Lyvana and Emily walked through the parking lot, giggling and leaning on each other. They had just finished a long dinner wit a few too many drinks. For the first time since the day began, the weight of everything had lifted; they'd managed to forget about the men, the drama, and the stress, and simply enjoyed being with each other.
They were so distracted they didn't notice the movement behind them. A man moved through the rows of cars, watching them closely.
As Lyvana reached for her car door, the man pulled a gun from his jacket and rushed toward them.
He never reached them.
Before he could shoot, Marco appeared from behind a pillar. With a quick, silent move, he grabbed the man's throat and slammed him against a concrete wall. Marco disarmed him and delivered a sharp blow to the man's jaw.
The attacker went limp and fell to the ground, unconscious.
Lyvana and Emily were already inside the car, still laughing about a joke Emily had made. They didn't hear a thing.
