desk just as two shots were simultaneously fired. Hunter stumbled to the side and I clapped my hand over my mouth.
A scream ripped through me, muffled by my hand.
He righted himself and fired off several rounds.
Bodies echoed as they dropped.
“You have ten seconds to show your fucking pussy-ass faces before I come out there and end every last one of your miserable existences,” he roared, straightening to his full height.
No one moved. No one entered the room. No one uttered a word.
If there was anyone left.
I didn't know.
Moments dragged in excruciating slowness. Every second seemed like an eternity.
“You okay?” Hunter whispered, looking over to me. He held out his hand. “You're not hurt?”
I forced myself to my feet and wrapped my fingers around his, then shook my head. “No. I'm okay. I didn't get hurt.”
“Good.” His hold on my hand lingered a little too long, and my cheeks flushed lightly.
I stepped back and pulled my hand away from his. The chill that vibrated over my skin had me rubbing my palms together as I looked around the room he'd dragged me into.
Opulent. That was the only way I could describe it. The wooden bookshelves that lined the walls, holding nothing but the occasional photo frame and book, were the darkest mahogany I'd ever seen. I didn't know if I'd ever seen furniture this elaborate before. It sure as hell wasn't here the last time I was, because I knew the room.
I walked to one of the shelves and snatched up one of the frames. The photo inside tugged at my heart as my eyes landed on the smiling face of my mother. She was hugging me tightly, her dark hair tumbling around her shoulders as I leaned back into her with the biggest, cheesiest grin on my face. My father stood behind us, his dark eyes bright, and his expression matched ours.
I swallowed hard. I remembered the day this was taken—right before my eighth birthday party.
Way before everything went wrong.
I set the photo back down on the shelf and moved to see the others. I could feel Hunter's eyes burning a hole into my back as I did. My gut niggled each and every time I passed a photo frame. Each and every last image was of us—the three of us. A handful were of me as a baby or toddler, alone, but the ones where I saw my mamma smiling hurt the worst.
I'd forgotten what it looked like when she smiled.
“She was beautiful.”
I froze as the sharp, dry tone of my father's voice filled the room. “Inside and out.”
“You were, too.”
“Still am. And I'm damn sure none of it came from you.” I spun on the balls of my feet, and the moment my eyes landed on him, my stomach twisted in a nauseating swirl.
He'd aged... Badly. The lines that etched into his skin at the corners of his eyes were pronounced, and the ones that teased around his mouth made the pinching of his lips more terrifying than it would have been otherwise. His dark eyes and hair were still exactly the same as I remembered, except his eyes held a coldness I never saw as a child.
Soulless.
His eyes were soulless.
“None of the inner beauty,” he said slowly, his gun trained on Hunter.
I glanced at him. He stood stoic, his own weapon on Enzio. “You can put the guns down,” I said, looking between them both slowly. “I'm sure you can both draw them quick enough if you need to.”
Isaiah chuckled, appearing in the doorway behind my father. “How sweet. The hunter rescued his prey.”
“How sweet. The double crossing figa who put his name on a bullet in my gun the moment he touched me,” I snapped to him.
He laughed again. “Gotta do what you gotta do, Addy.”
“My name is Adriana. Not that it matters to you, because you'll be lucky to live long enough to ever use it again.” I raised my gun, keeping it pointed at the ceiling. “You know Darien died after your bullshit act, don't you?”
He grinned. Manically, evilly, crazily. “I know. I killed him.”
Rage shot through me uncontrollably, and as it burned white-hot, I lowered my gun and pointed it right at him.
“Now, now, let's not be hasty,” Enzio slowly said, holding his empty hand up, palm to me. He stepped to the side, narrowing his eyes as he did so. A chill descended in the room, and Hunter's gaze followed Enzio.
Like a hawk.
He didn't move. Hunter, that was. He stood deathly still,