The chill of the night air stung my skin as we rushed through the narrow alley behind Adrian's compound. The strong hands guiding me belonged to one of Ryan's men a towering figure with a sharp jawline and piercing eyes that offered no comfort. His grip on my arm was firm, unyielding, as though letting me go would mean losing everything.
"Keep moving," he barked, his voice cutting through the muffled chaos still raging behind us. The sound of gunfire was growing distant, but it was far from over. Every instinct in me screamed to turn back, to find Ryan and drag him away from the madness. But I couldn't.
"Where is he?" I asked, struggling to keep up with the man's brisk pace. "Where's Ryan?"
"Handling it," he replied curtly, not sparing me a glance.
The weight of those two words crushed me. Handling it. Ryan was back there, likely surrounded by death and destruction, and here I was being whisked away like a fragile piece of glass. I hated the helplessness, the feeling that I was nothing more than an obstacle in his battle. We reached a black SUV idling at the end of the alley. Another man opened the door for me, his face expressionless as he gestured for me to get in.
"Where are we going?" I demanded, refusing to move.
"Someplace safe," the first man said.
"I don't care about safe," I snapped. "I care about him. I'm not leaving without Ryan."
The man's jaw tightened, his patience wearing thin. "Mrs. Alaric, this isn't up for debate. You're getting in the car, now."
"Enisa."
The sound of my name, spoken with such raw intensity, froze me in place. I turned to see Ryan emerging from the shadows, his figure cutting a commanding silhouette against the faint glow of the compound. His face was smeared with blood, his suit torn, but his eyes burned with a fire that made my heart skip a beat. I ran to him, throwing my arms around his neck. "I thought "
"Shh," he murmured, holding me tightly. "I'm here."
For a brief moment, the world seemed to pause. The chaos faded into the background, and all that mattered was the feel of his arms around me, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against mine. "You shouldn't have come," he said, pulling back just enough to look me in the eyes.
"I had to," I replied, my voice trembling. "You don't get to decide what risks I take, Ryan. Not when it's for you." His jaw clenched, and for a moment, I thought he might argue. But then he sighed, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "You're impossible," he muttered, though there was a hint of a smile in his voice.
"Ryan, we need to go," one of his men interrupted.
Ryan's expression hardened, the brief flicker of tenderness replaced by the cold determination I had come to recognize as his armor. He nodded, taking my hand as he led me to the SUV.
We climbed in, the doors slamming shut as the vehicle sped away. Ryan didn't speak, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. I wanted to ask him what had happened, what would happen next, but the weight of his silence kept me from saying a word. After what felt like hours, we arrived at a secluded estate nestled deep in the countryside. The gates opened without a sound, and the SUV rolled to a stop in front of a sprawling mansion. Ryan stepped out first, his movements tense and deliberate. He reached for me, helping me out of the car before guiding me inside.
The interior was grand, almost too perfect, like it was designed to intimidate rather than welcome. Ryan led me to a sitting room, his grip on my hand firm but not painful.
"Sit," he said, gesturing to the plush sofa. I obeyed, watching as he paced the room, his shoulders taut with unspoken tension. Finally, he stopped, turning to face me.
"This isn't the life I wanted for you," he said, his voice low but charged with emotion. "I wanted to protect you, to keep you away from all of this."
"Ryan," I began, but he held up a hand.
"Let me finish," he said. "You've been dragged into my world, and there's no escaping it now. Adrian won't stop until he's taken everything from me until he's taken you from me. And I can't let that happen." I stood, crossing the room to stand in front of him. "You don't have to face this alone, Ryan. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. Whatever comes next, we face it together."
His eyes searched mine, as though looking for a sign that I truly understood what I was saying. Then, without warning, he pulled me into a fierce embrace, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that was both desperate and tender.
When he finally pulled away, his forehead rested against mine. "I don't deserve you," he whispered. I cupped his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. "You don't get to decide that. I love you, Ryan every part of you, even the parts that scare me." A faint smile tugged at his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You're braver than I'll ever be," he said softly. At that moment, I realized the truth Ryan wasn't just fighting for power or revenge. He was fighting for us, for the life we could have if we survived this storm.
And I would fight for it too.