Chapter 2 Shadow Games

SCARLETT'S POV

The desert sand burned against my bare arms as I rolled, the world spinning in a haze of pain and adrenaline. My dress that was once pristine white lace, was now torn and streaked with dirt, the fabric catching on thorny brush as I scrambled to my feet. Move. Keep moving.

Xavier's men would be on me in seconds. I could already hear shouts echoing through the canyon, the beams of flashlights cutting through the twilight. I ripped the remaining fabric of my wedding veil free, letting it flutter to the ground like a surrender flag. Joke's on them. Vaughns don't surrender. A gunshot cracked through the air, kicking up dust near my feet. Shit. I dove behind a cluster of boulders, my breath coming in sharp gasps. My temple throbbed where Xavier had hit me, the pain a dull, insistent drumbeat.

"You're making this harder than it needs to be, Scarlett!" Xavier's voice carried across the desert, smooth as whiskey and just as intoxicating. I pressed my back against the rock, fingers searching the ground for anything I could use as a weapon. A loose stone. A broken branch. Nothing.

"Hard is the only way I know how to do things, Cross!" I shouted back. Another gunshot. Closer this time. I needed a plan. The problem? I was in the middle of nowhere, barefoot, and wearing a wedding dress that now looked like it had gone through a shredder. Perfect. I risked a glance around the boulder. Three of Xavier's men fanned out, their guns raised. Xavier himself stood near the idling car, arms crossed, watching like this was all some entertaining game. Then I saw it. A motorcycle. Parked near the edge of the road, its chrome gleaming under the fading sunlight. Mine.

I didn't hesitate. I bolted, my bare feet slapping against the hard-packed earth. A shout went up behind me, followed by another gunshot. But I was already moving, already reaching for the bike. I swung a leg over the seat, my fingers closing around the handlebars. No key. Of course. Xavier's laughter curled through the air.

"Did you really think I'd make it that easy?" I gritted my teeth. "You're forgetting who you're dealing with." Then I ripped the wires beneath the ignition and sparked them together. The engine roared to life. Xavier's smirk faltered. I revved the throttle, kicking up dust as I peeled onto the road. His men lunged, but I was already gone, the wind whipping through my hair like a victory song. I didn't look back. I never looked back.

XAVIER'S POV

I watched her disappear into the horizon, the sound of the motorcycle fading into the desert night. My men stood frozen, waiting for orders. I didn't give any. Instead, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I knew by heart. It rang once before a familiar voice answered.

"You lost her." It wasn't a question. I smirked. "Temporarily." A pause. Then, "She's heading for the city. The Vaughn safe house near the docks." I exhaled slowly.

"You're sure?" "Positive." I pocketed the phone and turned to my men.

"Pack it up. We're going to Vegas." One of them frowned. "Sir, she could be anywhere by now-" I cut him off with a look.

"She's predictable." And that was the problem. Scarlett Vaughn was too good. Too smart. Too damn reckless. And I was the only one who knew exactly where she would go next.

SCARLETT

The safe house was exactly as Ileft it. Dusty. Dimly lit. And safe. I bolted the door behind me, my fingers trembling slightly as I reached for the hidden panel in the wall. The keypad beeped softly as I entered the code, the safe sliding open with a quiet hiss. Inside: cash, passports, a loaded Glock. And one file. Xavier Cross. I grabbed it, flipping through the pages. Surveillance photos. Bank records. Notes scribbled in my own handwriting. He remembers.

The words from the text haunted me. Remembered what? Our paths had crossed before-briefly, violently-but nothing that would explain this obsession. Unless... I froze. There was a photo missing. A single shot, taken three years ago in Berlin. Me, standing in an alley, blood on my hands. And Xavier, watching from the shadows. No. That mission had been black ops. Off the books. No one was supposed to know about it.

A floorboard creaked behind me. I spun, gun raised. The room was empty. But on the table, where there had been nothing before, sat a single black rose. And a note.

"You're not the only one who keeps secrets, Mrs. Cross." I swallowed hard. This wasn't a game anymore. This was war.

XAVIER (Later That Night)

The club was packed, bodies grinding to the pulse of bass-heavy music. I sat in the VIP section, a glass of bourbon in hand, watching the crowd. Waiting. Then I saw her. Scarlett moved through the crowd like a blade through silk-effortless, deadly. She had changed out of the wedding dress, opting for black leather pants and a fitted tank top that showed off the gun holstered at her hip. Predictable.

She slid into the seat across from me, her eyes blazing.

"You're a hard man to track down, Cross." I smirked. "And yet here you are." She leaned forward.

"What do you want?" I took a slow sip of my drink.

"You know what I want." "Then say it." I set the glass down.

"I want the file." She didn't flinch. "Which one?" "The one you stole from me in Berlin." Her jaw tightened. So she did remember. "Funny," she said softly.

"I don't recall stealing anything." I reached into my jacket and slid a photo across the table. Her breath hitched. It was her. Standing over a body. The wrong body.

"You were set up, Scarlett," I said quietly. "And I'm the only one who can prove it." She stared at the photo, her fingers trembling slightly. Then, in a flash, she had a knife pressed to my throat.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now." I didn't move.

"Because you're smart enough to know I'm not your enemy." She hesitated. That was all I needed. I grabbed her wrist, twisting the knife away before yanking her close. Our lips crashed together, the kiss fierce and bruising. She bit my lip. I laughed against her mouth.

"Still fighting dirty, I see." She pulled back just enough to glare at me. "You have no idea." Then the lights went out. And all hell broke loose.