Page 118 of Fallen Empire

“What’s going on?” I asked. I wasn’t waiting for him to pick and choose the parts he thought I could handle.

He exhaled slowly, shaking his head. “I promised myself I wouldn’t keep anything from you.”

His eyes locked on mine. “We sent an agent in to do undercover ops with Koslov. She’s missing.”

My heart pounded. “She?Nic?”

“No, no. Nic was supervising the mission—but something went wrong. The agent’s name is Layla.”

I stared at him. “So… what now?”

“I need to run to the office, but only to pack up what we need. We’re moving everything here. We’re not leaving this place again.”

“So… Millie will be here with me?”

“Yes. And Reaper. He was with us the day we found you. He should be here any minute.”

As the words left his mouth, a knock echoed through the room.

Jaxson moved to the monitor beside the door and typed in a code—1-2-8-0.He glanced over his shoulder. “It’s your birthdate. Backwards.”

Before I could respond, the door opened—and a man stepped inside.

No… not a man. Amachine.The kind you only saw in movies.

He had to be at least seven feet tall, all muscle and quiet threat. Tattoos covered nearly every inch of his body—his arms, neck, even the sides of his shaved head. And somehow… despite all that, he was still handsome. In a terrifying, holy-shit-don’t-mess-with-him kind of way.

“Savannah, this is Reaper. Reaper, Savannah.”

Then Jaxson turned to him, all command and control. “Donotlet them leave here. For anything. If the place is burning down, you wait for us to get here. Understood?”

“Yes, Boss,” Reaper answered without hesitation.

I nearly laughed. The guy could probably toss Jaxson across the room like a ragdoll, but here he was, taking orders like a loyal soldier.

Jaxson pulled out his phone again and dialed. “Hey, Millie. About how long?”

A pause. “Okay. Come straight back. I’ve got to head to the office, but Reaper’s here.”

Another pause. “Millicent, just… hurry.”

He hung up, slipped the phone into his pocket, and looked at me.

Something in his face had shifted—like a storm brewing just behind his eyes.

And I knew then…

Whatever calm we’d just found—

Was about to be shattered.

Jaxson gave me one last look before grabbing his jacket off the armrest. “I’ll be back soon. Reaper’s got you until then.”

I nodded, but I couldn’t stop watching the door even after it clicked shut behind him.

The silence that followed wasn’t peaceful. It was loud. Heavy. And laced with dread.

Reaper stood at the door like a statue, arms crossed over his chest, gaze sweeping the windows like he could see danger before it even formed.