V's smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Staying out of your way is difficult when you're this... distracting."
Kat snorted, not looking up. "Right."
He leaned closer, the heat of him pressing into her side just enough to make her fingers falter. "Want me to prove it," he murmured.
Kat's pulse stuttered, and she had to shake her head to clear it, keeping focus on the screen. "Focus. Signal's jumping again. If I don't trace it, it'll disappear."
V's hand hovered near the console, not touching, not helping—just looming. "You want me," he said, voice low, almost a growl. "Admit it."
"I do not want you," she shot back, teeth gritted. "Last night was a lapse in judgment."
He chuckled darkly, "whatever helps you sleep at night, Baby."
Kat ignored him, fingers dancing, mapping the rogue node as it bounced through servers across the city. The thrill of the chase pulled her in, but the tension of V's presence made her hyperaware of every brush of his arm, every shift of his body behind her.
"Got it," she whispered, finally locking the signal. "I know where they're hiding now."
V's eyes gleamed. "Good. Let's go hunting."
He moved to the controls, guiding the vehicle remotely as they closed in on the intruder's location. Kat's heart hammered in her chest, not from fear of the hacker—but from the tight coil of energy she could feel between them.
"V," she said, voice sharp but breathless, "you are staying back this time, understood?"
He smirked, voice a growl. "Oh, I'm back... but only because I like the view."
Kat rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth threatened to twitch in spite of herself. Her pulse raced, every instinct alive, and the chase was on—not just for the intruder, but for the unspoken tension crackling between her and V, refusing to be ignored.
The warehouse doors were already open when V drove them up, shadows pooling inside the cavernous space. Kat's stomach clenched. She knew these hackers—four humans, quick, clever, and dangerously bold. She recognized the patterns immediately from the last breach.
V moved around the warehouse with silent precision, every step calculated, his eyes scanning for any human foolish enough to make the wrong move. "You sure you've got this?" he asked, voice low, almost teasing.
Kat didn't look up. "I am this. You just... stay out of my way unless they try to touch me."
The first hacker darted toward her position, laptop clutched tight. Kat pivoted, sending a series of commands that made his screens flicker, sparks flying from overloaded circuits. The man stumbled back, cursing.
V was already behind him, grabbing his arm and twisting with effortless strength, dropping him to the floor. Kat smirked, eyes glued to her console, as she redirected the remaining hackers' signals, cutting their access, isolating them.
"You're fast," V murmured, leaning close enough that heat radiated against her back. "Almost too fast."
"I don't need commentary," Kat snapped, not missing a keystroke.
Two more hackers tried to flank her, but she was already ready. "Left side!" she barked, and V intercepted, slamming one into a crate.
The last hacker made a desperate dash for the exit. Kat smirked. "Not today." She redirected the warehouse doors' electronic locks just as V closed in, cornering him.
A few tense moments later, the sound of heavy boots echoed through the space. Z and Phury arrived, taking in the scene—two unconscious hackers at V's feet, the others immobilized by Kat's digital precision.
"Well, I'll be damned," Phury muttered, raising an eyebrow. "She's handling this solo?"
Z grinned. "And keeping you busy, big guy." He shot V a pointed look.
V didn't answer, just stepped back slightly, letting Kat finish securing the last systems. "Not bad," he said finally, voice low and dangerous. "Faster than I expected."
Kat rolled her eyes, shrugging. "I wasn't trying to impress you."
V smirked, braid swinging slightly. "Oh, you were. Don't lie to me."
Kat froze, then shook her head, focusing back on the console, ignoring the thrum of heat behind her. "Focus," she muttered. "Hackers neutralized. Systems secured. Happy now?"
V's lips twitched in a near-smile. "Very."
Kat bit her lip, heart still hammering—not just from the adrenaline of the fight, but from the unrelenting presence of V just behind her.
Keeping V busy
Start from the beginning
