Chapter 33: Dangerous Alliances

I didn’t have time to think. My body acted on instinct, slamming the door shut behind me as Thomas reached for the flash drive. I knew I couldn’t let him have it. Not when it held the key to everything—Dominic’s past, my father’s betrayal, and the twisted dance we’d all been caught in.

But Thomas wasn’t just a threat in the form of a man. He was a shadow, slipping through the cracks with a quiet menace that sent chills down my spine. As I backed away, my mind scrambled for an escape, for something—anything—that could help me gain the upper hand.

“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, Elena,” Thomas called out, his voice calm, unsettlingly so. “You’re smarter than this. You know that keeping the drive is just going to hurt you in the end. All you need to do is hand it over, and I’ll make sure you and your family walk away unscathed.”

I was breathing hard, my chest tightening with every word. Unscathed? He was lying. If I gave it to him, everything Dominic had worked for—everything I had been fighting for—would be buried forever. There would be no justice, no answers, just silence.

“You don’t get to control me,” I snapped, my voice barely above a whisper, but the fury behind it was undeniable. “I’m not just a pawn in your game.”

Thomas’s lips curled into a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Oh, Elena, you have no idea how much control you really have. That’s the thing about people like you—you think you’re fighting for something noble, but in the end, you’ll always end up on the wrong side of things.”

I clenched my fists. “I don’t need a lecture from you. I’m not your puppet. And I’m not going to hand you that drive.”

He raised an eyebrow, looking more amused than anything. “We’ll see about that.”

Before I could react, he lunged at me. I dodged, narrowly avoiding his grasp as he reached for my arm. Panic surged through me, but I wasn’t about to give up without a fight. I spun on my heel, running toward the hallway, desperate to get out of the room. The flash drive was still in my hand, pressed tight against my chest, but my heart was hammering in my throat. I had no idea what Thomas was capable of, and I wasn’t about to let him catch me.

My bare feet pounded against the marble floor as I heard his footsteps echoing behind me, the sound growing closer. I was faster than he anticipated, but not by much. My mind raced—What now? Where the hell could I go? The elevator was too slow. The stairs would take too long. My eyes darted to the side door, leading out to the fire escape.

I made a snap decision and bolted for it.

The cool night air hit me as I pushed the door open, stumbling onto the metal platform of the fire escape. I didn’t pause to look behind me, knowing that if I did, Thomas would catch up. I hurried down the narrow staircase, each step taking me farther from the chaos inside. The sound of my heartbeat deafened everything else, drowning out the hiss of the wind in my ears.

Just as I reached the ground, I heard the door slam open behind me. Thomas wasn’t far behind.

“Give it to me, Elena!” he shouted. “This doesn’t have to end in violence.”

I felt a surge of adrenaline, the kind that makes your body move faster than your mind can catch up. I dashed around the corner of the building, looking for a way to escape. There was a narrow alleyway ahead, and I took it without thinking, sprinting as fast as I could.

But Thomas wasn’t far behind. His heavy breathing echoed in my ears, and the sound of his pursuit spurred me on. He was fast, and I was starting to tire. The drive was still clutched in my hand, and I couldn’t let go, not when it was the only leverage I had left.

I spotted an open car parked a few feet ahead. I wasn’t sure if the driver was around, but it didn’t matter. I ran for the car, trying the door. It was unlocked.

Without a second thought, I slid into the front seat, slamming the door shut just as Thomas reached the alley. I locked the door and twisted the ignition, my hands shaking. The car roared to life, and I didn’t wait a second longer. I threw it into drive and sped off.

The headlights from Thomas’s figure flashed in my rearview mirror, but I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. If I did, I might lose the edge I’d gained. I pushed the gas pedal down harder, my heart pounding in time with the engine.

The city blurred around me as I raced through the streets, taking turns I didn’t know, driving faster than I’d ever driven before. My hands gripped the wheel until my knuckles turned white. I needed to lose him. I needed to get somewhere safe—anywhere—where I could think.

As the car tore through the city, I took a breath, trying to calm myself. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, but the fear was still there, gnawing at the edges of my mind. What if he caught up? What if I didn’t make it in time to stop him?

I turned down a narrow street and slammed on the brakes just in time to avoid a crash. My heart raced as I quickly looked around for a place to hide the car. I spotted an abandoned warehouse on the corner, its windows dark and empty. It seemed like the perfect place to wait him out.

I parked in a dark corner of the lot, cutting the engine. Silence fell over me like a heavy blanket. I sat in the car for a moment, breathing heavily, trying to collect my thoughts.

What now?

I glanced at the flash drive again. It was still in my hand, still burning a hole in my palm. The truth that it held—the truth I had fought so hard to uncover—was now a weapon that could destroy everything. My family. Dominic. Me.

I couldn’t go back now. I couldn’t undo the choices I’d already made. The truth was out there, and no matter how much I wanted to pretend otherwise, I knew that I had to face it. We had to face it.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the distance.

I wasn’t alone.