Chapter 1: The ring of fate
Chapter Text
The fight club pulsed with raw energy, the air thick with anticipation. Heathens and Elites alike had gathered, their alliances temporarily set aside for the sake of spectacle. For weeks, whispers of this clash had spread like wildfire—Jeremy Volkov versus Landon King, two forces of nature finally colliding. Tonight, the ring was their battlefield, and only one of us would walk away victorious.
I stepped into the club, the weight of my duffle bag resting heavy on my shoulder. The crowd was already building, and the tension was palpable. Every corner buzzed with movement, from fighters warming up to gamblers exchanging cash with knowing smirks. My jaw tightened. I wasn’t here for the crowd. I was here for him.
“Jeremy, ready to crush him?” Nikolai called out, his grin sharp enough to cut glass.
“More than ready,” I muttered, falling into step with him. We pushed through the chaos toward the locker rooms.
“Good,” Niko said, his voice low. “Because this isn’t just about you tonight. This fight—it’s a statement. You lose to Landon, and the Elites will smell blood. We can’t afford that.”
“I’m not losing,” I snapped, the words sharper than I intended.
“Relax, Jer. I’m just reminding you what’s at stake.”
Before I could respond, Killian rounded the corner, his expression tight. “We’ve got a problem.”
“Of course we do,” Niko sighed. “What now?”
“A tech issue,” Killian smirked, but there was an edge to his words. “The fight’s gonna be delayed a bit. They need to set up the ring properly, and you two are gonna have to kill time. You’re both in the VIP area for now. No need to warm up until they’re ready.”
I raised an eyebrow. “The VIP area? What’s the catch?”
“No catch, just go wait it out,” Killian replied, shrugging casually. “You and Landon. Same room. It’s just until they finish the setup.”
My blood ran cold. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Afraid not,” Kill said, a note of amusement in his voice. “Try not to kill each other before the bell rings, yeah?”
Niko clapped me on the shoulder. “He’s trying to psych you out, Jer. Don’t let him. Focus. This fight is yours.”
I nodded stiffly and turned toward the vip room, my fists clenching and unclenching as I walked. The idea of being in such close quarters with Landon King—his smug grin, his taunting words—was enough to set my teeth on edge.
The room was quiet when I entered, save for the steady hiss of a shower running in the back. I set my bag down and started changing, focusing on the methodical process of wrapping my hands. I needed to clear my mind, to steel myself for what was to come.
Then the shower stopped.
Landon stepped out moments later, a dark blue towel slung low around his hips, droplets of water tracing lines down his toned chest. His dark eyes locked onto mine, and a smirk curved his lips.
“Jeremy,” he drawled, dragging out my name like it was a joke meant only for him.
I refused to rise to the bait, focusing instead on the wraps in my hands. But he wasn’t done. He sauntered closer, his presence radiating smug confidence.
“You’re awfully quiet tonight,” he said, leaning casually against the locker beside mine. “Nerves? Or are you just overwhelmed by the sight of me?”
I snorted, finally glancing up. “Trust me, Landon, if I’m overwhelmed by anything, it’s the stench of your ego.”
His smirk widened, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Sharp tongue. I like that. Makes it more fun to break you.”
I stood abruptly, towering over him. “Save it for the ring. I don’t have time for your games.”
“Oh, but that’s the best part,” he murmured, stepping closer. “This whole thing? It’s my game. You’re just a piece on the board.”
I stared him down, every muscle in my body tensing. The urge to slam him against the wall, to wipe that smirk off his face, was almost unbearable. But I couldn’t afford to let him get to me. Not now.
“Keep telling yourself that,” I said coldly, brushing past him.
But as I left the room, his voice followed me, low and taunting. “See you in the ring, Volkov. Try not to disappoint me.”
The arena was a cacophony of sound—cheering, chanting, the relentless beat of music reverberating through the walls. This was my element, the place where everything else faded away. In the ring, there was no past, no future. Just the fight.
Landon stood across from me, his stance relaxed but his eyes sharp. The referee stepped between us, laying out the rules, but I barely heard him. All I could focus on was Landon’s smirk, the challenge in his gaze.
The bell rang.
I lunged forward, throwing a quick jab at his ribs. He dodged, countering with a punch that grazed my temple. We moved like predators, circling each other, testing each other’s limits. The first round was a blur of fists and fury, each of us landing solid hits but refusing to back down.
By the second round, the crowd was a roaring sea of noise. Blood dripped from a cut above my eyebrow, and my ribs ached from one of his brutal hooks. But Landon wasn’t unscathed—his lip was split, and his movements were slower, less precise.
I feinted left, then drove my fist into his side, earning a grunt of pain. For a moment, I thought I had him. But then he caught me with an uppercut that sent stars exploding across my vision.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the round. I staggered back to my corner, wiping sweat and blood from my face. Across the ring, Landon met my gaze, his smirk still intact despite the damage.
And then, everything changed.
A loud boom echoed through the arena, followed by a rapid succession of gunshots. The crowd froze for a split second before chaos erupted. People screamed, scrambling for the exits, and the air filled with the acrid scent of gunpowder.
Landon’s eyes met mine, and for the first time, I saw something other than smug arrogance. Vulnerability.
We both knew what that sound meant. This wasn’t over. The real fight was just beginning.
Chapter Text
The chaos inside the arena didn’t let up. The gunshots had only been the beginning. The air was thick with uncertainty, and I could feel my heart hammering in my chest, my body still reeling from the brutal clash with Landon. I had one thing on my mind: surviving this night. But survival was looking harder than ever.
I stood frozen in the center of the ring, the crowd now a blur of panicked bodies, the shrill sound of alarms cutting through the chaos. Some people ran for the exits, others stayed huddled under tables, seeking cover. I knew better than to look back, but the hair on the back of my neck stood up. The fight was over, but the war had only just begun.
Landon’s blood, a mixture of red and sweat, was still splattered across my fists. I could feel the sting on my knuckles, but I was too far gone to care about the pain. All I could focus on now was the look in his eyes—a look that had shifted from intense hatred to something darker, more dangerous.
“Don’t even think about it, Volkov,” Landon spat, wiping blood from his lip as he casually wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. The anger still burned in his eyes, but there was something else there now—something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. “You’re not walking out of here without a fight.”
“Not unless you make me,” I shot back, my voice low and hard, still trying to shake the lingering adrenaline.
My fists were still clenched, muscles coiled, ready for the next move. But I could feel the weight of the situation pressing in, the crushing realization that this wasn’t just about us anymore. The crowd was scattering, the distinct sound of sirens growing louder with every passing second. Cops. Rival factions. Hell, maybe even the damn Serpents were involved. I didn’t know, but I had a sinking feeling this was all part of something much bigger.
My thoughts raced as the gunshots echoed in my ears, the cold fear settling in my stomach. I wasn’t about to let Landon get the better of me again. But there were bigger problems out there, things I couldn’t control.
Before I could decide on my next move, the arena doors exploded open with the force of a battering ram. A figure stepped into the ring, and my heart skipped a beat. It was Nikolai. His face was grim, his eyes scanning the chaos with military precision. He didn’t have to say a word; the urgency in his presence was enough.
“Get out, Jer. We need to move,” he ordered, his tone clipped.
The tension in the air snapped, and I was snapped out of my thoughts. Whatever was happening outside, it wasn’t just a random attack—it was planned. And if we didn’t move fast, we weren’t going to make it out alive. The world outside the arena had just become a ticking time bomb.
I gave Landon one last glance, my gaze locking with his. He hadn’t lowered his guard, his stance still aggressive as his eyes narrowed. He looked like a damn predator, always waiting for the perfect moment to strike. It was clear he was sizing me up, trying to figure out if he could get a hit in while my back was turned.
I didn’t have time for this. Not tonight. Not with everything falling apart.
“Not today, King,” I muttered under my breath, turning to follow Nikolai. I didn’t know what was coming next, but I could already feel the pieces moving in ways I hadn’t anticipated.
The crowd was still running, the noise of their panic rising above the sirens. Nikolai led the way, his steps purposeful as we made our way to the exit. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Landon was watching us, his presence like a weight in the back of my mind. But we had no choice. We had to get out before things got worse.
We made our way through the darkened halls of the arena, the sound of our boots echoing in the silence. I could feel Nikolai’s tension beside me, his muscles taut, every instinct honed for survival.
Outside, the night air was cold, biting at my skin as we stepped into the alley. The city stretched before us, a vast expanse of lights and shadows, both dangerous and familiar. My mind was still racing. What had just happened? Who was behind the attack? And where did Landon fit into all of this?
“We’re not going to make it if we stay here,” Nikolai said as we reached the car, his eyes scanning the street as he unlocked the doors. “You’ve got two choices, Jer. We find out who did this and end this mess—or you let them come for you.”
I didn’t have to think long. My gut told me everything I needed to know. “We end it,” I replied. My voice was hard, determined. The adrenaline was still coursing through my veins, but beneath it was a burning certainty. This wasn’t over. It was only getting started.
Nikolai didn’t argue. He slammed the car door shut and started the engine. We sped through the streets, the sound of sirens growing louder behind us. Every second counted. But my thoughts kept drifting back to Landon. That look in his eyes, the way he seemed to know something I didn’t. That unfinished business. It was gnawing at me, distracting me, and I hated it.
“That fight’s not over, you know,” Niko muttered, his hands tight on the wheel. “And you can’t ignore it forever.”
“I know,” I said. “But we’ve got bigger problems right now.”
“Like what?” Niko glanced at me, a flicker of confusion crossing his features. “You think this is a random attack?”
“No,” I answered firmly. “This is about power. Someone’s making a move, and they’re doing it through us. We’re just pawns in a much larger game.”
The weight of his words hung in the air as the city passed by, the lights blurring together. We had no idea who was behind it or how deep this went. But one thing was certain: whoever had fired those shots wasn’t going to stop until they had what they wanted.
And I was going to make sure they didn’t get it.
Notes:
Heyy, I just published the first chapter but I thought why not write and publish the second one too so I hope you guys enjoy!
Chapter Text
The tension in the car was palpable. Nikolai’s hands gripped the steering wheel with an intensity that matched the urgency in his voice. We didn’t know who was behind the attack or why they’d chosen the arena as their battleground, but one thing was clear: whoever it was, they weren’t going to stop until they had what they wanted. And I was right in the middle of it.
The cold wind whipped through the cracked windows, and the city’s neon lights flickered past us like fractured pieces of a broken puzzle. Sirens blared in the distance, but the chaos seemed far away now, like a nightmare fading into the background. Still, the adrenaline in my veins refused to subside, my mind racing through the possibilities. Whoever was pulling the strings behind the attack wasn’t acting on impulse. This was calculated. And I was certain that Landon had more to do with it than he was letting on.
“We’re not going to make it if we stay here,” Niko muttered again, breaking the silence. He didn’t even glance at me as he spoke, his eyes fixed on the road. “There’s nowhere safe left. We have two options: fight back or let them take control.”
I looked out the window, the words sinking in. It wasn’t just the Serpents anymore. This was something bigger. And I hated that I couldn’t yet see the full picture.
“What do you mean ‘take control’?” I asked, my voice sharp, trying to keep up. I needed to know everything. Every detail mattered now.
“I mean,” he began, his jaw clenched as he navigated the streets, “someone’s pulling all the strings. This attack wasn’t random. It’s part of something much larger. We’re just the starting point.” He glanced at me briefly. “And I’m guessing you’ve figured out that Landon’s involved. The question is, what’s his game?”
I hated that he was right. I couldn’t shake the image of Landon standing in that ring, his eyes burning with a dangerous intensity. He wasn’t just trying to finish what we’d started; he was positioning himself for something bigger.
The thought gnawed at me. I hadn’t expected Landon to be at the center of this mess, but I was learning quickly that nothing in this city was ever as simple as it seemed. Especially not with him.
“Whatever this is,” I said, tightening my grip on the seat, “it’s bigger than any one of us. We need to figure out who’s behind it, and fast.”
Nikolai nodded. His eyes never left the road, but I could see the gears turning behind his calm exterior. “We’ll find out soon enough. We need to get to the warehouse. If the intel’s correct, that’s where the answers are waiting for us.”
I didn’t need any more convincing. Whatever happened next, it was going to be ugly. But we were already in too deep to back out now.
Notes:
just a short chapter, enjoy!
Chapter 4: the gathering storm
Notes:
another short chapter… enjoy!
Chapter Text
The next few days felt like a blur. Every moment was spent on the run, moving from hideout to hideout, trying to stay one step ahead of whoever was out to get us. But it was hard to tell who was chasing us anymore. The Serpents? The Elites? Maybe someone even more dangerous. We were out of options, running on borrowed time.
Nikolai and I tried to lay low, but it wasn’t long before the whispers started. We had a target on our backs, and everyone knew it. The streets were alive with rumors—talk of power struggles, betrayals, and the looming threat of something much bigger. But no one could say for sure who was calling the shots. Whoever was behind the attack had their fingers in every pie, pulling strings like a puppet master.
“We need to find answers,” Niko said one night, his voice barely above a whisper as we sat in a dimly lit room. He was always calm, always calculated, but I could see the strain in his eyes. Even he knew we were running out of time.
“You think the Serpents are behind it?” I asked, glancing at the map spread out before us. The city’s underbelly was a maze, full of hidden dangers. If we were going to find the people responsible, we had to know where to look.
“I don’t think so,” Niko said. “It’s more complicated than that. Whoever is pulling the strings isn’t limited to one group. They’ve got everyone on their payroll.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. It meant we had no allies. No safe place.
The intel we’d gathered led us to a warehouse downtown. The rumors said that whoever was behind the attack would be meeting there that night. If we were going to make a move, this was it.
The plan was simple: we’d get in, get answers, and get out. But as we arrived at the warehouse, I could feel the weight of something heavy in the air. There were no guards, no obvious threats, but the place felt wrong. Every instinct told me to turn back, but it was too late.
We entered through the back, moving silently through the shadows. The sounds of muffled voices echoed in the distance, but I couldn’t make out the words. Niko held up a hand, signaling for me to stop. We crouched low, moving along the edge of the building until we could peek through the door.
What we saw inside made my blood run cold.
Serpent leaders were gathered in the center of the room, their voices hushed as they discussed something I couldn’t hear. But that wasn’t what caught my attention.
Landon King stood at the far end of the room, his eyes scanning the crowd, his face a mask of determination. When he saw me, his expression didn’t change. He was just as much a part of this as I was.
I didn’t know what he was doing here, but it was clear that whatever game he was playing, I was about to get dragged into it.
Chapter 5: Dangerous Alliance
Chapter Text
Landon’s presence felt like a storm breaking out in the midst of a calm evening. It shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. Despite everything that had happened between us—our constant clashes in the ring, the rivalry that felt like it would never end—seeing him here, in the midst of the Serpent leaders and their allies, was almost surreal. His gaze locked onto mine with the usual arrogance, but today, there was something different behind those dark eyes. A kind of focused intensity that I couldn’t ignore.
“Volkov,” Landon said, his voice low and icy, the kind of tone that usually meant trouble. “I didn’t think I’d find you here.”
I managed a wry smile, despite the tension that was crawling under my skin. “Figures,” I replied, crossing my arms. “You can’t stay away from trouble, can you?”
Landon gave a short laugh, his eyes scanning the room, taking in the people, the deals being made, the tension hanging thick in the air. “Not when the stakes are this high.”
I couldn’t help but nod. I was no fool. I knew this wasn’t just another turf war. This wasn’t about the Serpents or the Elites—it was about something far more dangerous. Something that was pulling strings and using us all as pawns.
“You and I both know something’s coming,” Landon said, his voice darkening. “The question is, who’s going to get to it first?”
I hated how right he was. And, even worse, I hated that I could see the truth in his words. The game was bigger than either of us, and for the first time, I realized that we might have to work together—whether we wanted to or not.
“I didn’t come here to team up with you, King,” I muttered, the bitterness in my voice coming through. “I came for answers.”
Landon smirked, clearly unfazed by my anger. “Neither did I. But trust me, Volkov, you’re not going to make it out of here without me.” He leaned in slightly, his voice low. “And neither are you getting the answers you want without me either.”
As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. We were both in this mess, and there was no way out alone.
Our conversation was interrupted when Dante, one of the Serpent leaders, stepped into the center of the room. His bulky frame cut through the tension like a blade. “We’ve got a job to do,” he growled, his eyes scanning the room. “And I don’t care who’s in charge. Whoever is pulling the strings, we need to find them before they make their next move.”
The weight of his words sank in. It wasn’t just about gangs or power struggles—it was about a much darker, more calculated force that had been manipulating us from the shadows.
As Dante spoke, my eyes caught Landon’s once more. There was something there, something I couldn’t quite place. His usual arrogance was replaced with a calculating focus, his mind working through every possible angle. I had no doubt that he, too, was thinking about the bigger picture.
“Do you have a plan?” I asked, barely glancing at him.
“I do,” he replied, his voice carrying a hint of something dangerous. “And you’re going to need to follow my lead.”
I clenched my jaw but said nothing. For now, I had no choice but to follow him. I couldn’t trust Landon, but I had no other option.
Just as I turned to leave with the Serpents, a familiar voice rang out behind me. “Jeremy.”
I turned around to see Killian Carson, Nikolai’s cousin and one of my closest friends. He wasn’t just a friend—Killian and I had been through hell and back together. As usual, his presence was like a calm in the storm. Along with his brother Gareth, Killian had always had a way of keeping things grounded. He was one of the few people I could trust, and despite everything, he seemed to always know how to keep me in check.
“Killian,” I said, nodding in his direction.
“You better watch your back,” Killian warned, his eyes narrowing slightly as they flicked to Landon. “Things are moving fast. Niko and I have heard whispers, and I think your friend here is tangled up in something bigger than you know.”
I knew he was right. No one in this room, especially Landon, was innocent. But for now, we all had to play the same game.
Chapter 6: the edge of ruin
Chapter Text
The silence between Landon and me was suffocating as we worked side by side over the next few days. Every glance, every word, was loaded with tension. It felt like we were both trying to outwit each other, to see who would crack first, but we knew it wasn’t about ego anymore. The stakes had risen too high.
Nikolai—Niko—had been my constant companion in this storm. He was my right hand, my closest friend, and the one person I could count on no matter what. He knew me better than anyone else, and I could see the concern etched in his features every time he caught me looking too hard at Landon.
“We’re getting too close to the fire, Jer,” Niko had said earlier, his voice grave as he pulled me aside. “You can’t keep playing this game with him. He’s not on our side. You saw the way he operates—he’s dangerous.”
But it wasn’t that simple. Landon had his own agenda, sure. He always did. But there was something more to this. We were all being played, and whether I liked it or not, I had to keep my enemies close.
Meanwhile, my cousin Vaughn Morozov, who rarely made an appearance unless things got interesting, had popped up again, looking as disinterested as ever. He wasn’t living in the same country as me, but when something worth his time came along, he showed up. And he had shown up with news.
“It’s all connected, Jer,” he said over drinks late one night, his usual nonchalance masking the seriousness in his tone. “The Serpents, the Elites, everyone—they’re just pawns. Someone higher up is pulling the strings. And Landon… well, he’s in the middle of it all.”
The realization hit hard. No matter how I looked at it, Landon King was tangled up in this mess, and I had no choice but to keep him close. If I wanted answers, I’d have to trust him, at least for now.
In the midst of it all, I had to keep track of the rest of my friends and family. Killian, Niko’s cousin, had a quiet but important role in this, always gathering information when needed. His brother Gareth was the same, though he tended to stay in the background. Then there was Brandon, Landon’s twin, who—though he looked like his brother—couldn’t be more different. He was kind-hearted, not arrogant like Landon. And the secret relationship he was keeping with Niko… well, that was a different story altogether.
But it wasn’t just about the men. Glyndon King, Landon’s sister, was another wildcard in the mix. She and Killian had their own secret relationship—one that, if Landon ever found out about, could tear the family apart.
As I sat in the dimly lit room with Niko and Vaughn, I realized just how deep the rabbit hole went. We were on the edge of something far worse than I’d ever imagined.
“Things are about to get worse before they get better,” Niko said, his voice quiet but firm. “We have to be ready.”
I nodded, knowing that everything we had fought for—everything we thought we understood—was about to come crashing down. And the person who was going to help bring it all down was standing right next to me.
Landon King.
Chapter 7: beneath the surface
Chapter Text
The air around us was thick with tension. After everything that had happened, I still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was brewing beneath the surface. The Serpents, the Elites, the Heathens—they were all playing a game that none of us fully understood. And now, with Landon in the mix, it felt like the stakes had been raised to an entirely new level.
Nikolai was as on edge as I was. He kept glancing at his phone, his mind obviously racing. Killian and Gareth had gone underground, trying to track down the sources of the rumors circulating about the attack at the arena. Vaughn had disappeared again, back to whatever shady business he always found when he wasn’t helping us. That left me, Landon, and Niko trying to figure out what the hell was really going on.
“We’re being watched,” Niko said, his voice tense. “I can feel it.”
I leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “So what do we do about it?”
Landon, standing across the room with his arms crossed, looked more like he was contemplating the meaning of life than worrying about being watched. “We wait,” he said with a quiet confidence that grated on my nerves. “They’ll come to us. They always do.”
I knew he was right. The people pulling the strings didn’t make their moves unless they had all the pieces in place. The question was, who were they? The Serpents were too obvious, too public. The Elites too powerful to be behind the attack. I had a sinking feeling we were up against something much older, more secretive, and more dangerous than we had anticipated.
As the night dragged on, I couldn’t shake the image of Glyndon and Killian together. The fact that they were in a secret relationship added another layer of complexity to this web we were caught in. If Landon ever found out about them, it would destroy everything. And it was a miracle that no one had let the cat out of the bag yet.
But that was nothing compared to the secrets we were all keeping. Everyone had something to hide. My own family, the Heathens, Niko’s ties to the Serpents, the tangled relationships with the Kings—it was all a powder keg waiting to explode. And I was in the middle of it, trying to keep the damn thing from blowing up in our faces.
Just as I was about to speak, there was a knock at the door. Niko motioned for silence, and we all froze.
“Who is it?” I called out, my voice low and cautious.
A familiar voice answered from the other side. “It’s me. Let me in.”
It was Vaughn.
I opened the door to find him standing in the hallway, looking like he hadn’t slept in days. His usually aloof demeanor was gone, replaced by something darker.
“We’ve got a problem,” he said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. “The attack on the arena wasn’t just a message. It’s a warning.”
I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “A warning for what?”
Vaughn’s eyes locked with mine. “For us.”
Chapter 8: unraveling the mask
Chapter Text
The room felt stifling. Every breath I took seemed to fill my lungs with more heat, more pressure. The Kings and Serpents had gathered, each of us poised in our respective corners of the room, our eyes locked onto the table in front of us. There was an underlying tension, though, something simmering beneath the surface that none of us were willing to address.
I could feel it, but I couldn’t name it. It was the quiet weight of everything that had changed in the last few months, and the even quieter uncertainty of what was to come. And it was all because of Landon.
I didn’t even want to think about the way he looked tonight—casually leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed, his sharp gaze flicking over me, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. The bastard had that look again, that smirk that made my blood boil.
The room was filled with voices, murmurs of planning and strategy. Niko, Killian, and the others were in their own little huddles, discussing whatever business had brought us here tonight. But none of that mattered. Not while Landon was here. His presence hung in the air like a constant storm cloud, dark and looming. Every time I turned to look at him, I couldn’t help but feel the electric charge that buzzed between us, the pull I tried so hard to ignore.
“You alright, Jer?” Niko’s voice broke through my haze of thoughts.
I turned to him, forcing a smile, though I knew it was barely convincing. “Yeah, fine.”
But Niko’s gaze lingered, his brow furrowing as if he could see right through the mask I was trying to wear. “You sure? You’ve been a little… distant lately.”
I shrugged, trying to hide the tightness in my chest. “I’m good. Just tired.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie. I was tired. Tired of this game with Landon. Tired of pretending like I didn’t feel something every time our paths crossed.
But I didn’t want to admit that to Niko. I didn’t want to admit it to myself.
The meeting continued around me, but I couldn’t focus. My eyes kept drifting back to Landon. He was still standing there, his posture relaxed, but there was something in his eyes. A quiet intensity that I couldn’t place. He wasn’t paying attention to the conversation anymore. His gaze was fixed on me, like he was waiting for me to crack.
It pissed me off.
“Stop staring,” I muttered under my breath.
Niko followed my line of sight and saw Landon, then raised an eyebrow. “He’s been doing that a lot lately.”
I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to snap. “I know.”
The air between us was thick with unspoken words, but none of them were making it to my lips. What was there to say? Landon had been pushing my buttons for weeks now, and the tension was starting to gnaw at me. I couldn’t pretend anymore.
“You’re really good at pretending, you know,” Niko added, his voice quieter now, just enough for me to hear.
I glanced at him. “Pretending?”
“Yeah.” He shifted, looking at me more closely. “Pretending like everything’s fine. But it’s not, Jer. We all know it’s not.”
My chest tightened. “I’m fine, Niko. Stop worrying about me.”
But Niko didn’t let it go. He knew me too well. “I’m not worrying. I’m just saying… you’ve got a lot of shit you’re keeping inside. And it’s gonna blow up eventually.”
I met his gaze, unsure how to respond. The truth was, Niko was right. I was keeping something inside, something that was starting to feel like a ticking time bomb. But it wasn’t just my anger or frustration with Landon. It was… something else. Something I wasn’t ready to face.
I turned away from Niko, trying to redirect my thoughts, but my eyes found Landon again. He was still staring at me, and this time, I didn’t look away.
He must’ve known something was different because he straightened up slightly, his smirk slipping just a little. For a moment, the atmosphere in the room felt charged, like the calm before a storm.
Landon pushed off from the wall and took a few casual steps toward me, his movements deliberate, like he knew I was watching.
“What’s the matter, Jeremy?” he asked, his voice low but carrying across the room. “Something on your mind?”
I took a step back, trying to ignore the way his voice sent a jolt through my system. “None of your business.”
Landon smiled, that annoying, confident grin that made me want to punch him in the face. “You sure about that? Because it looks like it’s my business now.”
I stood my ground, fighting the urge to react. He wanted to get under my skin. He always did. But this time, it was different. Something about his approach felt too calculated, too personal. It wasn’t just about the power struggle anymore. It was something else.
“You really need to get a better hobby, Landon,” I snapped, trying to throw him off.
But instead of backing down, his smile grew wider. “I’ve got plenty of hobbies, Jeremy. But none of them are as fun as this.”
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but everything in me wanted to yell at him, to call him out for the way he had been stringing me along. For the way he made everything feel like a game.
But the words wouldn’t come. Instead, I just stared at him, the tension thick between us.
“You’re playing with fire,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended.
Landon’s eyes flickered with something I couldn’t quite place. “And you’re just standing there, waiting to get burned.”
I wasn’t sure if I should be angry or… something else. Maybe I was already burned. Maybe that was the problem.
“Don’t act like you know me, Landon,” I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them. “You don’t know anything about me.”
Landon didn’t flinch. He just looked at me, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, finally, he took a step closer, his gaze never leaving mine.
“I don’t know everything about you, Jeremy,” he said softly. “But I’m starting to think I know more than you’d like me to.”
I opened my mouth to retort, but the words felt stuck. It was like Landon had peeled away some of the layers I’d spent so long building, and I wasn’t sure how to protect myself anymore. I wasn’t ready for this—not ready to face the pull I felt every time he got too close.
But he wasn’t backing down. Not this time.
“Why don’t you admit it, Jer?” he said quietly, his voice now a little too soft, too knowing. “You’re not as immune to me as you think.”
And that hit harder than anything he’d said before.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. My heart was pounding in my chest, and suddenly, I didn’t know where to go from here. The game we’d been playing for so long—this delicate dance of rivalry, of pretending we hated each other—was starting to feel like it was slipping out of my control.
And in that moment, for the first time, I wasn’t sure I wanted it back.
Chapter 9: crossed wires
Chapter Text
The hours dragged on, and yet the tension between Landon and me refused to dissipate. Every word I spoke, every action I took, felt like I was walking on a thin line, one that could snap at any moment. There was something different in the air now. A shift, an unspoken understanding that neither of us were willing to acknowledge.
The meeting had ended, but it didn’t feel like the end of anything. If anything, it felt like the calm before the storm. As I walked out of the room, I could feel Landon’s presence behind me, his footsteps echoing too close, like a shadow I couldn’t escape.
I tried to focus on the others. Niko and Killian were discussing something about the Serpents, while Glyndon and Eli were bickering about some ridiculous issue. But no matter how hard I tried to tune them out, I could feel Landon’s eyes on me.
“Stop following me,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper, but I knew he’d hear it.
Landon didn’t say anything at first. He just continued walking beside me, his expression unreadable. I could feel the weight of his silence, but it wasn’t a comfort. It only made the distance between us seem even greater, as if we were two strangers walking in the same direction, pretending we hadn’t shared years of animosity—and something else.
When we reached the hallway outside, I finally stopped walking, forcing him to stop too. My patience was wearing thin, and I had to say something, anything, to get him to leave me alone.
“Why are you still here?” I asked, turning to face him, my frustration seeping through. “What do you want from me?”
Landon just looked at me, that annoying, inscrutable look on his face. His gaze flicked over me like he was assessing me, weighing me, trying to figure out what made me tick. It was unnerving, and yet… there was something about it that felt too familiar.
“I told you,” he said, his voice quieter now, but there was a sharp edge to it. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Why not?” I asked, stepping closer, my tone growing sharper. “What’s your game, Landon? What do you want from me?”
Landon’s eyes darkened slightly, and for a moment, I thought he might actually tell me the truth. But then his mouth curled into that familiar smirk, and he shook his head.
“You wouldn’t understand,” he said, his voice low but laden with something I couldn’t place.
I stared at him, trying to read his expression, but it was like trying to look through glass—clear but unreachable. I hated that feeling. I hated that he could make me feel so… exposed.
Before I could say anything else, he turned away, walking down the hall without another word. I watched him go, my chest tightening with frustration, and maybe something else too. But I wasn’t ready to admit it, not even to myself.
Chapter 10: underneath the surface
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The next day was a blur of half-hearted meetings and distractions that never seemed to matter. My mind kept drifting back to Landon, to that conversation—or lack thereof—in the hallway. What had he meant by that? Why did he say, “I’m not going anywhere”?
I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to admit that his words had left a mark on me, because I knew if I let myself think about it too much, it would ruin everything.
But I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t shake the image of him, walking away from me, leaving me hanging with nothing but questions.
I knew what I had to do, though. I couldn’t let myself get caught up in whatever twisted game Landon was playing. He was my enemy, and no matter how much tension existed between us, no matter how much the idea of him affected me, I couldn’t let it change anything.
I found myself in the familiar, dimly lit corner of a bar that had always been my refuge from the chaos of everything. Niko sat across from me, his usual sarcastic grin in place, but even he could sense that something was off.
“Spill it, Jer,” he said, leaning forward. “What’s going on with you?”
I exhaled slowly, avoiding his eyes. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
“Bullshit.” Niko’s voice was firm, and I couldn’t escape his gaze. “Something’s going on with you and Landon. I don’t know what, but I can see it.”
I clenched my jaw, irritation bubbling up. “There’s nothing going on, Niko. We’re enemies. Always have been.”
Niko raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Sure, keep telling yourself that.”
I slammed my glass down, the sound too sharp, too sudden. “Why do you care?”
“I care because I don’t want you to get caught in something that could destroy you,” Niko said, his tone softening. “You’re not like Landon, Jer. You don’t play by his rules.”
I knew what he was trying to say, and I hated it. He was right. But I couldn’t let myself get pulled in. I couldn’t let him win.
“I’m not playing his game,” I said, the words coming out harder than I intended. “I’m done with it.”
Niko didn’t look convinced, but he let the subject drop. We spent the rest of the night in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. But in the back of my mind, I couldn’t escape the feeling that I was lying to myself.
And that terrified me.
Notes:
Hey guys this is my first story and I’m trying very hard to make it enjoyable I just wanted to say that I’m sorry if I make any typing mistake (English is not my first language) and if you haven’t noticed yet yes this is a fanfiction and these characters do not belong to me but I do definitely recommend you to read the characters original books!! Also I know this is a little late but I’ll try to update whenever I can !
Chapter 11: the unspoken truth
Chapter Text
The following weeks felt like a slow burn, each moment spent in Landon’s presence feeding the fire that was growing inside me. It wasn’t just his proximity—it was the way he seemed to read me, understand me, even when I didn’t want him to. It was like he knew exactly which buttons to press, and every time he did, I hated him a little bit more. Or maybe I hated myself.
There were nights I couldn’t sleep, caught in the suffocating silence of my thoughts. I would replay the last few weeks over and over, the moments where Landon would look at me and say nothing but somehow say everything. I couldn’t understand it. I couldn’t make sense of the feeling that lurked beneath my skin whenever he was around. It was like a magnet pulling me closer, and yet I was terrified to get too close.
Tonight, I found myself back at the same bar. It had become my sanctuary, a place where the chaos of my life could momentarily be drowned in the noise of the city. But even here, the peace was fleeting. The constant tug-of-war in my chest wouldn’t go away.
I sat at the bar, nursing a drink, staring into the amber liquid as if it could provide me with the answers I was searching for. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for anymore. It wasn’t peace, that much I knew. It was something more dangerous. Something I wasn’t prepared to face.
As I let my mind wander, I felt it. That pull. The weight of his gaze, even though I hadn’t heard his footsteps. I didn’t need to look up to know it was him. I had memorized the way his presence made the air around me change. It was almost like a storm brewing on the horizon—quiet at first, but undeniable.
“Thought you’d be here.”
His voice was low, but it sliced through the haze in my mind like a blade. Landon.
I didn’t look up immediately. Instead, I took another sip of my drink, trying to mask the tightness in my chest. He didn’t make it easy to ignore him. Not when he stood there, tall and unrelenting, with that same expression on his face that made my heart race.
“What do you want, Landon?” I asked, my voice rough, not looking up.
“You know what I want,” he replied, stepping closer. There was an almost palpable tension in the air now, the kind that comes before something unspoken is revealed.
I forced myself to face him, finally meeting his gaze. And that was when everything shifted.
Landon’s eyes weren’t cold, like I expected. They weren’t full of the same arrogance or malice I was used to seeing in him. No, tonight, his gaze was searching, like he was trying to peel back the layers I had spent years building. It was unsettling.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said, his voice quieter now, a touch of something that almost resembled vulnerability in the way he spoke. “For weeks.”
“I’m not avoiding you,” I replied, more harshly than I intended. But the truth was, I didn’t know how to face him anymore. It wasn’t just about the rivalry between us anymore. It wasn’t just about the fact that we were enemies in every sense of the word. It was something deeper, something I couldn’t comprehend.
“Really?” Landon leaned in closer, and I could feel the heat radiating off him, the way he seemed to close the distance between us even when he wasn’t touching me. “Because every time I try to talk to you, you push me away. Every time I try to understand why you’re so angry, you shut me out.”
His words hit me harder than I expected. For a moment, I was speechless. I wasn’t ready for this, wasn’t ready for him to strip away the walls I had spent so long building.
“Why do you care?” I finally managed to ask, my voice trembling despite myself. “You’re supposed to hate me. You’ve always hated me.”
Landon’s lips curled into a faint smirk, but there was something else in his eyes. Something I hadn’t seen before. “You think I hate you?” he asked, his tone teasing, but there was a sharpness beneath it. “You don’t know me at all, Jer.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The way he said my name—it was too familiar, too… intimate. My heart skipped a beat. Was I really hearing this right? Was this the same Landon King who had tormented me for years?
“You don’t get it,” I said, my voice breaking slightly. “We’re enemies. Always have been. And nothing is going to change that.”
Landon took a step closer, his presence overwhelming. I could feel his breath on my face now, and it was like every nerve in my body was on fire. “You’re wrong,” he said softly, his hand brushing against my arm as he moved past me to sit beside me at the bar. “We’re not enemies, Jer. You’re the one who keeps telling yourself that.”
I looked at him, but it felt like looking at a stranger. This wasn’t the Landon I knew. This wasn’t the arrogant, smug bastard who always got under my skin. This… this was something else.
He turned toward me, his expression softening. “I’ve never hated you. You’re just too damn good at pushing people away.”
I scoffed, but my throat tightened. “And you’re too damn good at pretending you don’t care.”
Landon’s smirk faltered for just a moment, and for the first time, I saw the cracks in his armor. “Maybe I do care,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “Maybe that’s the problem.”
I swallowed, my pulse racing. The silence that followed felt too heavy, too charged. We were sitting in the same room, the same bar, but we might as well have been on different planets.
“You don’t get it,” I whispered, almost to myself. “I can’t trust you.”
Landon’s gaze softened, and he reached over, his hand brushing lightly against mine. The contact was electric, and I could feel my resolve starting to crack.
“I don’t need you to trust me,” he said, his voice low and serious. “I just need you to stop running from me.”
I couldn’t answer him. I couldn’t speak. All I could do was stare at him, my mind racing with everything I didn’t want to acknowledge. The truth that I had buried deep inside me for so long.
But Landon wasn’t going to let me hide anymore.
“I’m not going anywhere, Jer,” he said, his voice firm but filled with something I couldn’t name. “Whether you like it or not, I’m here.”
And for the first time, I realized he wasn’t talking about the moment. He wasn’t talking about tonight. He was talking about something deeper. Something that had been simmering between us for far too long.
I looked at him, my heart hammering in my chest. “I’m not ready for this,” I admitted, barely above a whisper.
Landon didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. He just sat there, beside me, waiting.
And for the first time in my life, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to run.
Chapter 12: fractured alliances
Chapter Text
The atmosphere between Landon and me was suffocating. Every time our eyes met, the air between us seemed to crackle, charged with something we both refused to acknowledge. I couldn’t get the image of his smirk out of my head—the one he wore when I was close enough to feel the heat of his body, yet far enough that nothing could happen. It was a challenge, a dare that burned my insides with the need to push further, to break down the walls he kept so carefully in place.
“You look like you’re about to snap,” Niko murmured, his voice low as he leaned in close. He had always been observant, and right now, I could feel his eyes scanning me, taking in every detail. He was right. I was on the edge, teetering between the rage that Landon and I had shared for years, and the undeniable pull that kept bringing me back to him.
“I’m not snapping,” I said, though I wasn’t sure I believed it. “But I’m close.”
The silence between us had stretched out far too long, but Niko didn’t press. Instead, he let me brood, his attention now turning to the rest of the group as they gathered around the table, discussing our next move. I could hear their voices in the background, the words like a dull hum compared to the storm raging inside me. My mind kept returning to Landon, to the way he seemed to be everywhere I went, like a shadow, ever-present, but always just out of reach.
It didn’t help that our paths had crossed too many times in recent days. The missions, the meetings, the times we were forced to work together—it was all too much. The more time I spent with him, the more I wanted to understand what was going on beneath that infuriating exterior.
I could feel him watching me, even when he wasn’t in the same room. The way his gaze would linger just a second too long, his lips curling in a way that was both familiar and unsettling. There was a challenge in his eyes, but also something else. Something deeper.
The night it all came to a head, I didn’t expect it to happen the way it did.
We were in the hideout again, the familiar hum of the city outside our windows barely reaching us. The others were spread out, each focused on their own tasks, but I could feel Landon’s presence in the room, even before I saw him. He was always like that—his energy filling the space, demanding attention. It wasn’t until he stepped into my line of sight that I could breathe again, though it was a breath I didn’t want to take.
“You’re still here?” I asked, my voice rougher than I intended. The words were meant to be a jibe, but they came out too thick, too loaded.
Landon didn’t flinch. His eyes, dark and unreadable, held mine for a beat too long before he spoke, his voice low and clipped. “Had nowhere else to go.”
The truth hung heavy between us, unspoken but undeniable. I knew we were both avoiding it—the tension, the attraction. But we were at a tipping point now. Neither of us could ignore what had been building for weeks.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Volkov,” he added, his tone serious but not without the usual edge.
“And yet, here you are,” I retorted, my own voice dropping to match the gravity of his. “Are you going to stop me?”
The challenge in his eyes flickered, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, his gaze sharpened, his body tensing as if he was preparing for something. We stood there for what felt like an eternity, neither of us willing to make the first move. But it was clear now. This game between us had evolved. There was more to it than rivalry. And neither of us could pretend any longer.
“You’re the one playing with fire, Landon,” I said quietly. “And I’m not the one who’s going to get burned.”
His lips curled slightly at the edges, his eyes flashing with something dark and dangerous. Then, in one swift motion, he was closer, his hand gripping my wrist with a force that sent a shock through me. The tension between us crackled in the air, thick and heady, until I felt like I was drowning in it.
“Don’t tempt me,” he muttered, his breath hot against my ear.
I didn’t pull away. For the first time, I didn’t want to. Instead, I let my free hand reach up, brushing the back of his neck lightly, my fingers grazing his skin. The contact was brief, but it was enough to send a shiver through both of us.
“I’m not afraid of you,” I said, my voice hushed.
Landon’s response was nothing more than a silent challenge. And for the first time in years, I wasn’t sure whether I was ready to face it.
Chapter 13: the moment before the fall
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Days passed in a haze of tension, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was teetering on the edge of something catastrophic. Each time I saw Landon, my heart beat faster, my thoughts scattering as I tried to piece together the fragments of what was happening between us. The lines between love and hate, attraction and rivalry, had blurred so much that I no longer knew where one ended and the other began.
Niko had been watching me closely, his eyes always trained on my face, looking for any sign that I was losing control. But it wasn’t just me. Landon had been avoiding me, too, as though he could feel the shifting dynamic and was scared of what it meant. But we couldn’t keep avoiding it forever. And I knew that.
That night, I found myself standing outside his door, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts I couldn’t sort through. I wasn’t sure what I was doing here, but something in me couldn’t turn back now.
I knocked once, and before I could even brace myself for his response, the door opened, revealing Landon in all his frustrating, magnetic glory. His eyes locked onto mine, and for a split second, neither of us spoke. The tension between us was unbearable, the silence stretching on until it felt like everything would snap.
“You’re here,” he said, his voice soft, almost surprised.
“I’m not leaving,” I replied, my words barely above a whisper. I didn’t even know if I was talking to him or to myself.
The distance between us was negligible now. His eyes roamed over me, studying me with that calculating gaze of his, before he took a step forward. The heat between us was undeniable. It wasn’t just physical. It was emotional, raw, and vulnerable in a way neither of us had been before.
“I think you’ve been running from this,” he murmured, his voice lower now, almost like he was confessing something he didn’t want to admit.
I couldn’t bring myself to lie. I had been running. But now, standing in front of him, I didn’t want to run anymore.
“Maybe,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. “But I’m not anymore.”
Before I knew it, his lips were on mine, and everything I had been holding back came rushing to the surface. The kiss was fierce, desperate, as though we both knew we couldn’t keep pretending any longer. Every touch, every movement was like an unspoken confession, and as his hand slid to the back of my neck, pulling me closer, I knew that this was it. This was the point of no return.
Notes:
Are you guys enjoying it so far 🫣
There may happen some 18+ activity in the upcoming chapters ( I’m not sure if it’s gonna be in chapter 14 or 15 ) just wanted to let you guys know so now that you’re warned please let me know if there’s anything that you guys don’t like so that I can improve!!
Chapter 14: the tension builds
Chapter Text
The weight of the situation hung over me like a heavy fog, one I couldn’t escape no matter how hard I tried. It wasn’t just the constant battles between the factions or the ever-present threats from every corner of this godforsaken city. No, it was something much more personal. Something that had been simmering beneath the surface for so long that I had almost convinced myself it wasn’t real.
Landon.
I could still hear the sound of his voice in my head, the way he had said my name in the quiet of the night. His words had been like a spark, igniting something deep inside me that I wasn’t sure I could control anymore. But it wasn’t just about the words he’d said or the moments we shared. It was the way his presence felt, the way his eyes held me captive, the way he made me feel like the world could fall apart around us and I wouldn’t care—so long as I was with him.
It was maddening.
The tension between us had always been there—years of rivalry, anger, and defiance. But now? Now it was something else. Something more dangerous. It had the power to break us, to tear down everything we had built, and yet, I couldn’t bring myself to walk away.
I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my jacket, trying to focus on the task at hand. We had a meeting scheduled, one that could change everything. This wasn’t just about the factions anymore. This was about the war for control of the city. And yet, all I could think about was Landon. The way he moved, the way he made me feel. It was like a poison, spreading through my veins and clouding my thoughts.
A soft knock on the door interrupted my thoughts, and I turned to see Niko standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable.
“You good?” he asked, his voice low and casual, but I could tell he was picking up on the tension in the air. He always did.
“Yeah,” I muttered, straightening up. “Just trying to get my head straight.”
Niko didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t press. Instead, he stepped into the room and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. “You know, you can’t keep pretending like nothing’s going on. Between you and Landon, I mean.”
I stiffened, my chest tightening at the mention of his name. “There’s nothing going on,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended.
“Right,” Niko said, his tone sarcastic. “You keep telling yourself that. But it’s obvious to everyone else.”
I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. “What do you want me to do, Niko? This is a mess. We’re supposed to be enemies.”
“Supposed to be?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Come on, man. This has been building up for a long time. You can’t just ignore it.”
“I’m not ignoring it,” I snapped, the words coming out harsher than I meant. “I just don’t know what the hell to do about it.”
Niko was quiet for a moment, studying me. His gaze softened, and for the first time in a long while, I saw the hint of understanding in his eyes. “It’s not easy. I get it. But you can’t keep running from it. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to deal with it.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. How could I? How could I deal with this thing between Landon and me when I wasn’t even sure what it was? Every time I thought I had it figured out, it slipped through my fingers like sand.
The silence in the room stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable. Then, without another word, Niko turned and walked toward the door.
“We’ll talk more later,” he said over his shoulder. “Just think about it.”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Niko had a way of getting under my skin, but this time, his words hit harder than I expected. As the door clicked shut behind him, I let out a heavy breath, my mind racing.
The meeting could wait. For now, I needed to figure out what to do with this—this thing between Landon and me. It was a bomb ticking away inside my chest, and I didn’t know how long I could keep pretending it wasn’t there.
Landon’s face appeared in my thoughts again, this time with more force than before. The way his eyes flashed with that anger and intensity, the way his lips curled when he was mocking me. He was a mess, just like me. But there was something else. Something I couldn’t explain, something deeper than all the chaos between us.
I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts that were clouding my mind. I couldn’t let this interfere with everything else. We were at war—real war, not just the petty feuds between the Serpents and the Kings. This was bigger than all of us.
Yet, every time I tried to focus, the image of Landon resurfaced. His words, his touch, the fire that simmered between us—there was no escaping it.
I didn’t realize how much time had passed until the knock came again, this time more urgent.
“Jeremy,” Niko’s voice called from outside the door. “We need to go.”
I sighed heavily, stepping away from the mirror. I could feel the weight of everything pressing on me—the need to make decisions, the need to confront the enemy, the need to confront myself. But one thing was certain: Landon would be there. And I didn’t know if I was ready for that.
As I walked toward the door, I knew something was coming—something that would either tear us apart or bind us together. But no matter what, I couldn’t run from it anymore.
Later, at the meeting:
The room was packed with all the usual faces. Killian, Glyndon, Eli, and a few others, all standing around, waiting for the real talk to begin. I took a deep breath before stepping in, the weight of the decision ahead pressing heavily on me. Every move I made from here on out could either end the war or escalate it further. And Landon was still at the back of my mind, distracting me in ways that I couldn’t afford.
Landon wasn’t here yet, but I knew he would be soon. He always was.
When he finally walked in, everything seemed to stop. The way he looked at me, the silent challenge in his eyes, told me he wasn’t ready to let go either. The air between us crackled with tension, and I could feel the entire room noticing it.
“Let’s get this over with,” he said, his tone clipped, as though he was still trying to keep the distance between us.
But I wasn’t sure how much longer either of us could keep pretending.
Chapter 15: the breaking point
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
🌶️🌶️
The room felt like it was closing in on me, the air thick with tension and unspoken words. The faces around the table were blurry, but all I could focus on was Landon, standing at the other end of the room. His presence was like a magnet, drawing my attention even as I tried to stay focused on the meeting. Every time our eyes met, I could feel the electricity between us, sharp and undeniable. The world around us seemed to disappear, leaving just the two of us locked in this impossible dance.
“Jeremy,” Killian’s voice cut through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. “We need a decision. The meeting isn’t going to get any easier if we keep wasting time.”
I forced myself to look away from Landon and nodded, trying to shake off the feelings that had been swirling inside me. The meeting was important—more important than anything else. It was supposed to be about strategy, about making alliances, about deciding who would control the city in the coming months. But my mind kept drifting back to him.
Landon.
I could feel his eyes on me, sharp and calculating. I could almost hear the words he wasn’t saying, the way he was probably judging every move I made. But there was something in his gaze that kept me off balance—something soft, something vulnerable, buried under layers of arrogance and anger.
“Jeremy,” Niko repeated, louder this time, clearly frustrated. “Focus. This isn’t just about you and Landon.”
I snapped my attention back to Niko, trying to ignore the way my pulse quickened every time I thought about Landon. “I know,” I muttered. “I know.”
It wasn’t that I didn’t care about the meeting. I did. But the way Landon and I were circling each other was starting to consume me. Every moment we spent together felt like a breath on the edge of a cliff. We were both about to fall, and neither of us knew how to stop it.
Killian continued speaking, his voice low and urgent as he outlined the plan. The Serpents were growing bolder, and with Creighton making his moves in the background, it was only a matter of time before things escalated. We needed to act fast, but even as I heard the urgency in Killian’s words, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something deeper was at play.
And then, as if the universe was trying to prove a point, Landon spoke up. His voice was cutting, sharp as ever.
“We need to stop pretending we’re on the same side,” he said, his words aimed directly at me. His eyes never left mine, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. “We’re not allies. We never were.”
The tension in the room thickened, the silence hanging heavy between us. The others exchanged glances, but all I could focus on was Landon—his words, the bitterness in his tone, the challenge in his eyes.
I stood up, my fists clenched by my sides. “You think I don’t know that?” I snapped, the words slipping out before I could stop them. “You think I don’t know who you are?”
Landon didn’t back down. He stepped closer, the space between us shrinking with each step. “Then why the hell are you still pretending?”
I could feel the heat of his body, the intensity radiating from him as he stood inches away from me. The room was too small, too tight, and my body felt like it was on fire. The air around us crackled with something electric, something dangerous, and I couldn’t tell if I was supposed to fight or surrender.
“Stop it,” Niko interjected, his voice sharp as he looked between us. “This is not the time or place.”
But Landon wasn’t listening. Neither was I.
“Everyone get out now!” I shouted.
After they left I reached for him without thinking, my hands gripping the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. His breath hitched, but he didn’t pull away. His hands went to my chest, and for a moment, there was nothing but the heat between us, the desperate need that neither of us was willing to acknowledge.
“Do you think this is easy for me?” I growled, my lips brushing against his as I spoke. “I don’t know what the hell this is between us, but I’m not running from it anymore.”
Landon’s eyes darkened, his breath shaky as he looked down at me. His grip tightened around my shirt, pulling me even closer. His lips parted, his words barely a whisper. “You think you’re the only one who’s been fighting this?”
The intensity between us was suffocating, the room spinning around us as the anger, the frustration, and the undeniable attraction boiled over. I couldn’t hold back anymore. With one sharp tug, I pulled him into a kiss, urgent and hungry. It wasn’t soft, it wasn’t slow. It was as if we were both starved for this—starved for each other.
His hands grip my waist, pulling me closer, deepening the kiss as his body responds to mine. The world outside fades away, leaving only the two of us in this intimate bubble. My fingers tangle in his hair, tugging him closer as I kiss him with a fierce intensity.
"Hmm you taste so good" he whispers against my lips, his voice barely audible but filled with raw emotion.
My response is a low growl, my hands sliding up his back to hold him tightly."be careful you're playing a dangerous game, Landon."
He pull back just enough to meet my gaze, my eyes locking with his. "Dangerous? Maybe," he say, a smirk playing on his lips. "But it's a game I'm more than willing to play. Especially when it means reminding you of how much you really need me."
After saying that he stands up holding the back of my thighs urging me to wrap my legs around his waist. He kisses me with the same amount of hunger that I have.
[Intimate scene begins here]
Landon went on his knees pulled my pants and black shorts down to my thighs.
His strong hands pulled my cheeks apart and his tongue swiped over my hole wetly.
I whimpered, shuddering, as he started licking and sucking my sensitive rim. It was so much, and still not enough, and I moaned, trying to ride back against his tongue. The tip of his tongue pressed into my hole and i squeezed my eyes shut, feeling him spread me open more and push in deeper, lick into me, wet noises and heavy breathing mixing with my own whimpers.
"Please,” I mumbled, almost sobbing, sweat trickling down my neck. Lan pulled his tongue out and circled it around my hole, again and again, until I felt my thighs begin to shake, tears springing to my eyes. "Please, please, please -I need you"
I moaned so loud that I was pretty sure it could wake the whole mansion up,
He stopped for a moment then returned to licking me. I groaned, my body drawing tight in need. "Please- fuck....."
He got up, pressed himself behind my back, pulling my ass up.
"Do you want me to fuck you?" he murmured, his voice hoarse and thick.
I looked him, his eyes gleamed under the moonlight from the window.
I nodded dazedly, gripped his thighs, wanting to be held. He leaned down and sucked on my neck, his big hand found it's way under my shirt, stroking my sensitive nipples while the other reached for his jeans, opened his fly and pulled out his hard cock stroking it a few times.
I almost sobbed when he finally pushed inside me in one full thrust. My Fingers pressed harder against the blanket, I could only pant and gasp and hold on as Lan’s cock worked its way inside me.
I wasn't sure how much time passed. I couldn't see nothing other than feel him, my eyes blurred by hot tears, my senses on overdrive as he continued to snap his hips into me, his thick cock stretching me wide open, taking me higher and higher
"Come for me love ." Lan whispered into my ear, voice husky and strained. He thrust hard against my prostate
And that was it. With a keening sound, I came, nails digging harder into his thighs, I tried to push back against him tried to meet his thrust but my body was too weak, so I just laid there and let him take me.
I let out broken gasps as I let him use my body to finish himself off. He buried his head in my neck and wrapped his hands tighter around my waist as he came inside me.
"Please tell me this room is soundproof" I groaned pushing his head deeper into my neck.
He chuckled but I just swatted his chest. I really didn't want to get caught by the others in landons arms thoroughly fucked.
He continues to fuck me as he starts licking my collarbone, sucking on it making me shiver with need. I am pretty sure he already covered my neck entirely with his bites.
"Coming." I mumble as he continues to thrust in me, making me cum instantly with hitting on that spot "Fuck Landon !" I moan as he fills me with hot seed and falls on top of me while slowly going in for a kiss.
The kiss deepened, the world around us slipping away as everything became about this moment. Every touch, every movement felt like it was unlocking something inside me that I had been keeping locked away. Landon’s hands roamed, pulling me closer, his grip almost desperate. The way he kissed me, the way his body pressed against mine—it was raw, unfiltered. There was no more pretending, no more hiding. We were both here, in this moment, giving into what had always been there but never spoken aloud.
And when it finally happened—when we were both at the edge, breathless and unraveling—it wasn’t like anything I’d ever felt before. It was as if everything we had fought for, everything we had kept buried, was suddenly laid bare.
[End of intimate scene]
When it was over, we stood there, breathless and disheveled, both of us unsure of what came next. The air in the room was thick, charged with the aftermath of what had just happened. I could feel the weight of everything—the past, the present, and whatever was coming next—pressing down on me. But for once, I didn’t care. Not about the factions, not about the war, not about anything other than what had just happened between us.
Landon’s hands were still on me, his touch gentle now, as if he was afraid to break the fragile peace we had just found. I didn’t move, didn’t speak, just let the moment hang between us, unsure of what to say.
“Is this it?” he asked quietly, his voice low, almost unsure. “Are we finally done pretending?”
I didn’t have an answer for him. All I knew was that this—whatever this was—wasn’t over. It couldn’t be. Not after everything that had just happened.
And for the first time, I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
Notes:
OMGGG guys this is my first time writing something like this I hope you enjoyed it sorry if it didn’t make sense and feel free to reach out and give me tips!!
Chapter 16: the weight of what’s left
Chapter Text
The room was still thick with the remnants of what had just happened, the air heavy with the charged silence between us. I stood there, heart still racing, unsure of what came next. Landon’s touch lingered on my skin like a ghost, a constant reminder of the depth of what we had just shared.
Neither of us had moved. The world outside the room felt distant, as though nothing existed beyond the four walls that surrounded us. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. We weren’t supposed to be here, tangled in this mess of desire, conflict, and emotions that neither of us knew how to handle.
Landon shifted first, pulling away just enough to look at me, his eyes dark and unreadable. “What the hell is this?” His voice was quieter now, almost tentative, as though he was searching for answers that I wasn’t sure I had.
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. How could I explain this? Explain what had happened, what was still happening, between us? I didn’t have the words. All I had were feelings, raw and unfiltered, that seemed to keep pulling me toward him even as I tried to stay away.
“I don’t know,” I muttered, shaking my head. “I don’t know what this is, Landon.”
He laughed softly, but there was no humor in it—just disbelief. “You’re telling me you don’t know? After everything? After what just happened?”
I didn’t want to admit it, but I couldn’t deny it. We were standing at the edge of something dangerous, something that could unravel everything we had both worked for. The war, the alliances, the grudges—we had built our lives around these things, and now everything felt uncertain, slipping through my fingers like sand.
“We’re not supposed to do this,” I said, the words coming out more like a plea than a statement. “We can’t let this mess everything up. We can’t let it change what we’re supposed to be doing.”
Landon stepped closer again, his eyes locking onto mine with a fierceness that almost made me step back. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. “You’re right,” he said, his voice low, full of tension. “But I’m tired of pretending. I’m tired of hiding what’s between us, Jeremy.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, I felt like the ground beneath me was slipping away. I wanted to argue, to push him away, but the truth was, I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to fight him anymore.
“Then what do we do?” I whispered, my voice almost breaking. “What the hell do we do now?”
Landon didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he stepped even closer, his breath warm against my skin. He reached for me, his fingers brushing against my cheek before his hand cupped the back of my neck, pulling me toward him. “We face it,” he murmured, his lips brushing against mine in a fleeting touch. “We face whatever this is, together.”
And then, before I could process his words, his lips were on mine again, harder this time, desperate, as though he needed me just as much as I needed him. My heart hammered in my chest, and I couldn’t stop myself from responding, from meeting his hunger with my own.
But just as quickly as it had started, the kiss broke off, both of us pulling away, breathless and unsure.
“We need to think about this,” I said, trying to make sense of everything, but my voice lacked conviction. “We need to figure out what this means before we do anything else.”
Landon’s face softened, and for a moment, the usual arrogance faded, leaving only the man I had been avoiding for so long. “Jeremy, we’ve been dancing around this for too long. It’s time to stop pretending we don’t want the same thing.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat. Could we really move forward after everything that had happened? The factions, the animosity between us—could we really just leave it all behind?
“Do you trust me?” Landon asked, his voice quiet but full of meaning.
I met his gaze, trying to make sense of the emotions swirling inside me. Did I trust him? Maybe not fully, but I knew this wasn’t just about trust. This was about something much more complicated—something deeper.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice shaky. “But I’m willing to find out.”
Landon’s lips curled into a faint smile, and he nodded. “Good enough for me.”
The tension between us shifted, and for the first time, I felt a sliver of hope—that maybe, just maybe, we could figure this out. Together.
But just as the moment seemed to settle, the door burst open, and Killian stepped in, his face a mask of annoyance and curiosity. “What the hell is going on in here?”
Landon and I both froze, guilt and apprehension flashing through me. We hadn’t planned for this. We hadn’t planned for any of this.
I quickly moved to put some distance between us, trying to regain some semblance of control. “Nothing,” I said quickly, my voice forced. “Just a little… disagreement.”
Killian raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Right. Well, the meeting is over. You two might want to figure out whatever this is before it gets out of hand.”
As he turned to leave, I shot a glance at Landon. There was something in his eyes, something that made me realize that whatever had happened between us wasn’t just a fleeting moment. It was something more, something we both had to confront sooner rather than later.
But for now, I wasn’t ready to face it. Not yet.
“Later,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Landon nodded, and for the first time in a long while, we were in agreement. The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear: We weren’t finished yet.
Not by a long shot.
Chapter 17: Consequences of a Collision
Chapter Text
The days following the encounter with Landon felt like a storm cloud hovering over me, one that threatened to burst at any moment but never quite did. Every time I saw him, the air thickened, charged with unspoken words, but there was also something else—something deeper that neither of us could shake.
I tried to ignore it. I tried to focus on the meetings, the war, the alliances we were forming—but nothing seemed as important as the pull I felt every time Landon’s eyes found mine, or the way my heart skipped a beat whenever I saw him in the hallway.
We hadn’t spoken about what happened. Not directly. Neither of us had asked questions, and neither of us had offered answers. It was as if we were waiting for the other to make the first move, for some kind of sign that would explain what the hell we were supposed to do next.
But that was the problem, wasn’t it? We both knew that our relationship—whatever this was—was dangerous. We knew the consequences of letting our emotions take over, of letting something so… fragile bloom between us when everything around us was in chaos.
The factions, the Serpents, Creighton, the looming war—it was all still there, a constant threat we couldn’t ignore. But how could I focus on that when the only thing that seemed to matter was Landon?
I was snapped out of my thoughts when Killian’s voice sliced through the silence in the war room. “Jeremy, focus. We can’t afford distractions right now.”
I glanced around at the group of people gathered around the table, all of them looking at me with varying degrees of frustration. They were right. I had to focus. We were sitting on a powder keg, and any misstep could set everything off. The Serpents were growing bolder, and Creighton’s shadow seemed to loom larger every day. We needed to act, and we needed to act fast.
But the only thing I could think about was the way Landon’s lips had felt against mine, the way his hands had moved over me. I shook my head, trying to push the memory aside.
“Right,” I muttered, trying to force my mind back to the task at hand. “What’s the next step?”
Niko spoke up, his voice clipped and sharp. “We need to take control of the docks. The Serpents have been making moves there, and if we don’t take action, they’ll have access to the city’s trade routes. We can’t afford that.”
I nodded, trying to absorb the information, but it was like trying to read a book with the pages smeared. Everything felt distant, as though I was living in some other reality. The world around me moved forward, but I was stuck, tethered to a moment I couldn’t escape.
Killian caught my eye, his gaze steady but filled with an unspoken warning. He knew. He knew something had changed between Landon and me, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hide it.
“We need to make a decision,” he said, his voice low. “And we need to make it now.”
I exhaled sharply, my fingers gripping the edge of the table. I couldn’t afford to be distracted. I couldn’t afford to let whatever this was with Landon take over everything I had worked for.
But deep down, I knew it was already too late.
The meeting dragged on, each minute feeling like an eternity. My mind was a thousand miles away, caught in the crossfire of my emotions. And yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about Landon—the way he had kissed me, the way he had held me, the way he had made me feel things I hadn’t felt in a long time.
At the end of the meeting, everyone filtered out, their voices fading as they left the room. I stayed behind, hoping for some semblance of quiet, some space to think.
But just as I started to let my guard down, the door opened, and Landon stepped in, his presence filling the room like an electric current. I froze, my heart racing.
“You’re still avoiding me,” he said, his voice low but filled with something else. Something dangerous.
“I’m not avoiding you,” I said, the words coming out sharper than I intended. “I’m trying to focus.”
Landon took a step closer, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath hitch. “You’re lying.”
I swallowed, trying to steady myself, but it was hard. So hard when all I wanted was to reach out and touch him, to close the distance between us and forget everything else.
“I don’t have time for this,” I muttered, turning away, hoping that if I didn’t look at him, I could escape the pull I felt every time he was near.
But Landon wasn’t backing down. He moved to stand in front of me, his eyes never leaving mine. “Then make time,” he said, his voice soft but unwavering. “Make time for this. Make time for us.”
I shook my head, unable to process the words, the weight of what he was asking. “Landon, we can’t do this. Not now. There’s too much at stake.”
“Exactly,” he replied, stepping closer, his hand reaching for mine. “That’s exactly why we can’t keep pretending it doesn’t matter. We can’t keep pretending we’re not standing on the edge of something—something we can’t walk away from.”
His fingers brushed against mine, and for a brief moment, I felt the world stop. There was nothing but the two of us, standing in that room, caught between the past and the future.
“I don’t know what to do with this,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “I don’t know what to do with you.”
Landon’s expression softened, his gaze tender but filled with something fierce. “You don’t have to know right now. But you can’t keep pretending it doesn’t exist. Because I’m not going anywhere, Jeremy.”
The words hit me like a punch, knocking the air out of my chest. How could I deny it? How could I deny the way I felt when he was around? How could I ignore the fact that, deep down, I didn’t want to?
But I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t be ready. Not when everything else was falling apart.
“I can’t let this ruin everything,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t let it destroy everything I’ve worked for.”
Landon reached up, cupping my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. “Then we’ll figure it out,” he said, his voice soft but resolute. “But we have to do it together.”
I closed my eyes, the weight of his words settling over me like a storm. I didn’t have an answer, but in that moment, I knew one thing for sure: I couldn’t walk away from him. Not now. Not when we were standing on the precipice, ready to fall.
Chapter 18: Boundaries and Betrayals pt1
Chapter Text
The following days blurred together in a haze of tension, every moment feeling like it could tip the scales into chaos. I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything I had built was hanging by a thread, and that thread—surprisingly—was Landon.
We hadn’t spoken about what had happened, the kiss, the words we had exchanged, the heated desperation between us. I had tried to bury it beneath the surface, to push it aside, but Landon was like a fire that wouldn’t go out, smoldering quietly beneath my skin, threatening to consume me.
The war, the alliances, the Serpents—it all seemed insignificant now, like background noise to the storm that raged within me every time I saw him, every time our eyes met across the room. I had tried to distance myself, tried to stay focused, but Landon was relentless. His presence was magnetic, pulling me in, and I couldn’t fight it.
But what I didn’t expect was the distance that was forming between us.
It was subtle at first. Landon would still approach me with that smirk, that cool arrogance, but there was something different in the way he looked at me. Something calculating. Something almost… cold.
I tried to ignore it. I tried to tell myself it was just a phase, just a game. But deep down, I knew better. I could feel the shift, the change in the air between us. And I hated it.
“Jeremy,” Killian’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts as he stepped into my office, his eyes sharp. “We need to talk strategy. The Serpents are making moves in the east, and we can’t afford to let them push us any further.”
I nodded absently, trying to focus on the matter at hand. “Right. The east. What’s the plan?”
Killian sat down, pulling out a map of the city and spreading it across the table. “We need to secure the western docks first,” he said, pointing to a marked area. “And then we take the eastern side. If we don’t, we’re looking at a full-blown takeover.”
I barely heard the words. My mind was elsewhere, caught between the chaos of our world and the chaos Landon had brought into my life. Every decision, every move we made felt meaningless in comparison to the weight of the tension that lingered between us.
“What about Landon?” I asked before I could stop myself. I didn’t know why I said it. Maybe I was trying to hold onto something, trying to understand why the hell everything felt so different now.
Killian’s gaze sharpened. “What about him?”
I met his eyes, but the words didn’t come. How could I explain what was happening? How could I admit that everything I had worked for, everything I had built, felt irrelevant when I was constantly drawn back to him?
“You’re distracted,” Killian said, his voice hardening. “You need to get your head back in the game, Jeremy. This isn’t just about you and Landon. This is about the future of the city.”
I clenched my jaw, feeling the weight of his words. He was right. I couldn’t afford to let my personal feelings cloud my judgment. Not now. Not when everything was on the line.
But the moment he said that, something inside me snapped.
“What the hell is going on with you?” I snapped, my voice rising despite myself. “You don’t get it, do you? It’s not just about strategy. It’s not just about the city. It’s about the fact that I’m fighting something that’s tearing me apart. I can’t focus when Landon is constantly in my head. And you—you’re just standing here telling me to ignore it. I can’t do that.”
Killian stood up, his expression unreadable. “You’re a leader, Jeremy. You don’t have the luxury of distractions. You don’t have the luxury of feelings.”
My heart raced. I hated that he was right. I hated that I had to choose between what I felt and what I had to do. But I wasn’t a fool. I knew what was at stake.
“I know,” I muttered, the weight of the words pressing down on me. “I know.”
Killian gave me one last look before turning toward the door. “Then get your head back in the game. Before it’s too late.”
As the door clicked shut behind him, I slumped in my chair, my hands running through my hair in frustration. I had to do something. I had to push all of this aside—Landon, my emotions, the tension between us—and focus on the war. It was the only thing that mattered now. Or at least, that’s what I told myself.
But the truth was, every time I closed my eyes, every time I tried to sleep, it was Landon’s face that haunted me. The way he had looked at me, the way he had touched me, the words he had whispered. It was impossible to forget. And the more I tried to ignore it, the more it consumed me.
I didn’t realize how long I had been sitting there until my phone buzzed on the desk. It was a message from Niko.
“We need to talk. Now.”
I frowned. What could he possibly want? I hadn’t heard from him in days. We had been so caught up in the chaos that I had barely had time to check in with him.
I grabbed my jacket and headed out, the weight of my thoughts still heavy on my mind. When I arrived at the meeting room, Niko was already there, pacing back and forth, his eyes sharp and calculating.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice low.
Niko stopped and turned to face me. “We have a problem,” he said, his expression grim. “It’s Landon. He’s been making moves behind our backs.”
I froze, the words hitting me like a ton of bricks. “What do you mean?”
Niko’s gaze hardened. “I don’t trust him anymore, Jeremy. We’ve all been too focused on the war to see it, but he’s been working with Creighton. I’ve seen the signs. We can’t afford to ignore this any longer.”
My blood ran cold. I didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t believe it. But deep down, I knew Niko wasn’t lying. Landon had always played both sides, always kept people guessing. But to align with Creighton—someone we had been at odds with for years—was a betrayal I couldn’t even begin to comprehend.
“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice tight with suspicion.
Niko nodded. “I’m sure.”
The room felt like it was closing in on me. The walls seemed to press down with the weight of the truth. Landon had betrayed me. And worse, he had betrayed everything I had worked for.
I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to confront him, or if I even wanted to.
But one thing was clear: The fragile peace between us had shattered, and the battle we were about to face was no longer just about the city.
It was personal.
Chapter 19: Betrayal and the Breaking Point pt2
Chapter Text
The days after Niko’s revelation were a blur of emotions and decisions. I couldn’t stop thinking about what he had told me—about Landon’s betrayal. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face, that smirk he always wore, and it made my stomach churn. How could I have been so blind? How could I have let myself get tangled up in whatever this was with him, only to have him turn on me like this?
I didn’t know how to process it. I didn’t know what to do with the anger, the hurt, the confusion that twisted inside me like a knife. The worst part? I couldn’t shake the feeling that deep down, part of me still wanted to trust him. Part of me still wanted to believe that Landon wasn’t the monster Niko had painted him to be.
But the facts were undeniable. He had been working with Creighton, the one person we couldn’t afford to have in our circle. He had been playing both sides, and it was clear now that I had been a fool for thinking we were on the same team.
It had to stop. I couldn’t afford to keep second-guessing myself. The stakes were too high.
I spent the next few days carefully gathering information, making moves behind the scenes to protect the alliance we had built. I knew that Creighton was making his play for power, but I had underestimated how far Landon was willing to go to secure his own place in this game.
The worst part was that I couldn’t even talk to him about it. Every time I saw Landon, I felt that same pull, that magnetic attraction that had always been there. But I couldn’t afford to be weak. Not now. Not when everything was falling apart.
The door to my office opened abruptly, and I looked up to find Niko standing in the doorway, his expression tense. His eyes were hard, filled with a kind of urgency that I didn’t need to question.
“Jeremy, we need to talk,” Niko said, his voice low, his gaze darting around the room as if he was checking for anyone who might be listening.
“What now?” I asked, pushing back from my desk. I could already feel the weight of the conversation pressing down on me.
Niko stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. “It’s Landon. He’s made a move. He’s gathering support from the Serpents.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. “What do you mean? Is he going public with this?”
Niko shook his head. “Not yet. But he’s got Creighton backing him. They’re setting up something big—something that could tear everything apart if we don’t act fast.”
I ran a hand through my hair, the frustration bubbling inside me. “I knew it. I knew he was playing both sides. I just… I didn’t want to believe it.”
Niko’s eyes softened, just for a second, before his hard gaze returned. “You need to confront him, Jeremy. You need to deal with this, before it spirals out of control.”
I knew what I had to do. I had to face Landon. I had to confront him and put an end to whatever this was before it destroyed everything I had worked for.
But as the words echoed in my mind, something held me back. The part of me that still wanted to believe in him, that still felt that pull, couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the story. Maybe I was fooling myself, but there had to be some explanation, some reason for his actions. I couldn’t just walk into a confrontation without knowing the full picture.
“I’ll deal with it,” I said, my voice low. “But I need to know what he’s planning. I need more information.”
Niko gave me a sharp nod. “I’ll make sure you get it. But you don’t have much time. If we don’t act fast, he could have the Serpents and Creighton ready to move.”
With that, Niko left, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I sat back in my chair, staring at the papers spread out on my desk, feeling the weight of the decision pressing down on me.
I had been blind, trusting Landon when I shouldn’t have. I had let my emotions cloud my judgment, and now everything was unraveling. The city, the alliance, the future I had worked so hard to build—all of it was slipping through my fingers, and I had no idea how to stop it.
The only thing I knew for sure was that I had to confront him. I had to look him in the eye and demand answers, no matter what it cost.
That night, I found myself standing outside Landon’s private penthouse, my heart pounding in my chest. The lights from the city twinkled in the distance, but all I could focus on was the door in front of me. I had no idea what to expect. Was he going to deny everything? Was he going to lie to my face, as he had done so many times before?
I knocked once, and the door opened almost immediately. Landon stood there, his usual smirk playing at the corners of his lips, but there was something different in his eyes. He looked… wary.
“Jeremy,” he said, his voice smooth, like nothing had changed. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
I didn’t bother with pleasantries. I pushed past him, stepping into the dimly lit apartment, my anger and frustration boiling over. “Cut the crap, Landon,” I spat. “I know what you’ve been doing.”
Landon’s gaze flickered for just a moment, but he quickly masked it with that same calm, collected demeanor. “Oh? And what exactly do you think I’ve been doing?”
“You’ve been working with Creighton,” I said, my voice low but filled with venom. “You’ve been playing both sides, and I’ve been too stupid to see it.”
For the first time, Landon’s mask cracked, just slightly. There was a flicker of something—guilt, maybe, or regret—in his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it had come. He crossed the room, pouring himself a drink, and then turned back to face me.
“You always were good at playing the game, Jeremy,” he said, his voice cold now, like he was shutting down. “But I guess I underestimated how far you’d go to protect your little empire.”
“Don’t do this,” I said, my fists clenched. “You don’t get to play me like this. I thought we had something—something real. But you’ve been lying this whole time. And now you’ve brought Creighton into it. You’ve betrayed everything we built.”
Landon’s eyes darkened, his jaw tightening. “Don’t pretend like you didn’t know this was coming. You think I’ve been doing this for fun? I’m doing what needs to be done. The city isn’t going to survive if we keep pretending we’re all on the same side.”
I took a step closer, my voice low and dangerous. “You betrayed me. You betrayed everything I trusted you with.”
Landon didn’t flinch. Instead, he met my gaze with a look that sent a shiver down my spine. “Then maybe you’re the one who needs to wake up, Jeremy. This isn’t a fairy tale. It’s a war. And in a war, there are no sides. There’s just power.”
The words hit me harder than I expected. But deep down, I knew he was right. There were no sides in this game. Not really. There was only the fight for control.
And right now, I didn’t know who I was fighting for anymore.
Chapter 20: The Breaking Point pt3
Chapter Text
The air between us crackled with an intensity that I couldn’t ignore. Every word, every glance, was like a spark waiting to ignite something far bigger than either of us were prepared for. As much as I hated to admit it, there was something undeniable about the force between Landon and me, even now, even with everything falling apart around us.
I could feel the walls I had built inside myself beginning to crumble with every passing second.
Landon’s words lingered in the air, his declaration that this was all just a game, just a war for power. I had expected something—an apology, maybe, or some kind of remorse—but there was none of that. He wasn’t sorry. He was ruthless. He was cold. And it terrified me how much that terrified me.
The city, the alliance, everything I had worked for, everything I thought I could trust—was it all just a game to him, too?
I stood frozen for a long moment, the weight of his betrayal pressing down on me, suffocating me. I had come here looking for answers, looking for some clarity. But all I had found was more confusion, more doubt.
“You think I’m the one who needs to wake up?” I finally said, my voice rough with the weight of everything that had been said. “You think I’ve been living in some kind of dream world, Landon? I’m not the one playing both sides. I’m not the one selling out everything we fought for.”
Landon didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he looked at me with those piercing eyes, like he was searching for something—some sign of weakness, some way to manipulate me further. But I wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction. I had to keep control, even if everything inside me was screaming at me to stop, to trust him again, to ignore the lies.
“I didn’t sell anything out,” he said, his voice low, cutting through the tension. “I did what had to be done. If you can’t see that, then you’re as blind as you’ve always been.”
His words stung more than I wanted to admit. It was the truth, though. He had made a choice. A choice that put him on the opposite side from me. A choice that would either destroy everything we had built or tear us apart in the process.
I could feel the old urge to punch him, to take out my anger in the only way I knew how, but I resisted. Fighting wouldn’t solve this. Not anymore. What I needed was answers. What I needed was clarity.
But there was no clarity to be found in Landon’s cold eyes.
“What do you want from me, Landon?” I asked, my voice a mix of anger and disbelief. “Do you expect me to just accept this? To pretend like none of this matters?”
Landon’s expression softened, just for a moment. I could almost see the faint trace of regret—of something more than the stone-cold mask he always wore—but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.
“I never wanted this to get this far, Jeremy,” he said quietly. “But it’s too late to turn back now.”
I stepped closer to him, my hands balled into fists at my sides. “So, what now? You’re just going to walk away, like nothing happened? Like none of this matters?”
Landon didn’t answer right away. Instead, he glanced toward the window, the dark city skyline stretching out before us. The weight of everything hung between us, heavy and suffocating.
“You think I’m running from this?” he asked, turning back to face me. His voice was thick with something I couldn’t quite place—was it frustration? Regret? “You think I’ve just been playing games?”
I shook my head, my anger rising again. “I don’t know what to think anymore. Every time I think I understand you, you pull something like this.”
Landon took a step toward me, closing the space between us. “I’m not the one who keeps making excuses, Jeremy. You could’ve stopped this from happening. You could’ve made the right choices. But you didn’t.”
His words hit harder than any punch ever could. They were true. I had seen the warning signs—hell, I had even felt the tension building between us—but I had ignored it. I had trusted him when I shouldn’t have, believed in something that was never real.
I wanted to shout, to tell him how much I hated him, how much I wanted to believe in the man I thought he was. But the words caught in my throat, swallowed by the weight of everything between us.
“I didn’t want to hurt you,” Landon said, his voice softer now, almost hesitant. “But I can’t keep pretending. Not anymore. This—everything we’ve built—it’s all about power. And you know it as well as I do.”
I wanted to fight him. I wanted to throw him out of the room and never see his face again. But a part of me couldn’t do it. A part of me wanted to believe him, wanted to believe that there was still a chance for us to fix this, to turn things around.
But there was too much at stake now.
Before I could respond, the door burst open, and Niko walked in, his face grim, eyes flicking between Landon and me. He didn’t say anything at first—he didn’t need to. The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on.
“Jeremy,” Niko said finally, his voice steady. “We’ve got a bigger problem.”
Landon’s gaze hardened immediately. “What now?” he asked, his voice clipped.
Niko didn’t bother to explain. He walked over to me and handed me a file. “Creighton’s making his move. It’s not just about the Serpents anymore. He’s planning something bigger, something that could tear the city apart.”
I stared at the file, my stomach sinking. “What does he want?”
Niko shook his head. “He wants everything. He’s playing both sides, just like someone else I know.”
The irony wasn’t lost on me. Landon’s betrayal had just come full circle. The man I had trusted, the one I had thought was on my side, was now caught in the same game as Creighton—a game I had been trying to avoid.
“I’m not your enemy, Jeremy,” Landon said, his voice low. “I’m not the one you should be worrying about right now.”
For a moment, I just stared at him. My thoughts were a whirl of confusion, rage, and hurt. But somewhere deep inside, I knew he was right. Creighton was the true enemy. And if we didn’t stop him, everything we had fought for—everything we had built—was going to come crashing down.
I turned to Niko, my resolve hardening. “We need to make a plan. Now.”
Landon’s eyes narrowed as if he was about to protest, but he didn’t. Instead, he stood there, watching me, like he was waiting for something.
For a moment, I thought about all the ways things had gone wrong. I thought about the lies, the betrayal, the power struggle that was pulling us all apart. But as much as I hated it, I knew that we were stronger together. If we were going to stop Creighton, we had to put aside everything else.
Even the truth about Landon.
Chapter 21: Shifting Tides pt1
Chapter Text
The night had settled in, thick and heavy like a blanket. I stared out the window of my office, watching the city lights flicker against the dark sky. It felt like the world had been reduced to this single moment—the quiet before the storm. Things had shifted. The uneasy alliance between Landon and I had already gone far beyond what I’d ever expected. It wasn’t just a war anymore; it was personal, a tug-of-war between loyalty, power, and desire.
I let out a slow breath, running my hand through my hair. The weight of the choices that had brought me here was more pressing than ever. For a moment, I allowed myself to think of everything that had led me to this point—the betrayal, the trust, and, most significantly, the pull that Landon had on me.
It wasn’t just physical. It had never been just that. The way he looked at me, the way he cut through my defenses with a single glance, it was more than lust. It was a collision of everything I had been running from. And now, in this room, I couldn’t escape it anymore. I couldn’t escape him.
The sound of the door creaking open pulled me from my thoughts.
“Jeremy,” Niko’s voice broke through the silence, low and cautious. “We need to talk.”
I didn’t need to ask what it was about. I could already feel the tension rolling off him like a wave, the weight of the situation settling in. I turned toward him, leaning back against the desk, keeping my posture relaxed even though the rest of me was anything but.
“What is it?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Niko’s gaze flickered toward the door, checking to make sure no one else was around. Then he moved closer, lowering his voice further. “This situation with Landon… it’s spiraling. You need to make a decision. If this goes on much longer, things are going to get messy.”
I knew exactly what he meant. The lines between enemies and allies had blurred beyond recognition. The fragile understanding I had with Landon—whatever the hell it was—was no longer something I could control. My own heart had become a battlefield, and I was losing ground fast.
“I know,” I said, keeping my voice low, “but it’s complicated, Niko.”
“Complicated?” He raised an eyebrow, his tone sharp. “This isn’t some middle school crush, Jeremy. This is bigger than both of you.”
I clenched my fists at my sides, anger bubbling up despite my best efforts to keep it contained. “What do you want me to do, Niko? This thing with Landon is dangerous, but there’s something… something I can’t ignore. I can’t just shut it off. I don’t know how.”
Niko’s expression softened for just a second before he sighed, a deep, resigned exhale. “I get it. I do. But you need to decide where you stand. The longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be.”
The silence stretched between us.
I wanted to tell him that I knew exactly where I stood. That I wasn’t just some pawn in this game, that Landon wasn’t a simple piece to be moved around like a chessboard. But the truth was, I didn’t know where I stood. Not anymore.
“Fine,” I finally muttered. “But it’s not going to be that simple.”
Niko nodded, giving me one last, heavy look before he turned to leave. As he did, I noticed his eyes linger on the window for a brief moment, his gaze distant.
“I’ll be ready when you make up your mind,” he said over his shoulder. “Just… don’t let this ruin everything.”
I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I just stared at the door as it closed behind him. The weight of his words lingered, sinking deeper into my skin.
The war, the betrayal, the secrets—everything was piling up. But now, with Landon in the picture, it wasn’t just about survival. It wasn’t just about power or politics. It was about something else entirely.
The problem was, I didn’t know what that something was yet.
The door opened again before I could fully process my thoughts, and I stiffened instinctively, half-expecting it to be Niko returning. But when I looked up, it wasn’t him.
It was Landon.
Chapter 22: Shifting Tides pt2
Chapter Text
Landon stood in the doorway, his figure silhouetted against the hallway lights, his expression unreadable. The tension in the room thickened in an instant, as if the very air between us had changed. For a moment, neither of us spoke. I didn’t know what to say to him—not anymore. After everything that had happened, the silence felt heavier than any argument could.
He stepped forward, closing the door softly behind him. The room felt smaller with him in it, the distance between us charged with something that neither of us could ignore. My heart pounded, betraying the calm exterior I was trying to maintain.
“You’re avoiding me,” Landon said, his voice low, laced with something close to frustration. But there was a certain vulnerability there, something raw and unspoken that I couldn’t quite place.
“I’m not avoiding you,” I replied, my voice steadier than I felt. “I just… I don’t know what this is anymore.”
Landon moved closer, his eyes locking with mine. His gaze was intense, searching, as if he were trying to unravel the mystery of me piece by piece. “I told you before, Jeremy,” he said softly, his voice almost a whisper. “This thing between us… it’s real. We can’t keep pretending it’s not.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Part of me wanted to deny it, to push him away like I’d done countless times before. But another part of me—one that I didn’t want to acknowledge—was drawn to him in a way I couldn’t resist.
“I know,” I muttered, my eyes unable to leave his. “I know it’s real. But that doesn’t make it any easier. We’re on opposite sides, Landon. You know that, don’t you?”
He took another step forward, closing the gap between us. I could feel the heat radiating off his body, the tension in the air thickening with each breath I took. His hand reached out, brushing my cheek lightly, a touch that sent a shiver down my spine.
“I don’t care about sides anymore,” he said, his voice barely audible, but firm. “I care about you. About us.”
His words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of everything we’d been through. The guilt, the betrayal, the unspoken truths—it was all there, swirling between us. And yet, in that moment, all I could focus on was him. The way his hand lingered on my skin, the way his breath came in shallow bursts, the way he seemed to want me with a desperation that mirrored my own.
“I don’t know how to handle this,” I admitted, my voice breaking slightly, the vulnerability creeping in. “I don’t know how to handle you.”
Landon’s lips curled into a faint smile, but it was a sad, knowing smile. “I don’t expect you to,” he said, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw. “I’m not asking for you to have all the answers. I just need you to stop running from this. From me.”
I could feel my resolve crumbling, piece by piece. The walls I’d spent so long building up were slowly coming down, and I didn’t know how to stop it. I didn’t want to stop it. Not with him standing so close, not with his touch so tender, so insistent.
“I can’t just ignore everything that’s at stake here,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “There’s too much going on. The war, the power struggle—everything’s changing. And I don’t know if I can afford to get distracted.”
Landon’s expression hardened for just a moment, his hand falling from my face as he took a step back. The distance between us felt like a gulf, and for a second, I thought I’d lost him again. But then his eyes softened, his gaze shifting from intense to something more vulnerable.
“I know,” he said quietly. “I know you’re scared. We both are. But I also know this—there’s more to this than the war. More to you and me than whatever the hell’s happening in this city. We can’t keep pretending it’s just about that.”
My heart raced in my chest, a confusing mix of emotions churning inside me. Part of me wanted to agree with him, to let go of all the fear and just take the leap. But another part of me—the part that had seen too much, been through too much—was terrified of what that leap would mean.
“I don’t know what to do with this,” I whispered, my voice strained with the weight of everything I was feeling. “I don’t know how to stop this from ruining everything.”
Landon’s eyes softened, his lips barely moving as he spoke again, this time with a sincerity that cut through the chaos in my mind. “You don’t have to have all the answers right now. I’m not asking for that. But I’m not going anywhere, Jeremy. I’m not leaving.”
Before I could respond, before I could think of a way to push him away or argue, Landon closed the gap between us. His hands gripped my shoulders, pulling me toward him with a force that was both commanding and gentle. I barely had time to react before his lips were on mine—slow, soft, but full of all the emotions we’d both been holding back.
The kiss was like a revelation, a release of everything we’d been hiding from. It wasn’t just about passion, about need. It was something deeper, something real. In that kiss, I felt everything—his desperation, his longing, his raw emotion—and I felt my own in return.
When he pulled away, our breaths ragged and uneven, I could see the unspoken understanding between us. This was more than just a fleeting moment. This was something we couldn’t ignore anymore, no matter how hard we tried.
“Then let’s stop pretending,” I said, my voice hoarse.
Landon smiled, his fingers brushing through my hair as he pulled me close once more. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Chapter 23: More Than War
Chapter Text
The next few days passed in a blur of tension, as if the entire world had collectively held its breath, waiting for something to break. The war raged on, but there was a new force between Landon and me. The kiss had ignited something—something neither of us could ignore, something that had changed everything.
I’d expected distance. I’d expected Landon to retreat, to give me space, or even to use this as a moment of leverage in our deadly game. But instead, he was there. Not just physically—he was there in ways that made my chest ache with the weight of his presence. Every conversation, every glance, every touch was loaded with things we both tried to ignore, but failed at.
We couldn’t talk about it. Not directly. Not yet. But it hung between us like a wall, keeping us both on edge. It was no longer just about power or control—it was about us, and that frightened me more than anything else.
One evening, after yet another war strategy meeting, I found myself pacing in my office. The map of the city was sprawled out before me, the marked locations of Creighton’s operations making my stomach churn. This was bigger than Landon and me—this was life and death for everyone involved. Yet, when I closed my eyes, all I could feel was his touch, his scent, his warmth.
A knock on the door broke my concentration, and I didn’t need to guess who it was. Landon.
“Jeremy,” he said, voice heavy with meaning. “We need to talk.”
I turned, nodding silently as he entered. He closed the door behind him with deliberate calm, but there was an intensity to his movements that betrayed his unease.
“I’ve been thinking,” he began, his gaze locking onto mine. “About what’s happening between us. About the war.”
I crossed my arms, trying to guard myself against the pull of his presence. “You don’t need to think about it, Landon. You know what’s at stake here.”
He stepped closer, the space between us charged with unspoken words. “I do. But I’m not talking about the war. I’m talking about us. What we are… or what we could be.”
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my emotions in check. “What does that even mean? We’re on opposite sides, Landon. That hasn’t changed.”
He reached out, a steady hand brushing against my arm, sending a ripple of warmth through me. “It could, Jeremy. It could change. If you let it.”
The weight of his words crashed into me, and for the first time in days, I allowed myself to admit the truth: I wanted him. More than I wanted the war to end. More than I wanted power. More than anything.
“I don’t know if I can let it,” I whispered, my voice betraying the turmoil inside me. “Everything is too complicated. You’re too complicated.”
Landon’s face softened, but there was a fire in his eyes. “Maybe we’re both complicated. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make this work. We have to try, Jeremy. For both of us.”
My breath hitched, the intensity of the moment catching me off guard. And for a heartbeat, I thought I might say yes. I might give in to everything I’d been holding back. But then I thought about the consequences—the political fallout, the war, everything I had worked for.
“I can’t,” I said finally, pulling away from him. “I can’t let you pull me into this. Not when so much is at risk.”
Landon stared at me, his expression unreadable. “You’re already in it, Jeremy,” he said softly. “We both are.”
Chapter 24: Beneath the Surface
Chapter Text
The battle was closing in. As Creighton’s forces pushed forward, every piece of the plan had to align perfectly or we would lose everything. Yet, despite the looming threat of war, the intensity between Landon and I didn’t dissipate. If anything, it seemed to grow, feeding off the pressure and the uncertainty.
I couldn’t avoid him. We were stuck in this together, whether I liked it or not. The mission was too big for either of us to back down, but the more I saw him—felt him—the more I questioned my decisions.
It was late one night, and I found myself at the war room again, pouring over the intelligence reports. The others had gone to bed, but I couldn’t sleep. Not when the weight of our next move could determine the outcome of everything.
The door opened behind me, and I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.
“You’re still here,” Landon said, his voice tinged with amusement, though I could hear the exhaustion underneath.
“Couldn’t sleep,” I muttered, not looking up. “Too much on my mind.”
He walked in, settling into the chair across from me, his gaze never leaving mine. “Is that all?”
I stopped what I was doing and finally met his eyes. The distance between us had closed, and I couldn’t bring myself to put up the same walls I had once relied on. “You’re distracting me.”
Landon smirked, leaning forward. “I didn’t think you were the type to get distracted, Jeremy.”
I clenched my jaw. “I’m not. But this isn’t just about strategy, is it? It’s not just about the war. It’s about us, isn’t it?”
His expression softened. “Maybe. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. Not if we both stop fighting it.”
I couldn’t believe how simple he made it sound. As if what we were doing, what we were feeling, could be washed away with a few words. But I knew better. I knew it wasn’t that easy.
“You’re asking me to choose, Landon,” I said, my voice low. “To choose between the war and you. Between everything I’ve fought for, and what?”
“Us,” he replied, without hesitation. “Yes, Jeremy. I’m asking you to choose us. To choose what we could have, despite everything else.”
I looked at him then, really looked at him, and felt a flicker of something more. A connection. An undeniable pull.
But was it enough?
Chapter 25: The Point of No Return
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The decision came faster than I had anticipated. The next phase of the operation was set to begin, and everything we had planned for was about to unfold. The risks were astronomical, but there was no going back.
I met Landon’s gaze across the war room table, both of us standing at the helm of a mission that could change everything. For the first time, I wasn’t focused on the plan. I was focused on him.
“You ready?” Niko asked, looking between us, sensing the change in the air.
I nodded, though my mind was racing. “Let’s do it.”
The operation was underway, and the room was filled with the sharp clicks of phones and whispered commands. Every moment felt like it was happening in slow motion, but there was no time to second-guess.
Landon stayed close, our movements synchronized, our eyes locking in silent communication. The weight of everything—our partnership, our loyalty, our bond—felt heavier than ever.
As the team dispersed to execute their parts, I found myself standing with Landon, just the two of us in the shadows of the mission room.
“This could be it, you know,” Landon said softly. “We could lose.”
I swallowed hard. “We could. But we won’t. We can’t afford to.”
Landon stepped closer, his breath a soft whisper against my ear. “Jeremy…”
I turned to face him, the unspoken words hanging between us.
“I’m not afraid anymore,” he whispered.
And in that moment, neither was I.
Notes:
I know this is a very short chapter but I couldn’t think of anything.
the next will be longer I promise!
Chapter 26: The Heart of the Storm
Chapter Text
The chaos unfolded faster than I could process. As soon as we breached the compound, it felt like the entire world shifted. It was as if time slowed and sped up all at once. The sound of gunfire echoed in my ears, ricocheting off the walls, adding to the growing tension that had settled in my chest.
Landon and I were moving through the hallways of the compound like ghosts, silent and swift, our footsteps barely audible against the concrete floors. Every corner we turned, every door we passed, there was the constant threat that someone—someone with a gun, someone who was loyal to Creighton—was just waiting to ambush us.
I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, the adrenaline pumping through my veins, sharpening every sense. But there was something else under the rush of blood and panic—something deeper, more insistent. Landon.
We hadn’t spoken much since the briefing. Our focus had been on the mission, on staying alive, but every time our eyes met in passing, there was a silent understanding between us. The urgency of the situation, the stakes, had only heightened the pull I felt toward him. Despite everything we had been through—despite the war and all the dangerous games we had played—there was something about him I couldn’t resist.
We reached the final door—the one that led to Creighton’s inner sanctum. My heart was in my throat now. This was it. This was the moment that could determine everything.
Landon’s hand brushed mine for just a moment, a fleeting touch that sent a jolt through me. I wanted to say something. To ask if he was ready, if he was prepared for the storm that was about to break. But the words wouldn’t come. Instead, I just nodded at him, and we both moved forward.
The door swung open with a burst of force.
The room inside was dimly lit, a stark contrast to the chaos just beyond its walls. Creighton stood at the far end, surrounded by a few of his most trusted men. His eyes locked onto mine as he saw us enter, and I could feel the tension between us instantly. There was no need for words; everything had been leading up to this moment.
“Jeremy,” Creighton greeted, his voice smooth, mocking even. “I’ve been expecting you. I didn’t think it would take you this long to find me.”
“You’ve always been good at hiding, Creighton,” I replied, my voice colder than I intended. “But this ends tonight.”
Landon stepped forward, his movements sharp and calculated, his gaze never leaving Creighton. “We’re done playing games, Creighton. Your reign is over.”
For a moment, it felt like time froze again. The air in the room became thick with anticipation, each of us waiting for the other to make the first move. My hand hovered over the gun at my side, and I could see the same tension in Landon’s eyes.
“You really think you can take me down, Jeremy?” Creighton’s voice was laced with disdain. “You’re just a pawn in a game you don’t even understand. This isn’t just about power. This is about survival. Something you’ve never had to fight for.”
The words stung more than I cared to admit. The truth was, he was right. We had all been fighting for survival in one form or another, but I wasn’t about to let him win.
Before I could say anything, a loud crash echoed through the room, followed by the unmistakable sound of a gunshot. My heart dropped as I turned, seeing Landon fall to the floor, his body hitting the ground with a sickening thud. The room seemed to spin, my vision blurring as I reached for him, desperate to get to him before it was too late.
But the world had gone into chaos. Gunfire erupted from all sides, and I was pulled away from Landon’s side as I was forced to defend myself. My pulse was a frantic beat in my ears as I fired back, each shot fueled by rage and fear.
I could see Landon, struggling to rise from the floor, his hand clutching his side. His breath was labored, but he was still alive. That thought alone gave me the strength I needed to push through the chaos.
“Landon!” I shouted, my voice barely rising above the din of gunfire.
He looked up at me, his eyes filled with pain, but there was something else in them too—determination, defiance. “Don’t let them win,” he rasped, his voice barely a whisper.
With a surge of adrenaline, I dove toward him, knocking aside an enemy soldier who had been aiming at me. I grabbed Landon’s arm and pulled him up, my body acting on instinct as I shielded him from further fire.
“We’re not done yet,” I muttered, the words more for myself than for him.
The final moments of the battle were a blur. I couldn’t focus on anything except getting us both out of there. But the mission was slipping through my fingers, and the cost of it was growing heavier with every passing second.
We made it out, but the victory was bittersweet. The moment we stepped outside, I could hear the sirens in the distance, signaling the arrival of reinforcements. The battle was far from over.
Landon, though weakened, still managed a faint smile as he leaned against me. “Told you,” he murmured. “We weren’t done yet.”
But I knew better than to believe that. The war wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
Aurora_T09 on Chapter 3 Tue 25 Mar 2025 09:20PM UTC
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Mrsprincessxc on Chapter 3 Wed 26 Mar 2025 06:45PM UTC
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