Chapter 103

Dominic POV

The coordinates come in early the next morning.

It took barely an hour for calls to be made and men to be positioned before they were ready to head out. A sizable task executed almost seamlessly—a good sign for the end of this endeavor.

Now, hours later, they were on their way to the location.

“You’re sure about this?” Luca asked from the driver’s seat, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror where Aurora sat quietly in the back.

Dominic didn’t answer right away. His thumb tapped restlessly against the side of his phone resting in his lap, a text thread directly to Romero already pulled up, waiting for the confirmation that they had arrived at the mansion.

The worst part about all of this was that he wasn’t sure.

Not in the slightest.

Though, not about this plan actually working. No, it was something else entirely.

If Alek believed for even a second that Aurora was slipping away from him, that she wasn’t fully in line with the little charade they’d built around Dominic’s supposed paranoia, this whole operation would crumble.

Which meant they needed to take Aurora along.

Dominic hated this.

He hated every goddamn part of that plan that potentially placed Aurora in the line of fire. But there was no other alternative.

Not unless they were willing to risk Alek finding out.

“How far do we have?” Dominic said finally, avoiding the question.

“Five minutes until we arrive.”

Aurora shifted slightly in the back seat. She hadn’t said much since they left the hotel. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap, knuckles white, her face pale while she struggled to maintain composure and not give away how nervous she really was.

He hated that too.

His sharp gaze swept to the mirror next to his window.

Two cars back were half of Mikhail’s men tailing them in a staggered formation—backup meant to keep this little theater alive until the final curtain. Meanwhile, Marco and Romero were leading the other half of the strike team straight to Alek’s mansion, ready to tear it apart from the inside out once the all clear was given.

A coordinated assault and two fronts. The objective: overwhelm and destroy.

It was a good plan. Hell, it was a great plan. But these things always had a funny way of dissolving into complete chaos at the last stage if the proper steps weren’t made.

Dominic couldn’t stop imagining Aurora caught in the middle of it. Or what her face would look like streaked in blood as her hand outstretched toward him, begging him to save her.

It sent a chill down his spine simply imagining it.

He forced the thought down as the car turned onto a narrower street, the upscale facade of their destination coming into view. A high-end restaurant with gold-trimmed windows and a valet already stationed outside.

“Showtime,” Luca muttered, reaching for his earpiece.

Dominic did the same, pressing a finger to his mic. “We’re in position.”

A beat of static before a voice crackled back in his ear. “Copy that. Alpha team following in pursuit. Beta team on standby, waiting for signal to enter.”

“Hold position until my mark.”

“Understood.”

Dominic cut the comms and glanced back at Aurora. Her fingers were still twisted around the hem of her coat now, her shoulders tense.

“You ready?” he asked.

She nodded once, but when her eyes flicked to his, they were wide and uncertain. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

His chest tightened. He wanted to tell her she could stay in the car, that she didn’t need to be part of this blood-soaked battle, but there was no point.

Alek wouldn’t buy it.

“Stay close to me when we’re in there,” he said instead. “Unless I tell you otherwise.”

She gave him a shaky smile. “Got it.”

Luca killed the engine and they all stepped out, the cool breeze dancing around them. Dominic took point as they entered the restaurant, his sharp gaze scanning the room for any signs of trouble.

The hostess smiled too brightly as they approached. “Hello! You must be Mr. Guerrero. Right this way. Mr. Volkov is expecting you.”

Dominic’s jaw twitched at the sound of that but he kept his expression smooth as they followed her through the pristine dining room. Every detail was designed to impress with the soft lighting, polished marble floors, and hushed conversations that died out briefly as patrons caught sight of him and his entourage.

They were led back to a private dining area in the section off part of the restaurant. Dominic’s eyes swept over it in a heartbeat: one door, two windows, thick curtains. No visible security, but he wasn’t stupid enough to believe that meant anything.

Alek wasn’t here yet.

Good.

They were early by design, meant to set the stage for this little performance anyway.

“Sit,” Dominic said, gesturing to the table.

Aurora obeyed, slipping into the seat beside him while Luca took the chair across. Her hands were in her lap again, her shoulders stiff and practically pinched up at her ears.

“You’re doing fine,” Dominic said under his breath, his eyes never stopping their slow circuit of the room. “Breathe.”

She gave a faint nod, but he could still see the tremor in her hands when he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Promise me you’ll make it out of this unscathed.”

Dominic’s gaze snapped to hers, the force of it enough to make her flinch. He didn’t say empty words or make promises he couldn’t keep. But seeing her like this, scared but trying to be brave, made something inside him shift.

“I promise,” he said finally, and he meant it.

She smiled, looking relieved.

The words were barely past his lips when it began: the first sharp crack of gunfire outside, shattering the calm like glass.

Dominic’s instincts took over. He grabbed Aurora, yanking her down and shoving her under the table as a second volley of gunshots tore through the restaurant’s front. Screams erupted in the dining room, dishes crashing to the floor, chaos blooming like a wildfire.

“Stay down,” he barked, already rising from his seat, gun drawn.

Luca mirrored him, his own weapon out as he pressed against the wall near the door.

“We’ve got live fire,” Dominic said into his mic. “Beta team, move in. Alpha team, confirm status.”

“Alpha team is engaging,” One of Mikhail’s men’s voices came through. “Repeat, engaging.”

“Copy.”

Dominic’s eyes swept the private room again. No movement yet back here yet, so the shooters were still up at the front, most likely trying to fight their way back here. It wouldn’t be long until they could.

This was Alek’s plan, to trap them like rats and let the bullets do the rest. A brilliant strategy if Dominic hadn’t already seen it coming.

“Luca, watch the back door. I don’t want any surprises coming through it.”

“Got it.”

Aurora’s wide eyes peered up at him from under the table. “Dominic—”

“Stay down,” he hissed.

Her lips pressed tight, but he could see the tears brimming in her eyes.

Dominic’s heart thudded painfully in his chest. He couldn’t afford distraction right now even if all he wanted to gd was shove her out the back door and tell her to make a run for it. The thought of her getting hit, of her blood spilling across the pristine marble floor, sent a surge of cold rage through his veins.

Another burst of gunfire rattled the front of the restaurant, closer this time. Luca shifted his stance, finger tight on the trigger.

“Here they come,” he murmured.

Dominic steadied his gun and fired.