Chapter 50

The next few seconds felt like an eternity. Time stretched out like a piece of warm taffy, each moment more tense than the last. Morales's eyes flicked between us, a crazed grin playing on his lips. He knew he was cornered, but the woman in his grasp was his last card to play.

Ethan took a step forward, his voice calm and steady. "Let her go, Morales. It's over."

Morales' grip tightened around the woman's throat, his knuckles turning white. "You think you can just waltz in here and take me down? I've outsmarted you all along!"

I took a step closer, my own gun shaking slightly in my hand. "We know what you've done. We have enough evidence to put you away for life. Just let her go."

He laughed, a chilling sound that bounced off the metal walls of the warehouse. "You think I care about that? I've got nothing to lose!"

With a swift movement, Ethan lunged forward, tackling Morales to the ground. The woman gasped for air as the knife clattered to the floor. I rushed over, kicking the weapon out of reach and helping her to her feet. She was shaking uncontrollably, her eyes wide with terror.

"You're safe," I murmured, wrapping my arms around her. "You're safe now."

Behind us, the struggle continued. Ethan and Morales rolled around in the dust, each fighting for dominance. The woman, still gasping for breath, managed to whisper, "He has... another... another one."

My heart sank. Another victim, trapped somewhere in this hellish maze of a building. I had to find her. "Stay here," I instructed, pushing the woman behind a crate.

Leaving the safety of the light, I ventured into the shadows, the darkness swallowing me whole. The cold metal of my gun was the only comfort I had as I moved through the warehouse, listening for any sign of life.

The cries grew louder, and I followed them to a padlocked door. My heart pounded in my chest as I yelled, "Ethan! Over here!"

He was by my side in an instant, his own gun drawn. We exchanged a quick nod before he took a step back and kicked the door in. It splintered open, revealing a terrified young girl, bound and gagged in the corner.

Together, we rushed in, cutting her free and assuring her that we were the good guys. She trembled as we led her out of the room, the horror of her experience etched into every line of her face.

As we emerged into the main space, I saw Morales lay on the ground, cuffed and bleeding. The woman we'd saved was speaking to the officers who'd arrived in response to our backup call.

We looked at each other, the weight of what we'd just done settling on us. We'd caught the killer.

"We need to talk," Ethan said, his voice gruff.

I nodded, my throat tight. "We do."

But for now, we had to deal with the aftermath of our case. The paperwork, the debriefing, the comforting of the victims' families. It was a grim reality that we couldn't escape, no matter how much we wanted to.

As we sat in the quiet of the precinct, the sun rising outside, we knew that our world had shifted on its axis. We'd found the monster we'd been hunting.

The days that followed were a blur of interrogations and press conferences. Morales was charged with the murders, and the city breathed a collective sigh of relief. However, Ethan and I avoided each other when we could. But when it wasn’t possible, the silence was deafening. It was as if the echoes of our passionate encounters had taken up residence between us, a constant reminder of what we hadn’t talked about.

The press hounded us, praising us as heroes, but the only thing I felt was guilt. Guilt for what I’d done and guilt for the way I’d allowed it to affect others.

One evening, after a particularly grueling day, I found Ethan in the gym, punching a bag with a ferocity that made me flinch. He looked up as I approached, his eyes dark and stormy.

"You okay?" I asked tentatively.

He didn't stop, his fists flying. "You tell me, Nico."

I sighed, leaning against the wall. "I'm sorry."

He paused, wiping the sweat from his brow. "For what? For being human? For wanting me?"

The words hung in the air, and I felt a lump form in my throat. "For both, I guess."

He stalked over to me, his chest heaving. "Don't you dare apologize for feeling something. Not to me."

Our eyes met, and for a moment, the world around us disappeared. It was just us, two lost souls trying to find their way in the chaos.

"What do you want from me, Ethan?" I whispered.

He reached out, cupping my cheek with a tenderness that made me want to weep. "I want you to acknowledge what's between us. I want you to tell me you feel it too."

I searched his eyes, the love I felt for him burning like a supernova in my chest., but I knew it was an admission I could never say. "I can’t admit to what I don’t feel,” I muttered.

He leaned in, his breath warm against my skin. "You’re lying,” he breathed, then kissed me. It was a kiss that spoke of love and need, of a bond that had been forged in the heat of battle and tested in the coldest of waters.

We broke apart, both of us panting. "Don’t," I muttered my voice low, before turning I walked away. I knew that no matter what my future held, it wouldn’t be with Ethan at my side when this case was finally wrapped up. But for now, we had to deal with the aftermath of our case. The trials, the media, the late-night calls from victims' families—it was a never-ending cycle of pain and retribution. Yet, as we stepped into the bright lights of the precinct, I felt weaker than ever. With Ethan by my side, I’d known we could conquer any obstacle thrown our way. But now, our hearts were bruised, but they were still beating—beating in time with the pulse of the city we'd sworn to protect.