Dangerous Affection

Just Like The Movies

(QUINN'S POV)

We were both exhausted, though I didn't want to admit it. Lila and I had been running through the dark streets of Rosemoor for what felt like hours, every corner a reminder that danger was creeping closer. The weight of the truth hung between us like a thick fog, neither of us willing to say what needed to be said until it was impossible to ignore any longer.

We found refuge in an old motel on the outskirts of town. The flickering neon sign outside buzzed like a warning, casting long shadows against the cracked pavement. I could feel Lila's eyes on me, her silence heavy, but she didn't ask anything else. She was done with questions, it seemed. And maybe so was I.

We crashed into a rundown room, the air thick with the scent of stale cigarette smoke and the faint hum of a broken air conditioner. Lila slumped into the chair by the window, arms crossed tightly, her gaze drifting out into the dark streets.

"Honestly, Quinn," she began, breaking the silence with a tired laugh. "At this point, we should just tell the police. Haven't we seen enough of those dumb people in horror movies who keep running from the obvious?"

I couldn't help but smile, though it was tight, forced. "I wish it were that simple."

But deep down, I knew she was right. We could walk right up to the police, spill everything, and hope they'd listen. But I wasn't stupid. Clint was too far ahead. He had the connections. Money. Power. If we went to the cops now, we'd only be signing our own death warrants. So in a way, it's just like those horror movies that makes me want to yell at the characters to not make such dumb and predictable decisions.

"They're probably already bribed," I muttered, pacing the room. "Clint's got them wrapped around his finger, and we don't have time to wait for some corrupt system to come crashing down. We need evidence, something that proves he's the one behind all of this. And then..." I trailed off, frustration bubbling to the surface. "We'll take it to someone who can actually do something. Someone higher up."

Lila looked up from the window, her gaze meeting mine for the first time in what felt like forever. "So, what? We're just supposed to go into the hospital, break in, and find some proof that Clint's been using us all as pawns?"

I nodded, feeling the weight of the plan settle in. "Yeah. And we have to be quick about it. The longer we wait, the more time Clint has to erase any evidence. If we want to take him down, we have to be smarter than him. Sneak in, get what we need, and get out before he even knows we were there."

Lila let out a deep breath, looking at the ground as she rubbed her temples. I could tell the idea of going back into the belly of the beast didn't sit well with her, but she was in this now. No turning back.

"Alright," she said finally, determination creeping into her voice. "But we're not doing this like a couple of amateurs. I want a plan. And I want a backup plan for the backup plan."

I nodded. "Deal."

We spent the rest of the night huddled over a cracked map of the hospital, tracing every alleyway and hidden path that might lead us into the underground tunnels. Rosemoor wasn't the smallest town, but Clint had made sure to leave his mark in every corner. The hospital, once a place of healing, had become his dark empire. His malpractices were buried deep, but there were whispers. And those whispers were our only hope.

Lila and I didn't speak much as we worked, but the silence between us wasn't suffocating anymore. It was a shared understanding that we had to keep moving forward, no matter how dangerous it got. Because if we didn't stop Clint now, there would be no stopping him at all.

By the time morning light crept through the blinds, we had a plan. It wasn't perfect, but it was all we had.

"We need to go through the tunnels," I said, looking at Lila. "The hospital's old, built before the town even expanded. The tunnels are hidden, but they lead straight to the basement. That's where Clint's been keeping everything, evidence, his black market deals, everything. We get in, get the proof, and get out before he knows we were even there."

Lila gave me a long look, her expression unreadable. "And if he's waiting for us down there?"

"Then we deal with it. Together," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Whatever happens, we end this."

As we left the motel, heading toward the entrance to the underground tunnels, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were walking straight into a trap. But I had to trust Lila, and I had to trust myself.

And no matter what Clint threw at us, we were going to take him down.

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