One of the security guards moved forward, looming over Sarah with the clear intention to intimidate. She was a small woman, barely five foot three in her heels, and this man was easily twice her size. But she'd faced down warlords in field hospitals, had stared down government officials who wanted t

"But—" "Close. Your. Eyes." He felt her hesitate, felt the moment she understood what he was really saying. This wasn't going to be clean. Wasn't going to be quick. What happened next would be violence in its purest form, the kind of thing that stained your memory and changed how you saw the world

The sound of bone breaking cut through Viktor's voice like a blade through silk. Ethan didn't wait for the mercenary to finish his threat. While Viktor was still savoring his moment of victory, still confident that his reinforcements in the doorway had turned the tide, Ethan was already moving. He

"Angela—" "The king." Her voice broke on the word. "That's what you called yourself. The king of what, Ethan? What kind of king kills nine men without breaking a sweat?" "The kind who keeps his promises." Ethan's hand remained extended. "We can talk about this later. Right now, we need to move."

Then the moment passed, and she saw the killer again. The door burst open and hotel security rushed in, three men in cheap uniforms with hands on weapons they clearly didn't know how to use properly. They took in the scene with widening eyes, faces going from professional concern to absolute horror