All Chapters of COLLATERAL DESIRE : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Before the guard’s boot could even hit the snow inside the cave entrance, Ethan moved.He launched out of the dark like a coiled spring, his heavy body moving with terrifying, silent speed. Before the tactical flashlight beam could settle on us, Ethan slammed into the lead scout, shoving the tactical rifle barrel straight up toward the rock ceiling. The man opened his mouth to shout an alarm into his radio, but Ethan’s hand snapped around the guard’s throat, crushing his windpipe before a single sound could escape.In a fraction of a second, Ethan twisted the scout’s arm behind his back, disarmed him with a sharp twist of his wrist, and brought his palm crashing up under the man’s chin. A sickening crack echoed off the frozen stone walls. The guard went limp instantly. Without losing momentum, Ethan dragged the lifeless body backward into the dark shadows of the alcove, pulling the man completely out of sight from the sweeping drone outside."Get off the ground," Ethan rasped, his voi

"Ava, no!" Ethan roared, his hand clamping around my ankle like iron and yanking me violently back into his chest as the floorboards buckled beneath us.A two-ton stone mantelpiece tore loose from the wall and crashed down with an earth-shaking thud right onto the spot where I had been scrambling to step. The wood beneath it smashed to splinters, dropping straight into the roaring white abyss below.I gasped, my back slammed hard against Ethan’s thermal suit as the stone plunged out of sight. The heat of his frantic breathing vibrated against my neck, his arm locking around my ribs to keep us anchored to the tilting section of the beam."Look at me," Ethan growled over the deafening noise of snapping timber and falling mountain ice. His free hand gripped the back of my head, forcing my eyes up to his. "Stay centered on me. You step where I step, or we both drop.""The whole wing is collapsing!" I yelled back, my voice barely cutting through the thunderous roar of the avalanche pouring

Ethan slammed his shoulder into the lead operator before the man could draw a breath, driving him violently into the snowplow’s frozen iron treads. The guard’s mask smashed against the cold steel with a sickening crack, spray of blood and dark slush exploding into the freezing air. Ethan tore the assault rifle from the operator's grip, shoved the stunned man into the churning snow, and grabbed the front of my jacket, dragging me violently beneath the low belly of the heavy vehicle for cover."Get down!" Ethan roared.Automatic gunfire instantly tore through the wooden beams above our heads, shredding ancient timber into a lethal rain of sharp splinters. The deafening metallic roar echoed beneath the steel frame, blinding flashes of light cutting through the dark cellar. Trapped in the cramped, freezing gap under the snowplow chassis, Ethan pinned my body beneath his broad frame, using his broad shoulders and heavy coat to shield me from the shower of sparks and ricocheting bullets hit

"Hold on!" Ethan bellowed, his voice raw against the deafening roar of the stalled engine.The snowplow’s transmission shrieked, a metallic death rattle that vibrated through the floorboards straight into my spine. He slammed the heavy gear shift into reverse. The front plow scraped violently against the jagged rock face, sending a shower of orange sparks across the windshield. The impact jolted my teeth, but the leverage was just enough to pop our back tires out of the icy rut, swinging the cabin wildly toward the drop-off. Before the vehicle could plunge over the lip, Ethan kicked his door wide open, threw his arm around my waist, and hauled us out into the void.We hit the snowbank hard. A breath later, the empty snowplow tumbled end-over-end into the dark abyss of the ravine, exploding into a crumpled ball of twisted metal against the rocks far below.Sub-zero wind screamed through the high alpine pass, whipping bitter powder into my face like needles. My thermal suit felt paper-t

"Hold still, Ava," Ethan growled against my ear, his thumb digging into my hip as he yanked the zipper of the blood-red silk dress all the way up my back.The heavy silk clung to my skin like wet paint, backless and plunging down to the base of my spine. Before I could draw a breath, Ethan leaned down, his teeth catching the sensitive skin over my shoulder blade in a sharp, possessive bite. My breath hitched, my spine snapping straight as his tongue licked over the sting."Ethan!" I gasped, twisting around in the penthouse dressing room."You're shaking," he murmured, his hands moving up to fasten the heavy gold clasp at the nape of my neck. "I need you steady before we walk into that ballroom."On the vanity mirror, the digital countdown clock glowed red: 00:18:42. Eighteen minutes until the Croft International emergency gala began. Eighteen minutes until Leo officially declared himself the sole heir in front of every major shareholder in Europe. My pulse hammered against my throat a