NOAH.

As the last reporter shuffled out, I exhaled, the knot in my chest loosening just enough to breathe. I let loose two top buttons on my shirt to let my tie hang loose, the knot half-undone after hours of fielding questions from a ravenous press corps. Beside me, Audrey stood poised, her navy blazer crisp despite the marathon of deflecting accusations. Harper's exposé could have burned us to the ground. But Ava's plan, that brilliant, ruthless gambit to pin it all on Marcus Hale and his freelancer Echo, had turned the tide. The feds had swallowed it and the media pivoted. Even our stocks were climbing back up already. We had just delivered our final bow, a rehearsed performance of confidence and veiled threats about lawsuits against defamers.

Audrey gathered her notes, "You held it together out there," she said, "That glare you shot the Post guy? Kept them on their heels."

I managed a tight smile, rubbing the back of my neck. "Had to. Ava's idea saved our asses. Didn't think Zane's little sister had that kind of cunning in her." My mind flickered to Ava, Zane's half-sister, whom we had always kept at arm's length from our darker dealings. She'd read Echo like a book, predicted his ego-driven moves, and handed us the playbook to flip Harper's story into someone else's funeral. I was impressed, maybe even awed.

Yet Harper's name still stung. It was a raw wound I couldn't shake.

We stepped into the executives' parking lot. Audrey paused by her car, keys glinting in her hand, and turned to me. Her eyes held something heavy, a weight I hadn't noticed inside. "Before I go," she said, "I saw Harper earlier at the coffee shop on Elm. She's... not okay, Noah."

My stomach twisted hearing her name, "Not okay?" I asked, "She should be. She got her big scoop."

Audrey shook her head, leaning against her car door. "Not like that. She's a wreck-bags under her eyes. she lost her contract and is facing eviction. I doubt it was personal, Noah. Just her job. It was not a vendetta against Atlas. Or you."

I crossed my arms, the asphalt cold under my shoes. Her job. The words burned within me, stoking the fire I had kept banked. "Her job you say? She used me, Audrey. Pumped us both for secrets, then lit the fuse. You buying that 'just journalism' excuse?"

She met my gaze, unflinching. "Yeah, I am. We talked and fought, really. She's not vengeful. She's broken. Harper is ambitious, sure, like you with your code. She chased the truth, got too close, and now she's paying for it. You know that drive in her, Noah. You felt it."

Her words hit harder than I wanted, stirring the guilt I'd buried under anger. Harper's ambition. I knew it well. I had being a part of a team that built Atlas's digital walls on the same fuel, hacking through nights to bury rivals.

"Maybe," I muttered, "But Zane's not buying it. He's already given the order to take her out. Quietly."

Audrey's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Then change his mind. She's no threat now. Give her a pass, Noah. You still care, don't you? Despite everything."

I stopped, I wanted to hate her, to see her as the enemy who had nearly toppled us. But the memory of her lingered. "I don't know," I admitted. "But I need to see her."

Audrey nodded, sliding into her car. "Don't do anything stupid. And drive safe."

Her taillights vanished, leaving me alone in the lot.

֍֍֍

I drove to the park, the one with the winding paths and benches overlooking LA's glittering sprawl. The lot was empty, I killed the engine and stepped out, my boots thudding on the pavement. Under the stars, I pulled out my phone, pondering on dialing Harper's number.

Could I believe Audrey's words that it was not personal, just her job? I needed her to say it, to see her eyes when she did.

My thumb hit call before I could overthink it. It rang twice. "Noah?" Her voice was sounded a bit different. I could hear the exhaustion in it.

"Yeah." I leaned against the car, the metal cool through my shirt. "Where are you?"

She paused, "Why?"

My tone softened, surprising even me. "I want to talk. Face-to-face. I... need to see you."

"Ben's cabin. Hills outside LA."

"I'm coming." I hung up, adrenaline spiking. But first, I had to face her, see if the woman I had known was still there. Convincing my brothers would be like defusing a bomb. Now, I had to decide if she was worth saving.

They arrived at the cabin an hour later and parked. The gravel was crunching as I approached the door. From the open window, I saw her silhouette pacing inside. I knocked and stepped aside, waiting for her to answer it.

The door creaked open, and there she was. My Lila.

But different,

Her hair was a mess, her eyes were swollen, yet she had that familiar defiance flickering despite the weariness. I extended a hand, "Hi. I'm Noah Bennett."

She blinked, then a faint smile curved her lips. She took my hand, her grip firm, warm. "Harper West. Nice to meet you."

She stepped back, gesturing inside. "Dinner? I've got... well, canned soup and crackers. Gourmet, I know."

I followed her in, the musty air wrapping around us. "Sounds perfect."

She moved to the kitchen, rummaging through cabinets, in quick movements. I sank onto the sagging couch, watching her. As she heated soup, the clatter of a pot grounding the silence, my mind spun. A fresh start. Could we rebuild from ashes? Her betrayal had cut deep.

Maybe we could be something new, but Zane's order loomed, it was a guillotine waiting to drop. Convincing him, Damian, and the others would be a fight. One I had to win.

She set bowls on the coffee table, steam rising, and sat across from me, cross-legged on the floor. "So, Noah Bennett," she said, her eyes searching. "What brings you to my hideout?"

I spooned soup, the warmth grounding me. "Heard you make a mean chicken noodle. Had to see for myself."

She laughed, a sound I hadn't realized I had missed. "Top chef, clearly." Her gaze softened, but I could tell questions lingered in it.

Her hand brushed mine while passing a cracker, and I didn't pull away. The spark was still there. As our bowls emptied, she leaned back, studying me. "Why are you really here, Noah?"

I set my spoon down, "To see if we can start over. Forget the past. You, me, no Atlas, no stories."

Her brows lifted in skepticism. "Start over? After everything?"

"Yeah." I held her gaze, "I'm tired of fighting you, Harper. Let's try something else."

She didn't answer right away, her fingers tracing the rim of her bowl. Finally, she nodded. "Okay. Let's try."

"Great," I stood, grabbing my jacket. "I have to go. But stay here, stay safe. I'll handle things."

Her eyes narrowed. "What things?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." I kissed her forehead, "Trust me."

֍֍֍

FAMILIAR SKIN

AVA

I was allowed a very quick shower before a home nurse tended to my wounds. I sat on the side of the bed and clenched my jaw while I watched as Damian talked with the doctor. I just want to be alone with you.

Somehow, I managed to keep my expression neutral as I struggled to keep all my emotions from spiraling out of control while being kept hostage by Echo.

Finally, the nurse left, and I slipped off the bed. Even though my feet were raw and aching from being dragged barefoot through the damn woods, I walked to the window and pulled the blinds shut.

"I'll take her home first thing tomorrow morning," I heard Damian tell the doctor while I gingerly moved back to bed.

I braced my right hand on the white sheets and sucked in a desperate breath of air.

I heard the door shut, and I glanced at Damian to make sure we were alone. I sucked in another breath of air, then all the trauma I had been forced to endure shuddered through my body.

Damian moved closer to me, and when his fingers wrapped around the back of my neck, I couldn't keep the sobs back any longer. The floodgates open, and every degrading moment, the pain, and the fear all create a chaotic mess in my chest, forcing a broken cry over my lips.

Damian gently pulled me into his arms, and he tried to avoid the burns on my back as he held me to his chest.

I smelled his familiar fragrance, feeling the heat from his body. And finally able to let go of being strong, I broke in his arms.

"I've got you, my love," the words rumbled from him.

I brought my hand up and clutched his shirt in a fist as I struggled to breathe through the sobs. He just held me, giving me a safe place to cry over what was done to me.

They didn't break me. After everything I was forced to endure, I am stronger.

Damian pressed a kiss to my temple, then murmured, "I'm here, you're safe."

Once I managed to calm down, I whispered, "I was so scared I'd never see you again."

He pulled a little back and tilted his head so he could meet my eyes. Using his thumbs to brush the tears off my cheeks, he said, "I'll always come for you."

Seeing the blood splatters on his face and neck, I took his hand and pulled him toward the bathroom. I found a washcloth and wet it beneath the spray. When I brought it to his neck and started to clean the blood off him, he muttered, "Don't worry about it. I'll shower while you're resting."

"Let me do this," I whispered, my voice hoarse from crying.

Once every last drop of blood had been wiped from his skin, I tossed the cloth into the sink. Damian gently picked me up and carried me back into the room. He sat down on an armchair. His arm brushes over the burns on my back, making me flinch. Pressing my face to his chest, I was feeling feverish when the tears stopped, and I just lay still against his chest. Somehow, I managed to doze on and off for a while.

The door opened, and I heard Rico say, "I brought you some clothes from the house."

"Thanks," Damian murmured. "Have the other guys come here so you can get some rest."

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Rico shake his head. "I'm not leaving. I'll be right outside the room."

"Rico," I said as he started to turn around. When he looked at me, I continued, "I'm so grateful." He nodded before pulling the door shut behind him as he left

"Want to move to the bed so you can sleep while I shower?" Damian asked.

I nodded and climbed off his lap. He picked up the bag Rico brought, and when I followed him to the bathroom, he gave me a questioning look.

"I just want to brush my teeth."

Damian set the bag down on the closed toilet lid and dug out a toothbrush and toothpaste for me. I took it from him, and while I cleaned my teeth, he switched on the faucets in the shower.

I watched as he stripped out of his clothes before I rinsed my mouth. Checking the bag, I was surprised to see Rico had packed a satin robe for me. I quickly took off the messy gown before putting on my robe.

Feeling a little better with a clean robe on, my eyes scoured Damian's body, and when I was sure he hadn't been hurt in any way, I walked back to the bed and sat down on the side of the mattress.

I listened to Damian moving in the bathroom while I stared at the red abrasions around my wrists. I am so lucky they got to me in time. It was the closest I had come to dying.

They could have done so much worse to me.

Once Damian had finished in the bathroom, he came back into the room, his eyes instantly locking on me.

"You're not going to sleep?"

"I can't lie on my back or right side," I said. "Can I sleep on your lap?"

"Of course, love."

I waited for him to sit down on the armchair before I climbed on top of him again. Straddling him, I pulled my arms up between us and rested my cheek against his chest.

I lay still for a little while before lifting my head and asking, "Can you remove your shirt?"

Damian tugged the fabric over his head, and when I opened my robe, he muttered with concern, "You're in no condition to have sex."

"I just want to be as close to you as possible." I leaned against him again, and when the heat from his skin soaks into my chest, I let out a sigh.

Much better.

I pressed a kiss to his chest and took a deep breath of his clean, woodsy scent.

I felt Damian's cock harden beneath me, then his hands settled on my hips, and he let out a sigh.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"I can feel the heat of your pussy through the sweatpants," he grumbled.

I moved a little back, and reaching down, I pushed down the fabric of his pants to free his cock.

"What are you doing?" The words rumbled from him.

I positioned him at my entrance and slowly sank down on his cock. When he was buried to the hilt inside me, I said, "I just want to feel you everywhere."

"You're warming my cock, Ava?"

"Hmm..." I relaxed against his chest. "Warming my pussy. It was so cold without you."

Damian placed a hand behind my head and pressed a kiss to my hair.

He did not try to fuck me, but instead, let out a satisfied groan as he relaxed beneath me. "I can get used to sleeping like this."

The corner of my mouth lifted slightly. "Me too."

The heat from Damian's body chased the chill from mine, and I closed my eyes.

He deserved a fucking gold medal for the sweet torture I was forcing him to endure.

Then I fucking stirred against his chest, and my taut nipples brushed over his skin.

When my inner muscles clamped around his cock, he let out a harsh breath, sweat beading at the back of his neck. I slowly started to swivel my hips.

He let out a groan, his fingers digging into my ass cheeks. "You're killing me."

"Hmm..."

I rubbed my clit against him, the movements quickly pushing me toward an orgasm.

"Oh, Damian," I moaned, "You're going to make me come."

"Isn't that the plan?" I grunted.

I moaned before starting to press kisses to his penis. "You feel so good." Her teeth tug at my nipple. "You taste even better."

He didn't stand a chance with my sensual torture, and I thrust up once before shooting his release into my wet clit.

His body shuddered from the extreme fucking pleasure after being tortured for hours.

"Christ," he gasped through ragged breaths, his cock jerking inside me while my body loses all strength.

I curled against his chest, my muscles tensing before I felt my orgasm hit. My quivering breaths exploded over my skin, and I buried my hands in his hair to pull his head back so he could claim my lips.

The moment he kissed me, a peaceful feeling filled my heart.

His mouth worshiped mine for long minutes before he finally ended the kiss so I could stare into his beautiful eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes." I nodded, then my pussy frees his cock as I climbed off his lap.

Getting up, he followed me to the bathroom, where we cleaned ourselves.

DAMIAN.

I crushed the cigarette under my boot, and slid into the driver's seat. The engine roared to life with a low growl that matched the one in my chest. As I pulled out of the driveway, my thoughts drifted to Ava. Impressed didn't cover how I felt knowing others would've chickened out at the thought of being captured, but not my Ava. She'd read her abductor like an open book, turning the tables and saving all our asses from the press hit.Damn, it turned me on, that fire in her.

The drive to Eden's ruins was autopilot. I parked, killing the engine. Stepping out, I picked my way through the blackened beams and shattered glass crunching underfoot, each step a reminder of what I had lost. Eden wasn't just a club to me, but a part of my heart. Its destruction was a wound I hadn't healed.

I reached the private lounge, where Zane and Noah were waiting. I nodded at them before sinking onto a scorched couch. Zane, who was all edges and in a coiled menace, didn't look up from his phone. Noah, stood by the desk, his eyes scanning the room.

"You're late," Zane snapped.

"I needed to make sure Ava was sleeping before I left. Rico's with her," I said, keeping my tone even. Rico was loyal, and would guard her with his life.

"Whatever," Zane muttered, turning to Noah. "Harper's still out there. My order stands as before; we need to take her out."

Noah slammed the desk, the bang echoing. His eyes locked on Zane's, cold as steel. "No. She's off the list."

Zane and I snapped our heads toward him. "What did you say?" Zane's voice was dangerously low.

"You heard me." Noah stepped forward, fists clenched, his lean frame taut with defiance. "Harper's not a threat. Ava's plan worked, and Hale's down. We're clear. Killing her now would be pointless." He shrugged, but there was no ease in it.

I raised my brows, furrowing. "Noah, her story nearly fucked us. She played us all."

"She was doing her job!" Noah shot back, "Journalism, not revenge. She's lost everything, her contract, her home, her future as a journalist. Damian, isn't that enough?"

Zane stepped into Noah's space, towering over him, his shadow swallowing the smaller man. "Her job? She betrayed you, us. In our world, that's a death sentence. You know the rules."

"Rules?" Noah laughed, bitter and loud. "The ones we bend when it suits us? Ava was an outsider, but we used her idea. Harper's not the enemy we think she is, she's just a journalist, not a hitman. Killing her makes us the monsters she wrote about."

I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. "She's a loose end, Noah. One call to the feds, and we're back in the fire."

"She won't!" Noah roared. "I saw her last night. We talked. She's broken, man. Give her a pass, or you're just proving her right about us."

"You saw her? Alone?" My voice dropped, a warning. "That's reckless, Noah."

"Reckless?" He whirled on me, eyes blazing. "Like trusting Ava? Harper could be an asset too. She's smart, connected. But kill her? Over my fucking body."

Zane's jaw tightened. "You're choosing her over us, your family?"

"I'm choosing better," Noah spat, his words dripping with venom. "For the first time since we started this crazy, bloody cartel. I've bled for this family. But blind murdering a poor journalist? That's not us. Call it off, Zane. Or lose me."

The room fell silent, the weight of Noah's ultimatum hanging like smoke. Zane's eyes narrowed, but he didn't speak. Instead, he turned and stormed out, the door slamming behind him. Noah didn't wait long, brushing past me with a muttered curse, leaving me alone in the ruins of Eden.

֍

My mind circled back to Noah's standoff as I drove through the city streets. He had slammed the desk, defending Harper like she was his blood with an unshaken conviction. Zane had walked away, leaving me caught between them, wondering which side to choose. Both were right in their own way. Noah saw a chance for redemption, a way to break the cycle of blood we had been drowning in. But Zane's doubts festered in me too. Harper had nearly gutted us with her exposé, and sparing her felt like leaving a loaded gun on the table, safety off.

My phone buzzed, snapping me out of it. Zane's name flashed on the screen. I answered, keeping my eyes on the road. "Yeah?"

"Loose ends," he said. "Harper's off for now, but watch Noah. He's soft on her."

I snorted, weaving through traffic. "He fought for her like a cornered dog. But you're right, Zane. She's a risk."

He paused, the silence heavy. "You backed him. Why?"

I exhaled, my boot crunching glass as I pulled over near a mall. "Because Ava proved it. We have to start choosing brains over bullets. Harper had been neutralized, Killing her now will only make us look weak and reactionary."

"She exposed us," Zane said.

"Exposed bullshit we spun back," I fired, "Ava's play buried it. And since Noah vouches, says she's not gunning for us, why not trust his word?"

Zane laughed, cold and hollow. "Vouches? Like you vouch for Ava? That's personal, Damian. Clouds judgment."

The words hit like a gut punch, my grip tightening on the phone. "Personal? I've buried more for this family than anyone. Ava saved us. If that's clouding, then we're blind without it."

"Watch it," Zane growled.

"Give Noah the same rope you gave Ava," I pushed.

Zane exhaled, long and slow. "Fine. But if Harper slips, Noah cleans it. And you? Keep Ava out of your bed. Or we're done."

"After everything?" I snapped. "My club, Eden, burned for us, Zane. You know that."

"For family!" he roared. "Not your dick."

I hung up, breathing hard, the phone hot in my hand. If Noah saw a fresh start, maybe I did too, for us all. Atlas needed to evolve, or it would crumble under its own weight. But Zane's warning echoed: Ava was a line I couldn't cross, not yet. Not if I wanted to keep the family together.

I tracked Noah to a dive bar on the city's edge, He was in a corner booth, nursing a beer, his eyes scanning the room like he was expecting trouble. I slid in across from him, signaling for a drink.

"You're a hard man to find," I said, keeping my tone light.

He didn't smile. "Needed space. Zane's bullshit's getting old."

I leaned back, studying him. Noah was always the wildcard, the one who felt too much, cared too much. It made him reckless, but it also made him sharp. "You really believe Harper's clean?"

He met my gaze, unflinching. "I know her, Damian. She's not some mastermind. She was chasing a story, not a vendetta. She's got nothing left to fight for."

"And if she flips? Talks to the feds?"

"She won't," he said. "I'd stake my life on it."

I took a long pull from my beer, weighing his words. "You might have to. Zane's not sold."

Noah's jaw tightened. "Then make him. You've got pull, Damian. You backed Ava when no one else did. Do the same for me."

I wanted to believe him, But Atlas wasn't built on trust but blood, loyalty, and hard choices. Still, Noah's fire reminded me of Ava's, and she'd proven the impossible. Maybe he could too.

"Alright," I said finally. "I'll talk to Zane. But you keep Harper in line. One wrong move, and we're all fucked."

Noah nodded, a flicker of relief in his eyes. "Deal."

NOAH

Ever since the encrypted message had come from Zane, it had hit my phone like a gunshot in the dead of night, its cold glow slicing through the darkness of my office. I could still recall the venom I felt as I read out the text and wanting to relieve the rage, I pulled out my phone and read it again, for what seemed like the millionth time in 48 hours.

"Harper West is a loose end. Handle it permanently. Leave no traces."

I was right to be pissed, those words were stripped of warmth, as if ordering Harper West's death was just another transaction in Atlas's billion-dollar ledger. But this wasn't some rival cartel runner or a snitch who had crossed the line. It was Harper West. The journalist who had dared to expose the cartel roots festering beneath Atlas's tech-investment empire, only for me to crush her work with ruthless precision, because I had been a dutiful soldier obeying an order. But not this time.

My fingers hovered over the screen, trembling with rage, as I typed in a few letters to send over to Zane. But I deleted the reply before typing another apologetic word. Pleading again after our brawl in the lounge was pointless. I had already laid my case bare, having begged for the only favor I had ever asked in over ten years of loyalty for Harper to live. His response had been unyielding regardless.

It had been a decade since he had pulled me from my visionless life, given me a stake in Atlas, turned my rogue coding into a multibillion-dollar shield for our cartel operations, yet he couldn't spare her life for me.

Rebellion flared in my chest, its spark igniting after years of loyal obedience. For the first time, I hated Zane. How could he not grant me that one mercy?

"Fine. I'd take it, even if it meant torching the empire we'd built." I whispered to the faint hum of servers tucked behind a glass panel. My reflection stared back from the window. I noticed how my eyes had become dark from sleepless nights. Zane and Harper would be the death of me.

Harper wasn't making this easy. Since Audrey and I had pulled the rug under her exposé, she had been shattered. I had watched her through security feeds my men had in her apartment.

Guilt had gnawed at me every night, giving a replay of how I had blindly chosen Atlas over her, protecting the empire's facade at the cost of the woman who had made me dream of something beyond bloody crimes.

But no more. Zane's refusal had snapped the chains on my loyalty.

I grabbed my keys from the desk, feeling the cold metal against my palm, and strode to the elevator. I pat my pocket to be sure that the USB drive in my inner jacket was still there. The USB contained live recordings of Atlas's darkest secrets, from cartel shipments disguised as AI prototypes to money laundering through venture capital deals, Zane's voice ordering hits in encrypted chats all timestamped, to avoid deniability. It was a leverage I had been compiling, blame it on being paranoid in a cartel world. If the content was ever streamed live, it would have exposed Atlas for what it really was: a cartel front. Zane, Damian, Ethan, Liam, and I would all go down for it too. But for Harper? I would hand it over and watch the flames consume it all.

The elevator hummed downward, the sterile light reflecting my resolve back at me. In the garage, I pulled up to my black SUV, roaring its engine, as I slid into the leather seat.

It had started to rain, and it battered the windshield in furious waves, the wipers slashing frantically as I pulled into the wet streets heading for Harper's apartment.

What was I doing?

Throwing away a decade of loyalty to a woman who had used me as a source? If I gave Harper the drive, our empire would implode, and thousands of employees would also get caught in the fallout. And me? I would become a branded betrayer, hunted by the only family I had known.

Was she worth it? The question clawed at me relentlessly.

My worry gnawed deeper as the traffic crawled on with headlights slicing through the rain . Zane would never forgive me for it. He would hunt me with the same ruthlessness he had used on our enemies.

But just as the wipers cleared the windshield, my doubt ebbed away. Fuck Zane Calloway.

I parked two blocks away from her apartment, killing the engine, and pinned the Glock strap on me and stepped into the deluge. As I moved through backstreets, the rain soaked my jeans in a minute, making me hasten my steps until I broke into a run, while the wind whipped the rain into my face like a lash.

When I got to her window, I paused, my breath formed a fog on the pane. I peeped inside the room. It had a single flickering lamp, making it a bit dim to see clearly. There were tons of takeout boxes, and Kleenex papers almost everywhere. I peeped closer until I saw Harper sat curled on the couch, her knees drawn tight to her chest. Her hair fell in tangled strands to her cheeks, sunken as she kept staring into nothingness. She looked fragile for the fierce journalist who had challenged Atlas.

If I had any doubt about what I had planned to do, seeing her in that state cemented my choice. I felt peace settle over me, dissolving my doubts. This was right. She was worth it.

I rapped on the glass in three sharp knocks.

She jolted, head snapping up with alarm.

Fear flashed across her face until she looked in my direction and, recognizing me, she got up slowly, the blanket slipping to reveal rumpled sweats hanging loose on her frame. She approached the window with cautious steps. I heard the bolt click, and she slid it open.

"Noah?" Her voice was rough, "What are you doing here? Come to gloat? Or finish the job your hacks started?"

I climbed through. "Hello, Miss journalist. I'm here to fix this."

She closed the window, latching it with a sharp click, then leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Fix? What's left to fix?"

I peeled off my soaked jacket, hanging it on a chair, water dripping onto the hardwood. My shirt clung to my skin, cold and heavy, but I ignored it, focusing on her. The room felt smaller with us both in it, "Zane ordered the hit. On you. Loose end, he called it."

I noticed how color drained from her already pale face, but she didn't break. She took three steps to the kitchenette and three back, "A kill order? For exposing the truth? Jesus, Noah, I knew Atlas was dirty, but this..." She stopped, eyes narrowing. "Why tell me?"

I stepped into her path, halting her. "You were right about everything. I debunked your story to protect it. But now? I'm done protecting it."

She searched my face, skepticism battling a flicker of hope. "Why now? What's changed?"

I reached for her hand, but she pulled back. I didn't blame her. "Because I asked Zane to spare you. My one favor after ten years. He refused. For the first time, I hate him for it."

She sank onto the couch after a long pause, gesturing for me to join. I did, since it was not big, our thighs were brushing against each other, sending heat sparking through me. "What now?" she asked.

"Better than hiding away." I pulled the drive from my pocket, holding it up. "This contains live recordings of Atlas's crimes in real time. Stream this live and salvage your career. Expose us all for good."

Her eyes widened, and with trembling hands, she took it, turning it over in her palm like it might burn her. "This... it would destroy you. Zane, your brothers and they would hunt you too."

"Let them." The words came out easily. I cupped her face, ignoring her flinch, my thumb brushing her cheekbone. Her skin was warm, soft against the cold of my hand, "Harper, I choose you. Let Atlas burn."

Tears glistened in her eyes, but she leaned into my touch. "Noah... why? After I used and exposed you?"

"Because you saw me." "I am sorry it took Zane's order for me to realize what a mess I am."

She searched my face, then leaned in, her lips brushing mine. "How will the world believe me now? I lost my platform and credibility,." she whispered.

"You can stream live on my laptop. It is secured."

I pulled away from her enough to reach for my bag and pick the laptop from the bag, setting it on the cluttered coffee table.

I set up the laptop, my fingers flying over keys as I routed through proxies. I played a test clip of Zane's voice ordering a hit,

"Damning. This salvages me," she murmured and I heard the fear in her voice,

"No regrets."

"Okay. Are you sure you want to go down like this?"

"I am, let's do this."

She nodded, patting my hand.

She was worth it. Fuck Atlas.