NICHOLAS’S POV

Honestly, I didn’t see this coming, not in a million years. Anna, the woman I once trusted enough to let into my home, had stormed in with a gun aimed straight at the only person I couldn’t afford to lose.

The moment the shot rang out, time fractured into pieces. The sound was the only thing that stayed clear.

Ava’s eyes went wide with fear, her body locked for a moment before instinct kicked in. I threw myself across her, shielding her with everything I had.

In that ...