The CEO and the Country Wildflower chapter 16

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The CEO and the Country Wildflower


Chapter 16: The Edge of Darkness


The world went black. Emelly’s ears rang from the deafening gunshots, her body frozen in place as chaos erupted around her. The last thing she remembered was Lucas shoving her behind a stack of crates, his voice sharp with command—"Stay down!"—before the warehouse exploded into violence. Now, the air was thick with smoke and the metallic tang of blood. Her fingers trembled as she pressed them against her side, pulling them back to find them slick. Oh no. "Lucas?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the groans of injured men and the distant wail of sirens. No answer. Panic clawed at her throat. She forced herself to crawl forward, ignoring the searing pain in her ribs.


Through the haze, she saw Tony slumped against a wall, clutching his shoulder, his face pale. Jane was already at his side, her hands shaking as she tried to stem the bleeding with a torn piece of her shirt.


"Emelly!" Jane gasped when she spotted her. "You're hurt—" "Where’s Lucas?"


Emelly demanded, her vision swimming. Before Jane could answer, a shadow loomed over them. Emelly looked up—and there he was. Lucas York, his usually immaculate suit torn and bloodied, his jaw set in a hard line. His dark eyes burned with something she’d never seen before—raw, unfiltered fear. "You," he growled, dropping to his knees beside her, his hands hovering over her wound like he was afraid to touch her. "You reckless, impossible woman." Emelly tried to smirk, but it came out as a wince. "Still… not fired, are I?" Lucas exhaled sharply, his fingers finally pressing a wad of fabric against her side. "Not yet. But if you die on me, I swear I’ll—"


"Resurrect me just to fire me?" she wheezed. His grip tightened. "Something like that." The sound of approaching footsteps made them both tense. David appeared, his usually composed face tight with urgency. "Boss, we need to move. Brown’s men are regrouping, and the cops are minutes away." Lucas didn’t hesitate. He slid one arm under Emelly’s knees, the other around her back, and lifted her effortlessly against his chest. She yelped at the sudden movement, her fingers instinctively curling into his shirt.


"Put me down! I can walk—" "You can barely breathe," he snapped, already striding toward the exit. "For once in your life, listen." She wanted to argue, but the pain was too much. Instead, she let her head rest against his shoulder, breathing in the scent of his cologne mixed with gunpowder. It was oddly comforting.


Behind them, Tony groaned as David helped him up. "Remind me never to get kidnapped again," he muttered. Jane snorted, though her hands were still trembling. "Next time, maybe don’t answer mysterious texts from unknown numbers." "Hey, it looked like a work email!" Lucas ignored their banter, his focus entirely on the woman in his arms. Emelly’s eyelids fluttered, her consciousness slipping. "Stay awake," he ordered, his voice low but fierce. "That’s an order."


She managed a weak smile. "Since when… do I follow orders?" His jaw clenched. "Since now." The world blurred at the edges as they burst out of the warehouse into the cold night air. The flashing lights of emergency vehicles painted the scene in red and blue. Paramedics rushed toward them, but Lucas refused to let go until they pried Emelly from his arms. As they loaded her into the ambulance, her fingers weakly caught his. "Lucas…" He leaned in, his breath warm against her ear.


"I’ll be right behind you." She wanted to believe him. But as the doors closed and the ambulance sped away, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something worse was coming. And she was right.


Because in the shadows, Leo Brown watched—and smiled.