Page 53 of No Longer Mine

I tilted my head. “Did I?”

His entire body went stiff.

I sighed, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Relax, Tony. You’re gonna be just fine.”

Alexei laughed under his breath.

Benson shook his head. “Poor bastard.”

Tony’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Oh, thank God?—”

I cut him off with a swift punch to the temple. His body slumped forward, unconscious again.

Alexei stood, wiping his hands on his jeans. “So, what are we doing now? We can’t just leave him here.”

I adjusted my cuffs, rolling my neck. “We’ll make a call. Let him wake up somewhere else. Somewhere that makes him realize how lucky he was that we let him walk away.”

Alexei grinned. “You’re getting soft, brother.”

I smirked. “I like my games to last.”

Benson shut his laptop with a snap. “So. When are we hitting the docks?”

I cracked my knuckles, adrenaline singing in my veins.“Tonight.”

Alexei tapped his fingers on his knee in the SUV beside me. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as Don expertly maneuvered traffic to the docks. Benson was somewhere out there driving his own vehicle. I wondered if he would even show up at the docks. It was wild enough that he was at the warehouse when I got there. He didn’t typically like to be in on the action, but things were shifting with him lately; he seemed to be growing antsy—bored.

“What’s being delivered at the docks?” I asked my brother.

Alexei leaned back in his chair. “We don’t use them anymore. We own them, but as far as I know, we don’t move anything there. Which explains how they moved in without us knowing.” Alexei rolled his head in my direction. “Look, I know you aren’t one to go in guns blazing, but I need you to be prepared when we go in there.”

Before I could answer, Don slapped a gun down on the center console. I smiled at my driver. I hated the things, but it was good to see my protective detail was doing his job. “I have several and ammunition for them too.”

I glanced at the gun, my lip curling slightly.

Alexei snorted, watching my reaction. “You’re such a fucking snob about this.”

“I don’t like them,” I muttered, nudging the gun to the side without touching it. “They make things too easy. Too impersonal.”

Alexei gave me a flat look. “You say that like you aren’t about to sneak into a goddamn smuggling operation in the middle of the night with your bare hands.”

I shrugged, stretching my fingers. “It’s more fun my way.”

Don exhaled through his nose, turning down an empty street that led toward the docks. “One day, someone’s gonna get the drop on you, and you’re gonna wish you had one of these.”

I smirked, tapping my temple. “Not if I get the drop on them first.”

My phone buzzed on my lap, and I answered it quickly. “Yes?”

Benson’s voice boomed through the speaker. “Just got into position. You’ve got about three cars parked near the southern pier, but the movement is mostly inside the warehouse. No major security outside. I count four guys on a rotation.”

Alexei hummed. “So, what’s the plan, fearless leader?”

I glanced at him. “You and Don stay in the SUV. Keep the engine running. If shit goes sideways, we’ll need an exit.”

He arched a brow. “And what will you be doing?”

A slow, dark smile curled my lips. “Getting a closer look.”