The Billionaire's Blood Debt

The blast threw me to the floor. Dust rained down from the library ceiling. The heavy oak doors rattled on their hinges.

Leo screamed, covering his ears. I scrambled to him, dragging him beneath the massive solid oak desk in the corner. "It's okay, baby, I've got you. Hide right here. Do not come out until Mommy says so."

I crawled back to Roman. He was unconscious, his breathing shallow. I ripped open his shirt. The stitches had completely blown out. I grabbed a throw pillow from the leather couch, ripped the velvet cover off, and pressed it hard against the wound.

Gunfire erupted outside. Not random shots, but the disciplined, rhythmic popping of tactical weapons.

Marcus ran back into the room. He had blood on his forehead. "They breached the south gate. They used C4. It's not just Vance's street guys."

"Who is it?" I yelled over the noise.

"SWAT," Marcus said, his face dark. "Or at least, men dressed like them. Vance bought the local precinct."

Corrupt cops. We couldn't even call for help. The people supposed to protect us were the ones blowing the doors off.

"Roman is out," I told Marcus, my hands slick with blood. "He needs a hospital."

"He's not getting one," Marcus said grimly. He barricaded the library doors with a heavy bookshelf. "We hold this room."

"They want Leo!" I screamed, the panic finally breaking my composure. "Marcus, they want my son for his DNA!"

Marcus looked at me, then down at Roman. He reached into his tactical vest and pulled out a small, heavy silver key. He pressed it into my hand.

"Behind the fireplace," Marcus said quickly. "There's a panic room. It leads to a tunnel that drops out a mile away near the highway. Take the boy and go."

"What about you and Roman?"

"I'm paid to die for him," Marcus said flatly. "You're not."

The library doors shuddered as something heavy slammed against them from the outside.

I looked at Roman. He had saved my job. He had protected my husband's secret. He had funded my son's future.

I looked at the silver coin on the table. A token of trust.

I made my choice.

"I'm not leaving him," I said.

Marcus stared at me in shock. "Megan, you have to—"

"Help me move him," I commanded.

Together, we dragged Roman's unconscious body toward the massive stone fireplace. I fumbled for the hidden lock Marcus had pointed out, jammed the key in, and turned. The heavy stone hearth swung inward, revealing a dark, narrow stairwell.

"Leo! Come here, fast!" I called out.

My son scurried from beneath the desk, clutching his dinosaur. We pushed Roman inside.

Just as Marcus stepped in to pull the stone door shut, the library doors shattered inward.

A man in heavy tactical gear stepped through the debris. He raised his rifle.

Marcus pushed me back into the dark and threw his weight against the stone door.