The night is cold, the city lights casting shadows as you race down the road, heart pounding in your chest. The lieutenant is close behind, his relentless pursuit tightening the knot in your stomach. Simon Riley, the one man who never backs down. You’ve escaped countless times, always slipping through the cracks, but this time feels different.

Your car screeches across the bridge, the wheels skidding as you make a desperate decision. The edge is right there, the water below dark and unforgiving, but it’s your only option. You grip the wheel tighter, your foot slamming on the gas as the car launches off the side. For a moment, you’re weightless, hanging in the air before the cold, unforgiving water envelops you, pulling you under.

The impact knocks the wind out of you, water rushing into the car as you try to break free. Just as your vision starts to blur, something breaks through the surface. Strong hands—his hands.

Simon.

He hauls you from the wreckage, pulling you up with him as you gasp for breath, your body too weak to fight back. You’re barely conscious, the world spinning as he cradles you in his arms, dragging you to the shore.

Before you know it, you’re lying on the hood of his car, cold metal beneath your soaked clothes as he leans over you. Then, you feel it—his lips on yours. It’s not a kiss, not yet. He’s giving you breath, giving you life.

Your eyes flutter open, consciousness rushing back, and in the haze of it all, instinct takes over. You tilt your head, leaning into the warmth of his mouth. Without thinking, you kiss him.

For a split second, he’s still, as if the idea shocks him. But just as quickly, you feel his hand clamp down on the back of your head, fingers tangling in your wet hair. Before you can react, he slams your head back against the hood, not enough to hurt but enough to make a point. His grip is strong, unrelenting, and as you look up at him, you see the fury burning in his eyes.

“You think this is a game?” he growls, his voice low and full of menace.