CHAPTER XLV

T he air inside the warehouse clung to the skin and made it hard to breathe. I peered from behind a dusty, cracked window into the abandoned industrial building, waiting anxiously for our shipment to arrive.

I gazed into the distance where overgrown grass and tangled weeds extended behind a thick shadow of towering trees, concealing us. Guards were positioned outside the building, hidden behind the cover of trees, and on the rooftops of the surrounding structures. Additionally, two snipers stood watch on the roof of the building we were in.

I reluctantly left Winter this morning. The house was heavily armed with guards, and now that she was part of my soul, I needed extra men to keep her safe. She made a permanent home in my heart, and not taking her from me.

"Hey, Nico," Matteo called out. “Are you daydreaming or something? Shit's about to get real."

I snapped back to reality and spotted Luca hunched over at a table, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he monitored the perimeter cameras. His brow furrowed in concentration. Beside him, Lo was methodically loading weapons to prepare them for war.

I shook my head, trying to shake off the thoughts that were too heavy to share.

A voice crackled through the earpieces we all wore. It was the sniper on the rooftops, his voice steady but urgent. "Boss, we have movement, and it’s making its way now. ETA three minutes."

I pressed my finger to the earpiece. "Got it," I replied.

"Get ready," I informed my men, relaying the message to the guards through the comms.

Adrenaline surged through me as we took our positions. We hurried to Lo, grabbing our weapons of choice. I hefted my rifle, slamming a magazine into place with a satisfying click. I slid a pistol into the waistband of my pants and strapped another to my ankle.

"Fuck," Lo muttered, his face draining of color.

"What?" I asked, alarm bells ringing in my head.

"Something's not right," he said, his eyes darting at the screen nervously.

“What the fuck was—” I was cut off when a violent explosion shook the ground, sending shards of glass flying and twisting metal echoing through the warehouse. My heart raced as I heard the guards shout through the earpiece, "We're being attacked!"

We scrambled off the ground and ran to the window; the lead car was engulfed in flames. Smoke surged into the air, and debris rained down.

I had no time to respond before a second explosion rocked the rear vehicle, knocking us off our feet. "What the actual fuck?!" Matteo shouted.

"Get your asses down!" I roared, already diving for cover. Bullets whined past, seeking flesh, as we scrambled for safety. I threw myself near the front window, gun at the ready, and lay flat, peering through the broken glass. Matteo returned fire from the opposite window.

A bullet pinged off the wall next to me, sending concrete shards into my eyes. I blinked, cursing, and raised my gun. Through the scope, I saw movement—a man dressed in black, his face obscured by a mask. "Fuckers!" I spat, pulling the trigger. The glass shattered, offering me a clearer view.

"Fuck!" Lucas shouted.

"Lo! Lucas! You hit?" I called out, scanning the room.

"We're good!" Lo replied.

We could hear shouting outside but couldn't see shit. We were going in blind. I raised my weapon, scanning for the targets through the gaps in the window.

I yelled through the earpiece, "Blue, report!"

"No movement on my end," Sniper Blue replied. "But I see the driver in the truck."

"Red here. We have casualties. The package is secure, but we're taking fire from multiple angles."

"This is Green. I have a visual of an unarmed man heading toward the truck. Black hoodie, plain mask."

"Take him alive," I ordered through gritted teeth. "Green, I want him breathing. Understood?"

"Copy that."

"This guy's either the bravest or the dumbest son of a bitch," Matteo shouted, his gun spitting fire.

"Lo! Luca! Get your asses up here! We need to flank these bastards!" I needed eyes on the target, and these two were the best.

They moved while using a table as cover. Lo adjusted his scope, his eyes never leaving the gap in the brick wall. Lucas slid along the wall, his back against it.

"I see him," Lo muttered. "What the hell is he doing? Stupid fuck. Doesn't he realize he's surrounded by snipers?"

Another loud bang erupted through the air like thunder.

The sound of a shot, and then silence.

"Blue's down!" Green bellowed. "Taking fire from an unknown position."

"Fucking shit! Get the hell out of there, Green!" I ordered. Another shot rang out, and the line went dead.

Where the hell were they shooting from? And how many were there? Just then, as if in slow motion, the man in the truck raised his gun, his eyes fixed on the window. But a split second later, a bullet pierced the windshield, and the driver slumped over, dead.

My men outside. All gunned down. My blood ran cold. We were being hunted.

"Luca, we need extra eyes. Can you check the cameras to see where these assholes are hiding?" I watched the man on foot drag the driver’s dead body out of the seat, crumpling to the ground.

Luca snapped into action. "I'm on it." He dashed toward the computer, which had been knocked off the table but was still working. His fingers flew across the keyboard as he accessed the security footage.

"The cameras are good," he panted. As if on cue, a hail of bullets rained toward our building.

"Take cover!" I yelled. Matteo and Luca returned fire. "Hold your fire!" I commanded. "We need to pinpoint their location."

The sound of gunfire continued, and then I spotted it—the glint of sunlight off their rifle scope.

"The second target is making a run for the truck. Sneaky bastard," Lo commented.

More chaos ensued as Matteo shouted, "Nico! Black sedan, heading this way at high speed!"

The beast inside me was ready to be unleashed as I watched the asshole hop into the driver's seat and start the engine.

"Let's move! Now!" My voice was hoarse from all the yelling as the gunshots ceased. But I knew it wouldn't last when the sound of screeching tires was heading our way. If we stayed here, we'd be sitting ducks, and there wasn’t time to call for backup.

I burst out of the building, my gun at the ready, and fired. The men in the car were caught off guard as Luca and I shot multiple rounds into the front windshield. The glass shattered, and bullets tore through the metal. Matteo and Lo provided cover.

"Keep your damn heads down!" I bellowed, throwing myself to the ground as a bullet flew past, dangerously close. Luca joined me, and we watched as the car swayed out of control, slamming into the brick wall and bursting into flames.

Then we turned our attention to the truck.

"Get your asses out of the truck!" I roared, getting to my feet and striding toward them with my gun aimed at the two men who were trying to steal my shipment. My finger tightened on the trigger, and I fired a warning shot. The driver jumped out, hands in the air.

"Who the fuck sent you?" I demanded.

"Nico! Get back!" A second later, the men were blown up into pieces.

The blast knocked me on my ass, and I slammed into the ground. My ears rang, and my vision blurred. I could hear Luca nearby, coughing

"You okay?" he called out

I nodded, pushing myself up and wiping the dust from my face. "Yeah, I'm good."

The truck was intact, but our men lay scattered across the ground.

"Lo, call for backup and tell them we need a cleanup crew." I spat the words, my anger threatening to consume me.

"Already on it," he said.

Matteo came over and stood beside me. "The fuckers blew themselves up. What now?"

I took a steadying breath, my eyes scanning the destruction around us. “We have a fucking rat," I said through clenched teeth. "Let's flush him out."

The warehouse was quiet now, but the war was far from over.