The night bled into chaos as Damian dragged Elena through the smoke-filled corridors, his arm slick with blood but his grip on her iron-tight. Gunfire rattled in the distance, echoing like drums of war. Outside, the compound was a battlefield, black SUVs burning, men shouting orders drowned beneath the c***k of rifles. Smoke curled against the ceiling, thick and suffocating, and every breath tasted like metal.
“Stay close to me,” Damian growled, breath heavy but movements sharp, his voice edged with steel as he kicked open a side door. The cold bite of night air hit them, carrying the acrid scent of fire and the faint wail of distant sirens. “Don’t let go, Elena. Not for a second.”
Elena’s legs trembled beneath her, adrenaline flooding her veins, but she forced herself to match his pace.
