nfire from the ballroom behind. Sophia's chest heaved, her breath ragged. Her heels had been abandoned

leading her through the smoke and panic. Behind them, the sounds of destruction-the

bullets ripped through the corridor wall, send

rt hammered.

, his voice a cold

for the flicker of firelight from the ballroom smoke seeping in. Adrian crou

ing the only exit. Guns raised. Their move

wn, clean shots to the chest. The third raised a knife. Adrian pivoted with terrify

ed, Run. Hide. Don't breathe. Yet she couldn't look away. Adrian wa

tation," he ordered

ling, tiny rocks dislodged by stray bullets. Sophia stumbled but Adrian caught her, dragging h

ut echoed from be

ria

y, dark eyes scanning

anding, only to be confro

citated, and a swift punch sent the other sprawling down the sta

he hissed, grab

ht air hit Sophia's face, crisp and shocking after the suffocating smoke. But da

d. She wanted to scream, to run blindly, but Adrian kept her clos

wn!" he

imated him. Adrian's men were finally regroup

to cry, to beg for this nightmare to end-but

ing for a moment, only to harden again.

gates, sending debris flying in every dire

g her down into the shadow

-was suddenly blocked. The attackers weren't

ed the impossible truth: They wer

n Romano-turning to face the threat, unflinching, eve

ng. And I'm with him.