Chapter 115
Chapter 115
Chapter 115: Savage Heart
Brielle stared at the message on her phone her fingers trembling
We have him
Come alone
Or he dies
Her chest squeezed so tight she couldn’t breathe Damian was out there somewhere hurt trapped because of her because she had let herself believe they could ever have something normal
She shoved the phone in her pocket and took off running into the night
The streets blurred past neon lights smeared by tears she refused to wipe away
She didn’t call the police
She didn’t text anyone
She was done trusting people
This was between her and them now
She followed the instructions exactly as the next few texts directed her deeper and deeper into the industrial district where abandoned warehouses loomed like sleeping monsters
Finally she reached an old steel building its windows smashed out its walls covered in graffiti
The door creaked as she pushed it open
Inside the air was damp and smelled like rust and something worse
She moved carefully every sense on high alert
A flickering bulb buzzed overhead
In the center of the room tied to a chair blood dripping from his mouth sat Damian
Her heart stopped
His head hung low his shirt torn his face bruised but when he lifted his gaze to hers the fire was still there
Still fighting
Still him
Brielle took one step forward
That’s far enough
The voice came from the shadows
Mr Anderson stepped out clapping slowly a cruel smirk twisting his face
Well well If it isn’t my favorite little science project
Brielle’s stomach turned but she kept her face blank
Let him go she said coldly
Or what?
You’ll find out
He laughed a dry broken sound
You think you scare me girl?
I don’t think she said stepping closer
I know
Two men moved out from the dark guns trained on her
She ignored them her eyes locked on Damian
He shook his head subtly warning her not to do anything stupid
But it was already too late for that
She moved fast pulling the small blade she had tucked into her jacket sleeve
One slice
One scream
One gun knocked away
Chaos erupted
Brielle fought like a girl possessed using everything Damian had ever taught her every dirty trick every ounce of rage
She was smaller weaker but she was faster
And she was fighting for him
Damian kicked his chair backward slamming it into one of the men knocking him out cold
Brielle lunged at the other driving the blade into his thigh
He dropped with a howl
Gunfire echoed deafening in the small space
She dove behind a stack of crates dragging Damian with her his hands still tied
Get me loose he grunted
She slashed at the ropes with shaking hands freeing him just as Mr Anderson fired again
They barely ducked in time
Damian grabbed a fallen pistol tossing another to Brielle
Ready to end this?
Always she panted
They moved together like a single creature fast ruthless deadly
Mr Anderson retreated deeper into the warehouse firing blindly
You can’t run Brielle screamed after him
You can’t hide
We know what you did
We know who we are now
You’re nothing but a scared little man playing God
A shadow moved to her left
She spun firing without thinking
The man dropped
Brielle didn’t even flinch
She found Damian again across the room taking down another attacker with brutal efficiency
Their eyes met across the chaos
Something unspoken passed between them
Love
Rage
Loyalty
And something even stronger
Survival
Together they pressed forward until finally they cornered Mr Anderson at the far end of the warehouse
He dropped his gun raising his hands
Wait he said breathing hard
You don’t know the whole truth
Brielle leveled her gun at his heart
We know enough
Do you he gasped
Do you know that killing me means killing the only person who can fix what’s inside you
Her finger tightened on the trigger
Brielle Damian said sharply Don’t
She hesitated the war inside her ripping her apart
And in that split second Mr Anderson lunged grabbing a hidden knife from his boot
Brielle fired
The bullet slammed into his chest sending him sprawling back against the wall blood blooming across his shirt
He slid down the wall eyes wide shocked
You’re free now he gasped his last words a bitter laugh
The warehouse fell silent
Brielle stood frozen gun smoking in her hand chest heaving
Damian crossed the room pulling her into his arms crushing her against him
It’s over he whispered
It didn’t feel over
It felt like something even bigger had just been unleashed
They stumbled out into the night bloodied broken but alive
The rain washed the blood from their skin but not from their souls
They didn’t speak as they walked back toward the city back toward the ruins of their old life
At the edge of campus Brielle stopped turning to face him
We can’t go back she said quietly
No he agreed
But we can go forward
She looked up at him the boy who had destroyed her and saved her all at once
And before she could think too hard about it she pulled him down into a kiss that tasted like freedom and fire
He kissed her back hands burying in her hair holding her like she was the only real thing left in the world
And for one perfect moment they forgot about everything
The lies
The blood
The danger
They forgot the world was still hunting them
But as they kissed deep desperate wild they didn’t see the shadow watching from across the street
Recording every second
Smiling coldly
Because their story wasn’t over
It was just getting started