Her head snapped back.
Everything blurred.
The world tilted.
A high-pitched ringing filled her ears, drowning out everything else. Her body went weak before she could stop it, the fight draining out of her all at once.
No.
No, no, no—
Not now.
She tried to hold on. Tried to focus. Tried to push through it—but her vision was already fading, edges darkening, slipping away from her control.
The last thing she felt was his grip tightening around her—firm, steady, unshaken.
“Stay awake,” his voice cut through the ringing, closer now, rougher. Not panic—but not untouched either. “Stay with me.”
But she couldn’t.
Christina’s face flashed in her mind—lost, scared, alone somewhere behind her.
Then—
Darkness.
Her body went completely still in his arms.
The man didn’t slow down.
He adjusted hishold instantly, securing her head against his chest as he kept moving through the corridor, boots hitting the ground with controlled urgency. The chaos behind him escalated—more gunfire, more shouting—but none of it pulled his focus.
His objective hadn’t changed.
Get her out.
A figure stepped into his path—armed, ready.
It was over in seconds.
Clean. Efficient.
He didn’t break stride.
The exit door burst open, cold night air hitting hard as he stepped outside into controlled movement—vehicles already in position, men executing without hesitation.
“Go!” he ordered sharply.
A door swung open.
He got in without stopping, pulling her fully into his arms as the vehicle took off immediately, tires screeching against pavement.
Only then—only when distance began to build—did he finally look down at her.
Unconscious.
Too still.
