I paced back and forth in the small cabin, my thoughts swirling in a chaotic storm. The walls felt like they were closing in, trapping me in a decision I wasn’t ready to make. Ethan or Xavier. Either choice carried risks, and no matter what I did, someone would get hurt-possibly me.
Ethan sat on the edge of the bed, his gun resting within reach. His dark eyes tracked my every move, as if he could see the war raging in my mind. “You don’t have to do this alone, Alyssa.”
I stopped, glaring at him. “Don’t I? Xavier wants me back, and you… You want to use me to take him down. Let’s not pretend I’m anything more than leverage.”
Ethan exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. “That’s not true. I want you safe. I-”
“Stop,” I cut him off, holding up a hand. “Just stop. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. I need time to think.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but the buzz of my phone cut through the tension. I stared at it, heart pounding, dreading what fresh nightmare awaited me.
A message from my uncle.
Uncle Peter: There’s a way out if you want it. But you need to decide quickly.
My pulse quickened as I read the message again and again, trying to process it. A way out.
For a moment, hope flickered inside me-an escape. I could leave this nightmare behind. No more Ethan. No more Xavier. Just me and a fresh start.
“Who is it?” Ethan asked, noticing the change in my expression.
“My uncle,” I whispered. “He says he can help me disappear. Leave you. Leave Xavier. Leave everything.”
Ethan stood, his gaze sharp. “Alyssa, you can’t trust him. He’s playing you just like the rest of us. He’ll never let you go.”
“And you will?” I shot back, my voice laced with bitterness.
He flinched, but he didn’t deny it.
I felt the weight of the decision pressing down on me. If I stayed with Ethan, I’d be at war with Xavier. If I went back to Xavier, I’d lose whatever freedom I had left. And if I trusted my uncle…
Well, I didn’t know what the hell would happen. But it was starting to sound better than the alternatives.
The phone buzzed again.
Uncle Peter: There’s a car waiting. Leave now, or the window closes.
“He has a car ready,” I murmured.
Ethan grabbed my arm. “Alyssa, think. This isn’t an escape-it’s another trap. You know that.”
I pulled away from him, frustration bubbling to the surface. “I don’t know anything, Ethan! I can’t keep doing this-running, hiding, making impossible choices. I just want to breathe.”
He softened, taking a step toward me. “Then stay with me. I’ll keep you safe. We’ll figure this out together. Please, Alyssa. Don’t go.”
For a moment, I wavered. Ethan’s presence was steady, grounding-like a lifeline in the middle of a storm. But that same lifeline felt like a chain, keeping me locked in a war I didn’t want to fight.
I needed to think.
“I just… I need some air,” I muttered, slipping past him toward the door.
“Alyssa-” Ethan called, but I didn’t stop.
The cold night air hit me like a slap, sharp and sobering. I inhaled deeply, trying to clear my mind. The forest surrounding the cabin was dark and silent, the kind of quiet that felt heavy with hidden dangers.
I leaned against a tree, my mind racing. Could I really disappear? Start over somewhere new? The idea seemed impossible… but it was the only thing that made sense right now.
Suddenly, a figure stepped out from the shadows.
“Going somewhere, Alyssa?”
I gasped, instinctively stepping back. The man in front of me was one of Xavier’s-broad-shouldered, cold-eyed, and dangerous.
“Xavier sent you, didn’t he?” I whispered, my heart hammering in my chest.
He smirked. “He’s getting tired of waiting. You need to come back. Now.”
“Or what?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.
His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Or people start dying. Starting with Ethan.”
Panic surged through me. My hands clenched into fists as I fought to stay calm, but my mind was spinning. I couldn’t go back to Xavier, not after everything I’d learned. But if I refused…
The man took a step closer, his gaze sharp and predatory. “Xavier doesn’t like to be kept waiting, princess. Time’s up.”
I forced myself to meet his gaze, trying to project a confidence I didn’t feel. “Tell Xavier I need more time.”
He chuckled darkly. “Time’s a luxury you don’t have, sweetheart. You’re either with him, or you’re against him. And trust me-you don’t want to be on the wrong side of this.”
I swallowed hard, my mind racing. I had to get out of this. I had to think.
But before I could respond, he grabbed my arm, his grip bruising. “Let’s go. Now.”
I struggled, trying to wrench my arm free, but he was too strong. Panic clawed at my throat as I realized how little control I had left.
And then-a gunshot shattered the silence.
The man staggered, clutching his shoulder as blood seeped through his shirt. He swore loudly, stumbling back.
I spun around to see Ethan, gun raised, his eyes cold and focused.
“Get your hands off her,” Ethan growled, stepping forward.
The man sneered, clutching his wounded shoulder. “This isn’t over. Xavier will come for both of you.”
He turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving me trembling in the cold night air.
Ethan rushed to my side, his hands on my shoulders, steadying me. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
I shook my head, trying to catch my breath. “He wanted to take me back to Xavier. He said… he said if I didn’t go, people would die.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened, fury flickering in his dark eyes. “Let him try. He won’t touch you. Not while I’m breathing.”
I looked up at him, my heart pounding with fear and uncertainty. “Ethan, I can’t do this. I can’t keep running.”
“We’re not running, Alyssa. Not anymore. We’ll end this. Together.”
I wanted to believe him, but deep down, I knew the storm was far from over.
And as much as I wanted to escape, there was no easy way out.
The sound of a car engine roared in the distance, growing louder. Ethan pulled me closer, his gun ready, as headlights cut through the darkness.
“Get inside, Alyssa,” Ethan whispered urgently. “Now.”
But before we could move, the car screeched to a stop-and Xavier stepped out, his expression cold and dangerous.