Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Ariel’s POV

“Ariel!” Nat called, worry etched on his face.

I groaned, clutching my stomach. The bastard had shot me.

“Now drop your gun,” SK ordered.

I blinked at Nat in shock. Why was he holding a gun in the first place? He always claimed he couldn’t wield one.

“On your knees,” SK commanded again. Nat obeyed, dropping down, and more men emerged, quickly tying his hands.

My lips were pale. I felt weak—so much blood already lost.

We were dragged to another section of the ship. Nat was tied to a pillar while SK sat facing him, and I was forced down at his side, too weak to resist. The ship had already begun sailing.

“How did you know about the syndicate?” SK asked Nat.

Nat smirked. That wasn’t what I expected. I thought he’d beg or at least stay quiet, but provoking SK was nothing short of a death wish—especially since he had no combat skills.

And what syndicate was he even talking about?

“You realize your partner is already bleeding out. Don’t lie to me, or I’ll not only kill her, I’ll fuck her right in front of you,” SK sneered.

I clenched my jaw. Stupid psycho. He was utterly insane.

I saw Nat’s fists tighten, but instead of panicking, he laughed.

SK signaled to one of his men. The thug strode over to Nat, flexed his hands, then drove his fist hard into Nat’s stomach.

“No!” I screamed, struggling to rise despite the searing pain. "He can't survive that." Somehow, I managed to push up, staggering toward him.

SK grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me back.

“He was the one who disabled the cameras. I couldn't watch my sweetheart anymore,” SK hissed. “I should kill him for it.”

He pulled me against him, one arm clamped around my waist. His hot breath grazed my neck, his other hand shamelessly groping my breast.

“Get your hands off me!” I snapped, slapping at him. But he only gripped tighter, laughing. His cold hands slid beneath my top, fingers closing over my nipple.

Something inside me snapped. I drove my elbow into his ribs and spun, kicking him hard in the groin.

He staggered, cursing. I seized the moment, snatching the gun from his hand and firing at the man who had been pummeling Nat. The thug crumpled.

I rushed to Nat, panicked. His face was bloodied, his head drooping forward.

“Nat,” I called, praying he was still alive.

His lips parted. “I’m here.”

Relief flooded me. “Let’s get out of here,” I muttered, untying him with trembling hands despite my own agony.

“Ariel, watch out!” Nat shouted.

I bent instinctively—just as a bullet whizzed over my head.

“Don’t make me kill you, sweetheart,” SK growled. “I told you to behave.” Another shot rang, missing me by inches.

I freed Nat, and together we sprinted between rows of containers. The ship’s hold was vast, the towering metal crates perfect for cover.

“Come to me, Ariel,” SK’s voice echoed, dark and taunting. “Maybe I’ll rethink and spare you.”

Nat and I crouched behind a container, gasping for breath. I could feel myself fading, my abdomen on fire.

“You’re injured, Ariel. Stay down—let me handle this,” Nat said firmly.

I scowled. “What can you do? He has a gun.”

“Trust me,” he whispered. His eyes softened. “Like you did back at the club.”

Then, to my shock, he picked up the discarded gun. “I’ve been training in secret,” he confessed with a faint smile before slipping away into the shadows.

“I won’t say it again, Ariel!” SK’s furious voice carried through the metal maze. “I’ll kill you when I find you!”

A gunshot cracked. SK let out a roar of pain as a bullet tore through his shoulder. He spun, confused, searching.

“Come out, bitch!” he bellowed, assuming I had fired.

Another shot rang out—this one hitting his leg. He collapsed to his knees, screaming, and blindly fired back toward the sound.

Nat kept moving, firing from different angles. SK’s gun clicked empty. Cursing, he hurled it aside.

I crawled from my hiding place, dragging myself forward despite the pain.

Nat emerged from the shadows, his gun steady, eyes blazing with deadly resolve. The way he handled it—confident, precise—was uncanny. Too good for someone who claimed he’d only just begun training.

SK groaned on the ground, glaring at him.

I staggered closer, using the containers for support until I stood over SK.

“Shouldn’t you be siding with the one who loves you?” he sneered.

I slapped him hard across the face.

His jaw clenched, but he laughed through the blood.

“What did those girls ever do to you?” I demanded.

“They all deserved it,” he said coldly, his eyes dark with hate.

“And who are you to decide what they deserve? Was death the only answer?”

“They said they loved me. Every one of them. But they cheated,” SK snarled, teeth bared.

“That doesn’t give you the right to kill them.”

“If I can’t have them, no one can!” he screamed.

“You’re insane, Andrew,” I spat. “I know how much you cared for your father. If he were alive, he’d be disgusted by you.”

SK’s face twisted, his breath ragged. “Don’t you dare mention my father. You know nothing!”

My vision blurred, my body swaying. Pain consumed me. I nearly fell, but Nat caught me in time.

“Lean on me,” he murmured.

I managed a weak smile, letting myself rest against him.

My gaze flicked back to SK. He was trembling, staring at his hands.

“Every time,” he muttered hoarsely, “my mother would scream at my father, bring men home, fuck them in front of him. Yet he stayed. Faithful till the end.” His voice cracked, tears streaming down his cheeks. “He was sick—dying. But she never cared. She only married him for his money. The only thing he asked of her… the only thing…” His voice broke into a whisper. “Was to take care of me.”

He raised his head, eyes burning with anguish. “But she abandoned me instead. Dumped me in an orphanage. Cut all ties. Married some rich bastard. I never saw her again.”

“You can’t judge every woman because of your mother’s sins,” I said quietly.

He sneered through his tears. “They’re all the same. Once they get what they want, they leave. Just like the bitch at the orphanage.”

His lips curled into a broken smile, eyes locking with mine.