A small, strangled sound came out of Julius's throat. It was not a laugh. It was the noise a soldier makes a half-second before he decides to fire through collateral damage.
"You—" Sarah managed.
The man's head swiveled to take in Colonel Vane and Julius properly for the first time. His next grin was wide enough to be visible even beneath the half-mask, lips spreading, sinful and slow.
"Oh, but you two. Look at you two. What's up with your expression? Please, gentlemen!" He tilted Lilianna's chin up casually, like he wasn't threatening them.
Colonel Vane's eyes were two hard chips of stone.
"Let. Go."
"In a moment, in a moment. Let me savor this moment a little longer."
The masked man's free hand drifted across Lilianna's collarbone, almost disgustingly tender.
"She'll be quite uncomfortable in about—mm—eleven minutes."
"Lily—" Sarah lurched forward half a step before Julius's free hand shot out and caught her elbow, anchoring her in place, shoving her to move on the back.
