As I went further into the jungle, I realized looking at it from a distance didn't do justice to its density. The sky was getting darker and I was surrounded by trees from all side. A part of me was elated that I was out of that prison but the other part of me was petrified. I didn't do all that just to become feed of a wild animal.

Hardly fifteen minutes had passed when I heard a loud voice. "Penelope!" The voice roared loudly and angrily and I jumped in my position. It belonged to Enzo and it came from somewhere closer.

Enzo was the scariest Machiavelli brother and given his history of jail, I knew he was capable of anything. I increased my speed in the opposite direction of the voice. My heart was beating fast inside my chest and my legs were shaking, yet I kept my pace steady. I couldn't let my efforts go to waste, I needed to escape this.

"Penelope! Come back and I'll forgive you." The voice sounded a lot more closer this time. I braced my trembling body and kept running.

My pace might have led me out of risk if it wasn't for the twig in my way that caused me to topple onto the ground. A small screech left my mouth as my arms got scratched due to the uneven ground and the thorny branches.

"I can hear you, love." Enzo shouted and then let out a sardonic laugh. I knew he was close and it won't be long before he catch me. "I am going to catch you and you'll pay for it."

With a sprained ankle, I stood up and went behind a tall, thick tree. I leaned my back against the bark and let out deep breaths. There was blood pooling out of a deep scratch on the back of my hand but the adrenaline kept the pain away.

"I know you are here." I heard Enzo's voice behind me. I angled my neck to take a peek and found him at a distance, looking all around for me.

"Oh God!" I muttered in my mouth as my breaths grew heavy. My chest felt tightened and I realized I was close to a panic attack. "Calm down Penelope. Calm down." I said while closing my eyes shut.

After some five minutes, the sound of Enzo's footsteps stopped reaching my ears. I took a sigh of relief and came out from behind the tree, only to come face to face with the same person I was running from. "Shit." I said as I stepped back.

Enzo hopped towards me with a deadly look on his face. I tried to run but he gripped me by my wrist and pushed me back on the ground, straddling me. "I already warned you. You'll pay for it." He said as he wrapped his hands around my neck and began choking me.

Not knowing what to do, I bit his arm with that was choking me. At first, he didn't react but when I bit him harder, he pulled his hand away in pain. "Crazy bitch."

"Crazier." I said and fisted my hand on the muddy ground. I rubbed the handful of dirty mud on his eyes and he groaned in frustration, pulling back from me. While he was wiping his face off, I used the same trick I had used with Marco. I punched him in the ball and he let out a deep growl. For a moment, he lost his balance and I used this opportunity to push him off me.

He was much more powerful than Marco and it was impossible for me to physically overpower him. The only option I had was to run faster than him so that's what I did. I ran away like my life depended on it, which it really did.

Enzo had gotten over the punch and now, he was once again following me. I could hear the sound of his footsteps behind me but I kept running. The adrenaline pumping through my vessels helped me get over my fear.

A ray of hope appeared when I saw a road at some distance. Enzo was close to me and if he caught me this time, he won't risk letting me go. I was regretting not working out regularly because my legs had started to get cramps.

"Just a little more." I pushed myself.

Once I finally reached the road, I paused for moment, looking both right and left. Sighing, I ran towards the left but Enzo hopped over from the other side and crossed my path, making me stop in my tracks.

"Finally." He said and took a step towards me.

I didn't have it in me to run another mile. My body had started to give up and so had my mind. It was over, he had won and I was going to die.

But fate had another plans for me. On the exact moment, a car came from the other side at full speed, it's headlight blinding us in the darkness of the night. The car stopped at a some distance and when I saw who appeared out of it, my heart almost stopped because of the happiness.

Sean.

"FBI." The other man who stepped out the car said as he aimed his gun at Enzo. I didn't see what happened there because my attention was on Sean. With the newly found strength, I ran towards him and ignoring the dumbfounded look on his face, enveloped him into a hug. Once the initial surprise ended, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer to him. My heart that was beating like a drug started to calm down as I finally felt safe in his arms.

•°•°•°•

What a day it was!

I still didn't believe it was over, that I was safe and out of reach of those animals.

My body was still shivering with fear of what could have happened if Sean hadn't reached on time. I might not even be alive.

I was propped up on the bed, hugging my knees, reliving those memories again and again in my head. Once the adrenaline left my body, I realized how much my body hurt. All the falling, the fight with Marco, the struggle against Enzo, the scratches, the cramps, everything started to hurt.

"Here." I was lost in the thoughts when Sean's voice reached my ears. I looked at the plate of soup in front of me and then at his face filled with worry.

"I'm not hungry." I said weakly.

"You need this." He said and brought a spoonful towards me. While I sipped that, he patted my back in gentle circles with other hand and I realized he might have noticed the trembling.

While the FBI dealt with Machiavelli's, Sean drove me away to the nearest hotel where I could catch my breath. He knew my state and he knew I was in no condition of driving hours to reach home. Once in the hotel, he took me to a cozy room and made me sit on the bed while he arranged food.

"Drink it. I'll bring something to clean you." He said and I noticed all the dirt and the blood that covered me.

I nodded and finished the bowl, placing it on the side table. He came back with a bowl of water and a washcloth. "Can I?" He pointed towards the hoodie. I nodded and let him take off the hoodie, leaving behind my flimsy bra.

He wet the washcloth and wiped the mud off my face, all the while his eyes looking deep into mine with concern. I didn't know how much I was used to him until I was away from him. He might be the coldest, most arrogant man out there but for me, he was epitome of warmth and I had missed that warmth so much.

His hands lowered to my neck and he rubbed the blood off a cut. I winced and his eyes filled with worry. "I have asked the room service for painkillers." He said.

"It's ok." I said. "I'll take a bath."

He nodded and helped me walk towards the bathroom. I closed the door and stood beneath the shower while the water washed away all the dirt. Once I felt clean, I wrapped the bathrobe around me and walked back to the room.

The bedsheets were changed now and Sean was standing in the window. Once he noticed me, his eyes travelled from my head to toe and then stopped back at my face. Walking closer to me, he rested his hand on both my arms and looked into my eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't save you earlier." He said.

"It's okay. You saved me, that's important. Besides, you made me realize what I was capable of." I said, passing him a feeble smile.

"Yeah, I heard. You did that to Marco?" He asked and I nodded.

We both smiled while looking into each others eyes. I wanted to hug him but I didn't know how to initiate that. So I stayed there awkwardly, waiting for him to take the first step.

And I'm glad he did.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me towards himself, resting his head on the crook of my neck. I inhaled his masculine scent and it filled me with a feeling of safely and warmth. I wanted to be more close to him, so close that we were one.

Resting my hand on his cheek, I cupped his face and began kissing his mouth. The kiss started slow but soon, it filled up with need and desire to be even closer. He let out a gutteral sound from somewhere deep in his throat and began kissing me hungrily, letting his mouth devour him.

"Sean," I whispered as I realized why we were staying away before all this happened. My sanity began to reappear and I distanced myself from him. "Hailey."

"I broke the engagement." He said and showed me the ring in his pocket.

A sudden sense of euphoria filled me and I gripped his face again, pulling him closer to me for a kiss. While out tongues fought for dominance, he picked me up and took me to the bed. He lay me down and sneaked over me, kissing me like his life depended on it. After a while, he moved his attention to my neck, leaving a wet trail from my mouth down to the hollow in between my collarbones.

His hand travelled my whole body, making its way under my robe and to my breasts. My eyes closed in pleasure while he kissed the sensitive spot of my neck and his hand took its liberty on my chest. He untied my robe and it slid off, revealing my very naked body. His lips then replaced his hands and I let out a moan, my toes curling in pleasure.

I wanted to feel his skin on me so I unbuttoned his shirt in the haze of lust. Taking it off, I kissed the bronze skin of his neck and he groaned. His hands travelled south beneath my belly and his rough fingers tickled the skin between my thighs.

I bit my lips, trying to stop the embarrassing sounds that escaped my lips because of his action down there. He kissed me again, pouring all his feelings for me in his kiss, while his fingers took charge of my body. All the nerves of my body gathered in my belly while he continued his onslaught, making me pant in the heat of emotions.

I was close, so close, unbelievably close, when his fingers stopped. I opened my eyes and found him smiling at me with dilated eyes and flushed cheeks. "Don't stop." I said, more like begged.

"Be patient." He said and pulled away to unzip his pants. He once again towered over me while our bodies met in the heat of passion.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

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