Her deadly obsession

"Talk or I will slit your throat right here." The knife pressed hard under my chin on my first night home. Nothing could have prepared me for that. I stepped off the bus only minutes earlier. My legs felt heavy. My backpack dug into my shoulder. College had not worked out. Money problems dragged me back. The night air felt thick. Every shadow looked longer and meaner. Three masked men jumped me after one block. The biggest one grabbed my arm hard. "Where is your brother hiding it?" he snarled. "Tell us what Ethan and his crew know or you will regret it." I twisted and kicked his knee. "Get your hands off me. I do not know anything." The second man slammed me against the wall. "Stop playing games." The third pressed the knife tighter. "Please," I gasped. "I just got back. I do not have what you want." Heavy footsteps pounded the pavement. Five men burst from the darkness. Fists flew fast. Grunts and curses filled the air. The guy with the knife dropped fast. "Get your filthy hands off her right now," a deep voice ordered. I blinked. I knew them. Jax, Kai, Ronan, Dante, and Zane. My brother Ethan's best friends. They used to tease me and ruffle my hair. Now they looked taller, harder, and far more dangerous. Jax yanked the last attacker away and slammed him down. "You made a big mistake coming after her tonight." Kai crouched beside me. "Lila, are you hurt? Talk to me. Where did they get you?" "I am okay," I whispered, hands shaking. "What is going on? Why are you here?" Ronan checked my neck gently. Dante stood guard. Zane checked his phone. Jax turned to me. "We need to get out of here right now. More are coming. I hear the engines." Dante grabbed my backpack. "No questions yet, princess. Move your feet." We hurried down the street. Headlights appeared behind us. "Wait," I said. "Those men knew my name. They asked about Ethan. Tell me what is happening or I stop running." Kai stayed close. "Old business, Lila. We will explain when it is safe. Stay between us." "I deserve answers," I pressed. "I just got attacked on my own street." Zane looked back. "They are gaining. Warehouse on the left. Go now." We rushed inside the old warehouse. The guys blocked the doors with crates. Dust floated in the air. Moonlight cut thin lines through the cracks. I leaned against the wall, breathing hard. The five men circled me. Their eyes felt intense and possessive. Jax lifted my chin to check the cut. His rough fingers sent a spark through me. "Does it sting bad?" "A little," I said. "Jax, what is this? You guys vanished for years. I barely recognized you." He kept his hand there. "We never really left you alone. After your parents, we made promises to keep you safe." Kai wiped his knuckles. "Promises that are getting harder every second we look at you. You changed, Lila." "What do you mean?" I asked, heart racing. Dante paced. "You walked into a mess. Those men want leverage. They think you can lead them to money." "Money?" I looked at them. "Ethan never told me anything. I was away at college." Ronan spoke low. "Your brother kept you out. We all did. But the past caught up tonight." Zane typed on his phone. "I texted Ethan. He is coming. Nobody leaves until it is clear." I crossed my arms. "So you five appear, beat them up, and now I am stuck here? I came home to fix my life, not this." Kai gave a quick smile. "Welcome home, Lila. Things have changed. You have no idea how much." "Stop treating me like a kid," I said. "I am twenty two. Give me the truth." Jax stayed close. His scent wrapped around me. "The truth is not safe. We made a pact. We protect you. We keep our distance. One line crossed and the group falls apart." My stomach flipped. "What kind of pact?" Dante looked at me. "The kind that stops us from doing what we want. Like this." Ronan watched me. "You felt it too when Jax touched you." "I do not know what I felt," I said. "Everything is too fast. My head is spinning." Zane looked up. "Fast is our only speed. Two cars outside. They are searching." Jax pulled me behind him. "Stay low. We handle them." "Come out, Voss girl," a voice yelled outside. "You are the price tonight." Kai muttered, "They are too bold." "Maybe I should talk to them," I whispered. "Buy time." "No," they all said together. Dante gripped a pipe. "Nobody is handing you over." Ronan checked the window. "Three left, two right. We can end this quick." Jax brushed my arm. "Trust us, Lila. We know what we are doing." "I want to trust you," I said. "But I am scared. Why do you look at me like this now?" Kai leaned in. "Because you are not the little girl anymore. You are something dangerous to us." "Focus," Zane said. "They are at the door." A bang shook the barricade. My heart jumped. I grabbed Jax's sleeve. "Do not get hurt because of me." "Too late for that warning, sweetheart," he said. The guys moved. Dante and Ronan took front. Kai and Zane covered sides. Jax stayed with me. Fights broke out. Punches landed. Men grunted. "Get her," someone shouted. "Not a chance," Dante yelled. Bodies hit the floor. Kai called, "Clear here." Ronan answered, "Same." Zane breathed heavy. "They are running. But they will return." Jax relaxed. "You held up well." "I was terrified," I admitted with a shaky laugh. "What a welcome home." Kai wiped his face. "Terror is normal. Someone is talking on the inside. That worries me." Dante dropped the pipe. "We need to leave. This place is not safe." "Where are we going next?" I asked. Jax put his hand on my lower back. The touch lingered. "Somewhere safer. Ethan will meet us." As we slipped out, Zane whispered, "The old pact is already starting to break because of her." Those words sent a shiver and warmth through me. My life had changed forever. The five men moved me through back alleys. I stayed in the middle, surrounded by them. Questions filled my head but survival came first. Even the confusing way my body reacted to their touch. (Word count: 1104)