The club had just closed, the dim lights casting long shadows over the now-empty dance floor as Riley wiped down the last few glasses at the bar. The music had died down to a dull hum, and most of the patrons had stumbled out into the night. The dancers had gone home, leaving Riley alone in the club. Well, almost alone. Lisa, one of the other bartenders, was still with her, stacking glasses on the back shelf.

The bar was eerily quiet as Riley wiped down the counter, lost in thought. She hadn't seen Luke around the club in over a week, but she found herself constantly on edge, like he might walk through the door at any second.

"Are you good with that, Riley?" Lisa asked, yawning as she stretched. "I'm ready to head out."

"Yeah, just about done," Riley muttered, wiping down the bar one last time.

Before they could leave, though, a loud crash erupted from the back room, followed by the unmistakable sound of angry voices. Riley and Lisa exchanged glances, their bodies freezing in place. Riley's heart rate spiked, but she forced herself to keep calm. They had both heard plenty of fights break out at the club, but this one had an edge to it that felt more dangerous.

The door to the back room suddenly slammed open, and two men stormed into the main area. One of them had a gun drawn, pointing it at the other man. Riley's eyes darted to the man with the weapon—he was tall, built like a tank, and had a jagged scar running down the side of his face. The man being threatened was smaller, more wiry, but his expression was one of defiance. Her face paled as she recognized the man with the scar- he'd been the one threatening the hostages when her and Luke first responded to a disturbance here all those months ago.

"What the hell?" Lisa whispered, panic in her voice.

"Shh!" Riley hissed, grabbing Lisa's arm and yanking her down behind the bar with her. They crouched low, hearts pounding in unison as the argument between the men intensified. Riley kept an eye on the situation in the mirror behind the bar.

"Where the hell are the guns, Vito?!" Scarface snarled, his voice filled with rage. "You think you can play me? You're dead wrong." He kicked the man in the ribs.

Just then, another set of footsteps entered the bar. The third man approached the guy laying on the ground. "This guy give you anything yet?" He asked casually.

As his voice reached Riley's ears, and her heart stopped.

Luke.

She froze, straining to hear more. The man she'd barely seen in two months, the man who'd kissed her before leaving for his deep cover mission, was suddenly here, in the middle of this mess. She couldn't believe it.

Scarface's voice cut through the tension. "Finally, you're here. My arm is tired. Remind our friend here how important those guns were."

Riley's stomach churned as she realized what Scarface was asking Luke to do. She could barely breathe as she heard Luke hesitate for a second before the sound of fists hitting flesh filled the air. The thought of him having to hurt someone to keep up his cover made her heart ache, but she knew he had no choice. He had to stay undercover.

Luke grabbed the man by his collar, sneering, and dragged him to sit in a chair before punching him again. Each blow was followed by the man's cries of despair as he begged for Luke to stop.

After a few tense moments, Scarface paused, his voice eerily calm. "Stop. What's that sound? You hear that?"

Riley's blood went cold as she realized what he was talking about. They weren't as hidden as they thought.

"Behind the bar," Scarface said, his voice growing darker. "Ladies, why don't you come out and join us?"

Riley swallowed hard. Her mind raced, but there was no way to escape now. She slowly rose to her feet, Lisa right beside her, trembling. Riley steeled herself, trying to put on a mask of calm, but when her eyes locked with Luke's, she saw the flicker of panic in his expression. He recognized her instantly, and she saw how tightly his jaw clenched.

Scarface smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "What are you two doing here so late?" he asked, sounding almost polite in spite of the fact that he was currently holding a man at gunpoint.

"Just closing up," Riley replied, keeping her voice steady. She didn't dare look directly at Luke again, but she could feel the tension rolling off him in waves.

"Good girls," Scarface said with a twisted grin. "I like girls who work hard."

Luke's fists clenched at his sides, and Riley could see the inner battle raging inside him. He wanted to get her out of there, she could tell, but he was trapped by his own cover. He couldn't blow it now.

Lisa remained silent, wide-eyed and terrified.

The man Scarface had been beating coughed, wiping blood from his lip. "I don't have the guns... I swear. But I can find them. Just give me some time."

Scarface cocked his head, considering it. "Fine. Twenty-four hours. You find the guns, or I find you. And trust me, next time, it won't be this pleasant."

He turned back to Riley and Lisa. "Now, ladies, why don't you finish up what you're doing? We've got some business to take care of."

Riley didn't wait for him to ask again. She nodded quickly, grabbing the last few glasses from the bar and wiping down the counter with shaky hands. Lisa did the same, her movements jerky and nervous.

Scarface's eyes lingered on them for a moment longer before he waved to Luke. "Go deal with that other thing. I'll handle this."

Luke's eyes darted back to Riley, his worry clear. But he couldn't disobey. Without another word, he left the room, his departure sharp and painful. Riley could tell leaving her there was killing him, but there was nothing he could do.

Scarface walked over to the man on the floor, grabbing him by the hair. "Get out of my sight. And remember, twenty-four hours."

As the man stumbled to his feet and began to scurry toward the door, Scarface lifted his gun again, and for a moment, Riley truly thought he was going to shoot him in the back. At the last second, he changed his aim and fired a warning shot directly into the ground. The man flinched and let out a small scream, but didn't turn around as he hurried out of the club, leaving Riley and Lisa alone with Scarface. He gave them one last look, his expression unreadable.

"Be smart, girls. Stay out of trouble."

And with that, he turned and left.

Riley exhaled slowly, her whole body buzzing with adrenaline. Once she was sure the men were gone, she peeked over the bar, checking that the coast was clear. Lisa was still trembling next to her, but she was alive. They both were.

"Are you okay?" Riley asked quietly.

Lisa nodded, her face pale. "Yeah... I think so. What the hell was that?"

Riley didn't answer. She stood up slowly, glancing toward the back room before shaking her head. It didn't matter. She needed to get out of here and report what had just happened.

"I'll lock up. You should go," Riley said, her voice surprisingly steady.

Lisa didn't argue, just nodded and bolted for the exit, leaving Riley to finish closing up.

Fifteen minutes later, as Riley hastily walked the two blocks to the bus station, a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her into the shadows, a hand over her mouth to muffle her scream. She was about to fight back, when the hands released her and she came face to face with Luke, who was breathing heavily and pacing the alley like a caged animal.

"Jesus Christ, Riley," he growled, his voice low and tense. "What the hell happened in there? I heard a gunshot—"

"I'm fine," Riley cut him off, raising her hands in a calming gesture. "I'm fine. It wasn't me."

Luke moved toward her, eyes scanning her up and down like he needed physical proof that she was unharmed. "What happened?"

Riley quickly filled him in, explaining what happened after he left and how Scarface had fired the warning shot. The whole time, Luke's jaw clenched tighter, his worry palpable. When she finished, he ran a hand over his face.

"I told you to pull out at the first sign of trouble, Riley," he muttered, frustration and fear lacing his words. "You're getting too close to this."

"It's my job," she said softly, trying to reassure him. "I know what I'm doing."

"Yeah, well, one day that gun might be pointed at you instead," he shot back, his gaze locking onto hers, dark with concern.

Riley's expression softened as she reached out to touch his arm. "I know. But I'm okay. I promise."

Luke let out a long breath, his tension easing just a little, though not completely. But then she noticed the way his chest was rising and falling a little too quickly. His breath was off, and there was a thin sheen of sweat on his brow despite the cool night air. Her eyes darted down to the bruises forming along his jaw, the cut on his arm, and the tension in his posture.

"Luke..." Her voice dropped, concerned. "You're the one who's not fine."

He released her and turned away slightly, exhaling sharply. "It's nothing. Just a shipment that went sideways earlier. Took a couple hits, but I'm good."

Riley frowned, stepping closer to him, not convinced in the slightest. "Let me see."

"Riley—"

"Shut up," she cut him off, reaching for the hem of his shirt. He flinched slightly but didn't stop her. When she lifted his shirt, her breath caught in her throat. His abs—those damn abs—were covered in bruises, dark and angry against his skin. "You call this 'fine'?" She raised an eyebrow, her hand brushing the bruises gently.

Luke winced and tried to pull away. "It's nothing I haven't handled before."

She ignored him, determined. "You're not going home alone like this." Her voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

"Riley—"

"I'm coming with you," she interrupted again, her jaw set. "I'm going to take care of those bruises and cuts, whether you like it or not."

Luke stared at her, his eyes dark and unreadable, clearly weighing his options. "This is a bad idea," he said slowly, but there was a hint of something else—something resigned.

Riley crossed her arms, not backing down. "Too bad."

He let out a low sigh, clearly defeated. "Alright. Fine. But we keep it quiet. No one can know."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Without another word, they slipped into the night together, heading toward Luke's undercover apartment, tension crackling in the air between them as Riley's worry and determination fueled every step.