For a heartbeat, I thought it was over.
The garden was still, the night echoing only with the sound of our harsh, ragged, heavy breaths. My chest ached, every muscle screaming in protest, but I clung to Tristan, his blood warm against my hands, his body a solid wall anchoring me in place.
"We made it," I whispered, almost to convince myself.
Tristan didn't answer right away. His eyes swept across the estate, sharp and unyielding, like he didn't trust the silence that had fallen.
And then I saw them.
Three pairs of headlights, slicing through the darkness like the eyes of a predator. Engines roared, louder and heavier than before, shaking the ground as more SUVs skidded into view, their doors flying open.
The shadows returned.
But these weren't the reckless kind we'd fought before. Their movements were precise, calculated. Their steps measured, their weapons heavier, and they moved with calm, confident, unhurried military precision.
A cold chill sliced down my spine.
Tristan's jaw clenched. "Second wave," he muttered. His grip on me tightened not from fear, but calculation. He was already deciding how far he'd go to keep me standing.
I shook my head hard, throat dry but steady. His gaze snapped to mine, fire meeting fire. For a moment, he looked like he might argue, but instead, he reached up and brushed his thumb across my cheek, smearing dirt I hadn't realised was there.
His voice dropped, low and rough. "We finish this together."
The first flash of gunfire lit up the night.
We dove behind the shattered fountain, stone chips raining down as bullets shredded what was left of its edge. Tristan leaned out, firing back with ruthless precision. One man fell, then another, but more kept pressing forward, their formation tight, relentless.
I pressed my back against the stone, chest heaving, heart pounding like a war drum. My small gun was nearly empty, useless against rifles and armour, but that didn't stop me. I grabbed another chunk of stone, hurling it at a figure crouched low, knocking the man off balance just long enough for Tristan's shot to finish him.
"Ellie, right flank!" he barked.
I spun, just in time to see two attackers slipping through the hedges. My pulse spiked, but I didn't freeze. I surged forward, slamming my shoulder into the nearest man, and the impact sent him crashing into the wall, his rifle clattering free.
His partner swung toward me, weapon raised and suddenly…
A deafening shot cracked behind me. The second man dropped instantly, his gun falling silent as his body hit the ground.
I stood there, trembling, staring at him. My breaths came in sharp, uneven bursts.
Then Tristan's arm looped around me, pulling me back against him, his body shielding mine even as he aimed at the next threat.
"You're insane," he growled against my ear. "But damn it... You're mine."
m
The fight raged on.
Masked men poured across the grounds, shadows filling every corner of the estate. We fired. We moved. We held our ground. Every second was borrowed time, every breath, a small victory carved out of chaos.
But as the third SUV spilt its men into the storm and the night exploded once more with gunfire, the truth settled like lead in my chest.
This war would never end.
And Tristan and I, we were standing at its very heart