But standing in the doorway is a tall man wearing the uniform of the catering staff.
He freezes, hands slightly raised, eyes darting from me to the bodies on the floor.
"Jesus Christ," the man says, rushing over to help me up. "Are you okay?"
I keep the gun trained on him, not trusting anyone in this goddamn place. "Who the fuck are you?"
"Easy, man. I'm Declan," he replies, offering his hand. "Keira's brother."
My mind struggles to process this as I stand up. Keira. Calli's best friend. But that doesn't explain why he's here.
"Why the hell are you dressed as the staff?"
"Long fucking story," Declan says, moving past me to the other guard's body. He bends down and picks up the dead man's weapon, checking the magazine. "But we don't have time. Stavros took Calli."
I know it, but hearing someone else confirm it solidifies my worst fear. The reason I planned to kill my father before he could hurt her. "Where?"
"I don't know. Keira's looking." Declan straightens, his eyes running over me. "Can you move all right?"
I nod.
"Then let's go."
We start running down the hallway, weapons raised. Every step sends fresh agony through my knee, but nothing matters except getting to Calli.
"How do you know Calli's in trouble?" I ask as we move.
"Saw him take her," Declan says, checking around a corner before motioning me forward. "Plan's all fucked. I told her."
"Plan?" The question dies on my lips as we burst through the kitchen doors. The staff freezes, hands hovering over cutting boards and pots. Their eyes are wide, some crouched behind counters, others pressed against walls.
But what strikes me most is their reaction to Declan. They're not just afraid. They're confused. Shocked. Like they recognize him but can't understand why he's holding a gun.
"Move!" Declan shouts, and the staff scatters. We keep running.
"This way," Declan says to me.
We burst through the kitchen's back exit into the night air. The gardens that seemed so beautiful earlier now feel like a maze designed to confuse and trap. Landscape lighting casts harsh shadows, turning every hedge and statue into a potential hiding place.
A guard rounds the corner, drawing his weapon. Declan doesn't hesitate.
He fires twice.
BANG.
BANG.
The guard's chest jerks with the impact, and he falls backward over a bush.
"Where did they take her?" I ask, scanning the grounds.
"I don't know, but it’s this way.”
Shouts erupt from our left. More of Stavros's men have spotted us, pointing and drawing weapons. Two break away from the group, rushing toward us.
"Go!" Declan shoves me forward. "I'll cover you!"
I don't waste time arguing. I sprint toward the next mansion, ignoring the fire in my knee. Behind me, gunshots crack through the night. I turn, aiming at one guard closing in, and fire.
