It was a brick that sat a fraction of an inch shallower than the others.

I didn’t push it yet.

I knew that the moment I did, the sound would draw every gun in the room.

“Put it down, Leo,” Silvio said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper.

“This is your last warning.”

Leo’s eyes flickered to the door, then back to Silvio.

“Never,” Leo said.

The silence that followed was deafening.

The rain beat against the glass in a frantic, uneven rhythm.

I squeezed the babies closer, preparing myself for what was coming.

The air in the room felt thick, almost impossible to breathe.

I braced my foot against the floor, ready to drop behind the stone hearth the second the shooting started.

Dominic’s eyes met mine from behind the leather chair.

He gave me a single, slow nod.

He knew what I was planning.

He knew about the passage, too.

Leo raised his gun, pointing it straight at Silvio’s chest.

“Then we die together,” Leo screamed.

The young guard at the door took a step backward, his boots sliding on the wet hardwood.