The sound of sirens howling in the distance cuts through the chaos like a blade. Ethan and Xavier are still locked in a brutal dance of rage-bloodied, panting, but too stubborn to stop.
Each hit they land sends them closer to destruction, but neither man seems willing to give in.
I need to move now. If I don’t, I’ll get swallowed by the madness they’ve created, trapped in this vicious game with no way out. My pulse races, the weight of indecision pressing on my chest, but survival claws louder.
Ethan crashes into Xavier, slamming him into the wall with a sickening thud. The desk groans under the weight of shattered glass and overturned chairs.
I know I’ll be next if I hesitate for even a second. I take a step back, inching toward the door-
Then a hand grabs my arm.
I whip around, heart in my throat, expecting one of Xavier’s men. Instead, it’s Isabella.
Her dark eyes bore into mine, sharp with urgency. “We need to go-now,” she hisses, glancing at the two men still tearing each other apart.
“How the hell did you find me?” My voice is ragged, half in disbelief, half in panic.
She tightens her grip on my arm. “Because I know you, Alyssa. I know you’d stay too long, hoping you could control this mess.” She yanks me toward the hallway. “And you can’t. Not this time.”
For a moment, I hesitate. Ethan and Xavier are still locked in their deathmatch, fists flying, rage spilling out like a dam breaking. I could end it here-right now. One move, one shot, and it would all be over.
But that’s a lie. It would never be over. Not with men like them.
I nod sharply. “Let’s go.”
We slip through the door just as Xavier slams Ethan onto the floor with a vicious snarl. I don’t look back.
“How far is the car?” I whisper as Isabella pulls me down the narrow hallway, her pace relentless.
“Close. Just keep moving.”
The air outside is thick with tension, and the sound of approaching sirens grows louder, closing in from all directions.
My heart hammers against my ribs, each step feeling like a countdown. We’re running out of time.
Isabella’s black sedan is parked just a few feet away, engine running. She throws open the door, shoving me toward the passenger seat. “Get in.”
I slide in, slamming the door shut behind me. Isabella jumps into the driver’s seat, her hands gripping the wheel tight enough to turn her knuckles white.
“We’re clear,” she says, more to herself than to me, as she floors the gas pedal. The tires squeal against the asphalt, sending us flying down the street.
For a moment, there’s nothing but the roar of the engine and the pounding of my heartbeat. The city blurs past in streaks of neon and shadow, and all I can think about is how close I came to being caught between two monsters.
Then Isabella glances at me, her expression tight with something that looks a lot like guilt. “You okay?”
I laugh-a bitter, broken sound. “Not even close.”
We speed through the city, weaving between traffic, trying to put as much distance between us and the war zone as possible. But there’s no such thing as safe-not anymore.
I catch Isabella sneaking another glance at me, her lips pressing into a hard line. “You need to hear this, Alyssa.”
Something cold coils in my gut. “What now?”
She exhales slowly, keeping her eyes on the road. “The FBI. They’ve been watching everything.”
I freeze. “What do you mean, everything?”
“I mean everything.” She shifts gears, her voice grim. “Every deal, every meeting, every move you’ve made since this whole mess started.
They’ve got files on you-on Ethan, on Xavier, on everyone connected to them. And they’re getting ready to make their move.”
The words hit me like a punch to the chest. “You’re serious.”
Isabella nods. “They’re building a major case. And they’re not just after Ethan or Xavier.” Her gaze flicks toward me, the weight of her next words settling like a stone in my stomach. “They’re after you too.”
A cold wave of dread crashes over me. It feels like the walls are closing in again, only this time there’s no way out. The FBI isn’t just watching-they’re closing the noose, and soon, no one will escape.
“How do you know all this?” I ask quietly, my mind spinning.
Isabella’s jaw tightens. “I have my sources. And trust me-you’ve got maybe hours, not days, before they come knocking.”
I sink deeper into the seat, the enormity of the situation pressing down on me. If the FBI moves in, they’ll take everything-Ethan, Xavier… and me. Immunity is off the table now.
I rub my temples, trying to think through the panic. There has to be a way out. There always is. But the window is closing fast.
“So what?” I finally ask. “We just keep running? Hope they don’t catch us?”
Isabella’s silence tells me everything. Even she doesn’t know if we can outrun this.
Then she glances at me again, her expression unreadable. “There’s another option.”
I scoff. “Of course there is.”
She doesn’t smile. “We get ahead of them. Give them something bigger-something they want more than us.”
Before I can respond, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out, the screen glowing with a new message:
“FBI OPERATION INCOMING. PREPARE FOR IMPACT.”
I stare at the words, my blood turning to ice. They’re coming.
And we’re running out of time.
“What now?” Isabella asks, her voice low.
I swallow hard, forcing myself to think. Do I sacrifice Ethan and Xavier to save myself? Or do I take a stand and risk everything?
There’s no way out. Not without a fight.
And the clock is ticking.