Chapter 10: Red Alert

ALISA:The room was damp, lit only by the sickly flicker of a single bulb overhead. The air was heavy with a mix of mildew and gasoline, a suffocating concoction that made it impossible to calm my nerves. My wrists ached, the rough edges of the chair biting into my skin where I'd been tied. The bindings weren't tight enough to cut off circulation, but they were snug enough to remind me that freedom was nowhere near.I'd lost track of time. Was it minutes? Hours? Days?The last thing I remembered was Lucas, his smug grin and the low murmur of his voice taunting me."Zane won't get here in time," he'd said, chuckling.His men dragged me out of the club before I could even scream. Now, I was left with nothing but my spiraling thoughts and the faint sounds of muffled voices beyond the heavy door. My heart raced every time I heard footsteps pass by, hoping—and dreading—that someone would come in. I was trapped in a nightmare.And yet, all I could think about was Zane.Zane, with his possessiveness and rudeness, the asshole behavior that got on my fucking nerves. The man who had, over the last few weeks, made me question everything I thought I wanted in life. He was controlling, being an ass about that too, with a temper I had never seen in my life. But beneath all the rage and paranoia, there was something else—something raw, something real.I hated myself for wanting him. I can blame the hormones, sure. The bad boy vibe, sculpted body, piercing eyes, the voice hard and deep can make you want to masturbate while he's talking.But as I sat there, trembling and terrified, I knew one thing for sure: he was the only person I wanted to see right now. And now I realize what the fucker meant when he said there are much bigger monsters than him around.A sudden crash outside the door snapped me out of my thoughts. My heart leaped into my throat as shouting erupted, the sound of something heavy hitting the ground followed by a deafening gunshot.Oh, God.I froze, my breath coming in quick, shallow bursts. The voices grew louder, angry, desperate. Another thud. Then silence. The silence was worse. My pulse pounded in my ears as I stared at the door, willing it to stay closed, willing it to open—anything but this unbearable waiting. My eyes darted around the room, searching for something, anything I could use as a weapon if I needed to defend myself. My fingers clawed at the ropes, but they wouldn't budge. The handle turned. The door swung open, and there he was. Zane stood in the doorway, bloodied and wild, his chest heaving as if he'd just run a marathon. His black shirt was torn, clinging to his skin in places where sweat and blood had mixed.His knuckles were raw, and his face... God, his face. His piercing blue eyes burned like fire, his jaw set in that way that always made him look half a second away from losing control. For a moment, neither of us moved. I could feel the tears stinging my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.Then he spoke. "Damn it, Alisa," he growled, stepping into the room and slamming the door shut behind him. "What the hell were you thinking?" The anger in his voice made me flinch, but it wasn't the kind of anger that scared me. It was the kind that held something deeper—something I couldn't name."I—I didn't—" I stammered, but he cut me off. "No, you didn't think. I told you to stay close to me! But no, you had to be stubborn and prove to me time and time again, had to do whatever the hell you wanted!" He stalked toward me, his hands clenched into fists at his sides."Do you have any idea what could've happened to you?" I wanted to yell at him, to tell him it wasn't my fault, that I hadn't asked to be kidnapped. But the words wouldn't come. Instead, I said the only thing I could."You came." He stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing. "Of course, I came." His voice was quieter now, but no less intense. He dropped to his knees in front of me, his fingers working quickly to untie the ropes that bound my wrists. His touch was rough and impatient, but it made my heart ache in a way I didn't understand."I told you, Alisa," he muttered, not looking at me. "You're mine. Nobody takes what's mine." Before I could respond, the door rattled again. Zane's head snapped up, his entire body tensing like a predator ready to jump. He reached behind him, pulling a knife from his waistband."Stay close to me," he said, his voice low and deadly and oh boy this time I did listen. The door burst open, and chaos erupted once more. Lucas' men charged in, but Zane moved faster than I thought possible. The first man didn't even have a chance to raise his weapon before Zane was on him, slamming him into the wall with a force that made my stomach churn.The second lunged at Zane with a knife, but Zane twisted out of the way, driving his blade into the man's side. I couldn't look away, even as fear and nausea threatened to overwhelm me. Zane was ruthless, efficient, and terrifyingly good at what he did.What the hell is this man doing for a living? No Mafia leader who acts like this!When it was over, the room was silent again, except for the sound of Zane's ragged breathing. He turned to me, his face hard but his eyes softening just slightly. "We need to go," he said, holding out his hand. I hesitated for only a moment before taking it. His grip was strong, grounding me in a way I didn't expect. As he led me out of the room, through the chaos he'd left in his wake, I realized something that shook me to my core. I wasn't afraid of him. I was afraid of what I felt for him.Fuck!But the nightmare was far from over yet. I heard a gunshot, loud and ear-piercing sound. One moment I was staring at Zane's eyes while he was holding me steady since my legs were so weak from all the bonding. And in another, his eyes looked at mine dilating a flash of shock went over his face. A small drip of blood went down his lips as his body stiffened around me, still holding me I felt him lose his ground and his body slumped. His weight dragged me down with him, and as pure shock danced on my face I raised my head toward the direction of the gunshot and then saw him.The only real monster in this room. Lucas was standing on the railing, a smug grin on his face, and his gun still pointed at us, the barrel of it still smoking from the shot he fired. I didn't know what to do, I thought I was next but Lucas turned on his heel and disappeared through the entrance. I looked at Zane, he was in my lap a wound on his stomach and my shaky hand damped in his blood.Collecting myself I knew I had to do something. The bastard destroyed my phone and I didn't know who to call. I was too scared to scream for help because I didn't know if the help or someone else would come. Acting quickly, I toured a part of my dress and unbuckled his belt. Pressing the fabric on his wound I tried lifting him just a bit so I could push the belt under him and over his body so I could put a tight pressure on it.But fuck, this mountain of a man was so damn heavy!After what felt like hours I finally managed to do it, tightening the belt as hard as I could around him until I saw the blood stop uzing back up."No, you don't get to die on me after everything you put me through asshole!"My voice was low and hoarse, and I was thirsty and hungry but If he could come all the way here to save me I have to pay him back.I owe him a slap, a good one at that!I managed to slip out of his body weight. My legs were shaky and my knees were scratched and bruised but I had to keep going. The cold night air hit me like a slap as I reached the exit door. My legs were weak, every step a struggle, but then I heard it—the sharp wail of sirens cutting through the silence. My heart skipped a beat, my pulse quickening. And then, over the sirens, the unmistakable thrum of a helicopter engine. I froze for a split second, realization dawning in my mind like fireworks. Sirens. Helicopter. This wasn't some rescue mission Zane had orchestrated with his usual thugs. This was— I felt a strange bubble of excitement swell in my chest, a twisted, irrational thrill like a little girl getting exactly what she wanted.My pace quickened, my pulse hammering as I pushed forward. I threw the door open. The scene outside was like a movie. A swarm of officers in black suits filled the docs, their faces grim and focused under the harsh glow of the helicopter's spotlight. The sound of radios crackled through the air, punctuated by the occasional bark of an order.My heart leaped in my chest as a woman in tactical gear sprinted toward me. She was tall and imposing, her dark hair pulled into a tight ponytail, but her expression softened as she reached me."It's okay, we've got you," she said, her voice steady but urgent. Before I could process her words, her arms wrapped around my waist, steadying me as my legs threatened to give out. I barely registered the warmth of her grip or the faint scent of her jacket. My ears rang with a single phrase that seemed to echo everywhere around me."Agent down! Agent down!" My gaze snapped to Zane. They surrounded him now, several agents crowding him, their movements hurried but precise. He wasn't resisting, but there was blood on his side, more than I'd realized before. What? No. This didn't make sense. Zane wasn't supposed to be the one they were worried about.Zane was the enemy here, wasn't he? I looked around, desperate for answers. But the scene only grew more chaotic. An agent called for a medic, and another one shouted coordinates into a radio. My mind raced as I tried to piece it together, but nothing fit. Zane. The mafia boss. The criminal. The possessive, manipulative, controlling man who had just fought through hell to save me. He wasn't fighting them now. He was letting them help him.No, no, no.The pieces slammed together, a puzzle I didn't want to solve. The way he always seemed to know more than he should. The paranoia, the need for control. The anger when I stepped out of line—not because I'd disobeyed him, but because I'd put myself in danger. Zane wasn't just a mafia boss. He was something else. The realization hit me like a physical blow. My knees buckled, and the female agent tightened her grip, her voice distant and muffled as she called for someone to bring water. I tried to speak, to ask her what the hell was happening, but my throat was dry, my voice nonexistent. My vision blurred, and the last thing I saw before the darkness took me was Zane, looking over at me, his eyes locking with mine for a fleeting moment. There was something in his gaze.Not regret.Not guilt.Something closer to relief.Then everything went black.