Chapter 156 CHAPTER 157

Chapter 156 CHAPTER 157
CHAPTER 157
KNOX
Three days. Three fucking days Yael had been gone.

I hadn’t slept. I hadn’t eaten properly. I had barely spoken to anyone except to ask for updates. Every hour that passed felt like a knife twisting deeper in my chest. I kept blaming myself, over and over. I should have walked her back from Taekwondo. I should have been there. I should have protected her better.

Aaron’s phone finally rang at 2:17 a.m. He answered it immediately, putting it on speaker so I could hear.

“Talk to me,” Aaron said, his voice tight.

One of his men spoke fast. “We have a strong lead. Abandoned warehouse on the east side of the industrial park. Thermal imaging shows two heat signatures inside. One is moving around a lot. We think it’s him and Yael. We need to move now.”

I stood up so fast my chair fell over. “We’re going. Right now.”

Aaron nodded at me. “We’re moving. Get every available man there. No mistakes. If he hears us coming, he might hurt her. We go in quiet and fast.”

I grabbed my jacket. “I’m coming with you. I’m not waiting here.”

Aaron looked at me for a second, then nodded. “You stay close to me. No hero shit. We get her out alive. That’s the only thing that matters.”

We drove in a convoy of black SUVs. The whole ride, my heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. I kept picturing Yael’s face, her smile, the way she looked at me when she felt safe. I couldn’t lose her. I wouldn’t survive it.

When we reached the warehouse, Aaron’s men spread out silently. Aaron gave quiet orders through his earpiece.

“Team one, cover the back exit. Team two, with me and Knox through the side door. Stay low. Stay quiet. If you see Grey, do not shoot unless you have a clear shot that won’t hit Yael.”

I gripped the handle of the small pistol Aaron had given me. I wasn’t planning to use it unless I had to, but I would do anything to get her back.

We moved in. The warehouse was dark and dusty. My flashlight cut through the shadows as we cleared room after room. My breathing was loud in my own ears.

Then we heard it — a man’s voice echoing from a room at the end of the hallway.

“You still think they’re coming for you?” Grey shouted. “No one is coming. You’re mine now.”

My blood turned to fire. I started running.

“Knox, wait!” Aaron hissed behind me, but I didn’t stop.

I kicked the door open so hard it slammed against the wall.

Grey spun around, holding a knife. Yael was tied to a chair in the middle of the room, her face bruised, her clothes torn. She looked exhausted and in pain, but her eyes met mine and filled with relief.

“Knox,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.

Grey lunged at me with the knife. I dodged and tackled him to the ground. We hit the concrete hard. I punched him in the face once, twice, three times.

“You piece of shit!” I roared. “You touched her! You hurt her! I’m going to kill you!”

Grey tried to stab me, but I grabbed his wrist and slammed it against the floor until the knife fell. Aaron and two of his men rushed in and pulled me off him. They pinned Grey down and handcuffed him while he screamed curses at us.

I didn’t care about him anymore. I ran to Yael.

“Baby, I’m here,” I said, my voice cracking as I cut the ropes off her wrists and ankles. “I’ve got you. I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

She collapsed forward into my arms. She was shaking and weak. Her body felt too light, too fragile.

“I knew you would come,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I knew you would.”

I lifted her carefully, cradling her against my chest. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now. I’m never letting you go again.”

Aaron came over, his face pale. “Is she okay? Yael, talk to me.”

Yael looked at her brother with tired eyes. “I’m okay… I fought him. I didn’t let him break me.”

Aaron’s voice cracked. “I’m so sorry. I should have protected you better.”

I carried her out of the room, stepping over Grey as his men dragged him away. He was still shouting threats, but I didn’t even look at him. All I cared about was the girl in my arms.

As I carried her toward the exit, Yael’s head fell against my shoulder. Her breathing was getting slower.

“Stay with me, baby,” I whispered, panic rising in my chest. “Please stay with me. I love you. I love you so much. You can’t leave me now.”

She didn’t respond. Her eyes fluttered closed and her body went limp in my arms.

“Yael!” I shouted, my voice breaking. “Yael, wake up! Stay with me!”

Aaron ran up beside me. “Get her to the ambulance! Now!”

I ran faster, holding her as tight as I could without hurting her. “I love you,” I kept repeating, even though she couldn’t hear me. “I love you, Yael. Please don’t leave me. I love you.”

The ambulance lights were flashing outside. Paramedics rushed toward us. I laid her gently on the stretcher, my hands shaking.

“She’s been gone for three days,” I told them, my voice raw. “He hurt her. Please help her.”

They worked fast, checking her vitals and putting her on oxygen. I climbed into the ambulance with her and held her hand the entire ride to the hospital.

I kept whispering to her, even though she was unconscious. “I love you. I should have said it sooner. I love you so much. Please wake up. Please be okay.”

The paramedics worked around us, but all I could focus on was her pale face and the way her hand felt so small in mine.

When we reached the hospital, they rushed her inside. I was left standing in the waiting room, covered in dust and her blood, my heart in my throat.

Aaron arrived minutes later with the rest of the group. Maya was crying. Jordan and Liam looked shocked. Aaron put a hand on my shoulder.

“She’s going to be okay,” he said, though his voice wasn’t steady. “She’s strong. She fought him for three days. She’s going to make it.”

I nodded, but I couldn’t speak. All I could do was pray silently that the girl I loved would open her eyes again.

I had finally told he
r I loved her, but she hadn’t heard me.

Now I just needed her to wake up so I could say it again.