I saw the exact moment panic turned into desperate calculation in his face.

With a sudden, frantic lunge, Richard grabbed my arm.

His fingers dug into my skin like iron claws.

He yanked me backward, pulling my spine hard against his chest.

I gasped as the cold, sharp edge of a pocket knife pressed directly under my jaw.

“Nobody move,” Richard screamed, his voice cracking under the strain.

“Nobody touch a trigger, or I cut her throat right here.”

Declan took a half-step forward, his scarred face twisting into a mask of pure rage.

“Put the blade down, Callahan,” Declan growled.

“I will skin you alive before you can blink.”

“Stay back!” Richard yelled, pressing the blade deeper until I felt the sting of metal breaking skin.

A warm trickle of blood began to slide down my neck.

“I have the ledger,” Richard lied, his breath smelling of stale tobacco and sour whiskey against my ear.

“Victor, you want what is in my head.”

“And these two want her alive.”

“We are going to make a deal.”

Roman did not lower his gun.