The world outside the car windows exploded into total chaos. Gunfire rattled against the reinforced metal doors, sounding like heavy rain hitting a tin roof. The driver was struggling with the wheel, his face pale as another hit from the black SUV pushed their rear tires off the asphalt.

"Move!" Harrison roared, his voice cutting through the noise.

He didn’t wait for the driver to answer. Harrison climbed over the center console, his large frame forcing the driver into the passenger seat. He grabbed the steering wheel with both hands and slammed his foot down on the gas pedal.

The heavy engine screamed, the tires smoking as Harrison forced the car to spin around, scraping hard against the side of the enemy vehicle. The sound of metal tearing was deafening.

"Julius, stay down!" Harrison barked, his eyes fixed on the rearview mirror.

Julius stayed pressed against the floor of the backseat, his hands covering his head. He could feel every bump, every sharp turn as Harrison yanked the car into a narrow side alley, completely ignoring the traffic laws.

Another burst of gunfire hit the back window, spiderwebbing the thick glass but failing to break through. Harrison drove like a man possessed. He swerved through the tight back streets, cutting through a commercial delivery lane and knocking over several metal trash bins to block the path of the vehicles behind them.

He knew these streets better than anyone, and within three minutes of high-speed racing, the sound of the pursuing engines began to fade into the distance. With one final, violent turn, Harrison guided the damaged car down a steep concrete ramp leading into the private, underground garage of his high-rise tower.

The massive steel garage door rolled down behind them, locking with a heavy, automated click that finally brought the silence back. Julius let out a long breath, his hands trembling slightly as he sat up on the leather seat.

He opened the door and stepped out onto the concrete floor, his knees feeling a little weak.

"Is everyone okay?" Julius asked, his voice shaking with a mix of adrenaline and residual anger.

The two security guards in the front seat nodded, their faces covered in sweat. Harrison didn’t answer immediately. He turned off the engine, pulled the key out, and opened the driver’s door.

As he stepped out into the dim light of the garage, Julius’s eyes widened. The back of Harrison’s jacket was torn, and a thick, dark stain was spreading rapidly across the right shoulder of his white shirt.

A piece of metal or glass from the shattered side window must have sliced right through him during the first impact.

"Harrison, you’re bleeding," Julius said, his anger instantly vanishing, replaced by a sudden wave of panic. He stepped closer, reaching out toward the wound.

"It’s nothing," Harrison said, his voice flat as he tried to shrug his shoulder, though his jaw tightened from the pain. "Just a scratch. Let’s get upstairs."

"Don’t give me that bullshit," Julius said, his panic turning into a protective focus. "You’re dripping onto the floor. Walk to the elevator right now."

Harrison looked at him, seeing the stubborn look in Julius’s eyes, and didn’t argue. They took the private elevator straight to the penthouse in complete silence.

The elevator opened directly into the large, modern living room, but Julius didn’t take a moment to look around. He grabbed Harrison by his uninjured arm and pulled him toward the kitchen area.

"Sit down in that chair," Julius commanded, pointing to a heavy wooden chair near the counter.

Harrison sat down, letting out a low grunt. Julius moved quickly around the penthouse, finding a first-aid kit in the main bathroom. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He walked back, dumping the rolls of bandages, antiseptic, and towels onto the table.

"Take off the jacket and shirt," Julius said, his voice firm.

Harrison carefully peeled off his ruined suit jacket, then began to undo the buttons of his shirt with his left hand. Julius stepped in to help, his fingers working quickly to get the bloody clothe away from the skin.

The cut was deep, stretching across the back of Harrison’s shoulder, the red blood still oozing down his pale skin.

Julius took a clean cloth and soaked it in warm water, gently pressing it against the wound to clear away the excess blood. The moment his fingers brushed against Harrison’s bare skin, the heavy, dark scent of the Enigma filled the space between them.

It was thick with the adrenaline of the fight, making Julius’s own blood run hot.

"You need to be more careful," Julius whispered, his eyes focused entirely on the cut as he wiped it clean. "You drive like a lunatic."

"I was trying to keep you from being taken," Harrison said, his voice dropping into that low, intimate rumble.

He didn’t move his body, but his eyes were fixed on Julius’s face, watching the way Julius’s lips parted slightly as he worked. The proximity was starting to change the air in the room, erasing the fear of the ambush and replacing it with the raw, heavy tension of their bond.

Julius poured the antiseptic over the cut. Harrison didn’t flinch, his eyes never leaving Julius’s face.

"You’re a terrible patient," Julius muttered, leaning in closer to apply a large bandage over the clean skin. He could feel Harrison’s warm breath against his collarbone.

Suddenly, Harrison reached out with his left hand, his fingers wrapping firmly around Julius’s waist. He pulled him forward, forcing Julius to step between his knees.

Julius gasped, his hands resting on Harrison’s uninjured shoulder for balance.

"Harrison, stop. I’m trying to finish this," Julius said, though his voice lacked any real strength.

"I don’t care about the shoulder," Harrison whispered.

He leaned forward, his face burying into the crook of Julius’s neck, breathing in the scent of his Alpha. The touch was desperate, full of the territorial hunger that always followed a near-death experience.

Harrison’s grip tightened on Julius’s waist, pulling him so close their chests were crushed together.

Harrison tilted his head back, his dark eyes locking onto Julius’s mouth. He leaned up and kissed him—a deep, heavy, and demanding kiss.

Julius let out a soft moan, his fingers tangling in Harrison’s messy hair, pulling him closer as his tongue met Harrison’s. The heat from the night before came rushing back, a wild fire that threatened to burn through Julius’s resolve.

Harrison’s hand started to slide down toward Julius’s trousers, his grip possessive, his intentions completely clear. He wanted to take him right there, to use the physical connection to quiet the dark panic in his mind.

But just as the kiss grew hotter, Julius found his strength. He planted his palms against Harrison’s chest and pulled his mouth away, drawing a deep breath of cool air.

Harrison tried to pull him back down, his eyes dark with confusion and frustration.

"Julius..."

"No," Julius said. He stepped back, breaking Harrison’s grip on his waist, though his own breathing was ragged and his body was aching for the touch.

He straightened his clothes and looked Harrison dead in the eye, his face serious.

Harrison stared up at him from the chair. "What are you doing?"

"I’m setting a boundary," Julius said, his voice steady despite the heat still pulsing through his veins. "No more sex until you talk to me. You promised to tell me exactly who those people are."

Harrison’s jaw tightened, his brow furrowing as he looked at the Alpha.

"Julius, I told you—"

"We are home already," Julius interrupted, crossing his arms over his chest. "We almost died out there today. Those men weren’t trying to scare us; they were trying to kill us. If I am the target, I need to know who the people are. No more ’later’."

Harrison let out a low, deeply frustrated groan, his head falling back against the top of the chair. He looked at Julius, seeing the absolute determination in the man’s eyes, and realized that for the first time, his Enigma dominance wasn’t going to force a surrender.

Julius meant every word.

"You’re going to drive me crazy," Harrison muttered, his hand reaching up to rub his face.

"Then start talking," Julius said.