Chapter 26
Charlotte
I pace the room, walking back and forth, trying to figure out a way out of this mess.
The silence is heavy, thick enough to choke on, as I pace the lake house’s upstairs room.
Each creak of the old floorboards makes me flinch, certain it’ll draw Wade’s attention again.
I’m hurting everywhere. There’s an ache in my ribs every time I take a breath.
I clutch my makeshift weapon—the thin metal bar, pried from beneath the mattress—tightly in one hand, trying to summon courage I’m not entirely sure I have left.
The lake outside the window glistens under the moonlight, serene and indifferent.
It seems impossible that the peaceful stillness could coexist with the nightmare unfolding inside these walls.
My gaze shifts toward the balcony doors again, locked and useless, mocking me with false hope. No escape there.
A sound breaks the stillness downstairs. I strain to hear muffled voices that sound agitated. My pulse spikes, and my grip tightens on the metal bar. Wade or Mikhail, are probably coming back to finish whatever they’ve started. My heart drums frantically as fear claws at my throat.
I step toward the door, straining to listen, when a loud thud echoes through the house, followed by a loud crash. My stomach drops. Something’s happening downstairs.
Then footsteps thunder on the stairs—fast and deliberate. I brace, weapon raised, prepared to swing at whoever bursts through.
The door handle jiggles sharply, then goes still. I take a shaky breath, heart pounding. They’ve returned. I back away, bar lifted defensively, when the door crashes inward, splintering around the lock.
My breath catches as tears flood my vision in pure relief. "Asher!"
He steps through the doorway, dressed head-to-toe in tactical black gear.
There’s a gun in his hand, his jaw set tight, eyes blazing with fierce determination.
If adrenaline wasn’t coursing through my veins right now, I’d stop to take in the sight of him.
Appreciate how sexy he looks. He sees me, and for one fleeting second, a powerful wave of emotion flickers across his face—relief, anger, protectiveness—all tangled into one.
“Charlotte,” he breathes, voice rough with urgency. “Are you hurt?”
“I…uh, I’m okay.” I lower my improvised weapon. "Better now."
He takes two strides forward, reaching for me, when heavy footsteps come pounding down the hallway. Asher spins around, raising his weapon just as Mikhail barrels through the doorway, charging him like an angry bull.
Asher reacts swiftly, firing a quick shot that grazes Mikhail’s shoulder, knocking him backward but not down.
Mikhail roars, lunging again, arms swinging wildly.
Asher drops the gun and meets Mikhail head-on, deflecting a brutal punch that would’ve shattered bone.
They grapple fiercely, their muscles straining.
“Charlotte, get back!” Asher commands sharply, struggling with the larger man. I stumble backward, pressing myself against the wall, helpless as they collide violently, their struggle crashing through the furniture.
“Stay down!” Asher growls at Mikhail, his voice pure steel as he twists Mikhail’s arm brutally, forcing the enforcer to his knees. He yanks a zip tie from his tactical vest, quickly restraining the big man’s wrists behind his back with ruthless efficiency.
Then Wade appears in the doorway, eyes wild and furious. He holds a knife. And he looks unlike anything I’ve seen before. Desperation fights to take hold in his eyes.
“You ruined everything, Hawke!” Wade snarls, lunging toward Asher.
Asher pivots, barely dodging as Wade swings the blade, narrowly missing his throat. My scream lodges in my chest, paralyzed by the horror unfolding before me.
Asher steadies himself, shifting into a defensive stance, eyes calculating every move. “Drop it, Sinclair,” he says calmly, voice ice-cold despite the danger. “This won’t end well for you.”
Wade circles, knife trembling slightly in his grip. “I have nothing left to lose.”
“You have everything to lose,” Asher counters evenly, watching Wade closely. “You take this further, there's no turning back.”
Wade’s eyes flicker with desperation. “You don’t understand. They’ll kill me if I don’t get the money. They’ll kill all of us!”
“Let me help you,” Asher says firmly. “End this now, before anyone else gets hurt.”
Wade laughs bitterly, lunging forward again. Asher sidesteps smoothly, blocking Wade’s wrist and gripping it hard, twisting viciously until Wade cries out, the knife clattering harmlessly onto the hardwood floor.
Asher shoves Wade roughly against the wall, forearm pressed firmly across his throat. “I said enough.”
“Asher, behind you!” I scream suddenly, seeing Mikhail somehow struggle upright, staggering toward Asher.
Asher spins, releasing Wade just enough to intercept Mikhail, tackling him back to the floor in one fluid movement.
They crash down hard, grappling for dominance.
I spot the fallen pistol lying dangerously close to Wade’s feet, and a surge of adrenaline rushes through me.
I dash forward, grabbing the gun, holding it shakily but determinedly toward Wade, my finger hovering nervously near the trigger.
“Don’t move,” I say, voice trembling but firm. Wade freezes, eyes locked on me in shock and disbelief.
“You don’t know how to use that,” he sneers, eyes flicking to Asher.
“Wanna bet?” I say, steadier now, though my heart thunders wildly. I refuse to back down. “Step away from him. Now.”
Asher finally pins Mikhail fully, knocking him out cold with a ruthless blow. Breathing heavily, he climbs to his feet, gaze flicking immediately toward me. He appears almost proud.
“You’re amazing,” Asher says softly, reaching for the gun in my trembling hands. “Let me.”
Relief floods me, and I hand him the weapon just as Wade moves, bolting desperately for the hallway, shoving past us both.
“Damn it!” Asher curses, racing after him.
I follow, my heart hammering, adrenaline surging as we chase Wade through the darkened hallway and down the stairs. Wade reaches the front door first, throwing it open and sprinting out into the darkness.
Asher stops abruptly at the doorway, hesitating just briefly as if weighing his options. “Charlotte, stay here!”
“Asher, please, let him go,” I plead, my voice tight with fear. “He’s not worth it. The police will find him.”
He hesitates only a second more, then steps back, choosing me over the chase. He secures the door, quickly barricading it.
He turns toward me, breathing heavily, scanning me from head-to-toe, his voice edged with raw emotion. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I nod shakily, stepping toward him. “I am now.”
He holsters the weapon and wraps me tightly in his arms. I cling to him, heart finally calming as I breathe in his familiar scent, grounding myself in the safety of his embrace.
“I’m so sorry, Charlotte,” he whispers, voice thick with remorse. “I should’ve protected you better.”
I pull back slightly, gazing up at him, my voice gentle but firm. “You saved my life, Asher. You’re exactly who I needed you to be.”
His expression softens, a depth of emotion in his eyes that nearly undoes me. He brushes a thumb tenderly along my cheekbone, carefully avoiding the bruises. “I won’t let anything happen to you again.”
Red and blue lights flash through the windows, illuminating the lake house’s interior. Police sirens pierce the night as they approach quickly.
“We should meet them outside,” Asher says, his professional tone returning, though his hand stays firmly clasped around mine.
As we step outside onto the front porch, sheriff deputies swarm toward us, flashlights blazing. Asher quickly identifies himself, giving rapid instructions as paramedics rush forward, checking me carefully, treating the bruises and abrasions on my wrists and face.
As the medics work, Asher’s eyes never leave me.
He’s always so alert and protective. It makes me feel safe.
Protected. He answers questions crisply, professionally, detailing the threat, descriptions, and Wade’s last known direction.
But every few seconds, his gaze flickers back to me, softening with an unspoken reassurance.
Finally, when we’re briefly alone, Asher cups my face gently, leaning his forehead against mine, whispering quietly. “I almost lost you tonight.”
“But you didn’t,” I whisper back fiercely, leaning into his warmth. “You came for me.”
He nods, eyes dark with intensity. “Always.”
He draws back just enough to meet my gaze directly, sincerity radiating from every word. “Charlotte, I don’t just protect you because it’s my job. I protect you because I love you.”
Tears blur my vision, emotions surging wildly through me. “Asher, I love you too. So much.”
His eyes soften, relief washing over his features as he kisses me gently, deeply, banishing every trace of fear and pain.
In this moment, wrapped securely in his arms, I know that whatever comes next, as long as Asher is by my side, I can face it.
We’ve survived tonight, and together, we’ll survive anything.