Page 89 of Caught in the Crossfire

“Enter through the first bay,” Obi said. “I’ll go first with Ryuji. Ciel and Wynn next. Leona and Caspian last. Ciel, I want you to look for the lights. If you can’t cut them, ignore it. Prioritize eliminating them.”

We all nodded, ready to get this fucking over with. My hands tightened on my guns, ready for fucking vengeance.

Orik Vokshi had haunted my dreams. That would be over after tonight.

Darkness. Cold. Screams. Hands on my skin.

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing the memories away. My teeth bit my cheek, and the metallic taste of copper focused my vision in the present.

I followed behind Ciel and Wynn, our steps silent as the six ofus entered the property. We snuck around the building, keeping as close to the darkness as possible, and headed straight for the open bay. Inside, a few cars were jacked high like they were being worked on. Two or three people shouted at each other inside the shop, their voices anxious and afraid.

Did they know we were coming?

Obi paused us at the entrance, letting us confirm we were ready, before he opened the shop door. Rather than busting it open and going in guns blazing, he pushed a gap open and slipped inside like a ghost. Ryuji was right behind him, followed by Ciel and Wynn.

When Cas and I entered, there were already two bodies laying dead on the floor, their eyes open in surprised gasps with red lines across their throats.

Pop, pop, pop.

Shouts.

My head whipped to the side to see Ryuji shooting, and then ducking behind a counter as someone returned fire. From my angle, I could see the guy shooting at him, and I flung a knife, just like Ryuji had taught me. The blade sank into the man’s throat, and I followed it with two bullets that slammed into his chest. He crumbled to the ground.

Beside me, Cas engaged with his own assailant. It only took a second before the man lay dead.

Just then, the lights cut out, and darkness covered us. My eyes took a few seconds to adjust. Obi and Wynn were fighting someone deeper inside the shop. I stepped forward, shooting two more rounds at the man stumbling around in confusion.

More shouts. The sounds of men scrambling. Gunshots. Pain. Then quiet.

Cas’s hand on my shoulder held me back from rushing forward. We waited with held breaths.

“I’ve got Vokshi,” Obi’s voice called from the front room—the waiting room of the shop. The rest of us descended on hislocation, passing by the bodies of at least twelve men, weapons in hand. Once again, I got the impression that they were waiting for an ambush.

“Here,” Obi said, holding a struggling Vokshi. The Albanian had blood running down the side of his face and a swollen eye. Obi and Cas tied Vokshi’s arms behind his back. He spat angry words at us the entire time, thrashing around until he spotted me.

His eyes cleared, and an ugly smile spread across his face. “You. I saw your?—”

I pressed my knife to his throat, the blade nicking the skin. He quieted. My heart thundered in my chest. “Do not speak.”

Fear clawed its way up my windpipe.Cold hands. Cold metal. Cold. Cold. Cold.My eyes squeezed shut.

“I looked them up after we met at the marina,” Vokshi sneered. “I saw them. So beautiful. Such per?—”

I pistol-whipped him, and he slumped to the side.

My hands shook. My breaths were quick and shallow.

“What…” Cas asked, letting the question hang.

“Nothing.” I let out a heavy breath and wiped my sleeve across my forehead. We had him. The trembling in my hands subsided. “Is everyone okay?—”

My words cut off as I spotted a man creeping behind Ryuji, knife in hand and fury on his face.

I shouted a warning before jumping on the Albanian and jamming my knife into his throat. I used my body’s momentum to spin him around, slamming him to the ground, where he gurgled, choking on his own blood. I yanked the blade free and drug it the rest of the way across his neck.

When I stood, I could feel his blood dripping down my face.

“Fuck me,” Ryu said from behind me. I turned to make sure he was okay, only to find him staring at me, eyes darkened by lust.