We have maybe a minute before anyone realizes three of their men are dead and the captives are gone. I load the omegasinto the back seat and fasten belts where I can. They still look terrified, probably thinking they’ve just gone from one hell to another.
I take the front seat. Ennio gives a small gesture with his fingers.
We roll out, gravel crunches under the tires as the car pull away. City lights drift past like reflections on water. The omegas breathe in a shallow, hoarse rhythm behind me.
We don’t talk. We get people out and then we disappear. It’s been like that for years. Not a single omega in Ferro’s brothels is a captive. Every one of them is a volunteer. Ennio makes damn sure of that, and I help him however I can, no matter how hard or risky it gets. If I can save even one person from being sexually abused, I will.
Our ops have been going on since I was eighteen and completely miserable. They gave me purpose, they keep me moving, they help me get through each day. If not for them, I wouldn’t be here, that’s clear. Ennio always makes sure I have a job, whether it’s stopping Rocco’s operations, or the Russians, or the gangs involved in human trafficking.
My weird ability to sense danger has saved our asses more times than I can count. The black, smoky veils I see show up whenever there’s an immediate threat to my life, and I’ve learned how to dodge it, read it right, and work with it.
Now that the adrenaline is dropping, I can finally breathe.
The city folds around us, swallowing our taillights. In the back seat the omegas stay silent, still unsure, hesitant to believe they’re free. But they are.
Ennio glances at me, the small lift of an eyebrow saying a silent ‘good job’.
The operation is done.
???
When everything is finally taken care of, Ennio and I sit in the car for a moment while I stare blankly through the windshield as the thrill drains out of me.
"How’s Sun doing?" I ask, feeling a kind of resistance to even bringing it up, because my dear youngest brother got himself tangled up with the mafia completely on his own and in the most stupid way. I feel irritated that all of this now rests on my conscience somehow, since I know he’s in danger while no one else in my family has any idea.
"Not that good, mentally he’s been overwhelmed for a long time, you know how messed up Anzo is," Ennio pulls out his ever-present vape and takes a drag. "But I’m absolutely sure Anzo has no plans to get rid of him, not as long as he wants to test those weird ideas he carries in his head." His voice sounds like talking about it bores him, but it’s just exhaustion.
"I’m a little worried my dad will find out about all of this, and I want to protect him from stressing over the stupid things Sun does."
"Relax, your own seer brother, Snow, said it’ll resolve itself in a few days."
"Right. He did." I wince.
Ennio bites his lip, looking unusually hesitant for him, clearly unsure whether he should even say this.
"Remember Moon’s brother, the one who took his place at Anzo’s side?"
"Yeah, Summer. He’s a sorcerer, right?"
Ennio taps his fingers on the steering wheel in a steady rhythm.
"What about him?" I press.
"That guy is basically a walking nuke. Moon told me something he refused to tell Anzo. Summer is insanely powerful. If he wanted to, he could wipe Anzo’s entire fortress off the faceof the earth. Probably the whole city too. Without even breaking a sweat."
I whistle under my breath.
Wiping out the entire city?
A strange shiver runs down my spine.
"Damn… how did Anzo even manage to keep him there?"
"Blackmail. On top of that, Anzo is quite ignorant of what the power actually is. He only has a vague concept."
I fall quiet for a moment, not sure why Ennio is telling me all this.
He turns toward me, his black eyes drifting over my face.
