You didn’t sign up for this.

No one ever did.

But you were there when it happened, and now there was no going back.

It had been a mission that went wrong from the second it started.

Adrian had said it was “simple.” He’d said it was “clean.” He’d said it was “a quick in-and-out.”

And then the target turned out to be not the target.

It was someone else.

Someone who looked at Adrian with real fear in their eyes.

Someone who begged.

Someone who didn’t deserve to die.

But the mission didn’t care.

Adrian didn’t care.

Not at first.

The moment it happened, you saw it.

You saw the way Adrian’s eyes changed.

You saw the way his jaw clenched.

You saw the way his hands shook just slightly.

And you knew—

He didn’t want to do it.

But he did it anyway.

You stood frozen as the body hit the floor.

Silence.

Then the world moved again.

Adrian stared down at the man like he was trying to make sense of the act.

Then he looked at you.

“Don’t tell anyone,” he said.

You didn’t answer.

He said it again, softer. “Please.”

You swallowed.

Because you knew what he meant.

You knew he meant don’t tell the authorities.

Don’t tell the others.

Don’t tell anyone.

You nodded slowly.

“I won’t,” you whispered.

Adrian let out a shaky breath. “Good.”

Then he looked around the room.

“Help me,” he said.

Your heart thudded.

“Help you with what?”

He stared at the body again. “With covering it up.”

You stared at him.

“Adrian,” you whispered. “We can’t—”

“I know,” he said, voice tight. “But we have to.”

You felt the fear rise in your throat.

But you also felt something else.

A twisted loyalty.

A twisted love.

Because Adrian was dangerous.

And you were already in too deep.

You moved closer to him.

“Okay,” you said quietly. “What do we do?”

Adrian nodded, relieved.

He pulled out a small bag from his jacket.

“I brought gloves,” he said.

You stared at him. “Of course you did.”

He didn’t smile.

“Take the bag,” he said. “We have to move him. We have to make it look like he was never here.”

Your stomach twisted.

You nodded.

You took the bag.

And together, you began to do something you never imagined you’d do with Adrian Chase.

You covered up a kill.

You helped him hide a body.

You watched him move like he was born to do it.

Like he’d done it a thousand times.

And you realized, in that moment, how deep you were.

How far you’d gone.

And how much you were willing to risk to stay by his side.

You didn’t know if you’d ever forgive yourself.

But you also didn’t know if you could walk away.

Not after seeing the way Adrian looked at you when he said your name like it was the only thing keeping him from falling apart.

Not after hearing him whisper, “Thank you,” like it was the first honest thing he’d said in years.