city lights blurring into streaks of gold and neon. Ava’s pulse hammered as she swerved through traffic, her knuckles white on the wheel.
Obinna braced a hand on the dashboard, his other gripping her thigh—not possessive, not demanding, just *there*. A silent anchor in the chaos.
“Left,” he commanded, his voice steady.
Ava obeyed, cutting sharply down a narrow alley. The SUV’s side mirror clipped a stack of crates, sending them crashing to the ground behind them.
A glance in the rearview mirror confirmed what she already knew—headlights. Closing in.
“They’re still on us,” she breathed.
Obinna’s thumb stroked absently over her skin, his touch sending a traitorous shiver up her spine. “Then lose them.”
The safe house was a nondescript apartment in the heart of Lagos, tucked between a bustling market and a mechanic’s shop.
Ava barely had time to register the sparse furnishings before Obinna was crowding her against the door, his body a wall of heat as he caged her in. Rain dripped from his locs onto her cheeks, his breath warm against her lips.
“Why did you follow me?” he demanded.
Ava’s chest rose and fell rapidly. “You didn’t leave me much choice.”
“There’s always a choice.” His gaze dropped to her mouth. “You could have run.”
She should have. Every instinct screamed at her to.
But then his hand slid up her waist, his calloused fingers branding her through the thin fabric of her ruined dress.
Ava’s breath hitched.
Obinna stilled, his eyes searching hers. **“Tell me to stop.”
She didn’t.
His kiss was fire and fury, a clash of teeth and tongue that stole the breath from her lungs. Ava arched into him, her fingers tangling in his locs as he backed her toward the bed.
The storm outside raged on, thunder shaking the windows as Obinna’s hands mapped every inch of her—her waist, her hips, the curve of her throat.
“You’re mine tonight,” he growled against her skin. “No lies. No games.”
Ava gasped as his teeth grazed her collarbone. “And tomorrow?”
Obinna pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, his own blazing with something fierce. “Tomorrow, we go to war.”
Then his mouth was on hers again, and Ava let herself drown in him.
TO BE CONTINUED...