"We never had a 'before', Roman." I keep my voice steady. "You weren't my friend. You acted like a creepy stalker who stared at me from the fence. I didn't leave you behind. I never knew you."
A massive thud shakes the steel fire exit behind my back, followed by the sound of heavy metal hitting metal.
"Zora! We're here!" Sawyer's voice booms through the steel.
I scramble away from the exit, stumbling toward the kitchen island. I put the marble counter between him and me.
"Sawyer! Help! He's in here!"
Roman’s face twists into a mask of pure hate. He reaches into the inner lining of his jacket and pulls out a long, serrated hunting knife. The blade glints red under the strobes. "Then you've made your choice." Roman begins his advance, his eyes locked on my throat.
The screech of metal against metal echoes through the kitchen as Sawyer fights the barricade from the outside. I duck behind the marble island, my eyes fixed on the hunting knife in Roman's hand. He ignores the noise at the door and keeps his focus on me.
"Touch a single hair on her head and I'll kill you!" Sawyer’s roar penetrates the steel.
Roman lunges.
I dive to the left, my shoulder hitting the far edge of the kitchen island. The serrated blade whistles through the air, missing my neck by inches. Roman grunts, his boots skidding on the stone floor as he spins around for another strike.
Behind me, the industrial bar on the other side of the door groans under immense pressure. A series of sharp, mechanical snaps follow as Sawyer rips the obstruction free. The fire exit swings open.
Sawyer bursts into the room first. He no longer resembles the polite security chief. His eyes burn with Alpha fury; no Beta possesses a gaze that predatory. He tackles Roman mid-stride, the weight of his massive frame sending both men crashing into the dining table. The glass shatters under the impact.
Reid, Urie, and Ethan rush in behind him.
"Get her back!" Reid points toward the kitchen.
Ethan and Urie grab my arms, pulling me away from the center of the room. They turn to face me, forming a barrier between me and the violence. Urie settles his hands on my shoulders, anchoring me in place. I watch the struggle through the small gaps between them; I can’t catch my breath.
Roman and Sawyer grapple on the floor. Roman swings the knife wildly in a desperate arc. The blade catches the light before it sinks into Sawyer’s side as he tries to pin Roman’s arms. Sawyer grunts and slams his fist into Roman’s jaw with enough force to snap the man's head back.
Sawyer twists Roman’s wrist until the knife clatters away across the stone. He pins Roman within seconds, pressing his knee into the man’s back, while Reid holds Roman’s head down against the marble.
"Give me one reason not to end you right now!" Sawyer’s knee sinks deeper into Roman's spine.
Urie keeps his hands on my shoulders. He trembles as he looks me over. "You’re okay. Don’t look."
I stare at the blood on the floor. The liquid, dark and thick against the white stone. Sawyer pulls back, his hand clutching his side. Blood seeps through his fingers, staining his charcoal shirt.
The alarm cuts out, leaving the room in a sudden, ringing silence. The red strobes stop pulsing.Only the city lights illuminate the living room and kitchen through the floor to ceiling windows.
"We have him." Reid repeats the words, his voice tight. He looks over his shoulder at me, his eyes searching my face. "Zora, did he touch you?"
I can't speak. I just stare at them. Roman’s words echo in my head.The boys you used to play with. They own this building.
Are these men those boys?I have no way of knowing. They were some of the only people I’ve told about my face blindness, and they did things like using rub-on tattoos so I always had a way to tell them apart until I found other ways. As children, they looked identical to me.
Outside in the hallway, the sound of boots and radio chatter grows louder. The emergency teams arrive. But the danger in the room remains. I look at the four men standing around me. They saved my life, but I look at strangers for the second time tonight.
The penthouse crawls with people as emergency responders secure the area. Firefighters sweep the rooms. Police officers stand by the kitchen island, sealing the serrated knife into a plastic evidence bag for processing. Roman sits on a chair near the foyer with his hands cuffed behind his back. He keeps his gaze locked on me with a terrifying, calm focus.
"The fire only cleared the stage, Sunflower. Our promise remains. No brick wall or iron bars keep me from you forever."
Nearby, Sawyer sits on a kitchen stool while an EMT leans over him. They carefully peel the blood-soaked charcoal fabric away from the gash in his side. Sawyer ignores the guy's hands and stares at Roman, his lips pulling back to show his teeth in a snarl.
"Try to keep that promise, Roman, and I will finish what the fire started fifteen years ago."
A police sergeant in a navy uniform steps forward, his face set in a hard scowl. He points a gloved finger at Roman and then looks at a patrolman. "Officer Miller, get this trash out of my sight. Put him in the back of the car and keep him there until I finish my sweep of the unit."
