CHAPTER 325: EVERYTHING DISAPPEARED (1)

Georgia’s POV

"Where do you think you’re going?"

The sound of that voice froze my blood. Before I could leap over the rail, a hand yanked me backward by my shirt.

"Let me go!" I screamed, thrashing wildly, but the other man, the one I had elbowed earlier, caught me from behind and twisted my arms cruelly behind my back.

"Damn it, we lost the kid and the other girl," he hissed.

"That’s fine," the other replied with a wicked grin. "This one’s the prize. The boss said to bring her alive before they lock the citadel."

I struggled harder, nails digging into my palms as I kicked at them. "Just save yourselves from the pirates and let me go! Pretend you didn’t find me!"

They only laughed.

"The price for you is higher, lady. We already called the coast guard, they’ll be here soon. And they won’t find us. But you..." He leaned close enough for me to smell his foul breath. "You’re headed straight to our boss’s arms."

I glared at him, but before I could spit out another word, they dragged me back to the hallway. My bare feet skidded against the metal floor, my breath ragged and burning in my chest.

And then I saw her—Nancy.

She stood waiting near the corridor, surrounded by armed men. Her lips curled into that familiar, smug smile.

"Boss, we caught her," one of the men said, shoving me forward.

"Good," a deep voice answered. "Maybe I should make her mine before those fucking pirates climb this ship. You all go hide in the citadel. I’ll follow."

The man stepped forward, and the moment I saw his face, my stomach dropped.

No... it can’t be.

"I know you..." I breathed.

A dark smirk curved his lips. "So you remember me? Perfect. No introductions needed. Call me Daddy Jay. Since I’m taking you home."

My skin crawled. He was always in my brother’s office when he was still alive, almost every week. But he suddenly vanished before his death, and I thought he was just another client. But apparently he was not.

"You’re insane!"

He tilted his head, amusement dancing in his cold eyes. "If David and Raymond had given you to me, David would still be alive. We could’ve been family by now, sweetheart. And all your family’s debt to me couldn’t have been erased."

"What?!" My heart pounded painfully against my ribs. "What are you talking about?!"

Jay turned to Nancy with a mocking chuckle. "So she didn’t know about what happened? Still loyal to Raymond after everything?"

Nancy rolled her eyes. "Don’t count on it. Just do what you need to do and follow us."

Jay turned back to me, eyes glinting. "You heard her. Let’s have a little... conversation—with our bodies."

"Remove your filthy hands from me!" I spat, thrashing harder.

He laughed, lifting me effortlessly and throwing me over his shoulder. My fists pounded his back, my screams echoing through the hallway. But before he could take another step—

*BANG!*

The sound tore through the hallway like thunder.

No! The pirates are here already? My mind panicked, even though I knew it was not me who got hit.

I knew because Jay jerked violently, the force of the gunshot made him drop me to the floor. I gasped, my ears ringing, heart hammering. The men behind us shouted in alarm, guns being drawn.

And then I heard it—

"You’re not going anywhere with my wife."

That voice.

My heart stopped. Slowly, I turned toward the end of the corridor.

There he was.

Nick.

He stood tall amid the chaos—eyes burning, jaw clenched, his gun leveled at Jay.

For a moment, everything stopped. The shouting, the footsteps, even the roaring of the ship. All I could hear was the rush of my own pulse and the sound of his voice echoing in my chest.

"Nick..." I whispered, breathless, tears burning my eyes.

He came for me.

Everything happened too fast.

The ringing in my ears from that gunshot hadn’t even faded when Jay’s men raised their weapons—half a dozen muzzles all aimed straight at Nick.

"Drop the gun, hero!" one of them barked.

Nick didn’t flinch. His aim stayed locked on Jay, eyes dark and steady like a man who’d already accepted death even if it meant taking his enemy down with him.

But Jay moved first.

He lunged forward, his arm wrapping tight around my neck. "You shoot," he hissed, pressing the cold barrel of his gun against my temple, "and I’ll make sure your precious wife’s brains decorate the floor."

"Let her go," Nick growled, voice low and deadly.

Jay only laughed, his breath hot against my ear. "You think you’ve won just because you made it here?"

Before Nick could respond, footsteps thundered behind Jay’s men.

"Drop your weapons!"

Liam’s voice. Then Steven’s.

I turned slightly and saw them—both standing behind Jay’s men, guns drawn, eyes blazing. The standoff was electric, every second stretching thin like glass about to shatter.

Jay tightened his hold on me and hissed in pain; I saw the blood soaking through his pant leg. He was hit earlier—Nick’s bullet.

"Back off!" he roared, dragging me backward toward the rear deck. His limp made him slower, but the desperation in his eyes was feral. "I’ll take her with me if I have to!"

"Stop! There’s nowhere to go!" Steven shouted, stepping forward.

But then, chaos erupted.

One of the crew shouted from above, "The pirates are on board!"

Gunfire cracked from somewhere up front. Alarms blared once again. The men holding Nick at gunpoint faltered, some turning their heads toward the noise.

That was my chance.

With every ounce of strength left in me, I twisted and bit down hard on Jay’s arm. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as he screamed in rage and shoved me away.

"You bitch!"

Nick fired immediately, but Jay ducked, dragging his injured leg toward cover as his men opened fire. Bullets exploded around us, ricocheting off steel. I ran, heart pounding, lungs burning, out onto the open deck. The cold sea air slapped my face as I sprinted toward the railings, where I had released the lifeboat earlier. Amara and Katie must still be close behind.

Behind me, I could hear Jay yelling orders. Then his voice—closer, louder—

"I’d rather see you dead than watch you escape from me!"

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

Bullets tore through the night. One whizzed past my ear; another hit the metal beside me, showering sparks. I reached the railing, gripping it tight with trembling hands, ready to jump—ready to take my chances with the dark, furious sea below.

Then a white-hot pain seared through my arm.

"Aah!"

The bullet grazed me, the force making me lose my grip. The world tilted, the cold wind rushing around me as my balance slipped away.

For a brief, weightless second, I saw Nick running toward me, his mouth moving—shouting my name.

Then everything disappeared.

The ship’s lights blurred above me as I fell backward into the black water below.

*SPLASH*

The cold swallowed me whole.