Page 83 of His Red Carnation

She leaned in closer, her breath hot against my ear. “How long do you think Callan can handle watching you fall apart?”

I flinched instinctively, but there was nowhere to go. Fear coursed through me, but I forced it down.Don’t give her the satisfaction.

Before she could say anything else, the door burst open. Leo rushed in, his face pale, urgency in his voice. “Sarah, we’ve got a problem. They’re on the way. Callan and a team. We need to move—now.”

Sarah froze, glaring at him. “What do you mean, they’re on the way?”

“They were onto me. They traced your call. They’ll be here any minute,” Leo said quickly, his gaze flicking toward me for a split second before turning back to her.

Then, faint but unmistakable, the sound of a helicopter whirled in the distance, growing louder by the second.

Sarah’s body tensed. “Shit,” she hissed. She spun around, yanking me up by the arm. I winced as she pressed the cold blade to my throat, her breath coming faster now.

“Leo, go!” she snapped, her voice shaking, her angry tone now laced with fear. “Get out there and distract them! Buy me some fucking time!”

Leo hesitated, his eyes darting between me and Sarah. For a brief moment, it seemed like he was going to refuse, but then he nodded and turned toward the door, his steps quick.

Sarah’s grip tightened around me as she dragged me toward the back of the warehouse, the knife still dangerously close to my throat. “We’re leaving, princess. Don’t even think about trying to run.”

She dragged me toward the back of the warehouse, her grip painfully tight, the knife still hovering near my throat. My pulse raced, my mind scrambling for a way out. The helicopter was getting closer.This is my chance.

With a surge of adrenaline, I jerked my head back, slamming it into Sarah’s face. I heard a satisfying yelp as she fumbled backward, momentarily losing her grip on me.

Without thinking, I bolted, my legs shaky but desperate to put as much distance between us as possible. But I only made it a few steps before I felt a sharp tug at my ankle. Sarah had regained her footing and tripped me, sending me crashing to the cold, hard floor.

I gasped as the wind was knocked out of me, my wrists still bound, leaving me defenseless as I struggled to get up. Before I could move, Sarah was on me again, her face twisted in fury.

“Nice try,” she spat, grabbing me by the arm and yanking me back to my feet, the blade now pressed even closer to my throat. “You’re not getting away that easily.”

Before she could drag me any farther, the door burst open again. Leo stormed in, his face white and eyes wild. His chest heaved as he glanced between me and Sarah, the tension unbearable.

“I give up,” Leo blurted out, his voice shaky but resolute. “I’m done with this. I’m going out, hands up.” His eyes darted toward the sound of the helicopter, now deafening as it prepared to land just outside the warehouse.

I couldn’t see Sarah’s face, but I felt her body tense behind me, the blade pressing harder against my throat. “What the fuck are you talking about, Leo?” she spat, her voice sharp with panic. “We had a plan!”

He shook his head, his expression grim. “It’s over, Sarah. They’re here. I’m not going down for this.” His hands raised slowly in surrender. “I’m walking out, and you should, too.”

Sarah’s grip on me tightened, her panic barely concealed. The blade pressed harder against my skin, but her confidence wavered. “You fucking coward. You owe me!” she spat.

He took a slow step back toward the door, his hands still raised. “I’m not dying for this. I’m going out there. You do what you want, but I’m done.”

I could feel Sarah’s indecision, her body rigid behind me, her breathing uneven. She didn’t move, but I could tell she was torn, her plan unraveling as the helicopter outside drew closer.

Leo stepped out of the warehouse door, leaving it wide open. The sound of the helicopter hit me, the wind whipping through the large space. Through the open doorway, I saw the helicopters that had just landed outside, their lights cutting through the dust and darkness.

Leo dropped to his knees on the gravel, hands raised in surrender, his figure small against the chaos unfolding around him.

And then I saw him.

Callan was the first to retreat from the helicopter, his eyes scanning the scene, his body tense with determination. For a split second, my heart leapt at the sight of him—he was here. He’d come for me. But the sharp edge of the knife pressed harder against my neck, pulling me back into the terrifying reality.

“Don’t think he’s going to save you,” Sarah hissed behind me, her voice shaking with desperation. “One wrong move, and I’ll make sure he watches you bleed.”

Callan’s eyes locked on mine as he moved closer, his face tight with desperation. But the pressure of the blade at my neck grew more intense as Sarah’s grip tightened. Her breath was ragged behind me, her body vibrating with anger.

“Stop right there, Callan,” she spat, dragging me backward, the knife pressing harder against my skin. “You take one more step, and I’ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life.”

Callan froze, his hands raised in surrender. “Sarah, you don’t have to do this. It’s over—just let her go.”

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