Chapter 3

After resolving last night's misunderstanding, I slept incredibly peacefully. Before Kane left for work this morning, he kissed my forehead and said, "Contact me immediately if anything happens."

At two in the afternoon, while working at the coffee shop, I was still savoring that sense of security. After last night's ordeal, our trust had grown deeper than ever.

But the moment I looked up, my blood turned to ice.

Diego.

He sat in the corner booth, those familiar brown eyes staring at me with cold malice, his lips curved in that bone-chilling smile that made my skin crawl. The glass in my hand nearly slipped from my grasp.

No... how did he find me?

Diego slowly rose to his feet, walking toward me. His tall, lean frame and the large tattoos covering his left arm were as striking as I remembered, but his eyes held a more dangerous glint than before.

"Miss me, baby?" His voice was low and raspy, like a serpent's hiss.

I instinctively stepped back. "Diego... you... you're out?"

"Three days ago." He sneered coldly. "First thing I did was come find you. Looks like you're doing well for yourself. Got a new 'protector'?"

The other customers in the café seemed to sense the menacing atmosphere and began leaving uneasily. Soon, it was just the two of us.

"Leave, Diego. We're over." I tried to make my voice sound firm, but the tremor betrayed my fear.

He approached the counter, placing both hands on the marble surface and leaning forward. "Over?" His laughter sent chills down my spine. "You think finding yourself a cop will get you away from me?"

"Kane isn't just any ordinary police officer..."

"Kane?" A vicious gleam flashed in Diego's eyes. "You mean 'The Reaper' Kane Cross?"

How did he know Kane's name? My heart sank even deeper.

"I hear he's pretty tough, but baby..." Diego reached out to touch my face. I jerked away sharply. "He's just playing with you. I'm the one who truly knows you. Come with me. I've got new backing now, can give you real protection."

"What backing?" The words escaped before I could stop them.

Diego's smile turned even more sinister. "You don't need to know too much. Just know that I'm more powerful now than I ever was. That drug business... was just the beginning."

My blood froze again. What was he implying? Connections with drug cartels?

"Get lost, Diego. I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Is that so?" His voice suddenly turned ice-cold. "You think you have a choice?"

While he wasn't paying attention, I quietly reached for the emergency button in my uniform pocket. Kane had given it to me, saying, "Just press it, and I'll be there in five minutes."

But Diego noticed my movement the next second.

"What are you reaching for?" He grabbed my wrist, but I had already pressed that small red button.

Seeing the expression on my face, Diego's features turned vicious. "You called for help? You bitch! Think your cop can save you?"

"Let go of me!" I struggled desperately, but he was too strong.

"Rights?" Diego gripped my wrist viciously, so hard I nearly cried out. "I gave you the best years of my life, and this is how you betray me? Now you're with that cop, think you're some kind of high-class woman?"

He began dragging me toward the back door. "You're coming with me today. I'm going to show you what a real man is!"

"No!" I fought back desperately, but his hands were like iron clamps. "Diego, please..."

"Please?" He laughed coldly. "Too late. You should have faced reality sooner."

In less than four minutes, the front door of the café was violently pushed open with a thunderous crash.

Kane stood in the doorway, his silhouette as imposing as a storm. His eyes were the coldest shade of gray-blue I'd ever seen, his entire being radiating lethal danger.

"Let her go."

Kane's voice was low and menacing, a growl that seemed to come from the depths of hell itself. Diego's grip noticeably loosened.

"Kane..." I wanted to run to him, but Diego tightened his hold on me again.

"So you're him?" Diego tried to appear calm, but I could feel the tension in his body. "The famous Reaper detective? Nothing special..."

Kane didn't speak, just continued walking toward us. Each step seemed to land on Diego's heart.

"I'm warning you, cop!" Diego's voice began to shake. "I've got people behind me. Try me!"

Kane finally stopped, only three steps away from us. His gaze swept over my reddened wrist, and his expression became even more terrifying.

"People behind you?" Kane's lips curved slightly upward in a smile colder than ice. "That's good. I was just wondering how to find your suppliers."

The next second, Kane moved with lightning speed, grabbing Diego by the collar and giving him no chance to resist.

He dragged him like a rag doll toward the door, then slammed him hard against the police car parked outside. The entire sequence was so swift and brutal I could barely process what had happened.

"You know what?" Kane whispered in Diego's ear, his voice so low only they could hear, but I saw Diego's face turn ashen instantly. "You touch her once, and I'll use your drug dealing evidence to have you 'specially looked after' in prison until you're old. Understand?"

"You... how do you know..." Diego's voice completely changed pitch.

"I know more than you can imagine." Kane's smile grew more dangerous. "Including your relationship with that new group in the West District. You think they'd protect a low-level runner and risk pissing off LAPD's Major Crimes Unit?"

Diego began trembling violently. "I... I didn't..."

"Didn't?" Kane pulled out his phone, the screen displaying a photo of an evidence bag. "Remember this?' His voice was deadly calm. 'Found it in your apartment three months ago. Case number 2024-0847. Currently sitting in evidence locker B-12.' He tilted the phone so Diego could see clearly. 'More than enough to put you away for ten years."

Kane paused, and Diego was already sweating.

"Now you have two choices. First, get out of Josie's life forever, get out of Los Angeles. Second, I let you experience what 'legal but lethal' legal procedures feel like."

"I... I choose the first! The first!" Diego was almost crying as he said it.

Kane released him, and Diego immediately stumbled away from the scene, not daring to look back.

Watching Diego's fleeing figure disappear around the corner, I realized I'd been shaking the entire time. Kane turned around and quickly walked toward me.

"Josie..." His voice instantly became gentle, nothing like the terrifying 'Reaper' from moments before.

"Kane!" I couldn't hold back anymore and threw myself into his arms. He held me tightly, one hand gently stroking my hair.

"No one can hurt you, I promise." He whispered softly in my ear.

"I thought... I thought he would..." I trembled in his embrace, the fear still not completely gone.

"He wouldn't dare, never would dare." Kane's voice was as firm as a vow. "As long as I'm here, no one can touch a hair on your head."

I looked up at him, those eyes that had been cold as ice now gentle as spring water. "How did you get here so fast?"

"I was patrolling two blocks away when I got your signal. Dropped everything and raced over." He used his thumb to gently wipe the tear tracks on my cheeks. "In the future, if you encounter any danger, contact me immediately. Don't be afraid, don't hesitate."

"But you were working..."

"Nothing is more important than you." He interrupted me. "I can find another job, get another partner, but there's only one Josie Miller."

Those words nearly made my heart stop beating. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his jaw. "Thank you, Kane."

"Silly girl." He chuckled softly, but there was a worry in his eyes I'd never seen before. "This 'new backing' Diego mentioned... I need to investigate. You need to be extra careful these next few days."

"Do you think he'll come back?"

Kane's expression grew serious. "People like Diego don't necessarily give up after being humiliated. But..." He held me tightly. "I'll be ready. If he dares show up again, next time won't just be threats."

As the sun set, only the two of us remained in the coffee shop. Kane examined my wrist, and only after confirming I wasn't injured did he truly relax.

"Let's go home." He took my hand. "I'm staying with you tonight."

As we left the café, I glanced back at the corner where Diego had been sitting. The demons of my past had temporarily retreated, but I knew the real test might just be beginning.

But it didn't matter, because I had Kane. My guardian, my Reaper detective.

Before him, all demons would cower in fear.