Eye for an Eye

Chapter 21: Time to say goodbye.

I opened my eyes to see Jace standing before me, a gun in his hand, and the man who had been moments away from ending my life now bleeding out on the floor. Gunshots still echoed around us, but most of West's men were already lying lifeless, while my own team stood strong, only a few nursing minor bruises.

Jace bent down, his hand extending toward me, offering a small, reassuring smile. His face had a clean cut beneath his left eye, which, in the sunlight, made his green eyes look even more piercing.

Without a second thought, I placed my hand in his. The instant our skin touched, I felt a spark race up my arm as he pulled me to my feet effortlessly, as if I weighed nothing. My other hand instinctively pressed against his chest, and I could feel the frantic rhythm of his heart beating beneath his shirt.

He stared at me for a few seconds, his expression softening before he shook his head and tightened his grip on my hand.

"We need to get out of here before the others arrive," he said urgently, pulling me toward the door.

I glanced up at him, still trying to process everything that had just happened. "How do you know about the others?"

Jace flashed a smirk, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "You weren't the only one who noticed Rose typing away on her phone, Carter."

I raised an eyebrow, a playful smile creeping onto my lips. "Ah, I thought I was the only one who saw that."

Jace winked. "What can I say, Hermosa? I have the looks and the brains."

I rolled my eyes playfully, and Jace chuckled softly, a sound that eased some of the tension in my chest. He led me behind a thick row of bushes just in time—more black cars pulled up, each one brimming with men, their guns glinting under the streetlights.

And then I saw them.

West and my mother.

The sight hit me like a punch to the gut. My hands clenched into fists, the fury and betrayal bubbling up inside me. My body trembled, not from fear but from the overwhelming anger I felt.

Seeing the man I loved—the father of my child—standing side by side with my mother, who was supposed to protect me, to love me, was gut-wrenching. She had become the very thing I had always feared: someone who wanted me dead. And West? How could he betray me like this?

I couldn't even fathom how a mother could hate her own flesh and blood so much.

Mila was my whole world. I'd sacrifice everything, even my life, before I let anything happen to her.

"Wait," I whispered, panic rising in my throat. "What about the guys? They're going to kill them."

I tried to move, to rush toward them, but Jace's hand tightened on my arm, pulling me back down. His face was just inches from mine, his breath warm on my skin.

"They'll be fine, Carter. Trust me," he whispered, his voice low and steady.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked, my voice trembling with doubt.

Jace's green eyes locked onto mine, a soft intensity there that made me hold my breath. "Do you trust me?"

The question hit harder than I expected. Trust. It was something I had so little of these days, after all the betrayal I'd been through. But Jace was different. I knew why he had done what he did in the past—he had gone behind my back to protect his family, to save them from Ashton's obsession. I understood that now, even if it hurt back then.

I forgave him because, deep down, I knew that if I were in his shoes, if it involved my family, I would have done the same thing without a second thought.