Semua Bab They Know What She Wants: Bab 371 - Bab 380

The freezing rain washed over me, mixing with the cold and fear from earlier, and all I could think was how fast my day had just gone off a cliff. One minute I was hiding in my room out of sheer embarrassment, and the next, I was getting shot at and dragged through a downpour by the exact man I’d planned to hide from.It was almost laughable at this point that I'd actually thought today was going well.Noah’s eyes scanned the trees and fired again, the shot echoing into the night, and I heard a muffled curse from somewhere in the darkness. Then he tugged me forward again, moving us along the side of the house toward what I hoped was a safer spot, the rain soaking us both to the bone while the attackers’ voices carried faintly on the wind.This night wasn’t ending anytime soon.And I had no idea if either of us was getting out of it alive.My lungs burned as we continued to run, my bare feet slipping on the wet grass and mud. Every crack of thunder blended with the distant shouts and

The question caught him off guard. A drop of rain slid from his split lip as he froze, every line of his body signaling a hard refusal to answer that question. He opened his mouth to speak, thought better of it, and closed it. When he finally found his voice, it was to say something that had nothing to do with what I’d asked. “We should get you inside before you catch a cold,” he said instead, reaching for my arm again like he could steer me toward shelter. I jerked back. “No. Answer me.” For a moment, he just stared at me. A moment that felt like forever in the freezing rain. Then, a slow smile curved his mouth, crinkling the bruised skin around his eyes. “It was on the day of your prom,” he said quietly. “I saw your photo before it got taken down. You looked… beautiful. Like a person who didn’t belong in that world. And then, somehow, you ended up here. Close to me.” He let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “Look me in the eye, Saraphina, and tell me that isn’t fate.” “…”

I stared at him in a daze. And it took me a long moment to realize the gunshots inside the house had stopped. The sudden silence was worse than the noise. “No,” I whispered. Then louder, panicked. “No, no, no—” I scrambled to my feet, slipping in the mud, heart racing so fast it hurt as I ran, stumbling toward the front door, bare feet sliding on the wet ground, the gun still clutched in one hand. I reached the door, yanked the door open— —and slammed straight into someone coming out. I stumbled backward, nearly falling, but a strong hand was fast enough to catch me by the waist just in time and pulled me upright. For a split second I was ready to fight my way out. But then I looked up. And… it was Noah. Rain-soaked, bloodied, breathing hard, but ALIVE. His dark eyes locked onto mine, wide with shock. He was still holding a gun in one hand, the other holding my waist tightly. “Saraphina, are you hurt? I heard gunsho—“ I didn’t let him finish and immediately threw myself a

I opened my mouth, still not sure what the hell I was supposed to say, when a phone buzzed in the tall one’s pocket. He answered it without looking away from me.“Yeah.”A short pause. I could hear a low voice on the other end, but not the words.“Okay.”He cut the call and stood up slowly, still watching me.“They’ve gotten in,” he told the shorter man. “No point digging for answers anymore. Just kill her.”My blood ran cold.The shorter one frowned. “Seeing that Noah’s got her tied up here might mean she knows something valuable.”The tall one shook his head. “If that were the case, they would’ve already killed her.”Noah?What the fuck did they mean by NOAH keeping me here?It was James. James and Seraphina. They were the ones holding me so I wouldn’t be able to find Noah. Not the other way around. My mind scrambled, trying to make the pieces fit, but nothing did.Before I could even open my mouth to ask what the hell they were talking about, the shorter one sighed.“Okay then.”H

SARAPHINA °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ I was so cold. The rain had soaked through every layer I was wearing, and the night air bit straight into my bones. I shivered so hard my teeth chattered, my hands barely able to keep their grip on the back of his neck. I could hardly feel my fingers anymore. Noah seemed to notice and without breaking stride, he tightened his arms around me, pulling me closer against his chest like the extra pressure might somehow make me warmer. Honestly, it didn't, but I couldn't really blame him when he was just as soaked as I was; still, pressing up against his solid, warm chest was the only thing holding me together right then. As we walked for what felt like forever under a relentless rain, I occasionally heard him curse under his breath. Then headlights cut through the darkness ahead of us. Noah tensed up instantly. His grip on me shifted, one arm still supporting my weight while the other hand went to the gun at his side. He stopped walking as the car approac