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PART 4–CHAPTER 179
JESS
Sirens pierced the air, a distant wail growing closer by the second. Red and blue lights flashed through the windows.
I wanted to feel relief, but I still had Bryan inches away from me. Someone had found me. I wasn’t alone anymore.
“Bryan, come out with your hands behind your head!” A booming voice echoed from outside, cutting through the silence.
For a moment, everything in the cabin froze. Bryan’s pacing stopped, his back stiffened, and he turned toward the window, the flashing lights reflecting in his wild eyes. I could see his mind working, trying to process what was happening, and for a brief second, I thought–maybe he’d surrender.
But then his gaze shifted, slowly turning to me. His eyes narrowed, and the rage that flickered across his face sent a cold wave of fear crashing through me. His lips curled into a snarl, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. The gun he held twitched, and I saw the fire of anger blazing in his expression.
“You did this,” he hissed, his voice low and venomous. “Why did you ruin this!?”
“No, Bryan, I didn’t-” I tried to explain, but the words stuck in my throat as panic wrapped around my chest. I could feel the ropes binding my wrists tighten with every movement, but it didn’t matter now. Bryan wasn’t listening.
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PARI 4–CHAPTER 179
Before I could react, he stormed over to me, his footsteps heavy and determined. He didn’t say a word as he circled me, his presence looming over me like a storm ready to break. My heart. pounded against my ribcage as I watched him, unable to move, unable to do anything but wait.
Then, without warning, he grabbed me from behind, locking his arm around my throat in a brutal chokehold.
His grip was tight, iron–like, squeezing the air from my lungs. I gasped, my hands instinctively fighting against the ropes, but it was no use. Bryan’s arm was like a vise, and I couldn’t breathe.
“You think you can get away from me, Jess?” he growled in my ear, his breath hot and ragged. “You think anyone else is going to save you? No. You’re mine. You’ll always be mine.”
I thrashed, kicking out with my legs, struggling with every bit of strength I had left. But it wasn’t enough. His hold tightened, cutting off the last bit of air I had. My chest burned, my lungs. screamed for oxygen, and the world around me started to blur.
Through the haze of panic, I could faintly hear the police. outside. They were shouting something, voices overlapping in a chaotic jumble of sound. “Bryan, let her go! Come out now!” The door rattled as they pounded on it, threatening to break it down.
But Bryan didn’t let go. His grip tightened, and I could feel the darkness creeping in, pulling me under. My vision blurred, the edges going soft and gray, and my limbs felt made of lead. I tried to fight, tried to claw at his arm, but my body wasn’t responding. My muscles were weak and useless, and my strength was slipping away with every second.
The door burst open with a loud crash, and the cabin was
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suddenly filled with voices, commands, and chaos. “Drop the weapon! Let her go!”
I could hear them, but everything was muffled and distant like I was underwater. Bryan was still holding me, his body tense behind me, and I knew this was it, I couldn’t hold on much longer.
The pressure around my throat was unbearable now. My chest burned with the need for air, but none was coming. My vision tunneled, everything going black around the edges, the sounds fading in and out. I could feel myself slipping, the darkness taking over, but I fought to stay awake and hold on just a little longer.
Suddenly, there was a surge of movement–hands grabbing at Bryan, pulling him away from me. The weight of his arm lifted from my throat, but it was too late. My body crumpled forward, collapsing into the chair. I gasped, trying to suck in the air, but it felt like my lungs had forgotten how to work. Everything was spinning, and I struggled to stay conscious.
I heard the officers shouting–something about getting him down, about taking control–but it was all fading, distant. The cold air from the open door washed over me, and I felt myself slipping further into the darkness.
I tried to hold on and keep my eyes open, but my body was shutting down.
The fire in my lungs, the pounding in my head–it was all too much. I couldn’t do it anymore. Everything around me went dark, and the sounds faded into a dull hum.
The last thing I heard was Bryan’s voice, distant but still there,
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filled with anger and desperation. “You’re mine, Jess. You’ll always be mine.”
Then everything went black.
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CHAPTER 18G
