They dismounted in unison.
Practiced. Coordinated.
Weapons came out fast—Glock, knife, chain, baton—metal catching light as they spread, flanking us, cutting off every escape that didn’t end in the thousand-foot drop behind me.
The leader stepped forward, pulling off his helmet.
Scarred face. Cold eyes. Confident.
“Last chance,” he said. “The boy’s location. Now.”
I didn’t move.
Didn’t flinch.
Didn’t blink.
Rose coiled beneath my skin, a living furnace, her power pulsing hot and eager.
Let me out, she growled.
“No,” I said softly.
The leader narrowed his eyes. “No?”
“No,” I repeated, calm and absolute. “You’re not getting Sirus. You’re not getting me.”
A beat.
“And you’re not walking away from this.”
He laughed. Harsh. Ugly.
“You think you can take all four of us? You’re j
