Not hers.
Her breath hitched. She slowed, then turned her head slightly.
Three men were walking toward her.
Their eyes were locked on her. Messy hair. Dirty clothes. Faces half-hidden in shadow, expressions unreadable—but the intent was clear.
For a split second, Mia couldn’t breathe.
A memory slammed into her—that night. Leaving James’s house. The fear. The hands. The helplessness. The same terrifying look in their eyes.
Her body went cold.
Her heart pounded so violently it made her dizzy, but instinct screamed louder.
Mia turned and walked faster.
Behind her, the footsteps sped up.
Her walk turned into a run.
The bags slammed against her sides as she ran, breath tearing out of her chest. The sound of pursuit grew louder—closer—too close.
Then—
A rough hand grabbed her shoulder and yanked hard.
Mia cried out as her body was thrown backward. She hit the ground with a brutal thud, pain exploding up her spine. The files flew from her hands, the laptop skidded across the road, her bag landing somewhere out of reach.
She gasped, choking on fear.
Before she could scramble away, the men surrounded her. Shadows fell over her trembling form. One of them grinned and reached down.
Mia tried to crawl back, palms scraping against the rough road—but hands clamped onto her shoulders, pinning her in place. Another man leaned in, reaching—
Crack.
The sound was sharp. Sickening.
The man was suddenly ripped backward, his head snapping to the side as a brutal blow landed. His body collapsed to the ground like dead weight.
Mia froze.
Alexander stood there.
His chest rose and fell violently, rage burning in his eyes so fiercely it was almost frightening. He didn’t even look at her.
The second man swung at him.
Alexander met him head-on—his fist slamming into the man’s face with bone-crushing force. The man staggered back with a broken cry.
The remaining two rushed him together.
Alexander bent, grabbed a loose brick from the ground, and without hesitation swung it upward. The impact echoed through the narrow street.
One man dropped instantly.
The other stumbled, then collapsed, groaning.
