The tension in the room was suffocating. Val paced back and forth, her jaw clenched, while Doom leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. He could feel the storm brewing in her, the way her anger barely masked the pain beneath.

"Tell me everything," Doom said, his voice low but firm.

Val stopped, her hands on her hips as she met his gaze. "It was Jack. Noah's cousin. He's the one who picked Blake up at the club."

Doom's heart sank. He didn't know much about Jack, but the stories he'd heard painted him as a sadistic monster. "What happened?" he asked, his throat dry.

Val hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line. "She hooked up with him," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "In his car. But it wasn't just that." She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for what came next. "He...he sent a video, Dakota. Of everything."

Doom's blood ran cold. His mind raced with the implications, but Val wasn't done.

"Jack hurt her. He punched her, burned her. Called her names," Val continued, her voice shaking with barely contained fury. "She tried to fight back, but they'd planned it. Took all weapons out the car. There was no knife In sight. She didn't stand a chance."

Doom's knees felt weak. He sank into a chair, his head in his hands. The image of Blake—strong, fearless Blake—being reduced to this was more than he could handle. She was the light in their dark world, the one who never let anything break her. And now...

"We have to do something," Doom said, his voice trembling with anger. "We can't let them get away with this."

Val nodded, her expression hard. "We're going to Kash. He'll know what to do."

A Shift in Power

The jail was quieter this time, the fluorescent lights casting the same harsh glow as before. Kash was already seated when they arrived, his expression grim.

"You look like shit," Kash said, his tone devoid of its usual sarcasm.

"Not the time," Doom snapped, taking the seat across from him. "We have a problem. A big one."

Kash raised an eyebrow but said nothing, waiting for them to explain. Val took a seat beside Doom, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"It's Noah," Val began. "He's using Jack to come after us. They're targeting Blake, sending a message."

Kash's jaw tightened. "And what's the message?"

"War," Doom said, his voice like steel. "He wants this to blow up. He's taunting us, trying to get us to make the first move."

Kash leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "Then we give him what he wants."

Val and Doom exchanged a glance, their surprise evident. Kash leaned forward, resting his arms on the table.

"Listen to me," he said, his voice low but commanding. "Noah's trying to provoke us because he thinks we're weak. He thinks I'm out of the picture, and you two can't handle this without me. But he's wrong. You're going to hold things down until I'm out."

"Wait, what?" Val asked, her brows furrowing.

Kash smirked, the first hint of his old self returning. "Good behavior. I'll be out next month. But until then, Val, you're in charge."

Val blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Me?"

"Yeah, you," Kash said. "You've got the brains, the guts. And you've got Doom to back you up. Together, you can handle this."

For the first time in what felt like forever, the tension lifted slightly. Doom felt a flicker of hope, a sense that maybe, just maybe, they could get through this.

"I'm trusting you," Kash said, his gaze locking on Val. "Don't let me down."

Val nodded, her determination evident. "I won't."

Kash leaned back, a rare smile tugging at his lips. "Good. Now go handle business. And when I'm out, we're taking Noah down. For good."

As they left the jail, the weight on Doom's shoulders felt a little lighter. They had a plan, a direction. And for the first time in days, the atmosphere wasn't completely suffocating.

But deep down, Doom knew the battle was far from over. Noah had crossed a line, and Blake was still out there, hurt and vulnerable. He wasn't going to rest until she was safe. And when he got his hands on Jack...well, he'd make sure the bastard never hurt anyone again.