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Javier crumpled to the ground, his gun clattering uselessly beside him. Blood blossomed on his shoulder, a red stain that spread across the white fabric of his shirt.

I spun around, expecting to see Marco standing there, his gun still smoking. But it wasn’t Marco.

It was Natalia.

Her gun was raised, and a look of fierceness etched onto her face. Without hesitation, she strode forward, her weapon trained on Javier’s prone form.

“You killed Matt,” she snarled, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. “You murdered my partner in cold blood.”

Javier laughed, a sick sound that bubbled up from his throat. “And I’d do it again,” he spat, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Just like I should’ve killed you and your boyfriend here when I had the chance.”

Natalia’s finger tightened on the trigger, her jaw clenched tightly. I could see the war raging within her, the primal desire for vengeance battling against her sense of justice.

“Natalia,” I said softly. “Don’t. He’s not worth it.”

For a moment, I wasn’t sure if she heard me, her gaze still fixed on Javier’s sneering face. But then, slowly, she lowered her gun, her shoulders slumping as the fight drained out of her.

“You’re right,” she said, her voice hoarse with emotion.

The sound of sirens filled the air, growing louder with each passing second. I helped Natalia secure Javier, my mind still reeling from the revelations he had unleashed about my father setting me up.

As the police flooded into the building, I watched as they hauled Javier away, his face contorted in a mask of hatred and defiance. Marco was loaded into an ambulance, his wound more serious than he had let one, but not life-threatening. I told him I’d check in on him tomorrow, and off he went.

And then it was just me and Natalia, standing amidst the chaos and destruction, our bodies trembling with the aftermath of the adrenaline rush.

“How did you find me?” I asked, my voice rough with emotion.

She shook her head, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I’m a DEA agent, remember? It’s my job to track down dangerous criminals.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that, the sound bubbling up from somewhere deep within me. “Is that what I am now? A dangerous criminal?”

Natalia reached out to cup my cheek. “No, Dante. You’re a man who’s trying to do the right thing, even when the whole world seems to be against you.”

I leaned into her touch, my eyes fluttering closed as I savored the warmth of her skin against mine. “I don’t know what I would do without you, mi reina,” I said.

She pressed her forehead against mine, her breath mingling with my own. “You’ll never have to find out, mi amor. I’m not going anywhere.”

We held each other, soaking up that closeness, that intimacy, like it was our goddamn life force while the shitstorm kept raging all around us. But eventually, we had to break apart, all the crap we still had to deal with crashing down on us again.

“C’mon, let’s head back to the boat,” I said, my voice shot to hell. Natalia gave me a nod, but then this devilish grin spread across her face. “Or we could go to your place instead. No more sneaking around. And I’m jonesing for some quality time in the playroom if you know what I mean.”

Fuck, just the thought had me rock hard in seconds. “I’m all yours, baby. Let’s go.” We started heading to my place, but then Natalia’s phone started buzzing. She took one look at the screen, and her eyebrows shot up. It was Valentina calling.

“Val, what’s up?” she asked, putting the phone on speaker so I could hear.

“We got him, Nat,” Valentina’s voice crackled through the line. “Reynolds is in custody. The evidence you provided was enough to secure an arrest warrant.”

Relief washed over me like a tidal wave, the weight of the world lifting from my shoulders. Reynolds, the corrupt bastard, was finally where he belonged - behind bars.

“Holy shit, Val, that’s incredible,” Natalia said, her voice wavering with the intensity of it all. “But what about Ricardo? Did they get him too?”

The loaded silence from Valentina’s end said it all. “Yeah, about that, Nat,” she finally responded. “When our guys busted into the Reyes compound, Ricardo was already gone. Somehow, he caught wind of what was coming and disappeared before we could get our hands on him.”

My heart sank, a cold, creeping dread settling in the pit of my stomach. My father, the mastermind behind everything, was still out there, a specter of violence and corruption that would stop at nothing.

“What about my mother?” I asked, my voice hoarse with fear. “Is she safe?”

“She’s okay, Dante,” Valentina assured me, her voice softening with sympathy. And your sister, Sofia. They were both at the compound when we moved in but not under arrest. We’ll need to question them, though, to see what they know about your father’s whereabouts.”