Chapter 49 Chapter 49
“Brax, keep those feeds tight. I want every blind spot covered. No detail misses us,” I said, my voice low. I could feel my stomach knotting. Watching her like this wasn’t about control; it was about survival, both hers and mine. I didn’t trust Lorenzo to play fair, not for a second.
Brax nodded, his eyes flicking between screens. “Got it, boss. I’ve got eyes on every entrance, every window. We won’t miss a thing.”
I leaned forward, gripping the edge of the desk. My eyes narrowed on the main feed. She was there, moving like she owned the space, and in a way, she did. I watched her dodge, twist, and strike; every move was precise and calculated. Every swing she avoided, every step she took was perfect. She wasn’t just defending herself. She was controlling the fight, dictating it, turning his confidence into hesitation, turning his aggression against him.
I should’ve felt calm; this is what I had her trained for, but I didn’t feel calm at the moment. I felt a tight, hot coil of anger and fear twist in my chest. I wanted to be there, wanted to intervene, but I couldn’t. Not without risking everything. Not without risking her life. Not yet.
Lorenzo moved aggressively, swinging at her, and I flinched. My hand shot out, almost as if I could reach through the screen and stop him. She ducked, twisting under his arm, her foot connecting with his side. He stumbled back, off balance, and I felt a surge of relief mixed with that burning tension. She was fast and stronger than I remembered. And even so, he was dangerous, his movements still unpredictable.
I watched him clutch his side and stumble over debris, and I could practically feel his panic rising, though he tried to mask it. He thought he had her trapped, thought he could intimidate her. He was wrong. Dead wrong.
“Boss,” Brax said quietly, his voice low. “He’s moving toward the back wall. There’s something… he’s hurt. Hard to tell how much, but he’s slowing down.”
I leaned in, my jaw tight and my heart hammering. “Keep watching. Don’t take your eyes off him for a second. I want every movement tracked. I want to know the second he tries to run.”
I watched Isla move agilely and precisely. She wasn’t panicking and wasn’t reckless. She was calm and calculating, a predator in her own right. I wanted to say something, tell her to stop, to retreat, to wait for me, but I stayed silent. She didn’t need me to tell her what to do. She needed me to keep watching.
Lorenzo made another lunge, swinging wildly, and I flinched again. Isla twisted, using his momentum against him, and he staggered, hitting a crate. The wood cracked under his weight, and I could see the blood starting to seep from a gash on his arm. My stomach turned, both from relief and the knowledge that he wasn’t finished yet.
“Brax, can you see if he’s bleeding anywhere else?” I asked, voice tight. I didn’t care if it was disgusting, didn’t care about any of that. I cared about her, and that was all that mattered.
“I’m on it,” Brax replied. “Looks like a few cuts along his side. Nothing fatal, but… he’s slowing down, definitely weaker than before.”
I leaned back, hands running through my hair. I hated feeling powerless. I hated watching someone else risk everything while I sat here. But this wasn’t about me. She could take care of herself, and so far, she had, but I couldn’t stop the tension coiling in my chest. I wanted to be there, wanted to protect her, wanted to make sure he never got another chance to hurt her.
Lorenzo stumbled again, trying to regain his balance, and I saw it, the moment he realized he couldn’t dominate her. He hesitated, his movements slower, more cautious. She pressed her advantage, striking him again, forcing him back into a corner. I clenched my fists, my knuckles white, as I watched him struggle.
“Keep watching,” I muttered, almost to myself. “Don’t take your eyes off her for a second.”
I felt every hit, every dodge, every movement like it was happening to me. I wanted to reach through the screen, grab her, and pull her out of that warehouse, but I stayed still. I couldn’t risk showing any sign of weakness, any sign that I cared too much. Not yet.
And then I saw it. Lorenzo made a break for the exit, clutching his wounds, limping, blood seeping through his shirt. I exhaled sharply, a mixture of relief and fury flooding through me. He wasn’t just retreating. He was running, and she had made him do it.
I leaned forward, gripping the desk again, heart hammering. “She did it,” I muttered. “She made him run.”
Brax glanced at me, eyebrows raised. “Yeah, boss. She handled him. He’s gone for now. You want me to track him?”
“Yes,” I said immediately. “Track him, but don’t let her see it. I want to know the second he tries anything else. I want every move he makes logged, every step.”
I sat back, taking a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I watched Isla move, checking the warehouse, making sure he was really gone. She was still cautious, still alert, still ready for anything. And I felt that familiar twist in my chest, a mix of pride and… something else. Something I couldn’t name, something I tried not to think about.
I wanted to rush there, to see her, to make sure she was okay, but I stayed put. I had to. I couldn’t risk it. Not yet.
“She’s… incredible,” I said quietly, almost to myself. I didn’t want Brax to hear it. He didn’t need to. I didn’t need anyone to hear it. But it was true. She wasn’t just surviving. She was controlling everything, making him pay for underestimating her.
“Boss?” Brax said, hesitant. “You okay?”
I glanced at him, then back at the screen. “Yeah,” I said tightly. “I’m fine. Just… watching.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I didn’t want to. Every movement, every breath, every step she took was precious. I saw her check the doors, the windows, and every corner, making sure he couldn’t come back. And I knew, deep down, she would be fine. She had to be.
But even with that knowledge, the tension didn’t leave me. Even watching her victorious, I felt that coil of anxiety and rage tighten in my chest. Lorenzo had made the mistake of thinking she was weak, and he had paid for it. But he was alive. He was dangerous. And I couldn’t let him hurt her again.
I leaned back, taking another deep breath.
“Round up the cars; I'm going for her."
“Yes, Boss," Brax said.
ISLA
The warehouse was quiet now; the echoes from the fight were fading into a heavy, tense silence that hung over the cracked concrete floors and shattered crates. I leaned against one of the steel beams; my body was trembling from adrenaline and exhaustion, and every muscle was still coiled tight from the fight.