Before he could finish, Gianna stepped between us, her hand resting on the holster at her hip.

Derek froze, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

“I would think very carefully about your next word,” Gianna said.

Marcus turned his back on Derek.

He looked at his lieutenant, then back at Vincent.

“We are leaving,” Marcus said.

“Marcus, no!” Derek screamed, his voice cracking.

“You can’t leave me here! We have a contract!”

Marcus did not stop walking toward his black SUV.

“The contract is void,” Marcus said over his shoulder.

“I do not associate with dead men.”

His men followed him, their heavy boots splashing through the growing puddles.

The doors of the SUV slammed shut with a heavy, metallic thud.

The engine roared to life, and the headlights cut through the darkness as the vehicle sped down the driveway.

The heavy metal gates of the estate groaned as they closed behind them, leaving us in silence.

That left Derek standing alone in the middle of the wet gravel.

Two of Vincent’s guards closed the distance, standing just a few feet behind him.