Page 36 of Ruthless Kings of Obsession

"We agreed never to talk about Vancouver."

More explosions echo from somewhere in the warehouse, reminding us of our precarious situation.

"What's the plan?" I ask, wiping Knifey clean on a dead agent's shirt.

"Run and talk?" Ren suggests, already moving toward the east corridor. "We've got maybe ten minutes before their backup arrives."

I grab his arm, pulling him the opposite direction. "This way. It's my warehouse, remember?"

"Ah yes, purchased six months ago through a shell company registered in the Cayman Islands." His smirk is infuriating. "The blueprints were quite detailed, by the way. Especially the modifications you made to the electrical system."

I stop short, staring at him. "How did you?—"

"Please." He gestures for me to lead the way, still wearing that irritating smile. "I've been tracking you since you resurfaced at Leighton. The warehouse purchase wasn't exactly subtle... if you knew what to look for."

We start running again, our footsteps echoing off concrete walls. "I don't like this smart-ass version of you," I mutter. "I preferred the mindless playboy act."

His laugh is rich and mocking. "Sorry, Moonflower. Since you're apparently taken, you don't get to enjoy that side of me anymore."

"Thank God for small mercies."

We round another corner, and I can hear more footsteps in the distance. Ren grabs my hand, pulling me into an alcove. The contact sends electricity through my arm, memories of other times he's grabbed me like this threatening to surface.

"Three teams converging," he whispers, his breath hot against my ear. "Two from the north, one from the east. All heavily armed."

"How many?"

"At least fifteen. Maybe more."

I close my eyes, mentally reviewing the warehouse layout. "There's a maintenance tunnel two corridors over. Leads to the old subway system."

"Already mapped out your escape routes?" His tone is appreciative. "Always did love that tactical mind of yours."

"Shut up and run."

We move in perfect sync, muscle memory from our past making it easy to anticipate each other's movements. The sound of pursuit grows louder, but I know these halls better than they ever will.

*Hold on, Zander,* I think as we race toward safety. *I'm not done yet. Not by a long shot.*

A Queen That Lost Her King

~GEMINI~

They come at us in waves through the dimly lit corridor, each group more desperate than the last. Five agents block our path to the final exit, their tactical gear marking them as elite operatives. Their weapons are raised, stances perfect – but they don't understand what they're facing. A Queen with nothing left to lose and her dangerous ex-lover who reads her movements like they're still dancing through that midnight forest.

The emergency lights cast everything in harsh shadows, making the agents' movements seem almost ghostly. My heart pounds with a familiar rhythm – the dance of death I've perfected over years of training. Beside me, Ren's presence is both comforting and unsettling, a reminder of simpler times when violence was just foreplay.

"Three on the left," Ren murmurs, his shoulder brushing mine. The contact sends unwanted electricity through my body, muscle memory responding to his proximity.

"Two on the right," I confirm, letting Knifey dance between my fingers. The blade catches the light, eager for blood. "Lead or follow?"

His smile is all predator. "Ladies first."

We move like we never stopped fighting together, our bodies remembering a harmony forged in danger and desire. I drop and roll as Ren fires over my head, his shot taking the first agent through the throat. The spray of arterial blood paints the wall as I come up under the second agent's guard.

Knifey finds the femoral artery with practiced ease, the hot splash of blood on my hands almost comforting in its familiarity. The agent's eyes go wide with shock – they always forget that the pretty ones can be the deadliest.

Ren grapples with two more, his movements fluid and precise. He's gotten better since our days together, his technique refined into something beautiful and lethal. The crack of bones echoes through the corridor as he throws one agent into the wall with devastating force.

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