“He 's here!”
Then I hear his voice before I even process that he's here. Elijah came for me.
“Drop the fucking weapon.”
It’s not calm. It’s rage wrapped in steel.
“It’s not going to happen,” George growls, his voice laced with pure hatred.
“Let her go,” Elijah says calmly, though his eyes are fire and his stance radiates promise—the promise of violence.“Do it, and you might even have a chance of walking out of here alive.”
He’s the only one without a mask. The other three—silent and deadly—wear black ski masks, their weapons trained on George. But Elijah… Elijah wants George to see his face. Toknowwho’s coming for him.
“Are you okay, mia cara?” one of the masked men asks, his voice low but unmistakable.
Sebastian.
He's the only one who calls me that. And George, thankfully, doesn’t seem to recognize the voice or realize that one of the most powerful businessmen in the country now has a gun aimed directly at his skull.
I give a slight nod—barely a movement.
George’s arm tightens around my neck, and I choke back a gasp as his forearm presses harder. Elijah takes a careful step forward.
“Don’t move!” George shouts, his voice rising in panic. “I swear to God, I’ll kill her right now! It’s only a matter of time before that happens anyway!”
His words chill me. My heart pounds so hard I feel it in my throat.
Elijah doesn’t flinch.
“You don’t want to kill her, George,” he says softly, taking another step. “You love her—in your twisted, broken way. That’s why you sent all those gifts, those love notes. You thought she’d come back to you.”
“One more step!” George roars, jerking the gun erratically, waving it like a club. “One more fucking step and I’ll blow her head off!”
He’s shaking. Desperate. I don’t know if he actually knows how to use the gun—but I’m not willing to find out the hard way.
Every breath feels like a countdown. And I know Elijah is calculating every single second.
Elijah
George is unraveling. I can see it in his eyes—the sweat pooling at his temples, the wild way he swings the gun like he’s daringone of us to make a move.
I keep my voice steady. Calm is the only thing that will keep Ava alive long enough for what’s coming next.
My earpiece crackles softly.
“Elijah,”Gabriel’s voice comes through, crisp and controlled.
“I’ve got a clear shot. Just say the word.”
I scan the room. Ava’s shaking, trying not to show it. George’s arm is tight around her neck, gun hand twitching, irrational. He’s barely holding it together.
Keller’s voice breaks in next.
“Wait.”
He’s just outside the room, watching from the hallway.
“Let him get just a little more off balance. If Gabe hits him now, he might squeeze the trigger by reflex.”
