The leader stepped closer, the dim light catching the blade of a pocketknife as he swung it lazily from side to side. Each step he took was deliberate, confident—like a predator certain its prey had nowhere left to run.
"You're trapped in this park with me," he said, gesturing broadly with the knife. "Every exit? Guarded. My men are everywhere."He smiled, satisfied. "Leave the girl, and you walk away without a scratch. Ça va?"
I moved without thinking, raising my arm in front of Kenzie, putting myself squarely between her and the knife.
"And if I don't comply?" I asked.
My eyes swept the park in seconds—six men, maybe seven. Two behind the trees. One near the fountain. The leader in front. No clear escape routes. Wind direction unfavorable. Distance too close.
Impossible, I muttered under my breath.
Kenzie's hand wrapped around my arm. I felt her grip—steady, reassuring. She looked up at me and smiled.
"It's fine," she said softly. "I can handle myself."
That smile.
I knew it too well.
It was the smile of people ready to sacrifice themselves for me.
Not again.
I rolled my shoulders, planting my feet firmly against the cold stone path. Muscles tensed. Breath steady. I clenched my fists until my knuckles burned, drawing my body into a coiled readiness.
They laughed.
The leader tilted his head, amused. "Cute."
He turned slightly. "Nico. Get him."
A brute stepped forward from the shadows, towering and thick-built, a metal baton resting on his shoulder. He cracked his neck from side to side, grinning wide as if savoring the moment.
I could already tell what he was thinking.
Easy prey.
Another broken body to add to the night.
I lowered my stance, eyes locked on him.
Let him come.
Nico moved first.
His stance told me everything before he even swung—feet too wide, weight leaning forward, baton resting high on his shoulder. Power fighter. Overconfident. Slow recovery.
He'll aim for my head.
I shifted just as the baton came down, the air whistling where my skull had been a second earlier. I stepped inside his reach, driving my elbow into his ribs. I felt something crack. His breath left him in a wet gasp.
He stumbled back.
One.
The second man rushed in immediately, swinging wild. No guard. No discipline. His shoulders telegraphed the punch long before it came.
I ducked under it, hooked my foot behind his ankle, and shoved his chest. He hit the ground hard, skull bouncing off the stone path.
Two.
The third hesitated.
That hesitation was his flaw.
I closed the distance before he could decide, pivoted, and drove my knee into his jaw. His eyes rolled back as he collapsed like a cut wire.
Three.
The laughter stopped.
The others circled me now, cautious. Smarter. They moved together, spreading out, forcing my attention to split. My breath quickened—not from fear, but calculation. I could handle one at a time.
Not all of them.
They came at once.
A bat slammed into my side. Pain exploded through my ribs. Another fist clipped my jaw. I staggered, tried to recover—but hands grabbed my arms, locking them behind me. I struggled, twisting, but the numbers crushed me.
Then a boot kicked the back of my leg.
My knee slammed into the ground.
"Enough," the leader snarled.
I looked up.
Kenzie was in his grasp now, his arm locked around her neck, the knife pressed just beneath her chin. One small movement and he could end it.
"Drop it," he hissed at me. "Or I slit her throat."
My chest tightened.
I met Kenzie's eyes.
They didn't hold fear.
They held focus.
In a flash, her hand disappeared into her jacket.
Buzz—CRACK.
The leader screamed as electricity surged through him, his grip loosening instantly. He collapsed, twitching, the knife clattering to the ground.
That was my opening.
I twisted violently, ripping my arms free, and dropped low. My legs swept out in a wide arc, catching the two goons by their ankles. They crashed down hard, swearing as they hit the pavement.
I was already moving.
I grabbed Kenzie's arm and ran.
We bolted through the park, past benches and broken lights, feet pounding against the stone as shouts erupted behind us. We didn't look back. We didn't slow down.
Not until the park disappeared behind us.
We burst out of the park and into the city streets, the sudden glow of neon signs and headlights blinding after the darkness. My lungs burned as we ran, weaving between late-night pedestrians and stalled cars, our footsteps echoing against concrete and glass. Horns blared. Someone shouted after us. We didn't stop.
Not until the noise of the park faded behind us.
We ducked into a narrow side street, pressing our backs against a brick wall slick with grime. I bent forward, hands on my knees, sucking in air like I'd just surfaced from deep water. Kenzie did the same—then suddenly, she laughed.
At first, it was quiet. Then it grew louder, uncontrollable, bright.
I looked up, confused. "You're laughing?"
"Did you see his face?" she said between breaths. "The great leader—shaking on the ground like a faulty appliance."
I couldn't help it. I started laughing too. "You dropped him like a broken switch," I said. "I swear, for a moment I thought his soul left his body."
She wiped a tear from her eye. "And you," she said, pointing at me, grinning. "You looked so serious, all heroic—then boom. Completely helpless."
"Hey," I protested. "I was outnumbered."
She leaned closer, eyes sparkling. "You were like a cornered animal." She tilted her head, pretending to think. "Maybe a kitten. Fierce, but… cute."
I froze. "Did you just call me cute?"
She smiled, unapologetic. "Very."
Before I could respond, the sound of tires screeching cut through the moment.
A black car pulled up sharply beside us, engine purring low and dangerous.
Kenzie stiffened.
In one quick motion, she stepped behind me, gripping the back of my jacket. Her earlier confidence vanished, replaced by something cautious—almost guarded.
The rear window slid down.
The blonde man from the pub stared out, his eyes sharp and unreadable. They locked onto mine, piercing straight through me, as if weighing me—measuring something I hadn't shown anyone else.
"Kenzie," he said calmly.
She exhaled. "You found me."
He stepped out and took her by the hand—not roughly, but firmly—and guided her toward the car. She didn't resist.
As she was ushered inside, she turned back to me, smiling like nothing had happened.
She lifted her hand and waved.
"Goodbye, Marx."
The door closed.
The car pulled away, disappearing into the city lights—leaving me alone on the street, my heart still racing, and the echo of her laughter lingering in the air.