The rain fell in sheets, slicking the neon-lit streets of the city as Julian’s armored SUV tore through the night. He sat in the backseat, his face illuminated by the harsh blue glow of a tactical tablet. He wasn't alone in the vehicle. Beside him sat Marcus, his head of security, a heavily scarred

The red numbers on the tablet screen glared like a death sentence.

**09:57**

**09:56**

"What did you do?" Julian roared, the sound tearing from his throat with an animalistic ferocity I had never heard from him before. He didn't wait for Victor Sterling to answer. Julian vaulted across the heavy

"No," Julian whispered, the word scraping out of his throat like shattered glass. "No, no, no."

He scrambled to his feet, rushing to the empty bed. He threw the white sheets aside, as if hoping I was somehow hidden beneath them. His hands frantically patted down the mattress, his chest heaving with