The Cook County Criminal Courts building loomed like a fortress on a gray January morning. Juliette sat in the back […]

The safe house felt like a prison. Two weeks into their protective custody, Juliette was losing her mind. The same

Roman burst through the warehouse door just as Nico’s hand closed around Juliette’s arm. “Let her go!” Roman’s voice echoed

The call came at three in the morning. Roman’s burner phone—the one only three people had the number to—buzzed on

The nightmares came back that night. Juliette woke to Roman thrashing beside her, his body rigid, sweat soaking through the

Morning came soft and golden through unfamiliar curtains. Juliette woke wrapped around Roman, her face pressed to his chest, his

The man stepped from the shadows, and Juliette’s breath caught. He was young—mid-twenties maybe—with cold eyes and a scar running

Three weeks after the shooting, life almost felt normal. Roman’s shoulder was healing. He could move without wincing, could shower

Roman slept for sixteen hours straight. Juliette kept vigil beside him, checking his bandages, monitoring his temperature, making sure he

The abandoned Apex building smelled like rot and decay. Juliette slipped through a broken side door, her phone flashlight cutting