The world hit them in shards of steel and smoke.

Alessandro curled his body around Sophia, crashing through a lower scaffold with a bone-rattling crack. Eva slammed down beside them, the breath ripped out of her lungs but her knife still clenched in her fist.

Shouts. Boots. The snap-click of rifles.

“Freeze! NYPD—”

“Shut it, they’re armed!” another voice barked, closer, harsher.

Red dots danced across the smoke, painting their skin.

Eva’s head whipped toward Alessandro. He had ...