TARGET!

He touched her thighs, his hand firm yet hesitant, as though he was battling the weight of his own demons. Alexa shivered, not just from his touch but from the storm raging outside. Thunder cracked, shaking the glass windows of the small motel room where they hid from the world. “You know this can’t last,” she said, her voice trembling as her eyes locked onto his. “But it already has,” Damien replied, his voice low and dangerous, laced with something she couldn’t name. “You came back, Alexa. You knew what that meant.” She wanted to push him away, to scream at him for dragging her back into the hell she’d escaped. But the fire in his eyes and the way his touch lingered made her feel alive in a way nothing else could. She hated herself for it. “I didn’t come back for you,” she lied, her tone sharp. “I came back for answers.” Damien chuckled darkly, leaning closer until she could feel the heat of his breath against her skin. “You’ve always been a terrible liar.” Before she could respond, the door burst open with a deafening crash. Alexa’s heart leapt into her throat as two men in dark tactical gear stormed in, their guns drawn. “DOWN ON THE FLOOR!” one of them barked. Damien didn’t flinch. Instead, he moved with a speed that stunned her, pulling a weapon from beneath his jacket and firing before she could blink. The room erupted in chaos—shouts, gunfire, and the sickening sound of bodies hitting the floor. “Alexa, MOVE!” Damien yelled, grabbing her arm and dragging her toward the back exit. Her legs felt like jelly, but adrenaline propelled her forward. The storm outside was relentless, sheets of rain drenching them as they sprinted into the night. Alexa stumbled, but Damien’s grip on her arm was ironclad, pulling her through the maze of alleys behind the motel. “Who were they?” she gasped, struggling to keep up. “Not friends,” Damien muttered, his eyes scanning the darkness. “But I told you—coming back to me would paint a target on your back.” She stopped, yanking her arm free. “I didn’t ask for this! You dragged me into your mess, Damien!” His expression softened for a brief moment, but the hardness quickly returned. “And now you’re in it. There’s no escaping this, Alexa. Not anymore.” Before she could argue, a black SUV roared around the corner, its headlights slicing through the rain-soaked night. Damien cursed under his breath, pulling her into a nearby doorway as the vehicle screeched to a halt. “They’re here,” he said grimly, pulling out another weapon. Alexa’s chest tightened as fear clawed at her throat. She should have stayed away. She should have known that Damien’s world was one of chaos and destruction. But deep down, she knew there was no turning back now. The storm wasn’t just outside. It was here, and it was about to consume them both. She wanted to push him away, to scream at him for dragging her back into the hell she’d escaped. But the fire in his eyes and the way his touch lingered made her feel alive in a way nothing else could. She hated herself for it. “I didn’t come back for you,” she lied, her tone sharp. “I came back for answers.” Damien chuckled darkly, leaning closer until she could feel the heat of his breath against her skin. “You’ve always been a terrible liar.” Before she could respond, the door burst open with a deafening crash. Alexa’s heart leapt into her throat as two men in dark tactical gear stormed in, their guns drawn. “DOWN ON THE FLOOR!” one of them barked. Damien didn’t flinch. Instead, he moved with a speed that stunned her, pulling a weapon from beneath his jacket and firing before she could blink. The room erupted in chaos—shouts, gunfire, and the sickening sound of bodies hitting the floor. “Alexa, MOVE!” Damien yelled, grabbing her arm and dragging her toward the back exit. Her legs felt like jelly, but adrenaline propelled her forward. The storm outside was relentless, sheets of rain drenching them as they sprinted into the night. Alexa stumbled, but Damien’s grip on her arm was ironclad, pulling her through the maze of alleys behind the motel. “Who were they?” she gasped, struggling to keep up. “Not friends,” Damien muttered, his eyes scanning the darkness. “But I told you—coming back to me would paint a target on your back.” She stopped, yanking her arm free. “I didn’t ask for this! You dragged me into your mess, Damien!” His expression softened for a brief moment, but the hardness quickly returned. “And now you’re in it. There’s no escaping this, Alexa. Not anymore.” Before she could argue, a black SUV roared around the corner, its headlights slicing through the rain-soaked night. Damien cursed under his breath, pulling her into a nearby doorway as the vehicle screeched to a halt. “They’re here,” he said grimly, pulling out another weapon. Alexa’s chest tightened as fear clawed at her throat. She should have stayed away. She should have known that Damien’s world was one of chaos and destruction. But deep down, she knew there was no turning back now. The storm wasn’t just outside. It was here, and it was about to consume them both.The SUV’s doors slammed open, and shadows spilled out into the rain. Alexa held her breath, her back pressed tightly against the cold brick wall. Damien moved in front of her, his weapon steady, his body tense like a predator ready to strike. "Damien Black," a voice called out, deep and commanding. "We know you're here. Step out, and we’ll make this quick." Damien smirked, his fingers curling tighter around the gun. "They always say that," he muttered under his breath. Alexa’s heart hammered against her ribs. "Damien, there’s too many of them—" "Stay quiet and stay behind me," he snapped, his tone leaving no room for argument. The men approached slowly, their boots splashing through the puddles. Lightning flashed, illuminating their faces for a split second. They were all wearing the same dark gear as the ones from the motel, but these men looked more prepared—more dangerous. One of them raised a megaphone. "You’ve got ten seconds before we come in shooting. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be." Damien let out a soft laugh. "They always talk too much." Without warning, he stepped out of the shadows and fired two shots. The first man dropped instantly, his body hitting the ground with a heavy thud. The others reacted, shouting orders and diving for cover. "RUN!" Damien shouted over his shoulder. Alexa hesitated for a split second before her survival instincts kicked in. She turned and bolted down the narrow alleyway, her heart pounding in her ears. The rain blurred her vision, but she kept running, her shoes slipping on the slick pavement. Gunshots echoed behind her, each one making her flinch. She didn’t know if Damien was still alive or if the men were chasing her, but she didn’t dare look back. Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed her arm and yanked her into a side street. She opened her mouth to scream, but Damien’s face loomed inches from hers, his eyes wild and determined. "Keep quiet," he hissed. "Are you insane?!" she whispered harshly, her chest heaving. "We can’t outrun them!" "We don’t have to," he said, pulling her further into the shadows. "I’ve got a plan." Alexa stared at him, incredulous. "A plan? What plan? You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and we’re trapped in the middle of—" "Trust me," he cut her off, his voice calm despite the chaos around them. "I’ll get you out of this." Before she could protest, a loud explosion ripped through the night. The force of it knocked her off her feet, and she hit the ground hard, her ears ringing. When she looked up, the alley was bathed in firelight. The SUV was engulfed in flames, the men scattered, some shouting, others writhing on the ground. Damien stood over her, offering his hand. "I said I had a plan." She took his hand reluctantly, letting him pull her to her feet. Her legs were shaky, her mind spinning. "What the hell was that?" "Insurance," he said with a grim smile, pulling her down another alley before reinforcements could arrive. "Damien," she said breathlessly, trying to keep up. "Why are they after you? What did you do?" His expression darkened, and for a moment, she thought he wouldn’t answer. Then he stopped abruptly, turning to face her. "They’re not after me, Alexa," he said quietly. "They’re after you." Her blood ran cold. "What? Why me? I don’t even know these people!" Damien stepped closer, his gaze intense. "You don’t know them, but they know you. And now, they’ll stop at nothing to get what they want." "What do they want?" she whispered, her voice trembling. He hesitated, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to her, his jaw tight. Her hands shook as she unfolded it. Her stomach dropped when she saw what was on it: her photo, circled in red, with one chilling word scrawled beneath it. "TARGET."