The SUV purred smoothly as it zoomed through the outskirts of the city, the neon horizon blurring into a haze of dark roads and deserted factory buildings. Lucas drove in silence, his knuckles clenched white on the steering wheel, his mind working out their next step. Aiden, still attempting to regulate his wild breathing, kept sneaking glances at his guardian.

  "Where in the world is 'somewhere safe'?" Aiden demanded at last, his voice still shaking with adrenaline.

  Lucas didn't respond immediately. His piercing eyes darted between the rearview mirror and the highway in front of them. "Somewhere no one will ever think to look for you."

  Aiden scowled. "That's. not precisely comforting."

  Lucas grinned, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "You hired me for protection, not comfort."

  Minutes after, Lucas drove the SUV into what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse parking lot, the tires crunching on gravel. He turned off the engine, enveloping them in silence. Aiden hesitated before exiting, looking around at the looming steel building before them.

  "A hideout?" Aiden questioned, trailing behind Lucas to a side door. "Are we fugitives now?"

  Lucas typed in a code on the keypad next to the door, and the lock released with a gentle click. "No, but whoever is pursuing you is well-funded, well-trained, and relentless. I need time to anticipate their next step. And until I do, you remain here."

  Aiden folded his arms. "And if I say no?"

  Lucas stepped aside, coming into his own space just far enough to bring Aiden to an awareness of the raw strength at his back. "Then you can reenter the open and wait for another ambush. Your choice."

  Aiden sucked in a hard breath, stepping back. "Fine. I'll follow."

  Inside, the hideout was better stocked than Aiden had expected. A tiny living space with a worn couch and a few scattered chairs, a weapons rack on the far wall, and a huge monitor showing security feeds. Aiden saw a lone cot jammed into the corner, Spartan but serviceable. It was apparent this wasn't Lucas's first safe house.

  Lucas shut the door behind them and headed directly for the security console, fingers flying across the keyboard. Aiden, still buzzing from the adrenaline of the chase, finally allowed himself to sink into the couch.

  "So," Aiden began, massaging his temples. "What now?"

  Lucas did not shift his gaze from the screen. "Now, I do my job. You attempt to get some rest."

  Aiden laughed. "Sleep? After the night I've had? Don't think so."

  Lucas finally looked at him, his keen eyes relaxing just a little. "You need to rest, Aiden. We don't know when the next attack will be. Running on fumes won't do you any good."

  Aiden swallowed, resenting that Lucas was correct. His brain, though, was still going a mile a minute. "Lucas. they weren't attempting to frighten me tonight. They were attempting to kill me."

  Lucas nodded. "Yes. And they'll try again."

  Aiden's breath caught, the gravity of that truth heavy in his chest. "Then why are you still here? Why put your life on the line for me?"

  Lucas's face did not change. "Because it's my job."

  Aiden watched him for a long moment, sensing there was more to it—more to Lucas than mere duty. But he was too tired to prod further.

  "Fine," Aiden grumbled, turning on the couch. "Wake me if we're being attacked."

  Lucas nodded slightly, his gaze already back on the monitors. Aiden closed his eyes, tension still wound tight in his body, but sleep seeping in inch by inch. And as the buzz of the security feeds filled the room, he noticed something disquieting.

  For the first time in years, in spite of the danger, he actually felt safe.

  Was it because of the hideout. or because of the man who protected it?

  Aiden woke up an hour later, the faint light of the monitors casting shadows on the room. He rolled onto his side, observing Lucas at the console. The bodyguard sat tensely, his eyes never leaving the security feeds. His posture was that of a man about to spring into action at the slightest sign of trouble.

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  "Do you ever sleep?" Aiden asked, his voice husky.

  Lucas didn't turn. "Not when there's a threat."

  Aiden sat up, pushing a hand through his bed-tousled hair. "You can't just remain on high alert indefinitely. You're human."

  Lucas finally looked at him, and for the first time, Aiden caught a glimpse of something in those unreadable eyes—something exhausted, something weighed down. "I don't have the luxury of rest."

  Aiden frowned, adjusting on the couch. "Lucas. what are you actually scared of?"

  Lucas glared at the monitors, his jaw clenching. "Not being quick enough."

  The straightforward answer struck Aiden more forcefully than he anticipated. He didn't press on, realizing there was more to Lucas's response he wasn't prepared to detail. Aiden rose instead and approached, standing next to him.

  "You said they're going to try again," Aiden whispered. "What if we don't wait for them? What if we take the fight to them?"

  Lucas cocked his head to the side, thinking about Aiden's words. "That would put you at greater risk."

  Aiden's mouth pressed into a hard line. "They've already established that they're trying to kill me. I don't intend to wait around like a sitting target."

  Lucas thought for a long moment before he nodded slowly. "Okay. But if we're going to do this, we do it on my terms. No impulsive action. No heroics. You do exactly what I tell you."

  Aiden sustained the look, the space between them alive with something unsaid. "Agreed."

  Lucas returned to the screens, his fingers already dancing across the keyboard. "Then let's see who's hunting you."

  Aiden breathed in deeply. He had no clue what they were going to discover. But one thing was sure—he wasn't alone.

  And somehow, that made all the difference.