The air thickened around us, dense with tension and the smell of rain-soaked asphalt. Every breath felt heavy, as if the atmosphere itself knew violence was coming.
Jason didn't blink. His arm stayed locked around my waist, his body coiled with the tension of a man moments from snapping. His jaw clenched, muscles twitching like a silent war raged inside him.
The man who had spoken took a deliberate, slow step forward. His partner followed, silent but alert—his sharp eyes scanned the street, then fixed on me like a hawk locking onto prey.
Jason shifted. Just a fraction. But enough to place himself fully between me and the danger. His shield.
"This isn't your fight," Jason said, his voice low, razor-edged.
The man's smirk sliced through the rain. "No," he said. "But she is."
The words landed like a slap.
She?
My body went still. My thoughts scattered.
Jason stiffened. "You touch her, you die."
The man chuckled darkly. "Still so protective. How sweet. But you should've known…" he paused, eyes cold, "there'd be consequences."
In a blur, Jason moved. Lightning-fast. One second, I was wrapped in his arms, the next he was across the pavement, slamming the man against the hood of the car.
"Speak again," Jason hissed, his voice like fire through clenched teeth, "and I'll break your jaw."
The other man reached for something—his jacket shifted and I saw the glint.
A weapon.
My breath caught. "Jason—!"
He whirled, grabbed me, and shoved me behind the open car door. His eyes—desperate and furious—met mine for a split second. "Stay down!"
Then chaos erupted.
A metallic flash under the streetlight. A lunge. A bang.
The sound tore through the night like thunder. My ears rang. My heart dropped.
Someone had fired.
I couldn't see. The world became a smear of light and movement. My pulse screamed in my throat.
"Jason!"
No answer.
My knees hit the pavement as I pushed forward, scrambling toward the street.
Then I saw him.
Standing.
Breathing hard.
His shirt soaked in blood—not his.
He turned to me slowly, eyes blazing, voice harsh. "Go inside, Janica. Now."
"I'm not leaving you—"
"I SAID GO!"
The way he said it—like a command, like a curse—made me freeze.
The man I'd known… was gone.
In his place stood someone colder. Harder. Deadlier.
But before I could obey, before I could run—
The second man rose from behind the car.
He wasn't down. He wasn't done.
His arm lifted. His hand held steel. The barrel aimed straight at me.
No time to duck. No time to scream.
I saw his finger tighten.
Bang.
And then—
Darkness.