The desert sun had a way of making you forget things — who you were, where you were going. It burned the thoughts right out of you, leaving nothing but heat and dust. And yet, as Solara crouched behind the rusted out truck, watching the convoy draw closer, she was sharp, alert. She couldn’t afford to forget.
She had spent years dodging the Syndicate, a ruthless group that controlled everything — from the weapons running through the black market to the lives they decided to break. They had chased her to this barren stretch of desert, and now they were closing in. But she wasn’t going to give up that easily.
She was a ghost.
At least, that’s what she thought. Until she heard the unmistakable thud of boots crunching the dirt behind her. Solara spun, her hand already reaching for the blade hidden at her hip.
Standing in front of her was Jax. Jax.
The last person she ever thought she’d see again.
He was the one who’d betrayed her years ago. They’d been partners once — partners in crime, in every sense of the word. Until he’d sold her out for the right price.
“Did you think you could hide forever?” Jax’s voice was low, tinged with amusement. His dark eyes were trained on her, sharp, like a predator’s.
“Go to hell,” Solara hissed, stepping back, knife in hand.
A mocking smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Already been, sweetheart. You look good, though. For someone who was supposed to be dead.”
“I should’ve killed you,” she growled, her voice tight with rage.
“Well, I’m not dead yet.” Jax stepped closer, his hand reaching out like he was going to touch her — but she swiped her blade through the air, warning him off.
His grin only widened. “Still got that fire in you. I like that.”
Solara’s heart hammered in her chest. She hated him. She despised him. But there was something else, something buried beneath the layers of anger and betrayal. Something that hadn’t gone away.
“You should leave,” she said, her voice colder now. “You’re on the wrong side.”
Jax laughed, a low sound that echoed in the empty desert. “Funny. I thought I was on the right side all along.” His gaze dropped to her hand, still gripping the blade, and a flicker of recognition passed between them.
Then the sound of engines roared in the distance.
The Syndicate’s men had arrived.
Solara’s heart skipped a beat. They didn’t have much time. She darted toward the truck, Jax on her heels, and they climbed in, the vehicle roaring to life.
“You still owe me for getting you out of this mess,” Jax said, a teasing edge to his voice as he slammed the gearshift into drive.
“Shut up,” Solara snapped, her fingers tight on the wheel as she whipped the truck around, heading straight into the desert.
They didn’t talk as they sped across the sand, the Syndicate’s vehicles hot on their trail. Solara’s eyes were locked ahead, but she could feel Jax’s presence beside her, like a shadow. They’d been so close once. So fucking close.
Now they were back in the same game. Together. Again.
She didn’t know if she wanted to strangle him or kiss him.
“We’ve got company,” Jax said, his voice sharp.
A bullet whizzed past, too close, and Solara swerved, her hands steady, her breath shallow. “You should’ve stayed the hell out of this.”
“Why? So you could die alone?” He was smiling again, that damnable grin. “I’d rather be the one to see you fall.”
They sped into the canyon, the wind howling, their only focus on the road ahead. The convoy was gaining on them — the sound of their engines thundering like a storm.
“Hang on!” Solara yelled, swerving hard to the right.
They flew off the edge of the canyon, the truck teetering for a moment in the air. Solara’s heart stopped, and she could feel Jax’s arm brushing against hers. But they landed with a sickening crunch, the truck slamming into the ground as the world tilted.
For a second, there was nothing but silence. Then Jax was already out of the truck, pulling her with him, running toward the rocks that would give them cover.
“You’re not getting away that easily,” he said, his breath heavy, his hand gripping hers tighter than it should have.
And in that moment, with the desert stretching out like a death sentence behind them and the rest of the world disappearing, Solara realized something.
She was never going to let him go. No matter how much he’d betrayed her. No matter how much they fought.
And maybe, just maybe, she didn’t want to.