44

The cold night air stung my skin as Rico ’s men escorted Vincent and me out of the warehouse. They shoved us toward a dark van idling nearby, its shadowy outline blending into the night. My instincts screamed for me to run, but when Vincent cleared his throat and gave a subtle shake of his head, I stayed rooted beside him.

My heart raced, and my palms felt damp with sweat. I glanced at Vincent , and the warmth in his eyes steadied me, if only slightly.

At least he was here.

“It’ll be okay,” he murmured softly, his voice a calming balm against the chaos around us. “Stay close. I’ll protect you,” he added, his words meant for my ears alone.

“Enough of that!” Rico ’s sharp voice cut through the air, laced with mockery. He strode toward us, his smile cold and taunting. “Save the sweet talk for when you’re not at my mercy.”

They forced us into the back of the cargo van, the metal floor icy against my knees as I climbed in. The door slammed shut behind us with a metallic clang, plunging the space into suffocating darkness. I felt Vincent settle beside me, his breath brushing against my cheek in the enclosed space.

“Jennifer ,” he whispered urgently, his voice a low rumble in the silence. “No matter what happens, stay strong. We’ll get out of this.”

I swallowed hard and nodded, though I doubted he could see me.

“I trust you,” I whispered back, my voice unsteady but sincere. I would hold on—for him, for us.

The van’s engine roared to life, and the vehicle jerked forward, each jolt rattling my nerves. The vibrations of the metal floor beneath me seemed to amplify my growing fear. Rico ’s men sat in silence, and the occasional murmur from the front—Rico ’s voice, or perhaps one of his henchmen’s—felt distant and unimportant.

Leaning back slightly, I rested against Vincent , his steady warmth a small comfort in the freezing van. He shifted subtly, positioning himself protectively between me and the door.

“We’ll find a way out,” he promised again, his tone steady, a quiet reassurance against the storm of emotions swirling inside me.

“Enough of your bravado!” Rico barked from the front of the van, his tone dripping with disdain. “You’re not getting out of this, Vincent . Save your breath.”

The van sped up, and I had no idea where we were headed. I focused on the steady rhythm of Vincent ’s breathing, using it as an anchor to calm the erratic pounding of my heart. Despite Rico ’s threats, I clung to the belief that we would find a way out of this.

We had to.

Every minute dragged like an hour as the van raced through the night. I shut my eyes, holding tightly to the fragile hope that we would survive this ordeal.

Suddenly, the van veered sharply to the left, and the distant growl of motorcycles filled the air. My heart shot into my throat.

What the hell was that?

The van swerved again, throwing me against Vincent .

“Hold on,” he murmured, his tone tense. “Something’s happening.”

The van picked up speed, but the roar of the motorcycles grew louder, their engines tearing through the night like predators closing in on their prey. Shouts echoed from the front of the van, and the vehicle jerked violently, making me clutch onto anything for balance.

“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s an ambush,” Vincent muttered, and to my surprise, a faint smile tugged at his lips.

Wait—was he expecting this?

The van skidded around a corner, its tires screeching in protest. I pressed closer to Vincent , my heart hammering so hard I thought it might burst.

A sudden bump jolted the van, sending both of us sprawling to the cold, hard floor.

“Stay low,” Vincent ordered, his voice sharp with urgency.

The van swerved again, and the deafening sound of gunfire shattered the tense silence. Glass exploded from the back windows, and I ducked instinctively, covering my head as shards rained down around us.

The van came to an abrupt halt, throwing me forward into the unforgiving metal wall. Dazed and disoriented, I tried to push myself upright, but the van door slammed open, and blinding headlights flooded my vision.

What the hell was going on?

“Out! Move!” a gruff voice barked.

We stumbled to our feet and were yanked from the van. My legs wobbled as I tried to steady myself, the harsh light making it difficult to see. When my vision finally adjusted, my stomach dropped.

A group of bikers stood in front of us, their leather jackets adorned with bold patches and insignias. They looked like they had stepped out of a nightmare—faces hardened by experience, eyes cold and unyielding as they glinted in the glow of their headlights. Fear coiled in my chest.

Who were these men?

“Move!” one of Rico ’s men snapped, shoving me and Vincent forward.

As my eyes scanned the scene, I spotted a familiar figure leading the pack.

Anthony .

Relief washed over me, but unease lingered. What was Anthony doing here? And who were these men with him?

“Rico ,” Anthony called out, his voice calm but dripping with menace. “This ends tonight.”

Rico ’s smirk was sharp and chilling. “You think you’ve got what it takes to take me down? With this crew? Dream on, you arrogant bastard.”

Anthony ’s expression didn’t waver. “These men aren’t just a crew. They’re former Navy SEALs, and they’re with me. Oh, and you’re outnumbered.”

I glanced around, my breath catching as I realized Anthony was right. Rico ’s men were surrounded.

Tension stretched thick in the air as the two groups sized each other up. Then, in the blink of an eye, one of Rico ’s men charged forward, and chaos erupted.

Vincent grabbed my arm, pulling me out of the way as the fight exploded around us.

“Stay close,” Vincent ordered, his eyes darting through the chaos, constantly scanning for danger.

The scene in front of us resembled a medieval battle—both sides charged at each other like warriors in a deadly clash. For a brief moment, I was frozen, transfixed by the sheer ferocity of the fight. The bikers moved with precision, their actions coordinated like a seasoned unit, each movement deliberate despite the mayhem erupting around them.

Before I could process it all, a burly biker with a mohawk and intricate tattoos running down his arm sprinted toward us. My instincts screamed at me to flinch, unsure if he was friend or foe.

“Relax. We’re on your side,” he said in a gravelly voice, pulling out a switchblade with a swift flick.

“It’s alright, Jennifer ,” Vincent assured me with a nod as the biker quickly worked to slice through the bindings on our wrists.

“Thank you,” I said breathlessly, rubbing my sore wrists.

“Gear up. This isn’t over,” the man grunted before darting back into the fray, his blade glinting as he charged into the fight.

A gunshot rang out, deafening and far too close for comfort. My ears buzzed as I instinctively ducked. One of Rico ’s men cried out, clutching his shoulder as the bikers pressed forward with overwhelming force.

Rico , however, wasn’t ready to surrender. He grabbed a gun from one of his fallen men, his eyes locking onto me with predatory intent.

“Jennifer , get down!” Vincent shouted, shoving me to the ground just as a shot was fired.

The bullet missed, but the near-hit left my heart hammering in terror. I scrambled to my feet, determined not to freeze again. But just as I stood, another of Rico ’s men lunged at me. Before he could reach me, Vincent intercepted him, delivering a swift punch to his jaw that sent the man stumbling.

The attacker retaliated quickly, pulling out a knife and slashing at Vincent . With sharp reflexes, Vincent dodged, seizing the man’s wrist and twisting it until the knife clattered to the ground. He followed up with a series of rapid, punishing blows to the man’s head and torso. Each strike landed with sickening force, leaving the attacker dazed and bleeding before he crumpled to the pavement, motionless.

Vincent turned to me, his expression fierce but focused.

“Come on!” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the bikers, who were regrouping.

As we moved closer to their line, I noticed that all of the bikers were heavily armed. Semi-automatic weapons glinted in their hands, each one aimed directly at Rico and his remaining men. I instinctively stepped behind Vincent , the tension in the air thick and suffocating.