Carmen pulled on the t-shirt with the cruise line logo and the ship's name—one of the articles everyone on the cruise had received in their welcome packages.
Beside her, Molly did the same, wearing an identical t-shirt that Jasper managed to get from his room. She tied her hair up and secured it with a cap on her head.
Once Carmen and Molly looked somewhat alike—not exactly the same, but close enough to confuse anyone who might be looking—they both turned to Ronin and Jasper, who were waiting at the door.
"Let's hope this works," Jasper said, crossing his fingers and looking at the two of them.
Ronin let out a sigh. "It has to. Come on, we can't waste time. If Simon realizes I helped Carmen escape, this will be the first place he'll come looking."
"Let me get this straight," Molly said, feeling a bit nervous and wanting to clarify a few things, afraid that she might mess everything up. "The cameras are turned off, and we're going to leave this floor and move to a more crowded area."
"Exactly!" Jasper confirmed. "Simon might be obsessed, but he's not dumb. He won't want to disturb his guests if he can avoid it. We just need to keep him away from Carmen for a few hours until the authorities arrive and we can ensure Carmen's safety. But if he tries anything suspicious, we can split up and throw him off our trail."
Carmen grabbed Molly's hand and turned to face her. She could sense her friend's nervousness. "You don't have to do this. We can come up with another plan."
"Are you kidding me? No. We're doing this. I won't abandon you when you need me the most," Molly said, determined. She turned to Ronin. "Let's do it."
* * *
Ronin held Carmen's hand and watched as Jasper held Molly's. They all stepped out of Ronin's room and carefully looked around. Not many people were lingering in the corridor, and that meant they had to start moving.
They all walked in pairs and stayed cautious of the people around them.
A few couples and lonely bodies that walked past them either seemed to be minding their own business or were too drunk to care. Fortunately, the ongoing pool party worked to their advantage—if they could manage to blend Carmen and Molly into the crowd, they could easily buy enough time to keep Simon and his men distracted.
However, just as they turned the corner towards the elevators, the doors unexpectedly opened, revealing two men dressed in suits instead of staff uniforms. The way their gaze immediately fixated on the four of them sent a surge of alarm through Ronin's mind.
"Right now!" Ronin urgently whispered, quickly spinning around and pulling Carmen along with him.
Jasper and Molly swiftly followed suit, dashing towards the opposite end of the hallway. With some luck, they might reach the elevator and temporarily shake off their pursuers.
Carmen's heart raced in her chest, but she couldn't deny that she had never felt safer than she did next to Ronin. The way he tightly held her hand and appeared ready to lead her to safety revealed a whole new facet of his character— a face that she had never seen before.
As they hurried down the narrow hallway, a staff member pushing a trolley emerged, heading towards them. Ronin swiftly took the lead, tilting to the side in order to squeeze through the narrow gap between the trolley and the wall. He quickly checked to make sure Carmen did the same
They turned a corner and saw a staircase, but at the same time, the doors of an empty elevator opened to their left.
Ronin acted fast.
"Jasper, take the elevator!" He yelled over his shoulder and pulled Carmen towards the stairs.
Jasper nodded quickly and led Molly into the elevator, but just before the doors could close, he shouted, "See you up there!"
Right on cue, two men in suits arrived, out of breath and momentarily unsure of their next move. Since both women looked somewhat similar, wearing matching cruise' white t-shirts, red caps, and skirts that could easily belong to anyone, they quickly decided to split up and follow them separately.
* * *
The elevator doors hinged open, revealing the atrium, but before Jasper and Molly could step out, they came to an abrupt halt, their eyes locked onto the intimidating figure blocking their path.
This guy was rocking a slick leather jacket and faded jeans, casually chewing on a toothpick, while he tilted his head and aimed his gun right at them.
"Come on," he commanded, nodding his head for them to exit, but also warning them not to pull any stupid moves. "Let's go!"
* * *
Ronin forcefully swung open the heavy doors, stepping into the new corridor on the upper deck. He quickly surveyed the area before urgently pulling Carmen towards the staff washroom. He could hear footsteps trailing behind them, and he knew they had to shake off their pursuer as soon as possible.
As soon as they shut the washroom door behind them, the heavy doors leading to the corridor swung open again, and the man chasing them made his presence known. He was out of breath, scanning the surroundings to figure out where they might have gone.
Unable to find their trail, he reached for his walkie-talkie and spoke into it. "Lost track of that Logan. What's your status?"
Another man responded, gasping for air. "Viper got them!" he said between heavy breaths. "We are heading to the chamber. See you there!"
"Sounds about right. Okay. Meet you there," the pursuer replied before ending the transmission.
Ronin and Carmen found refuge inside one of the stalls, their hearts pounding as they held their breaths. They could hear the door open and the sound of footsteps moving around, but no one bothered to check inside the stalls.
After a tense moment, the door opened once more, and before they knew it, they were alone.
Carmen glanced up at Ronin, noticing the tension in his jaw and the stiffness in his shoulders. His gaze was fixed on the latch of the door, and his body pressed protectively against hers.
She could sense his mind racing, strategizing their next move. She admired his ability to stay calm and focused in the face of danger.
Ronin slowly eased his grip on her, but his vigilant stance remained unchanged. His voice was a mere whisper as he leaned in to speak near her ear, his breath hot against her skin. "We need to be careful. They might still be outside. Let's wait here for a while and see if it's safe to make a move."
Carmen nodded, understanding the need for caution.
After a brief wait, they cautiously stepped out of the washroom, only to find the corridor mostly empty. Ronin scanned both directions before leading Carmen back towards the elevators. However, just as he was about to press the button for the floor where the party was still in full swing, a voice called out from behind them.
"Hey, you! Stop!"
Carmen gasped and felt a tug towards Ronin, her chest colliding with his side before he turned around and stepped in front of her.
There was no time to run.
The guy seemed furious as he aggressively charged at Ronin, aiming to separate him from Carmen and snatch her away. But Ronin wasn't going to let it slide so easily. He skillfully dodged the man's attack, swiftly ducking under his swinging arm, and delivered a powerful smack to the man's head.
The impact sent the man stumbling backwards, momentarily disoriented. Taking advantage of the opening, Ronin swiftly maneuvered himself between Carmen and their attacker, ready to defend her no matter what.
The tension was crazy thick in the air as the guy recovered, his anger making him even more determined. He lunged at Ronin once again, trying to overpower him and snatch Carmen.
But Ronin was ready. He sidestepped the attack, using the guy's own momentum against him. In a flash, he kicked the guy's legs, making him stumble and lose his balance.
Meanwhile, Carmen frantically pressed all the elevator buttons, desperately hoping it would arrive before the situation escalated. Finally, the doors opened. Carmen swiftly slipped inside and urged Ronin to join her. "Ronin, let's go!" She positioned herself near the buttons, ready to close the doors as soon as Ronin was inside.
Ronin delivered a powerful kick to the man's abdomen, swiftly turned, and sprinted towards the elevator. However, just as the doors were about to close, the man managed to stick his foot inside, only to curse in pain as the doors crushed his foot before reopening.
Ronin landed another kick on the man, sending him stumbling backwards and wailing in pain. He quickly punched the button to close the elevator doors, ensuring their escape.
Carmen slumped against the elevator wall, her breathing heavy and filled with fear. Ronin mirrored her, his hand pressed against his side, wincing as his fingers came away stained with blood. "Damn it! I've reopened my stitches," he muttered through gritted teeth.
Carmen's eyes widened in alarm at the sight of the blood, and in an instant, she was standing before him, attempting to assess the extent of the crimson stain spreading across his shirt. "Did he hurt you?"
Ronin locked eyes with her, captivated by the genuine concern etched on her face and the glimmering tears in her eyes. Despite the waves of pain coursing through his body, his heart skipped a beat at her unwavering display of care. "Nah, it's nothing," he reassured her, attempting to downplay the situation. "Just a scratch. I can handle it."
Carmen wasn't convinced. She could see the strain on his face and the way he winced with each movement. He was clearly in pain. Why was he trying to hide it? Why did he appear as if it were the least of his concerns?
When Carmen tried to pull his shirt out of his pants to get a better look, Ronin grabbed her wrist. She just wanted to see the extent of his injury.
"Please," she pleaded with him. "Just let me see."
Ronin had no intention of allowing her to see. He knew what she would find, having already torn open the stitches two days ago in San Francisco. But there was something in her eyes that weakened his determination, and before he realized it, he released his grip on her wrist and let his arm drop to his side.
Carmen's eyes widened as he finally relented, loosening his grip on her wrist. She carefully stepped closer, preparing herself for the worst but hoping it wasn't.
Gently, she reached out to lift the edge of his shirt, her fingers trembling slightly.
As the fabric lifted, Carmen's breath caught in her throat. The wound was far worse than she had anticipated. The stitches were torn, and the skin around them was swollen and discolored.
"We need to get you proper medical attention," Carmen said, her voice filled with urgency. "This looks serious, Ronin. Ignoring it won't make it go away."
Ronin, who had finally regained his senses, found it easier to be curt as he yanked his shirt out of her grasp and let it fall. "I told you, I'm fine," he grumbled, though Carmen sensed his response stemmed more from pain than anger.
"Ronin!"
"I've dealt with worse," he muttered, his voice strained. "I don't need anyone fussing over me."
Before Carmen had a chance to argue, the doors suddenly swung open to one of the higher floors, and they were instantly overwhelmed by blaring music and the unmistakable scent of the ocean.
But before they could take more than a few steps toward the deck, they found themselves surrounded by several men. "Damn it!" Ronin cursed, stepping back and desperately searching for a way to escape.
Even Carmen knew there was no way out of this. They were clearly outnumbered. There was no chance of diverting the attention of so many people simultaneously. Ronin was already too injured to endure another physical confrontation, and even if he could, Carmen wouldn't allow it.
The chase was over.
Note: Okay, I'm not sure if it's a big deal or not, but a few hours ago Wattpad added BILLIONAIRE'S SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE in its reading list titled "Unlimited Luxury, big time love" and I'm screaming :D Omg I can't--