The knock came at 2:17 a.m.
Sharp. Controlled. Three strikes, evenly spaced.
Sleep shattered instantly. The apartment lights were off, the city beyond the windows dark and restless. The security system showed no breach, no forced entry, and no alarms tripped. That alone made the sound more terrifying.
Another knock.
Lucia was already moving.
She checked Eli first. He slept curled on his side, breathing slow and even. She brushed her fingers lightly through his hair, grounding herself in the simple fact that he was safe. For now.
The intercom chimed.
"Open the door," Dominic said quietly. "Now."
Her pulse spiked. She did not answer. She moved back to the entryway, eyes flicking to the security panel. No alerts. No movement in the stairwell. Just him.
"What is wrong?" she asked through the door.
"They are inside the building," he replied. "Two men. Not staff."
Her stomach tightened. "How do you know?"
"I followed them," Dominic said. "They were not subtle."
Lucia inhaled slowly. "Where are you?"
"In the hallway. Between them and you."
Silence pressed in.
She opened the door.
Dominic stepped inside immediately and closed it behind him, locking it with swift efficiency. His expression was hard and alert, all traces of restraint stripped away.
"Get dressed," he said. "Grab your emergency bag."
"No," Lucia replied. "We are not running."
"This is not running," he said sharply. "This is relocating."
"I will not teach my son to flee every time someone knocks."
Dominic's jaw tightened. "You will teach him to survive."
The hallway camera feed blinked on the screen. Two unfamiliar figures stood near the stairwell, pretending to scroll through their phones. Too still. Too patient.
Lucia's hands curled into fists. "They are watching."
"Yes."
"And waiting."
Dominic nodded. "For leverage."
A soft sound came from the hallway behind them. A door opening. Footsteps.
Eli stirred.
Lucia turned instantly, moving down the hall. Dominic followed, quieter than she expected for a man his size.
Eli sat up in bed, eyes wide. "Mama?"
"I am here," she said, keeping her voice calm. "You are okay."
"What's happening?"
"Nothing you need to worry about," she said. "Go back to sleep."
A lie. Necessary. Temporary.
Dominic stood in the doorway, keeping his distance. Eli's gaze drifted to him.
"Are they bad people?" Eli asked.
Lucia hesitated.
"Yes," Dominic said simply. "And they are not getting near you."
Lucia shot him a warning look, but Eli nodded, accepting it.
"I trust Mama," Eli said. "So I trust you."
The words hit harder than any threat.
The sound of a key scraping against a lock echoed faintly through the apartment. Not their door. A neighbor's.
Dominic straightened. "Time is gone."
Lucia exhaled sharply. "Fine. But we do this my way."
She moved fast. Shoes. Jacket. The emergency bag is already hidden beneath the console table. She checked the back exit route, the service stairs she had mapped months ago.
Dominic watched her with something like grim respect.
The hallway outside was empty when they stepped out. Too empty.
"Stay between us," Lucia whispered to Dominic.
He nodded once.
They moved toward the service stairwell. Halfway there, one of the men peeled away from the wall.
"Evening," he said casually. Too casual.
Dominic did not slow. "Keep walking."
The man smiled. "We just want to talk."
Lucia felt Dominic shift, placing himself fully in front of her and Eli.
"No," Dominic said. "You don't."
The second man stepped forward.
Lucia's heart pounded, but her voice stayed steady. "You are trespassing."
"Not yet," the first man replied.
Dominic moved.
It was fast and brutal. A precise strike to the throat. The man crumpled without a sound. The second lunged, and Dominic slammed him into the wall, forearm crushing his windpipe.
"Run," Dominic said.
Lucia did not hesitate. She grabbed Eli and bolted for the stairwell, every sense screaming. Her mind cataloged steps, angles, and exits.
Behind them, the struggle ended with a dull thud.
Dominic caught up within seconds, breath controlled, eyes sharp.
"Down," he said.
They took the stairs two at a time. The emergency exit burst open into the alley, cold air slamming into them.
A car idled at the curb.
Dominic shoved the door open. "Get in."
Lucia hesitated only long enough to meet his gaze. "This does not mean I trust you."
"I know," he said. "It means you live."
The engine roared to life as they sped away.
Eli clutched Lucia's coat, trembling now. She wrapped him tight, pressing his face into her shoulder.
"It's okay," she whispered. "I've got you."
As the city blurred past, Lucia stared out the window, adrenaline crashing through her veins.
They had crossed a line.
And now there was no turning back.