Page 55 of The Editor’s Choice

“I’m assuming you’ve told James,” I say, just to be certain.

“I did. He didn’t take me seriously about it though. He’s in his office if you’re needing to see him,” he says, turning back toward the door when a strange bang comes from just outside it.

Knowing Otto is a little freaked out spikes my adrenaline higher than it was back at the apartment. That man never gets uncomfortable about anything. He’s seen it all in the years he’s worked for James.

Clearing the thought from my mind, I head for the stairs with Jade right behind me. Finn stops at the bottom of the staircase, waving us on without him. Cocking an eyebrow at him, I decide not to question it and climb the steps to the landing.

Knocking on James’s door with a deep breath, I wait for his response with baited breath. When none comes, I knock again before trying the handle. It turns freely, allowing me to swing the door open.

I find the same dimly lit office inside, lamp still shining on the desk. Nothing seems out of the ordinary here either. His laptop is on the desk with papers laying haphazardly on top and around it.

Making my way to the desk, my heart stops. On top of the laptop, along with the other paperwork, is a bright orange sticky note with a scrawled mess written across it.

It’s nice to see you again, Roman.

-C

Fuck.

A door slams somewhere on the main floor before people are shouting – several from the sounds of it. Two gunshots pop off as the yelling continues, more doors opening and shutting downstairs.

In a blind panic, both about Jade and about the men out there that I consider brothers, I bolt for the door, dragging her along behind me.

Fuck! I wasn’t prepared for this to happen here! My thoughts race as I take the stairs two at a time, desperate to reach Finn and Otto, along with whoever else might be here.

“Go hide and so help me God, don’t come out until I come find you. Don’t come out for anyone,” I say, hands on each side of her face as I stare into her terrified eyes as they fill with tears.

She nods quickly, terror unlike any I’ve seen before on her face, before turning and running toward the storage rooms under the staircase.

Good girl, I think, praising her silently for finding somewhere dark and out of the way while simultaneously praying it’s enough. If they find her, even God won’t be enough to save them.

I find Finn crouched down behind some old boxes that were used to ship and receive ammo. After a quick once over, I breathe a sigh of relief that the only blood coming from him is from his shoulder. A bullet must have grazed his upper arm but nothing too serious.

“Where’s Otto?” I ask in his ear, crouching beside him now.

He nods to his left. Scanning the back wall, I find him quickly enough. It’s hard to tell from this far away, but he seems to be doing okay. Standing and holding his own at least.

“I’m running low on ammo,” Finn says, amusement coating his face as he looks at the empty crates in front of us. “I can’t hold them off much longer, man. We’ve got to come up with a plan. Fast.”

As quickly as it started, all the gunfire stops. The silence that rings through the warehouse is enough to cause my ears to ring. We look at each other quickly, confusion etching Finn’s face just as a man I’ve never seen before appears behind him.

Pulling the knife from my boot, I push Finn to the floor before swinging the blade at the newcomer. I’m too far away, missing him entirely, but it was enough to keep him from stabbing Finn thankfully.

The guy is tall, probably my height or so, thin but toned, with dark short hair and a chiseled jawline. As he holds his hands up, knife still poised in his right one, a bone chilling smile morphs his face into something so sinister it instantly turns my blood to ice.

Finn’s eyes widen a fraction, the first time I’ve ever seen him look truly scared. In that moment, my heart skips a beat before thundering painfully inside my chest. All adrenaline gone, it takes every ounce of courage I have to turn around and face whatever is lurking behind me now.

My stomach hits the ground and panic takes over entirely as my brain registers what I’m seeing across the empty warehouse.

Five feet or so in front of the metal staircase, my worst nightmare is becoming reality. Jade takes two steps, stopping when she’s fully illuminated by the giant overhead light. She stands tall, doing her best to be brave, but I can see her legs shaking even from this distance. As Cain closes the space between them, I understand why.

With a wicked smile plastered across his face, he pulls her back against him before pulling the gun from behind her and placing it at her temple.

“How nice of you to finally venture out, Roman,” he starts, voice dripping with venom. “I’ve been waiting a long time.”

Stepping out from behind the crates, I take a step toward them but stop dead in my tracks when he presses the muzzle into her temple harder, making her squeal. A wave of nausea rolls over me, threatening to take over entirely.

“What do you want, Cain?” I ask, doing my best to keep my voice even as my world crashes around me. Glancing back at Finn, I see he’s now in the same predicament as Jade, though the knife-wielding guy from earlier isn’t being as gentle as Cain. Fucking hell.