Shadowed desires- Adrian thorn

Chapter 35: Unleashed Fury

The warehouse trembled, a deep, bone-chilling rumble that sent dust cascading from the steel rafters above. The Serpent's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he pressed the detonator, triggering the explosives he had meticulously planted throughout the structure. A wicked grin spread across his bloodied face, and before Adrian could strike again, the Serpent turned and darted toward the exit.

Adrian's instincts screamed at him to follow, to stop the Serpent before he disappeared into the shadows again, but something else—a single, gut-wrenching scream—froze him in place.

"Adrian!"

Eva's voice, sharp with pain, cut through the cacophony of chaos. His head snapped around just in time to see her fall, clutching her side where blood seeped through her fingers. She had been hit. Time seemed to slow, and everything else—the gunfire, the Serpent's escape, the crumbling warehouse—faded into the background.

All he could see was Eva.

"Eva!" Adrian's voice cracked with raw fury as he raced toward her, his heart pounding in his chest. He slid across the concrete floor to where she lay, his hands already moving to press against the wound, trying to stop the blood flow.

Eva's eyes fluttered open, pain etched across her pale face. "Adrian... I'm... I'm okay..." she whispered, but her voice was weak, the lie all too evident.

A cold rage began to burn in Adrian's chest, igniting something dark and primal within him—something he had always kept hidden, even from himself. He could feel it, the darkness clawing at his mind, pushing at the edges of his control.

No. Not her. Not Eva.

Adrian's breaths came in shallow, furious bursts. His vision blurred, not from fear, but from the all-consuming fury building inside him, and for the first time in years, he allowed it to take over. The mask of calm ruthlessness he had worn for so long shattered, and what emerged was something far more dangerous—an unstoppable force, fueled by pain and vengeance.

His men, still locked in a firefight with Seraphina's forces, hadn't seen him like this before. But as Adrian stood, his entire demeanor changed. Gone was the cold, calculated businessman. In his place was a man who had nothing left to lose.

The enemy soldiers moved forward, firing relentlessly, but Adrian barely noticed the bullets zipping past him. His entire focus was on the man who had caused this—on the Serpent. He had been content to play the game, to outmaneuver his enemies through power and strategy, but now it was time for something else. Something brutal.

Adrian's lips curled into a snarl, his eyes blazing with a ferocity that sent a chill through anyone who met his gaze.

"Get Eva to safety," Adrian growled to Greg, who had rushed to his side.

Greg hesitated, torn between helping Adrian and getting Eva out of the line of fire. But one look at Adrian told him all he needed to know. Adrian was no longer the man he had followed for years—he was something far more dangerous now. Greg grabbed Eva, helping her to her feet despite her protests, and began pulling her toward the exit.

Adrian didn't wait for them to get clear. His entire body was a coiled spring of rage, and he was ready to release it.

Unleashing the Beast

The Serpent was almost at the far exit when he felt it—an unmistakable shift in the air. He stopped, glancing back over his shoulder, and what he saw made his blood run cold.

Adrian was coming for him. Not running, not rushing, but walking with a deadly calm, each step purposeful, filled with the promise of violence. His eyes were like twin storms, darker than anything the Serpent had ever encountered.

"I warned you," Adrian said, his voice low, dangerous. "You shouldn't have touched her."

The Serpent's bravado faltered for the first time as he realized the magnitude of his mistake. This wasn't the calculated adversary he had manipulated and taunted. This was something else entirely—a predator that had just been unleashed.

Without another word, Adrian closed the distance between them. The Serpent pulled a gun, but Adrian moved faster than he had any right to. In an instant, Adrian's hand clamped around the Serpent's wrist, twisting it with such force that the bone snapped. The Serpent cried out, but Adrian didn't give him a moment to react. He slammed the Serpent against the steel wall, pinning him there as the building continued to tremble with the aftershocks of the explosion.

"Did you really think," Adrian growled, his voice filled with a terrifying calm, "that you could hurt her and walk away?"

The Serpent, gasping for breath, tried to smirk, but there was fear in his eyes now. "You... won't... win this," he rasped. "Seraphina—"

Adrian cut him off, slamming his fist into the Serpent's ribs with enough force to knock the air from his lungs. "Seraphina won't save you. No one will."

The Serpent's eyes widened as Adrian's grip tightened around his throat. He could see it now—Adrian's true nature. He had always thought Adrian was just another power-hungry man, ruthless but predictable. But now he realized he had been wrong. Adrian was a force of nature, a storm waiting to be unleashed, and now, the storm was here.

The Serpent struggled, but it was no use. Adrian leaned in, his face inches from the Serpent's, his voice a deadly whisper. "You made the biggest mistake of your life when you hurt her."

And with that, Adrian twisted, snapping the Serpent's neck in one swift, brutal motion. The Serpent's body went limp, sliding to the ground in a crumpled heap.

Adrian stood over him, his chest heaving, but there was no satisfaction in the kill—only cold, relentless fury. The Serpent was dead, but Seraphina was still out there. And now, more than ever, Adrian was determined to find her and end this once and for all.

Aftermath

As the dust settled and the last of the gunfire faded, Adrian turned back toward the warehouse where Greg and Eva had taken cover. His heart pounded in his chest, fear gnawing at him. Eva was hurt, and he hadn't been able to protect her. The thought of losing her twisted like a knife in his gut.

When he reached them, Eva was conscious but weak, her face pale from blood loss. Greg had already bandaged her wound as best he could, but they needed to get her medical attention, and fast.

Adrian knelt beside her, his hand gently cupping her face. "Eva... stay with me," he whispered, his voice softer now, the rage that had consumed him only moments ago fading into something far more fragile. "I'm not losing you. Not now. Not ever."

Eva's eyes fluttered open, and she gave him a weak smile. "You won't... get rid of me that easily," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Adrian leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Good. Because we're going to end this. Together."

As he held her close, his mind was already turning to what lay ahead. Seraphina was still out there, and now, with the Serpent dead, she would be more dangerous than ever. But Adrian didn't care. He would hunt her to the ends of the earth if he had to.

No more games. No more distractions. It was time to bring this war to an end.

And when it was over, nothing—absolutely nothing—would stand between him and Eva again.

Next Move

Back at their safe house, Adrian watched as the doctors worked on Eva, stitching up the wound and stabilizing her condition. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her, even as his mind raced ahead to the next battle. Seraphina would be expecting him now. She knew he was coming, and she would be ready.

But this time, Adrian wasn't just going to win. He was going to destroy everything she had built, and when he was done, she would have no place left to hide.

Seraphina had crossed a line. And now, there was no turning back.

The game was over.

It was time for war.