I barely had a second to react. One moment, I was standing beside Nico, the familiar warmth of his presence steadying me in the cold night air. The next, rough hands grabbed me from behind, yanking me backward with a force that knocked the breath out of my lungs. Panic surged through me, and I tried to twist away, but the grip on my arms was like iron. My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled, every instinct screaming at me to fight, to break free.
"Nico!" I shouted, but my voice was swallowed by the night, the wind carrying it away before it could reach him. He was only a few steps away, but it might as well have been miles. I couldn't see him, couldn't hear him—just the harsh breathing of the men who had me in their grasp.
I kicked out, trying to dig my heels into the ground, but th
