Black.No raven mark.No red slash.
Just blank.
Empty.
My whole body goes cold.
Riot shifts instantly, placing himself between me and the new attacker.“Kelly, get behind the column.Now.”
“No,” I breathe.“I’m not leaving you.”
“This isn’t optional,” Riot growls.“Move.”
But I can’t.
Something about this new man— the stillness, the posture, the almost military precision— Something in me recognizes danger so deep it hits my bones.
The man steps fully into the dim light.
And stops.
Not at Riot.Not at me.
But at the bodies on the floor.
He tilts his head, assessing silently, like he’s counting.
Finally, he speaks.
His voice is low.Steady.Almost gentle.
“Ledger.”
Riot goes rigid.
My heart drops to my stomach.
Ledger.His real name.
Only people who knew him before the Kings use that name.
Riot’s voice comes out like gravel.“Who the hell are you?”
The man laughs softly.“Been a long time.”
Fear spikes through me so violently my knees weaken.
“Riot,” I whisper.
He doesn’t look back.Not once.
The masked man takes another step forward.His movements are unnervingly controlled, the kind that rejects randomness.Calculated.Familiar.
He lifts a hand the way someone calls a dog.
“You shouldn’t have run,” he says calmly.“We only wanted leverage.You made it messy.”
Riot raises his gun.“Say your name before I end you.”
