Chapter 58

• Jake***
• The road stretched out in front of us, an unbroken ribbon of asphalt cutting through the dark. The hum of the tires against the pavement was the only sound between us, the aftermath of the ambush thick in the air like a second skin.
• Nate kept his hands tight on the wheel, eyes locked on the road, his jaw a sharp line of tension. Belle sat beside me in the back, pressing a wad of torn cloth to my ribs, her movements clinical, efficient. The adrenaline still hadn’t let go of my veins, but the pain was creeping back—worse this time, an old wound beneath the fresh one, torn open again. The sharp sting deepened into something raw, something familiar. I clenched my jaw, swallowing the grim realization. This wasn’t just bad. This was personal. He wanted what's mine, and he was willing to go to any lengths to get it, even if it meant destroying me in the process.