Chapter 312
Rain gritted her teeth, trying to twist out of their grip. She kicked her leg back, aiming for the man’s shin, but it was too slow. The pain in her leg flared up with each movement, and she gasped from the effort.
She knew she had to act fast. She couldn’t fight them off with brute force, not in her condition. But before she could even consider her next move, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway. The guards looked up, their attention momentarily diverted, giving Rain the split second she needed to push forward.
She shoved herself against the guards, using her body weight to break free from their hold.
She staggered a few steps before one of the guards grabbed her by the arm again, but her strength was fading. She fell on the ground and she was just about to give in when a familiar voice rang out, strong and commanding.
“Let her go p>
Before the guards could react, a figure stepped out of the shadows, moving with an imposing presence. The man was tall, his silhouette unmistakable even in the dim light.
Alexander.
He was a blur of movement, his muscles rippling as he swiftly incapacitated the two guards. His first strike was lightning-fast, sending one of the guards crashing to the ground, unconscious.
The second guard barely had time to react before Alexander was on him, disarming him with ease and knocking him out in one fluid motion.
Rain blinked, still lying on the ground, trying to process what had just happened. She’d thought it was over… she’d thought she was done for. But there he was, standing above her, a shield between her and the danger. His gaze met hers, and without another word, he reached down, pulling her gently but firmly to her feet.
“Are you okay?” Alexander asked, his voice low but filled with urgency.
Rain winced as she tested her injured leg, still weak from the attack earlier. “I… I’m fine,” she lied, though it hurt to even stand. Her eyes were locked on him, trying to process the fact that he had come for her.
“You’re not,” he said softly, glancing at her leg. “We need to get you out of here p>
Without hesitation, he lifted her into his arms, cradling her with surprising tenderness as he began to move quickly toward the exit.
Rain instinctively wrapped her arms around him, still shocked by the way he had appeared just when she needed him the most.
“I have her!” Alexander announced, his voice firm as Rain noticed the small earpiece in his ear.
“We’ll leave first. Once we’re out, the team and the police will move in to take down Michael and everyone with him. But right now, my priority is getting you to safety,” he told her while moving swiftly through the dark pathways.
“They’re closing in on us,” Rain warned, glancing back at the flickering lights chasing after them. The sound of gunfire echoed behind them, accompanied by the distant barking of dogs.
Alexander cursed under his breath.
“What’s wrong?” Rain asked, her voice low but laced with urgency.
“Clifford’s taking too long to disable the barrier,” Alexander admitted, his tone sharp with frustration. “It’s the only thing keeping the police and my men from storming the place. I managed to slip in using a guard’s identity that went outside, but the keycard I used was single-entry only. If I make one wrong move, we’ll trip the system and alert Michael’s entire security network p>
Rain’s heart sank at his explanation. “And this barrier?” she asked.
“It’s lethal,” Alexander explained grimly. “It’s an electric perimeter. One touch and it’ll fry anyone to death p>
Rain nodded, understanding the gravity of their situation. Meanwhile, the faint hum of pursuit grew louder.
Alexander’s focus sharpened. “Clifford will pull it off. Until then, we have to stay ahead. The second that barrier’s down, my team and the police will move in and end this p>
Rain tightened her grip around Alexander’s neck, her face pressing against his chest as he maneuvered through the chaos. The sounds of gunfire and shouting echoed around them, but she focused on the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, her only anchor in the storm.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I’m just weighing you down p>
Alexander glanced down at her, his expression soft despite the urgency in his movements.
“You’re not a burden, Rain,” he said firmly, his voice steady and reassuring. “You’re my priority. You always have been p>
Her throat tightened at his words. She hated feeling helpless, especially now when danger was all around them. She should’ve been able to fight alongside him, to protect herself but her injured leg and exhaustion had taken that away.
“I just… I should be fighting with you,” she murmured, her voice filled with frustration and guilt.
“You’ve already fought enough,” Alexander said, his tone carrying a mix of admiration and determination. “You survived this far, Rain. That’s more than enough. Now let me handle the rest p>
Rain’s fingers clutched his shirt as she nodded, though the guilt didn’t entirely dissipate. The warmth of his embrace made her feel safe despite the chaos, and for a fleeting moment, she allowed herself to lean into that safety.
Alexander’s fury simmered as he cradled Rain in his arms, her injuries fueling a protective rage that nearly consumed him. Guilt gnawed at him for not being there sooner. Breaking into Michael’s heavily secured estate had been a gamble, and if not for a stroke of luck, he might not have made it in time.
The opportunity had come when one of Michael’s guards exited the locked compound. Alexander had taken him down silently, swiping the key card he needed to gain entry. Even then, finding Rain in the massive, sprawling property had felt like finding a needle in a haystack.
His heart had nearly stopped when he overheard the guard’s radio crackle with Michael’s voice, issuing orders to find Rain immediately. The manic urgency in Michael’s tone had chilled Alexander to the bone, but it also gave him the information he needed. Listening intently to the guards’ communications, he pieced together her location and sprinted toward her, every second feeling like an eternity.
When he finally found her, pinned down by two of Michael’s men, his heart had thundered with both relief and fury. The sight of her struggling, bruised and exhausted, had unleashed something primal within him. He would make Michael pay, but for now, Rain’s safety comes first.
As they reached what seemed like a dead-end corridor, Alexander’s jaw clenched in frustration. “Clifford, what’s the hold-up?” he barked into the earpiece, his voice low but tense.
“I’m working on it! The system is more complex than we anticipated. Give me another two minutes,” Clifford replied on the other end of the line.
Alexander glanced at Rain, whose breaths were shallow. She was trying to stay calm, but the tension in her eyes was unmistakable. “We’ll make it through this,” he promised, his tone firm, though his eyes darted toward their surroundings for any sign of an escape route.
Then a chilling, familiar voice cut through the tension.
“Well, well. What do we have here p>