I shoved my duffel bag into the backseat, my heart hammering so loudly it drowned out the bustling noise of Baltimore’s streets. The bus station loomed ahead like a promise of freedom, but my hands were shaking as I yanked the door shut. I’d slipped out of Ethan’s orbit. Now I just had to get out of the city before anyone noticed.
Just a few more steps. I could almost taste freedom.
I clutched the ticket tighter, as if it was a lifeline. One bus ride. Just one, and I’d be gone-disappeared into the anonymity of some small-town life where billionaires and mafia bosses didn’t cross paths. Where I could breathe without the weight of two dangerous men pressing down on my soul.
I checked over my shoulder, paranoia making my skin crawl. Had Ethan noticed I was missing yet? Or worse-Xavier?
I forced my legs to move. The door to the station was only a few feet away when-
“Alyssa!”
I froze. That voice hit me like a whip.
I turned slowly, my stomach lurching, and there he was: Ethan, panting slightly, as if he’d been running to catch me. His sharp gray eyes pinned me in place. His usual cool and collected demeanor was cracked, and underneath it, I saw something raw. Desperation. Fear.
“Alyssa, don’t do this.” He took a step closer, hands raised like he was soothing a spooked animal. “Please. You don’t understand-if you leave, you’re walking straight into Xavier’s trap.”
“Xavier’s trap?” I echoed bitterly, my hand tightening around the strap of my bag. “And what? You’re the safer option now?”
“Alyssa-” Ethan’s voice cracked for a split second, and I saw a flicker of vulnerability in his expression. It vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by the calm, polished mask he always wore. But it was too late. I’d already seen behind the curtain.
“You used me,” I whispered, each word tasting like betrayal on my tongue. “You made me bait.”
His face twisted with regret. “I didn’t have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice,” I snapped, stepping back. “And you made yours.”
Ethan reached out, his hand brushing my arm. “Alyssa, I know how this looks. But if you leave now, Xavier will find you. He won’t stop. He never does.”
I shook my head, heart pounding. “And you’re so much better? You’ve been lying to me from the start. Why the hell should I trust you now?”
Ethan exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his dark hair. “Because I know Xavier. I’ve seen what he’s capable of. He doesn’t just want control-he wants to own you.”
The words sent a chill through me, but I didn’t let it show. I couldn’t afford to be scared now. I needed to stay sharp. Needed to get out.
“And you?” I shot back. “What do you want from me, Ethan?”
For a moment, his mask slipped entirely. I saw the truth in his eyes-he didn’t even know. Maybe he wanted to protect me. Maybe he wanted to control me just as much as Xavier did. Either way, I couldn’t trust him.
But before I could say another word, something shifted in the air-an instinct, a warning.
The sleek, black car came out of nowhere, screeching to a halt beside the curb. My stomach dropped as two men in dark suits stepped out.
“Run-” I barely had time to react before strong hands grabbed me from behind.
“Let her go!” Ethan lunged forward, but it was too late. The men were fast-faster than him, faster than me. They dragged me toward the car, my feet scraping the pavement as I kicked and fought.
“No!” I screamed, twisting in their grip. “Let me go!”
Ethan charged toward us, fury blazing in his eyes, but one of the men shoved him back. Ethan stumbled, barely catching himself before he hit the ground. “Alyssa!” he shouted. “I’ll find you-I promise!”
The car door opened, and I was thrown inside, the door slamming shut behind me. My heart raced as I pounded on the window, panic surging through my veins.
Then, a familiar voice filled the car. “Calm down, Alyssa.”
I froze. Slowly, I turned my head, and there he was-Xavier Reed, sitting casually in the backseat like this was a normal Tuesday. His dark eyes gleamed with amusement, but there was a warning there too: Don’t fight this.
“What the hell are you doing?” I demanded, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and rage.
Xavier leaned back, unbothered by my outburst. “Saving your life.”
“Saving my life?” I laughed bitterly. “By kidnapping me?”
He gave a small, dangerous smile. “I told you, Alyssa. You don’t know what you’re caught in. Ethan’s making his move tonight. If you stayed, you’d be dead before morning.”
My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out reason. “You expect me to believe that? After everything?”
“I don’t care what you believe,” Xavier said coldly. “I care about keeping you alive.”
I glared at him, fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. “Why? Why do you care?”
For a moment, Xavier didn’t answer. His gaze was steady, unreadable. Then, softly, he said, “Because you’re mine to protect.”
His words hit me like a punch to the chest, knocking the breath from my lungs.
“You don’t own me,” I hissed, my voice shaking with anger.
Xavier’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Not yet.”
The car sped through the city streets, taking sharp corners and weaving through traffic like a predator on the hunt. I could feel the tension in the air-the kind that only comes before something terrible happens.
I pressed my back against the seat, my mind racing. I needed to think, to plan. But all I could focus on was the dark promise in Xavier’s words and the dangerous game I’d been thrown into.
As the car roared onto the highway, Xavier glanced at me. “You’ll stay hidden until this blows over. Then we’ll talk.”
“And if I refuse?” I asked, my voice low.
He smiled again-cold, dangerous. “Then you’ll wish you hadn’t.”
The city lights blurred outside the window as we sped deeper into the night. I knew then that escape wasn’t an option-not yet.
I was caught between two powerful men, each with their own agenda, and there was no telling who would win. But one thing was certain: I wouldn’t go down without a fight.