Chapter 280: So terribly much

Clinging desperately to his broad, powerful shoulders with my numb fingers, I could barely contain the sob threatening to tear out of my throat. My entire body was trembling.

Damian’s arms tightened around me with such fierce desperation that I thought my ribs might crack beneath the force of his embrace. He was holding me as though he could never bear to let me go again. And, truthfully, I didn’t want him to.

"You found me," I whispered, burying my cold nose against the curve of his warm neck. My voice broke, dissolving into a pathetic little rasp.

"I promised I’d always find you, no matter where you were."

Yes. I remembered now. I finally remembered.

He’d made that promise when we were children, on the day they’d torn us apart. And he’d kept it.

He’d actually found me.

Inhaling his familiar scent, I felt so overwhelmingly happy that I could hardly think straight. There was only one thing I wanted in that moment: to stay right here, pressed against him, as far away from that cursed place as possible.

I never wanted to let him go again.

"Please, take me away from here," I begged, clutching the fabric of his jacket.

It wasn’t easy for him. Given my petite frame and how desperately I was clinging to him, Damian had to bend down considerably so I could wrap my arms around his neck. My left hand was still cuffed, and the chain connecting it to the radiator was far too short.

For just a second, he released one arm from around my waist and caught the chain.

With a sudden, effortless jerk, he pulled it toward himself. The metal snapped with a sharp, scraping shriek that echoed through the room.

The next instant, his warm hands slipped beneath my thighs, lifting me effortlessly off the bed.

Even though I was wearing a dress, I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist. I wasn’t afraid he’d drop me. Not for a second. In his arms, I felt completely safe.

Only he could protect me from the nightmare I’d spent the last several hours trapped inside.

As he carried me out, I didn’t even look at the bastard lying motionless on the floor behind us. I buried my face against Damian’s chest, listening to the steady, reassuring beat of his heart.

The only thing I noticed was the sensation of climbing a flight of steep concrete stairs. That was when I realized we’d been held in a basement.

The moment we stepped outside, an icy gust of wind swept over my skin.

I shivered involuntarily, drawing my shoulders up as I lifted my head to finally see the place where they’d been keeping me.

Cars.

Nothing but cars as far as the eye could see. Mountains of old, mangled vehicles stood piled in enormous, rust-covered heaps, disappearing into the darkness. Some were stacked haphazardly on top of one another, while elsewhere, only twisted pieces of scrap metal lay scattered across the ground.

A cold, dreadful thought crept into my mind. This place looked disturbingly like a graveyard––a dead zone where nothing living belonged.

A shudder ran down my spine.

Sensing my reaction, Damian pulled me even closer, pressing my trembling body firmly against his chest. His embrace was almost suffocating, but I didn’t resist. I didn’t even think about it.

I couldn’t begin to imagine how he’d managed to find me in that labyrinth of twisted metal and rusting wreckage.

Turning my head, I looked back at the place we’d just emerged from. It wasn’t even a proper building. Just a rusty hatch set into the ground, almost indistinguishable from its surroundings, hidden amid the chaotic piles of abandoned cars.

His heavy footsteps crunched over the gravel, the sound echoing dully in my head. By the time we reached his car and he settled into the back seat with me, I still couldn’t bring myself to loosen my arms around his neck.

Getting inside had been something of a struggle. I could tell how awkward it was for him to maneuver with me clinging so tightly, but he didn’t complain. Not once.

Only after the heavy car door closed with a muted thud, shutting us off from the outside world, did he begin frantically running his hands over my body.

His movements were almost frantic, as though he needed to reassure himself that I was really there.

Like a blind man searching for confirmation, he checked every inch of me for injuries, broken bones, or anything that might have been damaged.

I remained silent, closing my eyes and surrendering to the warmth of his touch and the familiar scent that clung to him. It was comforting, grounding, and achingly familiar.

Goddess, I’d missed this. So terribly much.

When I finally leaned back enough to look into his eyes, he immediately cupped my face in both hands. His fingers moved gently over my cheeks before slipping into my tangled hair, carefully checking my scalp.

I couldn’t stop staring at him.

In the dim light of the car, his sharp features looked almost severe. His expression was tense, his dark eyes nearly black, his brows drawn into a deep frown. His lips were pressed into a thin, unforgiving line.

"Did he hurt you..." His voice broke.

"No. You got here in time," I interrupted quickly.

I couldn’t bear the thought of hearing the rest of that question. Even imagining what might have happened if he’d arrived a few minutes later made me sick.

"How did you find me?"

"We searched the entire city. They were using identical cars, all without license plates. They deliberately scattered in different directions to throw us off. We were almost out of leads when you called."

His jaw tightened.

"That call gave my men something to trace. They managed to pinpoint the tower, and we brought the trackers in. They picked up your scent and followed it straight to that fucking hatch. The blood in the basement helped, too. So did your belongings."

He practically growled the last few words. His fingers slid from my face to my shoulders, gripping them almost painfully.

Looking at his sharp features now, I could see that he hadn’t changed much at all. He was still the same serious, intimidating boy I’d known as a child, with that perpetually dark expression and an almost frightening capacity for anger.

But my memories had changed everything.

The fear I’d once associated with him had all but disappeared. Instead, I could see the little boy who had once promised to protect me, the boy who had been willing to tear the world apart for my sake.