The villa was quiet that night, the kind of quiet that usually ant safety, but there was sothing strange about it. The silence felt heavy, like the walls themselves were holding their breath.
Inside, ladies girls... Paula, Charlotte, Becky, Temi, and even Katie, were gathered together in the living room. The TV was off, the lights dim, and pillows and blankets were spread across the couches where they had decided to spend the night.
It was supposed to be safer this way. None of them liked the idea of sleeping separately at this crucial ti, especially when Jayden was away. They felt stronger together, even if it ant lying shoulder to shoulder on the carpet...
Temi had actually sponsored the idea.
But safety was an illusion that night.
The first sign of trouble ca with the faint creak of the door. Becky sat up imdiately, her sharp ears catching what the others had missed.
"Did you hear that?" she whispered.
Charlotte frowned, pulling her blanket off. "Yeah... soone’s here."
Paula quickly hushed them, her hand pressing to her lips. The girls listened closely, hearts pounding. Then it ca again... Footsteps. Slow. asured. Too confident to be Cammy’s, Harper’s, or even Jayden’s.
Before any of them could react, the living room door pushed open. Four n walked in, dressed in black, faces shadowed. Their movents were casual, as if they knew exactly what they were doing.
Each carried a weapon... Knives, pistols tucked at their waists, and a look in their eyes that sent cold shivers down the ladies’ spines.
"Well, well," the one in front said with a smirk, his voice smooth and mocking. "Looks like the bird left his little nest unguarded."
Katie’s breath caught, but she stayed quiet, hugging her knees to her chest. Temi shifted closer to her, trying to shield her with her arm, while Paula and Charlotte instinctively moved forward, putting themselves between the strangers and the others.
"What do you want?" Paula asked sharply, her voice trembling but strong enough to draw the n’s attention.
The leader chuckled. "What do we want? Simple. We want him. Jayden." He took a slow step forward, scanning their faces like a wolf circling prey. "So tell us where he is... and maybe you all live to see the sunrise."
At that point, no one answered.
The air was heavy with fear, but also with defiance. Charlotte’s jaw tightened, and she suddenly stood, folding her arms across her chest.
"You’re wasting your ti," she said firmly. "Jayden’s not here. He’s gone after the one who sent you."
That made the leader pause. His eyes narrowed, studying her face carefully. Then a low laugh slipped past his lips. "Ah... so she knows who’s pulling the strings. Interesting."
But the amusent faded as quickly as it ca. He shook his head.
"Nice story, sweetheart, but I don’t buy it."
He stepped closer, his gaze dropping, lingering on Charlotte’s body. The smirk returned, sharper this ti. "Besides, you look like a girl who knows how to keep secrets. Maybe I should... loosen your tongue a little."
Charlotte stiffened as his hand reached out toward her arm, his fingers brushing against her skin. She jerked back imdiately, her glare fierce despite the fear in her chest.
"Don’t you dare touch !"
However, that only made him grin wider. "Oh, feisty. I like that."
The other n chuckled, one of them whistling under his breath. Becky clenched her fists, taking a step forward, but Paula pulled her back before she did anything reckless.
"Leave her alone," Paula snapped. "You ca for Jayden, not us. Keep your filthy hands to yourself."
The leader turned his head slowly, eyes narrowing on her.
"And if I don’t?" He took a step closer to Paula this ti, leaning in until his breath was warm on her cheek. "What will you do about it?"
Temi’s voice cut through the tension. "He’ll co for you. Jayden always cos back. At the perfect ti. And when he does, you won’t make it out alive."
The man straightened and chuckled again, his eyes clearly on doubt.
"Oh, I’m counting on it. But before he does, let’s have so fun."
His n began to spread out, circling the girls like predators. One sat casually on the armrest of the couch, flipping a knife in his hand. Another leaned against the wall, eyes sweeping over them like rchandise.
The leader’s gaze shifted finally to Katie. She hadn’t said a word since they ca in. She sat curled up in the corner, arms wrapped around her knees, eyes wide but silent. The quiet, little ones always drew attention.
"What about you, sweetheart?" he asked, pointing his knife at her. "Why so quiet? Don’t you want to save your aunties? Tell where Jayden is, and maybe I won’t... break that pretty little face of yours."
Katie froze, her lips parting but no words coming out. She had never been good at speaking when fear gripped her, and the fact that she was just a kid made it clear. Now her silence only made him grin darker.
Because sure, he didn’t care if she’s a kid or not.
"Nothing to say? That’s a sha," he murmured, stepping toward her.
"Little or not. One must have to do sothing when death cos knocking," he added.
Temi imdiately moved in front of Katie, blocking his path. "You’re not touching her," she said coldly.
"Oh, but I think I will." The man shoved Charlotte aside roughly, his knife glinting under the dim light as he reached for Katie’s chin.
"Co on, little doll. Don’t be shy. Talk."
Katie flinched back, tears welling in her eyes. His fingers were inches from her, trying to grab hard until when...
Bang!
A gunshot cracked through the building, the sound deafening in the enclosed space. The leader froze, his eyes wide as blood blossod across his shoulder. He staggered back, dropping the knife.
"Arghhhhhh!"
Another shot followed, and one of his n by the wall collapsed instantly.
Jayden stood at the doorway, gun raised, his face hard as stone. Harper was right beside him, rifle already aid at the next assassin. Smoke curled from the barrel of her weapon, her eyes burning with fury.
"You bastards picked the wrong mission," Jayden growled, stepping inside with steady strides.
The assassins scrambled, pulling their weapons, but Jayden was faster. Another shot rang out, and the man flipping the knife crumpled to the floor. Harper fired two more bursts, taking down another before he could even aim.
The leader, clutching his bleeding shoulder, tried to lunge for Katie again, but Jayden was already there. He grabbed the man by the collar, slamd him against the wall, and pressed the barrel of his gun under his jaw.
"You touch her again," Jayden hissed, his voice trembling with rage, "and you won’t live to regret it."
The man spat blood, sneering weakly. "You can’t protect them forever, Jayden... we’ll keep coming..."
At that point, Jayden pulled the trigger without hesitation. The shot echoed, and the man went limp, sliding down the wall.
"Let’s see how you keep coming," Jayden muttered.
Silence followed, broken only by the heavy breathing of everyone in the room. The sll of gunpowder lingered, mixing with the tallic scent of blood.
Jayden lowered his gun slowly, scanning the room to make sure none of the assassins were left standing.
Then he turned to the girls.
Temi was still standing protectively in front of Katie, though her hands were shaking. Paula held Becky close, both of them breathing hard. Charlotte’s eyes were wide, tears running down her cheeks. And Katie... Katie was curled against the wall, trembling, her face pale.
Jayden’s chest tightened at the sight. He dropped his gun and rushed to her side, kneeling down. "Katie... hey, look at . It’s okay. I’m here now."
Her eyes lifted to his, glassy with fear, and her lips trembled. "I... I thought—"
"Don’t," he cut in softly, pulling her into his arms. She collapsed against him, burying her face into his chest as sobs broke free. He held her tightly, his own throat tight. "I won’t let anything happen to you. Not you. Not any of you."
Harper moved around the room, kicking the weapons away from the fallen assassins, making sure none were still alive. She glanced at Jayden, then at the girls, her expression softening. "They’re safe now."
Jayden nodded, but he didn’t let go of Katie. He looked around at all of them, his voice steady but heavy with promise.
"I swear on my life," he said firmly, his gaze eting each of theirs in turn, "no one will ever hurt you again. Not while I’m still breathing."
The girls stayed quiet, but the weight of his words settled over them. For the first ti that night, despite the fear and the chaos, they felt sothing stronger than terror. They felt protected.
And Jayden knew, deep down, that promise wasn’t just words. It was a vow. One he was ready to keep, no matter the cost.
Then... He finally made the good news clear.
"We captured Liam Thompson. And guess what... The successful strike on Western Spring City... It was all Sofia. She went to Icelandia to help them."
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