More Than Friends

Chapter 18: Ain't No Way Out

The next few days, Nicole tried to stay low, but it wasn't easy. Every time she stepped outside, she felt eyes on her, like somebody was watchin' from the shadows. The messages had slowed down, but the silence was almost worse than the constant threats.

Devin had been on edge too, always lookin' over his shoulder and makin' sure she wasn't ever alone. But even with him around, the fear hadn't gone away. It just kept growin', like a storm buildin' up before it hit.

One morning, Nicole sat at the table, starin' at her cup of tea. She hadn't been sleepin' much, and her nerves were shot. Devin came into the kitchen, his phone in hand, lookin' frustrated.

"They ain't found nothin' yet," he said, shakin' his head as he poured himself a cup. "Whoever this is, they good at coverin' their tracks."

Nicole sighed, her hands wrappin' tighter around the cup. "I don't know how much longer I can do this, Dev. It's like... it's breakin' me down, little by little."

Devin leaned against the counter, his face serious. "I know, Nic. But we gotta keep fightin'. We can't let 'em win."

Nicole nodded, but the weight of it all was gettin' too heavy to carry. "What if this don't stop, Dev? What if it never stops?"

Devin walked over, crouchin' down next to her, his hand restin' on her knee. "It will. I ain't lettin' it get that far. We gon' figure this out."

That Afternoon

Nicole decided to take a short walk to clear her mind, but Devin wasn't lettin' her out of his sight. He walked beside her, his eyes always sweepin' the streets like he was lookin' for danger.

As they turned the corner, Nicole's phone buzzed again. Her heart sank as she pulled it out, knowin' it wasn't gon' be good.

Tick tock, Nicole. You ain't got long.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she stopped in her tracks. Devin looked over at her, his face hardenin'. "What it say?"

Nicole showed him the message, her hands shakin'. "They keep sayin' time's runnin' out. What if they mean it, Dev? What if they gon' do somethin'?"

Devin's jaw clenched, and he took her hand, pullin' her close as they walked back toward the house. "We ain't playin' this game no more. It's time we stop waitin' for them to make a move."

Nicole looked up at him, her heart poundin'. "What you mean?"

Devin's eyes were cold, sharp. "I'm gon' find 'em, Nic. And when I do, this ends."

Later That Night

Nicole sat on the couch, her mind racin'. She kept thinkin' about the messages, about how every day felt like she was gettin' closer to some dark finish line, but she had no idea what was waitin' at the end. Devin was in the other room, talkin' on the phone, makin' some calls to his people, tryna get more information.

Her phone buzzed again. She didn't wanna look at it, but she had to.

You ain't safe with him, either.

Nicole's heart skipped a beat. She looked toward the door, her stomach twistin' with fear. The words echoed in her head—you ain't safe with him. Whoever this was, they were tryna drive a wedge between her and Devin. They wanted her to feel like nobody could protect her.

When Devin came back into the room, she handed him the phone without sayin' a word. He read the message, his face growin' darker with every second.

"They tryna scare you. Don't let 'em get in your head," Devin said, his voice tight.

"But what if they right, Dev? What if you can't protect me?" Nicole's voice was barely a whisper.

Devin sat down next to her, his hand reachin' for hers. "I can, Nic. And I will. I don't care what they say—they ain't touchin' you."

Nicole leaned into him, tryin' to find comfort in his words, but deep down, the fear was gettin' harder to push aside.