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Nico parked. He grabbed his phone and called someone.

“I have two sniper rifles with infrared scopes,” I said. “A couple of pistols.”

“I can work with that,” Trevor said.

I turned to Sloane. “You don’t have to come.”

“Tell me what you need.”

I was used to working alone, but I was learning to trust the people in my family. And Sloane was family. I handed her my phone and a gun. “Keep me sane. Tell me how many minutes I have.”

Nico was still talking on his, but I gestured we were moving out. Tommy and his crew were waiting at the cross street for my signal to go in.

The plan was for Trevor and me to take out the night guards.

The house was in front of a swath of undeveloped land, which provided perfect concealment for our approach. We trekked the short distance to the spot parallel to the front of our target house. I crouched and then shifted to crawl on my belly and studied the structure with night-vision goggles. According to Sloane, the backyard where the pool was located had ten-foot-high concrete fencing and would need someone on the inside to open the metal gate.

When the house was occupied, the Albanians frequently spent time in the living room or the kitchen. Both areas were at the front of the house.

“Nico is asking where you want him,” Trevor asked.

“The rear of the property by the gate. We’ll let him in. We got the front and sides covered.”

“I’ve got two guards in sight,” he said. “Someone is in the living room.”

“We take them out simultaneously. Stat on Bianca?” I asked Sloane.

“You’re good. You’re going to make it… Just take the shot in the next two minutes.”

I froze and slowly turned to her. “Why?”

“Head in the game, Sandro. She’s fine.”

“I got the guy on the right,” Trevor said.

I cracked my neck before lining up my sights on the rifle. The two guards were not moving and just sitting on the steps chatting and smoking.

“On three,” I told him. “When I say one, shoot.”

“Glad you clarified that.”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

The two men flew backward.

I spied Tommy’s crew moving in. We dropped the rifles and sprang to our feet to join them.

A man stepped out of the house, but one of our soldiers took him down.

Trevor and I rushed inside, with Tommy and his crew following behind us.

“Sloane!”

“I’m here.”