I Definitely Don't

Chapter 8

Gabriel

I sat at the edge of the bed, watching Shayla sleep, the gentle rise and fall of her chest keeping me tethered to the present. It was a strange thing, this feeling of being connected to someone else, so deeply that their safety and happiness became your own. I hadn't anticipated it, hadn't asked for it, but there it was—an undeniable bond.

For years, I had kept myself distant, detached from anything resembling vulnerability. Power and control had been my armor, and for a long time, I convinced myself they were all I needed. That as long as I was in control, no one could hurt me. No one could use me the way my parents had—nothing but a cog in their endless pursuit of wealth. But Shayla... she had a way of cutting through all of that. She saw me, not the businessman or the cold strategist, but the man I had buried deep beneath those layers.

And that terrified me.

I couldn't afford distractions. Jason was still out there, plotting God knows what, and every day that passed without a confrontation felt like a ticking time bomb. I had been watching him closely, making sure his moves didn't go unnoticed. But even with all my precautions, I knew he had something planned. Something big. And the thought of Shayla getting caught in the middle of it was enough to send a cold shiver down my spine.

I stood up quietly, not wanting to wake her, and walked over to the window. The early morning light filtered through the city, casting a golden hue over the skyline. Seattle was always beautiful in the mornings, serene in a way that made you forget the darkness that lurked just beneath its surface.

Much like my life.

I pulled my phone from my pocket, scrolling through the latest reports from the security team I had tasked with monitoring Jason's every move. He had been quiet lately—too quiet. It wasn't like him to sit back and wait, which meant he was either planning something major or waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Either way, I wasn't about to let him blindside me.

My thumb hovered over the call button. I had a few contacts left in the underworld, people who could give me insight into what Jason was doing behind the scenes. Reaching out to them felt like stepping back into a world I had sworn to leave behind, but if it meant protecting Shayla, I would do whatever it took.

Before I could make the call, I heard a soft rustle behind me. I turned to see Shayla sitting up in bed, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She blinked at me, her platinum blonde hair a wild mess around her face, but she looked beautiful, even in the haze of early morning.

"Couldn't sleep?" she asked, her voice soft and groggy.

I shook my head, slipping my phone back into my pocket. "Just thinking about everything."

Shayla nodded slowly, pulling the blanket up around her shoulders. She knew me well enough to understand what "everything" meant. Jason. The business. Our uncertain future. I could see the concern etched in her features, but there was something else there, too—trust. Despite everything we had been through, despite the lies and half-truths we had kept from each other in the beginning, she trusted me. And that was a weight I didn't take lightly.

"Do you think he's going to make a move soon?" she asked, pulling her knees to her chest.

"I don't know," I admitted, walking over to sit beside her on the bed. "But we can't let our guard down. He's playing a long game, waiting for us to slip up."

She rested her head on my shoulder, and I instinctively wrapped my arm around her. It was moments like this—quiet, intimate moments—that made me realize just how much I had to lose. Shayla had become my everything, and the thought of Jason using her to get to me made my blood boil.