Page 38 of Sanctuary

The trees began to thin, and ahead, I could make out a small clearing with what looked like a fallen oak tree, its massive trunk stretching across the ground like a natural barricade.

I hunkered down behind it, sucking in a lungful of breath, and that’s when I heard it. A twig snapped directly behind me.

I let out a muffled cry as his hands tangled deep into my hair, yanking my head back with savage force. My scalp burned with fiery pain as I was dragged upward, my back pressed against a solid chest.

“Did you really think you could get away from me?” Craven’s voice hissed in my ear, his breath hot and fetid against my skin. “After all our time together?”

I clawed at his hand, desperately trying to free myself. “Where’s Connor?” I demanded, my voice breaking with fear and exhaustion.

Craven’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “Your husband? He’s dead. Such a shame—you were only married for what, a day? He didn’t even get to fuck his wife, but I’ll do it for him.”

Something inside me snapped.

I twisted around, my hair ripping out as I did. “You took me on our wedding day!” With a scream born of desperation and fury, I reached down and crushed his balls in the palm of my hand. “We are married six days you fucker!”

He let out a primal howl of agony as he crumpled to his knees. That’s when I brought my knee up and caught him on the chin. He flew onto his back, clutching his balls. It granted me enough time to bolt towards an embankment. My heart pounded in my chest, and I silently prayed it would lead to a road.

As I frantically clawed my way uphill, the glimmer of headlights began to dance through the trees, confirming my hope. Exhaustion weighed heavily on me, yet I summoned the last of my strength, inhaling deeply before sprinting across the road. The headlights grew larger, cutting through the darkness like beacons barrelling down on me.

I didn’t dare attempt to flag them down. The woods were so isolated that I couldn’t dismiss the possibility that whoever was driving might be pursuing me. Just as I reached the other side, the night was pierced by a loud thud, followed by the ear-piercing screech of tires.

Turning back, I was met with the sight of Craven sprawled across the windshield, groaning in pain with blood smeared across his body. What happened next was so surreal I couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. The driver of the pickup truck, unfazed, flicked on the windshield wipers, as if they were attempting to dislodge him. When that failed, the truck door swung open, and the driver stepped out with a determined stride. Seizing Craven’s leg, he tugged on it until he fell with a heavy thump onto the asphalt.

The driver then turned to me, his expression calm yet chilling.

“Would you like to finish him off, or shall I?” he asked.

Chapter 19

Mia

I stood there, stunned into silence, unable to process what I was hearing.

It was Connor’s voice.

He stepped into the headlight beam, and that’s when I saw the dried blood caked along his temple and the determined set of his jaw. His eyes, those piercing blue eyes I’d come to know so well, were fixed on me with an intensity that made my heart race.

“Connor?” I whispered. Was this real, or some cruel hallucination born from desperation and exhaustion?

“It’s me,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “I’m here, Mia.”

My legs moved before my brain could catch up, carrying me across the distance between us. I crashed into him, my arms wrapping around his solid frame as if he might disappear if I didn’t hold on tight enough. The familiar scent of him—pine, leather, and something unique to him—enveloped me, and I buried my face against his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heartbeat beneath my cheek.

“I thought—” My voice broke, tears streaming unchecked down my face. “He said you were dead.”

His arms tightened around me, one hand coming up to cradle the back of my head. “It’ll take more than this bastard to keep me from you,” he murmured against my hair. “Bulletproof vest. Standard protocol for clan business. The shot to my temple just grazed me— but I’m okay.”

I pulled back just enough to look at his face, my fingers gently tracing the wound at his temple. The bullet had carved a shallow furrow along his skin, missing anything vital by mere centimeters. Blood had dried in his hair, making it stick up at odd angles, but his eyes were clear and focused.

“How did you find me?” I asked, my voice trembling as I tried to wrap my head around the fact that he stood before me.

He rested his arm against the truck door and leaned on it, a wry smile playing at the corners of his lips. “I slipped a tracker in the inside pocket of my jacket before handing it over to you. Just in case things went sideways.”

I furrowed my brows, still puzzled. “I mean here, in the middle of nowhere with no leads. How did you even know where to start looking?”

He shifted his weight, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well, it was a stroke of luck, really. The hotel got some good shots from their security cameras of their faces and a business beside the alley where they parked got the plate of the van. Rory and I paid him a little visit at his home then brought him to the barn at the estate.”

“What happened then?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

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