The door swung wide and Ava stepped in, raising her pistol. "We're clear. Last one's down. Markus is cleaning up the mess."

Adrian kept his weapon on the door. "I want names by sunrise."

She gave him a look and left. The steel door sealed shut with a heavy thud that made my stomach drop.

I stayed behind the couch, heart still racing like I'd run a marathon. My hands were shaking and I couldn't make them stop. "That's it? We're good now?"

"This has gone too far." Adrian lowered his pistol but kept it ready in his grip. His knuckles were white against the black metal. "Victor's pulled something like this before, using people, then coming after them."

"Using them how? What do you mean?" The question came out smaller than I meant it to.

He just stared at me. Classic Adrian, it was always a struggle trying to get a straight answer out of him. His jaw was tight, that muscle jumping the way it did when he was holding something back.

On the monitor, Markus was dragging someone across the lawn. The body left a dark trail in the grass that made my stomach turn. "Is this going to be every night? Random psychos with guns showing up to kill me?"

"Maybe. You'll live through it." His voice was flat and matter of fact, like he was talking about the weather.

"God, you're such a comfort." I tried to sound sarcastic but my voice cracked halfway through.

"I'm not trying to comfort you." He moved closer, and I could smell gunpowder on his clothes. "I'm making you a promise."

The word hit differently than it should have, warm and dangerous, and there was something in the way he said it that made me hope he meant more than just keeping me alive.

The door buzzed. Adrian's weapon was up before I could blink.

"Boss, you have to see this." Markus through the intercom, his voice tight.

The lock disengaged and Markus walked in with a black envelope in his hand. Blood stained one corner. "Found this on our friend outside."

Adrian ripped it open without hesitation and a photo fell out, fluttering to the floor between us. Me in the garden this morning, I was smiling in the picture, completely unaware someone was watching me.

"Oh no." My stomach dropped to my feet. "That's from today."

"Looks like the North wall angle," Markus said, studying the photo. "Someone must've made it past the blind spot again."

"How many times do I have to tell them to fix that damn blind spot?" Adrian said, his voice growing cold.

"Three times now."

I stared at both of them, something clicking into place that made my blood run cold. "This has happened before then."

Neither answered and the silence stretched between us like a live wire.

"How long?" My voice went quiet, dangerous. "How long have people been watching me?"

Adrian finally looked at me, and I saw guilt in his eyes I'd never seen before. "Since before you got here."

I couldn't breathe for a second. The room felt too small, too hot. "And you what, just forgot to mention it?"

"I didn't see the point in worrying you for no reason. I was handling it." He said it like that justified everything.

"That's not your call." The anger hit me like a wave. "You don't get to decide what I know about my own damn life."

Something shifted in the air between us, he had the same electric look in his eyes like when he'd looked at me like he wanted to devour me whole, except he didn't drop his gaze this time.

"Looks like I'll have to excus..." Markus backed toward the door, reading the room.

"Stay put," Adrian said, eyes still locked on me.

"Right. Actually, I'll go have a chat with our friends outside, there must be someone left alive that we can interrogate." Markus practically fled, the door sealing behind him with another heavy thud.

When we were alone, Adrian was somehow closer than before, even though I hadn't seen him move.

"You're mad I kept you in the dark." It wasn't a question.

"Hell yes I'm mad." I crossed my arms, trying to put some barrier between us. "I've got a right to know people are stalking me. Everything is just so confusing, I don't get any of it and no one will tell me anything."

"But if I'd told you, you would've bolted." His voice dropped low and rough. "Packed up that first night and run, this life is a dangerous one, Celeste."

"You don't get to decide what I can handle." But even as I said it, I knew he was probably right. I would've run straight into the arms of dangerous people.

His eyes flicked to my mouth, just for a second, quick enough that I could pretend I imagined it. "Can you handle me?"

My breath caught in my throat at hearing his very loaded question. There was heat in his voice, in the way he was looking at me, and I knew he was asking something completely different.

I stepped back, suddenly needing some space to think and to breathe. The couch hit the back of my legs and I stumbled. "We are not doing this right now. There are dead people outside the door."

The control panel exploded with alarms, with every screen flashed red, bathing the room in hellish light. The sound was deafening, like the world was ending. I was growing really tired of hearing that.

"Perfect. Another breach." Adrian had his gun up instantly, all business again.

The south terrace camera showed a figure slipping inside past the outer wall, moving through the shadows. They knew exactly where the cameras were, how to avoid them, that meant this wasn't some random thug, this was a professional.

"Markus!" Adrian hit the comm so hard I was surprised it didn't break.

Static crackled for a second before Markus answered. "I can see them moving fast toward the house."

"That's not one of ours." Adrian's voice was ice. "Whoever the hell it is, they're inside the perimeter."

My mouth went dry. "Inside the house?"

On the screen, the figure paused at the french doors leading to the library. They pulled something small and dark from their jacket, and then the camera went black.

"They're cutting the feeds," Adrian said. "One by one."

Another camera died, then another.

"How many are there?" I whispered.

"Don't know. Markus, talk to me."

"Lost visual on sector seven. They're good, boss. Real good."

The lights went out, the emergency power kicking in a second later and bathing everything in red.

"Stay behind me," he said. "Whatever happens, you stay behind me."

I nodded, not trusting my voice. Outside, I could hear calm, measured footsteps approaching, like they had all the time in the world and not an ounce of fear.