The truck rocked violently as bullets pelted its reinforced exterior. Dominic gritted his teeth, white-knuckling the steering wheel as he swerved to avoid another wave of SUVs barreling toward them. In the rearview mirror, Alyssa's truck mirrored his movements, her driving just as reckless.
Through the earpiece, Marcus shouted, "You've got more incoming from the north! Volkov's sending the damn cavalry!"
Dominic swore. "How far to the drop point?"
"Two miles," Eleanor responded. "But you're not gonna make it if they keep up this pressure!"
Alyssa's voice cut in, sharp and determined. "Then we take them out."
Dominic didn't have time to argue before Alyssa slammed her truck into one of the SUVs, sending it skidding off the road. The vehicle flipped, rolling over the pavement before crashing into a ditch.
Julian let out a low whistle. "Damn, girl."
Alyssa smirked but kept her focus on the road. "Less talking, more shooting."
Marcus and Julian, positioned on the hills above the highway, unleashed a hail of bullets, picking off Volkov's men with deadly precision. The remaining SUVs tightened their formation, trying to box Dominic and Alyssa in.
Dominic exhaled sharply, gripping the wheel. "Time to get creative."
He suddenly yanked the truck hard to the right, forcing one of the SUVs to veer off-course. The vehicle clipped the edge of a concrete barrier and spun out, smashing into the side of another pursuing car. Flames erupted from the wreckage.
Alyssa, seeing an opening, swerved into Dominic's lane, bringing her truck right beside his. "You've got a plan, don't you?"
Dominic smirked despite the chaos. "I always have a plan."
"Yeah? Well, it better be a damn good one," Alyssa muttered.
Dominic's eyes locked onto a bridge up ahead one that spanned across a deep gorge. The guardrails were old, weak.
And exactly what he needed.
"Follow my lead," he told Alyssa.
Without hesitation, he jerked the wheel and rammed his truck into one of the SUVs. The force sent both vehicles careening toward the edge of the bridge.
At the last second, Dominic wrenched the wheel back, narrowly avoiding the drop. The SUV, however, wasn't so lucky. It slammed through the rusted railing and plunged into the abyss below.
Alyssa, realizing his intent, mimicked his move. She clipped another SUV, sending it spinning out of control. The driver desperately tried to correct, but his tires skidded against the gravel too late.
The second SUV followed its predecessor into the void, disappearing into darkness.
Marcus's voice came through, a note of admiration in his tone. "That's one way to clear traffic."
"Not out of the woods yet," Eleanor warned. "Last convoy vehicle is still on you!"
Dominic glanced at his side mirror. Sure enough, a heavily armored Jeep was tailing them.
And then....
The passenger-side window of the Jeep rolled down, and a rifle barrel emerged.
Alyssa's voice was tight. "Dominic !"
BANG!
Dominic barely managed to duck as the windshield shattered, the bullet grazing his shoulder.
Alyssa reacted instantly, leaning out of her window and firing back. Her first shot clipped the shooter's shoulder. The second took him out completely.
But the Jeep wasn't stopping.
It pulled up dangerously close to Dominic's truck, and then a figure leaped onto the hood.
Dominic's eyes widened as the assassin dressed in all black, face covered by a tactical mask latched onto the truck like a spider.
A knife flashed in the dim light.
Then the assassin was on the roof.
"Damn it," Dominic growled.
Alyssa swerved her truck closer. "Keep steady.... I'll take him out!"
Dominic barely had time to protest before Alyssa climbed out of her own truck and leaped onto his.
His heart stopped for half a second.
"Alyssa!"
She landed hard, barely catching herself before the wind threatened to throw her off. But she recovered quickly, crawling up toward the masked assassin.
The two clashed on the moving vehicle, exchanging brutal blows as the truck hurtled down the road at breakneck speed.
Alyssa ducked under a slash aimed at her throat, countering with a sharp elbow to the assassin's ribs. The masked figure barely flinched, retaliating with a vicious kick that nearly sent her flying.
Dominic clenched his jaw.
"Screw this."
He swerved violently, throwing the assassin off-balance. Alyssa used the opening, grabbing the attacker by the collar and slamming him down onto the hood.
One swift punch...
And the assassin tumbled off the side, vanishing into the darkness.
Alyssa exhaled sharply and turned back toward Dominic, her hair whipping wildly in the wind.
"You're insane!" Dominic shouted.
She grinned. "You love it."
Before he could argue, she swung back into the passenger seat, breathing hard.
Dominic shook his head, but there was admiration in his eyes.
"You good?" he asked.
Alyssa smirked, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Better than you, billionaire."
They sped toward the drop point, finally shaking off the last of Volkov's men.
By the time they reached the warehouse where Marcus and the others were waiting, both trucks were riddled with bullet holes, but still intact.
Julian let out a low whistle as they climbed out. "Hell of a night, huh?"
Dominic rolled his shoulder, wincing. "Could've gone smoother."
Alyssa shot him a sideways look. "Could've gone worse, too."
Eleanor crossed her arms. "We did what we set out to do. Volkov's weapons are in our hands now."
Marcus nodded. "Yeah, but we also pissed him off. Badly."
Dominic exhaled. "That was the point."
Alyssa leaned against the hood of the truck, arms crossed. "So what's next?"
Dominic's gaze was steady, unwavering. "We end this. Volkov comes for us we go for him first."
A slow grin spread across Alyssa's lips. "Now that sounds like a plan."
As the night stretched on, Dominic and Alyssa found themselves alone in the dimly lit warehouse.
Alyssa glanced at him, her usual sharpness softening just slightly. "You okay?"
Dominic met her gaze. "You could've died out there."
Her lips quirked. "So could you."
His jaw tightened. "That's different."
She arched a brow. "Is it?"
Dominic stepped closer, his voice quieter now. "Yeah."
For a moment, the tension between them shifted no longer just adrenaline and danger, but something deeper.
Alyssa smirked. "If you're about to get all sentimental, I might have to punch you."
Dominic chuckled. "Noted."
But as he looked at her, standing there strong, fearless, utterly breathtaking; he realized something.
He was in too deep and he didn't care.