SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan) novel Chapter 170

Chapter 170

The first explosion rocked the cabin, sending dust raining from the tunnel ceiling. Alexander and Stefan pressed forward, fighting against the urge to retreat. Behind them, the passage began to collapse.

"Move!" Alexander shouted as they burst through the exit into the stormy night.

Rain hit their faces like tiny needles. The boathouse stood twenty yards ahead, its weathered blue paint visible in the lightning flashes. Two armed men guarded the entrance, their attention fixed on the main cabin as it began to burn.

Alexander signaled to his team, spreading them into position around the clearing. Stefan crouched behind a fallen tree, his heart hammering against his ribs. From inside the boathouse came the sound of raised voices.

"The boat won't start!" a man yelled.

"Fix it!" Rose's voice, sharp with panic. "We need to leave now!"

Alexander caught Stefan's eye, mouthing the words: _Three. Two. One._

The team surged forward. The guards spun, raising their weapons, but Alexander's men fired first, non-lethal rounds that dropped both men to the wet ground.

"Breach!" Alexander ordered.

The boathouse door splintered inward. Inside, the scene unfolded in chaotic snapshots:

Rose standing on a small dock.

A speedboat bobbing in the water.

Three more guards, weapons ready.

And Camille, her wrists bound, her face bruised, but her eyes fierce with defiance.

"Down!" Alexander shouted as gunfire erupted.

Stefan dove behind a stack of old barrels, the smell of long-ago fish bait stinging his nostrils. Alexander and his team returned fire, the space filling with the deafening crack of weapons and shouts of pain.

Through the chaos, Stefan saw Rose dragging Camille toward the boat. Camille fought back, making herself as difficult to move as possible, but she was weakened from captivity.

Without thinking, Stefan launched himself from behind the barrels.

He stayed low, using the firefight as cover. Neither Alexander nor Rose noticed him skirting the edge of the dock, moving closer to where Rose struggled with Camille.

"Stop fighting me!" Rose hissed, yanking Camille's arm. "This is your fault! It's always your fault!"

Camille twisted, trying to break free. "It's over, Rose. It's been over for a long time."

Rose's face contorted with rage. She raised her hand to strike Camille just as Stefan reached them.

"Let her go!" Stefan grabbed Rose's arm.

Rose whirled, shock flashing across her face before hardening into hate. "You!" She kicked at him, connecting with his stomach. "You chose her too!"

Stefan stumbled backward but kept his grip on her arm. "Rose, stop. There's nowhere to go."

Behind them, the gunfire slowed, then stopped. Alexander's team had subdued Rose's men. Only the storm's rage filled the sudden silence.

Rose glanced around wildly, seeing her escape route vanishing before her eyes. She reached into her pocket with her free hand, pulling out a small pistol.

"Get back," she snarled, pointing it at Stefan, then swinging it toward Camille. "I'll kill her! I swear I will!"

"Rose...." Stefan began.

"Shut up!" She was unraveling now, her voice climbing higher. "I should have killed her properly the first time. I should have watched my men kill her myself."

Alexander appeared at the edge of the dock, weapon raised. "Put it down, Rose. It's finished."

Rose laughed, the sound brittle and broken. "It's not finished until I say it is." She pressed the gun harder against Camille's temple. "Drop your weapons, or I paint this dock with her brains."

For a moment, no one moved. Rain poured down, soaking them all. In the distance, the main cabin blazed despite the downpour, flames reaching high into the stormy sky.

Alexander slowly lowered his weapon.

"Smart man," Rose smirked. "Now back up. All of you."

Alexander took one step backward, never taking his eyes off Rose. His face showed nothing, but Stefan recognized the tension in his body, a predator preparing to strike.

"You too, Stefan," Rose ordered. "Move away from us."

Stefan stood his ground. "Let Camille go first."

"Why?" Rose demanded. "So you can have her back? So you can play happy families again?" She shook her head. "I deserved everything she had. Everything."

"I never took anything from you, Rose," Camille said quietly. "You always had a place. A home. A family that loved you more than me."

"Loved me?" Rose spat. "They needed me to be perfect! To be everything you couldn't be!" Her grip on the gun trembled slightly. "Why can't you be more like Rose, Camille? Rose gets better friends. Rose is more social. Rose doesn't embarrass us."

Stefan saw Alexander inching to the side, using the distraction to get a better angle.