Page 52 of Surrendering to the Obsession

Before anyone could speak, before they could blink—Mia pulled the trigger.

Once.

Click.

Twice.

Click.

A third time.

Click.

The three empty clicks echoed like explosions in the still room.

It happened so fast the men didn’t even have time to reach for their weapons. Time seemed to stop. James felt his heart slam so violently into his ribs it hurt. He couldn’t breathe.

The kidnapper’s face contorted in shock. “You… you used a trick, didn’t you?” he accused, voice tight.

Mia stared back at him with cold calm. “You spun the cylinder yourself,” she reminded him. “How could I cheat?”

She angled the gun toward him, chin lifting. “There’s only one bullet left. It’s your turn.”

Something flickered in the man’s eyes—anger, disbelief, maybe even respect. With a curse under his breath, he snatched the gun from her hand.

He raised it toward his temple.

Pause.

At the last second—he jerked the gun upward.

BANG.

The gunshot roared through the club room, rattling the metal door, shaking dust from the ceiling.

Mia didn’t flinch.

She simply lowered her hands and whispered, almost softly, “We’re done.”

The leader stared at her for several long seconds, chest rising and falling hard. Then he gave a single stiff nod.

“We’re done,” he echoed quietly. “I’ll let you go… this time.”

He jerked his hand toward the exit. His men hesitated, still shaken, but followed him out without another word.

The moment the last footsteps faded, Mia’s breath broke out in a shaky exhale. Only then did she realize she’d been holding it the entire time. Her hands trembled—just a fraction.

She rushed toward James, fingers fumbling as she tried to untie the ropes digging into his wrists.

James ripped the last rope off himself and shot to his feet, rounding on her with eyes so wide they were almost glowing.

He grabbed her shoulders, shaking, hands trembling with leftover terror.

“What the hell were you thinking?!” he roared, voice raw. “Are you out of your mind?! You could’ve died, Mia! You could’ve actually died!”

But as the anger poured out of him, Mia swayed.

Her eyes fluttered.