Mxmarl77
A hot shower and a cup of coffee shouldn't feel like a luxury, but when you're running from a man like Kai Rocco, they're everything.
I sat across from Jared, the steam from our mugs rising between us. I had broken the rules. I had accelerated the timeline. I escaped.
"I couldn't stay there, Jared," I told him, the memory of the suffocating hotel suite still fresh. "I felt trapped."
Jared watched me, his gaze unblinking. "Risky. Rocco will be... displeased."
I knew the danger. But being under Kai's roof was a different kind of prison-one that was stripping away my ability to fight back. I needed my own resources. I needed to breathe.
"Your escape proves your resourcefulness," Jared said, a ghost of a smirk touching his lips. "And your stubbornness. Some things never change, Mari."
Hearing that old nickname sent a spark of warmth through me. Jared wasn't just my handler; he was the only person who truly knew the brutal world I lived in. We were a team again. Just like the old times, but with much higher stakes.
We have five months left. Five months to find Kai's weaknesses, his safe houses, and the cracks in his inner circle.
This isn't just about running anymore. It's about taking back my life. With Jared by my side, the real game finally begins