The Billionaire’s Secret Guardian

Chapter Six: Escape into the Night

The night air was thick with tension, the only sound the echo of their rapid footsteps against the cracked pavement. Damian’s muscles screamed in protest, but he ignored the pain. There was no time to think, no time to ask questions—only time to run.

Gunfire erupted behind them again, the sharp cracks splitting through the quiet alleyway. A bullet whizzed past his ear, embedding itself in the brick wall just inches away.

"Move, move, move!" Caleb barked, his gun drawn as he covered their escape.

Elena didn’t hesitate, darting ahead with a speed that told Damian this wasn’t the first time she had run for her life. She weaved through the narrow passageways with an efficiency that suggested she had memorized every back alley in the city.

Damian pushed forward, keeping up despite the burning ache in his ribs. He had spent weeks recovering in a hospital bed, but adrenaline was a powerful thing.

"Who the hell are these people?" Charles shouted, breathless as he ran beside him.

Elena didn’t slow down. "Not your concern."

"Like hell it isn’t!" Damian snapped.

Another bullet struck the ground near their feet, sending dust and debris flying. Damian grabbed Elena’s arm and yanked her behind a rusted dumpster, shielding her as another round of shots rang out.

"Dammit," Caleb muttered, ducking beside them. He peeked out from behind the metal and cursed. "They’re still coming."

Elena scanned the alley. Her eyes flickered toward a fire escape just a few feet ahead. Without a word, she bolted for it, gripping the ladder and hauling herself up in seconds.

"Go!" she hissed.

Damian didn’t argue. He followed, wincing as pain flared in his side. Charles and Caleb were right behind him.

By the time they reached the rooftop, the gunfire had stopped, but that didn’t mean they were safe.

It only meant their enemies were hunting them in silence.

The Pursuit

Damian crouched low, his breath coming in slow, measured exhales. His heart was pounding, but he forced himself to stay focused.

Elena moved swiftly, scanning the streets below from their rooftop vantage point. Her eyes were sharp, calculating. She had been expecting this—prepared for it.

Damian hated that.

Hated that she had spent all this time alone, looking over her shoulder, waiting for the inevitable.

"We should keep moving," she said, her voice quiet but firm.

Damian didn’t budge. "Not until you tell me who the hell we’re running from."

Elena’s jaw clenched. "You wouldn’t believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

She exhaled slowly, her gaze flickering to Caleb and Charles. Then, she turned back to Damian.

"You need to trust me."

Damian let out a sharp laugh, shaking his head. "Trust you? The woman who disappeared on me? The woman who left me for dead and suddenly comes back like a ghost from my past?"

Elena’s expression didn’t change, but something flickered in her eyes. "I didn’t leave you, Damian."

"Then where the hell were you?" he demanded.

She didn’t answer. Instead, she turned away, her focus shifting back to the streets below.

Damian took a slow breath, forcing himself to rein in his frustration.

"How do you know they were watching you?" Caleb asked, breaking the silence.

Elena’s shoulders tensed. "Because I’ve spent the last two years making sure they couldn’t."

Damian narrowed his eyes. "And yet, here they are."

She turned back to face him, her expression unreadable. "Because I made a mistake."

Damian clenched his jaw. He had so many questions. But now wasn’t the time.

Instead, he followed Elena’s lead as she took off again, leaping across the rooftops with the precision of someone who had done this before.

And he hated that even more.

A Safehouse and a Secret

After nearly an hour of navigating the city’s back streets and side alleys, they finally stopped outside an abandoned auto shop on the outskirts of town.

Elena pulled out a key, quickly unlocking the back door and slipping inside.

Damian followed, glancing around as they entered a dimly lit space cluttered with old car parts and rusted machinery. It smelled of oil and dust, but it was safe—for now.

Charles and Caleb shut the door behind them, securing the locks.

Elena didn’t waste time. She moved to a worn-out desk in the corner and pulled open a drawer, retrieving a small duffel bag.

Damian crossed his arms, his patience wearing dangerously thin.

"Enough games," he said, his voice sharp. "Start talking."

Elena stilled. Then, slowly, she turned to face him.

"You won’t like the truth."

"Try me," he said again.

She hesitated, glancing toward Caleb and Charles.

Damian caught the look and gestured toward the door. "Give us a minute."

Caleb frowned. "You sure?"

"I’m sure."

With some reluctance, Caleb and Charles stepped out, leaving the two of them alone.

The silence stretched between them for a long moment.

Finally, Elena sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I wasn’t supposed to be there that night."

Damian’s expression hardened. "But you were."

She nodded. "And I saw everything."

Something about the way she said it made the hairs on his arms stand on end.

He stepped closer, his voice quieter now. "What did you see, Elena?"

She swallowed, her eyes dark with something he couldn’t quite place.

"The accident… it wasn’t an accident, Damian."

His breath caught.

Elena met his gaze, her voice firm.

"Someone tried to kill you."

The words hung in the air, suffocating.

Damian clenched his fists, his mind racing.

All this time, he had believed the crash was just a freak accident. A stroke of bad luck.

But now…

Now, everything had changed.

"Who?" he asked, his voice deadly calm.

Elena hesitated. "I don’t know."

Damian took another step toward her. "But you have an idea."

She didn’t answer.

And that silence told him everything.

Someone had tried to kill him.

And Elena had been running ever since.

He exhaled slowly, his mind shifting into focus.

"Then let’s find them."

Elena looked at him, surprised. "What?"

Damian’s expression was unreadable. "I don’t run, Elena. I don’t hide. If someone tried to kill me, I want to know who. And I want to end this."

She studied him for a long moment, something shifting in her gaze.

Then, finally—she nodded.

"Then we start now."

And just like that, the hunt began.