Vincent closed his eyes, bracing for the pain that should have ended everything.
The gunshot exploded through the alley, sharp enough to make his ears ring, but nothing struck him.
No heat. No agony. Only the cold rush of confusion.
He opened his eyes just enough to see Lucien's arm lowered, the bullet buried in the ground beside his head.
His breath caught. "What? Why?"
"Get up and get the hell out of here."
Lucien stepped back, lifting his foot from Vincent's chest.
Vincent didn't move at first. He couldn't. His mind scrambled to understand why the man who had every reason to kill him chose not to.
This wasn't the Silver Serpent he knew. The feared underboss who removed obstacles without the slightest hesitation. The serpent that never forgave, never spared, always struck to kill.
But the man standing above him didn't look like a ruthless killer. He looked worn, hollow, shaken in a way Vincent had never seen.
