Shadows And Promises
1180 Words
The compound was tense. Too tense.
Jax paced the dimly lit war room, fingers tracing the rim of his coffee cup. Every shadow outside felt like a potential threat.
Lena stood beside him, arms crossed but eyes sharp.
“We’ve fortified the perimeter,” she said. “More guards, tighter shifts.”
He nodded. “Good. But it’s not just the Vultures. There’s chatter about a third player — someone new, more dangerous.”
“Great,” Lena muttered, leaning closer. “Just when I thought this couldn’t get messier.”
Jax met her gaze. “Nothing about this is simple.”
A silence fell, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was quiet before the storm.
Later, on the rooftop under a sky smeared with stars, Lena reached for Jax’s hand.
“Whatever comes,” she said softly, “we face it together. No more running, no more hiding.”
He squeezed her hand, the weight of his past and the uncertainty of their future tangled in his grip.
“You saved me, Lena. More than you know.”
She shook her head, smiling faintly. “No. You saved me.”
The city slept unaware of the war brewing in its shadows, and two unlikely souls steeled themselves to survive — or fall — side by side.
The last morning, the Dead Reapers’ compound was on high alert.
Surveillance caught movement near the east gate—too close for comfort.
Jax and his crew moved fast, weapons ready for defense.
Lena’s heart hammered as she followed, adrenaline sharpening her senses. This was no longer a world she could hide from.
As they rounded the corner, three masked figures emerged from the shadows—Vultures, no doubt, but something was off.
Suddenly, one stepped forward—unmasked.
It was Rico—Jax’s old rival, the man who had betrayed him years ago.
The air thickened with tension.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Jax,” Rico sneered. “And bringing her into this? You’re softening.”
Jax’s eyes burned. “She’s stronger than you think.”
Lena stepped forward, meeting Rico’s gaze head-on.
“I’m not afraid of you.”
Rico laughed, dark and cold. “You should be.”
A fight suddenly erupted—gunfire, shouts, and chaos filled the air.
In the fray, Jax moved to protect Lena, but she refused to be sidelined, dodging a knife aimed at her with surprising agility.
When the dust settled, Rico retreated, leaving a chilling promise.
“This isn’t over.”
Later, leaning against Jax, Lena’s breath shaky but victorious, she whispered, “I’m not the girl you found hiding.”
Jax smiled grimly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
“You’re my ride or die.”
An hour later, Somehow, the compound was eerily silent after the attack.
Jax sat on the edge of the infirmary bed, staring at the shallow graze on Lena’s arm. It wasn’t life-threatening, but the sight of blood on her skin made something inside him unravel.
She watched him with a softness that unsettled him more than any bullet.
“You’re angry,” she said quietly.
“I’m not angry,” Jax muttered. “I’m terrified.”
Lena tilted her head. “Of Rico?”
“No.” He looked up at her, eyes dark and bare. “Of losing you.”
The air between them thickened, unsaid things pressing like a weight against their chests.
“I’ve seen people I care about die, Lena,” he went on. “I held them while the light left their eyes. I can’t watch that happen to you.”
“Then don’t,” she said, stepping closer. “Don’t just protect me — trust me to fight beside you.”
He looked at her like she was a miracle and a curse wrapped into one.
“I’m no hero.”
“I’m not asking for one,” she whispered. “Just… don’t push me away.”
That night, they shared a bed — not for s*x, but for something deeper.
Safety..Lena curled into him, his heartbeat steady beneath her ear. For once, the world outside felt far away.
Jax pressed a kiss to her forehead, a silent vow.
He would burn the world before he let it touch her again.
---
Morning broke soft and golden, but tension still clung to the air.
Lena sat on the steps outside the clubhouse, sipping coffee, wrapped in one of Jax’s hoodies. For the first time in days, she let herself breathe.
That’s when the gate buzzer blared. Quickly Lena walked back inside.
“Who the hell—?” Tank muttered, checking the camera feed.
Jax walked over with Lena besides him, his eyes narrowing.
There on the screen stood a man in a suit. Clean-cut. Nervous.
“It’s Daniel.” Lena said so low, he couldn't have heard her speak. The cup slipped from her hands, shattering on the floor.
“Daniel? Who the f**k he is?” Jax asked, already picking up on her reaction.
“My, my ex-fiancé,” she said hollowly.
Minutes later, Daniel stood inside the compound, with his trembling knees, trying to appear brave, and clearly out of place among leather and scars. His eyes locked onto Lena with a mixture of shock and something else — regret.
“I though you u disappeared from town until I heard the news, Lena” he said.
"What gives you the f*****g right to say my name like that, you cheating bastard?"
“Lena!" He said , looking sad and sigh softly. "Well, I looked for you at your apartment but was told you aren't back since three days. Then I saw the news about the shooting around the bookstore. The gang shooting…” He careful choose his words.
At his words, Jax walked and stood at Lena’s side, arms crossed, his eyes narrowed at him, yet unreadable.
“f**k you, Daniel! I didn’t need you looking for me,” Lena replied coolly. “I left your cheating ass, long before you did.”
Daniel winced. “Lena! Okay , I agreed I made a mistake, alright? But, that's in the past! But this? Him?” He motioned to Jax. “Lena, this isn’t you.”
"He is f*****g better than you, Daniel! And what the f**k are you still doing here?" Lena said expecting Jax or men to push him out, but Jax just keeping watching the both of them.
"Lena! What changed your perspective about gangsters?"
“He f*****g risked his life for mine! Something your cheating, lying ass can never do, Daniel! And yes,” she said, eyes burning. “This is who I became when I had to survive without people like you.”
Still, Jax said nothing, but he was watching her — every word.
Daniel tried again. “I can take you out of here. You don’t belong in this world.” He nervously eyes Jax before quickly looking away.
But Lena had already turned away.
“f**k off Daniel! I don't need your pathetic heroic help, now...”
- Writer
