Chapter You Belong to Me

My mouth was crushed beneath Ethan’s in a brutal, desperate kiss before the screech of rending metal even faded. Smoke poured from the transport's shattered hood, and overhead, the iron security grates of the tunnel floor groaned under immense pressure. He tasted like copper and gunpowder, his lips hard and demanding, stealing what little air remained in my lungs while the world tore itself apart around us.

Outside the crushed frame of our vehicle, heavy mechanical clicks echoed through the dark tunnel as weapon mounts locked into position.

Ethan’s hands slammed against my waist, his fingers digging into my skin as he ripped away the jammed seatbelt straps with a single, furious yank. In one violent movement, he hauled me across the cramped cab, pinning my hips directly against his thighs.

"Stay down, Ava," he gritted out against my mouth, his heartbeat hammering against my ribs like a war drum.

Panicked, I tried to scramble toward the rear door, my eyes fixed on the tinted glass. My father was right out there in that interceptor vehicle. I needed to face him. I needed to look the man who sold me out in the eye.

"Let me go!" I choked out, clawing at Ethan’s thick shoulders.

Before I could shift an inch, Ethan’s hand snapped upward, locking around my throat. He didn't choke me, but his grip was solid iron, instantly pinning my neck and forcing my gaze back to his blazing dark eyes.

"Look at me," he growled, his voice dropping into a dangerous, possessive whisper that vibrated straight down my spine. "You don't run to him. You don't step outside this cab unless I tell you to."

"He's right there, Ethan!" My chest heaved against his chest, the proximity suffocating and electrifying all at once. "He cut us off!"

"And he just walked into a trap," Ethan snapped, his thumb pressing firmly against the pulse point beneath my jaw, feeling every frantic beat of my heart. "You belong in this cab. With me."

Heavy boots crunched on the shattered glass scattered across the concrete floor outside. The shadowy figures of tactical guards formed a perimeter around our wrecked transport, their laser sights cutting red lines through the rising smoke.

"Last chance, Croft!" a voice boomed through a megaphone outside the frame. "Step out of the vehicle with your hands up!"

Ethan didn't even look toward the window. His gaze stayed locked on mine, dark, unyielding, and entirely consumed by the fight between us.

"Focus on me," Ethan commanded, using the lethal threat outside to demand my absolute focus.

He didn't care about the guns drawn on us. Instead, his free hand slid deliberately under the torn silk of my dress, his long fingers finding the warm, sensitive skin of my inner thigh. I gasped as his touch moved higher, possessive and merciless, pushing me over the edge of a sudden, intense physical climax right there in the dark cab while heavy combat boots surrounded the wreck. A silent, sharp cry broke from my lips against his throat, my entire body trembling under his overwhelming dominance.

Before the waves of sensation could even fade, the warped driver’s door was violently ripped open from the outside.

Cold air rushed into the smoke-filled interior. My father stepped into view through the gloom, a heavy black pistol raised and pointed directly at Ethan’s head. His eyes were cold, devoid of any warmth or paternal affection.

"Step away from her, Croft," my father ordered, his voice echoing sharply in the cavernous tunnel. "Release my property right now."

Ethan didn't flinch. He didn't even move to draw a weapon. He simply leaned back, his arm remaining firmly locked around my waist as he pulled the torn silk away from my left collarbone. The dim light caught the dark, intricate ink embedded beneath my skin. He exposed the hidden ledger key tattooed on my shoulder, displaying it openly for my father and his guards to see.

"She isn't your property anymore, Croft," Ethan said, his voice deadly calm and dripping with dangerous satisfaction. "The biometric wipe didn't just clear the server. It transferred every offshore account, every asset, and every contract directly to this mark. She is the sole owner of the family fortune now."

My father’s face drained of color as he stared at the exposed tattoo on my skin. The gun in his hand trembled slightly as the reality hit him. Everything he had fought for, every lie he had told, and every deal he had made had just been stolen out from under him.

"You bastard," my father breathed, his knuckle turning white against the trigger. "You gave her the key."

"I gave her what was already hers," Ethan growled, his hand tightening over my hip. "And you don't have the codes to claim a single cent."

My father raised his weapon to take the key by force, his eyes flashing with desperate rage as he leveled the barrel straight at my heart.

Before he could pull the trigger, a sudden, blinding flashbang grenade bounced into the concrete tunnel from the backup access shaft overhead.

A deafening pop shattered the air, releasing a brilliant wave of white light that completely blinded the surrounding guards. Shouts of confusion erupted through the darkness as thick chemical smoke quickly filled the narrow tunnel.

Ethan didn't flinch. The instant the grenade detonated, he threw his heavy body over mine, flattening me against the leather seat to shield me from any stray fire. His teeth caught my earlobe in a tight, possessive bite, holding me still as automatic gunfire erupted violently from the dense fog outside.

Without taking his eyes off the blinding haze, Ethan reached smoothly into his jacket, pulled a hidden sidearm from his holster, and fired three precise shots into the smoke.

A heavy body hit the transport's front hood with a dull thud before sliding onto the floor.

"He gave you away ten years ago, Ava," Ethan hissed softly against my ear as the metal shrieked and bullets tore through the air outside. "Now I'm collecting the interest."