Chapter 10: Nowhere to Hide...

The weight of the metal box in my hands felt heavier than it should. As if it carried not just secrets, but consequences.

Adrian moved fast, his gun raised, his entire body wired for danger. The sound of footsteps downstairs sent a fresh wave of adrenaline through me.

They had found us.

And we had nowhere to run.

Adrian grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from the desk. His voice was low, sharp. "We don't know how many there are. We need a way out."

I swallowed hard, gripping the box tightly. "The back door—"

A loud crash from the living room. The sound of a door being forced open.

Adrian's jaw tightened. "Too late."

The shadows in the hallway flickered as faint light spilled up the stairs. Footsteps ascending.

Multiple.

They weren't just searching.

They knew we were here.

Adrian moved first, stepping toward the doorway and flattening himself against the wall. His gun was steady, his breathing even.

"Everly." His voice was barely a whisper. "When I say go, you run. Get to the car."

I froze. "I'm not leaving you."

"You're not fighting them either," he shot back, his gaze locked on the hallway. "You have what they want. They won't stop until they get it."

I hesitated.

A sharp creak from the stairs.

Adrian's hand shot out, grabbing my arm. "Go!"

I bolted.

The box clutched against my chest, I sprinted toward the hallway, my heart hammering against my ribs. My bare feet barely made a sound on the wooden floor.

I reached the top of the stairs just as a shadow moved below.

A figure in dark clothing.

Gun raised.

I dove.

The bullet whizzed past my ear, splintering the railing.

I tumbled forward, hitting the stairs hard, the box slipping from my grasp. It clattered loudly as it slid down the steps.

Pain shot up my arm, but I couldn't stop.

A second shot rang out.

Then another—this one from Adrian's gun.

A strangled yell from below.

"Everly, move!"

I pushed myself up and grabbed the box just as Adrian barreled down the stairs behind me, his gun still smoking.

The figure on the floor was motionless.

But there was more than one.

Another man burst through the doorway.

Adrian spun, fired.

The man ducked, returning fire.

I felt the heat of the bullet pass by as it shattered a picture frame on the wall.

Adrian grabbed my arm, yanking me toward the front door. "Run, damn it!"

We sprinted outside.

The night air hit me like a slap.

Adrian pulled me toward the car, his grip unyielding. "Keys."

I fumbled into my pocket, hands shaking.

More shouts from the house. More footsteps.

I found the keys, but the moment my fingers closed around them—

A black SUV screeched to a halt at the end of the driveway.

Headlights flared to life.

Adrian swore. "Get in the damn car, Everly!"

I barely had time to react before he shoved me into the passenger seat.

The tires screamed against the pavement as Adrian threw the car into reverse. The SUV lurched forward, blocking the road.

Gunfire erupted.

Glass shattered beside me. I ducked, heart racing.

Adrian gritted his teeth. "Hold on."

He spun the wheel.

The car lurched sideways, squeezing through a narrow gap between the curb and a parked car. The SUV swerved, trying to cut us off, but Adrian floored the gas.

We shot down the street, tires screeching, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

I turned to look back.

The SUV's headlights flashed in the rearview mirror.

They weren't giving up.

"Adrian, they're gaining on us!" I gasped.

His jaw clenched. "I see them."

Another gunshot.

I flinched as a bullet pinged off the trunk.

Adrian swerved, taking a hard right onto a side street. The SUV followed, its tires skidding as it struggled to keep up.

"Get down," Adrian barked.

I barely had time to react before he jerked the wheel again, sending the car into a sharp turn. The SUV tried to follow—

And clipped a parked truck.

The screech of metal on metal was deafening.

For a split second, the SUV spun out.

Adrian didn't waste time. He floored it, taking us further into the maze of backstreets.

I pressed the box against my lap, my breaths shaky.

"Adrian—"

"Not now," he snapped, eyes locked on the road.

But I couldn't wait.

I flipped the lid open, my hands still trembling.

The papers inside rustled. The ledger, the photographs, the flash drive—the truth John had left behind.

I grabbed the first photograph. My breath caught.

It was a picture of John.

Not just John.

He was standing beside a man I didn't recognize.

But I recognized the crest on the folder in his hands.

The same crest from the ledger.

My stomach twisted.

John hadn't just been investigating something dangerous.

He had been involved.

Deeply.

And if these people were willing to kill for this—

Then knowing the truth might be the last mistake I ever made.