All Chapters of ONE WILD NIGHT : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Alex's POVMargaret's gun pressed cold against my spine as we stepped into the hotel hallway. My shattered phone lay in pieces back in the suite,no way to call for help, no way to warn anyone."You're making a terrible mistake," I said quietly, keeping my hands visible."The only mistake was trusting you to be pragmatic." Margaret's voice was ice. "I thought you'd inherited some Stone survival instinct. But you're weak, just like your mother was."We approached the elevator. She pressed the call button, the gun still hidden but deadly against my back. The hallway was empty,she'd timed this perfectly.The elevator dinged.The doors opened.Maya stood inside, a woman I didn't recognize beside her.Time seemed to stop.Margaret jerked backward, pulling me with her, but I dropped low and twisted away from her grip. The gun swung toward Maya."Nobody move!" Margaret's mask of control was cracking."Margaret Stone." The woman beside Maya stepped forward calmly, deliberately. "My name is Car

Maya's POVIt had been three weeks since we moved Mom to Mercy Medical Center. Three weeks of watching her fade a little more each day, her body shutting down in slow motion while I grew bigger with new life,The contradiction wasn't lost on me—death and birth happening simultaneously, like the universe couldn't decide whether to give or take.I was dozing in the chair beside Mom's bed when Alex's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, frowned, then stepped into the hallway. Something about his expression made my stomach clench with worry.Jake was on the other side of Mom's bed, reading aloud from her favorite mystery novel even though we weren't sure she could hear anymore. Her eyes were closed, her breathing shallow and labored, the morphine keeping her in a twilight state between consciousness and sleep.When Alex returned five minutes later, his face was pale and his jaw was clenched tight,the expression he wore when he was trying to control rage."Maya, can I talk to you outsid

Maya’s POVThree days after Victoria’s GPS monitor went offline, there was still no sign of her. Walsh called daily with updates that amounted to nothing—no credit card activity, no phone pings, no sightings. Victoria Blackwell had vanished like smoke.But I knew she was out there. Watching. Waiting.I felt it in the way the hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I walked to my car. In the sensation of eyes following me through the hospital corridors. In the inexplicable certainty that someone was always just out of sight, tracking my every move.“You’re being paranoid,” Alex said gently as we drove to the hospital for my daily visit with Mom. “Walsh says there’s been no sign of her anywhere near us.”“Then why do I feel like I’m being watched constantly?”“Because you’re under incredible stress. Your mother is dying, you’re eight months pregnant, and the woman who tried to kill you is on the run. Anyone would be paranoid in your situation.”Maybe he was right. Maybe the pregnancy

Maya's POVThree days of bed rest in Alex's old apartment had lowered my blood pressure to a safer range, but the paranoia was getting worse.Every car that passed on the street below made me flinch. Every footstep in the hallway outside made my heart race. Every notification on my phone sent adrenaline spiking through my system until I confirmed it wasn't another threatening message from Victoria."You need to eat something," Alex said, bringing me lunch he'd ordered from a nearby deli. "Dr. Chen said the baby needs proper nutrition even when you're stressed.""I'm not hungry." I was watching the street from behind the curtain—a habit I'd developed despite knowing it was probably pointless. If Victoria wanted to find us, she would."Maya, you haven't eaten a full meal in two days." Alex sat beside me on the bed, setting the food on my lap. "Please. For the baby."I picked at the sandwich, managing a few bites. The baby kicked in response,probably hungry too. At eight months pregnant,

Maya’s POVVictoria had been in custody for twenty-four hours, and I still couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face on that television screen—calm, confident, as if she were the one in control.Two more days before her bail hearing. Two more days to wonder if the justice system would fail us again.“You need to rest,” Alex said, finding me by the window of yet another safe house—our fourth in a week.“The baby’s fine,” I murmured as it kicked. “It’s me I’m worried about.”“Walsh says they have enough evidence—her threats, her bail violation, that live TV stunt. She’s not getting out.”“You don’t believe that,” I said quietly. “Victoria has lawyers who’ve done worse. She’ll walk free, and we’ll keep running.”“Then we stop running,” Alex said. “We go after her.”“She’s in federal custody.”“Then we go through her lawyers. Caroline Henderson can help us.”An hour later, Caroline appeared like a shadow—calm, dangerous, efficient.“You called,” she said. “You want Victo