No Words: A Dark Romance Novella by Fleur Devlin

Author:Fleur Devlin [Devlin, Fleur]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scribbled Pages
Published: 2025-08-30T00:00:00+00:00

8

COLE

Two million dollars. That’s what Alessio Borsellini is offering for Molly’s head. I’ve seen men kill for far less, hell, I’ve done it myself. But it’s not the number that pisses me off. It’s the fact anyone thinks she’s an easy target. I stare at the encrypted message on my laptop screen, my jaw clenching as I read the timestamp. Six hours ago.

‘Fuck.’ The word comes out harsh in the cabin’s silence. Six hours means they’re close. Twenty-four hours, maybe less, before they close in.

I slam the laptop shut. Hard. Not because it’ll help, but because breaking something I can replace is easier than admitting I can’t control every angle. Pushing back from the desk, I move to the window. The tree line looks calm, undisturbed. But they’re coming. I can sense them with the same instinct that kept me alive through three tours and five years undercover.

Alive! That’s what the bounty specifies. They don’t want Molly dead. Which means she’s worth more to them alive. That’s not the math I like anyone else doing. They want what’s in her head. Every detail of their operation, every piece of evidence she could testify to. Keeping her alive isn’t the same as keeping her safe.

The shower is still on upstairs. Molly, unaware that our borrowed time just ran out. I can hear the water running, a mundane sound that seems surreal against the countdown that’s just begun in my head. One day to prepare, to decide: run or fight.

I grab my sat-phone. Jackson picks up on the third ring.

“Hey man, we’re blown. Borsellini is too close. I need backup ready to move.”

A pause. “Timeline?”

“Twenty-four hours, give or take.” I hate clocks. They make men rush, and rushing leaves bodies. “Borsellini’s offering two mil for her alive. Prices turn people stupid. I’ve killed for less, which is exactly why I’m not underestimating anyone now.”

Another pause. “That’s quite the price tag.”

“She’s worth it. Her testimony could bring down their entire operation.”

“I’ll contact Killian. Have a team ready in a couple of hours. Send me coordinates?”

I give him our location, then add, “Don’t approach until I give the signal. They might have scouts already.”

“Understood. Fight or flight?”

I glance toward the bathroom door, thinking of Molly. How far she’s come in the short time we’ve been here. How she trusts me now, depends on me.

“Fight, I’m tired of running.”

“Copy that. Standing by.”

I end the call and set the phone down, my hands steady out of habit, not calm. Control is a posture you hold until the room cooperates. The shower shuts off upstairs. I have maybe three minutes to figure out how to tell the woman I’m supposed to protect that I need to break her.

Molly appears on cue, wrapped in a towel, water droplets still glistening on her shoulders. And for half a second the mission blurs. That’s the danger with honest feeling, it asks questions I don’t have the bandwidth to answer. She takes one look at my face and freezes.

“What’s wrong?”

Her voice, trusting and soft, does something to my chest.

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