On the hospital rooftop, a man with a savage, contorted face held Alexis hostage. A knife gleamed at her throat, the blade pressed flat against her skin.
Alexis was sobbing uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.
As more people crowded onto the rooftop, the man retreated toward the edge, his agitation spiraling into something feral and unhinged.
His bloodshot eyes locked onto Bertram.
"Bertram Delgado! All I wanted was one heart to keep me alive. But you'd rather give this bitch heart after heart after heart than spare me a single one. Fine. Then don't blame me for taking it with my own hands!"
Bertram's burning gaze fixed on the thin line of blood trickling down Alexis's neck. His face was a mask of composure, but his hands trembled at his sides.
He drew a slow breath. "A heart from someone with cardiac disease. How long do you think that would keep you alive?"
I stood in the corner of the crowd, watching the scene unfold.
Then, in the next instant, a pair of familiar eyes found mine through the press of bodies.
Before I could process what was happening, Bertram had pulled me into his arms.
"Only a heart from someone healthy would be worth anything to you."