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“No, no, no,” I mutter, watching in horror as my rescue operation—stupid as it may be—dissolves into chaos. What the hell is he doing here?

The vehicles screech to a halt in a coordinated pattern of military precision. Men pour out—at least twenty of them, all armed, all moving with lethal purpose. At their center stands Zeke, his dark form radiating controlled violence as he barks orders I can’t quite make out.

The remaining warehouse guards snap to attention, weapons raised, but they’re hopelessly outnumbered. One makes a break for the door, probably to raise the alarm, but he doesn’t make it three steps before Eli materializes from the shadows and snaps his neck, taking him down with brutal efficiency.

“Eve,” Rissa’s voice is urgent in my ear. “We need to move. Now. Before this turns into an all-out war zone.”

She’s right. Whatever Zeke’s planning, it’s going to get messy fast. And somewhere in that warehouse, Leo is waiting for us.

I take a deep breath, forcing myself to think tactically rather than emotionally. “Okay. New plan. We use the chaos as cover. While they’re focused on each other—”

The sharp crack of gunfire splits the air. A window shatters somewhere above us, raining glass. More shots follow, the sound echoing off metal and concrete until it’s impossible to tell where they’re coming from.

“Move!” I grab Rissa’s arm and we sprint toward the loading dock, staying low and using the parked vehicles as cover. My heart threatens to burst from my chest with each step, every shadow potentially hiding a threat.

We reach the loading dock without being spotted, though whether that’s due to skill or the mayhem erupting around us is anyone’s guess. The metal door is locked—of course it is—but Rissa makes quick work of it with a set of picks.

“Sometimes it pays to have a misspent youth,” she mutters at my raised eyebrow.

Inside, the warehouse is a maze of shipping containers and towering shelves. The gunfire sounds muffled in here, but no less terrifying. Especially when I think about Leo somewhere in this mess, probably terrified out of his mind.

We move carefully through the space, checking corners and staying alert for any movement. The floor plan we studied shows offices on the second level—a likely place for a hostage.

A door slams somewhere above us, followed by rapid footsteps. I gesture to Rissa, and we take cover behind a stack of crates just as two of Alessandro’s men rush past, heading for the back exit.

“...the fuck is King doing here?” one of them pants.

“Doesn’t matter,” the other replies. “Burn everything and—”

They disappear around a corner before I can hear the rest, but the word “burn” sends ice through my veins.

They wouldn’t. Not with Leo still inside.

But I know they would. Men like Alessandro Costa don’t care about collateral damage. Especially not now with Zeke’s forces bearing down on them.

The smell of smoke reaches us moments later.

“Stairs,” I say, already moving. “Now.”

We find the metal staircase and take it two at a time, weapons drawn. The second floor is a series of small offices with glass walls—most dark, but one at the far end shows a faint light.

More footsteps thunder below us, accompanied by shouts and the continued pop of gunfire. Through the windows, glimpses of gunfire flashes and lights up our path. The air grows thicker with smoke.

We’re halfway down the hall when a door flies open and a figure lunges at us. I react on instinct, stepping into the attackand using the man’s momentum to throw him into the wall. His head connects with a satisfying crack, and he crumples.

“Aunt Evie?”

The small voice comes from the lit office. My heart stops, then restarts at double speed.

“Leo?” I rush forward, Rissa covering our rear. “Baby, are you in there?”

“Help! I’m tied up!”

The door is locked but a swift kick takes care of that. And there he is—my precious nephew bound to a chair, tears streaking his face, but alive. The relief that floods through me is so intense it makes my knees weak.

“I’ve got you,” I say, already working on the ropes. “You’re safe now. I’m here.”

He throws himself into my arms the moment he’s free, sobbing against my chest. I want nothing more than to hold him forever, to never let him out of my sight again, but the smoke is getting thicker, and the sounds of fighting are moving closer.