Howl in the Dark

Chapter Six: No More Hiding

I didn’t hesitate.

The second Louis’ body hit the floor, I grabbed Celeste’s wrist and yanked her toward the back exit.

She stumbled, barely keeping up, her breath sharp and uneven. “Lucas—”

“Not now.”

No time for questions. No time for hesitation.

We had less than a minute before Elias’ men stormed the building.

I could hear them already. Footsteps. Heavy boots pounding against the stairwell. Voices. Low, sharp commands exchanged in the dark.

Too fast.

They’d been waiting.

They wanted me to run.

Fine.

Let’s see if they could keep up.

I kicked open the emergency exit, shoving Celeste through first. The heavy metal door slammed against the brick wall with a deafening clang, rattling from the force.

The alley outside was silent, but not the good kind. Not the safe kind.

The city air was thick—humid, clinging to my skin with the stink of gasoline, sweat, and something rotten that had been left in the heat too long. The distant hum of traffic vibrated against my skull, but it did nothing to mask the feeling creeping up my spine.

I scanned the narrow street.

Empty. Too empty.

A setup.

Celeste’s fingers tightened around my wrist, her nails digging into my skin. “Where do we go?”

She was trying to keep her voice steady, but I could feel it—the slight tremor in her grip, the way her chest rose and fell a little too fast.

Fear.

Not of me. Of them.

I turned my head slightly, just enough to meet her gaze. “Somewhere they won’t expect.”

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “And if they follow?”

I smirked, my thumb brushing over the grip of my gun. “Then I kill them.”

Tires screeched.

Celeste flinched.

A black sedan whipped around the corner, engine snarling like a predator catching the scent of blood.

I shoved Celeste behind me, raising my gun before the car had even fully stopped.

Tinted windows. No plates. The engine still running.

Elias’ men.

I curled my finger against the trigger, heart hammering in my chest.

The driver’s door opened.

A man stepped out—bald, scarred, and grinning. His hands were empty except for a knife, long and serrated. Close combat. Personal. He wanted to feel it when he made the kill.

Amateur mistake.

He tilted his head, his grin widening. “Lucas.” His voice was smooth, almost amused. “Elias says you’ve got something that belongs to him.”

I c****d my head, my stance loose. “Yeah? Tell him he should take better care of his things.”

Celeste tensed behind me, her breathing going sharp.

The man let out a chuckle, dragging the tip of his blade along his palm. A slow, deliberate taunt. “You know how this ends.”

I sighed, adjusting my aim. “Yeah.”

Then I pulled the trigger.

One shot. Right between the eyes.

The bullet hit before he could even twitch. His body crumpled, the knife slipping from his grip and clattering against the pavement.

The second guy moved.

I turned before he even cleared the car.

Two shots.

Chest. Head.

Blood splattered against the sedan’s windshield as his body slammed back against the seat, lifeless.

Game over.

Celeste let out a sharp, ragged breath. Not quite a gasp, not quite a word. She’d seen me kill before. But this?

This was different.

This wasn’t just survival.

This was war.

Sirens.

I didn’t hesitate.

I grabbed Celeste’s hand, my grip firm. “Run.”

She didn’t argue.

We took off, sprinting down the alley as the wail of sirens pierced the night. My muscles burned, but I didn’t slow. Couldn’t.

The city blurred past us—shadows twisting under flickering streetlights, neon signs bleeding color onto rain-slick pavement, the sharp stink of asphalt clinging to my lungs.

I pulled Celeste through an open doorway, into the dark. Breathing hard. Listening.

She turned to me, her silver eyes flashing. “They were waiting for us.”

I nodded once. “Yeah.”

Her breath shuddered. “What now?”

I exhaled, checked my ammo.

Elias wanted a fight?

He was about to get one.