Chapter 94

Dominic POV

The warehouse loomed ahead like a rotting carcass, its rust-stained walls and shattered windows a perfect setting for a back-alley deal.

Dominic guided their black SUV down the cracked asphalt road, the tires crunching over broken pieces of rubble as they went. This wasn’t just a neutral meeting ground, this was an execution site.

One that Alek had so conveniently chosen for their, what would hopefully be, their final showdown.

Dominic kept one hand on the wheel while his eyes scanned the horizon for any sign of movement. So far, nothing but the quiet hum of the car and the distant view of the city beyond was visible.

Romero sat in the passenger seat, his jaw clenched tight. In the back, Marco was silent, one hand resting casually on his thigh, the other never far from the Glock holstered at his side.

Dominic didn’t need to look at either of them to feel the tension. It was thick enough to choke on.

According to Alek, Gianna hadn’t lived up to his expectations. She’d been “a handful,” as he so delicately put it last night over the phone. Not the perfect bride he’d imagined, not the pliant, pretty pawn he could parade through Moscow like his queen.

So Alek had agreed to give her back, to go with their original deal.

Dominic’s gut twisted.

It sounded too easy. That word didn’t exist in their world. Not when deals were the lifeline of their livelihoods. Going back on one or rearranging it around until it was unrecognizable went against everything a syndicate stood for.

Who was to say Alek wouldn’t have another change of heart?

They were the first to arrive at the warehouse, the SUV rolling to a halt in front of the building’s yawning entrance. Dominic cut the engine but left the keys in the ignition, just in case they needed to get out before Alek changed his mind yet again.

Or something worse happened.

Silence settled over them like a second skin.

Romero broke it first. “I still don’t like this.”

“You think I do?” Dominic asked without looking at him.

Romero turned in his seat, his eyes hard. “Then why agree to it? After everything Alek’s pulled? The kidnappings, the threats, using both girls like she’s a fucking bargaining chips… this should’ve been our excuse to hit back. To end this.”

Dominic exhaled slowly, resting his forearms on the steering wheel. “I know.”

“Then what are we doing here, Dominic?”

“We don’t have the luxury of being reckless right now. If Gianna wasn’t involved, I’d burn every inch of Alek’s empire to ash. But she is. And until she’s safe, my hands are tied.”

Romero’s lip curled. “We’re only doing this because you were asked to by Aurora. If she didn’t, we wouldn’t be sitting here waiting for more bullshit to be pulled.”

Dominic’s eyes flicked to him, sharp enough to cut. “Watch your mouth.”

“I keep telling you: she’s a distraction.” Romero said, undeterred. “She’s been from the start. How much longer are you going to let her pull your focus off what really matters?”

Marco shifted in the back, catching Dominic’s attention in the rear view as he watched his cousin’s gaze flicking between them. His hand strayed closer to his weapon, ready to intervene if this boiled over.

Which… it actually might.

Dominic’s knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. He hated that Romero wasn’t entirely wrong but he hated more that he couldn’t seem to help it.

Before he could snap back, his phone buzzed against the center console. Dominic tapped the screen when his cousin’s name lit up. “Yeah?”

Surprisingly, the voice that came through wasn’t his cousin’s.

“Dominic?”

Aurora?

His chest tightened. “What’s wrong?”

“You need to leave. Now.” Her voice was urgent, pitched low. “It’s a trap. Alek’s not coming for a trade. He’s setting it up to ambush you.”

Dominic’s stomach dropped.

What?

“Are you sure? Did Luca hear chatter?

“Please, Dominic. You don’t have time to—”

The sharp crack of gunfire cut her off. A sniper’s round punched into the asphalt inches from Romero’s door. Another shot shattered the passenger-side mirror.

“Go, go, go!” Romero shouted, yanking his gun free.

Dominic ended the call and slammed the SUV into reverse as Marco rolled down his window and returned fire in quick, precise bursts from his Glock.

The warehouse erupted with movement, figures spilling from the shadows inside and running to their SUV, guns raised. Bullets tore through the air, pinging off the SUV’s reinforced panels.

“Covering fire!” Marco barked, his voice calm even as the muzzle flashes lit his face.

Romero leaned out his side, his weapon barking in sharp, disciplined bursts. Dominic spun the wheel hard, the SUV fishtailing as they peeled out of the kill zone.

God, what the fuck.

He should’ve seen it coming. Had been too blinded by Alek’s suddenly changing his mind while hoping this would all be over soon. He knew things were too good to be true and yet he’d deluded himself into thinking otherwise.

Big mistake.

They weren’t alone on the road for long. A pair of black sedans roared out from behind them onto the road, their headlights flashing at them in the rearview.

“We’ve got a tail.” Marco called.

“Keep firing,” Dominic growled, his focus razor-sharp as he gunned the engine.

Romero squeezed off another burst, glass shattering behind them. “Not gonna hold them for long!”

A round slammed into the SUV’s rear quarter panel, jolting them sideways. Dominic swore and jerked the wheel, narrowly avoiding a telephone pole. “Marco—tires. Take them out.”

Marco braced himself against the seat, his arm steady as he leaned out and sighted down his Glock. Two shots into the lead sedan’s tires. They exploded, the vehicle skidding violently before flipping end over end in a spray of sparks and metal.

The second car swerved, narrowly missing the wreckage.

Romero emptied the last of his mag into its windshield, forcing it to fall back.

“Clear!” Marco shouted.

Dominic didn’t slow down until they’d put another twenty more miles between themselves and the warehouse. When they finally pulled onto a side road and cut the engine, the only sound in the SUV was their ragged breathing.

Romero broke it first. “She fucking knew.”

Dominic didn’t answer, his hands still clenched tight on the wheel.

“She knew the ambush was coming,” Romero pressed. “How?”

Dominic’s jaw tightened, his mind replaying Aurora’s voice over and over.

You need to leave. Now.

She’d saved them gut how the hell had she known?

The question lodged in his chest, burning. “Marco call Luca. Now.”