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There are no dirty words or filthy promises made this time when he pushes inside, just the sound of our heavy breaths and the ruffling of the sheets as we tangle and roll. He maneuverers us so I straddle his hips and lift myself up his shaft before slamming back down again. He sits up so we’re chest to chest, holding me by the back of the neck and ravaging my mouth with an all-consuming kiss. This time when we come, we are staring into each other’s eyes, seeing the emotion there. Seeing what is happening. Even if neither of us are willing to say it out loud.

By seven o’clock in the evening the next day, my house is busy with my men gathering in what was once a dining room but now is used as a meeting room for this exact thing. Everyone is already in tactical gear, including me. The three guards from the holding house where Calvin Gregson died are here, Stuart, Harvey, Lee, and Murray from my home security are with us as well as three more volunteers from my security team who work at various businesses I own. My heart picks up a little as word comes in from the guard working the gate that our final numbers are here.

Harvey goes to meet them at the door and lead them to where we are gathered. The room goes silent when the massive frame of Brent O’Reilly fills the doorway and comes in to join us, followed by the smaller but no less intimidating Lance Preston. My men are aware that The Talons are now allied with The Daos, it’s been cascaded down to my generals in the field and aside from a few grumbles, everyone has accepted my word. But thisis the first time any of them have directly worked with them and the tension is thick.

Lance nods at me in greeting. “Miss Wolfe.” He uses my preferred title in front of my men as a sign of respect.

“Mr Preston,” I return.

Brent nods but says nothing, eyeing everyone with a brooding caution. He’s here to help but I’m under no illusions that his number one priority is the Dao leader. They are both in all black, with stab vests and weapons strapped to every available space. They wear fingerless tactical gloves just like my men and if you didn’t know any better, you’d say they were under my command. They aren’t, but I’m definitely in charge here. I was unsure what I was expecting when I called them out of courtesy to tell them that we’d found the offending holding house, but I wasn’t surprised when Lance insisted on sending in two of his own men to help. Iwassurprised when he said he would be attending himself. I don’t know if he’s doing this out of pure anger at the situation or out of some need to prove himself my ally. But either way, I can’t help but respect him more for it.

“Stuart, can you give us the lowdown?” I say, the room quieting at the sound of my voice.

He steps forward and unravels a roll of paper on the large table that we are stood around. It’s a birds-eye view of George Street and he leans on it to stop it curling back up. “This is the house.” He points to a house on a corner plot that has been circled. “It’s detached so we will need men on all sides to ensure no one moves without us knowing. The garden backs up to a ten-meter-deep strip of woodland that separates it from the main road. If anyone escapes out the back of the garden, it’s going to be too easy to lose them in there, so I need enough cover along this back fence to stop that from happening.”

“I’ll take the back with two more. Johnson, Perez, you’ll be with me.” Lee points to two of the extra security guard and they both nod.

Stuart grunts in approval before pointing to the third, security guard. “You’re taking the left side of the house.” He demonstrates on the photograph. “There are no visible points of exit on this side, so you’ll be alone, I don’t see there being much trouble.”

The man nods.

“You.” He throws a finger in Murray’s face. “You’ll be taking the right, there are two windows on the upper floor and one on the ground level, so there’s a possibility of encountering someone.”

“Not a problem,” Murray says, with an all too excited smile. I like Murray, he’s young and eager, similar in build to Harvey but with a baby face and powder blue eyes. Which made it all the more disconcerting when I found him making his money by maiming grown men who’d been threatening teenage girls.

“You two.” Stuart points to The Daos. “You’ll be with me. We’re entering the property through the front door, and we’ll be sweeping the whole place, dealing with any perps we come across.”

“What’s the plan with them?” Lance asks.

“We take one prisoner,” I say. “Anyone else who isn’t a victim or in this room is killed on sight, understood?” I look each one of them in the eye as I trail my gaze around the room.

“Yes, ma’am,” they chorus. Lance and Brent just nodding.

“What about you?” Brent asks.

“Harvey and I are going to the basement where the victims are being held, we’ll work on releasing them and getting them safely off the property. I have a van waiting to bring them all here.”

I feel Harvey stiffen beside me. “I thought I was doing that alone?”

“Of course you’re not, why would you think that?”

“I really think you should stay in the van; I’ll collect the victims and bring them to you. It’ll be better if there’s a friendly face waiting for them there.” He’s glaring at me intensely.

“No.” I dismiss him.

“Rainha—”

“Enough,” I snap.

I hear him suck on his teeth in annoyance, but I pay him no mind. “Once we’re sure the property is clear of victims, the perps are dead, and the bodies back in the house, we torch it,” I tell the room. They all mutter their agreements.

“Everybody stay alert, stay calm, and stay safe,” Stuart says. “Fall out.”

They all file out of the room and head to the drive where three armoured SUVs wait. I’m heading to follow them when Harvey’s fingers grip my wrist, pulling me back. “Rainha—”

“I’m not sitting it out, Harvey.”

He sighs, defeat in his eyes. “I know. Apparently, you rarely do as your told.” He steps forward to speak softly in my ear. “Unless you’re naked and begging me.”