The radio clicked off, plunging the study back into a suffocating, unbearable silence. The storm outside raged on, but it was absolutely nothing compared to the violent hurricane of terror tearing through my chest.
"He will survive," Dr. Aris stated, though his voice notably lacked its usual unshakeable certainty. He picked up the discarded black smartphone from the floor, wiping the screen before placing it gently on the edge of the mahogany desk. "Valerius Thorne has survived far worse odds than a rigged dockside warehouse."
"They set a trap specifically for him," I argued, pacing the length of the Persian rug. The sharp, persistent pain in my fractured ribs was completely eclipsed by the blinding adrenaline pumping through my veins. "Sergei wanted me to hear him die. He wants to take
