The shadow returned and appeared so suddenly while James and I were talking stepped forward, emerging from the darkness like it had always been there. My chest tightened. I knew that face. I shouldn't, but I did.
Mitch.
The man from the boat. The ruthless figure who had been there the night everything changed. He had broad shoulders with a presence that demanded obedience. His eyes were sharp and filled with the kind of confidence that made you instinctively step back. He didn't have to speak to show he was in charge—everyone around him already knew it.
"Thank God you found her," he said, voice calm but laced with something dangerous. My stomach sank. One of the men who had kidnapped me… here, now, in front of me.
James didn't falter. He stepped slightly in front of me, fingers tightening around my hand. "We're not taking her back, Mitch," he said, his voice steady but edged with warning.
Mitch's smirk was slow, deliberate. "Dude, your mom will kill me if I tell her I let you two go." He closed the distance, each step measured, radiating authority. The tension between him and James was tangible—a long history etched in every glance, every muscle. But underneath it, I could see the edge of danger—the kind that made the hair on my arms stand up.
"I said no, Mitch!" James roared suddenly, the anger exploding from him like lightning. I flinched, my fear spiking, but then James glanced at me. His eyes softened briefly, silently apologizing for scaring me.
Neither of us saw what came next.
James doubled over with a sharp grunt as Mitch's fist slammed into his stomach. The impact was brutal, and I felt it reverberate through him. My breath caught as James staggered, his grip on my hand loosening for a second.
Before I could even react, Mitch swung again, this time aiming for James's head.
Instinct took over. James twisted, blocking the blow and pivoting into a counterstrike. His fist shot upward, connecting with Mitch's neck. The sound of the hit made my stomach twist. Mitch staggered back violently, coughing, clutching his throat as rage twisted his face.
"Mitch… I'm sorry," James panted, voice raw, his chest heaving. Even in the chaos, I could see the guilt written across his features.
Then Mitch's eyes shifted—to me. Before I could move, he lunged.
A strangled gasp tore from my throat as Mitch's hand shot toward my arm. I stepped back on instinct, but his reach was fast—too fast.
His grip tightened as he spoke, quietly mocking me. "Still think you smart huh?"
Then James was there.
He shoved Mitch so hard that the bigger man stumbled back a few feet, boots scraping against the dirt. "Don't you dare touch her!" James snarled, voice sharp enough to cut steel. The veins in his neck strained, and for the first time, I saw pure, unfiltered rage consume him.
Mitch straightened, lips curling into a dangerous smirk despite the shove. "Look at you," he taunted, his voice smooth, mocking. "Risking everything for her. Guess we're really doing this, huh?" He chuckled darkly, then added, "Fine. You want to play hero? Go ahead. But don't think for a second this ends here."
His tone was casual, but the promise buried in those words sent a chill racing through me.
I gripped James's arm tightly, my chest heaving as my heart pounded against my ribs. Mitch shot one last venomous glare at me before turning away, disappearing into the trees as silently as he came.
The silence that followed felt heavy, broken only by my ragged breathing. James turned to me slowly, his face softening as his hands came up to rest gently on my shoulders. His eyes searched mine like he needed to make sure I was real.
"You okay?" he asked, voice low and shaky, though he was trying to hide it.
I nodded, though my legs felt like they could give out any second. "Y-yeah… I think so."
James exhaled, relief washing over his face as he pulled me into a quick, tight hug. "God, Lexi," he murmured against my hair, the new name slipping out naturally, like he'd been holding it in. "You scared the hell out of me."
Lexi.
The sound of it caught me off guard, but in that moment, it felt… safe.
He pulled back just enough to look at me, his thumb brushing gently over my cheek. "You're okay now," he whispered. "I promise."
And for the first time since I met him, I almost believed him.