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Nic gives me one sharp nod, and with that, I stride past him to join the boys. Sebastian meets my gaze, and as I fall in line beside him, he tosses an army grade machine gun into my hands. “You know what to do with that?”

I nod. “This might be my first gang war, but it ain’t my first rodeo.”

Without another word, Sebastian turns back to the roller door as Nic steps back into the center of the line, silence falls over the warehouse.

A minute passes, and then a second when we finally hear it; tires screeching down the road.

Everybody flinches, their bodies going rigid with their fingers hovering over their triggers. Some of these men are going to die today, but with Russo stranded out front, at least we’ll have a chance.

The cars creep closer and I try to listen out as they turn the last corner, trying to figure out just how many cars are coming our way, but it’s nearly impossible to figure out over the sound of their engines.

Within a blink of an eye, cars begin flooding the front of the warehouse, speeding in and coming to a screeching stop, guns are pointed out windows, and when the first shot rings out, all hell breaks loose. Men start dropping and scattering around as the Wolves duck down behind open car doors.

Kairo gets a bullet through his upper arm, but when it sails right through his flesh, it only pushes him harder.

Nic has the biggest target on his head, but he doesn’t relent as bullets start getting closer and closer to Russo, the Wolves finally see what’s right in front of their faces.

Only a few seconds have passed since their arrival, but it’s already been enough for both sides to have fatalities. I take a second to thank whoever lives above that Ocean wasn’t dragged into this. I can guarantee that she probably doesn’t even know this shit is going down and for good reason too.

The Wolves stop firing and scramble to put together a plan, shouting curses at one another over their car doors while Nic holds up his hand, stopping his men from shooting. My chest rises and falls with rapid movements as adrenaline pulses heavily through my body. I take the brief moment to scan over myself, checking for any bullet wounds but so far, it looks as though I’ll make it to see another day.

I look left and then right. Ocean’s four boys seem to be fine. Kairo has blood running down his arm but he doesn’t even notice. Nic has a cut on his face, and I have no fucking idea how it got there, but it doesn’t look like a bullet wound. Sebastian and Elijah seem to be completely unharmed, just wide-eyed and alert, just like me.

Everyone holds their breath as the tension rises, and while the Wolves fight for a plan, one man lays down his gun and steps out from behind a car door. I recognize him from the hospital when Russo had come to meet with Ocean after she was jumped in, though I can’t recall his name. I do know that from the way Ocean seemed to relax with his presence, he’s one of the good ones.

Nerves rise within me. If this man gets shot down, it’s only going to make things worse. He raises his hands, silently begging Nic not to shoot, but as he takes another step forward, Nic stops him with a step of his own. “Don’t be a fucking idiot, Christian,” Nic warns him. “You’ve seen my aim. I don’t fucking miss.”

“Let’s make a deal,” Christian calls back. “We’ll take Russo and walk away. No one else needs to get hurt. We’ve both already lost men.”

“Why should I make a deal?” Nic demands. “You fuckers brought this bullshit down on my doorstep. I don’t owe you a fucking deal. I should end you all right fucking now.”

“I know,” Christian tells him. “But you know that this isn’t going to end well for either of us. Hand over Russo, and we’ll leave quietly.”

Nic clenches his jaw before raising his chin. I silently beg him to make the right decision. This is his only way out, his only way for his men to see another day, and he knows it, but he’s fucking stubborn and obsessed with winning.

Kairo grumbles low beside him, so low that the other Widows would never be able to hear. “Come on, man. End this. We’ll hit back at them another day, but if we don’t end this, you won’t have an army to hit back with.”

Nic growls low in his throat, and it’s damn clear that he doesn’t appreciate his boys telling him how to handle his business, but when it comes down to it, he respects what his friends have to say.


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