Chapter <b>272 </b>


    MARCUS


    The sound of the gunshots echoed through the night, sharp and piercing, and it didn’t take long before the others arrived, they must have heard the gun shot. The world around us stirred with movement, and <b>soon</b><b>, </b>the area was swarming with my men and Luke’s. Nick, Luke, Ethan, all of them came rushing toward us, their boots crunching the dry ground as they closed in.


    When they saw Olivia in my arms, something shifted. The tension that had been thick in the air seemed to ease, reced by a wave of collective relief. I could see it in their faces, the way they exhaled, the way their shoulders loosened as if they had been holding their breath for days.


    “Well, well,” Luke’s voice broke the moment, mocking and dripping with disdain. He stepped forward, his gaze narrowing on Xander, still crumpled on the ground, clutching his side where I had shot him. “If it isn’t the tough guy, not so tough anymore.


    Xander’s eyes were bloodshot and filled with fury as he red up at Luke, his body trembling with the effort of holding onto consciousness. Despite the pain, there was <b>defiance </b>in his expression. “It’s not over, he rasped, his voice hoarse, the words thick with anger and exhaustion.


    I watched him for a moment, my hand still gripping Olivia tightly, her limp body barely responding to the motion. heart thudded painfully in my chest as I thought about everything we had gone through to get here, everything Xander had done, everything Luke had done. But there was something in Xander’s eyes now, something that told me his battle wasn’t over.


    I didn’t know what Xander was still holding onto, but I wasn’t about to stick around to find out. “I think it is very much over,” I said coldly, my voice cutting through the tension. Without another word, I hoisted Olivia up, cradling her against my chest as Ethan led the way toward the car. Some of my men followed closely behind, ready for whatever came next.


    “Stay behind,” I ordered, my voice firm <b>as </b>I nced back <b>at </b>Luke. “Help with whatever my father–inw needs.”


    Ethan snickered, a dry chuckle escaping his lips. “What?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.


    I was too tired to exin the significance of the words. Too tired to deal with Luke’s constant presence in this mess. But the frustration was there, heavy, like a weight on my shoulders that I couldn’t <b>shake</b>. It had taken me hours to plece everything together, to follow the <b>trail</b>, to finally find Olivia. Yet, <b>Luke’s </b>team had been here for days and hadn’t <b>even </be close to finding her. The irony of it all <b>didn’t </b>escape me.


    “It’s the first time I’ve heard you call Luke your father–inw,” Ethan teased, a smirk <b>pulling </b>at his lips.


    I let out a shortugh, shaking my head. “He will never hear me call him that,” I muttered, my tone low but with a touch of humour. “But I do behind his back.”


    Ethanughed, and for a brief moment, it felt like things were normal again. Like we weren’t just in the middle of a tense standoff with a dangerous <b>man</b>, like we weren’t scrambling to save Olivia from whatever horror Xander <b>had </b>nned. It was a small moment of relief, a sh of light in the midst of everything that had happened.


    But then, my gaze shifted to Olivia again<b>, </b>and the reality of the situation hit me like a p. She <b>was </b>still so pale, so still in my arms. My chest tightened; a pain so sharp it almost felt physical. Why couldn’t she move? My mind raced through the possibilities. Was she just weak from hunger and exhaustion, or was something more serious happening?


    “Call the doctor,” I said urgently, my voice cracking with the rising panic I was trying to keep in check. “She can’t <b>move</b>, Ethan. I’m <b>not </b>sure if it’s from hunger and loss <b>of </b>energy, or if there’s something else going on. Either way, I want her checked out.”


    Ethan didn’t hesitate. He pulled out his phone<b>, </b>his fingers dying across the screen as he made the call. I could hear him talking to the doctor, his voice low but filled with purpose as he ryed the situation. In the distance, I heard Luke barking orders to his men, the mour of movement in the background, but none of that mattered now. Olivia was my priority. Nothing else existed but her.