Chapter 6 - The Coffee Shop Siege
Monday morning arrived with a clear blue sky over Seattle.
Maya stood behind the counter of the café, her hands operating on autopilot as she made lattes for the morning rush. She hadn't slept more than two hours. Every time she closed her eyes, she felt the warm press of Mason’s lips on her cheek or saw the dark, terrifying glint in his eyes when he threatened Viktor at the bar.
The emerald ring sat securely hidden in a velvet pouch inside her purse beneath the counter.
At 8:15 a.m., the bell above the glass front door chimed.
Maya looked up, expecting to see a regular morning customer.
Instead, three men in heavy leather jackets stepped into the shop. They didn't look like tech workers or Capitol Hill locals. They had thick necks, visible tattoos along their jawlines, and cold, predatory eyes that immediately scanned the small café.
The lead man—a tall brute with a scarred lip—walked straight up to the counter.
Toby, who was standing beside Maya, backed away instinctively.
“Are you Maya Bennett?” the scarred man asked, his voice rough and unpleasant.
Maya felt her stomach drop into her boots, but she held her ground, pulling a rag over the counter to wipe down a stain. “I am. Can I get you a coffee?”
The man sneered, reaching into his heavy jacket. “Viktor wants to have a conversation with you, sweetheart. About your boyfriend.”
Before Maya could scream, the scarred man reached over the counter, his heavy hand reaching for her arm.
Suddenly, the front windows of the café shattered inward in a spray of glittering safety glass!
Two dark figures vaulted through the broken windows with terrifying speed. Before the scarred man could pull his weapon, a man in a dark suit grabbed his arm, twisted it back with a horrific CRACK, and slammed his face flat onto the granite counter!
The second attacker was tackled to the floor by another suited operative, his weapon sliding across the linoleum tiles.
The café erupted into screams as customers scrambled out the back door.
Maya backed up against the syrup rack, pressing her hands over her mouth in absolute shock.
Through the broken front door, Mason Reed stepped calmly over the shattered glass.
He wore his customary charcoal suit, perfectly unruffled, his face a terrifying mask of absolute, unadulterated fury. He walked straight past the groaning men on the floor, stepped behind the counter, and took Maya by her shoulders.
“Are you touched?” Mason demanded, his dark eyes wildly scanning her face, her arms, her neck for any mark. “Did he lay a hand on you?”
“I... I’m okay,” Maya gasped, her whole body shaking violently as she looked at the broken glass and the subdued men on the floor. “Mason... what is happening?!”
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Mason pulled her tightly against his broad chest, his strong arms wrapping around her like an iron vault. He buried his face in her hair, breathing her in deeply as if confirming she was truly alive.
“Viktor made a fatal error,” Mason growled against her hair, his baritone voice laced with lethal intent. “He thought he could touch what is mine.”
