Riley woke before the sun, the gray light of dawn barely filtering through the motel's dusty blinds. Luke was sound asleep beside her, his breathing deep and even, his arm draped loosely over her waist. She gazed at him for a long moment, her heart aching. She didn't want to leave him, not like this. But it had to be done.

Carefully, she slid out from under his arm, her movements slow and deliberate so as not to wake him. Once she was free, she stood by the bed for a moment, watching him sleep. He looked so peaceful, so unaware of the storm raging inside her. A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed it down, steeling herself for what she had to do.

Moving silently, she dressed in a black hoodie, dark jeans, and an old baseball cap she pulled low over her face. She had to be inconspicuous, blend into the early morning shadows. With a shaky hand, she grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from the nightstand and scribbled a short note.

I'm sorry, and I love you.

She folded the note and placed it carefully on the pillow beside Luke, her heart hammering in her chest. Taking one last look at him, she slipped out of the room and into the cool morning air.

Outside, the world was still quiet, the streets almost deserted. She waved down the first cab she saw, slipping into the backseat with a sense of urgency. "Convenience store, please," she said, her voice steady despite the anxiety churning inside her.

The cab ride felt like an eternity, but finally, they pulled up to a small convenience store on the edge of town. She thanked the driver, then hurried inside, her eyes scanning the shelves for what she needed. The prepaid cell phones were tucked behind the counter, and she bought one with cash, along with a bottle of water. As she left the store, she felt the weight of the phone in her hand, her mind already racing through the next steps of her plan.

Back in another cab, she directed the driver to the parking lot where she and Luke had ditched their car. The entire ride, her pulse quickened, knowing she was heading into the heart of danger, but it was the only way. She needed to draw Sinclair out, and this was how she was going to do it.

When they reached the lot, she quickly retrieved the old car, the one they had abandoned when they first went on the run. It still smelled faintly of sweat and fear. Riley swallowed as she glanced at the passenger seat, which was stained brown with Luke's blood. She climbed in and took a deep breath, steadying herself. Then, she dialed Detective Jackson's number.

It rang. And rang. She held her breath, hoping he would pick up. But it was early—just past 4 a.m. After what felt like forever, it went to voicemail.

"Jackson, it's Riley," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. "I've got a way to end this once and for all. We've got enough on Sinclair now—enough to make charges stick. But we need a way to get to him. I'm going to use myself as bait. I know it sounds crazy, but it's the only shot we have."

She paused, glancing out the window as the sky began to lighten. "I need you to track this phone. I'll make sure they see me. Hopefully, you can get to me before he kills me." She let out a humorless laugh. "Anyways, I hope you're not on vacation or something, and you get this message before it's too late. I'll try to send you a signal or something but if I stop moving, come find me."

She hung up, her hands trembling. The weight of what she was about to do settled heavily on her shoulders, but there was no turning back now. Sinclair had to be stopped, and if using herself as bait was the only way, she would do it. She wasn't afraid for herself anymore—just for Luke. She couldn't keep dragging him through this.

Sliding the phone into the padding of her bra to make sure Sinclair's men wouldn't find it, she took a deep breath and started the engine. The old car roared to life, and she pulled out onto the street, heading straight for the city.

The streets were slowly waking up, the early morning traffic picking up as she passed through intersections. Cameras would catch her image. They would know she was here. It was risky, but it was exactly what she needed.

She drove with purpose, her mind focused on what lay ahead. Every decision she'd made led her to this moment, and she had to trust that Jackson would get her message in time. If anyone could pull this off, it was him.

But as the city loomed larger in the distance, all she could think about was Luke. The look on his face when he found her gone, the anger, the fear—he would never forgive her for this. But he had to understand. She was doing it for him, for both of them.

Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she pressed on. This was the only way out.

______________ Luke POV

Luke woke up groggily, his body aching from weeks of being on the run. The dull morning light filtered through the motel's grimy curtains, and for a moment, everything seemed normal. He blinked, stretching out his arm to find Riley, but her side of the bed was empty.

His heart skipped a beat.

"Riley?" he called out, half-asleep, expecting to hear her voice from the bathroom or somewhere nearby.

But silence answered him. He sat up, wincing from the lingering pain in his side. That's when he saw the note on her pillow, her handwriting scrawled quickly across the paper.

I'm sorry, and I love you.

His stomach dropped.

"Goddammit, Riley," he muttered, adrenaline surging through his veins as he tore the blankets off and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Pain shot through his body, but he ignored it.

She was gone.

Stumbling to his feet, he dressed quickly, his mind racing. He didn't know where she'd gone, but if she left that note, it meant she was planning something. Something dangerous. His heart pounded in his chest as he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

Outside, the sun was bright and too cheerful for the storm brewing inside him. He scanned the empty parking lot, looking for any sign of her, but found nothing.

His pulse spiked—there was no time to lose. He spotted a payphone across the street, an ancient relic that somehow still worked. He limped over to it, digging in his pocket for coins, and dialed the station's number with trembling hands.

After a few rings, Brett picked up, his voice casual. "Ridgeway Police Department, this is Officer Miller."

Luke's grip tightened on the receiver. "Put me through to Donnelly. Now."

There was a beat of stunned silence. "Luke? You sound... what the hell is going on? You've been off the grid for weeks!"

"Not now, Brett! I need to talk to the sergeant. It's an emergency," Luke snapped, his voice hard and urgent.

"Uh... Donnelly's not in yet. He's not scheduled until ten—"

"Then transfer me to Jackson. I don't have time for this!"

"Luke, you gotta tell me what's going on, man," Brett said, his tone switching from confusion to concern.

"Just transfer me, damn it!" Luke barked, fury bubbling beneath his skin.

Brett hesitated, then there was a click and the line went silent for a second before another voice came on.

"Jackson here."

"Jackson! What the hell is going on?" Luke demanded, his tone dripping with frustration.

There was a brief pause, as if Jackson was trying to process the fact that he was even talking to Luke. "Wait, Luke? You're—Jesus, man, I didn't expect to hear from you. I got a message from Riley—she left me a voicemail around 4 a.m."

Luke's breath caught. "What did she say?"

"She's got a plan to go after Sinclair. She's using herself as bait. She left me the burner number she's using. I've been tracking her movement. She's driving through the city as we speak, heading towards... well, probably him. I've picked her up on some traffic cameras."

Luke's blood ran cold. "What the fuck, Jackson? She's out there doing this alone, and you're just tracking her? You should've picked her up the second you got that message!"

Jackson sighed on the other end. "She didn't want that. She knew you'd be pissed, but she's trying to end this, Luke. She didn't want us interfering until she made contact."

"I don't give a damn what she wants!" Luke's voice was full of anger and fear. "She could be dead already! I need to find her now. Send someone out- pull her over, arrest her, I don't care."

"I hear you, man, but we have to be smart about this," Jackson replied calmly, though Luke could hear the tension in his voice. "If we spook Sinclair's guys before they make a move, this could all blow up in our faces.They want to take her alive, but if they think their only option is to kill her on the spot, they will."

Luke's blood ran cold and his hands clenched into fists. He didn't care about plans or strategy. The only thing that mattered was getting to Riley before something happened to her. "Send a squad car to pick me up," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "I'm over two hours away, and I need to be there."

Jackson was quiet for a long moment. "You can't just run in there-"

"I don't care!" Luke barked, his frustration reaching a boiling point. "You listen to me, Jackson. If you don't get me there, I swear to God, I'll walk if I have to. Send someone now."

Jackson exhaled, his voice resigned. "Alright, alright. I'll send Julie to pick you up. She'll be there as fast as she can."

"Good," Luke snapped. "And Jackson?"

"Yeah?"

"If anything happens to her... anything... I'm holding you responsible."

There was a pause on the line, and Jackson's voice softened. "We'll get her back, Luke. I promise."

Luke slammed the receiver down, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't sit here and wait while Riley was out there risking her life. He paced the empty parking lot, every second that ticked by feeling like a lifetime.

***************************

Author Note

Hi!! Sorry for the delay on posting this chapter! I promise I will be finishing the story soon <3

I'll hopefully be uploading 3 or 4 more chapters this week!

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