“We won’t be alone for long. My source says the rest of Rhea’s men are closing in fast."
Almost on cue, the distant sound of footsteps echoed through the dimly lit warehouse. Instinctively, we dispersed, slipping behind crates and pillars, tense and alert, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
Within seconds, a group of six men burst through a doorway at the warehouse’s south end. Guns in hand, eyes wild and scanning the darkness, they searched for us. We stayed hidden, motionless, and silent. Aidon nodded to Thal.
When one of the men approached the pillar where Thal was hiding, Aidon waited until the enemy’s back was turned, then appeared behind him. A quick, accurate shot ended the threat, a bullet sinking into the back of his head.
And just like that, the quiet tension erupted into chaos once more.
Rhea’s men charged at Aidon, but Thal and Zeno took cover and started picking them off one by one from their hiding spots.Each shot, however, gave away their positions, sending sparks of danger as they ricocheted off the walls and the concrete floor.
I responded by firing from my side of the room, aiming at the shadows to distract them, creating a chaotic maze of unpredictable bullets streaking through the air.
That was when I saw one of the men lurking in the darkness move behind Thal. My eyes widened in alarm. "Thal!” I shouted, but amid the deafening crack of gunfire, he didn’t hear me.
Without hesitation, I threw caution aside, stepping out into the open and running across the room toward him. My gun was steady, aimed directly at the threat approaching from behind. I wouldn’t let anyone harm him, no matter the cost.
I’d sacrifice myself if I had to, knowing he’d do the same to protect me.
Fortune favored me that moment, and my shot hit its mark.
The bullet sank deep into the man's forehead, killing him instantly. His body fell behind Thal with a heavy, echoing thud, causing Thal to turn and look at me, his eyes burning with anger and suspicion.
“Daphne, you could have been killed!” he snapped.
I shrugged, keeping my head low and pressing myself against the pillar alongside him. “Pretty sure you were a lot closer to seeing death than I was.”
“Goddammit, don’t fucking do that again!” he barked, frustration clear in his tone.
I simply shrugged again, both of us knowing I’d do it all over if it meant surviving. But now wasn’t the time to debate it.
All of a sudden, a sharp zinging sound cut through the air as a bullet whizzed past my ear, hitting a pipe overhead and rattling, echoing through the darkness. From the shadows, Aidon lunged forward, unleashing a rapid-fire barrage at Rhea’s remaining men.
Zeno took out the last adversary, and once again, silence settled over us. We stood there, surrounded by the eerie quiet and the pool of blood seeping into the cold concrete floor, a grim reminder of what had just happened.
“It can’t have been that easy,” Zeno growled.
He looked over at me, scanning my body from head to toe. I lifted my chin, signaling that I wasn’t fazed by any of this. I wanted him to realize I could handle myself, that I didn’t need him or anyone else. Of course, that wasn’t true. I did need people, but perhaps I no longer needed Zeno.
“My sources confirmed Rhea is here,” Thal said, his voice steady with certainty.
I shifted uneasiness coursing in my veins. “She’s hiding, no doubt about that. And her security team? It’s shrinking fast.”
He nodded, eyes narrowing. “She’s probably watching from the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to step out. There’s no way she slipped past us with our men guarding the exits.”
Zeno retrieved a device from his pocket, which I immediately recognized as a smoke grenade—reminding me of the training he had given me years earlier. He pointed toward another hallway, long and dark, leading to an unexplored section of the building.
“Hold on a second, Zeno,” Thal interjected. “Let’s wait until she shows herself. No need to jump the gun.”
Zeno shot him a quick, narrow-eyed look that could cut through steel, but he clipped the grenade back into his pocket without protest. I raised an eyebrow at the silent command and subtle show of restraint but said nothing.
Aidon looked at his phone. “My guy’s monitoring heat signatures. There’s activity on this side of the building near a group of offices in the south wing, at the last door on the right.”
Thal tightened his grip on his gun, its barrel pointed straight down the hall as his eyes burned with focused rage.
“Let’s go get her,” he growled, determined, his stance ready to strike.
After a quick reload, Aidon was the first to follow, then Zeno, and I lagged behind last. The hallway was narrow and shadowed, with doors lining each side, each one seemingly waiting to swallow us whole if someone stepped out unexpectedly. My heartbeat hammered in my ears, making me feel breathless, anxious, and tense as we neared the corridor’s end.
