Lucian didn’t let her take a single step off-course. He guided her fast, urgent, until they were swallowed inside the black SUV, doors slamming shut behind them with the solid, final sound of a cell locking. Inside, the air was heavy, sharp with the mingled scents of scorched leather seats, the chilling tang of gunmetal, and beneath it all, that undeniable metallic undercurrent—fresh blood, not quite dried, painting a red memory into the shadows. Alessia forced herself upright, jaw clenched, a fresh ache blooming in her side where adrenaline had burned itself away, leaving her ribs throbbing with every heartbeat, like a bruise being pressed by invisible, relentless hands.
Lucian got in after her, his movements clipped and edged with frustration. The slam of his door sounded like a challen
