The darkness was absolute.
No light.
No sound.
No way back.
---
Teresa's breath came out uneven as they ran through the narrow tunnel, her hand locked tightly in Lester's.
The ground was uneven.
The air was thick.
Every step felt like it could be the wrong one.
---
Behind them—
Nothing.
No gunfire.
No voices.
No Marcus.
---
Her chest tightened painfully.
"…Marcus," she whispered.
---
Lester didn't respond.
But his grip on her hand tightened.
Harder.
Like he felt it too.
---
They kept moving.
Further.
Deeper.
Until the sounds of the outside world disappeared completely.
---
Only then did Lester stop.
---
"Wait," he said quietly.
---
Teresa stumbled slightly into him.
Their bodies collided—
Close.
Too close.
---
Her breath hitched.
Because suddenly—
There was nowhere to go.
---
The tunnel was too narrow.
Too confined.
Too dark.
---
His hand slid from hers—
To her waist.
Steadying her.
Holding her in place.
---
Her heart pounded wildly.
"Lester…"
---
"Are you hurt?" he asked.
His voice was different now.
Lower.
Closer.
Concerned.
---
She shook her head instinctively—
Forgetting he couldn't see her.
"No."
---
His hand moved.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Up her arm.
Checking.
Making sure.
---
Her breath caught.
Because every touch—
Felt louder in the dark.
---
"I'm fine," she whispered.
---
A pause.
---
Then—
His hand didn't move away.
---
It stayed.
Resting lightly at her waist.
---
Like he needed to feel her there.
---
Alive.
---
"You could've left," he said suddenly.
---
Her heart skipped.
"What?"
---
"At the safehouse," he continued quietly. "You could've told me everything. Walked away."
---
Her chest tightened.
"I told you—I didn't know."
---
Silence.
---
"I believe you."
---
The words hit her harder than anything else.
---
"You… do?" she asked softly.
---
"Yes."
---
Her breath caught.
---
"Then why did you look at me like that?" she whispered.
---
His hand tightened slightly on her waist.
---
"Because I don't trust anything anymore," he admitted.
---
Honest.
Raw.
---
"And that scares you?" she asked.
---
"No."
A pause.
---
"You do."
---
Her heart stopped.
---
"Why?" she breathed.
---
"Because you shouldn't matter this much."
---
Silence.
Heavy.
Electric.
---
"But you do," he added quietly.
---
Her chest rose and fell unevenly.
---
Before she could respond—
A faint sound echoed through the tunnel.
---
Both of them froze.
---
Footsteps.
---
Behind them.
---
Teresa's grip tightened around his shirt instinctively.
"Did you hear that?"
---
"Yes."
---
Lester's body shifted.
Positioning himself in front of her.
Shielding her again.
---
The sound grew closer.
---
Her pulse skyrocketed.
---
"…It's not them," she whispered.
---
Lester didn't respond.
But his body tensed.
---
A shadow moved in the darkness.
---
Then—
A voice.
---
"…You run slow."
---
Teresa's breath caught.
---
"No way—"
---
"Miss me?"
---
Relief hit her so hard her knees almost gave out.
---
"Marcus?!"
---
A faint light flickered on.
A small flashlight.
---
And there he was.
---
Alive.
---
Bruised.
Blood on his shirt.
But standing.
---
"You're alive," she breathed.
---
"Disappointed?" he muttered dryly.
---
She almost laughed.
Almost cried.
---
Lester stepped forward.
His gaze sharp.
Searching.
---
"How?"
---
Marcus shrugged slightly.
"Tunnel wasn't just for you."
---
A beat.
---
"I told you I chose," he added.
---
Lester held his gaze for a second longer.
Then nodded once.
---
That was enough.
---
"Can you walk?" Lester asked.
---
Marcus smirked slightly.
"I've had worse."
---
Teresa let out a shaky breath.
---
For a moment—
Everything felt… okay.
---
Then—
A slow clap echoed from the darkness ahead.
---
Cold.
Deliberate.
Familiar.
---
Teresa froze.
---
"No…"
---
A figure stepped into the dim light.
---
Sharp suit.
Calm expression.
Eyes that held too much control.
---
Her heart dropped.
---
"…Dad."
---
Victor Hayes smiled.
---
"Well," he said smoothly,
"this is… disappointing."
---
The air shifted instantly.
---
Lester's body went rigid beside her.
---
"That's him?" Marcus asked quietly.
---
"Yes," Lester replied.
His voice deadly.
---
Victor's gaze moved between them.
Slow.
Calculating.
---
"You look just like her," he said to Teresa.
---
Her stomach twisted.
---
"Stop," she snapped. "Just stop."
---
He smiled faintly.
"Still emotional. That's always been your weakness."
---
"I'm not like you."
---
"No," he agreed calmly.
"You're worse."
---
Silence slammed into her.
---
"What does that mean?" she demanded.
---
Victor tilted his head slightly.
---
"You really didn't tell him?"
---
Teresa's heart dropped.
---
"Tell me what?" Lester asked sharply.
---
"Don't," she said quickly.
---
But Victor ignored her.
---
"You think she was just a random opportunity?" he said to Lester.
---
Lester's jaw tightened.
---
"She wasn't."
---
Teresa's pulse roared.
---
"Stop," she whispered.
---
Victor smiled.
---
"I placed her in your path."
---
Everything stopped.
---
"What?" Lester said.
---
Teresa shook her head.
"No—that's not true—"
---
"She didn't know," Victor added calmly.
"Not at first."
---
Lester's gaze snapped to her.
---
"Teresa."
---
Her breath hitched.
"I didn't know!" she said quickly. "I swear, I didn't—"
---
"But you stayed," Victor cut in.
---
Silence.
---
Her chest tightened.
---
"You stayed even after things didn't add up," he continued.
---
"That doesn't mean—"
---
"It means," Victor said softly,
"you're more like me than you think."
---
"Shut up!" she snapped.
---
The tension snapped.
---
Lester grabbed her arm—
Pulling her toward him.
Hard.
---
"Look at me," he said.
---
She did.
---
His eyes—
Dark.
Conflicted.
Burning.
---
"Tell me the truth," he demanded.
---
"I am," she whispered.
---
"Then why does it feel like I'm still missing something?"
---
Her breath broke.
---
"Because I didn't want to lose this," she admitted.
---
Silence.
---
That hit harder than anything else.
---
"This?" he repeated.
---
Her eyes dropped briefly—
Then lifted again.
---
"You."
---
Everything shifted.
---
Danger.
Emotion.
Truth.
All colliding.
---
Victor chuckled softly.
---
"This is why you're weak," he said.
---
Lester's head snapped toward him.
---
"You used her," Lester said coldly.
---
"I used an opportunity," Victor corrected.
---
"She's not a thing."
---
Victor smiled faintly.
---
"Then why are you looking at her like she belongs to you?"
---
Silence.
---
Because he wasn't wrong.
---
Lester didn't deny it.
---
Instead—
He pulled her closer.
---
Not gently.
Not hesitantly.
---
Possessively.
---
"She does," he said quietly.
---
Teresa's breath caught.
---
Victor's smile faded slightly.
---
"Careful," he said.
"Obsession makes men predictable."
---
Lester's grip tightened.
---
"I was predictable the moment you touched her."
---
The air went still.
---
Dangerous.
Explosive.
---
Victor's gaze darkened.
---
"Well," he said slowly,
"let's see how far that obsession goes."
---
He raised his hand.
---
Men stepped out of the shadows.
Armed.
Waiting.
---
Lester moved instantly—
Pulling Teresa behind him.
---
"Stay close," he murmured.
---
Her fingers gripped his shirt tightly.
---
"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered.
---
A beat.
---
Then—
He turned.
---
And kissed her.
---
Hard.
Sudden.
Unavoidable.
---
Her breath caught.
Her world stopped.
---
His hand came up—
Holding her face.
Anchoring her.
---
Not soft.
Not gentle.
---
Desperate.
Possessive.
---
Like he needed to prove something.
---
Like he needed to feel her—
Before everything went wrong.
---
Her fingers clenched into his shirt.
Her heart racing wildly.
---
Then—
He pulled back.
---
Forehead resting against hers.
---
"If anything happens—" he started.
---
"No," she whispered.
---
His jaw tightened.
---
"I mean it."
---
Her eyes locked onto his.
---
"So do I."
---
Silence.
---
Then—
Gunfire exploded.
---
And everything fell apart.
---
END OF CHAPTER 8