The sound of footsteps outside sent a chill down Zara's spine. Rev was already moving, silent and sharp, his instincts kicking in like they always had.
Noor stirred on the couch, groggy but instantly alert. "What's going on?"
Zara's pulse thundered. "We've got company."
Rev motioned for them to stay back as he edged toward the door. The dim light caught the gleam of metal at his hip—he was armed. That alone sent a shiver of unease through her.
Zara barely had time to process before the knock came.
Three slow, deliberate raps.
Rev's hand hovered near his weapon. "Stay behind me."
Zara bristled at the command but knew better than to argue. She grabbed Noor's wrist, pulling her closer as Rev unlocked the door.
It creaked open just enough to reveal a shadowed figure standing beneath the flickering streetlight.
The sight of him sent Zara's stomach into freefall.
Axel Vance.
The smirk was the same. The confident stance. The way his gaze flicked past Rev and landed right on her, like he had been expecting to find her here all along.
"Well, well," Axel drawled, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. "Didn't take me long to find you."
Zara's throat tightened. "What do you want, Axel?"
His smirk deepened. "That's no way to greet an old friend."
Rev's voice was ice. "You're no friend of hers."
Axel clicked his tongue, stepping just inside the doorway. "Relax, Calloway. I'm not here to start a fight." His gaze flicked back to Zara. "I'm here to offer a deal."
She folded her arms. "Not interested."
"You haven't even heard it yet."
"Because I know you," Zara shot back. "Nothing you offer comes without a price."
Axel sighed, looking almost amused. "That's fair. But this time, the stakes are different." He reached into his jacket, pulling out a folded piece of paper. "You've got bigger problems, Voss."
He tossed it onto the table.
Zara hesitated before picking it up. The moment her eyes scanned the words, her blood ran cold.
It was a list.
A list of names.
And hers was at the very top.
"Someone's got a bounty on you," Axel murmured, his voice almost pitying. "And trust me, the people after you? They don't play fair."
The room felt like it was closing in.
Zara looked up, meeting Rev's gaze. His expression was unreadable, but she saw the way his hand curled into a fist.
Noor exhaled sharply. "You're saying someone's paying to—what? Take her out?"
Axel's smirk vanished. "Take her out, take her off the streets—who knows? But I do know this." He leaned in slightly, voice lower, sharper. "You're running out of time."
Zara forced herself to breathe, to steady the sudden rush of fear clawing at her throat.
She had spent so long chasing the past.
Now, it looked like the past was coming for her.
The silence stretched thick between them. Zara could feel the weight of the list in her hand, the letters burning into her skin as if they had been carved there. A bounty. On her.
She exhaled slowly, steadying the rush of thoughts scrambling for control.
"I need names," she said, voice firm. "Who put this out?"
Axel leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "If I knew that, I'd already have leverage, wouldn't I?"
Zara clenched her jaw. "Then what good are you?"
His smirk reappeared. "Now, that hurts." But then, just as quickly, it faded. "Listen, Voss. I'm here because you need to move. Fast. Whoever set this up isn't waiting around."
Rev's stance didn't change. His presence was solid beside her, a quiet storm held at bay. "Why help her?"
Axel tilted his head, considering. "Let's call it… an investment." His gaze flicked to Zara. "I know you, and I know you're not gonna lay low. Which means when you start digging, you'll eventually find the person responsible. And when you do, I want in."
Zara felt Rev tense beside her, but she didn't take her eyes off Axel.
"You want in?" she repeated. "For what?"
Axel's smirk was sharp. "Retribution."
Something dark flickered in his expression. A rare slip in the mask he always wore. Zara caught it but didn't press.
Instead, she exhaled, setting the list down on the table. "So what now?"
Axel glanced at Rev. "That depends. Are you two gonna keep playing house, or are you actually ready to fight back?"
Rev's voice was ice. "We've been fighting longer than you have, Vance."
Axel chuckled. "Yeah, and look where that's gotten you."
Tension curled in the air like a coiled wire ready to snap. Zara placed a hand against Rev's arm, grounding him before he could say something that would escalate things.
"We need more information," she said. "Names, locations, who's involved."
Axel pushed off the doorframe. "I might know where to start."
Zara raised a brow. "Might?"
Axel grinned. "What's life without a little risk?"
Rev shook his head, muttering under his breath.
Noor, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. "You guys are unbelievable." She crossed her arms, exasperated. "This isn't a game. Someone out there wants Zara gone. And you all are standing around like this is some strategy meeting."
Zara softened. "I know. But we don't have a choice."
Noor exhaled, rubbing her temple. "Then let's do this fast. The longer we wait, the worse this gets."
Axel gave a dramatic sigh. "Finally, someone with urgency."
Zara ignored him, grabbing her jacket. "Where do we start?"
Axel's grin widened. "There's a warehouse near the docks. Some old contacts of mine have been sniffing around for answers." He flicked his gaze to Rev. "You might remember them."
Rev's jaw tightened.
Zara didn't like the sound of that, but she didn't have the luxury of caution anymore.
"Fine," she said. "Let's move."
As they stepped outside, the night air was crisp, carrying the scent of asphalt and saltwater from the bay. The city was alive with neon and the distant hum of engines.
Zara felt the familiar rush of adrenaline.
Only this time, she wasn't racing toward the past.
She was running straight into the storm.
The car ride to the docks was tense, the low hum of the engine the only sound cutting through the silence. Zara kept her hands steady on the wheel, but her mind spun in circles, replaying everything over and over again. The bounty. The list of names. The warehouse Axel claimed held answers.
But none of that explained the weight in her chest—the way her pulse had changed since the moment Rev had walked back into her life.
She stole a glance at him from the corner of her eye. He was staring out the window, jaw clenched, fingers twitching slightly against his knee. His usual composure was cracked just enough for her to notice.
"Thinking too hard?" she murmured, breaking the silence.
His gaze flickered to hers, sharp at first, then softer. "Always."
Zara smirked, eyes back on the road. "That's new. I remember a guy who used to act before thinking."
Rev let out a breath that was almost a laugh. "Yeah? And I remember a girl who never backed down."
The air shifted between them. It was subtle, like the shift of gears before a sharp turn—something inevitable, something neither of them could quite stop.
"I never backed down because I had to fight for everything," Zara said.
Rev turned to fully face her. "And I left because I thought I was protecting you." His voice was low, raw. "But I should've known better. You never needed saving."
Her grip on the wheel tightened. "No," she admitted. "I needed the truth."
He exhaled slowly. "I know."
The admission settled between them, heavy and unspoken for too long.
From the backseat, Noor cleared her throat. "Just so you know, you're both radiating insane levels of tension right now."
Axel snorted. "Right? I was about to ask if we should step out and give you two some alone time."
Zara rolled her eyes, but she didn't look away from Rev.
And he didn't look away from her.
The car slowed as they neared the warehouse district, neon lights casting long shadows against the crumbling buildings. The roads were slick from an earlier rain, the scent of saltwater and gasoline mixing in the air.
As they pulled up near the docks, Zara cut the engine, exhaling.
"We do this fast," she said. "In and out."
Axel stretched. "That's what they all say."
Noor smacked her arm before stepping out of the car.
Rev lingered. Just long enough that Zara felt it—the hesitation, the unspoken words.
She turned to him. "What?"
For a moment, it looked like he might say something. Might close the space between them, let whatever this thing between them spiral into something more.
Instead, he just shook his head. "Be careful."
Her heart stuttered against her ribs.
Always.
But she wasn't sure if he was talking about the mission.
Or about him.