Alyssa’s POV
The circle tightened around us, Xavier’s men stepping closer, their weapons raised and eyes gleaming with deadly intent. My chest heaved as adrenaline surged through me. My knife felt insignificant in the face of their arsenal, but I tightened my grip anyway, refusing to show fear.
“Got any brilliant ideas?” I hissed under my breath at Ethan, who was scanning the crowd with the sharp focus of a predator cornered.
“Yeah,” he muttered, his voice low but edged with steel. “Stay alive.”
“Helpful,” I shot back, shifting my stance as one of Xavier’s goons edged closer.
Xavier stood just behind the line of his men, his smirk infuriatingly calm. “This could’ve been simple,” he said, his voice carrying over the tense silence.
“But then again, you always did have a flair for the dramatic, Ethan. And Alyssa…well, your stubbornness is almost endearing.”
“Cut the monologue, Xavier,” Ethan snapped, his hand twitching near the concealed gun at his side. “If you’re going to try and kill us, get on with it. Or are you afraid we might actually win?”
Xavier chuckled, a low, menacing sound that sent a shiver down my spine. “Afraid? No. Amused? Absolutely. Watching you squirm has been the highlight of my evening.”
I clenched my jaw, the urge to lunge at him almost overpowering. But I forced myself to focus, to think. If we were going to survive this, I needed to stay sharp.
Ethan’s voice cut through my thoughts. “On my signal, run.”
“What?” I hissed, incredulous. “We’re surrounded!”
“Trust me,” he murmured, his eyes locking on mine for the briefest second. They burned with a fierce determination that, against my better judgment, made me believe him.
Xavier raised a hand, and his men moved as one, closing the gap.
“Now!” Ethan shouted, and everything exploded into chaos.
Ethan moved like a force of nature, his gun firing with deadly precision. The crack of bullets echoed across the pier as he cut down the men nearest to us.
I didn’t have time to think, only react. I darted forward, my knife flashing as I slashed at the arm of a man trying to grab me.
The air was thick with the sounds of violence-shouts, gunfire, the clash of fists on flesh. My pulse pounded in my ears as I ducked and weaved, narrowly avoiding a swinging crowbar.
“Alyssa, move!” Ethan’s voice barked, and I turned just in time to see him throw me a gun. I caught it clumsily, the weight foreign in my hand.
“I don’t shoot!” I yelled over the chaos.
“Learn fast!” he shot back, ducking a punch and slamming his elbow into a man’s jaw.
I gritted my teeth, raising the gun and firing at the legs of another attacker. The recoil jolted through me, but the man went down with a scream, giving me a moment to catch my breath.
“Ethan!” I shouted as two more men charged toward him.
He spun, taking one out with a clean shot and shoving the other into the side of a shipping crate. Blood splattered across the ground, and I swallowed hard, forcing myself to keep moving.
“Stay close to me!” he ordered, backing toward me as the remaining men regrouped.
“This was your plan?” I demanded, my voice shaking with fury and fear.
“Improvising,” he muttered, his eyes darting toward an opening between two crates. “There. Run!”
We bolted, ducking behind the crates as Xavier’s men shouted and gave chase. My lungs burned, my legs felt like lead, but I didn’t stop. Ethan grabbed my arm, pulling me into a narrow alley between stacks of rusted metal containers.
“This isn’t over,” I gasped, leaning against the cold steel to catch my breath.
“No kidding,” he said, peering around the corner. “But at least we’re not dead. Yet.”
I glared at him, the adrenaline and rage making my words sharper than intended. “You and your brilliant plans.”
He turned to me, his expression unreadable. “You’re alive, aren’t you?”
“Barely,” I snapped.
Before he could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed down the alley.
“They’re coming,” I whispered, panic clawing at my chest.
Ethan grabbed my hand, his grip firm and unyielding. “Follow me. And trust me this time, Alyssa.”
With no other choice, I nodded, letting him lead me through the maze of containers.
We emerged onto a side street, the dim glow of a streetlamp casting eerie shadows. Ethan slowed, his hand still gripping mine as we moved toward a parked car.
“Get in,” he ordered, unlocking the door.
I hesitated, glancing back at the darkened alley. “What if they’re still following us?”
“They won’t,” he said, his tone brooking no argument. “Now get in the damn car.”
I slid into the passenger seat, my heart still racing as he started the engine and peeled out onto the empty street. The silence between us was heavy, charged with unspoken tension.
After a few minutes, I couldn’t take it anymore. “Why did you help me?”
He glanced at me, his jaw tight. “Because I need you alive, Alyssa. If Xavier kills you, I lose any chance of taking him down.”
“Nice to know I’m just a pawn in your game,” I said bitterly.
He didn’t respond, his hands gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.
“Pull over,” I said suddenly, the weight of the night crashing down on me.
“What?”
“Pull over!”
He sighed but obeyed, bringing the car to a stop on the side of a deserted road.
I got out, leaning against the hood as I tried to calm my racing thoughts. The cool night air was a welcome relief, but it did little to ease the turmoil inside me.
Ethan joined me, standing a few feet away. “You okay?”
I laughed humorlessly. “No, Ethan, I’m not okay. I was just ambushed by a mafia leader and barely escaped with my life. Forgive me if I’m a little on edge.”
He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. “Look, I know this isn’t easy-”
“Easy?” I interrupted, turning to face him. “This is hell, Ethan. My father’s a liar, Xavier’s a psychopath, and you…you’re-”
My words caught in my throat as he stepped closer, his eyes locking on mine with an intensity that made my breath hitch.
“And I’m what?” he asked, his voice low.
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, he closed the distance between us, his lips crashing against mine.
The kiss was fierce, desperate, filled with a raw energy that left me reeling. For a moment, I forgot everything-Xavier, my father, the danger we were in. It was just Ethan, his hands gripping my waist, his lips demanding and insistent.
But then reality came rushing back, and I pushed him away, my heart pounding for an entirely different reason.
“What the hell was that?” I demanded, my voice shaky.
He didn’t answer, his expression unreadable as he stepped back.
“Don’t do that again,” I said, my tone more uncertain than I wanted it to be.
He nodded once, his gaze dropping to the ground. “Let’s get moving. We’re not safe here.”
I followed him back to the car, my mind spinning with questions I wasn’t ready to face. Ethan was dangerous, but the way he’d kissed me…
I shook my head, forcing the thought away. I didn’t have time to unravel my feelings. Not when every step I took felt like walking into another trap.