They crash into the reinforced door, both grunting.The masked man is strong, trained, vicious.
But Riot?
Riot is inhuman right now.He’s an animal.
He grabs the man’s throat, slams him into the wall, elbow driving into ribs again and again and again—But the intruder moves fast.
He twists Riot’s arm, flips him, slams him to the ground.
I scream.
Riot rolls, gasping, blood on his lip.
Before I can reach him, the attacker kicks me back, sending me sprawling into crates.
Riot’s voice breaks.“NO!”
Then the attacker lifts his gun.Riot is too far from me.I’m too shaky to move fast enough.The muzzle lifts toward me, and Riot does something that makes my heart shatter.
He throws his weapon aside.
And steps between me and the barrel.
Like a shield.Like a sacrifice.
Like he was born to protect me or die trying.
“No!”I scream.“Riot!”
He spreads his arms, chest exposed, eyes burning.
“If you want her,” he snarls, “you go through me.”
The attacker tilts his head.
Smirks.
Raises the gun.
My heart stops.
Not again.Not again.
A memory slams into me with violent clarity:
Riot’s voice, low and hoarse in my ear:
‘I don’t fall easy.But once I do, I don’t stop.’
Just like that, everything becomes blindingly clear.
I won’t lose him.I won’t let him die for me.
I won’t stand frozen while fate tries to erase him from my life again.
I scramble to my feet.
My hand finds the discarded knife near the fallen attacker.
