Ethan POV

I woke with a violent gasp, my body jerking upright as if yanked from death itself. Sweat drenched my skin, my heart slamming against my ribs so hard it hurt. For a second, the world didn’t feel real. Darkness pressed in from every corner, thick and suffocating, and I could still see it—still hear it.

Sylvester standing across from me.

The gun in his hand.

The way his eyes had been empty, almost calm, as he raised it.

I squeezed my eyes shut, but it didn’t help. ...