Rose stared at Nathaniel, the world spinning around her. “The Sterling Tower… that’s where the wedding was. The unfinished penthouse.”
“Marcus,” Nathaniel commanded, his eyes blazing with a terrifying, apocalyptic fury. “Mobilize the private tactical team. Do not notify the NYPD. Victoria has scouts watching the perimeter. Have the team surround the lower perimeter on foot. Rose… you stay here.”
“No,” Rose said firmly.
Nathaniel turned, glaring at her. “Rose, this is not a negotiation! She wants you dead! She blames you for everything!”
“She will kill Eleanor the second she realizes I didn’t come!” Rose cried, stepping directly into his path, her hazel eyes blazing with an unyielding courage that stunned him. “You heard her voice, Nathaniel! She has nothing left to lose! She is completely insane! If I am there, her attention will be on me. That will give you and Marcus time to get your mother out!”
“I will not risk your life!” Nathaniel roared, grabbing her by the shoulders. “Do you understand me? I almost lost my mother once. I will not lose you!”
Rose placed her hands over his chest, feeling the frantic, violent beating of his heart.
“You won’t lose me, Nathaniel,” she whispered softly, with a calm certainty that cut through his panic. “You saved me from the gutter. You saved my brother. Now let me help you save your family.”
Nathaniel looked down into her determined face. He saw the same girl who had thrown herself onto the shattered glass without hesitating. He knew that trying to stop her was impossible.
Slowly, his hands moved from her shoulders to cup her cheeks. He leaned down and pressed a fierce, desperate kiss to her lips—a kiss full of promises, terror, and an undeniable, burning love that took her breath away.
“If anything happens to you,” Nathaniel whispered against her lips, “I will burn this city to the ground. Let’s go.”
***
