End

Karl's stomach dropped the second Julia spoke again, her voice crisp and commanding.

"Bring the hostages."

Karl and Curtis barely had time to react before the heavy thud of footsteps filled the silence.

Then he saw him.

A massive man, dark-skinned, built like a walking mountain, stepped into the dimly lit lobby. His presence alone was suffocating. But Karl recognized him instantly.

No fucking way…

It was him.

The same man who had once terrorized Greg. The one who had broken him. The one no one spoke about, because even mentioning his name carried the weight of something vile.

And now, he stood there with a smug grin, effortlessly carrying two unconscious figures in his thick, corded arms.

Jane.

Layla.

Karl's vision blurred for a second. His breath turned razor-sharp. His heart pounded in his ears.

The two women—his women—were limp, vulnerable, completely at the mercy of this monster.