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Taking Meester's boat to reach the island, we've stashed some of the best soldiers on board. The minute we get to the island, the first task is to take out the coast guard and ensure that the port is clear. Then, a few other boats will come in to help with the evacuation.

From what I'd seen on the drone footage, the entire hospital is occupied, so we'll need enough space to take everyone to safety.

Then, after everyone's been evacuated from the premises, we'll raid the basement.

Sisi had brought up a good idea that the evacuation should be organic and not hostile, because the moment we start moving that many people out of the hospital and enforcements are sent from the basement, everyone will be caught in the crossfire.

Instead, she'd suggested that the two of us go inside disguised as hospital personnel and sound the fire alarm, guiding everyone toward an exit where Enzo's men will pick them up and lead them toward the port.

Then we'd have the freedom to move around as we tackle the basement situation.

"There's something eating at you," she shrewdly notes, leaning back to study me.

I take a deep breath. Nothing ever escapes her.

"After so many years, revenge is so close I can almost taste it. But what about after?"

In my original plans, I'm ashamed to admit that I hadn't planned on living much longer after fulfilling my promises. It had all been a matter of keeping my word to my sisters and then…

I'd never had anything to look forward to, and with my lonely existence, there wasn't much to keep my attention.

Now, thinking of being free from my vow, and with everything behind me… I feel lost.

"We'll deal with it when the time comes," she replies, taking my face in her hands and urging me to look her in the eyes. "But I'm here. I'll always be here. And together we'll get through everything."

"You're right." I bring her knuckles to my lips, laying a kiss on each one. "We'll take it a day at a time."

Her lips stretch into a blinding smile, the type that always has the power to leave me breathless. Especially as she's dressed in one of those black latex suits she'd had custom made, weapons sheathed all around her body.

I curl my fingers through the hoops that hold her belt in place, dragging her into me.

"Did you see the way Marcello's eyes were shooting daggers at me when he saw what you were wearing?"

"He thinks you've brainwashed me somehow," she chuckles, "he even took me aside to ask me if we're on any drugs."

"Damn Bianca and her big mouth," I groan. "Now I don't only seem like a dysfunctional killer. But a doped up dysfunctional killer. Just what I needed," I mutter under my breath.

"Don't worry," she smirks conspiratorially, "I told him that you've given me a strong cocktail of serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine. He shut up."

I blink twice and before I know it a smile spreads on my face.

"Hell girl," I drawl, pride swelling in my chest. "That's the best thing I've ever heard. I think I'm in love," I whistle, winking at her.

It seems that my sense of humor has been rubbing off on her.

"He might have been on to something, though," she raises an eyebrow, "since we are getting high," she leans in to whisper, "on each other."

"Sisi." I place my hands on her shoulders, lifting her off the ground and firmly placing her away from me. "We're going to war, yet when you speak to me in that husky voice of yours all I can see is you, me, and a bed."

"I thought a bed wasn't necessary," she retorts, and I close my eyes.

My nostrils flared, I'm having the worst time controlling myself as I look at her enticing curves and the way every sinuous move is a fucking work of art. Even as she lifts a finger to tug a stray strand of hair back in her updo, I can't help the way my cock twitches.

Or the way my heart beats loudly in my chest, my veins throbbing with unreleased pressure.

Goddamn .

This woman is going to be the death of me.

The hidden smile on her face tells me that she knows exactly how she affects me, and she's capitalizing on it full force. If it weren't for the circumstances we currently find ourselves in, I wouldn't waste a second to show her that a bed isn't at all necessary—the deck would do just fine.

But as the island comes into view, the moment we've been waiting for fast approaching, she quickly sobers up.

Meeting with everyone on deck, we quickly go over the plan again, delegating tasks. Enzo and his wife are in charge of getting everyone off the island, while Bianca, Adrian and Marcello are our back-up for after we evacuate the hospital.

Their men are also on standby awaiting orders.

After we do another check of the equipment, making sure all communication devices are working, we are ready to go.

As the boat moors into the port, Enzo releases Meester from his restraints, going to talk to the coast guard.

We all wait in the back until we get the signal to proceed.

As soon as we are on solid ground, a small fight ensues. There are maybe five coast guards in total, and it takes me and another man just as many minutes to dispatch them before they can ring the alarm.

Phase one done.

A few men take the clothes off the coast guards and resume their spots at the control station, ready to receive the other boats coming to the island.

Before we leave though, I make sure I give Meester his due. One cut across his stomach and I order everyone to let him bleed out before dumping him in the water. It's what traitors deserve after all. And I don't think Meester has ever been loyal to anyone in his life.

Live as a traitor, die as a traitor.

Besides, he's outlived his use. And while he does deserve a more drawn-out death for everything he's tried against me and Sisi, there's no time to dwell on particularities at the moment.

I have one purpose.

Get to Miles.

The way clear, Sisi and I head to the hospital, the others following quietly behind and waiting for further instructions.

"From afar this looks abandoned," Sisi mentions as we reach the service entrance. Avoiding any security camera, I take out some tools from my pocket, working on the lock.

"It's the smartest location to do this unbothered," I tell her, placing the tension wrench inside the lock. "No civilians would trespass, and no one would think anything amiss is taking place because it's federal ground."

The door gives way with a click, and Sisi gives me a dreamy smile, walking inside with me following after her.

We enter the laundry area, and turning to me, Sisi assures me she's got this. A smile playing on my lips, I nod to her, urging her to go on.

Although there isn't a moment that I don't worry about her safety, I also trust her skills and know she can take care of herself. And I know that by smothering her with my overprotectiveness, I would just be stifling her potential.

I'd meant what I told her before. I want her to be strong on her own and not depend on anyone. Because I fear there may come a time when she'll have to be strong for me too.

While I wait in one of the rooms, she goes out, catching the eye of one of the nurses.

"What are you doing here? You're not allowed to be here," the woman calls out to Sisi, her foreign accent unmistakable.

One loud noise and the door opens with Sisi dragging the woman inside.

"You're getting awfully good at knocking people out," I note, amused, while she's taking the nurse's clothes and putting them on.

"It's fun." She shrugs, winking at me.

Once her outfit is in place, she goes out again, this time luring one of the doctors to the laundry room.

In no time, I'm dressed as a doctor and we are both out in the hallways of the hospital.

There are multiple levels to the building, but as we pass by open rooms, all full of people, the picture starts to become grimmer.

"Dear Lord," Sisi whispers as she stops in the doorway of one room. Turning my head to see what she's looking at, I realize the room can't be more than a hundred square feet, but it has around six children, crowded in bunk beds, all hooked to IVs.

"How are we going to evacuate them?" she asks, pointing to their conditions, "I don't think they are fit to walk, let alone run if there's a fire alarm."

My lips stretch in a thin line as I consider the possibilities. Raising a finger to my comm, I contact Enzo, letting him know the plan might not go as smoothly.

"We'll send people in to get the ones who can't move freely," he replies, and we hash out a new plan.

Instead of ringing the alarm right away, Sisi and I do some rounds on all levels, cataloguing who might need assistance and who can move on their own.

What we're seeing is dire, though, and Sisi is getting increasingly more affected as she sees more and more children on their little beds, barely able to move, because they might bust their stitches.

"God, Vlad," she whispers, "that could have been me. That could have been any of us."

My hand on her shoulder, I give her a quick squeeze.

"There's nothing we can do now except get them away from here," I tell her.

"I know," she sighs, writing down the last of the room numbers that might need assistance.

With that done, we ring the fire alarm, watching as people start running around, a chaotic mess quickly forming in the hospital.

"We can't linger," I tug her to me as she continues to look at the sick children with sadness in her eyes.

"I know," she eventually acquiesces, but I can see the change in her demeanor.

"I wish I could make them suffer so bad." Her voice is barely above a whisper, her hands balled into fists. There's a new conviction in her eyes, and the fact that this upset her has me seeing red.

"Oh, but I will, hell girl." I take her hand, unfurling her fist and massaging it slowly. "I'll make sure they rue the day they were born. And you," I lift her fingers to my lips, "will have a front row to witness their agony."