CHAPTER 110: CHAPTER 110 HANGING ON THE CLIFF..

Skin melted and a screeching scream echoed in the air. Xylander’s eyes snapped open, his arms clutching hard at a terrified Daniel, both shaken by what had just happened.

If Daniel hadn’t dodged the liquid in time, he would have replaced the unfortunate soul now reduced to a pile of bones. A pool of blood gathered on the ground, the bones themselves beginning to dissolve in the harsh, acidic content.

"Nothing happened to you, right? It didn’t touch any part of your body?" Xylander cupped Daniel’s chin, his eyes frantically checking for any injury. Dan was okay.

Pheww!! That was a close one. But who was that who got in the way? And the liquid, clearly acid—who was wicked enough to do such a thing?

"Let’s go. This isn’t the time for questions. The shopping is cancelled, and all outings are on hold until further notice. Until I find the perpetrator, Daniel, you’re not safe. So let’s go." Xylander held Daniel’s hand tightly, not giving him a choice to argue. But Daniel, struggling to match Xylander’s pace, saw a shadow closing in.

"Xyle, we have to hide! And why did you take this lonely road?" Daniel complained. Xylander wasn’t listening; he was rushing. Realizing Daniel was slowing him down—and pregnant—he hauled him over his shoulders and ran.

"Xylander, you dickhead, listen to me! We won’t make it; there are more than ten of them on power bikes! Let’s hide!" Daniel proposed. Xylander’s blood ran cold. Right at the front, five bikes blocked the road. Looking back, five more closed in, their riders brandishing guns and rifles that screamed danger.

Fuck, why does danger always find him? Daniel gritted his teeth, looking at the helpless Xylander. He knew if he weren’t here, Xyle might do something reckless, but currently, he wasn’t just protecting him—he was protecting the life inside him.

"Who are you boys? Let us go and your death might be merciful, or I might forget this ever happened," Xylander reasoned, tightening his hold on Daniel, who clutched around him like a little baby.

He was still shocked by the attack, the speed of it, and how the man had blocked him, receiving the acid brutally. He still felt disgusted by the memory of the burning flesh, how the skin had turned into a huge pool of blood.

The men didn’t reply; they just gave a death stare. A slim man stepped from the middle of the thugs. Daniel was shocked it was a man of his stature, not some bulky one.

"Bring out the young man on your back, and we might let you go free," the skinny man drawled, picking a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it. Taking a sip, he let out a chilling smile that showcased his yellowish teeth.

Daniel felt a bile rise in his stomach. The blood and acid bath hadn’t nauseated him, but this man’s teeth were enough to drive him insane. But thinking about the proposal—why did these men think his husband would dispose of him? Were they stupid?

Xylander can’t do that; he won’t betray him. But that also meant he would be killed. Would Xylander Wolfe really die for him?

"Are you serious?" Xylander asked back, and the men nodded. Daniel’s ears perked up. Was he considering it? Xyle wouldn’t.

"Xylander, you won’t give me to them, right?" Daniel knew it was probably late for this, but he was beginning to feel a flicker of trust for this man. Betrayal can’t happen to him now.

Bit by bit, he saw the men close in, the ones at the back moving forward, ensuring Xylander saw no escape route. Daniel couldn’t make out their faces—they were strangers. But why did they want him?

"Tell me why! What did he do to you that you want him so bad? Can’t you take me instead?" Xylander argued. Daniel’s eyes widened. This wasn’t the time to play martyr. It was cute, but he wasn’t Mother Theresa; Xyle shouldn’t sacrifice himself.

"Don’t say that, Xyle! We can escape from here. I have a plan; just put me down and follow my lead," Daniel whispered. No one was dying today, and he would put these brainless fools in their place.

Xylander blinked. A plan? What plan could he possibly have? It was better if they took him; he was the rich one here, after all. Wasn’t it money they were after?

"No, you’re not doing anything. You’re pregnant; just leave it to me," Xylander declared. Daniel almost snapped at him. Pregnancy wasn’t an excuse, and it didn’t mean he had lost his legs or brain to strategize.

"So this is your epic plan? Play the good savior and sacrifice yourself for me? That would make you a saint, wouldn’t it?" Daniel eyed him before replying in a whisper. "I know what I’m doing. Just tell me if there’s a passageway around this place that leads back to our villa."

Daniel looked at the narrow road, separated by tall, heavy trees and bushes. Going inside those dense places, which could rival a jungle, scared him, but if there was a way through, it was nothing he couldn’t handle.

Xylander’s eyes went to where he suspected—in the bushes, among the enormous trees, there was indeed a path that could cross the field and enter the pavement before heading to the villa.

Daniel smiled. This was it. A gunshot suddenly shattered the air, stunning them so much they almost leaped out of their skins, including Daniel, whose heart felt a league away from leaving his chest.

"That’s a warning shot. We missed then, but I assure you we won’t miss next time," the same bony thug spoke.

It was fine, Daniel whispered to Xylander, and he let the young man off his back.

"Bring him forward, Mr. Wolfe." Xylander should be surprised they knew his name, but that would be stupid. He was famous in New York City and beyond.

"Where are you taking him?" Xylander decided to play along, just as Daniel had encouraged. The men, especially those at the front, were losing their patience.

"Just drop the damn boy and mind your ass, you man-pussy!" another chubby thug yelled, his temper showing on his face.

Xylander encouraged Daniel to start. The thugs couldn’t be engaged much longer. As Daniel stepped into their middle, all eyes went to the gorgeous boy. Standing before Xylander, Daniel began to point at the air, then fell to the ground screaming.

"It’s... it’s choking me...." Daniel pointed at the sky, and they all sneered.

"We know that trick. Who do you take us for? Children? How pathetic," the skinny guy mocked. Daniel continued, genuinely beginning to gag and hold his neck as if an entity clutched his vocal chords.

He fell to the ground, gasping. This made them worried as panic began to reign. If this was real, they could die. When it seemed Daniel wasn’t acting, they began to scamper.

"Ahhh!!"

They screamed, some looking at the air and seeing nothing, but they panicked anyway. Xylander, noticing Daniel was vomiting a red liquid, bulged his eyes.

Was it real now? He rushed to Daniel, who angrily slapped his cheek softly.

"Silly fool, it’s just my clothes! Some red part is fading; I ate a piece of the fabric and it brought this liquid. Never mind, let’s go!" he breathed in before he and Daniel dashed into the forest.

The commotion was loud as the thugs looked for an invisible curse, eyeing everything around them, until another bike landed in their midst.

Oozing a choking pheromone, a shadow walked among them, his feet landing with a precise, deadly glint. Revealing himself, they saw a man dressed in all black, and his face made them all freeze.

It was Matteo Valez, their boss. Seeing them running around, looking at the sky, made them appear like puppets.

"Decorum!!!" he yelled, and a deafening silence enveloped the road. Those running in circles, thinking an invisible curse chased them, stopped frozen.

"What happened here? And where is my prisoner? Why aren’t they here?" Matteo’s deadly voice rose, his thick eyelashes rising with each breath.

They all shivered. The one they were told to catch was gone. They were dead; Mateo would finish them.

"Hmm, let me guess. He deceived you idiots and empty shells, and while you were fools, he ran away. Imagine, deceiving hardened criminals, murderers from prison. Isn’t that a good joke?" Matt laughed hard, but they knew it wasn’t funny; this was deadly serious.

"I rescued you all from that truck heading to the main prison, where you would wither and die. I gave you purpose: bring me the boy alive, but kill anyone who stops you. Now I see you did none of it. You are no longer useful to me. Time to die." Matteo deadpanned and dropped a box on the floor. Immediately, he jumped on his bike and drove off.

The men, foolish enough to stand there, didn’t know what was up. One random person picked up the box, and his eyes widened madly.

"Bomb! It’s a bomb?!" Before he could finish, his face split in two as the bomb exploded. Others landed on trees and stones, some hanging on sharp branches that dug deep into their stomachs. Others flew where stones lay, smashing their heads clean like nuts.

While the explosion killed them all, it spread, affecting those nearby. Daniel and Xylander, both running, got hit by the radiation, which carried wind, stones, and other sharp objects. A tree split and fell between Daniel and Xylander. Dan slipped in the process, sliding off and rolling towards muddy ground until he reached a cliff edge, hanging onto a branch stuck at the edge.

Noooo!! Noo! Daniel grabbed it as fear consumed him, but he still rolled, trying to drag himself up. A crack woke him up—the branch was giving up, unable to contain his weight anymore.

Crack!!! The branch fell.

"Haaaaa...."

Daniel plummeted down the cliff, screaming out loud.

READ THE AUTHOR NOTE BELOW AND THE LAST ML WILL SOON BE INTRODUCED.