Prologue
Prologue
ADAM POV
A few hours earlier, Sarah was curled against my side, one leg tangled with mine beneath the sheets.
Her fingers traced lazy circles over my chest.
“You’ve been weird all morning.”
“I’m always weird.”
“No.” She lifted her head and looked at me. “Usually you’re charmingly weird. Today you’re serial-killer weird.”
I laughed despite myself. “Good to know there’s a distinction.”
“There is.”
She rested her chin against my chest, studying me in that way she did when she knew I was hiding something.
I looked toward the window.
Bad move.
“Adam.”
“Hmm?”
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“Terrible answer.”
I slid my hand through her hair. “I need you to do something for me today.”
Her expression changed immediately.
“What?”
“Get out of the house for a few hours.”
She blinked. “That sounded alarmingly specific.”
“Sarah.”
“Where am I supposed to go?”
“A friend’s. Shopping. Anywhere. I just need you out for a few hours.”
Her eyebrows rose.
I exhaled and stared at the ceiling.
This was exactly why I hadn’t wanted to say anything.
She pushed herself upright, pulling the sheet around her.
“Are you in trouble?”
“No.”
Another lie.
“Are we in trouble?”
“No.”
Not if she stayed away from me today.
I reached for her hand.
“I just need you away from here today.”
Her eyes searched mine.
“For how long?”
“Until tonight.”
“And then?”
Then this would be over.
Months of pretending. Months of smiling at men I wanted dead. Months of learning names, routines, weaknesses.
Then I could come home and maybe start thinking about what came next.
I squeezed her hand.
“Then maybe we start figuring out what we’re doing with our lives.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Our lives?”
“Yeah.”
A small smile appeared.
“That sounds suspiciously serious.”
“Don’t get excited.”
“Too late.”
I laughed.
She shifted closer again.
“So what are we talking? Holiday? New apartment? Dog?”
“No dog.”
“Marriage?”
I looked at her.
She grinned.
“Interesting pause.”
“I didn’t pause.”
“You absolutely paused.”
“I was deciding whether throwing you out of bed would be worth the effort.”
“You love me too much.”
That shut me up.
Her smile softened.
“See?”
I brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
“Yeah,” I said quietly. “Unfortunately.”
She slapped my chest.
I caught her wrist and pulled her down beside me.
For a few seconds, everything felt normal.
Her head against my shoulder.
Morning light through the curtains.
Her hand resting over my heart.
I wanted to stay there.
Instead, I kissed the top of her head.
“Promise me you’ll go.”
She looked up.
“Adam…”
“Please.”
She studied me for a long moment, the teasing gone now. Worry settled into her expression.
“Okay,” she said eventually, but the way she kept looking at me told me she wasn’t convinced.
Something in my voice must have reached her because the teasing disappeared.
She studied me for a long moment.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“I’ll go.”
Relief loosened something in my chest.
“Thank you.”
“But tonight, you’re telling me what this is about.”
I hesitated.
Then nodded.
“Tonight.”
She kissed me.
I kissed her back like I believed that promise meant anything.
Like tonight was guaranteed.
The room reeked of smoke and sweat, crowded with men spoiling for a fight. Leather chairs groaned under the weight of armed men, while tension hid beneath every burst of laughter. I stood near the back wall, half-shadowed, listening as the Boss laid out his plan for wiping out the Marcellis. The lieutenants nodded along, some leaning forward with hungry grins, others already calculating what they’d gain if this worked.
All of them were here—except one.
I checked the time again and tried not to look obvious. One more piece had to fall into place. Just one.
The Boss turned and grinned at me, his gold tooth catching the light. Then came the slap on my back, loud and heavy, like he was marking me.
“You’ve done good, Adam,” he said, his voice gravelled by years of cigars.
“Didn’t think a street rat could rise this fast, but I’m glad I took the chance.”
I smiled back. Lied with my eyes. “Appreciate that.”
The last lieutenant walked in.
That was my cue.
I gave the Boss a nod. “I’ll make sure everything is secure.”
He waved me off without a thought.
Outside the office, I pulled the burner from my coat, thumbed out the message: Now.
Seconds later, everything went to hell.
Gunfire exploded from the hallway. My team stormed in, masks on, rifles raised. I dropped behind the nearest chair and drew my weapon as one of my men fired. The Boss barely had time to curse before he hit the floor, blood pooling beneath him.
Screams. Bullets. Chaos.
I fired at one of his men as he reached inside his jacket, then pushed forward through the room.
Then I saw her.
Sarah.
She wasn’t supposed to be here. She’d promised me she wouldn’t be.
And she sure as hell wasn’t supposed to know where I was.
So how had she found me?
But there she was, running down the stairs, eyes wide, calling my name over the gunfire.
I shouted for her to stop, to get back, but she didn’t listen.
The shot caught her mid-step.
Her body jerked sideways, one hand flying to her stomach before she crumpled against the stairs. For one suspended second, my body forgot how to move. Then I saw the blood spreading beneath her.
Everything else disappeared.
Her mouth opened like she was trying to say something, but nothing came out.
I barely made it two steps toward her before one of my men grabbed me from behind.
“We have to move. Now. This place is coming apart.”
I fought him, twisting hard enough to nearly break free, but another explosion tore through the hallway and he hauled me back through broken glass and blood-slick tile.
“Sarah!” I shouted, reaching for her even as he dragged me farther away.
Another pair of hands locked around my arms. I twisted, kicked, tried to wrench myself free, but the room was coming apart around us.
Then Sarah disappeared from view.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
Not her.
Never her.
