All Chapters of The Black Rose: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

ELLIEI ran as fast as my legs could carry me, my bare feet slapping against the cold asphalt with each desperate stride. The pavement was rough and unforgiving, small stones and debris cutting into my soles, but I barely registered the pain. Adrenaline coursed through my veins like liquid fire, drowning out everything except the primal need to get as far away from that restaurant as possible.My heart pounded so violently against my ribs that I could hear ringing in my ears, a high-pitched whine that seemed to grow louder with each passing second. My lungs burned as I gasped for air, but I didn't dare slow down. I didn't dare look back, even as I heard the rumble of car engines behind me, growing closer.They knew. Of course they knew I was gone by now.The empty streets stretched endlessly ahead of me, illuminated only by the sporadic glow of streetlights that cast long, reaching shadows across the pavement. My legs felt like they might give out at any moment, muscles screaming in

ELLIEThe panic attack hit like a freight train. My chest constricted painfully, each breath becoming shorter and more desperate than the last. The car felt like it was shrinking around me, the walls pressing closer with every second that passed."I can't breathe," I gasped, pressing my hands against my chest as if I could somehow force air into my lungs. "I can't—""Pull over," Lorenzo commanded the driver, his voice sharp with authority.The car came to a smooth stop on the side of what looked like a quiet residential street. Before I could process what was happening, Lorenzo was sliding across the seat toward me, his hands reaching for my face with surprising gentleness."Look at me, Ellie." His voice had lost its harsh edge, becoming something softer, more intimate. "Focus on my voice."His thumbs traced along my cheekbones as he cupped my face, forcing me to meet his brown eyes. They were intense, focused entirely on me with an concentration that was both overwhelming and oddly g

ELLIE"Take off your clothes."My jaw slacked for a solid minute as I digested his words, I blinked, my brows pulled together. I felt my face flame with heat. My mouth went dry as I stared at him, trying to process what he'd just said."What?" The word came out as barely more than a whisper.Lorenzo's expression remained perfectly serious, those dark eyes holding mine with an intensity that made my stomach flip."I need to check for other injuries. Your arms, your legs—you were manhandled by Nikolai's men. I need to make sure you're not hurt anywhere else."The rational part of my brain understood what he was saying. I had been grabbed, dragged, thrown into a car. There could be bruises I wasn't even aware of yet. But the way he'd said it, the heat in his gaze as he waited for my response—none of it felt clinical or medical."I can check myself," I managed to say, though my voice betrayed me with its shakiness.His eyes narrowed with that look that seemed to burn through my defenses

ELLIE I watched as his entire demeanor shifted, the man who had been seconds away from kissing me disappearing behind the cold, calculating leader I'd come to know.His posture was rigid, eyes narrowed with a serious intense look that made him look like a totally different person. It was rather hot. Oh God. I really am sick in the head. "What kind of developments?" Lorenzo asked, he created more distance between us, rising to his full height and facing both men. Noir's mismatched eyes flicked to me, then back to Lorenzo. "The kind that affect everyone in this room," Noir's voice was low, heavy with the undertone of anger, an emotion I couldn't really understand. He was the soft one, to me...despite other...occurrences."Should I leave?" I asked, though I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer."No," Lorenzo said firmly. "Stay. You're part of this now, whether you like it or not."Silas moved further into the room, his usual cocky glare was no where in sight. There was something

SILAS We worked in silence for the next hour, running through defensive drills and basic combat moves. Ellie threw herself into the training with renewed focus, as if she could somehow make up for her innocent questions by being the perfect student. Which, of course, only made it worse. Because now I was watching her move fluidly, her body responding to my instructions with increasing confidence. The tentative girl who'd first walked into this gym was being replaced by someone stronger, more dangerous. Someone who could hold her own in our world. And fuck if that wasn't the hottest thing I'd ever seen. "I want to try something more advanced," she said during a water break, her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. "You sure? We've only been at this for a few days." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not made of glass, Silas. I can handle it." That sharp mouth of hers. Christ, the things I wanted to do to shut her up. And the way she was looking at me, all challenge and deter