Under the Mistletoe... with the Mafia King.

Chapter 6 - Don't be afraid.

R H E A

The windows at the back of the SUV are completely blacked out, so dark that the world outside might as well have stopped existing, so dark that I didn't know it was morning, I wouldn't have been able to tell whether it was day or night, or whether we are still in the city or already far away from home. The only things I can feel with any certainty are the trembling of Cassie beside me and the erratic pounding of my own heartbeat as it forces itself against my ribs like it is trying to escape.

For a few minutes, the car moves normally, gliding forward in a steady rhythm, contradictory to the chaos happening in my mind. But then something shifts, something subtle at first, something like the driver adjusting too sharply or reacting too late, and the entire vehicle begins to sway in a way that pulls my stomach straight into my throat.

Before either of us can react, the SUV swerves violently to one side, hard enough that my shoulder slams into the door and Cassie topples halfway against me, both of us gasping in shock as the tyres screech across the pavement. Another sudden jolt follows, sharper and more chaotic than the first, and then the first gunshot cracks through the air, loud enough to slice straight through every thought in my head. The second gunshot follows with terrifying speed, and the third hits something metal, producing a sickening, hollow thud that vibrates through the floor of the SUV. Cassie releases a choked cry behind her gag, her whole body shaking, and I reach for her blindly, even though my wrists are still bound, needing to feel that she is still here, still alive, still breathing beside me in this nightmare that refuses to stop escalating.

The SUV lurches again as if the driver has lost control completely, and for a moment it feels like we are floating, like the wheels have lifted from the ground, like the entire world has begun to tilt sideways. My head slams into the window, a burst of pain blooming behind my eyes, and the only thing I can think in that split second is that this is it, this is how we die, nameless and terrified in the back of a stranger’s car, taken from our home without warning, destined to become two more bodies tossed aside by people who do not know us and do not care.

But then everything stops, and the gunfire ceases. The shouting fades, the vibrations still, and the silence that follows is heavy and unnatural, so thick I can almost taste it, so chilling that it sends a fresh wave of panic rushing up my spine. Cassie lifts her head, her eyes wide and shimmering with fear as she looks at me, both of us listening desperately for anything that might tell us what is happening outside. But there is nothing. No voices. No footsteps. Not even an engine rumbling.

I want to speak, but the gag in my mouth forces the words to stay trapped in my throat, and for a terrifying moment, I wonder whether we might be the only living people left in this tiny, suffocating space. My breath quickens as Cassie's fingers curl into the sleeve of my shirt. Neither of us moves. Neither of us dares to.

Then, without warning, the SUV’s rear doors are yanked open so violently that the entire frame shakes around us, and cold air rushes inside, sharp and bright and blinding after so much darkness. I flinch instinctively, squeezing my eyes shut because I am certain it is another attacker, another armed man ready to drag us toward whatever fate we were being delivered into...

But when I open my eyes again, when the blur fades, and the world comes into focus, I feel my breath catch in my throat.

Because standing there, framed by daylight and shadows and the faint smoke drifting through the air, is someone neither of us expected to see.

It is Alex.

The bartender from the club. The man Cassie flirted with for hours last night. The man she kissed. The man who smiled at us like he had no secrets, no shadows, no hidden worlds behind him.

Except clearly he did.

He stands there with a steadiness that is almost unreal, dressed in black tactical clothing instead of the simple bar shirt he wore yesterday, his expression focused, composed, and completely unlike the easygoing man from the night before. And when he looks at us, his eyes soften, but his voice remains calm and controlled in a way that feels almost impossible after the chaos we just endured.

"It is alright. Don't be afraid, we won't hurt you," he says, speaking gently, and the sound of his voice feels so jarringly familiar that for a second I cannot reconcile the two versions of him that now exist in my mind.

He turns slightly and flicks his chin upward. "Help them out."

Two men step forward, not roughly, not like the ones who kidn*pped us, but carefully, gently, as if they are touching something fragile that might break under the wrong kind of pressure. They cut our restraints, remove the gags, and guide us out of the SUV. The moment my feet touch the ground, I almost collapse, my legs trembling beneath me, the shock of standing outside making everything feel unreal, like this entire moment has been carved out of a dream.

Then I see them.

The bodies.

Two of the kidnappers are lying on the pavement near the SUV, unmoving, blood pooling beneath them in dark shapes that stain the asphalt. Another body lies closer to the street, twisted in a way that tells me instantly that he is dead. My stomach turns violently. Cassie clutches my arm, her breath shaking, her eyes darting between the bodies and the smoke and Alex and the unfamiliar men dressed like soldiers around us.

"Knox?" Alex says, addressing one of the men.

"Got away with the others," the man replies, adjusting the gun strapped across his chest.

Alex curses under his breath, frustration tightening his jaw. "Damn it."

By now, Cassie and I have been fully unbound, our wrists free, our mouths no longer gagged, our limbs shaky but functional. The moment the last restraint falls away, Cassie throws herself into my arms, and I wrap mine around her just as tightly, both of us shaking as we cling to one another, touching our faces, our hair, our shoulders, checking for injuries, checking for bruises, checking because neither of us can quite believe we are still alive.

Once Cassie pulls back, breathless and trembling, her gaze drifts slowly toward Alex. Disbelief spreads across her face, her brows pulling together as if she is trying to piece together a puzzle that refuses to make sense. She takes a small step toward him, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Alex…?"

He turns toward her, and his expression softens into something warm and faintly apologetic. "Hey, Cassie."

"I don't understand," she says, her voice cracking, her eyes searching his face for answers.

"I can imagine," he replies quietly, looking between the two of us with a seriousness that unsettles me. "Are you both alright?"

"Yeah," Cassie whispers, though the uncertainty in her voice betrays her. "We are fine, but what is going on?"

I step forward, my voice unsteady as I look directly at him. "Yeah, what the hell is happening?"

He hesitates for only a second before answering, his tone firm but calm. "It is complicated, and I promise I will explain everything, but right now you cannot stay here. It is not safe, not even for a minute."

He gestures to a different vehicle parked behind him. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" I ask, although part of me already knows, or at least fears I know.

He meets my gaze steadily, his expression gentle yet undeniably serious. "Micheal is expecting you."

I freeze at the sound of that name, my heart thudding so loudly that it drowns out the distant sirens and the murmur of the men nearby. Alex sees the fear and hesitation on my face and steps closer, speaking softly.

"You can trust me. I will not force you to go with us, but you cannot stay here, and you cannot go back home. Not now."

I swallow hard, feeling Cassie grab my hand, both of us still shaking, both of us overwhelmed and terrified and exhausted. But I know he is right. Whoever took us will not simply stop. Whoever sent them will not give up. And Micheal… Micheal is the only person who might know why this is happening.

I nod slowly. "Okay."