Page 64 of Love Under Siege

My laughter only crescendos. "What’s wrong with you?" I shoot back, my smile wide and wicked, blood trickling down my chin. "You think you can break me?! You’re pathetic!"

"Anya, what the hell are you doing?!" Lana pleads, her eyes glistening with tears.

"You should listen to your friend, Anya," Adam interjects, his eyes glinting with malice.

"Paul already broke me, remember? You can’t break what’s already shattered!" I declare, my laughter echoing off the basement walls.

"Wanna bet!" Adam snarls, lunging at me. I jerk my arms apart, the frayed ropes finally giving way as I evade his kick. He stumbles toward Lana, who swiftly uses her bound legs to trip him, sending him sprawling to the concrete.

"Nice one," I murmur, scrambling to her side as I hastily start untying her ankles. But before I can free her completely, a rough grip seizes me by the waist, hurling me to the floor. Adam’s eyes blaze with rage as he pulls out a gun, aiming it squarely at my chest.

Desperation sharpens my focus. Remembering a move Adam had taught us, I grab his ankle and twist hard, nearly toppling him. "You think you can use my own moves against me? That’s cute," he sneers, seizing my collar and shoving me against the wall. His hands close around my throat, squeezing tighter with every word. "I fucking own you now, bitch!"

Air grows scarce, but Jacob's voice echoes in my mind, guiding me through the panic. *Calm your breathing. Focus.* With a sudden surge of strength, I drive my knee into Adam’s groin. He releases me with a guttural scream, doubling over and dropping the gun.

"Hold tight," I whisper urgently to Lana as I rush to free her wrists from their bindings. Just as I'm about to succeed, a vicious tug yanks my head back by the hair.

"Bastard!" I hiss through gritted teeth, instinctively grabbing Adam's wrist and thumb. I twist sharply while applying pressure to his elbow, managing to wrench myself free.

Finally free, Lana stands beside me, but Adam isn’t done yet. He crouches low and sweeps his leg under mine, knocking me off balance. My head smacks against the wooden post, blood dripping down into my left eye.

In a blur of pain and adrenaline, I see Lana grab a hammer from a nearby toolbox. With all her might, she swings it at Adam’s head. The impact sends him crashing into the post before he slumps to the ground.

"We need to hurry," I gasp, snatching the rope that once held Lana captive.

Adam groans in pain, but Lana doesn’t hesitate—she stomps right between his legs again for good measure. His scream is primal, filled with both rage and agony.

"Lana! Help me!" I call out as we hurriedly bind Adam's hands behind his back, securing them around the post.

Exhausted, we collapse onto the floor beside each other. Lana quickly examines my head wound, using the rag Adam had earlier to wipe away the blood clouding my vision.

"You’re one badass bitch," she chuckles weakly.

I manage a faint smile through the pain. "Right back at you."

Laughter rumbles through the cabin until Adam breaks free from his ropes and lunges at us. I instinctively shield Lana with my body, but he’s too fast and soon has me locked in a vice grip. My heart races as I struggle against him, fear coursing through my veins.

Suddenly, a deafening bang echoes through the cabin, drowning out our struggle. Adam's body slumps backward, a dark crimson stain spreading across his chest where a bullet has pierced him.

A cold voice pierces the silence, sending chills down my spine. "Don't even think about it, motherfucker." I turn to see Lana holding a gun, her fingers trembling around the handle. The smell of gunpowder hangs thick in the air as a heavy silence settles over the cabin.

I watch in horror as Adam collapses to the ground, blood pooling around him. But before I can process what just happened, a searing pain erupts in my side.

Gasping for breath, I stumble backward, my hand instinctively pressing against the wound. Blood seeps through my fingers, staining my clothes and the floor beneath me.

"Anya?" Lana's voice trembles as she realizes the gravity of the situation. Her face drains of color, and her hands shake as she rushes to my side. "Oh no... no, no, no."

My vision starts to blur as I fight to stay conscious. The pain radiates from my side, consuming me.

"Lana," I manage to gasp. "It's... it's okay."

"No, it's not!" she cries, her voice rising in hysteria as tears stream down her face. She kneels beside me and presses her hands against the wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. But it feels like too little, too late.

Darkness begins to creep in at the edges of my vision. The world spins around me, everything fading into a dull numbness.

Just as I cling to consciousness by a thin thread, the door bursts open with a deafening crash, and thunderous footsteps stomp into the cabin.

"Anya!" Jacob's voice shatters the haze, filled with desperation and terror.

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