Page 68 of The Chaos She Brings

“We have to go.”

“Huh?”

“The Russians are on their way here. We’ve been betrayed.”

She springs upright, suddenly much more alert. “How?”

“One of the guards. We need to move. Now.”

Tess gets right into action, packing up what she can quickly. I grab a bag from the corner of the room, tossing it to Tess as she throws on some clothes. Her movements are quick, but her breathing is shallow and erratic. She’s panicking, I can see it in her eyes.

“Keep it simple. Essentials only,” I say, forcing calm into my tone. “We’ll figure out the rest later.”

Her hands fumble over the zip of the bag, and she mutters something under her breath, too fast and quiet for me to catch. I head to the window and push it open slightly, peering out into the night. The grounds are dark, but the tension in the air feels heavy.

“They could already be here,” I mutter, mostly to myself.

“What do we do?” Tess whispers, frozen in the middle of the room.

“We leave. I’ll get you somewhere safe,” I reply firmly.

I glance back at her and see she’s rooted to the spot, clutching the bag tightly as though it’s her lifeline. She’s rambling now, her words spilling out in a rush. “How do they know where we are? What if they catch us on the way out? What if—”

“Hurricane,” I cut her off, crossing the room in two quick strides. My hands find her shoulders, gripping just firmly enough to anchor her. “Stop. Breathe.”

She shakes her head, her panic only growing. “I can’t—what if they—”

I don’t think.

I act.

My lips are on hers before either of us realises what’s happening. It’s not a soft, romantic kiss—it’s desperate, a grounding force in the chaos. For a moment, she freezes, then melts into it, her hands clutching at my shirt.

When I pull back, her eyes are wide, but the panic is gone, replaced by something else. Something steadier.

“You good?” I ask, my voice low.

She nods, swallowing hard. “Yeah. I’m good.”

A creak outside the door makes us both tense. My body moves instinctively, shielding Tess from whoever is on the other side.

The door cracks open.

“Relax, it’s me,” Nico’s voice whispers harshly, stepping into the room. He’s in jeans and a t-shirt, clearly having been on his way to bed before something tipped him off.

It being him doesn’t make me relax.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I hiss.

“There’s a traitor in the house.”

“How do I know it’s not you?”

Nico lets out a frustrated breath. “You just have to trust me. You guys need back-up getting out of here.”

I don’t trust him fully, but I don’t have time to fight about it.

“Ready?” I ask Tess.