FAZER LOGINThe massive iron gates of the mountain estate clanged shut behind our convoy with a heavy, mechanical finality that vibrated straight through the armored floorboards of the SUV. The sound echoed through the valley, a cold reminder that my connection to the outside world had just been cleanly severed. Outside, the blizzard was a chaotic sheet of blinding white, heavy snow slapping violently against the tinted glass. The neon lights of Chicago were miles away, replaced by the stark, terrifying isolation of a stone fortress built directly into the jagged face of the mountain peak."We're secure, sir," the driver announced, cutting the powerful engine.The sudden silence inside the cabin was immediate and suffocating. The pressurized warmth of the vehicle quickly faded, replaced by the creeping, aggressive chill of the mountain air leaking through the rubber seals.Karl didn't say a word. He didn't look at me as he threw his door open, letting a furious gust of freezing wind and powdery s
The air in the service corridor tasted like liquid poison. Heavy sheets of gray smoke rolled along the ceiling, stained a deep, bloody crimson by the pulsing glare of the emergency lights. Karl didn't slow his pace. He marched forward with terrifying, mechanical precision, his fingers anchored around my wrist like a locked pair of steel handcuffs. My boots skidded wildly against the slick concrete floor. The smooth, liquid-silk fabric of my midnight-blue suit jacket caught on a jagged piece of loose metal studding the wall, the expensive material tearing with a sharp rip that sounded like a scream in my ears."Karl, let go of me!" I gasped, my voice catching in my throat as another heavy sob threatened to choke me. "You're hurting me! Let me go!"He didn't even turn his head. His sharp, stone-carved jawline remained completely rigid, his striking pale grey eyes fixed entirely on the exit door at the far end of the hallway. "Keep your mouth shut, Julianna. Your dramatics are a waste of
The mechanical slam of the electronic bolt lock from the outside sounded exactly like a guillotine dropping on my life.Total, suffocating blackness pressed against my eyeballs. It was a physical weight, cold and dense, wiping out any sense of direction. My lungs cramped, refusing to expand as the reality of the trap set in. This wasn't the consensual, thrilling darkness of the underground club where I had foolishly sought to discard my innocence. This was a stone-cold tomb.I was trapped inside the black marble restroom of Victor Petrov's banquet hall, and my stepbrother Karl was nowhere near me.“Do not trust him. Karl is negotiating his own survival. He brought you here to hand you over to Victor as a peace offering. Run.”Silas’s jagged handwriting seemed to burn through the fabric of my trousers, a branding iron heating up against my thigh. The words replayed behind my eyelids in glowing red neon. Karl had used me. The realization hit my stomach like a physical lead weight, bring
The shattered pieces of the satellite phone hit the marble floor with a quiet, sickening scatter. Karl did not give me time to think. He moved with brutal, terrifying efficiency. The bodies of the two assassins were still warm on the floor, but his mind had already shifted to the next battle."Get into the master bedroom," Karl ordered. His voice left zero room for argument. It was the tone of an enforcer, not a brother. "Wash the blood off your hands. We leave in ten minutes."I stumbled into the massive master bathroom, my legs shaking so badly I could barely stand. I turned the brass tap, letting freezing water pool in my palms. I scrubbed fiercely, but the phantom feeling of the dead man's throat beneath my weapon lingered. Cold water did nothing to stop the violent trembling in my fingers. My reflection in the mirror looked like a ghost. I didn't recognize myself anymore.When I stepped back into the bedroom, Karl was already changed. The blood-soaked shirt was gone. He wore a fr
I stared down the black barrel of the rifle. Time stopped.The assassin's finger tightened on the trigger. I didn't think. Pure, animal survival took over. I lunged from my knees, driving my shoulder straight into his shins. He stumbled backward, losing his balance.I didn't know how to shoot the heavy handgun in my grip, so I swung it like a hammer. I smashed the solid steel barrel directly into his throat.The man choked, a sickening gasp escaping his lips as he collapsed onto the floor. The rifle clattered against the marble.I scrambled backward over the broken glass, my chest heaving. The assassin rolled onto his side, gagging and clawing at his neck, his dark eyes wide with shock. He reached frantically for a pistol strapped to his tactical vest.I braced for the gunshot. Squeezed my eyes shut.A deafening crack echoed through the penthouse.The bullet didn't hit me. The second assassin, still standing near the destroyed balcony, dropped instantly. A massive hole ruined his fore
The red dot settled directly over Karl’s heart.He moved with terrifying speed. No shouting. No hesitation. He lunged forward, tackling me hard to the hardwood floor.A split second later, the massive window exploded inward.Glass rained down like a deadly waterfall. The muffled crack of a silenced rifle echoed from a distant rooftop. Karl covered me completely, pressing my face into the floorboards as his heavy coat shielded my bare skin from the flying shards. I squeezed my eyes shut, my fingers clawing into the lapels of his jacket."Stay absolutely still," he rumbled against my ear.Another bullet tore through the penthouse, ripping a gaping hole in the drywall above our heads. Karl reached up blindly, slamming his palm against a digital wall panel. The penthouse plunged into total darkness. Heavy steel security shutters rolled down over the broken windows, grinding loudly until they locked into place with a heavy, metallic thud.The silence that followed was suffocating.Karl pus







