Chapter 3: No Way Out

The pounding of footsteps in the hallway sent a jolt of adrenaline through Isabella’s veins. Someone was coming.

Not Jason’s men. Not Alexander’s allies.

Something worse.

Jason cursed under his breath. “You want to save him?” He glanced at Isabella before nodding toward the door. “Then move.”

Alexander let out a ragged breath, his free hand pressing against the wound in his side. “We don’t have time for this,” he gritted out.

Isabella’s grip on the gun remained firm, but for the first time, uncertainty crept into her thoughts. Jason had just shot Alexander—but now he was helping him? Why?

She had no time to dwell on it. The door handle rattled.

“Move!” Jason hissed.

Isabella didn’t need to be told twice. She bolted toward Alexander, slipping her arm around his waist just as Jason did the same on the other side. The moment her hand brushed Alexander’s blood-soaked shirt, reality slammed into her.

He was hurt. Badly.

Jason reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun, shoving it into Alexander’s hand. “Try not to pass out before you shoot someone, yeah?”

Alexander shot him a glare but gritted his teeth, steadying himself.

Then the door burst open.

A tall, heavily armed man stormed in, followed by another.

Not Jason’s men.

Not Alexander’s enemies.

A rival billionaire’s private hit squad.

Isabella had walked right into a war.

“Get down!” Jason shoved her just as a bullet whizzed past her ear.

A deafening BANG erupted as Jason fired back, dropping one of the men instantly.

Alexander, despite his injury, spun and fired a shot straight into the second man’s shoulder. The attacker staggered back, slamming against the wall with a grunt of pain.

The hallway was chaos. More footsteps—more gunmen—closing in.

“MOVE!” Jason barked, dragging Alexander toward the emergency stairwell.

Isabella didn’t hesitate. She gripped her gun tighter and ran, her heart slamming against her ribs.

The second she reached the stairwell, bullets ripped through the air behind them. The walls trembled from the impact.

Jason shoved Isabella forward. “Go, go, go!”

They barreled down the stairs. Jason moved like a man who had done this a thousand times. Alexander, despite the blood loss, kept up, his breath labored but his steps determined.

Isabella’s mind spun.

Who were these men? Why were they after Alexander? And why was Jason—his supposed enemy—helping them escape?

Then, just as they reached the lower floor, more gunmen appeared at the exit.

Jason cursed. “They’re everywhere.”

“We’re trapped,” Isabella whispered.

Alexander’s grip on his gun tightened. “Not yet.”

His voice was low, steady.

And then he turned and shot out the overhead lights.

Instant darkness consumed the stairwell.

Shouts erupted. Gunfire sprayed wildly, hitting nothing but walls.

Jason grabbed Isabella’s wrist and yanked her forward. “Move!”

Isabella barely had time to process before she was running again, her pulse hammering. The sound of gunfire rang in her ears, the scent of gunpowder thick in the air.

Then—an explosion.

The stairwell shook.

Heat rushed against Isabella’s back.

She stumbled, but Jason caught her, his grip tight. “Keep going!”

They burst through a side door into the underground parking lot.

Jason didn’t stop moving. He shoved Isabella forward, practically throwing her into the backseat of a black SUV.

“Drive!” Jason barked at the waiting driver.

The second the doors slammed shut, the tires screeched against the concrete.

They were escaping.

Isabella gasped for breath, her mind still reeling from what had just happened.

Alexander groaned beside her, his head resting against the seat. His face was pale, his fingers still pressed against his wound.

She turned to Jason. “What the hell was that?”

Jason ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “That, Isabella, was the beginning of the end.”

She shook her head. “No. No more cryptic bullshit. Who were they?”

Jason met her gaze, his usual smirk gone. “A rival billionaire’s private kill squad. Alexander wasn’t just some businessman caught up in a corporate war.” His voice darkened. “He’s been running from a shadow empire—one that doesn’t just want his company. They want his life.”

Isabella’s blood ran cold.

She turned to Alexander. “Is it true?”

He hesitated.

Then, finally, he said, “Yes.”

She inhaled sharply.

Jason leaned forward, his expression grim. “And now that you’ve saved him? You’re on their radar too.”

Silence filled the car.

For the first time since this all started, Isabella truly understood.

She had not just stumbled into a business rivalry.

She had stepped into a war between billionaires and their private armies.

And there was no way out.

The car sped down the deserted highway, the tension inside suffocating. Jason sat in the passenger seat, gripping the dashboard while Isabella focused on keeping Alexander conscious in the back seat. His suit was soaked in blood, his face pale as he fought to stay awake.

"Stay with me," Isabella muttered, pressing against his wound to slow the bleeding.

Alexander let out a sharp groan, his teeth clenched. "I'm... not going anywhere."

Jason scoffed. "Yeah, if you die in my car, I'm tossing your body out."

"Shut up, Jason!" Isabella snapped.

Jason merely smirked but kept his eyes trained on the rearview mirror.

"They’re still looking for us," he muttered. "We bought ourselves time, but it won’t last. The Kingston name is powerful, but this war? It’s bigger than you know."

Isabella’s hands trembled against Alexander’s chest. She looked up, her eyes burning. "Then tell me! Because I have been dragged into this without a choice, and I deserve to know the truth!"

Alexander exhaled, his voice strained from pain. "Jason..."

Jason sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. You want the truth? The man after us—Vincent Blackwell—doesn’t just want Alexander dead. He wants to erase the Kingston empire and everything attached to it. And that includes you, Isabella."

Her blood ran cold. "Me?"

Jason nodded grimly. "You’re his leverage now. His wife. His Achilles' heel."

She turned to Alexander, anger flashing in her eyes. "You knew this! You knew marrying me would make me a target!"

Alexander didn’t deny it.

“I knew the risks," he said after a moment. "But there were things at play that you couldn’t understand. This isn’t just business. It’s survival.”

Isabella clenched her jaw, but before she could press him further, the car jerked suddenly, tires screeching as Jason swerved onto a narrow road.

“Damn it!" Jason cursed.

"What is it?" Isabella asked, her heart pounding.

Jason pointed to the side mirror.

Headlights.

Two black SUVs.

"They found us," Jason muttered.

A fresh wave of panic surged through Isabella.

"Hold on tight," Jason said, gripping the wheel. "Because this is about to get messy."

Jason slammed his foot on the gas, the tires screeching as the car lurched forward. The black SUVs behind them accelerated, closing the distance fast.

"How the hell did they find us so quickly?" Isabella demanded, clutching the seat as Jason swerved violently to avoid a pothole.

"They were probably tracking us the moment we left," Jason gritted out, gripping the wheel. "Vincent Blackwell doesn’t play fair. He plays to end things."

In the backseat, Alexander groaned, his head leaning against Isabella’s shoulder. His body was limp, but his grip on her wrist was tight.

"You still with us?" Isabella asked, her voice sharp.

Alexander blinked slowly, forcing himself to stay awake. "Unfortunately."

"Don’t die in my damn car," Jason snapped. "I just had it cleaned."

Isabella ignored him and pressed harder against Alexander’s wound, trying to stop the blood flow. "Jason, we can't outrun them forever."

"You're right," Jason said, his voice eerily calm.

Then he did something insane.

He yanked the wheel to the right, sending the car off the main road and onto a dark, narrow path surrounded by thick trees.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Isabella screamed as the car bounced violently over uneven terrain.

"Buying us time," Jason growled.

Behind them, the SUVs struggled to follow, their bulky frames not built for the rough, unpredictable path. One of them skidded, slamming into a tree with a sickening crunch.

But the other kept coming.

"Almost there," Jason muttered.

"Almost where?!" Isabella shot back.

Jason didn’t answer. He slammed the brakes, and the car skidded to a stop just before a clearing.

"Out," Jason ordered.

Isabella hesitated. "What—"

"Now, Isabella!" Jason barked, grabbing Alexander under his arm. "We need to move!"

Isabella threw open the door, rushing to Alexander’s other side. He was barely conscious, but they half-carried, half-dragged him toward an old, abandoned cabin hidden among the trees.

Jason kicked the door open, and they stumbled inside, locking it behind them.

A tense silence filled the air.

Outside, the SUV stopped. The men inside stepped out.

Isabella’s breath hitched.

They were armed.

And they were coming.

---

No Safe Place

Jason peered through the broken window, cursing under his breath.

"They’re searching for us."

Alexander let out a shaky breath, his voice hoarse. "How many?"

"Enough to make this a problem," Jason muttered.

Isabella's stomach tightened. "And we’re trapped in a damn cabin."

Jason gave her a sharp look. "Better than being trapped in a bullet-ridden car."

A low groan escaped Alexander’s lips. Isabella immediately knelt beside him, her hands shaking as she pressed down on his wound. His skin was ice cold.

"We need to stop the bleeding," she said, panic rising. "He’s losing too much."

Jason scanned the room quickly, his mind racing. "There’s a first aid kit under the sink. See if there’s anything we can use."

Isabella rushed to the tiny, dust-covered kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets. Her fingers found a rusted metal box, and she yanked it open.

Bandages. Alcohol. A needle and thread.

She grabbed everything and ran back. "I found it."

Jason ripped Alexander’s suit jacket open, revealing the bullet wound. "Damn it, it’s deep."

Isabella’s throat tightened. "Can you get the bullet out?"

Jason didn’t answer immediately. He picked up a knife from his belt and held it over the small flame of a candle.

"Hold him down," Jason said.

Isabella’s stomach turned. "Wait—"

Alexander’s hand suddenly shot out, gripping Jason’s wrist weakly. "Do it," he rasped.

Jason didn’t hesitate.

The next few minutes were filled with Alexander’s low groans, Isabella’s whispered reassurances, and Jason’s quick, practiced movements.

When it was done, Alexander’s head fell back against the wooden floor, his breathing ragged.

"We need to get moving before they find us," Jason muttered.

Isabella clenched her fists. "How do we stop them?"

Jason met her gaze, his expression deadly serious.

"We don’t."

"We run."

Running Out of Time

The dim candlelight flickered against the wooden walls, casting long, eerie shadows. Alexander lay still, his chest rising and falling in shallow, labored breaths. His shirt was soaked in blood, and despite Jason’s quick patchwork, Isabella knew he wasn’t out of danger.

Outside, the sound of footsteps crunched against the gravel. The men were closing in.

Jason gritted his teeth, double-checking his pistol. "We need to move. Now."

Isabella shot him a glare. "He can’t even stand."

"Then we carry him," Jason snapped, peering through a crack in the window. "Because if we stay here, we’re dead."

Isabella swallowed hard. She knew he was right.

Taking a deep breath, she knelt beside Alexander and pressed her palm to his cheek. His skin was cool, but his blue eyes cracked open just slightly at her touch.

"Alexander," she whispered urgently. "You have to stay with me."

He blinked slowly. "Where…?"

"No time for questions," Jason cut in, gripping Alexander’s arm and hauling him up. Isabella quickly moved to support the other side. Alexander let out a sharp groan, his fingers digging into Isabella’s shoulder as they lifted him to his feet.

The moment they stepped toward the door, a gunshot rang out.

The wooden frame beside them exploded into splinters.

"They found us," Jason muttered.

More shots followed, forcing them to duck. The men outside were closing in, their shouts growing louder.

Jason cursed under his breath. "We’re boxed in."

Isabella's heart pounded. "Then we make a way out."

She turned sharply, spotting the back door that led into the trees. Without hesitation, she lunged forward and kicked it open.

"Go!" she yelled.

Jason wasted no time. With Alexander barely able to keep himself upright, they rushed into the night, the forest swallowing them whole.

---

Nowhere is Safe

The night was pitch-black, the towering trees closing in around them. Isabella’s breath came fast and shallow as she half-dragged, half-supported Alexander through the rough terrain.

Behind them, gunshots continued to pierce the silence.

"They’re following us," she hissed.

Jason didn’t stop moving. "Of course, they are. Keep going."

Alexander groaned against her. "Leave me."

"Shut up," Isabella snapped. "You’re not dying here."

Jason suddenly pulled them to a stop, his eyes darting around. "They’re spreading out. We need to split up."

Isabella stiffened. "Are you insane?"

"Do you want all three of us to get shot?" Jason snapped. "I’ll lead them away. You take him and head toward the river. There’s an old safe house down the bank. You’ll find a car there. Get the hell out of here."

Isabella hesitated.

"I don’t like this," she said.

"You don’t have to," Jason growled. "Just do it."

Before she could argue, he darted off into the trees, deliberately making noise to lure the pursuers away.

Isabella clenched her jaw, tightening her grip on Alexander.

"Come on," she whispered, leading him toward the river.

---

Unfinished Business

The safe house was exactly where Jason said it would be.

A small, abandoned cabin near the riverbank, hidden by thick foliage. Isabella kicked the door open, dragging Alexander inside.

She barely got him onto the couch before his legs gave out completely. He collapsed with a low groan, his body trembling.

"Stay with me," she whispered, pressing a hand to his forehead. He was burning up.

Alexander’s eyes fluttered open, his voice weak. "They won’t stop, Isabella."

She swallowed. "I know."

"They’ll keep coming," he continued. "Until one of us is dead."

Her fingers curled into fists. "Then I guess we’d better make sure it’s not us."

Outside, the sound of an approaching vehicle made her blood run cold.

The hunt wasn’t over yet.