As the blindfold was yanked off, a dimly lit room slowly came into focus. My wrists and ankles were tied to a chair, the rope biting lightly into my skin. Around me, a few unfamiliar boys stood—college students, most likely. But it was the figure leaning against the wall in the shadows that made my pulse spike.
"Where am I?" I asked, voice calm but firm.
The guy in the shadows chuckled and stepped into the light, a wicked smirk curling on his lips. "You're with us now. This... is our place."
I narrowed my eyes. "Why am I here?"
He moved closer, just enough for the overhead light to catch the curve of his jaw and the gleam in his eye. "You don't just walk away after winning first prize at Maxton Meet. Especially not when it was her moment to shine."
I tilted my head. "You're Olivia's boyfriend, aren't you?"
He gave a low, mocking clap. "Wow, quite intelligent. Looks like the quiet girl has her own sharp little edge."
I kept my voice steady. "Let me go. Now."
He walked in circles around me slowly, as if studying prey. "You're not going anywhere just yet, sweetheart. Not until we've had a little… talk." The others laughed, low and sneering.
"I don't know what game you think you're playing," I said, tightening my fists. "But whatever this is—it's not going to end well for you."
"Oh, I'm counting on that," he said with a crooked smile. "Let's just say... I've got a message to deliver. And you, pretty girl, are the envelope."
I sneered at the man standing before me, disgust coiling in my stomach. "What do you want?"
He leaned in, reeking of arrogance. "Simple," he drawled. "You tell the judges that you and your pretty little partner—Danny—cheated. Say Olivia came up with the presentation and the speech. Take the fall. Humiliate yourself."
My eyes widened in shock. "You're insane. We'd never say that. Ever."
His smile twisted into something darker. "Then you'll have to suffer, sweetheart."
He moved behind me, fingers brushing the chain at the back of my gown. My heart pounded. "Don't you dare—" I screamed, twisting in the chair.
The boys around him only laughed, like jackals in the dark, egging him on as his fingers slipped beneath the fabric—
CRACK!
A loud, sickening thud echoed through the room. The guy froze mid-action before his body crumpled to the floor like a ragdoll, knocked out cold.
I looked up in a gasp as chaos erupted.
Danny stood at the doorway, chest heaving, eyes blazing with fury. A heavy iron rod clanged to the floor beside him. His jaw was clenched, his knuckles bloodied. "Touch her again," he growled, "and I swear to God, I'll break more than your pride."
The other guys rushed at him—but they didn't stand a chance.
Danny moved like fire—swift, furious, and unstoppable. One punch, two kicks. A scream. A groan. He elbowed one in the ribs, slammed another against the wall. One tried to grab him from behind, but Danny twisted, throwing him across a table. Another rushed with a broken chair leg, but Danny disarmed him and sent him flying with a brutal uppercut.
I watched, breathless, as he fought like a man possessed.
Within moments, the room was littered with groaning bodies.
He rushed over to me, breathing hard. "Baby…" he whispered, eyes scanning me with panic and rage. He pulled a coat—his own—off his shoulders and draped it over me, tucking it tightly around my body with shaking hands. "I'm here. You're safe now."
I looked up at him, tears in my eyes.
He cupped my cheek gently, his thumb brushing away a tear. "I've got you."
Then he kissed me—soft and fierce all at once—like I was something precious he'd almost lost.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered against my lips.