"What about him?" I demanded.
Jasper took a final drag of his cigarette before crushing it under his boot. "Prometheus answers to someone else. Someone called Zeus."
I frowned, genuinely confused. "Zeus? I've never even heard that name before."
"Of course you haven't," Jasper replied. "That's by design."
"And you expect me to believe this based on what? The word of a disgraced former director with a vendetta?"
Something dangerous flashed across Jasper's face.
Diego moved slightly between us, his smile gone. "Careful, amigo. Some topics are... sensitive."
The tension stretched taut between us until Jasper exhaled slowly, his composure returning like a mask sliding back into place.
"Believe what you want," he said with cold indifference. "But when you go after Prometheus, understand you're poking a much larger beast than you realize."
Vincent, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, finally spoke. "How does this relate to Michael's death?"
Jasper's attention shifted to Vincent. "It’s part of the bigger picture. Why do you think Prometheus was testing Luka’s loyalty? Because he’s consolidating power. He’s preparing for something. Something big. And you two have now placed yourselves directly in his path. You’ve given him no choice but to cut you down or die trying.”
Diego moved closer to Jasper, his smile returning as he clapped a hand on the Russian's shoulder. "My dark prince is being dramatic again! Always with the conspiracies and shadows."
Jasper rolled his shoulder, breaking free of Diego’s grip.
Diego turned back to us with his megawatt smile. "We've said enough. Details of transportation, yes? Let's focus on keeping you both alive before we worry about the politics."
We worked out the logistics and traded contact information, all inside the space of an hour.
Later, as Lo walked us back to the van, I couldn't shake what Jasper had said.
"How well do you know him?" I asked quietly.
Lo shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Well enough to know he doesn't share information lightly." He glanced back toward the hangar. "And well enough to know he's rarely wrong."
"This Zeus thing—"
"Is above both our pay grades," Lo interrupted. "But I've seen things that don't add up. Operations that make no sense. Assetsthat disappear after asking the wrong questions." He met my eyes, uncharacteristically serious. "Just be careful, Luka. Whatever's happening, it's bigger than Prometheus."
The drive back in the van Diego provided was mostly silent, Vincent and I both lost in our thoughts. The revelation about Zeus—if it was true—complicated everything. It wasn't just Prometheus we were up against, but potentially an entire shadow hierarchy we knew nothing about.
As we approached a red light, Vincent's hand slid onto my thigh, thumb tracing small circles against my jeans. The casual touch sent electricity straight to my groin. I glanced over, finding his eyes dark and intent.
"Pull over," he said quietly.
I raised an eyebrow but complied, guiding the van into an empty lot beneath an overpass. The moment the engine died, Vincent unbuckled and leaned across the console, his mouth finding mine in a hungry kiss that stole my breath. His teeth grazed my lower lip, his tongue demanding entrance I willingly granted. The kiss tasted of grief and rage and need.
I tangled my fingers in his hair, holding him close as the kiss deepened. His hand slid higher on my thigh, nearly reaching the straining zipper of my jeans before he pulled back, breathing hard.
"I needed that," he confessed, voice rough. "To remember we're still alive."
I traced his swollen lips with my thumb. "We're alive. And we're going to stay that way."
He nodded, settling back in his seat. "I know. Now drive. We have plans to make."
My body hummed with unfulfilled need as I pulled back onto the road, but my mind was clearer. The physical reminder of what we were fighting for sharpened my focus.
"What are you thinking?" I asked quietly.
