The sun began to dip behind the jagged peaks of the mountains, painting the sky in violent shades of purple and bruised orange. On the Island of the Rose, the air felt heavy, as if the earth itself knew that something terrible was about to happen. I stood on the wide stone balcony of my father’s old villa, my hands gripping the cold marble railing so hard my knuckles turned white. Below, three sleek black boats cut through the turquoise water, moving toward the pier like sharks sensing blood.
“They’re here,” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the sound of the wind.
Ryker stepped out from the shadows of the bedroom behind me. He looked different now than he had in the city. He wasn't wearing a suit. He was dressed in tactical black gear, his boots heavy on the floorboards, a dark s
