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CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

Knight

Eva's breathing remains steady when I ease out from under her and sit on the edge of the bed. She doesn’t stir when I dress or wake when I pause at the door for one last look.

I’m not committing her to memory like some lovesick fool. I’m just making sure she’s still asleep.

Closing the door quietly behind me, I make my way along the hallway and into the kitchen. My brothers are waiting there, faces grim as they talk in hushed tones. Bishop is leaning against the counter, sipping coffee like it’s a casual Sunday morning, while Rook is double-checking his weapon, as if it’s a fidget toy.

Neither of them comment on my late arrival, or mention whether they could hear Eva's soft cries of pleasure earlier. Their focus is on the upcoming job.

"Transport is ready." Bishop checks his watch. "Guards change in forty minutes. If we’re going to do this tonight, we need to leave now. Are we waiting for Eva?”

I shake my head. “She’s asleep. Let’s keep it that way.”

"She’s going to lose her shit with you when she wakes up." Rook's observation carries no judgment, just fact. “What about Victor?”

“The old man can stay here too.”

“Starting the day making sure people are upset with you, I see.”

"Better angry than dead. Getting her brother out was enough of an adventure for her. This job isn’t for rookies." I check my gun, ensuring the clip is full, but I’m mostly avoiding looking at my brothers. "Let's move."

The drive to the facility is suffocatingly quiet. Rook alternates between checking his pistol’s mag and the ammo strapped to his belt. I’m scrolling through facility schematics on my tablet. A pointless exercise, because I’ve already memorized them. Bishop grips the wheel like it insulted our mother.

When the industrial complex comes into view, its unremarkable exterior hiding something far more sinister, the tension in the car thickens like smoke. My tablet lights up with security feeds showing guards making their rounds, oblivious to the storm about to hit them.

"Security feeds are looped. Maintenance access is clear."

Bishop parks behind one of the abandoned warehouses, the headlights cutting out before the vehicle fully stops. "Comms check."

We verify our encrypted channels, then move toward the facility’s service entrance. The lock yields to my override, and we slip inside like shadows. Rook takes the lead, while I navigate the schematics again.

"The server room is two levels down. Primary control center should be adjacent. Four guards on rotation through the sub-level. Two monitoring security feeds. Response team is based on the east side."

We enter the service tunnels, our footsteps masked by the hum of machinery, and the cameras, blind to my looped feeds, offer no resistance.

The first guard doesn’t even have time to register the suppressor’s hiss on Rook’s gun before he’s down. We pause, waiting for any signs of alarm. When none come, we press forward.

The second guard meets the same fate. No witnesses, no loose ends. This isn’t like the last breach. This time, we’re making sure no one remembers we were here.

This is the real reason why I didn’t want Eva here. She doesn’t need the blood on her hands.

"Server room is ahead." I check my tablet. "Two techs inside, monitoring systems."

The techs die as efficiently as the guards, surprise frozen on their faces. An unfortunate waste of life, but we can’t risk them sounding the alarm.

"Do what you need to do." Rook positions himself by the door, gun in hand. The barrel doesn’t waver. "How long do you need?"

My fingers move across the keyboard while Bishop checks the rest of the room, securing the door on the opposite side.

"Five minutes to extract the critical data and launch the virus." Code streams across the screen. "Another three to wipe everything else."

A sound from the hallway freezes us all. Footsteps. Multiple sets. Moving fast. The hair on the back of my neck lifts.

"We’ve got company." Rook shifts position. His grip tightens on his gun, gaze locked on the entrance.

Gunfire erupts before I can reply. Three guards appear in the hallway, guns already firing. Bullets ricochet off the server racks. I duck behind a cooling unit, the metal vibrating under the barrage. My brothers return fire in sharp, controlled bursts.

"More incoming." Bishop's warning comes between bursts of gunfire. "East corridor."

I check the download progress. The timer crawls forward, every second stretching into eternity.

"I need at least two minutes to get the virus to a point where it can’t be stopped."

The door Bishop secured explodes inward, shards of metal and smoke filling the room. Guards flood in, forcing us deeper into the server room. The confined space amplifies the chaos, every shot louder, every move tighter. My brothers handle the immediate threats while I guard the terminal.

Can't lose the connection. Not now.

"I must admit, I'm impressed." A voice cuts through gunfire and alarms.

I don’t even have to look up to know who it is. That smug tone is burned into my memory. Still, I glance up, just to confirm. And there he stands. A tailored suit, perfect hair, Rolex gleaming under the flickering lights. The gun aimed steadily at my chest is the only thing out of place.

“Sullivan.” The name leaves my lips through gritted teeth. I should have fucking known. He’s tried to hire me a couple of times. I turned him down. I do have some morals, and his work ethic doesn’t match mine. “Guess your hired help couldn’t handle us.”

"The infamous Chambers brothers. Breaking into my facility. Attempting to steal my work." His shark’s smile belongs in shareholder meetings. "Though I suppose I should thank you for making this easier. Having all three of you in one place saves considerable time."

“Your work?” I snort, fingers still moving over the keyboard. “You mean what you blackmailed smarter people into creating? Real inspiring stuff. Truly groundbreaking.”

"Blackmail is such an ugly word. I prefer incentivized." Sullivan’s smile tightens. “Stop typing, Knight.”

I arch an eyebrow, but my fingers don’t falter from inputting code.

Stalling is the name of the game now. Every second I keep him talking is another second giving my brothers a chance to get into position.

“Why? You planning to shoot the only person who can keep this place from imploding? Bold move, Sullivan. Really leaning into that villain trope. You’ll be growing a mustache to twirl next.”

His gun shifts slightly, angling toward my leg. “I only need you alive, not unharmed.”

“Creative. Did you come up with that all by yourself, or is that another thing you incentivized someone else to do?” My fingers are flying now, the virus embedding itself deeper into his precious network. “Seriously, I expected more. Where’s the long-winded monologue? The threats? The explanation on how this is beneficial to the world. You’re kind of phoning it in.”

His eyes narrow, and he steps closer. “You don’t understand who you’re dealing with.”

“Oh, I understand perfectly. Big fish in a small pond, desperate to prove he’s more than a glorified thief. You’re practically a walking cliché.”

More guards file into the room, weapons trained on my brothers. Sullivan's smile widens as the odds shift further in his favor.

"I must admit, I'm impressed. Breaking in here took real skill. Skill I could use."

"Hard pass."

The virus reaches their core systems. One keystroke will trigger total destruction. One press and everything burns.

"I planned to acquire your skills eventually." He gestures expansively. "Your reputation in certain circles is quite impressive. But you came right to me. That was very convenient of you."

I glance at Rook. His jaw tightens, and his gaze flicks to Bishop. Bishop nods, just once. My hand hovers over the key.

Fuck it.

"You talk too much."

My finger hits the key. Alarms blare as the virus floods their network. Screens flicker, servers groan, and Sullivan’s empire crumbles.

"Kill them all!" he orders.

Gunfire explodes around me. Bullets tear through the air. Sparks shower down.

Pain ignites in my side, sharp and all-consuming. I stagger, the world tilts.

And then, I fall.