Leila’s muscles tightened as the two shadows moved closer, the low voices of Marcus’s men filling the space around them. The cover of the trees had only delayed the inevitable. Now, with their escape route blocked, there was no choice but to face their enemies head-on. Ethan’s grip on her hand tightened as he slowly rose to his feet, pulling Leila up with him. His eyes were steely, sharp—ready for whatever was coming. They had no time to hesitate. “Well, well,” the first man drawled, stepping out from the shadows. His smile was sinister, a thin scar slicing through his left cheek. “Seems we’ve caught the runaway lovebirds.” Leila’s heart pounded. How had they found them so quickly? The question barely had time to form in her mind before the second man, shorter but stockier, appeared bes
