chapter 25

Dominic thrashed about, desperate to break free, but the man's grip was like a vice. His arms wrapped around him like a straitjacket, making it hard to lift his hands.

"Why'd you have to show up now?!" The man bellowed.

Dominic didn't back down. "Who are you?" He growled. He squirmed and twisted, trying to shake the man off, but he held tight. Finally, he managed to wriggle free, and the man stumbled backward while he gasped for air.

As he turned to face his attacker, the man sprang to his feet and shoved him hard, making his head crack against the couch, and he crumpled to the floor, clutching his forehead as pain washed over him.

The room spun, and his vision blurred. He tried to push himself up, but his body felt like lead, and even lifting his head seemed impossible. As he lay there, his eyes half-closed, he saw the man pull out a knife and start walking towards Rosie's room.

With a surge of adrenaline, he forced himself to move. Gritting his teeth, he hauled himself to his feet, his legs trembling, but he refused to collapse.

He summoned every last ounce of strength and lunged at the man, tackling him from behind with a fierce determination. Despite his weakness, he wrapped his arms tightly around the man, pinning his arms to his sides.

The man struggled, but Dominic held on with all his might, immobilizing him.

Dominic's mind went blank, and all he could do was hold on tight. He cinched his arms around the man, straining every muscle, but the man wasn't having it.

Sensing Dominic's weakness, the man bucked him off with brutal force, sending Dominic's head crashing into the bed frame again.

"Stay away from her!" Dominic yelled, struggling to his feet.

The man sneered at Dominic. "You're one stubborn dude. Time for a lesson." He stalked towards him, knife raised, but Dominic dodged out of the way just in time, grabbing the man's wrist and twisting it.

However, his weakness gave the man the upper hand, and he easily overpowered him, plunging the knife into his left arm.

"Argh!" Dominic grunted. He quickly shoved the man back and collapsed to the ground, clutching his bleeding arm.

The knife slipped from the man's hand, and he stumbled, his head smacking against the wall. He clutched the side of his head, his hand coming away bloody. His eyes blazed with fury as he snarled and charged at Dominic.

"You this…"

The man loomed over Dominic, fist cocked back for a punishing blow, but suddenly, he froze, his gaze darting to the gash on his head. Blood was pouring out, and he knew he had to get out of there ; fast.

"Fuck!" He snarled, springing to his feet and making a hasty exit out of the house.

Dominic lay there for a few seconds, gasping for breath, before mustering the strength to crawl towards Rosie. He dragged himself across the floor, his chest and stomach scraping against the ground.

Finally, he reached her side and gently shook her head. "Rosie!" He whispered urgently. "Open your eyes, look at me!"

Dominic gritted his teeth, a low groan escaping his lips as he forced himself to stand. He clutched his wounded arm, wincing, and used his good hand to grab the scarf from the floor. He hastily tied it around his arm to stop the bleeding.

With a Herculean effort, he scooped Rosie up and slung her over his good shoulder. He burst out of the house, his eyes scanning the deserted parking lot. A surge of panic hit him as he remembered where he'd parked the car.

He sprinted out of the compound, turned right, and made a beeline for the car. He carefully placed Rosie inside, then slid into the driver's seat. His hand rummaged through his pocket for the key, but it was nowhere to be found.

"Fuck!" He yelled and slammed out of the car, sprinting back home.

As he burst into the living room, he was plunged into darkness. He moved cautiously, his leg bumping into the flashlight the man had dropped earlier. He clattered to the floor, and his stomach hit the edge of something hard.

"Ahhn!" He groaned, doubling over in pain. He forced himself upright, clutching his stomach, and stood there for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts.

Suddenly, a spark of memory ignited; the key was still inside the car because he was in a hurry.

"Oh no…" He muttered, spinning around to make a hasty exit. But as he reached for the door handle, his foot landed on a slick patch of blood, sending his leg flying out from under him.

He barely caught himself, grabbing the door handle for support. Shaking off the near-fall, he burst out of the house and sprinted to the car. He dove inside, fired up the engine, and peeled off.

His gaze flicked between Rosie's pale face and the road ahead, his eyes filled with worry. "Rosie, hang in there, please."