Crossfire (Cross Duet #1)

Prologue

PROLOGUE

IVY

When a twig snaps behind me—the sound as sharp as a gunshot in the eerie silence—I don’t have to look back to know it’s him.

The assassin sent to kill me.

The man who’s been stealing my heart, one tender moment at a time.

My bare feet slam against the damp earth as I flee through the twisted forest. With each hurried breath, I inhale the rich, musky scent of decaying leaves as branches claw at my skin. But I barely feel the sting. My heartbeat drowns out every other sound, a desperate chant pounding in my ears— faster, faster, faster.

I should have known better than to trust Grayson, yet I allowed myself to be drawn in by him, a spark of hope igniting my soul after a year of unending grief. The loss of my father had left me shattered, but in Grayson’s arms, I found solace, a chance to escape the hell that had become my life. I let my guard down, and for the first time, the pain that haunted my every waking moment faded—my nightmares replaced with daydreams.

But now, he thinks I betrayed him, that I’m a threat to innocent lives that must be stopped at any cost. I’m not the monster they claim I am, though, and I’ll do whatever it takes to escape death and prove my innocence.

Another branch snaps, warning me that Grayson is close.

Too close…

Suddenly, my shoulders jerk, the world spins, and the bark of a tree slams against my back.

“Please,” I whisper, my voice unsteady. Minutes ago, those emerald eyes gazed up at me from between my bare thighs. “If you ever cared for me, if any part of what we had was real, don’t do this.”

For a heartbeat, I dare to hope. But I can see in the shadows of his features that I’ve lost him.

He’s already pulled the trigger in his mind.

And there’s nothing I can do to stop what’s coming…