𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝟏𝟔: 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓

As soon as the call ended, the man with the cold eyes snatched the phone from Leo’s trembling hands, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. "Good boy," he murmured, turning away to speak with his men. They moved with a practiced efficiency, preparing the warehouse for what was sure to be a deadly confrontation. Leo’s stomach twisted in knots as he watched them, his mind racing with dread.

The minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness. Every sound—the distant drip of water, the scuffle of shoes on concrete—set Leo’s nerves on edge. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had just delivered Adrian into a deadly trap, but there was no way out now. His life was in their hands, and the only hope he had was that Adrian might be able to outsmart them.

Finally, the heavy steel door at the entrance of the warehouse creaked open, and Adrian stepped inside. He was alone, as Leo had instructed, his expression unreadable. Dressed in his usual sharp, dark attire, Adrian looked like a shadow himself, his eyes scanning the room with a cold, calculating gaze.

"Let him go," Adrian said, his voice steady as he locked eyes with the man in charge. There was a dangerous edge to his tone, one that promised violence if his demands weren’t met.

The man chuckled, taking a few steps closer to Adrian. "Not so fast. We have some unfinished business, you and I. Leo here was kind enough to extend the invitation." He motioned to the men around him, who moved to close in on Adrian.

Adrian’s eyes flicked briefly to Leo, and in that moment, Leo saw something that sent a chill down his spine—there was no fear in Adrian’s gaze, only a lethal determination. He looked back at the leader, his lips curling into a faint, dangerous smile. "You shouldn’t have involved him," Adrian said, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "Now, this is going to be very messy."

Before the man could respond, Adrian moved. It happened so quickly that Leo could hardly follow. One moment Adrian was standing there, and the next, he had disarmed one of the men, the gun now in his own hand. Shots rang out, echoing through the warehouse as chaos erupted.

The men scrambled to react, but Adrian was a force of nature, moving with a deadly precision that left little room for error. He took down two of them before they even realized what was happening, their bodies crumpling to the ground. The others returned fire, but Adrian used the shadows to his advantage, weaving between the crates and machinery, always one step ahead.

Leo struggled against his bonds, desperate to free himself, but the ropes were too tight. He watched in a mixture of horror and awe as Adrian systematically dismantled the opposition, his movements swift and brutal. The leader, realizing that his men were no match for Adrian, grabbed Leo from the chair, pulling him up as a human shield.

"Stop!" the man shouted, pressing a gun to Leo’s head. "Or he dies!"

Adrian froze, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. For a long, tense moment, the only sound was the ragged breathing of the remaining men and the distant hum of the city outside.

"Let him go," Adrian said, his voice icy. "This is between you and me."

The man tightened his grip on Leo, desperation seeping into his features. "You think I’m going to walk out of here alive if I let him go? You’ve already killed most of my men!"

Adrian took a step forward, his gaze locked on the man’s. "You won’t walk out of here at all if you don’t. Let. Him. Go."

The man hesitated, his finger twitching on the trigger. He knew he was outmatched, and in that split second of indecision, Adrian struck. With a flash of movement, Adrian closed the distance, his hand striking the gun from the man’s grasp and pulling Leo free.

The leader staggered back, clutching at his arm where Adrian had struck him. But before he could react, Adrian delivered a final, devastating blow, sending the man crashing to the floor, unconscious.

The warehouse fell silent, the echoes of violence fading into nothing. Leo stood there, trembling, as Adrian released him from the remaining bonds. Adrian’s hands were steady, his expression calm, but his eyes were dark, dangerous.

"Are you hurt?" Adrian asked, his voice softer now, the deadly edge gone.

Leo shook his head, too shaken to speak. Adrian nodded, his gaze sweeping over the carnage around them. "We need to go," he said, taking Leo’s arm to steady him. "This isn’t over yet."

Leo didn’t argue, his mind still reeling from what had just happened. As they left the warehouse, stepping out into the cool night air, Leo knew one thing for certain: his life would never be the same. He was entangled in something far more dangerous than he had ever imagined, and the only person who could keep him safe was the man who had just torn through a group of armed men without blinking an eye.

But as they walked away from the scene, Leo couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of the nightmare.