Page 127 of Shadowed Sins: Nitro

I trace the bandage covering his shoulder wound. "Having a family to protect makes moving against Alexei more terrifying than any enemy I've faced."

His good hand frames my face, forcing me to meet his burning gaze. "Now we keep each other steady. Through whatever comes next."

The promise ignites something desperate in my chest. Heat floods through me as I realize the depth of what we've built—not just attraction, but actual partnership. We've been unconsciously saving each other without realizing it, and now that recognition makes everything more intense.

He sees me. The real me. And he still wants to protect me.

"This changes everything. Having people to lose."

"Having people worth fighting for." His correction carries fierce conviction.

His answer comes in the form of a careful kiss that promises everything—protection, acceptance, love, and the kind of partnership I never knew I needed.

Tomorrow we'll start planning Alexei's destruction. Tonight, I'm exactly where I belong—in the arms of the man who watched me kill and called it beautiful, surrounded by the family who made my mission their own.

For the first time since I was sixteen years old, I'm not fighting alone.

And that changes everything.

twenty-nine

Jax

My fingers drum the familiar rhythm of a V8 engine against my tactical vest as I stare at the Lynch Racing Academy compound through the pre-dawn darkness. The place that shaped me into who I am now looks different through crosshairs and surveillance equipment.

This is where it all started. Where Gideon taught me precision, control, timing.

Where he taught me to trust him before he betrayed everything I believed in.

"Final equipment check." Kade's voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts. "Multiple entry points confirmed. Gideon's expecting us, but not the full scope."

I test my earpiece connection, muscle memory taking over while my brain tries to process that we're actually doing this. Going after the man who mentored me, who I looked up to like a father figure, who turned out to be running cover for human traffickers.

Mira moves beside me with that lethal grace that makes my heart rate spike. She points to the compound's exterior cameras without hesitation.

"Security cameras here and here. Blind spots at loading dock match the intel from my surveillance last week."

Cole nods approvingly. "Good. That confirms our entry strategy."

The easy acceptance in his voice makes something settle in my chest. Three weeks ago, they were questioning every word she said. Now she's family.

She chose us. Chose me.

"Frost, you in position?" Kade's voice comes through comms.

"Affirmative. Clear sightlines on main exits." Asher's response comes through crystal clear. "Motion sensors active on the perimeter, but Vanessa's got the feeds looped."

"Echo here," Vanessa's cheerful voice chirps in our ears. "Digital overwatch is fully online. I can see seventeen different exit routes from your position, plus three underground tunnels that aren't on any official blueprints."

The familiar banter between our team should calm my nerves, but my fingers keep drumming that engine rhythm. Faster now.

What if he's in there? What if I have to—

"Nitro." Mira's voice is quiet, meant only for me. "You're broadcasting anxiety in frequencies dogs can hear."

I force my hand to still against my vest. "I'm fine."

"You're loyal, protective, and your instinct is to trust first and question later." Her assessment is clinical but not unkind. "That's not weakness. It's what makes you good at reading people, at earning their trust."