Kain
They burst through the front door of the trap house, Jack's hand gripping Bella's wrist so tightly she gasped.
The night air hit them like a slap—cold, sharp, carrying the smell of garbage and exhaust from the street beyond. Jack's heart was hammering so hard he could feel it in his throat, his ears, his fingertips.
Move. Just move. Get to the car. Get out of here.
The porch steps creaked under their weight as they descended. Jack's car was parked at the curb, maybe thirty feet away. Thirty feet and they'd be gone. Thirty feet and—
Headlights.
Bright. Blinding.
A car turned into the driveway, tires crunching over gravel and broken glass. The engine rumbled low and aggressive, and Jack's stomach dropped.
"Shit," he breathed.
The car stopped ten feet from the porch. The headlights stayed on, casting long shadows across the cracked concrete. Jack raised his free hand to shield his eyes, his other hand still gripping the gun.
The driver's door opened.
A man stepped out.
He was tall—maybe six-two—with broad shoulders and a shaved head that gleamed under the streetlight. He wore a black leather jacket over a white T-shirt, jeans, and boots. His face was hard, angular, the kind of face that had seen violence and dealt it back without hesitation.
Behind him, three more doors opened.
Four men climbed out of the car. All of them armed. Jack could see the bulges under their jackets, the way their hands hovered near their waistbands.
The tall man stepped forward, his eyes moving from Jack to Bella, then down to the gun in Jack's hand.
"Well," the man said, his voice calm and measured. "This is interesting."
Jack's grip tightened on the gun. His pulse was racing, his mind scrambling for a way out.
Stay calm. Don't panic. Just—just talk your way through this.
"Who are you?" Jack asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
The man smiled. It didn't reach his eyes.
"Name's Kain," he said. "And you're standing on my property."
Bella's stomach twisted.
Kain. Tommy and Tovi's boss.
"We were just leaving," Jack said quickly. He took a step toward the car, pulling Bella with him. "We don't want any trouble."
Kain didn't move. His eyes stayed locked on Jack, cold and calculating.
"You don't want trouble," Kain repeated slowly. "But you're holding a gun. On my property."
Jack's mind raced. He needed to get closer to the car. Needed to get Bella inside. Needed to—
"Are you part of my crew?" Kain asked.
Jack hesitated. Then nodded.
"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, we are."
Kain's expression didn't change. "Funny. I don't recognize you."
"We're new," Jack said quickly. He took another step toward the car, his hand still gripping Bella's wrist. "Tommy brought us in. Said you needed extra hands."
Kain's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Tommy," he said. "Where is he?"
Jack's throat tightened. "I don't know. He was here earlier, but—"
"And Tovi?"
"I don't know."
Kain studied him for a long moment. Then he turned to one of his men—a shorter guy with a scar running down his left cheek.
"Check inside," Kain said.
The man nodded and headed toward the porch.
Jack's pulse spiked. He took another step toward the car, positioning himself between Kain's men and Bella.
Just a few more feet. Just a few more—
The man disappeared inside the trap house.
Kain's eyes moved to Bella. She was standing behind Jack, her face pale, her hands trembling.
"You," Kain said. "Where are Tommy and Tovi?"
Bella opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
"She doesn't know," Jack said quickly. "We just got here. We were supposed to meet Tommy, but he wasn't—"
"Bullshit."
Kain's voice was sharp now, cutting through the air like a blade.
"You're lying," he said. "I can see it in your face."
Jack's hand tightened on the gun. He was maybe fifteen feet from the car now. If he could just—
The man emerged from the trap house.
His face was pale. His eyes wide.
"Kain," he said, his voice tight. "They're dead."
The words hung in the air like a gunshot.
Kain's expression darkened. His hand moved to his waistband, and Jack saw the glint of metal.
"Run!" Jack yelled.
He shoved Bella toward the car and raised his gun.
Kain's men moved fast—faster than Jack expected. Guns appeared in their hands, barrels rising, fingers tightening on triggers.
Jack fired first.
The gunshot was deafening. One of Kain's men—a younger guy with a buzzcut—jerked backward, clutching his shoulder. Blood bloomed across his shirt.
"Get in the car!" Jack screamed at Bella.
She ran.
Jack fired again, the recoil jarring his wrist. The bullet went wide, shattering the windshield of Kain's car.
Then the return fire came.
The first shot missed Jack by inches, the bullet whizzing past his ear and slamming into the porch behind him. The second shot didn't.
Pain exploded in Jack's left leg.
He went down hard, his knee slamming into the concrete. The gun slipped from his hand, clattering across the driveway.
"Jack!" Bella's voice was distant, muffled by the ringing in his ears.
Jack tried to stand, but his leg buckled. Blood was pouring from the wound, hot and sticky, soaking through his jeans.
Get up. Get up. Get—
Something heavy slammed into him from the side.
Jack hit the ground, the air rushing from his lungs. A man—one of Kain's crew—was on top of him, his weight crushing Jack's chest. The man's fist came down, connecting with Jack's jaw.
Stars exploded across Jack's vision.
"Jack!"
Bella's voice again. Closer now.
Jack turned his head, his vision swimming.
Bella had reached the car. She was fumbling with the door handle, her hands shaking so badly she couldn't get it open.
And then one of Kain's men was there.
He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her backward.
Bella screamed.
"No!" Jack roared.
He bucked against the man on top of him, his hands clawing at the man's face. His fingers found an eye socket, and he dug in hard.
The man screamed and rolled off him.
Jack scrambled across the concrete, his leg screaming in protest. His gun was a few feet away, lying near the edge of the driveway.
He grabbed it.
The man dragging Bella was pulling her toward Kain's car. She was kicking, thrashing, her screams cutting through the night.
Jack raised the gun.
His hands were shaking. His vision was blurred. He couldn't—he couldn't risk hitting her.
Breathe. Just breathe. Aim.
He fired.
The shot went wide, hitting the ground near the man's feet.
He fired again.
Another miss.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
The man was almost at the car now. Bella's screams were getting louder, more desperate.
Jack steadied his hands. Took a breath.
And fired.
The bullet hit the man in the back of the leg.
He went down with a howl, releasing Bella. She stumbled forward, catching herself on the hood of Kain's car.
"Run!" Jack screamed. "Bella, run!"
She looked at him, her eyes wide with terror.
"Go!" Jack's voice cracked. "Fucking go!"
Bella hesitated for only a second. Then she turned and ran.
Across the street. Between the houses. Into the alleys beyond.
One of Kain's men started after her, but Kain raised a hand.
"Let her go," Kain said.
The man stopped.
Kain walked toward Jack, his boots crunching over broken glass. He crouched down, his face inches from Jack's.
"You killed my men," Kain said quietly.
Jack didn't respond. His leg was on fire, his vision swimming. He could feel blood pooling beneath him, warm and sticky.
Kain reached out and plucked the gun from Jack's hand.
"Now," Kain said, standing. "You're going to tell me who you are. And why you're here."
Jack's head lolled to the side. The world was tilting, spinning.
"Get him up," Kain said.
Two of his men grabbed Jack by the arms and hauled him to his feet. Jack's leg buckled, and he would have collapsed if they hadn't been holding him.
"Put him in the car," Kain said.
They dragged Jack toward the vehicle. He tried to fight, tried to pull away, but his body wouldn't cooperate.
The last thing he saw before they shoved him into the backseat was the empty street where Bella had disappeared.
Run, he thought. Just keep running.
And then the door slammed shut, and everything went dark.
***
Bella ran.
She didn't know where she was going. Didn't know which direction was safe. She just ran.
Her lungs burned. Her legs screamed. Her vision was blurred with tears.
Jack. Oh god, Jack.
She'd seen him go down. Seen the blood. Seen them drag him into the car.
He's alive. He has to be alive.
She turned a corner, her feet slipping on wet pavement. The alley was narrow, lined with dumpsters and broken crates. The smell of rotting garbage filled her nose.
She kept running.
Behind her, she could hear the sound of the car starting. The engine revving.
They're coming. They're going to find me.
She turned another corner, then another. The alleys twisted and turned, a maze of concrete and shadow.
Her foot caught on something—a piece of broken pipe—and she went down hard, her palms scraping against the pavement.
"Fuck," she gasped.
She pushed herself up, her hands stinging. Blood was dripping from her palms, mixing with the dirt and grime.
Get up. Keep moving.
She stumbled forward, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
And then she heard it.
A car.
Close.
Too close.
Bella's heart stopped. She pressed herself against the wall, her body trembling.
They found me. Oh god, they found me.
The car turned into the alley, its headlights cutting through the darkness.
Bella squeezed her eyes shut, her hands pressed against the cold brick.
This is it. This is—
"Bella?"
The voice was familiar.
Bella's eyes snapped open.
The car had stopped a few feet away. The driver's side window was down, and a woman was leaning out.
Hela.
"Bella?" Hela said again, her voice sharp with confusion. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
Bella's legs gave out. She collapsed against the wall, her body shaking with sobs.
"Hela," she gasped. "Oh god, Hela, you have to help me. You have to—"
"Slow down," Hela said. She opened the car door and stepped out. Behind her, Bella could see three other people in the car—two men and a woman, all of them watching her with wary expressions.
Hela crouched down in front of Bella, her eyes scanning her face.
"What happened?" Hela asked.
"Jack," Bella said, her voice breaking. "They took Jack. They—they shot him, and they took him, and I don't know where—"
"Wait, wait." Hela held up a hand. "Jack? Jack Morris?"
"Yes!"
"What are you doing with Jack? No. What the hell is Jack doing with the Southside Kings? "
"I don't know!" Bella's voice was rising now, hysteria creeping in. "We were at the trap house, and Tommy—Tommy kidnapped me, and Jack came, and he killed Tommy, and then Kain showed up, and—"
"Kain?" Hela's expression darkened. "Kain was there?"
"Yes! He took Jack. He shot him in the leg, and they dragged him into the car, and—" Bella grabbed Hela's arm, her fingers digging into the leather jacket. "Please. Please, you have to help me. You have to save him."
Hela stared at her for a long moment. Then she stood, her jaw tight.
"Get in the car," she said.
"What?"
"Get in the fucking car."
Bella scrambled to her feet, her legs shaking. Hela opened the back door, and Bella climbed inside.
The woman in the passenger seat turned to look at her. She was young—maybe mid-twenties—with dark hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. Her eyes were cold.
"Who the fuck is this?" the woman asked.
"Bella," Hela said, sliding back into the driver's seat. "She's... someone I know."
"Someone you know?" The woman's tone was skeptical.
"Drop it, Mara." Hela started the engine. "We've got bigger problems."
She turned to Bella, her expression hard.
"You owe me for this," Hela said.
Bella nodded, her throat too tight to speak.
Hela shifted the car into gear and pulled out of the alley.
They drove in silence, the city blurring past the windows. Bella's hands were still shaking, her mind racing.
Jack. Please be okay. Please.
After what felt like an eternity, Hela turned onto a familiar street.
Bella's stomach dropped.
The trap house.
Hela pulled up to the curb and killed the engine. The street was empty now. No cars. No people.
No Jack.
"Stay here," Hela said.
She got out of the car, the other three following. Bella watched through the window as they approached the trap house, their movements cautious, deliberate.
Hela disappeared inside.
Bella's heart was pounding so hard she thought it might burst.
Please. Please let him be here.
A minute passed. Then two.
Hela emerged from the trap house, her face grim.
She walked back to the car and opened Bella's door.
"He's not here," Hela said quietly.
Bella's world shattered.
"No," she whispered. "No, no, no—"
"Bella—"
"He has to be here!" Bella's voice cracked. "He has to—"
She tried to get out of the car, but her legs wouldn't hold her. She collapsed onto the pavement, her body wracked with sobs.
"He's gone," Hela said. "Kain took him. And I don't know where."
Bella pressed her hands to her face, her breath coming in short, desperate gasps.
Jack. Oh god, Jack.
She'd failed him.
She'd run when he told her to, and now he was gone.
And she had no idea if she'd ever see him again.
Hela crouched down beside her, her hand resting on Bella's shoulder.