Chapter 1 - The Shadow in the Storage Room
The hair on the back of my neck stood up as Titan’s growl vibrated through the floorboards.
Roman did not even turn around.
His hand simply slid inside his charcoal overcoat in one fluid motion.
Out of the shadows of my tiny back office, a man stepped into the dim light.
He was dressed entirely in tactical gear, holding a suppressed automatic rifle pointed directly at Roman’s spine.
Before the gunman could pull the trigger, Titan lunged with terrifying speed.
The massive dog slammed into the assassin, sending them both crashing into a display of dog food.
Roman spun around, drawing a silver pistol and firing two shots into the ceiling to scatter the remaining guards.
"Get down!" he shouted, grabbing my arm and pulling me behind the checkout counter.
Glass shattered everywhere as the assassin kicked Titan off and opened fire on the storefront.
My expensive bags of kibble exploded, raining dry food and dust over our heads.
Roman’s eyes locked onto mine, completely devoid of fear.
"We are leaving through the back alley," he ordered.
I wanted to argue, but Titan crawled toward us, a shallow graze on his shoulder bleeding onto the floor.
"I am not leaving without the dog," I told him fiercely.
Roman gave a curt nod, returning fire over the counter to keep the gunman pinned.
We crawled frantically toward the rear exit, the deafening sound of gunfire masking the storm outside.
Bursting through the back door, the freezing rain immediately soaked through my thin sweater.
A sleek black SUV was waiting in the alley, its engine already humming.
Roman shoved me into the backseat, whistling sharply for Titan to follow.
The giant dog leaped in beside me, whining as Roman slammed the door shut and jumped into the passenger seat.
"Drive!" Roman commanded the man behind the wheel.
The vehicle lurched forward, speeding away from my ruined store and into the dark city streets.
I collapsed against the leather seat, trying to catch my breath.
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But my relief vanished instantly when the driver slowly turned his head to look at us.
He was pointing a gun directly at Roman’s chest with a sickening smile on his face.
