Love Me or Destroy Me

Chapter 12 — Flames in the Dark

Chapter 12 — Flames in the Dark

Chaos erupted inside the abandoned warehouse. Dust and shadows danced under the weak rays of light coming through the broken roof. Ethan stood in front of Aria, blood pouring from his left shoulder, his face tight with pain. But his eyes — they were burning with pure rage and the need to protect her.

“Stay behind me!” he growled, voice low and dangerous.

Another gunshot cracked through the air. The bullet hit the wall just inches from Aria’s head. She gasped but didn’t scream. Instead, she raised the gun in her trembling hands, finger on the trigger.

“I told you I won’t leave you!” she shouted back.

Max pushed himself up from the floor, clutching his bleeding arm. “There are more of them! Rahul sent a whole team!”

Three more men stepped out from the shadows, guns raised. Rahul’s assassins — cold, professional, moving like wolves.

Ethan didn’t wait. Ignoring the burning pain in his shoulder, he fired twice. One man dropped. The second ducked behind an old metal barrel. The third charged forward.

Aria’s heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. She had never held a gun like this before. But seeing Ethan bleeding for her… something inside her snapped. She pulled the trigger. The shot went wide, but it startled the attacker enough for Ethan to finish him with a precise bullet.

“Nice shot,” Ethan muttered, a hint of pride in his voice even through the pain.

They moved together now — back to back, breathing fast. Max joined them, firing at the remaining shadows. For the first time, the three of them were fighting on the same side.

“Left side!” Max yelled.

Ethan turned and took down another man. But more were coming. Footsteps echoed from the back of the warehouse.

“We need to get out!” Aria cried.

Ethan grabbed her wrist with his good hand. “This way!”

They ran toward a side door, bullets flying around them. A shot grazed Ethan’s side. He stumbled but didn’t fall. Aria quickly put her arm around his waist, helping him stay upright.

“I’ve got you,” she whispered fiercely.

They burst out of the warehouse into the foggy afternoon light. The car was still there, hidden behind the trees. Max was right behind them, breathing heavily.

“Drive!” Ethan ordered, pushing Aria toward the driver’s seat.

“You’re hurt —”

“Just drive, Aria!”

She jumped in. Ethan took the passenger seat, gun still in hand. Max climbed into the back. The engine roared to life and Aria pressed the accelerator hard. The car sped away down the narrow road, tires screeching.

Behind them, they heard more gunshots and the sound of vehicles starting. The chase had begun.

Aria’s hands were shaking on the wheel, but she kept driving fast, eyes focused on the twisting hill road. Ethan kept looking back, jaw clenched.

“How many?” Max asked from the back.

“Too many,” Ethan replied. He pressed his jacket against his shoulder to stop the bleeding. His face was pale now.

Aria glanced at him, eyes full of worry and something deeper. “We need to stop the bleeding. You can’t—”

“Not now,” Ethan cut her off. “Keep driving. Head toward the old bridge. We can lose them in the forest.”

The car flew over the bumpy road. Trees blurred past. Aria’s mind was racing — fear for Ethan, anger at Rahul, and that warm, terrifying feeling every time she looked at the man beside her.

After almost twenty minutes of tense silence broken only by distant engines behind them, they reached a denser part of the forest. Ethan pointed to a hidden dirt path.

“Turn here.”

Aria followed. The car bounced violently but they managed to hide behind thick bushes. They killed the engine and waited.

Minutes passed like hours. The chasing vehicles roared past on the main road.

They had lost them. For now.

Aria let out a long breath and turned to Ethan. His eyes were half-closed, blood soaking his clothes.

“Ethan…” Her voice cracked. She quickly tore a piece of cloth from her shirt and pressed it against his shoulder. “Stay with me. Please.”

Ethan looked at her. Even in pain, his gaze was intense. He lifted his good hand and gently touched her cheek, wiping away a tear she didn’t realize had fallen.

“You broke your promise,” he said softly, almost smiling. “You came running in.”

“I couldn’t leave you,” Aria whispered. “Not after everything you’ve done for me.”

Max cleared his throat from the back. “We should keep moving. Rahul won’t stop.”

But neither Ethan nor Aria looked away from each other.

In that moment, inside the cramped car surrounded by danger, something shifted completely. Ethan leaned forward slightly, ignoring the pain, and rested his forehead against hers.

“You are going to be the death of me, Aria,” he murmured. “But I don’t want to fight this anymore.”

Aria’s heart fluttered. She closed her eyes, feeling his warmth, his breath. “Then don’t fight it. I feel it too… I’ve felt it for a while.”

Max sighed loudly. “Okay lovebirds, we have a killer after us. Save the romance for later.”

Ethan pulled back reluctantly but kept holding her hand. “He’s right. We need a new safe place. And medical supplies.”

Aria started the car again, but this time her driving was steadier. She kept stealing glances at Ethan. He was hurt, but alive. And the wall between them had finally cracked wide open.

They drove deeper into the hills as the sun began to set. The sky turned orange and purple. For the first time in a long while, even in the middle of running for their lives, there was a small spark of hope — and a growing fire between them.

But far behind, in the shadows of the city, Rahul was already planning his next move. This wasn’t over.

Not even close