“So I will not stand still,” Marriott continued, slowly lifting his gaze, “when a monster—” his eyes flicked to Xavier, “—in disguise is here, seeking Meret. Or when anyone else gets in the way of me keeping her safe.”

He paused.

Then he added, his voice low and unyielding, “She is mine.”

The words startled everyone in the room.

“Mine to protect.”

Lisa, who stood oddly by watching the whole drama unfold, let out a humorless laugh as she stepped closer to Bruce, drawing ...