Ryan pulled up to the mansion gates just as the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and deep purple.
The iron gates swung open automatically, recognizing his car, and he drove through slowly, his mind already shifting gears from the version of himself that had spent the night with Marcus to the version that lived here.
The driveway curved elegantly toward the main entrance, lined with perfectly manicured hedges and tall trees that cast long shadows across the pavement. Ryan could see them already, his men, lined up in formation on either side of the entrance like soldiers awaiting inspection.
He brought the car to a stop and turned off the engine, sitting there for just a moment in the quiet. Through the windshield, he could count at least thirty of them, maybe closer to forty, all standing at attention, their faces serious and focused.
Tonight they had a mission.
Ryan took a breath, then opened the car door and stepped out.
