He had barely taken one step when Natalie caught his arm. He turned, irritated. "What now?" Natalie met his eyes. "Mr. Simpson, you really forget things easily. Did you already forget the terms of our deal?" When Anthony didn't react, she frowned. "Where's Selina?" Anthony's face lit with false realization. "Oh, you meant her! I was just about to ask the leader about that for you." Natalie scoffed. "You'd better be." She lifted her gun, pressed it to his head, then swept it across the room to include every man there. "You'd better move fast. I'm not exactly patient. You've got thirty minutes. If you're not back by then, I start shooting." Her tone was flat and cold, but her gaze was sharp as she scanned the crowd like she was choosing her first target. With so many of them jammed into one room, she wouldn't even have to aim. A few rounds would be enough to turn the place into a bloodbath. The only downside would be wasting ammo. She just hoped this gang had something valuable stashed away to make up for it. The men shifted uneasily under her stare, their skin prickling. Are you sure they're the hostages? It feels like we're the ones being taken hostage! Anthony didn't seem to care about any of them. He gave a careless "Got it" and stormed off without looking back. That left Natalie, Cassian, and a room full of hardened men frozen in place, all of them glaring but not one brave enough to step forward.They might have been terrified of her gun, but pride kept their feet planted. Natalie raised an eyebrow, thinking of the fools earlier who had charged right into her line of fire. Maybe this crew was under the same cursebug spell. They weren't even afraid to die. Still, they didn't seem quite as insane as Anthony. There was no wild devotion in their eyes, just a reckless sort of courage. She gave up trying to make sense of it. It wasn't worth the effort. They had rifles, storage space, and the pets watching their backs. There was nothing to worry about. Outside, the blizzard howled harder, slamming against the building. Traveling now wasn't an option. Fine by her. She'd treat this like a break. While Natalie lounged with ease, the so-called "guards" stood stiff and silent, eyes locked on her and Cassian as if waiting for an excuse to attack. But she wasn't going to waste time glaring back. She spotted a couch a few steps away. Pulling out a pack of sanitizing wipes from her bag, she handed one to Cassian. Together, they wiped the couch clean until it looked brand new. Then the two of them—and the pets—settled down in comfort. She figured Anthony had gone back to that alley to meet Fiorella. With the storm raging outside, plus whatever private talk he planned, it would take him a while. No reason to just sit and stare at the wall. Using her backpack as cover, she pulled out two books and two bottles of juice from her storage space and passed one set to Cassian. The pets sat at attention, perfectly still. The moment anyone flinched, they'd give a signal, and she'd fire before anyone could blink. The sight of Natalie and Cassian sitting there reading and sipping juice while the rest stood guard made the men grit their teeth. Their eyes flicked toward her backpack again and again. What kind of sorcery was in that bag? She could pull out anything from it. And why were they stuck standing like idiots while those two lounged around like royalty? The two group leaders clenched their jaws, every muscle in their faces twitching with anger. They wanted nothing more than to drag Natalie and Cassian out and beat them bloody. But the gang's rules were strict. Until the leader gave the word, no one dared to act. When Selene stumbled into the room carrying two thick coats and a pair of heavy quilts, she froze at the strange sight in front of her. The two group leaders stood in rigid formation, with a crowd of their men lined up behind them, all looking like soldiers waiting for punishment. Meanwhile, Natalie and Cassian were lounging comfortably on a couch, reading books and sipping drinks as if they were on vacation. Even their dog sat on the couch beside them. Selene's mouth twitched. These two were unbelievable. They had wiped out a third of Cloudshade Hall's people, and now the other two-thirds were standing here like guilty schoolboys, while the killers relaxed without a care. The moment she walked in, every eye turned toward her. Selene quickly shifted her gaze away from Natalie and Cassian and gave a respectful nod to the two group leaders. "Hello, sir." The group leaders seemed pleased with her polite tone. Their faces softened. "Oh, Selene, you're here?" She nodded, her arms trembling under the weight of the coats and quilts. "I'm delivering these to the basement." The pile was so big that it nearly covered her entire upper body.One of the leaders nodded. "Go ahead. Do you need a hand with that?"- Selene shook her head quickly. "No, thank you. It's just a few things. I can manage."