جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 120

The alarms began screaming before anyone could process the change on the monitors. A violent flash of red warnings rolled across every screen — override, breach confirmed, internal systems failing one by one.Damon stiffened like a predator sensing blood. Jordan cursed under his breath. Lou grabbed his gun. Elena’s fingers flew over keys, desperately trying to stop the cascade of system crashes.But Sarah… Sarah felt cold. Because she already knew.They’re inside.She whispered it, barely audible — but Damon heard. He reached for her immediately, gripping her wrist, anchoring her to him.Security lights cut out. Emergency power flickered on, washing the hall in a deadly strobe of dim red.Damon’s voice was calm, terrifyingly so. We leave. Now.Lou tossed a small tablet to Jordan. Disable and delay.On it.Damon pulled Sarah behind him as they rushed down the hallway. The ground vibrated — an explosion somewhere below. Dust rained from the ceiling. Panic swelled across her chest, steal

The first thing Sarah registered was warmth — a gentle, grounding warmth pressed against her cheek. The second was the quiet hush of waves outside the tall glass windows of Damon’s private retreat, the tide whispering against the rocky coastline as if to remind her she was still alive.Her eyes fluttered open, and she found herself wrapped in Damon’s arms, his chest rising and falling beneath her. She could feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat, strong and purposeful, but threaded with exhaustion. His hold was firm, like even in sleep he couldn’t bear the thought of letting her go.For a moment, she simply breathed him in — sandalwood, smoke, and safety.Then Damon stirred, eyes cracking open, instantly alert. “Sarah?” His voice was rough from lack of rest.She lifted her head slightly. “I’m here.”Relief crashed through his expression so powerfully his eyes closed briefly. “Good,” he murmured, tightening his arms around her. “I keep waking up afraid…”Sarah pressed her palm to his c

Gunfire shredded the night.The SUV lurched violently as Damon swerved hard, tires screaming against the asphalt. A barrage of bullets pinged against the reinforced windows, but he didn’t trust they would hold for long. Not with the firepower coming from both sides of the road.Sarah gripped the handle above her head, heart hammering as the world outside blurred into streaks of hostile motion. Lou was shouting into the comms while Lucas braced his shoulder against the seat, cursing under his breath as he tried to get a visual. Elena ducked, pulling up surveillance data on her tablet despite the chaos.“Three vehicles. One behind. Two flanking,” she snapped. “They boxed us in. They were waiting.”Damon’s jaw clenched. “Then they’ll regret it.”The SUV jolted again—this time a brute force slam from the passenger side. Sarah gasped, thrown against Damon’s arm. He didn’t glance away from the road, but his voice sharpened, protective.“You okay?”“I’m not made of glass,” she said, forcing

Sarah woke gasping, the remnants of another nightmare clinging to her pulse like ice. She pressed a hand to her chest, grounding herself in the warmth beneath her cheek—Damon’s chest, rising and falling steadily.His arm tightened around her, eyes still closed as he murmured against her hair, “You’re safe. I’m right here.”The rasp of his morning voice warmed her more than the blanket did. She tipped her head up, eyes finding his. Though exhaustion darkened his features, Damon looked at her like she was the only thing in the world worth opening his eyes for.“Morning,” he breathed.Sarah brushed her fingertips over the bruise on his jaw where he’d taken a hit protecting her. “You didn’t sleep much,” she said softly.“I don’t sleep when you’re waking up scared,” he replied, eyes tracing her face like he was memorizing every line.She swallowed. “You can’t protect me every second.”His gaze hardened. “Watch me.”The husky conviction in his voice sent heat through her. She leaned up to k

They ran until their lungs burned and the trees thinned into the ragged edge of the service road. Snow hammered at their faces, a white blur that erased distance and detail. Damon kept Sarah pressed to his side, one arm looping low across her back to keep her steady while his other hand held the compact pistol like it was an extension of his will. He moved with the certainty of a man who had spent his life anticipating the worst and planning how to survive it.The truck was where Lucas said it would be, half-camouflaged beneath tarpaulin and ice. Lou came sliding out from the opposite side, breath white and ragged, helmet askew. He kicked the tarp aside and tossed the keys. “Get in. Now.”Damon didn’t wait for arguments. He shoved Sarah toward the passenger side and slid in himself. Lucas slammed the hatch, and the engine growled to life, a low animal sound that felt like salvation. The truck lurched forward and then smashed through the shallow drift, tires finding road and leaving a w