A muscle jumped in my jaw.Kane answered on the first ring.
“The Spokegot hit,” I said.“Pull security footage.I want timestamps and faces.”
“Ten minutes and I’m there.You calling cops?”
“No.This stays in the club.”
“Understood.”
I finished a full sweep around the building.Windows secure.No signs of forced entry.Just a message designed for shock value, placed where Marci would see it immediately.
From the truck, she watched the door through the glass.Even from a distance, the panic in her posture stood out -- arms wrapped around her ribs, shoulders pulled tight, breathing sharp and shallow.Mercer had used this tactic before.She had seen this pattern somewhere else in her past.
Spade called before I could dial him.“Kane gave me the heads-up.What do you need right now?”
“I need the Mercer file sooner than planned.”
“You’ll have the first batch of papers tonight.”
“Good.”
Spade paused.“If he wants a war, we give him one.Right?”
No hesitation crossed my mind.“Yeah.”
I put my phone away and opened the truck door.Marci flinched, then forced herself to relax when she recognized me.
“Is he here?”she asked.
“No.The building’s clear.Stay close until backup arrives.”I held out my hand.“Come on.”
Her palm landed in mine, ice cold.I kept her tucked to my side as we headed for the door, placing my body between her and every line of sight from the street.The spray paint glared from the wood as we passed.
I SEE YOU.
A pained sound slipped from her lips.She leaned into me briefly, trembling.
I got us inside and locked the door, then took position in front of it.Only after securing our surroundings did I turn back to her.
She stood in the center of the room with her arms around herself, staring at the floor.
“Look at me.”
Her eyes rose slowly.The terror there made something inside me crack.Her past had trained her to expect pain.To expect abandonment.To expect disbelief.
“He wants you afraid.This stunt was meant to shake you.He wants panic because that’s what causes mistakes.Not us.Not today.”
Tears gathered in her eyes, though she didn’t let them fall.“What if he comes back?”
“We’re not waiting anymore.Rebel is almost here.Kane is pulling footage.Spade is tearing through Mercer’s background.Strategy shifts now.We push, not retreat.”
“You really think you can stop him?”Her voice barely rose above a whisper.
“I know we can.You’re not alone anymore.You’re not running.”
Belief didn’t hit instantly.Fear held on too tight.But something new flickered in her expression -- hope trying to breathe again after two years underwater.
I stepped closer, my hands settling on her shoulders, steady and warm.“Mercer doesn’t get to own your life.Not while I’m breathing.”
