7
The city blurred past as Damian weaved through traffic, his grip firm on the steering wheel. The tension in the car was suffocating, thick with unspoken thoughts and the weight of what they had just uncovered.
Selene sat in the passenger seat, her body still trembling from the aftermath of her escape. Elliot had let her go, but it hadn't been a favor. It had been a warning. If she didn't move fast, she'd end up just like Adrian.
Her fingers curled into fists. No. She refused to let that happen.
"Talk to me," Damian said without taking his eyes off the road. "What the hell did you find?"
Selene inhaled sharply. "Roger Stanton. He visited Adrian in prison a week before he died. He wasn't his lawyer, Damian. He was there to make sure Adrian stayed quiet."
Damian's jaw tightened. "And now we know who ordered the kill."
Selene shook her head. "No. Stanton isn't the one at the top of the chain. He's just another piece on the board."
Damian stole a glance at her. "You sure?"
She exhaled. "The email I found… it was from Stanton to an unknown sender. The subject line was clear: 'Ensure Hale does not speak.'"
Damian let out a low whistle. "So Stanton was taking orders from someone else."
"Exactly."
Selene leaned forward, pressing her fingers to her temples. Who was the unknown sender?
She didn't get a chance to dwell on it.
Because at that moment, Damian slammed the brakes.
The tires screeched against the pavement as he yanked the wheel, narrowly avoiding an SUV that had cut across their lane.
"Shit!" Damian growled, gripping the wheel tightly.
Selene's pulse roared in her ears. "What the hell was that?"
Damian didn't answer. His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror.
Selene turned in her seat, her stomach lurching at the sight of two black SUVs speeding toward them.
Her blood ran cold.
"They found us."
The Chase
Damian didn't hesitate. He floored the gas pedal, the engine roaring as their car shot forward. The SUVs followed, weaving through traffic like sharks honing in on their prey.
"Hold on," Damian muttered.
Selene barely had time to brace herself before he took a hard right, nearly clipping a fire hydrant. The streets blurred past, neon lights flashing in her peripheral vision.
The SUVs didn't slow down.
"Who the hell are these guys?" she gasped.
Damian clenched his jaw. "Victor's men. Or Stanton's. Doesn't matter. They want us dead."
Selene's stomach twisted. She reached for her phone, but Damian's voice stopped her.
"Don't call the cops."
She looked at him sharply. "Are you serious?"
Damian's grip on the wheel tightened. "You really think the cops aren't already on Langley's payroll? Or Stanton's?"
She bit back a curse. He was right. If they got caught, there was no guarantee they'd make it to a holding cell alive.
Selene turned her focus back to the chase. "We need to lose them."
Damian smirked. "Working on it."
He cut down a narrow alley, barely squeezing between two parked cars. The SUVs didn't hesitate—they followed, one of them clipping the side of a dumpster, metal screeching against metal.
Selene's heart pounded.
Then—a gunshot.
The back windshield exploded.
Selene ducked instinctively as glass shattered around her. "They're shooting at us?!"
"Seems that way," Damian muttered, his voice unnervingly calm.
Selene twisted in her seat, scanning the glove compartment. "Do you have a gun?"
Damian grinned. "You're gonna love this."
He reached under his seat, pulled out a sawn-off shotgun, and tossed it into her lap.
Selene stared at it, then at him. "Are you insane?"
"Just returning the favor," he said, eyes gleaming.
Selene swallowed hard. She had never fired a gun before. But if she didn't now, they wouldn't make it out alive.
She shifted in her seat, gripping the shotgun. The SUVs were still close.
She inhaled sharply, took aim, and pulled the trigger.
The blast was deafening.
The nearest SUV swerved violently, its front tire bursting from the impact. It spun out, crashing into a row of parked cars.
"Holy shit," Damian laughed. "Not bad, sweetheart."
Selene barely had time to process what she had done before the second SUV pulled up beside them.
A figure leaned out the window. Gun in hand.
Selene barely had time to react.
Damian swerved. The gunman missed.
Selene gritted her teeth. One shot left.
She aimed.
Pulled the trigger.
The blast hit the SUV's driver-side window. The glass shattered, the driver losing control. The vehicle skidded before slamming into a streetlight.
Silence.
Selene's chest heaved as she gripped the empty shotgun. Her hands trembled.
Damian let out a low chuckle. "Not bad for your first time."
Selene shot him a glare. "Just drive."
A Safe House and a Deal
Damian pulled into an abandoned warehouse on the city outskirts. The adrenaline was still coursing through Selene's veins as she climbed out, her legs unsteady.
Damian pulled a flask from his jacket, took a sip, then handed it to her.
She drank without hesitation, the burn of whiskey grounding her.
Then, she turned to him. "What now?"
Damian exhaled. "Now? We find Stanton before he finds us."
Selene nodded. "I have his office address."
Damian smirked. "That's cute. You think he's still there?"
Her stomach sank. He was right. Stanton would be on the move.
"We need leverage," Damian continued. "Something to make him talk."
Selene thought for a moment. Then, an idea struck her.
"What about Elliot?"
Damian raised an eyebrow. "The guy who just kidnapped you?"
"He let me go," she said. "Which means he's in too deep, and he's scared."
Damian tilted his head. "You think he'll flip?"
Selene met his gaze. "If we push him hard enough."
Damian considered that, then smirked. "I like the way you think."
Selene took a deep breath.
Adrian had been silenced.
She and Damian had just barely escaped with their lives.
But now?
Now it was their turn to start hunting.