The kidnapper, seeing the situation take a sharp turn for the worse, raised his dagger high and lunged at Claire with reckless desperation.
Claire's body instinctively tensed, her eyes squeezed shut. Just as the dagger was about to strike, a deafening bang echoed in her ears.
Warm liquid splattered across her face like a mist, carrying a pungent, metallic stench.
Trembling, she opened her eyes to a horrifying sight; the kidnapper now had a bloody wound on his forehead. His eyes were wide open, frozen in a mask of shock and fury, his body crumpled lifelessly to the ground.
Before she could even process what had happened, she was pulled into a tight embrace by strong arms.
Then, a hand gently cupped her cheek, carefully wiping away the blood.
A familiar, subtle fragrance enveloped her
