I struggle against Jagger’s tight hold as tears start to well in my eyes. “Please, let me go, it’s the only way to save you all.”
“Not happening,” Sly calls over his shoulder at me. “No way are we handing you over, angel,” Pete confirms.
“I’d rather die than let him take you,” Elias says firmly.
“That can be arranged,”Ivan says with a smirk.
“No!” I yell in fear, not wanting any of my guys to get hurt. Movement above catches my attention, and I look up as something comes flying over the fence and lands on the pavement between us.
Smoke quickly starts to pour from it, and I just stare in confusion. Is that a smoke bomb? Where the hell did it come from? Several of us glance in the direction it came from just as the fence appears to burst open and dozens of men dressed in black tactical gear start pouring in.
“Go!” Ivan yells as he and his men turn and instantly start running, their guns still aimed at us as they move, leaving us trapped between them and the new threat.
I look back at the men entering and see a large SWAT plastered across their vests.
Dios mio!The feds are here!
They’re entering slightly behind us, and we spin around to face them, having nowhere to run unless we want to follow Ivan. Within moments, we’re in a whole new standoff, but with the feds this time. The whole thing happens in mere seconds.
And our weapons won’t have any effect on the feds since they're fully decked out in protective gear.
“Drop your weapons!” one of them yells. The guys hesitate, glancing at one another quickly, and the man yells again. “I said drop your weapons!”
Elias nods once, then gently tosses his gun to the ground in front of him and raises his hands in surrender. Sly, Dex, and Pete do the same. Jagger, who’s still holding me against him, still has the gun in one hand, so he half releases me so he can toss it on the ground. Now free, my arms instinctively come up to encircle his waist, before he holds me close again.
The others all have their hands raised as we watch thefeds with worry. I cough as the smoke from the grenade starts to fill the area.
“You two,” the agent says, nudging his gun in our direction, “hands up!”
Fear fills me, making me cling tighter to Jagger. I feel like the moment I let go is the moment I lose them all forever. We’ll be sent to separate prisons, and I’ll never see them again.
“They didn’t do anything wrong!” I yell at the agents. “They were framed!”
“If that’s true, we’ll figure it all out, but right now you need to raise your hands and let us take you all into our custody.”
Tears spill over my cheeks, maybe from the smoke, probably from the realization that these are my final moments with them. I tilt my chin up and tell my guys loudly, “I love you guys. No matter what happens, wherever they take us, just know I’ll never stop thinking about you and trying to get back to you.”
The words barely leave my lips before one of the agents shifts his stance, eyes narrowing on Dex.
“On the ground!” he barks.
Dex stiffens at the tone. I feel Jagger tense too. Dex’s jaw flexes, and I see his raised hands clench into fists.
The smoke keeps thickening, stinging my throat and blurring my vision, but I can still see the way Dex’s shoulders square. Like he’s getting ready to charge.
A murmur runs through the SWAT line.
“That’s the Berserker,” one of them mutters. If the agents have seen the guys’ files, they must know about Dex’s time as an underground cage fighter. Didthey see him as the biggest threat here? I wasn’t sure if he was; all my guys seem equally capable of destruction.
The second the word hits the air, several rifles jerk toward Dex, safety clicks echoing. Dex growls in anger as his arms start to lower, and even from here, I can see his eyes start to shift to that hazy look he gets when he’s in one of his rages.
Being a former Fed, Elias must see the agent’s intention before the rest of us fully understand. His eyes go wide. “Don’t—” he starts.
The agent doesn’t listen. His finger tightens on the trigger.
Elias throws himself sideways, shoving Dex back with both hands as the gunshot explodes through the smoke. The bullet slams into Elias’s shoulder, the force of it twisting him midair. He crashes straight into Dex, who drops with him, half catching him before they both hit the ground.
“Elias!” I scream, trying to push away from Jagger. I reach for him, ready to throw myself at his side, but Jagger’s arms lock around me, holding me tight against his chest. I struggle anyway, my voice cracking. “Let me go! Elias!”
