Page 27 of Forget-Me-Nots and Apricots

I nodded, the image of the glinting needle burned into my memory. "Absolutely."

Reeves and Theodore exchanged a look that made my stomach clench.

"That confirms it," Theodore said quietly. "You were specifically…”

“…targeted," Reeves finished, his voice tight with an emotion I couldn't quite place. "This wasn't random."

I swallowed hard, trying to process this information. "Because of the business card they found on that Omega? Or because of Jensen and Thompson using my shop as a meeting place?"

"Possibly both," Theodore said, his eyes still scanning the street. "But the syringe indicates they know exactly who you are and what you might know."

"But I don't know anything," I insisted, frustration building alongside the fear. "I've told Collins everything."

Reeves's expression softened slightly. "They don't know that. All they know is that Jensen came to your shop in a panic right before he disappeared. In their minds, that makes you a loose end."

Before I could respond, a crash echoed from inside the shop, followed by an eerie silence. The three of us froze, staring at the entrance, waiting.

Collins emerged first, his expression grim, a cut above his eyebrow dripping blood down the side of his face. Lucas followed, limping slightly but otherwise intact.

"Lost him," Collins reported tersely. "Went out the back and over the fence. Theodore—"

"Already on it," Theodore replied, fingers flying over his tablet. "Accessing street cameras now."

I stared at my shop through the open door, my heart sinking at the destruction visible even from outside. Shattered vases, scattered flowers, overturned displays—it looked like a tornado had torn through it.

Collins strode toward me, his movements purposeful despite the blood on his face. "Are you alright?" he asked, eyes scanning me just as Reeves had done moments before.

"I'm fine," I said automatically, though I was anything but. "The shop..."

"Can be fixed," he replied firmly. "You can't."

In the distance, sirens wailed, growing louder with each passing second. Collins turned to Theodore, who was still working on his tablet.

"Anything?"

Theodore shook his head, frustration evident in the tight line of his mouth. "Lost him three blocks north. He knew where the cameras were—avoided most of them."

Collins cursed under his breath, then turned back to me. "You're coming with us. It's not safe for you here anymore."

"What? No," I protested, instinctively backing away. "I can't just leave. This is my life, my business. I have responsibilities."

"Which won't matter if you're dead," Collins said bluntly. His blue eyes locked onto mine, intense and unyielding. "This isn't a request, Vivian."

The use of my first name caught me off guard. Until now, it had always been "Ms. Reed" with formal detachment. The shift felt significant somehow, breaking down a barrier I hadn't realized existed.

"What about Jamie?" I asked, grasping for practical concerns to counterbalance the fear threatening to overwhelm me. "He works here too. If I'm in danger, so is he."

"Already handled," Theodore said, glancing up from his tablet. "Officer Martinez is stationed outside his apartment building. He'll be protected."

I bit my lip and shook my head, “I can’t. I won’t…” I didn’t get to say anything else as I heard Collin give a low growl.

"You can and you will," Collins interrupted, his voice leaving no room for argument. "This isn't a request, Vivian. It's for your protection."

"Protection?" I repeated, anger flaring hot and bright, momentarily eclipsing my fear. "Look at my shop! How is this protection?"

"He's right," Lucas said, stepping forward despite his limp. "Whoever that was came specifically for you. They had a syringe, Vivian. The other Omega’s that have died passed with mysterious causes and we think it is because of what was in that syringe.”

The sirens grew louder, and I could see the flashing lights approaching down the street. My mind raced, trying to find a way out of this, a way to maintain some control over my life when everything seemed to be spiraling away from me.

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