جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 230

Carlos lay still on the cold concrete floor, his heart pounding beneath a mask of unconsciousness. Then he heard a voice say... "We should start beating him before Nico comes. He wants him roughed up," It was from the leader of Nico's loyal men, his voice gravelly and cruel. Carlos’s eyes snapped open. Through his lashes, he saw a boot swinging toward his face. Wrong move. In a blur of speed, Carlos seized the man’s leg mid-air, twisted it hard, and yanked him down. He sprang to his feet, using the man as a shield just as the others opened fire. Bullets tore through the body, but Carlos was already moving. He dropped to a knee, reached beneath his waistband, and drew a silenced pistol. Thwip. Thwip. Thwip. Muffled shots echoed in the room. Four bodies hit the ground, collapsing like puppets with their strings cut. Silence returned. Carlos exhaled, standing over the heap of dead men. He scanned the room—no cameras, no signs of reinforcements yet. He moved quickly

As the door creaked open, Maya’s heart lurched. Her gaze darted to her gun on the floor, and her blood-slick fingers closed around it. Her hands were trembling, torn and raw from the door, but she forced them to obey. She raised the weapon and fired at Nico. Bang! There was no sound. Just a dull click. Nico ducked, but the dodge was unnecessary. The gun was empty. Her breath hitched. Her eyes flicked to the chamber. No bullets. She’d used them all trying to shoot through the locked door earlier. Her stomach dropped. Nico’s laugh filled the room....low, smug, and chilling. “Aw, princess. Were you trying to kill me?” Maya’s finger kept squeezing the trigger. Useless. Hopeless. But she couldn’t stop. She wanted a miracle. A bang. Anything. Click. Click. Click. Nico strode toward her, undeterred. When he reached her, he grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her up off the floor. She cried out, pain exploding through her scalp. Her gun clattered to the floor ag

Maya reached the corridor split....left or right. Bright had said “right.” But Maya didn’t trust her. After what Desire did? Trusting either of them could be fatal. Without a second thought, Maya turned left and ran. Her lungs burned. Her legs screamed. Her heart pounded like a war drum. And she was very thirsty. But she kept running, weaving through the endless maze of halls, praying that every step took her farther from Nico. Meanwhile..... “Maya! Maya, where are you?” Carlos spun around every time he heard footsteps. His grip on the gun tightened. Every second counted now. He could feel her...she was close. And in pain. Inside, Nico stepped out of the room, blood seeping through the cloth he’d tied around his neck. He staggered, then straightened, rage twisting his face. “Enough of this hide and seek,” he growled. He fumbled in his pocket, pulled out the same device, and pressed a button. A soft beep. Then another. And another. The bombs were live. H

Earlier.... Maya pushed herself forward, every step a battle against the heaviness in her legs. Her breath came in shallow bursts, her chest burning, yet she refused to stop. Behind her, Nico’s voice rose through the forest, sharp and commanding, telling his men to spread out. His words carried a promise that chilled her more than the evening air. She knew they would not let her escape. The pain in her side had been growing for minutes, a deep, stabbing ache that now felt like it was clawing its way through her body. She pressed a hand against her ribs as she moved, but it did nothing to ease the weakness flooding her. Her vision wavered and her head felt strangely light. She knew she was slowing, and the thought twisted her heart with dread. “I can’t… I can’t make it,” she whispered to herself, her voice trembling even in her own head. “I’m sorry, Star… I’m sorry, Carlos… I tried. I really tried.” She kept close to the side of the forest, letting the thick trunks shield her f

Back in the clearing, Carlos lay with his eyes shut, fighting exhaustion, until a scream cut through the still morning. His head snapped up. "Maya." The name thundered through his mind. He was on his feet in seconds, scanning the forest, heart pounding. The sound had echoed, bouncing between the trees, but he didn’t care. He ran, chasing the voice, refusing to let it fade. Maya’s legs felt like they were made of lead, but she kept running. Each breath tore at her lungs, hot and ragged. Behind her, Nico’s voice rose above the sound of rushing blood in her ears. “This time, you won’t get away from me.” She stumbled onto the edge of a cliff, the roar of water swelling beneath her. Leaning forward, she saw nothing but churning, unforgiving currents. The drop was dizzying. One wrong move, and she’d be swallowed whole. Turning back, she saw him. Nico was moving toward her, his hand pressed against his neck where a makeshift cloth was still tied, the fabric soaked through with fres