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"Be careful," I whisper, the vulnerability of our situation never clearer than this very moment. He responds not with words but with a tender kiss on my lips, a silent vow that lingers when he pulls away.
"I love you," he whispers against my mouth, a warm breath of certainty.
"I love you too," I breathe out, holding onto that sentiment and him until the door closes behind him and Victor, leaving Seraphina and me in whispered echoes and the promise of safety until dawn.
Seraphina and I make ourselves comfortable, sinking into the plush cushions as the room fills with explosive sound effects from the action movie blaring on the screen. The smell of popcorn mingled with a myriad of snacks that Victor proudly presented floats around us.
Almost instinctively, we reach for the chocolate-covered almonds, and our eyes are glued to the screen. Something weighs on me, a conversation long overdue. I turn toward Seraphina, pausing to gather my courage.
"Hey, Sera, I—I need to say I'm sorry," I start, my voice barely above the movie's soundtrack. "For that day of the shootout. I know that's why... well, why we haven't really hung out since then."
Surprise flashes in Seraphina's eyes, and her focus shifts from the on-screen chaos. "Isabella, that's not it at all," she says earnestly. "I stayed away because I was scared. The feud between my family and the Blackharts is putting you in more danger just by being around me."
Her words knock the air out of my lungs. Damien never mentioned a feud, and a flare of anger ignites in me, but I quickly suppress it.
"I had no idea," I admit, stunned. "And I'm sorry for all of this mess."
Seraphina shakes her head fiercely. "No, don't be. It's not your fault, and frankly, it has nothing to do with us personally." Then, in a typical Seraphina move, she redirects the conversation. “Forget that for now. How are you doing? Really?" She nudges me with a concerned look.
A small smile creeps onto my face; the next words I’m about to say are both exhilarating and terrifying. "I'm... I'm pregnant, Sera."
The movie becomes a distant murmur as Seraphina processes my news. Then, her shock morphs into joy, and she leaps up, her excitement tangible. "You're going to have a baby? That means I'm going to be an aunt!" She envelopes me in a hug that's almost crushing, but it's the kind of embrace that speaks volumes more than words ever could, filled with love and unwavering support.
Seraphina's questions flow freely, and her eyes are wide with curiosity and amazement. "How far along are you? Have you thought of any names? Oh, and do you know if it's going to be a boy or a girl?"
I laugh, my heart feeling lighter than it has in weeks despite the shadow of danger that clings to the walls of this safe house.
"I'm five months along. No names yet. I mean, we just found out.” I pat my stomach, still in awe. “And for the gender, we want it to be a surprise."
Our conversation fades as we settle back into the movie, the loud explosions once again filling the room. Then, a different kind of explosion shakes the house, not from the speakers but from the world outside. Ominous and real. Plaster dust sifts down from the ceiling, and the movie is forgotten as Seraphina and I lock eyes in fear.
Jacob slams the door open, his face urgent as his eyes scan the room until they land on us. “We need to go. NOW.”
His voice is a command, one that brooks no argument and speaks volumes of the peril just beyond our thin veneer of safety. Panic tightens my chest, but I stand, ready to face whatever comes next.
I clutch Seraphina’s hand tightly as we follow Jacob out of the room. His urgency is infectious, and a thin bead of sweat forms on my forehead. The distant echo of men shouting spirals into an audible discord, and the reality of danger crashes down on me. Gunfire cracks through the air in a staccato rhythm that has my heart racing in sync. Fear spikes through me like electrical currents, shocking my system into acute awareness.
Jacob moves with a lethal grace with his gun raised. His body twists and turns with a dancer’s precision, each movement purposeful and every shot he fires striking with intention. Seraphina and I huddle close behind him, our footsteps a desperate whisper against the floor. We weave through the corridors of the house with the stench of gunpowder burning in my nostrils as a grim reminder of the razor-thin line between life and death.
I can’t take my eyes off Jacob. Each thunderous boom from his gun serves as a fierce proclamation of our determination to survive. His protective instinct manifests in the stern set of his jaw and the unwavering focus in his eyes. Shouts and bodies blur around us, but Jacob’s presence is a constant, a steady force leading us to safety among the violence.
Jacob's shots echo in quick succession. "Keep up!" he barks over his shoulder, eyes alert and scanning for threats.
I grip Seraphina's hand tighter, our pace quickening to match Jacob's. With a swift, almost silent motion, Jacob reaches an assailant, and in one fluid motion, he snaps the man’s neck. The finality of the action sends a shiver through me, but there's no time to dwell on it. We turn sharply down another hallway, then begin our descent on a narrow staircase, with our feet barely whispering against the steps.
We are halfway down when a new sound prickles my ears. Footsteps from above follow us. Jacob doesn't hesitate. He pivots to cover our rear, his gun up and ready.
“Keep going down! I'm right behind you," he insists, his voice laced with an urgency that propels us forward even as fear tightens around my chest like a vice.
Seraphina and I don't look back. We can't afford to. Every step we take is one closer to safety, or so I hope. We reach the bottom, and that's when it happens. A loud thud resounds through the stairwell as something or someone hits Seraphina with brutal force from behind. She crumples to the ground before I can react, unconscious, her body limp and vulnerable.
I freeze for a second, and the bitter taste of dread floods my mouth. My breath hitches as cold metal presses against my head. Through the dim light, I lock eyes with the intruder, his face shrouded by a ski mask, a silent demand in his gaze.
"She only wants you. Don't make a sound, and don't put up a fight,” he hisses.
Panic claws at my insides, a desperate question forming in my mind. Who is she? But my instinct screams that compliance means doom. Adrenaline surges, and with the resolve I didn't know I possessed, I lash out. My foot crashes into his groin. He doubles over with the gun wavering in his hand. Seizing the moment, I deliver a fierce kick to his face, and down he goes, a crumpled heap of consequences on the floor. Breathless, I whirl around.
"Wake up," I plead, shaking Seraphina, my voice breaking. "Please wake up." Her stillness terrifies me. Jacob still hasn't come down the stairs. Desperation coils within me, my mind racing for answers we don't have time to find.
