SUTTON
I unlockthe penthouse door with shaking hands. The key fob slips against my palm once before the lock finally clicks open, the sound unnaturally loud in the silent hallway.
“Move,” Leon snaps behind me.
The tip of the knife presses lightly into the small of my back.
A sharp, electric jolt shoots up my spine, and my breath catches halfway in my chest. Every nerve in my body suddenly feels awake, buzzing with panic.
I push the door open and step inside with Leon and Aubrey close behind me. I’m fighting my fear, trying to keep a clear head as I try and figure out how I’m going to get out of this…but it’s proving a near-impossible task.
My heart is pounding so violently, I’m convinced they can hear it. The rhythm thunders in my ears, drowning out everything else. My palms are slick with sweat, and I keep wiping them against the sides of my skirt without thinking.
As they direct me to the living room, a startling thought enters my mind. Did they know Jayce wasn’t here? Did they wait until he was gone, or were they just planning on taking him out first?
A cold shiver runs down my spine.
“Sit on the couch,” he orders me, his voice harsh.
I’m careful not to make any sudden movements, and cross into the living room. The penthouse is dim. The lights are still off from when Jayce and I left earlier, leaving only the gray wash of late afternoon filtering through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. The skyline outside glows faintly, but inside the room everything feels shadowed and unfamiliar.
I lower myself onto the couch, my legs stiff, my hands folded tightly together in my lap so they will stop shaking.
Leon collapses into the cushion next to me, breathing hard. Up close, the sweat on his face is more obvious now, clinging to his temples and dampening the collar of his wrinkled shirt. His hair looks like he’s run his hands through it too many times.
The knife is still in his unsteady hand, moving with the restless tremor in his fingers, the blade catching what little light there is as it sways.
My stomach tightens. He keeps giving me quick, darting looks filled with something wild and unstable. His knee bounces rapidly, like he can’t sit still. This man is barely holding himself together, and that terrifies me far more than anger would.
Aubrey steps farther into the room, her heels clicking softly against the hardwood floor as she moves toward the glass-topped coffee table. She sets a dark leather messenger bag on the surface with calm, deliberate precision.
Unlike Leon, she looks immaculate in a tailored black coat that hugs her frame. Underneath is a cream silk blouse and fitted slacks. Not a single strand of her hair is out of place, pinned neatly at the back of her head. The contrast between her composure and Leon’s unraveling energy makes the room feel even more dangerous.
She unbuckles the bag slowly and I watch as she begins pulling papers out, stacking them neatly on the table in frontof me one by one. When she finally looks up at me, her face is completely blank. No anger. No satisfaction. No triumph.
Nothing.
Her eyes, though, are burning with pure, concentrated fury. The sheer intensity of it makes my blood run cold.
Leon shifts on the couch, the knife glinting faintly as his grip tightens.
“What are those?” I choke out, glancing down at the papers.
She lifts her chin and holds my gaze as she literally looks down her nose at me.
“Marriage contract,” she says in a cold tone, her words sharp. “You and Leon will sign them tonight.”
My throat tightens. Oh my God. She’s going to try and force a marriage between me and Leon? These two are out of their fucking minds!
I finally manage to choke out a response. “What? Why now? Why me?”
I have no idea what the answers will be, but I have to keep them talking and buy myself some time.
Still, I don’t expect Aubrey’s cruel smile, which doesn’t reach her eyes, or her reply.
“Because I’ve waited long enough.”
I blink, baffled by her words.
