Daniel’s hand grew tighter on Lily’s arm, his gun pressed hard against her temple, and her pulse thundered in her ears. Her skin was pricked by the cold steel, a stark reminder of her impending demise. His sneer sliced like a razor through the darkness, rain trickling from his unkempt hair.
"Lily, you really didn’t think you were going to win?" Daniel whispered in a mockingly low voice. "You’re in over your head."
She tightened her jaw. "Give me a break, Daniel."
With a laugh, he pulled her toward the black SUV that was waiting. "Oh no, sweetheart. I have unresolved business with you.
Lily’s thoughts were racing. Her pulse was erratic, her respiration irregular. Every step felt unsteady on the slippery pavement underneath. However, she couldn’t afford to be immobilized by fear. There was Ethan. She knew he would come for her. She couldn’t simply wait for help, though. She needed to do something.
She calculated the angle of his grip by quietly shifting her weight. If she walked quickly enough—
There was a gunshot.
Lily recoiled in anticipation of pain, but she was not the one shot.
Daniel let out a harsh hiss and stumbled, his grasp slipping. His free hand gripped his shoulder, where his wet suit was smeared with blood.
Ethan.
His gun up, his face deadly, he stood a few feet away. His blue eyes blazed with rage as the rain trickled down his angular features.
Ethan snarled, his voice piercing, "Let her go."
For a brief while, Daniel’s grin wavered. Gritting his teeth, he held Lily closer and pressed the rifle more firmly against her head. The pressure rose, and she took a deep breath.
Daniel hissed, "You shoot me again, and she dies."
Ethan’s jaw twitched and Lily’s heart raced. His fingers flexed slightly, displaying his anger, but his hands remained steady on his rifle. A quiet message flowed between them as his eyes locked with hers.
Believe me.
She did.
Lily used all of her effort to stomp on Daniel’s foot and twist away from him. She had already started to back away as his fingers clutched at her. Ethan fired another shot at the same moment.
With a choked gasp, Daniel staggered back as the bullet ripped into his leg. His rifle slipped from his hand as he fell against the damp concrete.
Lily didn’t think twice. Breathing heavily, she moved back and kicked the weapon away, sending it tumbling over the tarmac.
With his hands on her shoulders and his eyes searching her with desperate ferocity, Ethan hurried to her side. "Are you alright?"
Lily gave a shaky nod. "I’m all right."
Her voice sounded feeble as she spoke. Her limbs were still shaking from the adrenaline that was still pumping through her veins.
Ethan tightened his jaw. He drew her into his arms before she could respond. The smell of rain and gunfire, the raw tension in his grip, the feel of his body on hers—it was all too much. For a moment, she buried her face in his chest and felt his irregular beating against her cheek.
Then from the floor, Daniel gave a feeble laugh.
"You believe this is the end of it?" His teeth were stained with blood as he rasped. His sneer held firm, but his breath was labored. "Carlisle isn’t done with you yet."
Lily’s tummy knotted as she tensed up.
Ethan let her go and squatted next to Daniel, holding his collar with a cruel composure. "Where is he?"
Despite his injuries, Daniel’s smile widened as he spat blood into the sidewalk. "Don’t you want to know?"
Ethan abruptly pushed Daniel’s head against the pavement after letting out a harsh exhale. The night was filled with a horrible snap. Daniel’s body became lifeless.
Despite her recoil, Lily did not stop him. Daniel was entitled to worse.
Alejandro and the others came, their SUVs sliding to a stop as headlights swept across the street. Men with guns poured out, prepared for battle, but the conflict had already ended.
Alejandro’s keen eyes swept over the situation, seeing Lily’s trembling posture and Daniel’s comatose state. "Is he down?"
Wiping the wetness from his cheeks, Ethan stood up. "Yes."
Alejandro pushed his boot on Daniel’s sluggish body. "We ought to reclaim him. Get him to speak.
Ethan glanced back at Lily and nodded.
She was still attempting to control her breathing, pushing damp hair out of her face with shaky fingers. Despite the pain from the struggle throughout her entire body, she resisted showing signs of weakness.
Ethan stepped forward, his voice hushed. "Are you certain you’re alright?"
She took a deep breath. "I am now."
Although he didn’t seem persuaded, he didn’t push. Rather, he extended his hand and softly touched a stray cut on her cheek. Her breath was taken away by the gesture’s tenderness.
For a while, the mayhem subsided. Everything vanished, even the rain, the danger, and the uncertainty. Standing beneath the rain, alone, they were ensnared in something greater than any of them had anticipated.
And Lily came to a horrifying realization.
She desired him.
Not only the protection, not just the alliance—him. The way his eyes clouded when he gazed at her, the way his touch lingered a bit too long, the way he shielded her. It was risky. Careless. And totally unstoppable.
Ethan appeared to understand as well. His blue eyes were unreadable as his hand hovered over her face. There was an unsaid tension in the air between them that made everything feel electrified and crackle.
Alejandro cleared his throat after that. "We must relocate."
The enchantment was broken.
Ethan stepped back and dropped his hand. He regained control as his features hardened once more. "Leave now."
Lily let out a trembling breath and forced herself to concentrate. Carlisle remained outside. This was not the end of it.
However, she was unable to ignore it as she followed Ethan into the night.
Something had changed between them.
Furthermore, there would be no going back.