The vault door groaned under pressure, vibrating with each impact as Victor’s men pounded on it from the outside. Dust drifted from the ceiling. Elena held her breath, eyes locked on Killian. She could feel the energy humming beneath his skin—the fury, the weight of everything they’d fought through just to get to this moment.
“How long will it hold?” she asked.“Long enough,” Killian muttered. “But not forever.”From the comms, Dante’s voice crackled in their ears. “We’re moving in—five men with me. Thirty seconds out. Hold your position.”“Copy,” Killian said, then turned to Elena. “You stay behind me. If this thing blows, I want you out the side passage. There’s an old fire escape behind the vault.”Elena’s brows furrowed. “Don’t tell me to run. Not now. Not after everything.”Killian’s hand gripped her arm tightly, but his eyes were soft. “I’m not telling you to run. I’m telling you to survive. With or without me.”He
