Jay Jay's POV
The master bedroom was bathed in a soft, dim amber glow, the quiet hum of the estate's heavy security system providing a rhythmic background noise. I was buried deep beneath the plush silk sheets, but even in my sleep, my fingers remained tightly tangled in the cuff of Keifer's black button-down sleeve. It was my anchor. Every time I felt a flicker of the lingering pain in my stomach, the rough, familiar fabric reassured me that I wasn't alone.
Keifer shifted beside me, his thumb tracing a light line down my cheek. "Still awake, Little Bird?" he murmured, his voice a low, gravelly vibration in the dark.
I opened my eyes halfway, letting out a soft, sleepy pout. "You're too warm. It's hard to fall completely asleep."
A dangerous, devastatingly handsome smirk played on his lips. He leaned down, his breath brushing against my ear. "Then let me hold you closer. I can think of a few ways to tire you out so you sleep perfectly, but your brothers might actually murder me if I break your bed rest."
"Flirt," I whispered, my cheeks heating up as I hid my face against his chest. "You're supposed to be a terrifying syndicate boss."
"Only for the rest of the world," he whispered back, kissing the crown of my head. "For you, I'm whatever you want me to be."
A little while later, Keifer gently unclasped my fingers from his sleeve. "I'm going to take a quick shower. Stay exactly where you are."
I nodded sleepily. But barely ten minutes after the bathroom door closed and the sound of running water filled the suite, a sudden, burning thirst parched my throat. I looked at the nightstand—the glass was empty. The grand marble counter was just a few steps away across the room. I can walk three steps, I thought stubbornly, channeling the same defiance from earlier.
Grimacing against the sharp throb in my abdomen, I swung my legs over the bed. My feet hit the cold floor, and I took three agonizing, slow steps toward the water pitcher.
Click.
The bathroom door swung open, steam billowing out. Keifer stood there, a towel slung low around his waist, water droplets glistening on his broad shoulders. The moment his dark, pitch-black eyes landed on me standing on my own two feet, the soft, flirting warmth from earlier completely vanished. His jaw clenched so hard a muscle ticked.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" he roared, his voice thunderous and laced with pure fury.
I flinched, holding the glass tightly. "Keifer, I was just thirsty—"
"I told you not to move!" In two massive, sweeping strides, he crossed the room. He didn't care that he was dripping wet he ripped the glass from my hand, slammed it onto the table, and swept me up into his arms with terrifying force.
"You are actively trying to take years off my life," he growled angrily, though his hands were trembling as he placed me back onto the mattress. His anger quickly melted into an intense, suffocating care. He pulled the blankets all the way to my chin, tucked them tightly around my body, and poured the water himself, holding the glass to my lips with a strict glare. "If I have to tie you to this bed to keep you safe from your own stubbornness, Jay Jay, I swear to God I will."
I drank meekly, the exhaustion finally winning. As I began drifting off to sleep mid-sentence, murmuring a faint apology, Keifer's expression softened into deep, aching devotion.
Knowing he had to go downstairs to handle a security brief with my brothers, he quietly pulled a massive, human-sized teddy bear—the biggest one in the house—and tucked it securely into my arms, letting my sleepy fingers clutch its soft fabric so I wouldn't notice his absence. He leaned down, pressing a lingering, protective kiss to my forehead. "Sleep, Little Bird."
15 Minutes Later.
Keifer's POV
The moment I stepped out of the bedroom and pulled my jacket on, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, expecting a status update from the cells. Instead, it was an unknown encrypted number.
The message:"You saved her once. Not twice.
This time, I'll be waiting in the dark when you come for her.This time, I'll make sure you're too late."
A cold dread shot straight down my spine. My grip tightened on the phone until the screen nearly cracked. Before I could even process the message, a sudden commotion echoed from the security monitors down the hall.
Angelo and Aries burst out of the surveillance room, their faces dead-pale.
"Keifer!" Aries shouted, gripping his weapon. "Motion sensors just tripped. Someone was standing right in the center of the garden, looking up at her window!"
"Did you catch him?!" I snarled, my heart hammering violently against my ribs.
"He's fast," Angelo cursed, his voice tight with rare panic. "The bastard vanished into the tree line before the guards could lock down the perimeter. We're sweeping the grounds now!"
Her window.
The text message flashed in my mind. "You saved her once. Not twice.
This time, I'll be waiting in the dark when you come for her.This time, I'll make sure you're too late."
"Jay," I choked out.
Turning on my heel, I sprinted down the grand hallway like a feral animal, my boots slamming against the marble floor. Pure, unadulterated terror seized my throat. I threw the bedroom doors open so hard they rebounded against the walls.
The bedroom lights were bright, completely turned on.
Jay Jay was still there, completely still, clutching the giant teddy bear I had left with her. For a split second, relief washed over me—until I saw her face.
Resting directly on her forehead was a small, crumpled piece of paper. Pinning the paper to her hair was a graphic, sickening sight: a printed photograph of Jay Jay sleeping peacefully from just days ago, and smeared across the white border of the note was fresh, wet, crimson blood.
My breath hitched. My hands shook violently as I stepped toward the bed. I was the most feared man in the syndicate, but right now, I was a man staring at his worst nightmare.
I carefully, gently slid the bloodied chit off her head, my chest heaving. Looking down at her innocent, unbothered face, I leaned over and pressed a gentle, desperate, lingering kiss to her forehead, ensuring my trembling lips didn't wake her from her sanctuary.
Then, I turned toward the open balcony doors, the note crushed in my fist. The blood in my veins turned to pure, lethal fire.
I marched out to the balcony, looking down at the dozens of elite guards stationed in the courtyard below.
"GUARDS!" I screamed, a raw, terrifying roar that echoed across the entire estate, making even the seasoned mercenaries below instantly freeze and drop to their knees in fear. "Someone walked into my house! Someone stood over my girl while she slept! How the hell did you let him pass?! If every single person responsible for this perimeter isn't identified in five minutes, I will burn this entire security detail to the ground myself!"
The hunt was on. And whoever left that blood on her picture was going to learn exactly why death was a mercy compared to my wrath.
AUTHOR POV
The cold wind whipped into the bedroom from the open balcony as Angelo and Aries rushed into the suite, their weapons drawn and faces pale. They found Keifer standing by the bed, his tall frame trembling with a lethal, suppressed rage.
Keifer slowly unclenched his fist, smoothing out the crumpled, blood-stained paper. Underneath the chilling photograph of a sleeping Jay Jay, written in crude, dark ink that smeared into the wet blood, was a direct message:
"A bird in a cage is easy to catch, but a bird in a glass coffin is beautiful. The debt wasn't paid in the cells, Waston. It's paid in family blood. Enjoy your final days with her, because when I reach into that cage again, I'm taking her head."
Keifer spun around, his pitch-black eyes fixed on the two brothers. Without a word, he shoved the bloodied note directly into Angelo's chest.
Angelo caught it, his eyes scanning the words. The moment he processed the threat, the exhausted, weary older brother vanished. A terrifying, murderous stillness took over his entire body. His uninjured hand clenched into a tight fist, his knuckles turning stark white.
"They didn't just bypass security," Angelo whispered, his voice dangerously low, dropping into a tone that meant an absolute death sentence for someone. "They were in this room. They stood over our sister."
Aries ripped the note from Angelo's hand to read it himself. His reaction was instant and explosive. "Are you kidding me?!" he snarled, slamming his fist hard against the marble doorframe, cracking the wood. "In our own estate?! We have triple-layered thermal grids, Keifer! This isn't just a security breach. This is a message from someone who knows the blind spots."
Aries looked over at the bed where Jay Jay was still deeply asleep, completely oblivious to the horror, cuddling the giant teddy bear. His aggressive demeanor cracked, replaced by a raw, protective panic. He stepped closer to the bed, his voice cracking slightly. "If she had woken up... if she had screamed..."
"But she didn't," Keifer interrupted, his gravelly voice slicing through the room like a blade. "Because they didn't want to kill her tonight. They wanted to show us that they can."
Keifer walked over to the closet, pulling out a heavy tactical vest and checking the magazine of his weapon with a sharp, metallic click.
Without wasting another second, Keifer wrapped the thick duvet tightly around Jay Jay's sleeping form, carefully shielding her face, and lifted her into his arms. The Fernandez estate was compromised, and Keifer was taking her to Watson Mansion—the ultimate, iron-clad fortress where he could stay by her side every single second.
Angelo and Aries cleared the path, their expressions grim and weapons drawn as they escorted Keifer to the armored SUV idling in the private garage.
As Keifer stepped toward the open door, carefully cradling Jay Jay against his chest, Angelo suddenly blocked his path. His hand shot out, pressing firmly against the SUV's door frame.
"Hold on, Keifer," Angelo said, his voice tight and dangerously low. "Put her down. She is my sister. I can take care of her. You don't get to just carry her off to your fortress."
Keifer's grip on Jay Jay tightened instinctively. He adjusted her weight, shielding her with his massive frame. "Step aside, Angelo. She's coming with me where she's actually safe."
"Safe? With you?" Aries stepped up, his eyes flashing with anger as he flanked his brother. "The Fernandez house security failed, yes, but shifting her to the Watson Mansion makes her a permanent target for your enemies too. Angelo is right. She belongs with her family. We protect our own."
"You already failed to protect her once tonight!" Keifer snarled, stepping into Angelo's space, his voice a lethal, vibrating hiss. "Look at her! She's injured! I am not debating this. She is my life, and I can't risk my heart because your security protocols are outdated!"
"Don't you lecture us about family!" Angelo roared, his temper snapping as he gripped the front of Keifer's tactical vest. "I've bled for her since the day she was born! You don't possess her!"
"I protect what's mine!" Keifer roared back, his face inches from Angelo's, his jaw clenched so hard it looked ready to shatter. "If I have to burn the whole damn city to keep her breathing, I will!"
The harsh, overlapping screams bounced off the concrete walls of the garage.
In Keifer's arms, Jay Jay stirred. Her brow furrowed, and a small, pained whine escaped her lips. She blinked groarily against the dim lights, looking up at the three angry faces above her. Her lips parted, wanting to ask what was wrong, but exhaustion weighed down her limbs like lead.
Instantly, the tension evaporated. Keifer's entire demeanor shifted. His fierce eyes softened completely as he looked down at her, smoothing a hand over her hair.
"Shh, go back to sleep, Little Bird," Keifer murmured, his voice suddenly smooth, calm, and perfectly controlled. "Nothing happened. We're just talking. Everything is fine."
Angelo swallowed his rage, forcing his features to relax as he reached out, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "We're just planning the drive, sis. Sleep."
Jay Jay looked at their faces, trying to fight the heavy fog in her brain. She wanted to talk, to ask why they looked so pale and angry, but her sleep took her again. She sank back into the duvet, completely unaware of the threat on her life. Keifer hadn't told her, and neither would her brothers; she was already entirely exhausted from everything that had happened to her. Safe in her bubble, she slept without a care in the world.
Defeated by her vulnerability, Angelo slowly let go of Keifer's vest. He exchanged a heavy, reluctant look with Aries, then stepped back to let Keifer climb into the back seat with her.
The soft, rhythmic vibration of the heavy vehicle woke Jay Jay up. She blinked groarily against the dim interior lights of the car, her fingers instantly reaching out until they found the familiar fabric of Keifer's tactical vest.
"Keifer...?" she whispered, her voice laced with exhaustion and confusion. She looked down at herself, noticing she was wrapped like a burrito in her duvet, with her giant teddy bear shoved next to her. "Where are we? Why are we in the car?"
Keifer looked down, his sharp, tense jaw softening the moment he met her eyes. He adjusted his grip, pulling her closer against his chest so the bumps on the road wouldn't rattle her injured stomach.
"We're going to my place, Little Bird," Keifer murmured, his deep voice carrying a soothing vibration that instantly calmed her racing heart. "The Watson Mansion. You're going to stay with me from now on."
Jay Jay frowned, trying to sit up, but Keifer's massive hand gently pressed against her shoulder, keeping her anchored. "But Angelo and Aries—"
"They approve, Jay," Keifer interrupted softly, kissing the side of her head. "The security detail at the Fernandez house needs an overhaul. My mansion has independent thermal grids and biometric locks that nobody can bypass. You're safe with me."
"You're being a tyrant again," she pouted sleepily, resting her chin on his chest. "I feel like a kidnapped princess."
Keifer let out a low, breathless chuckle, though his eyes remained fiercely alert, scanning the dark highway outside the tinted windows. "If I have to be a tyrant to keep you breathing, then I'll gladly wear the crown,jay."
Keifer carried Jay Jay through the imposing, biometric-locked doors of the Watson Mansion, walking with practiced, perfectly level strides so he wouldn't disturb her sleep or aggravate her injured stomach. He bypassed the main foyer, ignoring his staff, and took the private elevator directly up to his master suite.
Stepping into his expansive, dimly lit bedroom, he gently laid her down on the center of his massive king-sized bed. He meticulously arranged her duvet, making sure she was bundled comfortably, and carefully tucked her giant teddy bear right next to her. For a long moment, he just stood there, leaning over her, smoothing a thumb over her cheek as she slept peacefully—completely oblivious to the chaos around her.
The soft click of his bedroom door opening broke the silence.
Keifer's head snapped up, his eyes instantly hardening into a lethal glare—until he saw the two figures slipping into the room. It was his younger brothers, Keigen and Keiren.
They stepped in quietly, their usual playful or arrogant demeanors completely replaced by looks of intense anxiety. Their eyes immediately bypassed Keifer, locking onto the small, blanket-wrapped figure on the bed. They loved Jay Jay deeply, and hearing that she had been hurt and targeted had sent them both into a tailspin.
Keifer let out a quiet sigh, the tension leaving his shoulders. He walked over to them, intercepting them before they could get too close to the bed and accidentally wake her.
"Why are you two still awake?" Keifer murmured in a low, rumbling whisper, reaching out to affectionately crease their hair, ruffling their locks the way he always did when they were stressed.
"How could we sleep?" Keiren muttered, leaning into his older brother's touch for a brief second before pulling back to peer over Keifer's shoulder. "We heard what happened at the Fernandez estate. Is she okay? Let us see her, kuya. We just want to meet her, just for a second."
"We've been pacing the halls since you called," Keigen added, his voice tight with a mixture of anger and relief as he tried to edge past Keifer. "Is she badly hurt? The guards said there was an explosion. Let us look at her. We need to make sure she's actually breathing."
Keifer placed a heavy, commanding hand on each of their shoulders, stopping them in their tracks. "She's exhausted. Her stomach is injured, and she's been through hell tonight. She doesn't know about the threat on her life yet—I'm keeping her protected from all of it. Let her sleep."
"We won't wake her, we swear," Keiren pleaded, his eyes soft as he looked toward the bed. "We just need to see our Jay. Please, kuya."
Seeing the genuine distress on his brothers' faces, Keifer's expression softened. He slowly stepped aside, nodding once.
Keigen and Keiren silently crept to the edge of the bed, holding their breath. Seeing her face—pale but peaceful, safely tucked away with her favorite teddy bear—finally allowed the heavy weight in their chests to lift. Keiren gently reached out, lightly touching the edge of her duvet, while Keigen stood guard by her side, a fierce vow of protection settling into his features. She was safe now. The Watson brothers had her, and they would never let anyone harm her again.
🤍
I'm really sorry for being late with the new chapter! Thank you so much for waiting and supporting my story. It genuinely means a lot to me. ❤️
Also, I'd love to hear your suggestions! Tell me what you think about the story and what you'd like to see in the upcoming chapters. 👀✨
—your Author.