BACK IN EUROPE

BACK IN EUROPE

When I regained consciousness, I found myself in a dark, empty room. My head throbbed, a sharp pain radiating from the back like I’d been knocked out with a bat.

Where the hell am I?

I shifted, only to realize I was tied to a chair. My wrists burned against the rough rope. What the hell is Jake up to now? I needed to get out of here. I remembered the penknife in my back pocket and struggled to reach it.

Just as my fingers brushed the handle, I heard heavy footsteps approaching. A few moments later, the door creaked open, and someone was shoved inside.

The room was too dim to make out their features, but before I could react, the person standing at the doorway flipped on the light. A blinding brightness flooded the room, forcing my eyes shut.

“God, my eyes,” I muttered, blinking rapidly as my vision adjusted.

Two men stood in front of me, their faces concealed by masks. On the floor lay an unconscious Dax, his face battered and bruised, his body limp. My stomach twisted at the sight. He had been beaten to hell and back.

Before I could process my thoughts, they hoisted him up and hung him upside down, binding him like some sort of prize.

What the hell is Dax doing here? And more importantly—where are we?

“Hey, what is this place? What’s the damn location?” I demanded, my voice sharp, but the men acted as if I wasn’t even there.

“That’s none of your damn business,” the smaller one finally replied, his tone laced with amusement.

“You’re lucky I’m tied to this damn chair,” I sneered, flashing him a slow, sinister smile.

“Oh, look at me, I’m so scared,” he mocked with exaggerated fear, then turned to his partner. “Shut her up until the boss gets here.”

He sauntered off, leaving me alone with the bulkier guy.

Bad move.

I stayed still, waiting for him to come closer, then in one swift motion, I lunged, wrapping the rope around his thick neck.

He grunted, thrashing against my hold, but I wasn’t about to let go. My arms burned as I held on, using every bit of my strength. My heart pounded, adrenaline surging as he struggled.

He sagged against me, his weight nearly crushing my legs. I shoved him off and exhaled shakily, my entire body trembling. I quickly worked on untying my legs, but when I tried to stand, the room spun violently.

Damn it. What the hell did they drug me with?

I steadied myself, swallowing the dizziness before making my way to Dax.

“Dax, wake up,” I said, slapping his face lightly. “We need to get out of here.”

He groaned but didn’t respond. Frustrated, I slapped him harder.

“Shit… where am I?” His voice was thick with confusion. His eyelids fluttered, barely open.

“Wake up,” I urged. “We need to move.”

“Brianna?” His dazed gaze focused on me, disbelief flashing across his face.

“Yes, it’s me,” I said quickly. “Hold still—I need to get you down.”

“What the hell are you doing here?” His voice sharpened.

“Isn’t it obvious? Jake abducted me,” I muttered, cutting the ropes around his wrists.

“How?”

“I went to meet him after leaving the station, thinking I could outsmart him,” I admitted, the weight of my stupidity sinking in. “Turns out, I was the idiot.”

His jaw clenched. “You went to meet Jake, and you didn’t bother to tell me?”

His eyes burned with disappointment, and for the first time, I felt the sting of my recklessness.

"Don't look at me like that—you started it. You're always so damn secretive, thinking you can handle everything on your own."

"I know I didn’t tell you a few things," Dax admitted, his voice laced with frustration, "but you actually put your life in danger, and for what? Just to end up here, with me?"

"I know I messed up," I said, exhaling sharply. "I wasn’t trying to be a hero—I just wanted to keep my family safe."

He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "I think we both fucked up. Why don’t we try a new beginning?" He extended his hand toward me.

I hesitated before gripping it firmly. "Fine. A fresh start. No more secrets. But if you ever keep anything from me again, I swear I’ll kill you myself."

"You got it," he smirked. "Now, how about getting me down from here?"

Before I could move, the sound of footsteps made me freeze.

"Shhhh, someone’s coming," I whispered urgently.

"What are we gonna do?" Dax’s voice tensed.

I rushed to the door, quietly shutting it. "You’re going to pretend you’re still passed out while I’ll act like I’m trying to escape. Just close your eyes and be ready—target anyone who gets too close."

I picked up the rope and loosely tied his hands again, making it look convincing. Then, flipping the light switch off, I pressed myself against the wall, my pulse hammering in my ears as I waited for whoever was about to enter.

Dax's POV

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing myself to stay still. This entire situation was insane. I couldn’t believe Jake had dragged Brianna all the way to Europe without the police catching wind of it. He had someone powerful backing him up.

The door creaked open, followed by a sharp flick of the switch. Light flooded the room. My instincts screamed at me to react, but I remained motionless.

Then I saw him.

Jake stood at the entrance, but he was barely recognizable. His once-intimidating frame had withered. He looked sickly, like he hadn't eaten in weeks. His hollowed-out cheeks and gaunt eyes made my stomach twist.

Why the hell does he look like he's been starving for years?

Even with a walking stick, his movements were unsteady, his body weak.

"Look who we have here," he sneered, his voice raspier than I remembered. "Trying to escape, are we?"

Brianna straightened, her face unreadable. "Jake… is that really you?" Her voice carried genuine disbelief.

"Yes, Brianna, it’s me," he said with a twisted grin. "I must admit, you look even more beautiful than you did eight years ago."

Brianna arched a brow. "Oh really? Funny, because you looked a hell of a lot better eight years ago, and now you look awful."

My stomach dropped. What the hell is she doing?

Antagonizing him was the last thing we needed. Jake's eyes darkened, his expression twisting with rage. I knew Brianna—she was pushing him, trying to get under his skin. But telling him he looked pathetic? That was like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

"Say that again," Jake growled, "and I will cut your mouth off."

Brianna crossed her arms, unfazed. "Are you sure you can even do that? Your hands don’t seem to be functioning too well on their own."

Jesus Christ. She’s going to get herself killed.

The fury in Jake’s eyes intensified. His grip tightened around his walking stick before he suddenly dropped it, reaching for something at his side.

A knife.

Cold steel gleamed under the light as he clenched it in his frail but trembling hands.

"I am going to kill you for making me like this," he spat, venom dripping from his words. "This is all your fault."

"Oh really? Then why the hell did you kidnap me in the first place? I don’t recall forcing my way into your car just to cause an accident that nearly killed both of us."

"It was a prank to get him," Jake said, his voice eerily calm. "And to scare you."

Liar. It was never a prank. If he had only wanted to scare her, he could have confronted her in a hundred different ways. He didn’t have to take it this far.

"Do I look like a fool to you?" Brianna shot back, her voice sharp with anger. "You abducted me from my own party, threatened to rape me, and now you expect me to believe it was all just a prank?" She let out a bitter laugh. "Well, prank or not, you made the worst mistake of your life that night—and again today."

Jake’s jaw clenched. His entire demeanor darkened, and in an instant, he lunged toward her.

"Brianna!" I moved instinctively, trying to position myself between them.

"Jake, stop!" My voice was firm, steady, even as my body tensed. "You don’t want to do this. I’m the one you wanted from the start—so leave her out of this."

Brianna’s POV

Dax’s words gave me the opening I needed. As Jake focused on him, I started creeping toward him, keeping my movements silent and calculated. But before I could reach him, he pulled out a gun.

Shit.

I froze, watching his every move. His partial stroke had left his right hand and leg weak, making him slower. He couldn’t fight properly in that condition, but with a gun? That didn’t matter.

His grip tightened around the weapon, his knuckles turning white. "Because of you, my sister is locked away in a mental home back in West Town," he spat. "Because of you two, I am half a man. Do you have any idea what that’s like?" His voice cracked with rage. "I am going to reduce you to nothing. Maybe I’ve wasted too much time already."

He pressed the cold barrel of the gun against Dax’s forehead, his lips curling into a maniacal grin. His eyes, wild and unhinged, locked onto mine.

"Say goodbye to him," he taunted, laughing like a madman.

My heart slammed against my ribs. Think, Brianna. Think!

"Dax—NOW!" I shouted.

In an instant, Dax swung his leg, using the rope tied to his ankle to knock Jake off balance. The sudden movement sent him staggering backward. Before he could recover, Dax yanked the rope from his wrists and looped it around Jake’s neck, dragging him down with him.

That was all the space I needed.

I lunged forward, plunging the tranquilizer needle deep into Jake’s neck. He stiffened, eyes widening in shock before his body started to weaken.

"That’s payback," I whispered coldly as his grip on the gun loosened.

Dax groaned. "Get me down—we need to get the hell out of here!"

"Where even are we?" I demanded, untying the last of the restraints.

Dax exhaled sharply. "Europe. We’re in Europe."