MasukJake’s POV“Move. Now.”That was the only word in my head as I stepped out of the car.The location Don K sent wasn’t dramatic, no abandoned warehouse, no dark alley. It was worse. An old shipping terminal by the docks, half-functional, guarded by the illusion of normalcy. Trucks moving. Men working. Life going on.That’s how he played it.Hidden in plain sight.Tyler’s voice came through the earpiece, low and steady. “Positions are set. Police units are two minutes out. Don’t rush this.”“I won’t,” I replied. “But I’m not stalling either.”I adjusted my jacket, the weight of the wire unfamiliar but necessary. For once, I wasn’t here to threaten or negotiate.I was here to end it.I walked into the terminal office like I belonged there.Don K was already inside.He stood by the window, hands clasped behind his back, smiling like a man who thought he’d already won. He was tall, lean, calm in a way that came from believing consequences were for other people.“Martinez,” he said without
Jake’s POVI didn’t sleep.Not even for a second.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Zoe’s pale face, heard Don K’s words echoing in my head, felt the weight of the promise I had made to Chloe pressing down on my chest like a vow written in blood.Morning crept in slowly, grey and cold, like it didn’t belong to a world that was still spinning. I was sitting on the chair beside Zoe’s bed when the doctor came in, his face careful, professional.“She’s stable,” he said. “But the coma is medically induced. We’re keeping her that way to reduce brain stress. The next 48 hours are critical.”Chloe squeezed my hand as if that was the only thing keeping her upright.“Can she hear us?” Chloe asked softly.“Sometimes,” the doctor replied. “We encourage talking. Familiar voices help.”After he left, the room went quiet again, except for the machines.I leaned closer to Zoe. “You’re not allowed to leave us,” I said, my voice low. “Not after everything. You hear me? You’re stubborn. Use it.”Tyler
Jake’s POVMy phone vibrated while I was still standing beside Zoe’s bed.At first, I ignored it. I was more worried about Zoe, seeing Chloe cry this much hurts me. Nothing mattered more than the steady rise and fall of her chest, the faint hiss of oxygen, the thin line between life and death that machines were now guarding for her. Chloe sat on the other side, fingers locked with Zoe’s, whispering things only sisters could understand.Then my phone vibrated again.Harder this time.I pulled it out slowly, already knowing whatever waited on the screen wouldn’t bring good news.Unknown Number.I opened the message.You thought stopping Adrian meant this was over?I’m the one who ended him.Now I’m coming for what’s mine.My jaw tightened.Another message came in before I could breathe.Your wife and her sister tried to deceive me.No one fools Don K and walks away.I failed once to take her life.Next time, I won’t miss.My hands went cold.I looked up sharply, my eyes going straight
Chloe’s POVI walked like my body no longer belonged to me.Jake and Tyler followed behind like they were protecting us. Tyler had made the calls to the police so we were allowed.The hallway stretched endlessly, white and sterile, every step echoing too loudly in my ears. The nurse led us through two security doors, each one requiring clearance, each one reminding me that my sister’s life was now something that needed guarding like classified information. The officers ampere at the entrance when we reached, guarding the place, when we reach there the police had already called them to inform them o that we were coming so they allowed us.“She’s in here,” the nurse said softly.The door opened.And there she was.Zoe lay still on the bed, far too still for someone who had always been fire and movement and stubborn life, was too still for someone who was awake and talking yesterday. Tubes ran from her arms. An oxygen mask covered half her face, fogging faintly with each shallow breath.
Chloe’s POVWe left the hospital after an hour that Zoe woke up. At least we all knew she was better now. We were all tired and it was already late into the night. Tyler suggested we all go home, shower and rest while we come back in the morning to check on Zoe. Our Home didn’t feel like home. When we reached. It felt like a temporary shelter, walls that could be breached, doors that could fail, silence that screamed too loudly. Still, we showered. We changed. We tried to rest, if closing our eyes and lying still could be called rest.I barely slept.Every time I did, I saw blood on a café floor that wasn’t mine. I heard a gunshot that echoed too close to my heart. I woke up clutching the bedsheet, my chest tight, my mind already racing back to the hospital.The phone call was still loud enough in my head. And the thought of knowing the culprit wasn’t caught and might attack anytime soon scared me the more.Morning came too fast.Jake drove. Tyler sat in the front seat, quiet, his j
Zoe’s POVPain was the first thing I felt.Not a sharp pain, no, this was heavy. Dull. Like my body had been dragged through fire and forgotten there. My chest burned every time I tried to breathe, and my arm felt… wrong. Numb, yet screaming at the same time.I tried to move.A low beep answered me.My eyes fluttered open, lashes sticking together as harsh white light stabbed through my skull. I groaned, the sound barely more than air.“Easy… easy,” a voice said, it was calm, and low.It was A woman’s voice.I blinked again, slower this time, forcing my vision to focus. Ceiling. White. Too clean. The smell of antiseptic hit me next. The scent was strong and it disturbed me a little.Hospital.The memories came rushing back all at once, the café, the red dress, Mira’s small hand clutching mine, Don K’s smile, and then, the gun, My body jerked violently.“Mira!” I croaked.Pain exploded through my side and I cried out, my hand flying instinctively to my chest. Tubes. Wires. Bandages.







