**Elena’s POV**

The cold steel of the barrel was a silent promise of death pressed against the base of my skull.

For a second, I considered ignoring him and running. I really did. I considered turning that brass handle anyway. I thought about letting the bullet end this nightmare before I had to endure another minute of this life. Death felt like a doorway, and right then it looked a lot more inviting than the hallway behind me. But the instinct to survive is a cruel thing. It keeps you ...