THE RUIN HE CHOSE

DY7

AURELIA

“Have a seat,” Zayn said softly as he offered me a seat. Everywhere was crowded and Zayn managed to offer me a seat while he stood protectively beside me.

The ship’s engines hummed to life beneath us, and I felt the first gentle sway as we pulled away from the dock.

“Successfully on board,” Lorenzo’s voice crackled low and steady through the tiny earpiece hidden beneath my hair.

Before I could even acknowledge it, Zayn leaned in close. His fingers brushed my temple as he tucked a loose strand behind my ear, his breath warm against my skin. We stared at each other for a few seconds, our gaze intense.

“If you find yourself in a fix, let me know,” he whispered, voice velvet-soft. Then he tilted my chin up with two fingers, holding my gaze for a beat too long before letting go and straightening up properly.

I huffed, cheeks heating despite myself. He was playing the part perfectly…any onlooker would think he was whispering sweet nothings to his girl.

“Copied,” Lorenzo replied, and then there was a short burst of static before the line went quiet.

The ship continued its slow, steady glide. For a few minutes everything felt almost normal…passengers chatting quietly, the creak of ropes, the slap of water against the hull. Then Zayn suddenly straightened, his sharp gaze locking onto someone in the distance.

“I’ll be right back. Stay right here,” he said, already moving. In seconds he’d melted into the crowd and disappeared.

I stayed seated, trying to look casual, but the quiet didn’t last long.

Lorenzo’s voice burst through the earpiece, rushed and hushed with panic. “I’m in a bit of a fix here…Container DY7. Four men seem to have caught on to me. Zayn? Zayn?”

My stomach dropped. I whipped my head around, scanning the deck for any sign of Zayn, but he was gone. Part of me wanted to sink back down, pretend I was just the worried girlfriend, but Lorenzo’s voice kept repeating, tight with urgency, and Zayn still wasn’t answering.

*Damn it.*

I cursed under my breath, heart slamming against my ribs. My legs felt unsteady as I pushed myself up, the ship’s sway suddenly less comforting and more like a warning. Wherever Zayn had gone, I couldn’t wait for him. Lorenzo was alone, and I was the only one close enough to do something.

I scanned every container as I shuffled around trying to locate DY7. I found DY1 and increased my pace, going straight down. Lorenzo wasn't saying anything again, I could not tell if they've caught up with him or were quiet to stay hidden. I opened my purse and my fingers wrapped around the familiar feel of the dessert eagle.

Walking in this gown wasn't convenient. I finally found the container and immediately sighted three men lurking around checking each nook and cranny of the container.

The container reeked strongly of fish and sea products but it was almost empty.

Lorenzo had mentioned four men but right now I was seeing three.

All of a sudden I heard a grunt, and one of the men fell on the ground. I poked my head out to see Lorenzo's head disappearing, a gun in his hands.

I realized I didn't have a silencer on me so I couldn't risk shooting and drawing attention. I glanced around me and noticed a knife lying. I tiptoed towards it and cursed when the click of my heels drew the attention of one of them. He turned swiftly and fired his gun at me. I rolled towards the knife, snatched it up and hurled it straight at him. It caught him in his chest and he went down with a grunt. The attention of the third guy was thorn. He went into hiding and I immediately dashed towards the guy I threw the knife at.

Ripping the knife out of him I brought it back down and when I was confident that he wasn't moving I wiped my hands clean on his cloth and was just prying the gun out of his hands when I felt a cold barrel at my back.

“Drop that gun!” The man's voice said. I raised my hands up as the gun dropped from them. It was the fourth man because I'm very sure the third one was still in hiding. I saw Lorenzo peep from behind a stack of bags and I closed my eyes.

“Oi…” I didn't waste the opportunity. I picked the gun immediately. The man's attention was diverted so his reaction time was slow. I pointed the gun at him and he kicked his leg forward, kicking the gun out of my hands. I brought my fist up immediately and the satisfied crunch of his balls against my fist made me smirk.

He went on his knees howling in pain. I picked up his gun and finished him off.

Lorenzo stood at my front. He stared at me for a moment, his expression unreadable before he offered me his hand. I grabbed it and lifted myself up.

“Zayn hasn't said anything in a while, something is probably up with him,” I said hurrying out of the container.

“Wait… we have to be careful on how we thread… they've discovered that I've snuck in, they don't know about you and Zayn, you go look for him, I'll continue searching until I see what I'm looking for.”

“Take this,” he said, pressing a switchblade into my palms.

“It's easier to use this than guns in situations like this ,” I nodded and putting the blade behind my back, covering it with my hair I made my way out of the container and found the man from the front of the ship standing outside, looking at me with a cold look, his gaze shifting around my body as he tried to understand why I was coming out through the container when I should be sitting with the rest of the passengers.

His fingers went to his hip and I could tell he was going to draw out a gun next.