The silence that followed was sharp. Dust hung in the air.
Lara stepped out—slow, confident, like she'd done this a hundred times. Her shoes hit the ground, steady. Her gaze, cold.
Zain got out too, leaning casually against their car door, eyes locked on her as she stood facing the black car. He folded his arms, that grin never leaving.
"And here I thought the rollercoaster was the highlight of the day."
Lara didn't even glance at him. "Stay out of this, Zain."
He chuckled, low. "Not a chance. This—" he gestured to the scene before them, "—is way too interesting to walk away from."
Lara's eyes stayed on the black car, her voice firm. "Good. Then don't get in my way."
And for the first time that day, Zain wasn't teasing. He looked at her like she was fire—dangerous, magnetic, impossible to look away from.
Two men from the black car stepped out and came straight at Lara. She dodged every swing—sharp, fast—then landed a clean kick that sent one stumbling back.
Before she could catch her breath, two more black sedans screeched to a stop, surrounding them.
"Perfect," Zain muttered.
Lara didn't even flinch.
Gunfire cracked through the air. Lara dove, rolled, and came up firing. Not scared—just focused. Her movements were too fast, too clean. Like she'd done this before.
One guy was down in seconds. Lara ducked, rolled again, kicked another man's hand, and disarmed him just as fast. The rest froze, stunned by her speed. Their hesitation gave her just enough time to take cover behind a bumper.
Zain stepped forward, hands still in his pockets, completely unfazed.
"Remind me," he called out, eyes glinting, "is this the part where I'm supposed to act terrified, or just keep enjoying the view?"
Lara half-turned, that familiar smirk flickering across her face.
"Enjoy it while you can. Might not stay pretty for long."
Zain chuckled, cracking his neck lazily.
"Now it's getting fun," he murmured.
The shooters regrouped, shouting orders. Lara tilted her head slightly, giving a subtle hand signal to Zain. He caught it instantly.
He grinned. "So… we're doing this together now?"
"Try to keep up," she said, eyes locked ahead.