Adrian is beside me. He reaches for the weapon and takes it gently from my hands, then lowers it and sets it on the floor. He pulls me against his chest with both arms, and his grip is firm enough that I can feel his heartbeat against my cheek. It’s fast, hard, andalive.
I don’t cry because I can’t. I’ve spent too many hours in survival mode, and the shift from danger to safety hasn’t caught up. Adrian holds me anyway, and I think he understands that being held right now is about proving the ground is still there, he’s here with me, and the man on the floor will never touch me again.
He holds me tighter, and my arms finally remember how to work again as the numb haze from killing someone starts to fade, so I cling to him.
26
ADRIAN
Eric Hayes is on the floor and Aurora is in my arms. I check her for injuries and realize I’m shaking. There is bruising on her right arm where Eric gripped her, abrasions on both wrists from the cord, a cut on her left palm, and the remnants of a concussion that makes her wince when she turns her head too fast. She’s hurt and furious under the numbness, but she’s breathing, the babies are inside her, and she’s here.
Viktor appears in the corridor behind me. He steps over Eric’s body without looking at it and looks at her. “She needs Dr. Zarlova.”
“I know.” I keep one arm around Aurora and guide her toward the south exit. “What’s the status?”
“The building cleared. Seven of Karpov’s men are neutralized, with two in custody. Three surrendered when the east corridor was breached.” He pauses. “Karpov escaped through a rear service road before the assault team reached the main level. Hehad a vehicle staged behind the building. Grigor is tracking the route.”
I’ll deal with Karpov later. Right now, Aurora is the only operation that matters. “Get her to the vehicle. I want us moving in two minutes.”
Viktor nods and takes point. We walk through the corridors I cleared twenty minutes ago, past the downed guards, overturned tables, and the operations room where Aurora’s surveillance photos are still spread across the folding tables. I position myself between her and the photos so she doesn’t see them. She’s seen enough tonight.
We reach the armored SUV, and I help her into the back seat. She moves carefully, protecting her side where the bruising is worst, and I can tell the concussion is still affecting her balance by how she grips the door frame before settling in. I climb in beside her, and Viktor takes the wheel.
“Where are we going?” She asks it without urgency, like the answer matters less than the leaving.
“A safe house about an hour south of here in Marathon. Dr. Zarlova will meet us there.”
She nods, not bothering to ask who Dr. Zarlova is, and leans her head against the window. The adrenaline is holding her upright, but I can see the crash coming in how she blinks too slowly and clenches her teeth to keep them from chattering. The shaking will start soon, and when it does, I need to be ready to hold her through it without trying to stop it.
We drive in silence for fifteen minutes before she speaks.
“I killed him.” She says it to the window. “I grabbed a gun from the floor and shot him in the chest.”
“I know.”
“He shoved me backward to clear his sightline on you, and there was a weapon right there. I picked it up and fired without thinking.” She turns from the window and looks at me. “I don’t regret it. I don’t feel guilty.” She pauses. “I never thought I’d be capable of what I did in that corridor, but now I’ve done it, the only thing I feel besides relief is anger that he forced me into it.”
“You stopped him.” I take her hand. “Hold on to that.”
She looks at our joined hands. “I should have called you before I went to the marina.”
“Yes, you should have.”
“I knew you’d tell me to stay put and let you handle it, and I didn’t want to hear that. I thought I didn’t have time to argue with you about it.” She presses her lips together. “A small part of me also knew you’d be right, and I didn’t want to admit that because admitting it would have meant trusting you more than I trusted myself in that moment.”
I squeeze her hand gently. “Aurora, Eric knew exactly how to get to you. He used your mother because he knew you’d come for her. You aren’t weak for responding to that. You’re human.”
“I’m not apologizing for being tricked.” She turns fully toward me. “I’m apologizing for not trusting you enough to call first. I wish I’d listened to anyone telling me it was a trap, whether Marisol, Fedor, or my own gut. Instead, I let Eric push the same button he’s always pushed, and people got hurt because of it.”
“Fedor chose to go with you because the alternative was worse. Your security team did their jobs, and they’ll recover. The only person who doesn’t recover from tonight is Eric, and that’s exactly how it should be.”
She gets quiet again. Then she reaches into my jacket pocket and pulls out the encrypted phone. “I need to call Marisol.”
I hand her the phone without comment. She dials, and Marisol answers before the first ring finishes.
“I’m okay.” Aurora’s voice cracks on the second word, the first time it has since the corridor. “I’m okay, Mari. I can’t tell you everything right now, but I’m safe, Adrian has me, and it’s over.”
I hear Marisol crying through the speaker. Aurora presses the phone harder against her ear and closes her eyes. They talk for three minutes, and Aurora gives her enough to stop the panic without providing details that would make things worse.
