It’s the perfect place to hide someone you don’t want to escape or be found. And if Charlotte hadn’t led us here, we never, ever would have found Bellamy.
Charlotte’s car is parked nearby, and my heart races with anticipation. “Look at this place,” I breathe out, my fingers tingling and my muscles charged and ready for whatever is coming.
“Bellamy has to still be alive,” Rowan states. “No other reason to return so quickly.”
“Yes,” Javier agrees. “But it also makes her more dangerous to Bellamy that she did so. Stay sharp.” He pulls out his gun, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger.
“Let’s go get her,” Rowan exclaims, anticipation evident in his voice, his movements steady as he pulls out his own gun, and I do the same with mine. I hate that my brother has a gun. I hate that I have one too. I’ve been trained to shoot, but it was never one of my favorite things nor something I ever relished.
Now we’re hunting a woman, and while I’ll show her no mercy for what she’s done to my wife, it doesn’t sit well with me.
As we step out of the car, the air feels heavy, filled with the weight of what’s at stake. The old stone walls of the ruins are cold and uninviting, but I know that somewhere within them, Bellamy is waiting for me. The thought sends fire through my veins. Not from fear, but from an overwhelming need to get to her.
We move quietly, our footsteps barely audible on the cracked, overgrown path leading into the ruins. I swallow hard,trying to keep my nerves at bay, but it’s difficult when every fiber of my being is screaming to rush in and rescue Bellamy.
“Stay behind me, Your Majesty,” Javier instructs, using my title to keep me in line and force me to remember my purpose. It works, but just barely, and I do as he asks, especially when his gun is at the ready. I swallow, gripping my own weapon tightly, my heart hammering in my chest, threatening to burst through at any moment.
I take a deep breath, steadying myself as we continue forward. The closer we get to where I believe Bellamy is being held, the stronger my nerves become, like an electric current coursing through my body.
“Stay low,” Javier warns in a whisper as we step over the threshold of the dilapidated building. It’s larger inside than I anticipated, cool, dank, and dark. I can barely see what’s in front of us, but a noise at the far end of the building has all three of us shifting in that direction.
As we edge closer to it, my mind races with thoughts of what I’ll say to Bellamy when we’re finally reunited. How I’ll hold her in my arms and never let go. But I know there’s no time for sentimentality. Not yet. First, we have to ensure her safety and disarm Charlotte.
My palms grow sweaty on the grip of my gun, and I’m reminded of that night with Samil. I barged into the third floor of the library and found my wife bleeding from her neck. I had no gun that night and foolishly played games with the knife I took from him. I made a lot of mistakes that night. I’ve made even more since, and I’m determined to prove to Bellamy—and myself—that I will always fight for her and our family, no matter the cost.
Creeping through the shadowy corridors of the abandoned ruins, sweat drips down the back of my neck. Each step we take feels weighted with anticipation and dread. The sound we heard before—something similar to a bang—is gone, replacedwith an eerie, suffocating silence as we navigate deeper into the heart of this forsaken place.
“Stop,” Javier whispers urgently, motioning for us to crouch behind a crumbling wall. Peering cautiously around the corner, I spot Charlotte standing in a dim room as she says things we can’t hear to Bellamy. My blood runs cold at the sight.
I stand, ready to charge in when Javier grabs me, holding me back. “Let me handle this,” he murmurs, his eyes never leaving the scene unfolding before us. His voice is firm, resolute.
“Fuck that!” I snarl, fury lacing my words. “She’s my wife?—”
“And I told you after Samil, I wasn’t going to let you do anything stupid again.”
Charlotte raises a gun and points it at Bellamy, and my heart stops. Instinct takes over, and I stand, moving into action before I even know what I’m doing. On my next breath, I fire my gun with deadly precision. The bullet strikes Charlotte’s gun arm at her wrist, causing her to scream in agony. Her gun clatters to the ground as pieces of bone, blood, and tissue spray around it. Javier’s bullet splinters the wall right beside Charlotte a second after mine hits her. If I hadn’t already fired, making her react, it would have hit her right in the head.
Bellamy’s terrified scream pierces the air, echoing throughout the ruins.
But I knew I wasn’t going to miss. I knew I’d hit my target.
“That is not what we talked about,” Javier gripes, but he’ll get over it.
I sprint toward Bellamy, my heart thundering in my chest as I sweep her into my arms. I kick Charlotte’s gun across the floor, way out of her reach, and turn my full focus back to Bellamy. Her body trembles against mine, and I can feel her tears soaking through my shirt. I pull back just enough to examine her, searching for any sign of injury.
“Are you okay? Did she hurt you?” I ask urgently.
“Oh my god! You’re here? You’re really here?”
“Bellamy, are you okay?” I repeat urgently, needing her to tell me now.
Her wide, terrified eyes cling to my face. “I’m fine. Just my hand is a little banged up, but it’s not bad. I can’t believe you’re actually here.”
“I would have ripped this country apart until I found you.”
Bellamy makes a strangled noise in the back of her throat, and I adjust her in my arms, lifting her up until I’m holding her like a bride. Immediately, I move her away from Charlotte, who is on the floor, screaming and clutching her bleeding arm. Javier and Rowan are busy subduing her, her face contorted in pain and fury as she tries to break free from their grip.
“Get off me!” she spits venomously, her eyes darting around at us with murderous intent. But it’s clear she’s no match for any of us, especially not now.
