I pull my jacket tight around my shoulders. The sun shines pale against my skin, and I watch my breaths form in the air. I make eye contact with the doorman again; he's been watching me stand across the street for fifteen minutes, unmoving. I don't know if he recognizes me from my last visit here, but he makes no move to acknowledge me.

I look away and slide my hands through my hair. Get it over with, Sage.

Before I hesitate or rethink my choice, I pull out my phone and dial Theo's number.

He answers a ring before the line disconnects, and when he speaks, I hear the cry of a child and pots and pans clanking. "What's up?"

"Hey." I take a deep breath. "I'm under your house. Do you mind coming down?"

"Wait, give me a second. Ari, give her the freaking toy, I'll buy you a new one!" Theo yells, the faintness of his voice making me suspect that he is holding the phone away from his mouth. He's back a second later, sounding troubled. "Sorry about that, what were you saying?"

"I'm sorry if this isn't a good time. It's just that this is really important," I say, anxiously playing with the red gem resting between my collarbones.

More shuffling and noise on the line before he speaks. "No, it's alright. Come upstairs, let's talk."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just ask Caleb to ring you up, he knows you."

"Oh, okay," I say in surprise, then end the call.

The doorman watches me as I cross the street, making me feel self-conscious. I straighten my spine. How does he know me? Does Theo talk to him about me, or was that one encounter sufficient enough for him to remember me?

"Ms. Black," he says, smiling politely as he opens the door for me, "are you here to visit Theodore?"

"Yes, actually, could you . . ." I point to the elevators.

"Of course, of course. Follow me."

He leads me down the velvet, red carpet to the hallway lined with elevators, and pulls out a card from the pocket of his uniform before proceeding to swipe it against one of the digital boards.

"Thank you."

I step into the elevator, glimpsing his smiling face once more before the doors clamp shut. I jab my thumb on the fifty-two button and turn to the mirror behind me. My reflection is disheveled from the wind, and my cheeks are spotted with blood under the skin to warm them against the cold.

I'm patting down my frisky hair, tucking it behind an ear, when I realize just how much I care about my appearance around him. My palms collect sweat and I have to wipe them on my jeans. I'm in an elevator riding up to Theo's house that is filled with his younger siblings. What if his mother is also there? I'm wearing a simple, maroon, V-neck sweater and black jeans that are slightly overworn, evident in the frayed ends. This is fine, right?

A shift in pressure and a ding make me turn and prepare myself inwardly. I'm blinded by the light glinting from the windows across the foyer as soon as the doors pull open. Everything is as it was during my last visit here, except for the various toys strewn around the grand piano.

I hear heavy footsteps descending the stairs, and a second later, Theo walks in from the hallway in the right. His lips lift in a smile. "Sorry about the mess. The maid isn't here today, and my siblings can make things messy."

I raise an eyebrow sarcastically. The spacious living area is spotless save for the five colorful toys in the corner. "Oh yeah, it's just atrocious. I don't know how you even get around it."

He rolls his eyes and chuckles, starting to walk to the kitchen. I follow him. "You want something to drink?"

The nervous flipping and theatrics in my stomach protest. "No, thank you."

I watch his broad back open the double-doored fridge, pull out a water bottle, and gulp it down, his Adam's apple bobbing. I press my sweaty palms flat on the cold counter. What's gotten into me?

"So, what's up?"

Before I can jump into the reason why I'm here, the sounds of children laughing and running make me stop short. A little boy with shaggy brown hair runs to the counter, squealing in mischief. He wears a stripped, oversized shirt that reaches his knee, and he clutches a fire truck toy tightly to his chest.

A second later, a younger girl with black locks stumbles into the kitchen in a yellow dress. Tears are running down her soft, round face. The sight makes my heart soften.

"Teo!" she wails and points to the first boy. "Ari w-won't give me the to-toy!"

At that, the little boy squeals and shoves the toy under his shirt. He catches my eye and presses a small finger to his lips, the universal sign of keeping a secret. I stifle a laugh.

Theo sighs and rounds the counter, lowering himself to the boy's eye level. He crosses his arms sternly. "Ari, what did I just tell you?"

"You said, give her the toy, and you'll buy me a new one." The boy—Ari—smiles like he's waiting for a reward.

"And?"

"I gave it to her, and she lost it. Now, you gotta buy two Lego fire trucks. One for me and one for her." He holds out two fingers.

The little girl stomps her feet and cries. "He's lyingggg!"

"I'm not!"

Theo purses his lips "Okay enough of that, Ari. Give Sadie her toy. I can see it peaking from your collar, buddy."

Ari looks genuinely surprised at that, and his eyes widen. "Whaaat? I thought I could trick you."

"Uh-huh?" Theo strains to hide his smile as he humors Ari with a raised brow. "Come on, out with it."

"Fine," the little boy relents, and pulls out the toy from under his shirt. He hands it to Sadie before racing out of the kitchen. "Levi, mission failed!"

Sadie wipes her eyes with a chubby fist and looks up at Theo with wide blue eyes, her eyelashes sticking together with tears. "Tank you, Teddy. Are you getting me a new one, too?"

He wipes her tears tenderly with his thumbs and smiles a smile that warms his face. "Sure. You too, Sadie. Could you give us a minute now?"

She glances at me as if noticing my presence for the first time. She points at me, and her little mouth unhinges open. "You look just like Pocahontas!"

For a moment, I'm stunned and at a loss for words. Her eyes are so beautiful. Then, a laugh bubbles from my chest. "The princess?"

"Yes!" She turns to Theo, her shiny locks following her head's rotation. "Teddy, doesn't she look just like Pocahontas? Look! She's so pretty!"

Theo laughs, catching my eye as he leans against the counter. "Yes, she is, isn't she?"

My chest blooms with a warmth that reaches my fingertips. Sadie grasps my knee. "Can you sing?"

I grin at the incredulous thought. "No, unfortunately, I cannot."

"She can fight like Mulan, though," Theo adds.

Sadie starts to jump up and down, her eyes widening even more. "Show me, show me, show me!"

"Uhh," I laugh nervously and look to Theo for help. This is the most interaction I've had with a toddler, and I'm starting to feel like I'm at a crossroads. I don't want to show her my violence, but I don't want to disappoint her, either. Letting her down seems impossible.

Theo catches my wave and nods. "Maybe another time, Sadie. How about you go upstairs and make a list of some other things you want with that Lego fire truck?"

"Oh yeah, okay!" She turns on her heels and starts to run—wobble, really—out of the kitchen. "Bye Teddy, bye Pocahontas!"

When it's only us in the kitchen, my cheeks flood with heat. Yes, she is, isn't she? We lock eyes, and I wonder if he's given the comment as much thought as I did. Sitting on the seat opposite me, he leans forward and rests his chin on a fist, oblivious to the tornado inside me.

I choose to focus on something else. "Teddy, huh?" I say teasingly.

He groans and closes his eyes. "I was hoping it didn't stick with you."

"Are you serious? She said it like five times!" I laugh and he joins in embarrassment. "How old are they?"

"Sadie is turning five at the end of this month. Ari and Levi are eight; they're twins."

"You look nothing like them," I note, though they're all extremely cute.

"Yeah, not Ari and Sadie, but Levi's gotten more of me. He's really shy," he says, and smiles fondly. "What about you? No one to humble you down like Sadie?"

Involuntarily, my lips lift in a grin at the thought of Roan. "I only have Roan. He's thirteen, and boy can he humble me."

He chuckles, his eyes twinkling. "I can just imagine."

"Yeah, it's just Roan, Mom, and . . ." I almost say 'my father'. I swallow the ball of cotton in my throat. "And me."

Theo notes the shift in my mood and changes the subject. "Were you fighting again yesterday?" He nods to my hands.

Right. I look down to see the bruised splits between my knuckles. Lucien and I spent a lot of time yesterday catching up, training in his gym. It felt good to have someone with me again.

I'm about to tuck them under my thighs when Theo reaches over the counter and softly wraps his hands around mine. "You don't have to hide them around me, you know that?"

I smile. "I know."

When the beginning of a silence starts to fall on us with our hands clasped together, I decide that now's the time to tell him. There's no use sugar-coating something that will end soon enough. I sigh and pull my hands away. "We have to go to the police station."

His face turns somber. "Did something happen to you?"

"No, it's not me. I'm fine. But we have to report David sooner than later."

He rubs the light stubble on his jaw and looks behind me distantly. "I know. I knew this was coming."

Sometimes I forget what I ask of him. He and his family look happy and close, and his exposing his own uncle to the world might make that all fall apart. I don't know where his mother stands in this situation, or what will become of Atlas, but I can't think too much of it. If I let the guilt in, my resolve will crack. There's much more at risk here than this family.

And after all, the fall of David Roman roots from his actions, and not mine. I might be the executioner, but he is the criminal. He did this to himself, not me.

An annoying, nagging voice whispers Atlas's name into my mind. It is persistent, and soon enough, I'm thinking of the conversation we had in the elevator. I think of the glances he shared with his father in Cena De Lopez. I think of the grand piano in his sad, empty room.

"What are you thinking of?" Theo asks.

I purse my lips. I can't give him more reason to hesitate about this. "It's nothing. Marli won't be coming with us. She doesn't want to show her face and risk getting herself and her mother in trouble."

"That's smart," he agrees. "I know someone in the NYPD that can help us since we don't have much evidence."

"You don't think the recording on my phone is enough?"

He gives me a look that I understand, but don't like nonetheless. "It's David. We'd need an empire to take him down."

༺༻

The police station is hectic. There are officers running back and forth, calls coming in and going out from computers and radio consoles. An officer holding a man in cuffs stalks across us with a hand in his pocket.

Theo leads us to a middle-aged woman sitting at a desk. She's thin, her salt and pepper hair pulled back in a tight bun, and directs her sparrow-like eyes at us when we stand before her. "Can I help ya?"

"Yes, we're looking for Detective Loughty," Theo says cooly. "Tell him it's Theodore Roman."

The woman smacks her gum, picks up the phone, and aggressively dials a few buttons on the keypad. "Hello? Detective Loughty, you've got some visitors. A Theodore Robin—"

"Roman," corrects Theo.

"I mean, Roman. Yes, yes." There's a pause as she glances at us. "Alright, I'll send them in." She puts the phone down and signals to someone behind us. "Aye, Tommy, take them to Loughty, will ya?"

Said Tommy leads us down a hallway until we reach a door with a label that reads Detective Joseph Loughty. He knocks once before pushing open the door.

Inside, a dark-skinned man stands in front of a desk, wearing suspenders over a button-up like detectives do in the movies. With a shaved head that reflects white, fluorescent light and wrinkles angling the corners of his mouth, he looks to be in his late forties. He extends his arms out at the sight of Theo and pulls him in for a hug, patting him hard on the back. "Theodore! It's good to see you, son." I can hear the army in his deep voice; maybe an ex-military.

"It's good to see you too, Uncle," Theo replies, pulling away from his embrace.

Uncle? Uncle?!!

Theo turns to introduce me. "This is Sage, a good friend of mine. Sage, this is Detective Joseph Loughty, he was my Dad's best friend."

I want to pull Theo outside and give him a good smack for not telling me this earlier. How am I expected to report a family member to another family member? Who's to guarantee this guy is trusted? Lucien told me he has ties with the police—what if his ties is the man in front of me?

I conceal the doubt on my face and shake the man's extended hand with a polite smile. Loughty's hands linger on mine for a second too long, and his smile falters. He either recognizes me from somewhere else, or he noticed the split hesitancy when I shook his hand. He's a detective; it's his job to do so.

"Sit down, kids." He rounds the table, and we all take our seats. The room smells like pencil shavings and apple air freshener. "Well? What brings you guys here?"

Theo looks at me and nods reassuringly. This is it. I can either take a leap of faith and trust him, or end it right now. He searches my eyes and silently says: put your faith in me.

I take a deep breath. "I'm here to report David Roman."

Loughty raises his eyebrows before sharing a look of understanding with Theo. "Are you, now?"

I let the words roll out before I can stop it. "David Roman has previous repeated dealings with drug exchanges, using his pharmaceutical company to his advantage. There's one about to happen on a much bigger scale, in less than two weeks, with an Italian businessman. I think he's planning on smuggling the drugs to Europe," I say it all in one breath. Then, add, "I have it all recorded on my phone."

The amused smile on Detective Loughty drops slowly. "Is this true, Theodore?"

Theo sighs, looking down at his clasped hands between his thighs. "It is."

I can feel my heart race in my throat when Loughty looks at me seriously, speaking in a low voice. "I want to hear it."

I'm about to reach into my back pocket but stop myself and think better of it. My gaze flits to the cameras in every corner of this office. "How do I know I can trust you, Detective?"

Theo shoots me a look. "Sage—"

Loughty holds up a hand to interrupt him and dips his chin. "It's alright, Theodore. She's right. David has connections here, too many of them. She gets to ask," he says, gesturing with his palms up. "David Roman and I go way back. As Theodore told you, I was good friends with his father, Jackson Roman, but David being part of the family, our paths crossed many times. Jackson was a good man, one with morals. He was David's partner in his company, but after he died, things went sideways. I know very well that if he were here right now . . . He would not like this.

"Over the years, I tried to catch him many times, but David is a smart man. A few months ago; there was a drug-dealing here but he managed to save himself. But if what you're saying is true, then maybe we have a shot this time."

He doesn't break contact with my eyes during his explanation until I'm pinned in my seat, one hand on the phone peeking out of my back pocket. I want to believe him, and it is easy to do so.

But. But. There's a side of me that urges me to take my time with my choice. Maybe there is another person I can report to.

As I stare at the nameplate on the detective's desk, Theo moves from his seat in my peripheral vision. He kneels next to my seat, and takes hold of my hand, making me direct my gaze to him.

He stills the tremors in my fingers, engulfing them in warmth. Loughty stares at us and watches the exchange carefully—I feel his gaze on my scar. "It's okay, Sage. It's over. You did good; let him help you now."

I nod. Relenting, I pull out my phone, play the recording, and set it on the desk.

The recording plays, and I hear the words in my mind before they are said. I've listened to it over and over again, countless nights in my locked bathroom with the water running. It feels weird to have a third party listen to this.

When it ends, Loughty quickly pulls out a notebook and starts jotting words down. "This is good, this is really good. I'm going to need to keep this here for evidence."

"What?" I ask. The thought of having something of mine for safekeeping with a detective doesn't sit right with me. They can trail these things, and Lucien needs to stay hidden. His number is saved in my contacts. "Do you have to? Can't I just send it or something?"

He looks at me like I just said a joke, briefly glancing at Theo. "That's not how stuff works. For all anyone else knows, this could be fabricated. I need the original one that's been recorded on your phone."

I neither nod nor protest.

"Tell you what, keep it with you for now. I'll call you in later so you can bring it in. And even with this, it's not enough. When exactly is this dealing going to happen?"

"Like the recording said, two weeks' time. I recorded it a few days back."

"I need an exact date." He taps the notebook with the back of the pen three times.

I look at Theo. "When's the Christmas ball? The one after the Feeding the Homeless project?"

His straight brows draw low over his eyes in confusion. "On the nineteenth."

"The dealing happens on that night," I say.

Loughty nods and writes more. "Good, good. Today's the eleventh of the month, that's eight days from now. Alright, anything else you can add? Anything unusual?"

I open my mouth but bite my lip before I say something I shouldn't. Marli does not want to get involved in this. I can't bring the Miles's family into this without telling them, and Lucien just came back to me.

"Sage?" Loughty prompts. "Anything right now can help us. We're going against a big man. You can tell me."

I purse my lips. "No. That's it."

"Are you sure?"

I nod.

He sighs and looks unconvinced. "Fine. For now, I'll keep this on the low. After I talk to my people, I'll call Theodore and tell him our plan."

"Okay," I say vacantly. A part of me can't believe it. This is it. I did it. "Okay."

Loughty stands up and extends a hand in finality. I shake it absentmindedly. "Thank you for your cooperation, we'll take it from here."

After Theo says his goodbyes, we turn around to leave, my mind still spiraling like a hurricane, my heartbeat drowning out the sense of hearing in my ears. Theo opens the door to the office and stands aside for me.

As soon as I hear the sounds of a busy police station outside the room, I snap out of my trance and turn to Loughty. "Detective."

"Yes?"

"He can't know."

"What?"

I close my eyes and breathe through my nose, wafting in the scent of the freshener as it sprays in the air. "David," I say. "He can't know it was me. I have family, I—I have a brother and a mother. Please."

Loughty nods with a tight smile. "Of course. You'll be safe."

He says that, the ex-military man with a gun strapped to his belt. Our eyes meet. His are dark and sure. I am nothing but fear. With one final look at the gun, I turn and Theo shuts the door behind us.

I think of the knife tucked under my pillow at home and decide it's time for an upgrade.

༺༻

A.N: Hey guys! Sorry for the late update, but here's a long chapter. Expect exciting, juicy chapters soon!