Ava’s neck burned where the implant pulsed, her senses electric as she followed Jace through Neon City’s alleys. The hooded figure’s device haunted her, and the Order’s assassins could be anywhere. Jace moved like a predator, his black coat blending with the neon glow, and Ava couldn’t ignore the heat in her chest—part danger, part him. Her implant amplified everything: the rain’s scent, the city’s hum, Jace’s musk.

“Where are we going?” Ava asked, her voice low, matching his pace.

“My safehouse,” Jace said, glancing back. His eyes lingered, and she felt exposed, desire coiling tight. “We need to scan that implant. It’s not just tech—it’s alive.”

Ava’s stomach twisted, but her body buzzed, drawn to him. “You know a lot for a guy with a gun.”

He smirked. “Ex-Order. I know their tricks.”

They reached a loft above a shuttered club, its walls lined with tech and weapons. Jace locked the door, and Ava’s implant flared, her senses locking onto him—his breath, his heat. He turned, catching her stare, and the air thickened. “You’re feeling it, aren’t you?” he said, stepping closer. “The implant—it’s not just instincts. It’s us.”

Ava’s pulse raced. “Us?” Her voice was a challenge, but her body leaned in, craving him.

Jace’s hand brushed her neck, tracing the implant’s glow, and Ava shivered, desire overwhelming. “It’s amplifying what’s already there,” he murmured, his lips inches from hers. She closed the gap, kissing him hard, her hands gripping his coat. His mouth was fire, claiming hers, and he lifted her onto a table, his hands roaming her sides, teasing her skin. Ava arched into him, her fingers digging into his back, the implant igniting every touch. Their kisses deepened, hungry and reckless, and she felt him press closer, a low growl in his throat.

A beep from the scanner broke them apart, breathless. Jace cursed, checking the screen. “Your implant’s broadcasting. The Order’s tracking you.” His eyes darkened, possessive. “We need to move.”

Ava adjusted her jacket, her body still humming. “Where to?”

“A contact—Dr. Lena Voss. She can disable it.” Jace’s hand lingered on hers, a promise of more. They slipped out, but a drone whirred above, its lens locking onto Ava. Jace fired, downing it, but footsteps echoed—assassins, led by a woman with cold eyes and a familiar voice. Was she from Ava’s past, and what did she want with the implant?

Cliffhanger: Who is the familiar woman leading the assassins, and can Ava and Jace reach Lena before the Order catches them?

Chapter 2: Heat in the Shadows

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