"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Do what you have to do.But Hades?"She looks up at me with those green eyes that see straight through to my soul."Don't lie to me again.Whatever happens, whatever you have to do, I need to know about it."
"Even if it destroys how you see me?"
"Especially then."
The promise settles between us, heavy with implications.Tonight, I'll become the kind of man who kills without hesitation.And she'll have to decide if she can live with that.
If she can love me anyway.
My phone buzzes with another text.This time it's a photo of me, taken through my office window just moments ago.In the picture, I'm standing exactly where I am now, visible to anyone watching from the street.
The message beneath it is simple:Soon.
Morrison's not just watching anymore.He's promising action.
"We need to move," I tell Evangeline."Get the kids, pack essentials.You're all staying at the clubhouse until this is handled."
"The clubhouse?"
"It's the most secure location I've got.Brothers on site twenty-four seven, surveillance that actually works, no blind spots for snipers or surveillance."
"You think he'd try to shoot us?"
"I think he's desperate, and desperate men do stupid things.I'm not taking any chances."
She nods, her face resolute despite the fear in her eyes."Okay.Let me get the kids ready."
As she heads upstairs, I pull out my phone and dial Ghost.
"Change of plans," I say when he answers."We're moving tonight's timeline up.I want Morrison dealt with by sundown."
"That's aggressive."
"He's escalating.Just sent surveillance photos, including ones taken in the last five minutes.He's got people watching the house right now."
"Fuck.Alright, I'll coordinate with the others.But Hades?This goes down fast and dirty, there's more risk of blowback."
"I'll handle the blowback.Just make sure he doesn't survive to threaten my family again."
"Consider it done."
I hang up and move to the window, scanning the street for signs of surveillance.Nothing obvious, but that doesn't mean they're not there.
Tonight, this ends.
One way or another, Ethan Morrison dies, and Evangeline gets to decide if she can live with the man who made it happen.
I just hope I'm worth choosing.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
evangeline
The clubhouse is exactlywhat I remember.Leather couches, a well-stocked bar, motorcycle memorabilia covering the walls.But there's also a fully equipped kitchen, clean bedrooms upstairs, and a warmth that speaks to genuine brotherhood rather than just criminal enterprise.
