Don't Let Them Take Her
763 Words
Luna Hart — POV
My heart was pounding so hard it hurt.
The apartment felt smaller now.
Darker.
Dangerous.
I could barely breathe properly as the voices echoed from the hallway.
They were inside.
Actually inside.
“Mum…” I whispered weakly.
Fear crawled through my chest like ice.
I tried pulling away from Damien immediately.
“I need to get to her.”
His grip tightened instantly.
“No.”
My eyes snapped to him.
“No?” I repeated quietly, disbelief mixing with panic. “My mother is in that room!”
“And running toward armed people won’t help her.”
His voice stayed calm.
Too calm.
How was he still calm?
Another loud crash echoed through the apartment.
I flinched hard.
“Mum!” I shouted before I could stop myself.
A sharp sound followed.
Footsteps.
Fast.
Coming closer.
Damien cursed under his breath softly, then pulled me back against him just as a man appeared from the darkness.
Everything happened too fast.
A loud gunshot exploded through the apartment.
I gasped in shock, my ears ringing instantly.
The man dropped.
My entire body froze.
For a second, I couldn’t move.
Couldn’t think.
I stared at the man lying motionless on the floor, horror rising violently inside me.
Damien stepped in front of me again immediately.
Blocking my view.
“Don’t look.”
My breathing turned uneven.
“Oh my God…”
This wasn’t a game anymore.
This wasn’t mystery or suspense or secrets.
This was real.
Dangerously real.
Another voice echoed from deeper inside the apartment.
“Take the girl!”
Fear shot through me instantly.
Before I could react, Damien grabbed my wrist again.
“Move.”
We rushed toward the kitchen.
My legs felt weak, but I forced myself to keep moving.
“Mum,” I whispered desperately, tears burning my eyes. “We can’t leave her—”
“She’s already being moved.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“I had security outside the building.”
Shock hit me instantly.
“You had people outside my home this entire time?”
“Yes.”
The answer came without hesitation.
Anger flared immediately despite the fear.
“You don’t get to control my life!”
“You’ll complain later,” he replied sharply. “Right now, survive.”
Another crash sounded behind us.
Closer this time.
Too close.
Damien pushed open the back door quickly.
Cold night air hit my face instantly.
“Go,” he ordered.
I stepped outside—
Then froze.
Two men stood near the alley exit.
Waiting.
One of them smiled slowly.
“There she is.”
My stomach dropped.
Damien moved instantly, pulling me behind him again.
Everything about him changed.
The calmness disappeared completely.
Now he looked dangerous.
Terrifying.
Like someone born for violence.
“Stay behind me,” he said quietly.
One of the men laughed.
“You really think you can protect her forever?”
Damien’s expression didn’t change.
But his voice did.
Cold.
Sharp.
Deadly.
“Try me.”
The men attacked first.
I barely understood what was happening.
Everything blurred together—movement, punches, shouting, gunfire somewhere in the distance.
I stumbled backward, shaking badly.
Then—
Strong arms grabbed me from behind.
I screamed instantly.
“Damien!”
A hand covered my mouth.
“Quiet,” a rough voice hissed into my ear.
Panic exploded inside me.
I struggled wildly, tears filling my eyes as the man dragged me backward.
“No—!”
Then suddenly—
The grip disappeared.
The man collapsed beside me with a painful groan.
I stumbled forward instantly.
Damien caught me before I hit the ground.
His breathing was heavier now.
Blood stained the sleeve of his shirt.
My eyes widened immediately.
“You’re hurt.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s bleeding!”
“I said it’s nothing.”
But it wasn’t nothing.
I could see it clearly even in the darkness.
And for the first time since all this started—
I looked at him differently.
Not as Damien Cross.
Not as the dangerous billionaire hiding secrets.
But as someone risking himself for me.
For my family.
For us.
Police sirens echoed faintly in the distance.
The remaining attackers disappeared quickly into the night.
Silence slowly settled again.
My breathing still shook.
Damien looked toward the building once before turning back to me.
“We need to leave.”
This time—
I didn’t argue.
Because deep down…
I finally understood something terrifying.
No matter how far I ran—
This world was already chasing me.
- Writer
