{"id":264550,"date":"2026-07-15T02:13:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T23:13:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/jase-susie-mciver\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T02:13:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T23:13:29","slug":"jase-susie-mciver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/jase-susie-mciver\/","title":{"rendered":"JASE – Susie McIver"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Just for a second. \u201cI\u2019ve never been afraid like that,\u201d I whisper. There it is. Not love. Not yet. But something just as powerful. A tear slips free before I can stop it. I don\u2019t wipe it away. I don\u2019t move. \u201cYou don\u2019t get to leave me,\u201d I say softly. Not angry. Not sharp. Just\u2026 honest. Jase (semi-conscious) Dark. Heat. Noise somewhere far away.<\/p>\n

But then\u2014 her voice. Soft. Close. Real. \u201cI stayed\u2026\u201d The words reach through the haze. Anchor. Pull. Fight. My fingers twitch slightly. Just enough to feel her. Just enough to\u2014 hold on. Mila I freeze. My head lifts instantly. \u201cJase?\u201d Nothing. No response. No movement. Just\u2026that tiny shift I\u2019m not even sure was real. My heart pounds. Hope surges too fast. Too strong. \u201cHey\u2026<\/p>\n

hey, I\u2019m here,\u201d I say quickly, squeezing his hand. \u201cYou\u2019re okay. You made it. You\u2019re\u2014\u201d My voice breaks. I stop. Breathe. Try again. \u201cYou\u2019re not getting rid of me that easy.\u201d Silence. Again. But it feels different now. Like he\u2019s closer. Like he\u2019s\u2014 fighting. I lean back in the chair. Still holding his hand. Still not letting go. \u201cI should probably let you rest,\u201d I whisper.<\/p>\n

But I don\u2019t move. Don\u2019t stand. Don\u2019t leave. \u201cI\u2019ll be here when you wake up.\u201d A promise. A quiet one. But real. And for a moment\u2014 everything feels\u2026 okay. The Knock A soft knock breaks the silence. I stiffen. Turn. The door opens slowly. One of the Delta Five operators steps inside. Expression tight. Serious.<\/p>\n

Too serious. My stomach drops instantly. \u201cWe need to talk,\u201d he says. I look back at Jase. At his hand still in mine. At the rise and fall of his chest. At the heat that hasn\u2019t gone away. \u201c\u2026now?\u201d I ask quietly. He nods once. \u201cNow.\u201d I don\u2019t want to let go. I don\u2019t want to move. I don\u2019t want to leave him. Not like this. Not when he\u2014 But something in the man\u2019s expression tells me: This isn\u2019t optional.<\/p>\n

I look back at Jase one last time. My chest tight. My hand tightening around his. Just for a second. \u201cI\u2019ll be right back,\u201d I whisper. Soft. Certain. Like I believe it. Like it\u2019s true. I gently place his hand back on the bed. Careful. Like he might feel it. Then I stand. Turn. And walk out the door. The moment it closes behind me\u2014 everything changes. OceanofPDF.com 2 5 Time: Night he road stretches out in front of me.<\/p>\n

Endless. Dark. Unforgiving. Exactly how I like it. Exactly how I survive. Headlights off. Engine low. Breathing steady. I keep one hand on the wheel\u2026<\/p>\n

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission request, contact Susie McIver susie.mciver@yahoo.com The story all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production Are fictitious.<\/p>\n

No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. Created with Vellum OceanofPDF.com T 1 J AS E LOCATION: ADRIATIC COAST \u2014 SOMEWHERE UNFRIENDLY Time: Night he boat is burning. That\u2019s not a metaphor. That\u2019s a very real, very expensive fire on very dark water. I crouch behind a half-shattered crate on a dock that doesn\u2019t exist on any map and watch men with bad posture and worse intentions run in directions they didn\u2019t plan on running.<\/p>\n

Ronan\u2019s voice cuts through my comm. \u201cConvoy asset was transferred here. Then vanished.\u201d \u201cYeah,\u201d I mutter. \u201cThat tracks.\u201d Gunfire cracks through the night. Someone screams. I rise just enough, sight, fire\u2014two rounds straight into the engine block of a fleeing SUV. It jerks, stalls, smoke pouring out as it blocks half the exit. Chaos multiplies. \u201cAny sign of her?\u201d I ask. \u201cNegative,\u201d Ronan replies. \u201cBut this was the handoff point.\u201d Of course it was. I scan the dock again\u2014fast, precise, controlled.<\/p>\n

And then I see her. Dark hair pulled back. Blood on her temple. Moving like she belongs in the middle of a firefight instead of running from one. Not panicked. Calculated. Beautiful. My chest tightens in a way I don\u2019t have time to deal with. \u201cMila,\u201d I breathe. A year ago\u2014Prague. Ronan\u2019s wedding. Too much alcohol. Not enough restraint. We danced like we were trying to start a war.<\/p>\n

Hands where they shouldn\u2019t be. Mouths closer than they had any right to be. And later\u2014 Yeah. That part I remember perfectly. Then morning came\u2026 And so did the reality that we couldn\u2019t stand each other. Big mistake. She ducks behind a shipping container as two men break off and go after her. I don\u2019t think. I move. The first one drops before he even knows I\u2019m there. The second turns\u2014fast, trained. Not fast enough. He never gets the shot off. I grab Mila\u2019s arm and haul her behind cover.<\/p>\n

She spins instantly\u2014gun up, eyes sharp. She didn\u2019t have that in Prague. We lock eyes. Electric. Familiar. Dangerous. Then she says, \u201cWhat are you doing here? You\u2019re not supposed to be here.\u201d I grin despite everything. \u201cI get that a lot.\u201d Footsteps pound closer. She swears\u2014at least three languages, maybe four. \u201cYou brought friends,\u201d she snaps. \u201cNope,\u201d I say. \u201cBut you definitely did.\u201d Bullets slam into the metal beside us.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.<\/em><\/p>\n

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