The Daughter Extraction

Desperate times calls for Desperate measures

•LUNA•

My stomach churned as I tumbled backward over the roof, a terrified scream escaping me and echoing through the air as I plummeted.

Bracing for the inevitable pain of a hard impact against the ground, I shut my eyes, only to find my back colliding with something unexpectedly soft and slippery.

Heart pounding in my ears, I cautiously opened my eyes, taking in my surroundings with a mix of fear and confusion. I had landed in the back of a truck surrounded by black plastic bags.

Glancing back up at the building, I spotted Alec still perched there, casually leaning against the wall. He wielded his gun, firing at the guys tailing us. I shot him an annoyed look as I scrambled out of the truck.

Seriously, I can't believe he just shoved me off the roof without any warning. What an asshole.

He's supposed to be my protector, but now I'm questioning whether I can feel safe around him after that stunt.

Bystanders stared at me with curiosity as I hopped out of the truck, clearly baffled by the spectacle of me falling from the building. I winced at a crash behind me.

Swiftly turning around, I found Alec in the garbage truck, having made a less-than-graceful landing. He wasted no time pulling me out and leading me away.

Our escape was abruptly halted as someone pointed a gun at Alec's face. My jaw dropped in shock and fear as I recognized the man from the club, the one with Emil who had pushed me into the van.

"Did you miss me?" He asked mockingly at Alec. "The girl. Hand her over."

Alec's grip slightly tightened around my arm and I took a small step back, hiding myself behind him.

"That's not gonna happen," Alec answered with a firm tone.

"Don't make this a lot harder on yourself Mr. Stone. In five minutes, my men will be here and they will rip you apart like dogs fighting over a piece of meat before we take the girl from you. So, cooperate while I'm requesting politely."

Alec suddenly pushed me further behind him and my back hit the front of the truck.

"That's too bad then. I don't take polite requests." In a quick swift movement, he jabbed Juan's gun off his hand and it flew to the other side of the road.

Alec wasted no time, throwing punches, but Juan skillfully defended with some solid blocks. Their wrestling in the middle of the road drew a small crowd, who eagerly watched the action unfold.

My hand instinctively covered my mouth when I saw Juan land a kick to Alec's stomach, following it up with a series of punches to his face.

Despite Alec's strength and height advantage, Juan's smaller stature and quick movements caught him off guard, landing precise blows where Alec least expected.

The crowd multiplied, and I noticed a few cars attempting to navigate through the growing crowd. Anxiety set in as I realized these were Emil's men, the ones Juan had mentioned. Confirming my suspicions, they brandished guns from their car windows, firing warning shots into the air.

Chaos ensued, with screams echoing as people scattered for safety. The gunfire served as a clear signal for everyone to clear out, and the men began forcefully driving through the crowd.

Alec and Juan, bruised but determined, continued their wrestling on the ground. Desperation kicked in as I scanned the surroundings for something to stop Juan. Spotting an old Jeep Wrangler behind the garbage truck, I quickly weighed my options.

I turned back to Alec and Juan, who had managed to get back on their feet, exchanging punches with bruised and bloodied faces.

Alec was losing control, I could tell by the way he was weakly hitting Juan back. I ran towards the Jeep Wrangler and jumped inside. I pulled the sun visor down and just my luck, the keys fell on my lap.

I immediately started the car and grabbed the wheel with both hands, giving myself a moment to catch my breath and rethink what I was about to do.

It doesn't matter if Juan dies...

No, it does matter. His death could be on me and I would be a murderer if he ended up dying. But Juan is already a bad guy and he'll kill us both if I don't do it now.

Shit!

I'm sorry for what I'm about to do but this is a life and death situation where I'll have to leave it up to Daddy and his connections to take care of the consequences for me just once.

I have to save Alec from him

My foot slams the accelerator before I can second-guess myself. The car lurches forward, heading straight for Alec and Juan.

Gripping the wheel, I watch as Alec dodges just in time, leaving Juan in the middle of the road. My heart races as the car speeds up.

Alec locks eyes with me through the windshield. Before he can react, I collide with Juan. He goes flying onto the hood and crashes down by the roadside.

I slam the brakes, the screech echoing my pounding heart. Breathing heavily, I stare straight ahead, slowly turning to see Juan's lifeless body on the side of the road.

The weight of the situation hits me like a ton of bricks. I realize I might've just killed him.

The door slams behind me, and I startle, turning to find Alec in the car, clearly in pain, clutching his bleeding arm.

"Drive," he rasps.

"You're hurt," I say, eyeing the torn sleeve revealing a serious wound.

"Just...fucking drive," he insists, leaning back in his seat.

I grab the wheel, steering us away from the chaos we just caused in that small part of town.

Despite the danger, and with the person supposed to keep me safe now injured, panic sets in. The lingering thought that I might have killed Juan with the car haunts me as we race away, uncertain if we'll make it out of this country alive.