Jay's POV
The moment I stepped out of the car, the air felt wrong.
Not just tense—heavy.
Like something bad had already happened… and I had just walked into the aftermath.
I exhaled slowly, adjusting my jacket as my eyes scanned the area. Empty warehouse. Broken lights. Shadows in every corner.
Classic.
"Jay."
I turned.
Marco was already walking toward me, his face tight with worry.
"You came," he said, like he wasn't sure I would.
I raised an eyebrow. "You called. I showed up. That's how this works."
His jaw tightened. "This isn't a normal fight."
"None of our fights are normal," I replied calmly.
"They asked for you. Specifically."
That made me pause for half a second.
Then I smirked. "Good. Saves time."
"Jay…" his voice softened, almost like a warning. "They're not amateurs."
I met his eyes.
"Neither am I."
Before he could say anything else, I stepped past him.
And then I saw them.
A group of men standing across the space—silent, still, watching.
Waiting.
For me.
My pulse slowed instead of racing.
That's when you know it's serious.
"Let's get this over with," I muttered.
Keifer's POV
The moment I reached the location, I knew something was off.
Too many people.
Too much noise.
Too much chaos.
Perfect.
I stepped out, cracking my neck slightly as my eyes landed on him.
Ram.
Standing there like he owned the place.
"Keifer," he smirked. "Miss me?"
I walked toward him slowly, hands in my pockets.
"You're still alive?" I said flatly. "That's disappointing."
His smirk widened. "Let's fix that."
Behind him, his men were already fighting mine.
No space for talking.
No space for hesitation.
Good.
I preferred it that way.
Jay's POV – The Fight
The first punch came fast.
Too fast.
I barely dodged it in time.
Oh.
They're good.
A second one came from the side—I blocked it, twisting my wrist and throwing him off balance before landing a hit straight to his ribs.
He dropped.
Another one rushed me.
Then another.
No breaks.
No gaps.
They kept coming.
I moved on instinct.
Dodge.
Strike.
Turn.
Hit.
My breathing stayed steady, controlled—but my muscles were already tightening from the constant motion.
These weren't random fighters.
They were trained.
And they weren't holding back.
A sharp sound cut through everything—
Gunshot.
For a split second, my brain didn't process it.
Then—
Pain.
A burning, tearing pain shot through my shoulder, forcing a sharp breath out of me.
I stumbled back slightly.
"Jay!" Marco's voice echoed somewhere far.
I pressed my lips together.
Don't react.
Don't slow down.
Another sound—
Another shot.
The second bullet hit my other shoulder.
This time, my knees almost gave out.
For a second, everything blurred.
My ears rang.
My vision dimmed.
I could feel the blood—warm, spreading, soaking through the fabric.
My hands trembled slightly.
Just for a second.
No.
Not now.
I straightened slowly, lifting my head.
"You're going to have to try harder than that," I said under my breath.
And then—
I moved again.
Faster.
Sharper.
Ignoring the pain.
Ignoring the weakness.
Every movement hurt—but I turned that pain into force.
Every hit I landed was heavier.
Colder.
Final.
And when it was over—
No one was standing.
Except me.
Jay – Aftermath
The silence felt louder than the fight.
My breathing was uneven now.
Not from exhaustion—
From pain.
Marco rushed to me. "Jay—oh my God, you're bleeding."
"I noticed," I said dryly.
"This is bad. We need to go to a hospital. Now."
"No."
"Jay—"
"I said no."
My voice came out colder than I intended.
But I couldn't afford weakness right now.
"Kit," I said, holding my hand out.
He hesitated.
"Now, Marco."
He handed it over.
I sat down on a broken crate, slowly pulling off my jacket.
Even I couldn't ignore it now.
Blood everywhere.
Both shoulders.
Deep.
Not surface wounds.
Marco looked away slightly. "You shouldn't be doing this yourself."
"I've done worse," I muttered.
My fingers worked with precision.
Clean.
Check entry.
Locate bullets.
The pain was unbearable when I pressed deeper.
My breath hitched.
But I didn't stop.
"You don't feel pain or what?" Marco whispered.
"I do," I said quietly. "I just don't let it control me."
It took time.
Too much time.
But finally—
Both bullets were out.
I exhaled shakily.
Bandage.
Pressure.
Secure.
I leaned back slightly, closing my eyes for a second.
Just a second.
"Jay…" Marco's voice softened. "Go home."
I nodded slowly.
"Yeah."
Home.
Keifer's POV – The Fight
Ram was enjoying this.
I could tell.
Every move he made was calculated.
Sharp.
Aggressive.
We circled each other like predators.
"You've gotten slower," he taunted.
I smirked faintly. "You've gotten more annoying."
He lunged.
I blocked.
Countered.
Hit.
He staggered, then came back harder.
We clashed again.
And again.
Neither of us backing down.
Then—
A sharp, sudden pain exploded near my waist.
I froze.
Just for a second.
That's all it took.
He pulled the knife out, stepping back with a satisfied look.
"You should pay more attention," he said.
I looked down.
Blood.
Warm.
Spreading.
My jaw clenched.
Slowly, I looked back up at him.
"Big mistake," I said quietly.
Something inside me snapped.
And after that—
I didn't hold back.
Keifer – Aftermath
By the time it ended, Ram was on the ground.
Not moving.
I stood there, breathing heavily, one hand pressed against my side.
"Boss—" one of my men rushed forward.
"I'm fine," I said sharply.
"You're bleeding badly."
"I said I'm fine."
Same words.
Same lie.
I grabbed the kit myself, sitting down.
My hands weren't as steady as I wanted them to be.
Annoying.
I cleaned the wound roughly.
Wrapped it.
Not perfect.
Didn't matter.
"I'm going home," I muttered.
Jay's POV – Home
Every step toward the house felt heavier.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
The moment I stepped inside—
I saw him.
Keifer.
Already home.
Lying on the bed.
Relief washed over me so suddenly it almost made me weak.
He's safe.
That's all that mattered.
Something still felt off.
But before I could think—
He stood up and walked straight to me.
And pulled me into a hug.
Pain shot through my shoulders instantly.
I froze for a split second.
But then—
I hugged him back.
Because that mattered more.
"Missed you," he murmured.
"I'm here," I whispered.
He pulled back slightly and looked at me.
His eyes softened.
Then he kissed me.
Soft.
Familiar.
Safe.
I responded gently, ignoring the pain building underneath.
Because for this moment—
I just wanted him.
Night – Discovery
Later, when he fell asleep, I couldn't.
Something kept bothering me.
Then I saw it.
Blood.
Near his waist.
My heart dropped.
"Keifer…" I whispered, sitting up.
No response.
I slowly lifted his shirt—
"Jay… what are you doing?" he murmured, half-awake.
"Stay still," I said firmly.
He went quiet.
The wound was badly dressed.
Messy.
Dangerous.
My chest tightened.
"What is this?" I asked softly.
"It's nothing."
I looked at him sharply. "This is not nothing."
Keifer's POV
She moved fast after that.
Too fast.
The kit she brought—
It wasn't normal.
"Where did you get that?" I asked.
"I was trained," she said simply.
"By who?"
"My mentor. A doctor."
That explained everything.
The way she handled things.
The way she stayed calm.
The way she took control.
Jay's POV
"Lie down," I said.
He didn't argue.
This time.
I worked carefully.
Cleaning.
Redressing.
Fixing what he messed up.
"You're reckless," I muttered.
"So are you," he replied.
I paused.
Then continued.
"Done."
"Stay," he said quietly.
"I will."
But I didn't.
Not completely.
Two Weeks
For two weeks—
I took care of him.
Every day.
Every night.
Medicines.
Dressings.
Food.
Monitoring his recovery.
He healed.
Slowly.
And me?
I hid everything.
The pain.
The weakness.
The nights I couldn't sleep because every movement hurt.
I stayed away while sleeping.
Scared I might hurt him.
He noticed.
But didn't ask.
Keifer's POV – The Truth
That night—
I saw it.
Blood.
On her shirt.
My chest tightened instantly.
"Jay," I said sharply.
She froze.
That told me everything.
I walked toward her.
"What is that?"
"Nothing."
"Don't lie."
I pulled her closer.
She resisted.
"Keifer—"
"Enough."
I lifted her shirt.
And froze.
Bandages.
Blood-stained.
My heart dropped.
"What… is this?"
Silence.
"Jay."
She finally spoke.
"I got shot."
Everything inside me went cold.
Anger. Fear. Love.
"You were shot?" I repeated.
She nodded slightly.
"And you didn't tell me?"
"I handled it."
"That's not the point!"
My voice came out louder than I meant.
But I couldn't stop.
"You were injured. And instead of resting, you took care of me?"
"I didn't want you to worry."
"I'm worried now!"
She looked at me quietly.
"I'm okay.""You're not," I said, softer this time. "And you don't have to do everything alone."
Jay's POV – Breaking
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
He exhaled slowly.
Then his expression softened.
"Come here."
This time—
I didn't hesitate.
Ending
He cleaned my wounds.
Carefully.
Gently.
Like I was fragile.
"You should've told me," he murmured.
"You should've dressed your wound properly," I replied softly.
A faint smile.
"Fair."
He helped me lie down.
And this time—
He stayed.
Close.
Protective.
Careful.
"No more hiding," he said quietly.
"No more," I agreed.
And for the first time in weeks—
The pain didn't feel so heavy.
Because we weren't carrying it alone anymore.