Chapter 22 Dark Pursuits-2
75 Points
Chapter 22: Dark Pursuits-2
Damien didn’t even glance at the screen. He grabbed it in one swift motion, already knowing who it
was.
“Talk,” he said, his voice like gravel over ice.
James’s voice was tense but controlled. “We found a property registered under Beckett-hidden, undeclared, off the grid. It’s a lake house outside the city. We’re moving in.”
“Send me the address. Now,” Damien ordered, his voice a blade slicing through the quiet.
The moment the call ended, he was already shrugging into his coat. Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, gilding the hard wood floors and casting long, sterile shadows – but nothing about the morning felt bright.
His jaw was tight. His stride, unforgiving.
The warmth of the late morning air didn’t touch him as he stepped outside.
Only the fury did.
Damien stepped out of his office with purpose, his coat already in hand. The polished floors of the executive wing echoed under his shoes, but he barely registered the sound. His expression was carved from ice-jaw set, eyes sharp, and burning beneath the surface.
The elevator ride down was silent.
When the doors opened at the ground level, his driver was already waiting.
A sleek black SUV idled at the curb in front of the building’s private entrance, engine humming, tinted windows glinting under the morning sun. As Damien approached, the driver stepped out immediately and opened the back door without a word.
Damien slid in, pulling the door shut with a sharp click.
Damien pulled out his phone from his coat pocket-the one that only had five numbers in it. The one he used when the law was an obstacle, not a solution.
He hit the speed dial.
One ring.
A familiar voice answered, casual and amused. “Thought you were dead. What’s the emergency- stock market crash or are we moving a body?”
“I need your help,” Damien said, his voice quiet. Tense.
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Chapter 22 Dark Pursuits-2
The joking vanished like smoke. “Talk to me.”
“She’s gone.”
A pause.
“Who?”
Damien hesitated, jaw clenched. “Maya.”
There was silence.
Then the voice said slowly, “Maya Thompson?”
Damien stiffened. “…You know?”
+25 Points
A low chuckle rolled through the line. “I know everything Blackwood. Don’t insult me. One of my guys flagged it. Said your man Horton was digging hard into someone named Beckett.”
Silence.
Damien’s grip tightened. “She matters.”
That was all.
But it was enough.
“You really care about this one, huh?” his friend asked, softer now. “Didn’t think we’d see the day.”
Damien didn’t answer immediately.
“Neither did I,” he admitted. “But if he lays a hand on her…”
“He won’t.” The voice turned to steel. “Because we’ll get to him first.”
Silence settled. Not empty. Just full.
Then, casually, like they hadn’t just discussed hunting a man down, the voice added with a smirk: Same place? I’ll have the boys warm the room. Chains, spotlight, plastic sheets-your usual welcome package? Or should I add rose petals and candles?”
A ghost of a smirk tugged at Damien’s lips. “Just make sure he stays alive long enough to
understand what he did.”
His friend gave a low whistle. “Shit. You’re serious. Haven’t seen you like this since…”
He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to.
Damien’s voice dropped to a whisper.
Chapter 22 Dark Pursuits 2
“He laid a hand on her.”
A pause, then softer: “I’ll handle this personally.”
Damien exhaled, tension still coiled like wire under his skin. “Thank you.”
25 Points
“Just remember,” the man added with a faint smirk, “you rule the empire everyone sees. But I keep the kingdom no one dares to whisper about. If you’re crossing lines again-be sure.”
“I crossed it the second he took her.”
His friend laughed. “Atta boy. I’ll see you soon, Blackwood.”
The call ended.
They had grown up together – brothers not by blood, but by survival. Where Damien built empires in the daylight, his best friend ruled the shadows, commanding a world where names could vanish, and lives could be erased without a whisper. They ruled different realms-one could crash economies with a signature; the other could collapse a kingdom with a bullet.
Damien stared out the window, the sunlight catching the sharp line of his jaw as the car slipped
into motion.
He didn’t speak during the drive. Rage sat beside him like a living thing, breathing down his neck.
No one touched what was his.
Not without consequences.
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Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.