The Woman That Ruined Me: A Love Bound In Blood

Lena Whitmore's lungs burned as she sprinted through the empty streets, her sneakers slamming against the pavement. The icy night air cut into her skin like tiny needles, but she couldn't stop. Stopping meant getting caught, and getting caught meant-

Don't think about it. Just run.

The city was eerily quiet at this hour, the kind of silence that made her feel like she was the last person left in the world. If it weren't for the pounding footsteps behind her, she might've believed it.

She stole a glance over her shoulder-bad idea.

Five men. Big, broad-shouldered, built like the kind of guys who didn't ask questions before throwing a punch. And all of them were chasing her.

Lena's heart slammed against her ribs.

They'd been waiting for her at work. She'd barely stepped out the back entrance of the club, still tasting the vodka she'd swiped from behind the bar, when she spotted them. The second she saw their faces-stone-cold, impatient, angry-she bolted.

Now, she was regretting that decision.

She turned sharply down an alley, praying it led somewhere. The towering buildings pressed in on both sides, their windows dark and unfeeling. Garbage cans lined the walls, the air thick with the scent of rot and something she didn't want to identify.

Another turn. Another.

A dead end.

"F*ck."

She spun around, desperate, looking for anything-anywhere-to go. But all she saw were the shadows stretching toward her, swallowing the light from the street behind her. And then-

BAM!

She crashed into something solid. Someone.

A sharp intake of breath.

"What the f*ck?"

The voice was female. Low, smooth, edged with something dangerous.

Lena stumbled back, her pulse roaring in her ears. She squinted, trying to make out the figure in the darkness. All she could see were a pair of piercing eyes-cold, unreadable, yet somehow... familiar? No. Not familiar. But they made her feel something. Something she didn't have time to unpack right now.

"I-" She swallowed hard. "I'm so sorry."

Then, the footsteps.

They were close now. Too close.

Lena turned, chest heaving, and realized she was well and truly f*ck*d.

The alley was narrow, the only exit blocked by the five men closing in. Their eyes flickered with something cruel. The leader, a tall guy with a scar running down his cheek, grinned.

"There you are."

Lena shrank back, instinctively pressing herself against the stranger she'd crashed into. It wasn't rational, but something about her-about this woman-felt like safety. Like if anyone could get her out of this, it was her.

The woman shifted slightly, angling herself between Lena and the men.

"Give her to us," Scarface demanded.

The woman tilted her head, considering. "And if I don't?"

Lena nearly choked. Who the hell was this woman?

Scarface scoffed. "Lady, this isn't your fight. Walk away."

A slow smile curled the woman's lips. It wasn't friendly.

"I don't think I can do that."

Scarface stepped forward, raising his gun. "Then you die too."

The next second was a blur.

Gunfire. The crack of bones. A strangled scream.

Lena squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the pain, for the searing heat of a bullet tearing through her skin-

But it never came.

Instead, a voice. Low. Lethal.

"Don't ever come back here."

Lena's eyes snapped open.

The woman stood in front of her, unscathed, her silhouette bathed in the eerie glow of a flickering streetlamp. Three bodies lay motionless at her feet, blood pooling beneath them.

The two remaining men-Scarface and another-stumbled back, their eyes wide with horror. They turned and ran, their footsteps fading into the night.

Lena exhaled sharply.

"You're safe now," the woman said. "For now."

Lena let out a breathless laugh, shaking. "Yeah. Sure. Totally safe."

She tried to steady herself, but her knees felt like jelly. The reality of what just happened was starting to settle in-people were dead. Right in front of her. And this woman just-

Her gaze flicked up to the stranger's face.

Strong, defined features. Dark hair swept back from her face. And those eyes-like twin glaciers, sharp and unforgiving. She was beautiful in a way that felt dangerous.

"Who..." Lena swallowed. "Who are you?"

The woman didn't answer. Instead, she studied Lena, her gaze unreadable. "Who were they?"

Lena hesitated. "No one."

A sharp look.

She sighed. "Debt collectors."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Violent ones."

Lena let out a dry laugh. "I owed money. A lot of money. I couldn't pay."

A pause. Then:

"You work at the club on West 9th, right?"

Lena blinked. "How did you-?"

"I've seen you."

Something about the way she said it made Lena's skin prickle.

Before she could ask what that meant, the woman turned toward the alley's entrance. "Come on."

Lena hesitated. "Where?"

The woman glanced over her shoulder. "I'm driving you home."

Lena frowned. "That's not necessary-"

"It's past three in the morning. You just had a gun in your face. Do you really think it's a good idea to walk home alone?"

Lena bit her lip. Okay, fair point.

She sighed. "Fine."

The woman led her to a sleek black car parked at the curb. Lena hesitated before sliding into the passenger seat, feeling completely out of her depth.

As they pulled onto the road, the silence stretched.

Finally, Lena exhaled. "You never told me your name."

The woman's hands flexed on the wheel.

Then, after a beat:

"Adrienne D'Amaro."

Lena frowned. Why does that sound familiar?

And then it hit her.

Adrienne D'Amaro.

The billionaire. The ghost of Wall Street. The woman people whispered about but never truly saw.

Lena's blood ran cold.

"What..." She wet her lips. "What are you?"

Adrienne's lips curled into something almost amused.

"You don't want to know."

And for some reason, Lena believed her.

Lena swallowed hard, the weight of the night finally settling over her like a lead blanket. She had just watched three men die. Not just die-they were killed, effortlessly, right in front of her.

And the woman responsible?

Adrienne D'Amaro.

Lena knew that name. Everyone did. The billionaire nobody ever saw, the one who built an empire overnight. A woman wrapped in shadows, whispered about in hushed voices, always just out of reach.

And now, here she was-driving Lena home like she hadn't just executed three men in a dark alley.

Lena's fingers curled into her jeans. She should be afraid. Terrified, even. But all she felt was...

Conflicted.

She stole a glance at Adrienne. The dim glow of the dashboard lights traced over her features-sharp cheekbones, strong jaw, lips pressed into a firm line. Her hands gripped the wheel with a kind of measured control, her fingers flexing slightly like she was keeping something at bay.

What are you?

Lena swallowed the question.

Instead, she cleared her throat. "So... are we going to talk about it?"

Adrienne didn't glance at her. "Talk about what?"

Lena gave her a look. "You just killed three people and didn't even break a sweat."

Adrienne's expression didn't change. "They were going to kill you."

"That's not what I asked."

Silence.

Lena leaned back, running a hand through her tangled hair. "Jesus. This is insane."

She could still feel the adrenaline pulsing through her veins, her heart hammering against her ribs. She should be panicking, falling apart, something-but instead, she was sitting here, in the car of a woman who had just saved her life, trying to make sense of something that didn't make sense.

"Who are you, really?" Lena asked.

Adrienne's fingers tightened on the wheel.

No answer.

Lena exhaled sharply. "You know, a normal person would freak out a little after murdering three guys in cold blood."

Adrienne's lips curled at the edge, a ghost of something amused. "You think I'm normal?"

Lena bit her lip. "Not even a little."

Adrienne chuckled under her breath, shaking her head. "Smart girl."

Lena stared at her. "You don't regret it, do you?"

Adrienne's expression was unreadable. "Should I?"

Lena didn't know how to respond to that.

She turned to the window instead, watching the darkened city blur past.

For a long time, neither of them spoke. The tension sat thick between them, stretching, pulling, winding around Lena's throat like an invisible thread.

Then, Adrienne broke the silence.

"Where do you live?"

Lena hesitated. The truth was, she didn't really have a home. Not anymore. Her apartment had been a temporary setup, something cheap enough to afford while she worked nights at the club, scraping by. But now?

She was officially out of options.

Adrienne must've noticed her hesitation because she sighed. "Fine. You can stay at my place."

Lena's head snapped toward her. "What?"

Adrienne kept her eyes on the road. "It's not safe for you to be alone right now."

Lena let out a sharp laugh. "Oh, and staying with a woman who just murdered three people is?"

Adrienne smirked. "I didn't murder them. I eliminated a threat."

Lena blinked. "Oh, well, excuse me. That makes it so much better."

Adrienne didn't answer.

Lena rubbed her temples. "Look, I don't even know you-"

"You know enough," Adrienne cut in smoothly.

Lena scoffed. "Yeah? And what's that?"

Adrienne flicked her gaze toward her, just for a second. "That I'm your best chance at surviving the night."

Lena s*ck*d in a breath.

Because, deep down, she knew Adrienne was right.

Whoever those men worked for, they wouldn't stop coming. Not now. Not after this.

And as much as she hated to admit it, Adrienne had just saved her life.

Lena exhaled through her nose. "Fine. But just for the night."

Adrienne's lips twitched. "Of course."

Lena didn't trust that smile.

Not one bit.

---

They pulled up to a massive high-rise overlooking the city, the kind of place that screamed money.

Lena had barely stepped out of the car when she realized just how different their worlds were. The building itself looked like something straight out of a billionaire's wet dream-sleek black glass, modern architecture, security guards who barely even blinked as Adrienne led her inside.

Lena swallowed. "This is where you live?"

Adrienne smirked. "Disappointed?"

Lena rolled her eyes. "Shocked, actually. I expected something more... ominous. Maybe a haunted mansion."

Adrienne chuckled. "Not a fan of minimalism?"

"I love minimalism. I just didn't expect you to live in something so-" She gestured vaguely. "Normal."

Adrienne pressed the elevator button. "What can I say? I like to surprise people."

The doors slid open. Lena hesitated for half a second before stepping inside. The moment they closed, the air grew heavier. More charged.

Lena shifted uncomfortably.

Adrienne watched her. Not obviously. Just... subtly. Like she was studying something she didn't quite understand.

Lena cleared her throat. "So, uh... what do you do?"

Adrienne raised an eyebrow. "You don't know?"

Lena crossed her arms. "I know what everyone says. But no one really knows, do they?"

Adrienne leaned against the wall, hands in her pockets. "And what do you think I do?"

Lena narrowed her eyes. "Something illegal."

Adrienne laughed softly. "Clever girl."

Lena frowned. "You're not denying it?"

Adrienne shrugged. "Why would I?"

The elevator dinged, cutting off the conversation. The doors slid open to reveal a massive penthouse-floor-to-ceiling windows, sleek black furniture, a skyline view that made Lena's breath hitch.

It was beautiful. Cold. Expensive. And yet, somehow, it still felt... lonely.

Adrienne stepped inside, tossing her coat over the back of a chair. "Make yourself comfortable."

Lena hesitated before following.

She glanced around, taking in the carefully curated space. There were no personal touches. No family photos. No warmth.

This wasn't a home. It was a fortress.

She turned back to Adrienne. "Why did you help me?"

Adrienne exhaled. "Because I could."

"That's not an answer."

Adrienne's gaze flickered to her. For a moment, something passed between them-something Lena couldn't name.

Then, Adrienne smirked. "You're interesting."

Lena's stomach flipped.

She didn't know why.

But something told her that crossing paths with Adrienne D'Amaro was either the best-or the worst-thing that had ever happened to her.

And she wasn't sure which one it was yet.