He had a rifle in his hands, his face pale under the security lights.

“Mara!” he shouted. “Get off the horse!”

I didn’t stop.

I let Vesper run, heading straight for him.

Marco raised the rifle, his hands shaking as he aimed at the stallion’s chest.

“I’ll shoot him!” he screamed.

Vesper didn’t slow down.

The distance between us shrank to twenty yards.

Ten yards.

Marco’s finger tightened on the trigger.

Suddenly, a loud beep sounded from the pocket of my jacket.

The burner phone Dante had given me was lighting up, vibrating against my chest.

The screen flashed a single word in bright green letters.

*NOW.*

I ducked low, pressing my chest flat against Vesper’s wet neck.

A blinding flash of white light erupted from the security poles behind Marco.

The high-decibel siren of the estate’s secondary alarm wailed, deafening and sharp.

Marco screamed, dropping his hands to shield his eyes from the sudden glare.

His rifle went off, the bullet whizzing high into the rainy night sky.

Vesper didn’t hesitate.

He surged forward, his shoulder catching Marco squarely in the chest.