I've Got My Eyes On You

Chapter 5 - Fuckin' Norms!

The echo of the gunshot lingered in the dimly lit alley, leaving Meerab shaken. Fear had gripped her, and without a second thought, Meerab instinctively sought refuge in the only source of comfort - Murtasim's arms. Meerab's body pressed against Murtasim's chest, her breaths shallow as she clutched onto his shoulders. The danger, the uncertainty of the moment, ignited an unexpected spark. Murtasim, the alpha male of the underworld, felt Meerab's vulnerability in the tight embrace. His arms went to her back to calm her. He gently patted her back with his hands.

"Are you okay?" He said softly

Meerab nervously replied, "I... I think so. What was that?" She pulled back

Their eyes locked, and in the silence that followed, Meerab felt an unspoken tension - a magnetic pull that defied the boundaries of their professional relationship.

Murtasim traced her cheek with a gentle touch, "You're safe now."

Meerab's heart raced, not just from the adrenaline of the moment but from the electrifying closeness between them. Murtasim, usually stoic and commanding, revealed a vulnerability that Meerab hadn't anticipated.

"Thank you, Murtasim."

Murtasim, his gaze penetrating, held her closer, the tension between them building like a storm about to break. In that charged moment, the lines blurred, and Meerab sensed the shift in dynamics.

Murtasim's gaze intensified, "Meerab, in my world, danger is a constant. But you... you're different. you need to get used to this "

Meerab, still held in his arms, met his gaze with a mixture of vulnerability and curiosity. The alley seemed to shrink, leaving them suspended in a space where words became unnecessary. Murtasim's hand cupped Meerab's cheek, and his lips, inches away from hers, lingered in a breathless pause. The danger that had initially brought them together now morphed into an intoxicating tension.

And once again, they heard it

A sharp sound

In that moment of vulnerability, Meerab's embrace once again, fueled by the rush of panic and the need for security, tightened around Murtasim. The scent of his cologne mingled with the tension in the room, creating an atmosphere charged with unexpected intensity.

Meerab whispered, almost pleadingly, "Murtasim, please, tell me what's going on. I'm scared."

Murtasim, unaccustomed to such displays of vulnerability, stood frozen for a heartbeat. The touch of Meerab's trembling body against his triggered an unfamiliar surge of protectiveness within him.

"Relax...relax meerab, It's... It's nothing you need to worry about. Stay here. I'll handle it." He said gruffly

As Murtasim gently disentangled himself from Meerab's embrace, the gravity of the situation sank in. The room, once a haven of untold stories, now echoed with the tense aftermath of the distant gunfire.

"But what if... What if something happens to you?" she was breathless

Murtasim, his gaze locked with Meerab's, felt a fleeting moment of vulnerability in the face of her genuine concern. In that charged silence, the unspoken connection between them deepened, transcending the roles they had assumed in the intricate dance of words and power.

Murtasim softened, "I'll be fine. I always am. Just stay here."

As Murtasim left the room to confront the unknown threat, Meerab, left alone with the lingering scent of cologne and the echo of gunshots, struggled to process the intensity of the moment. The line between duty and unexpected connection blurred, leaving her heart pounding with a mix of fear and a revelation that went beyond the pages of the autobiography she had been tasked to write.