7:45 p.m. – 99th Precinct, Bullpen
The bullpen had thinned out, but Ezra Kael remained seated at his desk. Overhead lights flickered dimly, casting long shadows across the floor. He rolled the white sapphire queen between his fingers, her parting gift—strategic, elegant, cruel. It wasn't just the queen she left. It was everything it meant. The last move in a game only the two of them could play.
Jake slid into the chair across from him, one leg lazily flung over the other, sipping a juice box like it was whiskey in a noir film. "So. You let her get away, huh?"
Ezra didn't look up. "She wanted me to."
"She always does," Jake said. "Y'know, you talk about her like she's a hurricane. Or jazz. Or like one of those sandwiches Boyle eats where you're not sure if it's gonna kill you or kiss you."
Ezra didn't respond. He simply set the queen down on his desk, letting it stand upright—defiant.
Amy, hovering near the whiteboard with her binder half-shut, raised an eyebrow. "She broke into a museum, left behind the real queen piece without setting off any alarms, and disappeared through rooftop access like it was a Broadway exit. She's not just taunting you, Ezra. She's testing you."
"I know," he said simply.
Jake nodded. "You okay, though?"
Ezra's lips tugged slightly, not quite a smile. "You're asking me if I'm okay because I let a master thief vanish into the night after returning the stolen piece she took right out from under us?"
Jake shrugged. "I mean… yeah. You seem broodier than usual. Like, even for you."
Ezra leaned back, folding his arms. "It wasn't just a theft. It was a message. She's not here for diamonds. She's here for me."
"Creepy," Jake muttered. "Also kind of romantic. Like, if your entire relationship was composed of lock-picking, rooftop standoffs, and aggressive eye contact."
Amy sighed. "Classic femme fatale tactics. Next thing you know, she's going to send you an orchid and a riddle."
Ezra picked up the queen again. "We're past riddles."
"Okay, then," Jake said, rising to his feet. "Well, I'm off to interrogate a guy who stole three microwaves from a nail salon. Not nearly as sexy, but someone's gotta do it."
As Jake walked off, Amy lingered. "Be careful, Ezra. She's good."
Ezra met her eyes. "I taught her."
She didn't press further. She didn't need to.
He was already back in the game.
8:10 p.m. – Ezra's Apartment
Ezra's apartment was silent except for the low hum of the city outside. He closed the door behind him, setting his keys down in the dish without looking. He knew before he turned around that she was already inside.
Selina Kyle stood at the window, half-lit by neon light. No mask, no theatrics. Just her.
"Didn't use the front door," Ezra said.
"Would've felt dishonest," she replied without turning. "You always liked windows better."
He approached slowly. "You're playing a dangerous game."
Selina turned, her voice soft but edged. "Only if I lose."
He stopped just short of her. The last time they were this close, it had ended with her vanishing into smoke. This time, she didn't move.
"I had to see you," she said. "Before I left."
"Left for good?"
She hesitated. "You always ask the right questions."
"You never answer them."
A faint smile ghosted across her lips. "That's why it works."
He reached up, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. The gesture surprised them both.
"I let you go once," he said quietly.
"And I let you," she replied.
For a breath, the world stilled. Then she closed the distance.
Their lips met—not like rivals, not like ghosts. Like something still unfinished.
Selina's lips met Ezra's in a searing kiss, years of pent-up desire igniting the air between them. Her fingers tangled in his hair, holding him close as she explored his mouth with a fervor that left him breathless.
She broke away, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her eyes, dark and glinting with mischief, held his gaze. Slowly, teasingly, she sank to her knees before him. Her deft fingers made quick work of his belt, his zipper, freeing his hardening length.
Selina licked her lips as she gazed at his thick, impressive cock. She wrapped a slender hand around it, feeling it throb against her palm. Leaning in, she let her warm breath ghost over his sensitive skin before taking him into her mouth.
Her lips stretched around his girth as she began to move, taking him deeper with each bob of her head. She set a slow, sensual pace, her tongue swirling around the swollen head with each upstroke. The wet heat of her mouth engulfed him, her throat tightening around his shaft with each swallow.
Selina's eyes flicked up to meet Ezra's, a wicked glint in their depths. She could feel his pulse pounding against her tongue, could taste his arousal on the air. She knew she was affecting him, undoing him, one deliberate suck at a time.
But Ezra remained silent, his jaw clenched, his expression stoic. Only the slight flaring of his nostrils and the tension in his muscles betrayed the pleasure coursing through him. Selina smiled around his cock, the challenge accepted. She would make him break.
Selina took her time, savoring each inch of Ezra's thick length as she slowly took him deeper. Her hand pumped what wouldn't fit, squeezing and stroking in tandem with the movement of her mouth. She could feel him throbbing, pulsing against her tongue as she worked him closer to the edge.
After long, tortuous minutes, she pulled back, releasing him from her mouth with a soft pop. She licked her lips, gazing up at him with a wicked, knowing smile. "You taste even better than I remembered," she purred, her voice low and husky.
Rising to her feet, Selina slowly peeled off her catsuit, revealing the black lace lingerie underneath. The bra cupped her full breasts, the lace a sharp contrast to her creamy skin. She turned, giving Ezra a view of her toned back and the lacy panties hugging her round ass.
"Don't you want to touch?" she asked, glancing at him over her shoulder with a coy smile. She reached behind her, unhooking her bra and letting it fall away. Her breasts tumbled free, nipples already hardened with arousal.
Ezra remained still, his expression unreadable, but his eyes darkened with lust as they roamed over her exposed flesh. Selina turned to face him, her hands on her hips, a challenge in her eyes.
"Come on, Detective," she breathed, stepping closer. "Show me what you've got." She pressed her naked body against his clothed one, her breasts pushing against his chest, her hips cradling his hardness. Her hands slid up his arms, over his shoulders, tangling in his hair.
"I want to feel your hands on me," she whispered, her lips brushing his ear. "I want to feel that control you're trying so hard to maintain shatter. I want you to want me. To need me. To take me." She nipped at his earlobe, her teeth grazing the sensitive skin. "Make me yours, Ezra.
Ezra's hands gripped Selina's hips, pulling her flush against him. He could feel the heat of her skin, the soft give of her curves, even through his clothes. His control was fraying, unraveling under her relentless assault.
He walked her backwards until her legs hit the bed, then pushed her down onto the mattress. She bounced slightly, her breasts jiggling from the impact. Ezra stood over her, his eyes roaming hungrily over her naked form. He shed his shirt, tossing it aside, revealing his toned chest and abdomen.
Selina licked her lips as she took in the sight of him, her gaze lingering on the scars she knew he carried. War wounds from a life before her. She reached for him, her hands splaying over his chest, feeling the muscles flex beneath her touch.
Ezra leaned down, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. His hand slid up her thigh, pushing her panties aside to cup her sex. He groaned into her mouth as he felt how wet she was, how ready. Two fingers delved between her folds, stroking, teasing.
Selina arched into his touch, a soft moan escaping her. She widened her legs, inviting him deeper. Ezra obliged, sinking two fingers knuckle-deep into her tight heat. He pumped them slowly, curling them to hit that sensitive spot inside her that made her see stars.
Selina's hands fumbled with cock. Trying to put it in her
He couldn't wait any longer. He needed to be inside her. He needed to claim her, to make her his. Ezra gripped her hips, lining himself up with her entrance. With one hard thrust, he buried himself inside her to the hilt.
Selina cried out, her back arching off the bed. Ezra stilled, letting her adjust to the sudden intrusion. She was so tight, so hot, her walls clenching around him like a vice.
Ezra's hips moved with a newfound urgency, driving into Selina with deep, powerful thrusts. The bed creaked beneath them, the headboard slamming against the wall with each forceful pump of his hips. Selina's breasts bounced with every impact, her nipples hardened into tight peaks.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him deeper, harder. Her nails raked down his back, leaving red lines in their wake. Ezra groaned, the pain mixing deliciously with the pleasure. He could feel her tightening around him, her body tensing as her climax approached.
"Ezra..." Selina gasped, her voice high and breathy. "Don't stop. Please don't stop."
He captured her lips, swallowing her cries of ecstasy as he felt her come undone beneath him. Her sex clenched and fluttered around his pistoning cock, trying to milk him for all he was worth.
With a final, brutal thrust, Ezra buried himself to the hilt inside Selina. He stiffened, his body going rigid as his orgasm crashed over him. Hot, thick spurts of cum painted her insides, filling her to the brim. He ground against her, prolonging his release, ensuring she felt every last drop.
They stayed locked together for long moments, chests heaving, skin slick with sweat. Finally, Ezra pulled out, his softening cock slipping free of her well-used sex. Selina lay boneless beneath him, a satisfied smirk on her face.
"Well," she said after a moment, her voice hoarse from screaming his name. "I have to say, Detective, you've still got it."
Ezra didn't smile back. He couldn't. Not now. Not after everything. He rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. "We can't do this again," he said, his voice flat.
Selina sat up, the sheet falling away from her naked body. She looked at him, a mix of sadness and acceptance in her eyes. "I know," she said softly. "But I'm glad I got to see you one last time."
She leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. It lingered, a sweet benediction. Then she pulled away, retrieving her clothes and dressing quickly. At the doorway, she paused and looked back at him over her shoulder.
"Goodbye, Ezra," she said, her voice barely above awhisper. "It's been...interesting." With that, she turned and vanished through the doorway, leaving Ezra alone in the dimly lit bedroom. The faint scent of her perfume lingered, a phantom reminder of their encounter.
Ezra lay there for a long time, staring up at the ceiling, the silence of the empty room pressing in around him.
Maybe, he thought. Just maybe they could meet again in the future even if he now joined the 99th as a detective.
8:00 a.m. – 99th Precinct, Bullpen
The morning light slanted through the windows of the bullpen, turning coffee steam into golden ribbons. Ezra Kael walked in with his coat already unbuttoned, dark circles under his eyes, but his movements precise as ever. He didn't pause, didn't glance around. He simply went to his desk and began reviewing case notes.
Amy noticed first. She exchanged a glance with Jake, who immediately raised his eyebrows in silent, exaggerated curiosity.
"No questions," Ezra said without looking up.
Jake raised both hands. "Wasn't gonna say anything. Just admiring how totally normal and not-at-all emotionally complicated your morning energy is."
Ezra finally looked up. "She returned the queen. No alarms, no signs of forced entry. Museum staff still think it was a glitch in their own security. It's over."
Terry emerged from his office with a file in hand. "You sure about that?"
"She left a calling card," Ezra said, sliding the white rook piece onto the table. "But nothing else. I think she's done."
Jake leaned over it. "She's a magician. This thing shouldn't even be here."
"She's not a magician," Ezra said, low. "She's just three steps ahead. Always has been."
Amy narrowed her eyes. "And you're okay with that?"
Ezra stood. "I've accepted it. The case is closed. Unless she comes back, it's done."
Boyle shuffled over, holding a tray of mismatched breakfast items. "So… you're saying we won?"
"No," Ezra replied. "We tied."
10:15 a.m. – 99th Precinct, Briefing Room
The whiteboard had been wiped clean. No more maps, red string, or tactical notes. Just a fresh case file being handed out.
Terry stood in front of the team. "Nice work, everyone. Even if we didn't make an arrest, we got the artifact back safely, and no civilians were hurt. That's a win."
Jake raised a hand. "Technically it's a tie, but yeah. Go team."
Amy rolled her eyes. "Maybe now we can focus on cases that involve less rooftop running and more actual arrests."
Terry glanced at Ezra. "You good to take on new cases, Kael?"
Ezra gave a small nod. "Let's move on."
Terry handed him a slim folder. "You're leading this one. Jewelry store burglary in Williamsburg. Looks like it's the work of a new crew."
Ezra took it, flipping through the photos. "Sloppy work. They'll be easier to catch."
Jake leaned on the back of a chair. "So… no more cat burglars with poetic motives and emotional complexity?"
Ezra didn't answer.
"Cool, cool," Jake said. "Boring is good. Boring means less chance of rooftop drama."
Boyle perked up. "We could celebrate with croquettes."
"No croquettes, Boyle," Amy said.
"Copy that. Emotional withdrawal requires protein," he mumbled.
Ezra remained at the whiteboard as the team dispersed. The queen piece was gone from his desk.
Just a job. Just a case.
But when he looked out the window, the morning sun caught something tucked in the corner of the precinct rooftop. A playing card.
The queen of spades.
No signature. No note.
Just a reminder:
The game is never truly over.