Aiden Knight's POV
The silence in the presidential suite stretched like a blade held to their throats. Mason Warren and Ronan Quinn sat frozen in their chairs, sweat dripping onto the expensive carpet beneath them.
I could smell their fear. It rolled off them in waves, mixing with the scent of their desperation.
"Choose quickly," I said, examining my fingernails with deliberate casualness. "My patience isn't infinite."
Mason's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. His eyes darted to the shattered window, calculating escape routes that didn't exist.
"You're asking us to betray everything we've sworn to protect," he said finally.
I looked up from my nails and met his gaze. "I'm offering you life over death. Most people consider that generous."
Ronan shifted in his chair, his knuckles white around his weapon's grip. "The alliance will hunt us down if we turn traitor."
