Chapter 5 When Enemies Knock

The sirens grew louder.

They cut through the night air below the balcony, sharp and insistent, echoing between buildings like a warning meant for anyone who understood the language of danger. Elara's fingers tightened around the cold metal railing as unease settled deep in her chest.

"They're not police," Nikolai said quietly.

She didn't ask how he knew. Something in his tone made it obvious-this wasn't speculation. It was certainty.

"Then who are they?" she asked.

"Men who don't care who they hurt," he replied. "And men who are very confident they'll walk away afterward."

That confidence frightened her more than the sirens themselves.

Nikolai turned away from the balcony and pulled his phone from his pocket, already moving. "Inside. Now."

Elara followed without arguing, instincts screaming that this was not the moment for defiance. The glass doors slid shut behind them as Nikolai crossed the living room with purposeful strides, issuing low commands into the phone.

"Lock down the east elevators. Roof access only for my people. If anyone gets past the lobby, they don't leave breathing."

Her stomach dropped.

He ended the call and turned to her. His expression had shifted-still controlled, but sharpened, lethal. This was the man the city feared.

"You stay here," he said, pointing toward the hallway. "Bedroom. Lock the door."

"No," she said immediately.

His eyes flashed. "This isn't a debate."

"I'm not hiding while you-" She stopped herself, breath catching. "I'm not useless."

Nikolai stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Elara, listen to me carefully. If you step into this, you don't get to step back out."

She met his gaze, heart pounding. "I already stepped into it the moment you dragged me off that street."

A long moment passed.

Then Nikolai exhaled slowly. "Stay where I can see you."

It wasn't permission.

It was compromise.

He moved to a concealed panel near the wall and pressed his palm against it. The surface slid open silently, revealing a weapons cache hidden behind polished marble.

Elara stared.

She had known-of course she had-but knowing in theory and seeing it were different things entirely. The sleek black metal, the precise organization, the casual familiarity with which Nikolai selected a gun and checked its weight-it stripped away any lingering illusions.

This wasn't a man pretending to be dangerous.

This was a man who lived in danger.

"You're armed?" she asked quietly.

"Yes."

"All the time?"

"Yes."

Her throat tightened. "Because of men like the ones coming now?"

"Because of everyone," he replied.

The sound of a heavy impact echoed faintly from below.

Elara flinched. "What was that?"

"They've reached the lobby."

Another sound followed-shouting this time. Raised voices. Then a sharp crack that made her blood run cold.

She looked at Nikolai. "Gunshot?"

"Yes."

Her chest constricted. "People are dying."

He met her gaze steadily. "People would die whether I was here or not. The difference is that my people die less."

The logic was brutal.

And terrifyingly calm.

His phone buzzed again. He answered instantly. "Report."

A voice crackled through the speaker, tense. "They're forcing the west stairwell. Heavy resistance. Looks like they knew our layout."

Nikolai swore under his breath. "How many?"

"Too many."

He ended the call and turned to Elara. "They're closer than expected."

Her pulse roared in her ears. "What do we do?"

"We move."

He grabbed her wrist-not roughly, but firmly-and pulled her toward the corridor behind the living area. The lights dimmed automatically as they moved, the penthouse responding to his presence like a living thing.

"This way," he said, pushing open a door that revealed a narrow passage she'd never seen before.

"A panic room?" she guessed.

"Something like that."

They entered a reinforced chamber hidden behind the walls, the door sealing shut behind them with a heavy click. The room was smaller, utilitarian-screens lining one wall, live camera feeds showing different parts of the building.

Elara's breath hitched as she watched armed men flood into the lobby below, chaos erupting across the screens.

"They're not your men," she whispered.

"No," Nikolai said grimly. "They're someone else's."

"Who?"

He hesitated. "Someone who thinks I've grown careless."

A violent explosion rocked the building.

Elara screamed as the floor trembled beneath her feet, lights flickering wildly.

Nikolai caught her instantly, pulling her against him, his arms solid and unyielding.

"It's okay," he said sharply. "I've got you."

The words hit her harder than the blast.

Her hands fisted into his shirt as she struggled to steady her breathing. She could feel his heartbeat beneath her palm-fast, but controlled.

"You're not afraid," she whispered.

"I am," he corrected. "I just don't let it control me."

Another explosion echoed, closer this time.

Elara pulled back slightly, looking up at him. "This is because of me, isn't it?"

His jaw tightened. "No."

"You said they knew your layout," she pressed. "They wouldn't come this hard unless they wanted something specific."

He didn't answer.

That was answer enough.

"They want leverage," she said slowly.

Nikolai's gaze darkened. "Yes."

"Me."

"Yes."

The truth settled heavily between them.

"They're trying to take me from you," she whispered.

His grip tightened imperceptibly. "They won't."

A sharp crack rang out on the speakers-gunfire, much closer now. One of the camera feeds went black.

"They're on this level," Elara said, fear creeping back in.

Nikolai released her and turned toward the weapons locker inside the room. "Stay behind me. Whatever happens, you do not move."

Her throat felt tight. "You're going to fight them."

"Yes."

"You might get hurt."

"I might," he agreed calmly.

"And if you do?"

His eyes flicked back to hers. "Then you survive."

Her chest ached. "You're talking like this is already decided."

"It is," he said. "They came for war. I'm better at it than they are."

The door shuddered violently.

Elara jumped as a muffled shout echoed from the other side.

"They know you're in here," she whispered.

Nikolai raised his weapon, positioning himself between her and the door. "I know."

The pounding grew louder.

"Last chance," she said urgently. "Let me hide somewhere else-"

"No."

The door buckled inward.

Gunfire exploded.

Nikolai fired back without hesitation, movements fluid and precise. Elara ducked instinctively, covering her ears as the noise tore through the small room.

Time blurred.

Shouts. Crashes. The smell of smoke.

Then-silence.

Nikolai lowered his weapon slowly, breathing controlled. He glanced back at her.

"Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, stunned. "You... you killed them."

"Yes."

The simplicity of his answer sent a shiver through her.

Sirens wailed again-closer now. Different this time.

Nikolai moved quickly, issuing commands into his phone. "Clean it up. I want everything gone before they arrive."

He turned back to Elara, his expression unreadable.

"This changes things," he said.

"How?" she asked hoarsely.

"Because now," he continued, "they know you matter."

Her pulse quickened. "And what does that mean for me?"

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "It means you're no longer just under my protection."

Her breath caught.

"You're under my guard," he finished.

The difference was subtle.

And terrifying.

Because protection could end.

Guarding never did.