CHAPTER 11

 The Hunter and the Hunted

1Elena sat in the back seat of the getaway car, her mind still replaying the explosion at the warehouse. The fire had been their message, their opening move. Now came the real test—how Gabriel would respond.

Luca, still gripping his bloodstained knife, glanced at her. "You think he got the message?"

She exhaled, pressing her fingers to her temples. "Oh, he got it. The real question is—what's he going to do next?"

The driver, a trusted associate named Rafe, navigated the darkened streets, weaving through alleys to avoid surveillance. "You know this isn't over, right? He'll come for you harder now."

Elena smirked, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm counting on it."

She leaned her head against the window, watching the city blur past. Gabriel had always been the predator. It was time he learned what it felt like to be hunted.

2Gabriel stood in the charred remains of the warehouse, the acrid scent of burnt wood and chemicals still thick in the air. The fire had been contained, but the damage was done. His shipment was destroyed. His business had taken a hit.

And she had left a message.

He ran his fingers over the spray-painted words: Your move.

A slow, dangerous smile curled his lips. He should have been furious. Instead, he felt a surge of something far more exhilarating—anticipation.

Damian stood beside him, arms crossed. "She's pushing you."

Gabriel nodded. "She wants me to react."

"And are you going to?"

He turned, his dark eyes gleaming. "Not in the way she expects."

Damian exhaled sharply. "We tracked her escape route. The car went dark near the south district. It's possible she's hiding somewhere in the industrial zone."

Gabriel nodded slowly. "She won't stay there for long. She's too smart for that. But she also knows I won't stop until I have her."

He turned to his men. "Set up surveillance on all potential safe houses. Lock down the docks, the airstrips—if she tries to leave the city, I want to know. And when she surfaces..."

His smirk darkened. "I'll be waiting."

3Elena paced the small, dimly lit room of their new hideout. The safe house was nothing more than an abandoned loft above a defunct auto shop, but it served its purpose—at least for now.

Luca watched her from his seat on the edge of a desk. "You're thinking too hard."

She shot him a look. "Gabriel's next move could be anything. I need to be prepared."

Luca leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You know him better than anyone. What's his pattern? How does he hunt?"

Elena bit her lip. "He doesn't lash out immediately. He waits, watches, learns his enemy's weaknesses. Then he strikes when they least expect it."

Luca nodded. "So he's not going to storm in guns blazing. He's going to set a trap."

Elena exhaled, dragging a hand through her hair. "Which means we need to be ahead of him. We need to find his weakness before he finds ours."

Rafe, who had been scanning through security feeds on a laptop, suddenly stiffened. "We have a problem."

Elena and Luca rushed to his side. The screen displayed live footage from a nearby street cam.

Black SUVs. Gabriel's men.

And they weren't just scouting.

They were closing in.

4Gabriel stepped out of the SUV, the cool night air brushing against his skin. He had been patient, but patience had its limits.

Elena had played her hand. Now it was time for him to play his.

His men surrounded the building, weapons ready. He could storm in, drag her out, remind her exactly who he was.

But that wasn't what he wanted.

No, he wanted her to see that no matter how far she ran, no matter how clever she was, she would never be beyond his reach.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. A single message, typed and sent.

Come out, Elena. Or I bring the building down around you.

5Elena's phone vibrated in her pocket. She didn't have to look to know who it was from.

Luca glanced at her. "Tell me you're not thinking of actually going out there."

She clenched her jaw. "If we stay, we're trapped. If we run, we lose our advantage."

Rafe swore under his breath. "They've got the exits covered. We're boxed in."

Elena stared at the screen, Gabriel's words burning into her mind.

He wanted her to come to him. He wanted to remind her that he still had control.

But what if she flipped the script?

She inhaled sharply, formulating a plan. "Luca, Rafe, listen carefully. We're not going out the front. We're taking the fight to them."

6Gabriel stood outside, watching, waiting. The seconds dragged, and still, no movement from within.

Then—

Gunfire erupted from the side alley. Two of his men collapsed before they could react. The rest immediately ducked for cover, scanning for the shooters.

Gabriel's pulse quickened. She wasn't running.

She was fighting.

A shadow moved near the fire escape. He caught the briefest glimpse of her—a flicker of dark hair, the flash of a gun. Then another shot rang out, and one of his men hit the ground, groaning in pain.

Gabriel exhaled slowly, a smirk forming. "Clever, amor."

But he wasn't going to let her win this round.

He signaled to Damian. "Cut off their escape. Herd them toward the docks. If she wants a fight, let's give her one on my turf."

7Elena's breath came in quick, measured bursts as she reloaded. The alley was tight, giving them cover, but Gabriel's men were already moving to surround them.

Rafe fired another round, clipping an attacker's shoulder. "We need to get out before they regroup."

Elena's mind raced. Gabriel would have backup waiting. She had to think beyond this battle—she had to control the war.

She turned to Luca. "We let them chase us. We lead them to the docks."

Luca frowned. "That's Gabriel's territory."

Elena's gaze hardened. "Exactly. He'll think he has the advantage."

She pulled a small detonator from her pocket. "But I've already made sure he doesn't."

8The chase was brutal. Gabriel's men pursued them relentlessly, gunfire echoing through the streets. But Elena kept moving, leading them toward the docks—toward the trap she had laid.

By the time they reached the harbor, Gabriel was already there, waiting.

He stood with his men, his dark eyes locked onto her. "You've been busy."

Elena smirked, raising the detonator. "And you've been predictable."

She pressed the button.

Explosions rocked the docks, shattering Gabriel's carefully planned ambush. Fire and debris rained down as chaos erupted around them.

Gabriel barely had time to react before Elena was gone, disappearing into the smoke and shadows.

9As the fire burned behind him, Gabriel let out a slow chuckle. She had outmaneuvered him this time.

But the game wasn't over.

He dusted off his jacket, turning to Damian. "Find out how she did it. Find out who helped her. And then..."

His gaze darkened.

"Bring her back to me."

Because no matter how far Elena ran, no matter how many times she tried to fight him—

She was still his.

And he always took back what was his.