Chapter 27: No Mercy Left

The air was thick with tension.

Diya sat in the backseat of the SUV, her fingers curling against the leather.

She should be scared.

Abeer had just tortured a man in front of her. Killed him without blinking.

And now?

Now, he was calm. Too calm.

Like a man who had already made peace with the destruction he was about to cause.

Diya swallowed hard.

"You're too quiet," Abeer murmured, his dark eyes flickering to her through the rearview mirror.

Diya exhaled.

"What am I supposed to say?" she asked.

Abeer smirked. "That you trust me."

Diya met his gaze.

Did she trust him?

After everything?

After the blood, the violence, the way he had turned into something darker, more dangerous—

She should say no.

But her heart?

Her heart had already chosen him long ago.

So she whispered, "I do."

Abeer's fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

And just like that, his smirk faded.

Because he knew what that meant.

Diya wasn't just his to protect anymore.

She was his to destroy.

Or worse—

His to destroy with.

The docks were silent.

Too silent.

Abeer moved first.

His gun was already in his hand, his body tense, his mind calculating.

Diya followed, staying right behind him.

Aditya whispered through the earpiece, "Two guards at the entrance. At least four more inside."

Abeer smirked. "Only six?"

Aditya sighed. "You sound disappointed, boss."

Diya's stomach twisted.

Because he was.

Because Abeer wanted the fight.

And then—

BANG!

A bullet whizzed past them.

Diya gasped.

Abeer barely flinched.

He grabbed her, shielding her behind a crate.

Then—he moved.

Fast. Too fast.

Two shots.

Two bodies dropped.

And Abeer?

He didn't even blink.

"Move," he ordered, gripping Diya's wrist.

Diya swallowed hard.

Because in that moment—she wasn't sure who was more terrifying.

The enemies inside.

Or Abeer himself.

They entered the warehouse.

Dim lights. Shadows stretching across the cracked walls.

And standing in the middle?

Tara.

She was waiting.

Diya's pulse raced.

Abeer let go of her.

His gun was still raised.

But his voice?

His voice was pure steel.

"You should've stayed dead, Tara."

Tara smirked.

"And you should've let her go."

Her eyes flickered to Diya.

"You think he loves you?" she whispered. "You think you're different?"

Diya's heart slammed against her ribs.

Tara laughed softly.

"You're just another game to him," she said. "Another thing to control. Another thing to own."

Diya felt something break inside her.

But before she could react—

Abeer lifted his gun.

BANG.

The bullet grazed Tara's arm.

She staggered back, gasping.

Abeer's voice was quiet.

"Say her name again, Tara," he murmured. "I dare you."

Diya shivered.

Because this wasn't just anger anymore.

This was possession. Obsession.

This was a man who had already decided that no one else in this world had the right to speak Diya's name.

And that?

That should have scared her.

But instead?

It made her want him more.

Tara clutched her bleeding arm, laughing weakly.

"You'll never find them, Abeer."

Abeer's jaw ticked. "Find who?"

Tara smirked.

"The real ones pulling the strings," she whispered.

Diya's blood ran cold.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded.

Tara's eyes softened.

"You really don't remember, do you?" she murmured.

Diya froze.

Something in Tara's voice—something broken, something almost... sad.

Abeer tensed beside her.

"You're lying," he snapped.

Tara smiled.

"You think I was the real threat?" she whispered. "You think I'm the one who wanted her dead?"

She exhaled sharply, shaking her head.

"I was trying to save her."

Diya's heart stopped.

"No," she whispered. "You're lying—"

Tara turned to Abeer.

"You were never supposed to have her, Rathore."

Her lips curled.

"And when they find out what you've done?"

She laughed softly.

"They'll take her from you."

Abeer's grip tightened around his gun.

BANG.

The shot echoed through the warehouse.

Tara's body hit the floor.

Dead.

Gone.

And still—

Diya couldn't breathe.

Because Tara's last words?

They weren't a warning.

They were a promise.

The drive back was silent.

Abeer's fingers were tight on the steering wheel.

His jaw was clenched.

Diya sat beside him, her mind spinning.

Tara was gone.

The hunt was over.

But something felt wrong.

Like this wasn't the end.

Like this was only the beginning.

Abeer finally spoke.

"I'm taking you home."

Diya swallowed. "Abeer—"

He turned to her.

His eyes were darker than ever.

"I'll burn down the whole goddamn world before I let them take you from me, jaan."

Diya's breath hitched.

Because for the first time—

She realized something terrifying.

Abeer Rathore wasn't just dangerous.

He was unstoppable.

And if the real enemy was still out there?

They had no idea what kind of monster they had just unleashed.