CHAPTER 7THEY CAME FOR HER
730 Words
“They’re inside the building.”
The words slammed into Elara’s chest harder than fear itself.
Darkness swallowed the penthouse completely except for the faint glow of city lights bleeding through the rain-covered windows. Somewhere below them, another loud crash echoed through the building.
Closer this time.
Anik’s grip tightened around her wrist instantly.
Protective.
Possessive.
Dangerously firm.
“Stay behind me,” he ordered quietly.
The calmness in his voice terrified her.
Because it wasn’t panic.
It was preparation.
Like this version of him had existed long before tonight.
Like violence was something he understood too well.
Another sound echoed downstairs.
Footsteps.
Heavy.
Moving upward.
Elara’s pulse exploded.
“Who are they?” she whispered.
Anik didn’t answer immediately.
Wrong sign.
Very wrong sign.
Finally—
“People who don’t stop once they choose a target.”
A chill crawled through her entire body.
Anik moved quickly through the darkness, guiding her backward toward the hallway behind him.
Every movement felt controlled.
Efficient.
Dangerously practiced.
That realization hit hard.
This wasn’t a man improvising.
This was a man falling back into instincts he already knew.
And somehow that made him even more dangerous.
“Anik…”
“Quiet.”
The single word came sharp enough to silence her instantly.
Then she heard it.
Voices downstairs.
Low.
Male.
Too close.
Anik’s expression hardened immediately.
He released her wrist only long enough to pull open a hidden drawer beside the wall.
Elara’s breath caught.
Inside—
A gun.
Anik grabbed it smoothly without hesitation.
Her heartbeat nearly stopped.
“You have a gun?”
His eyes flicked toward her briefly.
“Elara, now is not the time.”
The way he checked the weapon—
Fast.
Natural.
Terrifyingly familiar—
Made something cold settle inside her chest.
Who exactly was this man?
Because this version of Anik felt completely different from the one who looked at her like she could ruin him.
This man looked built for war.
A loud bang suddenly echoed below them.
Then shouting.
Anik cursed under his breath.
“They got through security too fast.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means this wasn’t random.”
Fear tightened around her lungs.
Someone planned this.
Someone knew exactly where to find them.
Anik grabbed her hand again before moving through the hallway toward another room.
“What are we doing?”
“Getting you out.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
His jaw tightened immediately.
“Elara—”
“No.”
She stopped moving, forcing him to look back at her.
“I’m tired of you acting like I’m something fragile.”
Something dangerous flashed behind his eyes.
“You are fragile compared to what’s coming upstairs right now.”
The honesty in his tone hit hard.
Not insulting.
Protective.
Deadly serious.
Another crash echoed closer.
Very close.
Anik stepped toward her suddenly.
Now they were inches apart again.
Even here.
Even now.
The tension between them refused to die.
His hands landed on her shoulders firmly.
“You need to listen to me carefully.”
His voice lowered.
“If anything happens, you run.”
Her chest tightened immediately.
“What about you?”
A dark smile touched his mouth.
Not comforting.
Dangerous.
“They’re not here for me.”
The realization hit instantly.
“They’re here because of me.”
Anik’s silence confirmed it.
Guilt crashed into her hard.
But before she could speak—
A gunshot exploded somewhere below.
Elara flinched violently.
Anik didn’t.
That scared her more than the gunshot itself.
Because his reaction wasn’t fear.
It was focus.
His eyes sharpened instantly as he listened carefully to the sounds below them.
Then suddenly—
Footsteps on the staircase.
Coming up.
Fast.
Anik moved instantly, pulling Elara behind him as he raised the gun toward the hallway entrance.
The darkness felt suffocating now.
Every second stretched tighter.
Closer.
The footsteps stopped just outside the room.
Silence.
Heavy.
Violent.
Then—
A male voice spoke through the darkness.
“Mr. Varren.”
Cold fear slid down Elara’s spine.
The voice sounded calm.
Too calm.
“We only want the girl.”
Anik’s expression turned lethal.
“Elara,” he said quietly without taking his eyes off the doorway.
“Yes?”
“Close your eyes.”
Her breath caught.
Why would he—
Then suddenly the hallway exploded into movement.
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