Chapter 27

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The moment we hit my floor, an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.

Something's wrong.

There were no obvious signs of trouble; the filthy hallway was empty and the door to my apartment was shit with no signs of forced entry. But as I walked the length of the floor, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and the adrenaline kicked in.

It was almost like déjà vu. The rich, sumptuous drapes and plush carpets had been exchanged for scuffed tiles and the smell of bleach... but the nagging feeling in my gut telling me something was very, very wrong was eerily familiar.

I remembered the army at my back as I crept down the hallway. The smell of smoke wafting through the windows and the sound of gunshots outside.

The tall, black wolf cowering by the windows of the library, head down and eyes frightened.

"Kill him, Juliet. Seb said no survivors..."

What if one of Michael's men had recognised Theo? It was a longshot — Theo had never been in the media the way some of the other families had been — but there was still a chance...

Fear coiled in my stomach as I quickly fished my keys out of my jeans. I sensed Michael coming up behind me but I ignored him, unlocking the door at a frantic pace before I could stop me or attempt to slow me down.

Finally, the door sprung open and I froze in shock.

All three of Michael's men, including Thomas, were lined up against the wall by the television. Thomas had his arms folded over his chest, an irritated look on his face while the other two were flushed with embarrassment. The television was tuned to what was apparently Theo's favourite show, and my mother's voice tore through the ensuing silence with, "You? You k-killed my love?"

My eyes flicked to Theo and all I could do was gape at him.

He was standing in the centre of the kitchenette, both hands clutching the gun and pointing it directly at Thomas. His shoulders trembled a little and I could smell his fear, swirling about him like an aura. It was probably what I'd sensed out in the hallway.

He continued to stare unblinkingly at Thomas as the door swung open, but some of the tension in his shoulders eased like he knew it was me.

"Oh hell, Theo." I started toward him but he held out a hand toward me, warning me off. His eyes never left Thomas.

"They broke in here this morning," Theo said tightly. There was a wild look in his eyes, like a cornered animal trying to protect himself the only way he knew how. "They said they worked for some guy called Michael Rosario but I've never even heard that fucking name, Juliet!" His voice started to rise. "They told me to trust them but I'm not stupid. You told me, 'Trust no one', so I didn't trust them, I just waited until they were distracted and then I —"

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