*****Jace''s POV*****


    Who were these people? How had they known where to find me? It would seem they had been lying in wait for me. This was an ambush, they were not here to steal from me. If they wanted to, they would not have bothered shooting at me this way. Their n was to kill me.


    But who could have sent them? Was it the same people who wanted to kill Erika? But even at that, how had they known exactly where and how to get me? No one would have guessed it right. I had told no one, not even the doctor knew.


    I checked my arm, it was bleeding. The wound was not deep, just the surface. But it was hurting me nheless. I remembered I had a tissue somewhere, I opened one of my small bags at the back of the seat.


    I wiped the surface of the wound with the tissues I had finally found. I had a first aid kit inside one of my bags but there was no time to check which it was in right at that moment. There was no way to move this car. And I could not escape from here with all my bags.


    I was suddenly regretting why I had not remained on the major road, I just had to take a detour. But who would me me? I was trying to avoid being seen. I sighed. That was useless, I was seen already.


    They hade for my life. Maybe they were gone, they probably thought I was dead. But I was too far into this lonely path to just turn back, it was going to be a long walk by foot.


    The windows of my car were half shattered by bullets, I was still at risk. I peeped through the front window, everywhere was lonely. Not a soul walked the path.


    I thought of calling Erika to send one of the guards to bring me another car and possibly, an escort but I thought against the idea. I was not going to let them know.


    My phone rang. I quickly put it on silent before anyone would hear it ring. They might know I was not dead and if they tried to shoot again, they would surely get me this time. The phone stopped ringing, then started secondster again.


    I looked at the caller ID. Erika. I busied it. It rang again. Kat. I could not bring myself to busy hers so I left it to keep buzzing. By the time my phone had finally stopped buzzing, I had like eleven missed calls.


    Four from Erika. Five from Kat. Two from Pa. I did not pick any of them.


    Trying to think of my next n, how to escape this ce, Iid my head against the back of my seat. I closed my eyes.


    They flew open minutester when I began to perceive something. My chest constricted, my throat began to itch me. I started to cough, gas wafted into the car. A choking gas.


    Someone was here. Maybe those people, they were still. Unable to endure it anymore, I unlocked my car door and staggered out.


    A brutal kick had me sprawled on the ground, I shook my head to clear it. I turned to see who was behind the attack, a masked face. They were clothed fully. I staggered to my feet, another kick to my rib had me greeting the ground again.


    It felt as though wind was knocked out of my lungs, I stifled a grunt. I swiftly rolled out of the way when the feet was about to stomp on me. I rolled a bit far to give myself to get to my feet.


    I was not going to give in like that. My wolf wanted to transmute, but I was reining


    it in. This person had not changed, I would not change too. They came with


    another kick, I dodged andnded a jab on their masked face.


    They staggered back from the force of it. Not wasting anymore time, I rushed forward, stretched my left leg and kicked them brutally on the chest Their back reached the ground, I climbed atop them and began dishing out blows


    aggressively.


    I was about to e


    to open their mask


    when I wasssoed and dragged. I could not breathe properly, I pulled at the rope but whoever that hadssoed me was determined and quite strong. But I made sure not to retent, I kept pulling at the rope.


    I was almost seeding when someone kicked me hard from back, it was the


    other person I had almost seen their face. They were two of them.


    They kept kicking, punching and pulling me with the strong rope. I was getting weaker. Who were these people? They were definitely in the same group with that guy that had been sent to kill Erika too.


    "Boss said we should bring him to her alive." One said. Their boss was a woman?


    Who was she and what did she want with me and my family?


    Was she the one who had poisoned my father?


    "I thought the assignment was to torture him and then kill him." Another said.


    "Alright, let''s take him there."


    I managed to get up even with the rope still around my neck, they noticed me but before they could act, I had freed myself from thesso, caught the closer one to me and pulled tight.


    The second one rushed at me with a punch to my ribs that was already hurting. I groaned in pain but stubbornly held on to thesso, still pulling tighter.


    The second one tried to get out of thesso but I kept pulling even though the second one was attacking with his fists and trying to get me to let go of the rope. "You fucking bastard, let go!” The one I''dssoed screamed.


    I was not going to let him go. I pulled tighter.


    The other one sliced my hand with a knife, I grunted. Blood gushed from the back of my palm.


    A new force from behind joined in and kicked my legs, forcing my knees to the ground.


    "What''s keeping you guys, the boss is waiting?" This third person asked.


    I grip on thesso, though still tight, was not as gripping. The three of them


    collectively threw vicious hits at me.


    I tried to fight, but a sudden big blow to my head and I slipped into unconsciousness.