Page 98 of Claimed By the Damned

For a fraction of a second, I freeze, my mind struggling to reconcile the violence of the room with the impossible miracle of her being alive. My battle-honed instincts screamthreat assessment, but a deeper, more primal urge overrides everything.She's Safe. She's alive. But God, what did she have to do? What did HE do to her?The sight of her drenched in thatmonster's blood sends a fresh spike of adrenaline through me, colder this time, laced with a terrifying fearfor her, for what this moment, this act, will cost her.

Then I move. Three long, desperate strides close the distance between us. My hands are on her, grabbing her arms, pulling her hard against me, crushing her to my chest. Her smaller frame feels impossibly fragile yet undeniablyrealagainst mine. My mouth crashes down on hers, not a kiss, but a desperate affirmation. Raw, frantic, tasting the metallic tang of Kolya's blood mixed with the salt of tears on her skin, needing to feel her lips against mine, needing the proof of her life.

Fingers dig into her waist, tangle possessively in her hair, grounding myself in her living presence. Violent tremors shake us both, her heart hammering against mine.Real. Safe. Here.My cock gives a hard, involuntary twitch against her stomach, a reaction to the flood of adrenaline and the overwhelming need toownthis moment, to shield her, to keep her.

I finally pull back, just enough to press my forehead hard against hers, dragging in ragged breaths that smell like blood, gunpowder, andher. My eyes scan her face, taking in the blood, the dilated pupils, the shock. “You’re fucking insane,” I growl, the words ripped from my lungs, thick with a potent cocktail of fury, pride, and bone-deep terrorfor her.

My grip tightens, not hard enough to hurt, but refusing to yield an inch. “You should have waited. We were rightthere, Lila. We had a plan. We were coming.” My voice cracks slightly on the last word, the raw fear of what could have happened hitting me fully. “You didn’t have to do it alone. Risk yourself or our child.” My forehead presses harder against hers, needing the contact. “Fuck, I almost lost you.”

"I wasn’t going to risk it, I saw my opportunity and I took it, just like you showed me," Lila whispers, her voice shaky but resolute, clinging to me just as tightly. Her simple certainty gut-punchesme. I exhale harshly, before crushing my mouth to hers again. Harder this time. Fierce. A brand. A vow.

Sounds penetrate the bubble around us, footsteps, yelled commands. The team moves in, securing the room. Bastian’s concise assessment cutting through the chaos, Grim’s brutal efficiency ending residual threats, and Theo, steady presence covering angles. My peripheral vision registers them, acknowledging their presence, but my entire focus remains locked on the woman trembling in my arms.

I don't let go. My hands still grip her waist like I'm physically tethering her to this world, tome. Without a word, needing to get her out, away from the blood and the body, needing to keep her enveloped in my protection, I scoop her up effortlessly into my arms. Her gasp is soft against my neck as I cradle her close, her weight grounding, my grip unyielding, refusing to let her touch the blood-streaked floor again.

Lila

The team gets me out, moving fast. Gunfire echoes behind us, but it doesn’t matter anymore. Ryker’s arms are an unyielding fortress around me, shielding me, carrying me away from the horror.

As we rush through the crumbling estate, the heat of flames licking at the walls, one final explosion rocks the ground beneath us. We barely make it out before the blast tears through the compound, sending shockwaves through the ground.

The inferno roars behind us, fire painting the night sky orange as Kolya’s empire collapses in on itself... The heat sears my skineven from a distance as Ryker shields me completely, his arms tightening around me.

We escape into the relative cool of the night air. Two black SUVs wait, engines rumbling impatiently, doors already open. Ethan gives a quick nod from the passenger seat of the lead vehicle before pulling his door shut. Ryker doesn’t put me down, maneuvering me into the backseat of the second SUV, settling me onto his lap as he slides into the seat, never breaking contact. My head rests against his chest, the heavy thud of his heart a grounding rhythm beneath my ear.

Bastian slides in beside Ryker, his presence solid, commanding. Theo jumps into the front passenger seat beside Grim, who already has his hands gripping the wheel. Grim glances forward at the lead SUV, waits a beat for it to move, then slams his own door shut and punches the accelerator without a word. Tires squeal on asphalt as we fishtail slightly, falling into formation behind the lead vehicle.

For a moment, I'm enveloped, surrounded by solid warmth, shielded on all sides. Wrapped in safety. The SUV eats up the road, speeding into the darkness, leaving roaring flames and distant sirens behind. Relief, heavy and dizzying, starts to wash over me.

A few minutes later, Bastian's voice cuts through the chaos, low and tense. "Something's wrong, we're being followed."

I twist in Ryker's grip, peering over his shoulder. Headlights—three, no, four sets—pierce the darkness behind us, gaining ground. My stomach drops. They don’t look like the police.

"Kolya's people?" I whisper, the words barely audible over the roar of the flames. Then it hits me, a cold dread. "Oh God," I say, my voice trembling as I clutch Ryker’s arm tighter. "In his office… just before… Kolya, he was on an intercom. Shouting in Russian. I didn't understand it, just pure rage. I thought—I assumed he was trying to rally his meninsidethe mansion." Mygaze darts between the pursuing headlights and Bastian's grim face. "Could he have been… settingthisup? An ambush?"

Bastian exchanges a loaded glance with Ryker, his expression hardening. "It's a strong possibility, Lila," he says, his voice low and tense. "And if he did, these aren't just random thugs. He'd send his best to make sure no one walked away." He looks back at the pursuing vehicles. "Someone definitely knew we'd be here and when we'd be leaving."

"We've got company," he says into his comm, voice clipped. "Four vehicles, heavily armed. Ethan, what's our exit strategy?"

"Working on it," Ethan's tense voice crackles through the speakers. "City routes are compromised. They've got roadblocks set up on the main arteries. This isn't random—they were waiting for us."

Theo's knuckles are white around his gun, his body rigid with tension. "Who the fuck knew we'd be here tonight?" he asks, voice raw with barely contained fury.

"Doesn't matter right now," Grim growls, checking his mirrors. "Surviving does."

"Taking the coastal route," Ethan's voice reports over the comms. "It's our only clean exit. Stay tight."

The pursuing vehicles surge forward, gaining ground. A flash of muzzle fire erupts from the lead car, bullets pinging off the armored rear of our vehicle. I flinch, instinctively curling tighter against Ryker's chest.

"Return fire!" Bastian commands, rolling down his window. The night air whips into the cabin as he leans out, his gun steady despite the vehicle's lurching motion. The sharp crack of his shots joins the cacophony of engines and squealing tires.

"We've got a problem," Ethan's voice is suddenly urgent through the speakers. "They're trying to box us in. Two more vehicles approaching from the north—"

The radio cuts to static. Theo curses, frantically adjusting the comm unit.

"Ethan!" Bastian barks.

No response.

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