Shadow of Deception

, her eyes wide with fear, her body trembling uncontrollably. Her mind screamed at her to run, to flee this place of horrors, but her body refused

ad been i

ly where to strike to make her unravel, to shatte

e sound echoing in the oppressive silence of the apartment. The distorted voice

d to get

sperate. But the moment her fingers brushed the cold, metallic handle, a d

you can run

droom, his gaze locked onto the mannequin with a mixture of fury and something else-something dark, primal, and unsettling. H

, his voice dangerously low, a growl

trembling, too stunned to fight against his grip, t

u think I'd let you out of my sight afte

ard, her throat

The terrifying thing was that right now, in the midst of this chaos, she wasn't sure i

ngers digging into her ski

ide of panic. "I got a message. A package was waiting he

led like a predator about to strike, his e

till hung, a grotesque mockery of herself. "Someone put it

pression hardening. For the first time, Ava saw something almost primal in hi

e muttered, his voice low and dan

r body trembling

work

ned fury, before turning to face her fully, his

sion momentarily overr

not stay

ker of resistance in the face of overwhelming

a dark urgency. "You want to argue about this while there's a ps

s far away from this place as possible. But most of all, she hated that the only perso

her voice laced with suspici

g that wasn't quite a smile,

they can't

a fortress in the sky, a gilded cage. As soon as they stepped inside, Ava felt the we

on, a subtle asse

rms crossed tightly, her body tense. "I

g in the crystal glass, watching her over the rim w

jaw, her frustrat

n't mean I

voice laced with a dark amusem

wed eyes, her suspicion deepening. "And what

e, a predatory expression tha

tion of keepi

nt. "Bullshit. You don't do anyt

s presence overwhelming. "Maybe I like knowing you're

t pounding against her ribs.

touch that burned like a brand, a silent declaratio

ken only by the sound of Xander making calls, speaki

nt moment, every encounter, every threat. Who could have gotten inside he

interruption in the silence. A si

have chosen

ice, a chilling pr

arly knocking over a lamp, her

ing the message, his expression hardening. "

lights flickered, a momentar

s blared, a deafening siren th

re to

s, casting long, ominous shadows across the lavish interi

a shield, as he moved t

ribs, a frantic drumbeat of fe

ession hardening, his eyes dark

n the hallways, armed and masked, t

washing over her. "How did they find us

movements precise and lethal.

ere always

kles white. The windows rattled as something heavy slammed into t

d from the other side,

and we'll make

ve of nausea washing over

her, his eyes burning with fu

is

r voice barely a

yes burned with a cold, lethal fury. "T

tering into shards of wood and metal, and chaos

t in t

sound of breaking glass echoing in the chaos. Xander fir

dark, imposing figure, slamming one into the wall, his gun p

p edge a desperate weapon. One of the masked men lunged for her, and without th

igure was already behind her, hi

rang out, the sound

lapsed, a bullet between his eye

ce edged with menace and a dark possessiveness. "I told you, sweeth

prehend the deadly dance unfolding before her, befo

lear who had been hit, or