Ruined By Your Blood

Chapter 15: Ivy

The chase in the forest continues.

A man in a mask jumped out from behind a large pine tree, swinging an electric baton at Sienna's head. Luther acted quickly. He moved in to stop the man, using his body to duck under the weapon. He hit the guard hard in the ribs with a left punch, then followed with a strong right punch that knocked the man backward down the steep hill.

"Good shot!" Sienna said softly, turning around as two more shooters blocked the entrance to the old stone tunnel ahead.

Sienna kept moving as she slid across the wet gravel, firing her Glock 19 twice. The non-lethal bullets hit both gunmen in the thighs, making them fall to their knees screaming in pain. She jumped over them and hit the third guard hard in the jaw with her elbow as he tried to lift his rifle, quickly clearing the doorway.

As they ran into the dark stone tunnel, they heard a loud engine from a vehicle outside. The gang was trapping them. Three more men walked into the entrance, pointing their guns at the dark area where Luther and Sienna were hiding.

Sienna raised her gun, her heart beat fast because she only had three bullets left. She stood in front of Luther to protect him. She watched the enemy fire with a firm look in her eyes.

"Sienna, get behind me!" Luther said desperately. He grabbed her waist with his hands to pull her back, because he did not want her to be shot for him.

The gunmen fired their guns.

THWIP!

A sharp, incredibly precise, and suppressed high-caliber rifle shot echoed from the high mountains above the ridge.

The lead gunman's gun suddenly broke into pieces with bright sparks; the hit was so strong that it spun him around and knocked him into the ground.

THWIP! THWIP!

Two more silent, lightning-fast shots tore through the air, perfectly targeting the shoulders of the remaining two shooters. They dropped their guns and held their bleeding wounds in total shock.

The dark forest became very quiet, except for the cartel's running car engine and the constant sound of mountain mist.

"What was that?" Luther whispered, holding Sienna tighter by her waist while looking at the high, foggy ridge. "Those weren't the syndicate men. And they definitely aren't my father's security team."

Sienna breathed heavily as she looked at the path, feeling a sudden, familiar fear. She recognized that precise, quiet pattern. It was the same mysterious sniper who had saved them at the docks weeks ago. This hidden protector seemed to be watching her every move, protecting her mission—and her life—from the shadows.

From high up in the trees, a small green laser from a sniper rifle moved across the tunnel's concrete arch. It flashed twice as a quiet signal, then disappeared into the fog.

The remaining gang shooters realized they could not beat a skilled sniper hiding above them. They quickly pulled their injured men into a utility truck. The truck backed up fast, its tires making loud noises on the gravel as they drove down the mountain, leaving the ridge empty.

The cold, quiet mountain returned, as the thick fog covered the last of the smoke.

Luther breathed out slowly, keeping his hands on Sienna's waist as he pulled her back against his large, warm chest. He still felt very excited and tense, but when he looked down at her, his face showed that he was truly relieved.

"That happened twice," Luther whispered softly in her ear as he turned her to face him in the dark tunnel. "Someone up there must like us. Or maybe they just don't want me to lose my beautiful protector before our two weeks are over."

Sienna frowned and her face turned red as she tried to pull away, but she kept holding onto his jacket. "A rival group just tried to kill you, and a dangerous, secret sniper is interfering with us."

Luther did not answer and only looked at her.

"What?" Sienna asked.

"Should we finish what we started earlier?" he grinned, moving his face closer.

Sienna raised her eyebrow and pushed his face away with her hand.

"You love kissing too much," she said. Then she stood up and walked away.

Luther stood up and watched Sienna walk away. He smiled again and followed the woman who made his heart beat faster.

-

The Rich Alliances

For the first time in a month, the heavy grey clouds finally cleared over the Capital. Bright, golden sunlight shone through the large glass windows of the estate, making the neat lawns look warm and clean. However, the change in weather did not stop the growing political arguments inside the house.

Winning the court case forced Senator Arthur Vaughan to act. To fix his falling popularity before the election, his team organized a large, televised public meeting. This major event took place at the Grand Civic Pavilion and was meant to show that the city's powerful political families were united. Because the meeting focused on city laws and district changes, Luther had no choice. He had to participate as a legal representative for the Vaughan family, or his local properties would be frozen.

The bright afternoon sun shone on the clean, white stone steps of the Grand Civic Pavilion. The area was full of news reporters, campaign signs, and many security guards.

Sienna walked behind Luther through the crowd. She wore sunglasses, and her eyes kept checking the high balconies and open areas.

"Look at them," Luther muttered as they walked past the campaign flags. He sounded like he was making fun of them. He wore a nice green suit, but his tie was already a bit loose. "There are a hundred politicians here, and none of them are honest."

"Keep your voice down, Luther," Sienna murmured, watching a security guard on the terrace. "Larcus has microphones that can hear everything in the courtyard. You are here to look calm, not to cause trouble."

Luther stopped and looked at her. The bright sun made him look very handsome. He gave her a playful smile. "You are always so focused on the rules, Sienna. You know, you look beautiful in the sunlight."

Sienna gasped, and her face turned red even though she tried to stay calm. She moved her belt and looked away to avoid his strong stare. "You have a meeting with our allies in three minutes, sir. Please focus on the schedule."

"Right. We must hurry," Luther laughed, but he looked at her face with deep, quiet love before he walked toward the large room.

Inside of the VIP lounge looked very expensive, with velvet chairs, glasses of champagne, and old politicians talking quietly in small groups.

When Luther and Sienna walked in, a young woman left a group of older leaders and walked right in front of them.

She looked beautiful in a perfect, light cream dress that fit the rich style of the Upper Districts. Her light brown hair was in soft waves, and her bright amber eyes looked very smart. This was Ivy Durkan, the 26-year-old daughter of Mayor Thomas Durkan, who is one of Senator Vaughan's strongest political partners in the Capital.

Ivy and Luther had known about each other for years at many fancy parties, but they never talked. Luther always stayed away from politics to avoid his father's criminal friends. Ivy, however, had spent months watching his recent free legal work in the poor areas.

"Luther Vaughan," Ivy said. Her voice was clear and calm. She walked close to him and held out her hand. "I thought you might not be real. My father told me you were not coming to this meeting."

Luther stopped. His face quickly became serious and unfriendly as he shook her hand politely. "Mayor Durkan was partly right, Ivy. I only come here when we talk about the law, not just about raising money for campaigns."

Ivy laughed softly, her amber eyes looking warm on purpose as she tilted her head. "Good. If I had to listen to one more old chairman talk about 'voter groups' for another minute, I would have gone crazy. It is nice to see someone else here who looks totally disgusted by this show."

Ivy knew his character well: he was very honest, very moral, and hated corrupt politician. So she made a perfect plan. She would not act like a rich, spoiled girl. Instead, she would act like she shared his values, hiding a dangerous flirtation behind a mask of being a good person.