ZANE:
The cargo hold lurched, throwing off my balance for a split second—not that I'd admit it. Fantastic. Just the cherry on top of this nightmare sundae. And then Lucas vanished into the shadows like the overdramatic snake he was, leaving me stuck here with a trembling hand and a gun pointed at my chest.
Her whisper barely registered over the sound of my blood boiling. "You have to trust me."
Trust her? After everything? My jaw locked, words bubbling up that would've cut sharper than any blade, but I bit them back. Barely. Instead, I froze, the weight of the moment pinning me as much as her shaky aim.
"What?" It came out sharper than intended, but I wasn't exactly in the mood to play nice.
"Lucas is watching. If he thinks I've gone soft, he'll kill them all—yourself included."
Her words were a bucket of ice water dumped on the fire inside me. My eyes narrowed, not at her, but at the invisible string Lucas was yanking, puppeteering this whole mess. My fists clenched at my sides, and for one white-hot second, I wanted to break something. Preferably Lucas's face.
But then I caught her expression, a mix of desperation and determination, and something shifted. The anger didn't disappear—oh, no, it was still there, simmering—but it focused. Controlled.
She thought I'd fold, snap, whatever. Instead, I let out a breath, forcing the edges of my rage into something sharper, more dangerous. A tool.
"Then we give him a show," I said, my voice quieter than usual but dripping with intent.
Her eyes widened, and for a heartbeat, she looked at me like I'd grown a second head. "What kind of show?"
A smirk—sharp, dangerous, and just shy of unhinged—tugged at my lips. "The kind where we win."
The ship groaned again, a deep, unsettling sound that crawled up my spine. Time was running out. If Lucas wanted a show, he'd get one, but it wasn't going to end the way he expected.
I took a slow step forward, raising my hands like I was surrendering. "Easy now, Alisa. I know you're upset," I drawled, letting sarcasm drip from every word, "but this? Shooting me? It's not your style. Too messy,and you are still just a little girl."
Her jaw tightened, and her grip on the gun steadied. Good. The more convincing she looked, the less Lucas would suspect.
"Stay back, Zane," she hissed, her voice sharp but wavering just enough to sound real.
I smirked, taking another step. "Or what? You'll actually shoot me? Don't forget who made you wet down there last time, sweetheart."
Her eyes burned with anger—real or fake, I wasn't sure anymore—but she didn't falter. Smart. Lucas would be watching every move, waiting for the slightest hint of weakness.
The ship lurched again, harder this time, throwing both of us off balance. I stumbled to the side, catching myself against a stack of crates. Alisa used the moment to close the gap between us, the gun now inches from my chest.
"Zane," she said, her voice low and trembling, "don't make me do this please."
I leaned in, close enough to feel her breath on my face. My voice dropped to a whisper, sharp and cutting. "Then don't."
The tension between us was electric, the kind that could snap at any second. And then she moved—fast. The gun swung away from my chest, and her free hand shoved me backward with surprising force. I hit the crate hard, the air rushing from my lungs.
Damn,my girl can hit! I have to reward her latter! For a split second, I thought she'd betrayed me for real when I came to earlyer.
Now her voice came, quiet and fierce, just for me. "Go. Now." No hesitation. I lunged to the side, rolling behind a cluster of barrels as the sound of footsteps echoed from the shadows.
Lucas. Of course, the bastard had impeccable timing.
Alisa whipped around, pointing the gun at where I'd just been. "He's gone!" she called out, her voice shaking. "Ran when I hesitated. I told you I can't handle this!" Lucas's slow clap echoed through the hold, smug and infuriating. "And yet, here we are," he said, stepping into the dim light. His grin was as slimy as ever. "You're slipping, Alisa. Maybe I put my faith in the wrong person."
I stayed low, creeping toward the control panel by the wall. If I could lock the cargo hold, I'd trap him long enough for us to take control of the ship.
Alisa let out a shaky laugh, lowering the gun. "Or maybe you underestimated him. You think Zane's stupid enough to fall for your games? He's already planning his next move." Lucas's grin faltered, just for a moment, but it was enough to fuel me. I reached the panel and started keying in the override codes I'd memorized during my last unauthorized tour of the ship.
"Still talking me up, huh?" I called out, loud enough for Lucas to hear. "Careful, Alisa, he might think you actually like me."
Lucas spun toward the sound of my voice, his hand darting for the gun at his hip. "Zane!" I slammed my palm against the final key, and the cargo hold doors groaned shut. The locks engaged with a satisfying clang.
Lucas's expression darkened as he turned back to Alisa. "You've made a mistake." Her smile was razor-sharp. "No, Lucas. You did."
Before he could react, I emerged from the shadows, grabbing a length of cable from the floor and wrapping it around his arms in one fluid motion. He struggled, snarling, but I yanked it tight."Struggle all you want," I said, leaning close enough to see the fury in his eyes.
"I'm not the kind of guy who forgives and forgets. Especialy when you touch something that's mine!"
Lucas laughed, low and venomous. "You think this is over? You're trapped on this ship just like me. There's nowhere to run." I glanced at Alisa, and for the first time, her smile matched mine.
"Who said we were running?"
She moved to the control panel, her fingers flying over the keys. The ship lurched again, but this time it felt deliberate. "Buckle up, Lucas," I said, dragging him toward the nearest support beam to secure him.
"This show's just getting started."