The heartbreak on Kirk’s face was devastating.

“I’m going to fucking kill you!” Kirk suddenly started to thrash about in his chair, obviously trying to break free.

Van slapped his cheek so hard that I feared he had broken Kirk’s neck. “That’s where you’re mistaken.” He leaned down, face-to-face with Kirk, his dark, beady eyes full of evil. “Because today, you join your brother.”

Suddenly, Kirk jerked his head forward, crashing it against Van’s. He fell back, tumbling into Trang and me. The girl lost her grip on me. I stumbled before I regained my composure, taking my opportunity to rush over to Kirk.

My fingers shook as I tried to untie the rope that bound his wrists together.

“Come on, Sidney…” Kirk whispered, desperate for me to free him.

I worked as fast as I could, constantly looking over my shoulder at Van and Trang. The traitor was fretting over her lover, looking over the lump on his forehead. He slapped her hand away, growling before he marched toward us.

“Run!” Kirk screamed, but I couldn’t just leave him to die. I kept at the knots, cursing myself for working so slowly.

Before I could do anything useful, Van grabbed me by the hair, yanking me to my feet.

I whimpered, clawing at his hand, desperately trying to get him to let go of me. “Please…”

“It’s too late to beg, you whore.” He grabbed his knife from the ground. “Now, your boyfriend will get a nice show as I kill you.” The blade sliced through the thin material of my shirt with ease, exposing my chest. I squirmed, fearing the worst.

He ran the blade across my stomach, making me cry out in pain. The sharp edge crept into my bra, getting dangerously close to my nipples. I squirmed even harder, kicking my legs, trying to put up a fight.

Before I could land a hit, he slapped my cheek, knocking me to the ground. He barked an order at Trang, who immediately left the room.

I crawled backward as Van hulked toward me, his nostrils flaring. “It’s a shame… really. You’d do well as one of my girls…” His eyes washed over my body hungrily before he grabbed me by the throat, lifting me to my feet. My face turned red from the lack of air.

I was starting to get lightheaded when something came crashing into Van. My world tumbled out of focus before I heard the sound of two men tussling.

Kirk threw down a punch, landing it against the concrete floor. Van rammed his knee into Kirk’s chest, winding him.

There had to be something I could do.

I looked around, spotting the knife on the ground. I crawled toward it, still feeling like I was breathing through a straw from my close encounter with death. I held the hilt, my hand shaking as my heart beat faster and faster.

Just as I was about to sink the blade into Van’s back, he turned the tables, using Kirk as a human shield. I was seconds away from plunging the knife into Kirk when I stopped myself just in time. Before I could realize what was happening, Van swiped the weapon from my hand, pressing it to Kirk’s neck.

Blood spilled on the ground. The smell was potent, making me sick to my stomach.

“Kirk…!” I screamed, fearing the worst.

I lunged toward Kirk, but before I could reach him, Van grabbed me, tossing me over his shoulder like I was a sack of potatoes. I banged against his back, kicking my legs hard. “Let me go!” I screamed, tears blurring my vision.

I couldn’t believe it.

Kirk was dead…

“You’ll be begging me to kill you by the time I’m done with you.”

My eyes widened when he slammed me against the wall, grabbing one of my breasts in his hand and fondling it roughly. I whimpered, trying to put up a fight, but it was like all motivation to stay alive had been sucked out of me the second I saw Kirk’s lifeless body.

Van grinned, his face cloaked in shadows like a real-life monster.

“I told you to keep your filthy hands off her.” Kirk suddenly appeared behind the Gorilla leader, his belt in hand. In a flash, he had it wrapped around the Gorilla leader’s neck, strangling him.

Van’s eyes bugged out of his skull as he clawed at the thick leather, desperate for air.

I grabbed the knife from his hand, holding it high, ready to plunge it into his chest, my anger surging through me like never before.

But before I could kill him, he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Kirk dropped his belt, breathing hard before he looked up at me, flashing me his signature grin. “You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?”

I was frozen for a second, feeling like I was staring at a ghost. I had been so sure he was dead. Overwhelmed, I rushed forward, wrapping my arms around him tightly.

He pulled me close, his hands running over my hair in a soothing motion. “Shh. It’s okay. I’m sorry I dragged you into this mess…” he whispered in my ear.

I could tell he was crying. I shook my head, but I couldn’t think of anything to say that would comfort him, so I just took his head in my hands, looking into his piercing blue eyes. In that moment, the world was a violent, messed-up place, but none of that mattered as long as I could spend my life with Kirk.

With this thought, I kissed him hard, thankful that we had both survived this horrible ordeal.

But as we continued to kiss, I felt something sticky on my palm. I pulled away, my hand covered in blood. “Kirk… you’re bleeding,” I whispered in horror. Immediately, I pressed my hand against the deep gash on his neck. “We need to get you help…” I was already starting to panic, imagining a situation where Kirk bled out in my arms.

“Sidney…” His voice was soft but strained. His skin was pale. He was getting weaker. I could sense it.

“We don’t have time for this. We need to get help.” I pulled him toward the door, but he stopped me.

“The place is probably heavily guarded. I won’t be able to leave. But you can.”

I shook my head. “I’m not leaving without you.”

“I’ll cause a distraction, and hopefully, that’ll give you enough time to run.”

“Kirk, I’m not leaving you behind.” The tears were burning at the corner of my eyes. “You just came back… I can’t lose you again.” I held on to his shirt, pleading with him. “Please…”

He held me by the hips, his eyelids drooping. “I’m a dead man, Sid –”

“Don’t talk like that!” I pressed my hand against his neck even harder. “We’re going to make it out of this.”

Suddenly, someone cleared their throat behind us.

I whipped around, expecting a member of the Gorillas, but instead, I saw an American soldier.

“M-Martin?” Kirk croaked.

“I figured I’d have to save you from that suicide mission. I was right.” Martin looked unimpressed as he glanced over at Van. “You didn’t kill him, did you?”

“No…” He started to say something, but before he could finish his sentence, his body gave out, and he collapsed into my arms.