The lights went out.
Darkness swallowed everything.
---
Teresa's breath hitched.
"Lester—"
A hand found hers instantly.
Firm.
Unshaking.
"I'm here."
His voice—low, controlled—cut through the chaos.
But there was something under it now.
Something darker.
Something desperate.
---
Footsteps echoed.
Closer.
Slow.
Deliberate.
---
"They're inside," Marcus said quietly from somewhere to their left.
---
A loud crash followed.
Wood splintering.
The front door.
---
Teresa's pulse roared in her ears.
Her grip tightened around Lester's hand.
And this time—
He didn't let go.
---
"Back room," Marcus ordered. "Now."
---
Lester didn't move.
---
"Lester," Marcus snapped.
---
Still—
He didn't move.
---
Instead—
He turned to her.
Even in the dark, she felt it.
His gaze.
Intense.
Burning.
---
"This is where it gets dangerous," he said quietly.
---
Her breath caught.
"…It already is."
---
"No," he said.
"Now it becomes impossible."
---
Another crash.
Closer.
---
"Move!" Marcus barked again.
---
But Lester stepped in front of her instead.
Blocking her.
Shielding her.
---
Her heart stuttered.
"Lester—what are you doing?"
---
His hand came up—
Cupping her face.
Suddenly.
Unexpectedly.
---
She froze.
---
"You lied to me," he said.
His voice wasn't loud.
But it cut deeper than anything else.
---
Her chest tightened.
"I told you I didn't know—"
"Your father destroyed my family," he interrupted.
---
Silence slammed into her.
---
"I didn't know," she whispered again.
Her voice breaking now.
---
"You expect me to believe that?" he asked.
---
Pain flashed across her face.
"Yes."
---
Another crash.
Closer.
---
Marcus cursed under his breath. "We are out of time."
---
But Lester didn't look away from her.
Didn't move.
Didn't even blink.
---
"Say it again," he demanded.
---
Her heart pounded.
"I didn't know," she repeated, tears threatening now.
"I swear to you, Lester—I didn't know."
---
Something shifted in his expression.
Not fully.
Not completely.
But enough.
---
"Swear it again," he said.
---
Her voice trembled.
"I swear."
---
A beat.
---
Then—
Gunfire exploded through the house.
---
Marcus moved instantly.
"Down!"
---
He shoved them both aside—
Taking the first shot himself.
---
Teresa gasped.
"Marcus!"
---
He didn't fall.
Didn't hesitate.
Just fired back.
Precise.
Controlled.
Deadly.
---
"Back room!" he shouted again.
---
This time—
Lester moved.
---
He grabbed Teresa's hand—
Pulling her with him.
---
They ran.
Through a narrow hallway.
Into a small room at the back.
---
Marcus followed—
Slamming the door shut behind them.
Locking it.
---
The sounds outside were chaos.
Gunfire.
Shouting.
Footsteps.
---
Teres's chest rose and fell rapidly.
"Marcus… you're bleeding."
---
He glanced down briefly.
A graze.
Nothing more.
---
"I've had worse."
---
Lester turned to him.
Eyes sharp.
Searching.
---
"Why?" he asked.
---
Marcus met his gaze.
Steady.
Unflinching.
---
"Because I chose."
---
Silence.
---
"Chose what?" Teresa asked.
---
Marcus looked at Lester.
Then at her.
---
"Not to be a traitor."
---
The words hit hard.
---
"I was offered a deal," he continued. "Money. Power. Protection."
A pause.
---
"I pretended to take it."
---
Teresa's breath caught.
---
"To get close," he added. "To find out who was behind it."
---
Lester's eyes narrowed.
"You could've told me."
---
Marcus shook his head slightly.
"If I did, it wouldn't have worked."
---
Silence stretched.
Heavy.
---
"You doubted me," Marcus said quietly.
---
Lester didn't deny it.
---
"I would've doubted me too," Marcus added.
---
Another crash echoed outside.
Closer.
---
"They're breaking through," Marcus said.
---
Teresa's heart dropped.
---
"No way out?" she asked.
---
Marcus glanced at Lester.
Then back at her.
---
"There's one."
---
Lester's expression hardened.
"No."
---
Teresa looked between them.
"What?"
---
Marcus's voice was calm.
Too calm.
---
"There's a tunnel behind this wall. Leads out."
---
"Then we use it," she said quickly.
---
Marcus shook his head.
---
"It'll collapse after one pass."
---
Silence.
---
Teresa's breath caught.
---
"No," she whispered.
---
Marcus met her gaze.
---
"Only two people can make it."
---
The meaning hit instantly.
Brutally.
---
"No," she said again.
---
Lester stepped forward.
"No."
---
But Marcus didn't look at him.
He looked at Teresa.
---
"You're the target," he said.
"And he won't leave you."
---
Her chest tightened.
---
"So one of us stays," Marcus finished.
---
Silence.
---
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
---
"No," Teresa said again, shaking her head.
"No, we find another way—"
---
"There isn't one," Marcus cut in.
---
Lester's jaw clenched.
---
"I'll stay," he said.
---
Teresa froze.
---
"No."
---
His gaze snapped to hers.
---
"This isn't up for debate."
---
"Yes, it is!" she shot back. "You don't get to just decide that!"
---
"They want me," he said. "You're leverage."
---
Her chest tightened painfully.
---
"I'm not leaving you," she said.
---
"You don't have a choice."
---
"I do," she snapped. "I choose you."
---
Silence.
---
That hit harder than anything else.
---
Lester stared at her.
Something raw breaking through.
---
"Don't say that," he said quietly.
---
"Why?" she asked.
---
"Because if you do…"
His voice dropped.
Lower.
Darker.
---
"I won't let you go."
---
Her breath caught.
---
"Then don't," she whispered.
---
Everything stopped.
---
The gunfire.
The chaos.
The world.
---
Just for a second.
---
"Lester," Marcus warned.
---
But he didn't move.
Didn't look away.
---
"Do you understand what you're saying?" Lester asked her.
---
Her heart pounded.
"Yes."
---
"Because if you stay—"
His voice hardened.
---
"I burn everything."
---
A pause.
---
"Everyone."
---
Her breath hitched.
---
"For you."
---
Silence.
---
Dangerous.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
---
"I'm already in this," she said softly.
---
Another crash.
The door started to crack.
---
Marcus stepped forward.
Decision made.
---
"Go," he said.
---
Lester didn't move.
---
"GO!" Marcus shouted.
---
The wall behind them shifted—
Revealing a narrow tunnel.
Dark.
Uncertain.
---
Teresa grabbed Lester's hand.
---
"Together," she said.
---
A beat.
---
Then—
He nodded.
---
They ran.
---
Behind them—
Marcus turned.
Gun raised.
Standing alone.
---
The door broke open.
---
Enemies flooded in.
---
Marcus didn't hesitate.
---
The last thing Teresa heard—
Before the tunnel closed—
---
Was gunfire.
---
And Marcus's voice.
---
"Get her out."
---
Then—
Silence.
---
Darkness swallowed them.
---
And the path behind them—
Collapsed.
---
END OF CHAPTER 7