Chapter seven
901 Words
Damian snatched up the phone before Elena could move. His jaw locked as he read the message.
“Pack a bag,” he ordered.
Her chest tightened. “What? You said this place was safe.”
“It was. Until now.” His tone was sharp, lethal. “Someone leaked.”
Elena shook her head. “Damian, I can’t keep running. This isn’t life but survival.”
He strode to her, gripping her shoulders. “I don’t care what you call it. I will not bury you, Elena.”
The elevator chimed. Both froze.
Damian moved instantly, pulling her behind him, gun drawn.
Footsteps echoed. The doors slid open revealing Adrian.
Elena gasped. “Adrian?”
Adrian’s eyes darted from her to Damian, then to the weapon in his hand. “So it’s true. He dragged you here.”
“I came to help,” Adrian said firmly. “But clearly, I’m already too late.”
Damian lowered the gun, but his voice was ice. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Neither should she,” Adrian shot back. He looked at Elena, his voice softening. “Come with me. Before it’s too late.”
Elena’s breath caught. Two men, two choices. Safety in one cage or a risk with the other.
Her lips parted, but before she could speak, glass shattered. A bullet tore through the room, striking the wall inches from Damian’s head.
Adrian lunged for her. Damian pulled her back. Both shouting her name.
Elena’s scream echoed as another shot rang out. Someone was hunting them and this time, no wall of glass, no billionaire’s protection, could stop the bullets.
The glass shattered like thunder, a spray of shards glittering in the penthouse lights. Elena’s scream lodged in her throat as Damian shoved her down, his body covering hers, heavy and protective.
Another shot rang out. A hole tore through the curtain, splintering the wooden frame.
“Stay down!” Damian barked, his voice like steel snapping in half.
Adrian, quick on his feet, grabbed a heavy vase and hurled it at the chandelier. Glass exploded overhead, plunging the room into jagged shadows.
“They’ve got a sniper’s angle,” Adrian hissed, crouching low. “We’re lit up like targets.”
Damian didn’t hesitate. He pulled his gun, aimed at the window, and fired three controlled shots into the night. The echo rang in Elena’s ears, mingling with the sound of her own frantic breathing. Whoever was out there retreated; the silence after was deafening.
Damian lifted his head slowly, scanning the skyline with predator focus. “Gone. For now.”
Elena pushed him off with trembling hands, her chest heaving. “This…..this is insane. I can’t…..I can’t breathe”
His hand shot out cupping her face, forcing her eyes onto his. His grip was firm but not cruel. “Look at me. You’re alive. That’s what matters.”
Her heart beat so fast.
His eyes were dark, dangerous but something softer flickered deep within….fear. For her.
Adrian’s voice cut in, sharp as broken glass. “She won’t stay alive if she stays with you.”
Elena’s gaze darted between them. Adrian’s jaw was tight, his hands curled into fists. Damian’s eyes narrowed like a blade being drawn.
“You came here because someone told you where to find us,” Damian said slowly, menace showing through his words. “That makes you the leak.”
Adrian bristled. “Or maybe I came because I actually care about her.”
The tension between them was a live wire.
Elena stumbled to her feet, standing between the two men. “Stop it! Both of you!”
Her phone buzzed on the table. She grabbed it before either man could. The screen glowed with a message.
Next time, we won’t miss.
Her stomach twisted. Her hands shook so hard she nearly dropped the phone.
Adrian reached for it. “Let me see…”
Damian snatched it from her instead, reading it with a face of carved stone. His jaw flexed. “They know exactly where you are. This isn’t about me anymore. It’s about you.”
Elena’s throat went dry. “Why me?”
“Because you’re leverage,” Adrian said bitterly. “He may not want to admit it, but you’re his weakness. They see it. They’ll exploit it.”
Damian’s eyes flicked to Adrian, cold fire burning. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I do,” Adrian shot back. “And she does too. Look at her. She’s terrified. You’ve dragged her into your world, and it’s going to kill her.”
“I dragged her?” Damian snarled, stepping forward. “She walked away from me, into the arms of wolves who’d devour her alive.”
Elena’s chest heaved as their voices crashed around her. She couldn’t tell where the fear ended and the fury began.
“Stop!” she shouted. Her voice cracked. “I can’t do this. I can’t keep living like this. If you can’t keep me safe without locking me in a cage, then maybe Adrian is right….maybe I need to disappear.”
The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut.
His voice was low, dangerous. “You want to disappear, Elena? Then you’ll have to disappear with me. Because if you walk out of that door alone, you won’t live long enough to hate me.”
- Writer
