Page 23

Gina’s expert hands transformed my reflection into a stranger. Golden-brown contacts replaced my deep brown eyes, a curly wig covered my natural short black shoulder-length hair, and her perfectly applied makeup changed the entire structure of my face.

“You look nothing like yourself,” she said, admiring her work. “Club Velvet’s masquerade night was the perfect choice for this.”

“You look just as fabulous. We’ll blend in well.”

“Let’s do it!” I high-fived her, and we loaded into Cruz’s Hellcat.

Riding beside us on his Mercedes Solar Beam motorcycle, Titan watched our surroundings while Storm trailed us in his dark blue Mercedes.

Traffic in Miami was like most nights—heavy, loud, and joyous. But Gina was the only one smiling and hanging out the window in our crew. The rest of us were focused on the mission and what needed to be done.

The red glow from the club’s sign washed over us as we approached the side entrance. My silver dress shimmered against the light, and even I had trouble recognizing myself in the mirrored walls.

“Remember,” Storm’s voice came through my earpiece. “They run standard security only. There is no facial recognition. Your biggest concern is the inner circle—they may know your face, so keep your mask on.”

Titan’s voice came through next. “The money flows through five key players,” he said. “They’ll be in VIP sections three and four. Reynolds always drinks scotch. His two processors stick to vodka. The other two handle external transfers - both bourbons.”

“And how long will the poison take to kick in?” I touched the hidden pocket in my dress.

“Thirty minutes,” Cruz added. “They’ll be long gone before symptoms start, unless they’re weaker than we expect. The medical examiner will call it heart failure.”

Gina turned to me. “Do we have table assignments?” She adjusted her Venetian-style mask.

“Gina’s got Reynolds and his first processor in section three,” Cruz said, watching the back entrance. “Santari, you’ll take the second processor and the transfer team in four.”

My lips curved into a smile, and I relayed the message to Gina. I’d been eager for this since we chose Club Velvet as our first target. The chance to dismantle Ronan’s empire piece by piece, starting with his money men, invigorated me.

“Stay focused,” Titan growled through the earpiece. “One mistake can cost us the surprise, and I’ll have to burn this place to the ground.”

“I know, baby,” I said, winking at him, watching from a dark corner across the street. “We got this.”

I gave Gina an earpiece where she could only hear my voice so we could communicate inside.

The club’s bass vibrated through my body as we slipped through the door. Masked figures filled the space, making our own masks seem perfectly natural. The targets arrived within minutes of each other, moving to their usual sections.

I recognized the second processor by his expensive watch - the one thing Storm said he never took off. The transfer team settled into their usual corner, already signaling for service.

Gina and I moved like we’d worked the club for years.

Our laughs pitched through the space as we took drink orders and served them.

Gina thought we would work three hours so we weren’t in a hurry, but when we needed to book it - I’d make sure to drag her out of here.

It was easy to blend in. We started with clean drinks and would slowly worked our way up to the poisonous ones unbeknownst to Gina.

I leaned close to the processor, letting my hand brush his shoulder as I nodded at his request.

“Vodka martini,” I purred, pitching my voice higher than usual. “Excellent choice.”

Through my second earpiece, I heard Gina working her section. “The Macallan twenty-five? A man of taste.”

“First round delivered,” Gina murmured. “And I got a four-hundred-dollar tip, heffa. These niggas are loaded.”

I laughed. “I told you so.”

“Yes, the fuck you did.”

“The orders are coming fast. I just finished my second one.”

Our targets drained their glasses, signaling for more. By the third round, we’d crossed over into an hour of service and the processor’s laugh was too loud, while the transfer team’s movements grew unsteady.

“They’re hitting their limit,” Storm warned. “Time to wrap it up.”

“One more round,” I said, watching them sway slightly. “Meet me at the bar, Gina.”

The bartender topped our trays with their drinks, and Gina was too busy fast-talking and flirting with the guy next to her to notice me pouring the poison into the glasses. It was the perfect setup.

The poison was odorless and tasteless. Mixed with alcohol, it was untraceable.

The final drinks went out as the club reached peak capacity. The bass covered any sounds of distress as the first target - one of the transfer team - clutched his chest.

“The exit routes are clear,” Cruz confirmed.

“Gina, we’re cutting our time tonight and I’ve already got our money - let’s go.”

Gina and I slipped away as our victims began to fall. By the time anyone realized something was wrong, we were walking toward the extraction point, and the server uniforms they’d supplied us with inside were abandoned in the staff room.

Gina hopped in Cruz’s Hellcat and Titan waited at the corner with his bike purring in the shadows. I slid behind him, pressing close as my arms wrapped around his waist. His scent aroused me, and the danger of the night soaked my pussy.

“You’re such a bad fuckin’ girl,” he growled as I squeezed my thighs against him.

“Wait until you see what else I can do.”

We rode through Miami’s neon-lit streets, leaving disarray in our wake. By morning, Ronan’s money operation would be crippled. His key players would be dead, and their systems exposed with the first center dismantled.

Back at The Omega House, we went over the next mission.

“Their ventilation system has three main access points,” Storm said, marking locations on the warehouse schematic. “Here, here, and here. The atomized compound must hit all three to fully contaminate their storage areas.”

I studied the layout spread across the desk. The east side warehouse looked simple from the outside, like just another industrial building. But inside, it housed Ronan’s high-end drug operation.

“The processing equipment is on the second floor,” Cruz added. “That’s where we introduce the blue agent. Everything they try to process becomes visible once it gets into their machinery. There’s no way to hide it.”

“What about security?” I asked.

“It’ll be heavy at the entrance points.” Titan’s finger traced the perimeter. “But they’re focused on protecting products from theft. They don’t expect chemical warfare.”

“What’s our timeline?”

“We have three hours until shift change. That’s our window.” Storm held up three metal canisters. “The atomized compound goes in through the ventilation. It takes thirty minutes to fully permeate. By the time anyone notices the smell, it’ll be too late.”

Cruz lifted a vial of electric blue liquid. “This goes into their processing tanks. The reaction is instant – it turns everything it touches into something that looks like cheap street shit.”

I examined the third substance, a fine powder, in a sealed container. “Is this to contaminate the equipment?”

“That’s the endgame.” There was satisfaction in Cruz’s tone. “It gets into the machinery’s gears and spreads through the whole system. They’ll have to replace everything.”

I nodded, mentally drawing the route. “Where do you need me?”

“You’re with me on ventilation,” Titan said. “Cruz handles processing. Storm runs interference on their cameras and security systems.”

My cell phone beeped with a notification, and I took it out and read Gina’s text.

“Thanks for the quick gig! Cruz’s Hellcat is smooth as hell. I could get used to riding shotgun…”

“Heffa, don’t get comfortable in my man’s shit.”

Teary-eyed laughing emojis came next.

“Damn, you’re stingy!”

“You bet your ass I am.”

Laughing emoji.

“You’re welcome and have a good night!”

I took my attention back to my men who were waiting for me. “I’m ready.”

An hour later, I crawled through the warehouse’s underbelly with Titan close behind me. The service tunnels stank of mildew and rat droppings, but they led straight to our targets.

“The first access point is ahead,” Storm’s voice crackled through our earpieces. “The guards are changing rotation in three, two, one...”

I reached the grate, and Titan’s hands steadied me as I worked the screws loose. His breath brushed my neck as I leaned forward to place the canister, making me suppress a shiver.

“Focus,” he murmured, but I heard the smile in his voice. He knew exactly what he was doing to me.

“One down,” I breathed, sliding backward against him. “Two to go.”

We moved like shadows through the tunnels, placing the second canister on the opposite side of the building. Above us, Cruz would be reaching the processing floor.

“I’ve accessed the processing tanks,” Cruz confirmed. “The blue agent has been deployed.”

The last access shaft was tighter, barely wide enough for our shoulders. Titan’s chest pressed against my back as we squeezed through with his hands guiding my hips.

“The camera loop is in place,” Storm reported. “You’ve got four minutes to reach the final point.”

Sweat trickled down my spine as we maneuvered through the confined space. The final canister clicked into place just as Storm’s voice cut through.

“There’s movement on your level. Three hostiles approaching ventilation control.”

I froze, feeling Titan still behind me. A maintenance check. Now.

“Options?” I kept my voice low.

“There’s a utility shaft to your left,” Storm directed. “It’ll take you to the loading bay. It’s clear for the next two minutes. Go. Now.”

We moved silently, my body sliding against Titan’s as we navigated the narrow passage. Every brush of contact charged me, but we maintained focus. The mission came first. Pleasure would come later.

“All the canisters are active,” Storm confirmed as we reached the exit point. “Cruz is clear. The processing equipment is compromised. The timers are set.”

We regrouped three blocks away, watching through Storm’s tablet as the warehouse erupted into disorder. Workers fled the contaminated areas, and products turned vivid blue in their hands.

“By morning, every buyer in Miami will know their product is tainted,” Cruz grinned.

“Their reputation is finished,” Storm said. “No one will trust their supply again. And there’s no evidence of tampering they can trace.”

I felt Titan’s heat at my back, his hand sliding around my waist. “Two centers down.”

“The weapons facility is next, right?” I turned my eyes up at him.

“You’re having so much fun with this.”

“I am. And I’m ready for more.”

He nodded and sank his mouth into mine. “Fuck, I can’t get enough of you.”

“How many times do I have to tell you not to?”

“You don’t. Yet I still can’t believe how wild you drive me.”

“Well, believe it. It’s never going to change.”

He sucked my tongue, making me aroused as I jumped into his arms.

The Miami heat was thick and still as I studied the port facility’s layout. Storm had identified their weapons stash, hidden behind a legitimate shipping operation on the third floor. Above it were water tanks for the building’s fire suppression system. It was another perfect setup.

“The maintenance chief is on board,” Cruz said, checking his phone. “I got him through the same connections we used at Club Velvet. His team’s been looking the other way on their operation for months.”

“What changed his mind?” I asked.

“Money.” The baritone in Titan’s voice made my nipples tingle. “Plus, proof they’ve planned to eliminate his whole maintenance crew once the weapons shipment cleared.”

Storm pointed to the blueprint. “He’s giving us a ninety-minute window. He said a ‘routine inspection’ of the suppression system is scheduled. During shift change, there is minimal personnel.”

“What about the tanks?”

“Already modified.” Cruz grinned. “I added extra salt content this morning. When that hits their stash...”

“Everything corrodes,” I finished. “Weapons, ammo, all of it.”

“They’ll try to salvage what they can,” Titan said. “But by the time they realize the extent of the damage?—”

“Their whole stockpile will be worthless.” Storm pointed to the water’s projected path. “The chief also agreed to ‘accidentally’ miss some areas during cleanup. Let that salt water really soak in.”

I felt Titan’s heat as he moved behind me. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

“I’ve never been this excited watching people destroy themselves.” I leaned back against him. “They killed my brother. I want to murder them.”

His hands gripped my hips. “The ones responsible will have their day. This I promise you.” He kissed along my temple, and I closed my eyes and exhaled.

I’d been filled with anxiety, grief, anger, and frustration since finding out about my brother’s death.

Now, we were so close to ending the people responsible that I could taste it.

I needed it to be soon because although my men had done everything to help me through this grief, my heart could only begin to settle when we’d avenged Revere.

We prepared over the next hour. Storm monitored security feeds while Cruz coordinated with the maintenance chief. Titan and I positioned ourselves to observe, ensuring no unexpected variables interrupted the plan.

Right on schedule, the “inspection” began. The water pouring from above was supposedly a simple system test. But this water had an extra bite, seeping into every weapon, crate, and round of ammunition.

Through binoculars, I watched Pandora’s Box’s people scramble to protect what they could. But they had no idea that every attempt to dry things off only worked the salt deeper into the metal.

“Listen,” Storm’s voice came through our earpieces as he patched us into their security frequencies.

“What the fuck happened?” a voice raged. “Who authorized this inspection?”

“It’s standard procedure, sir. The chief?—”

“I don’t care! Do you know what this is going to cost us?”

“Damage control is already working on it, but?—”

“But nothing! First, the club incident, then the warehouse contamination, and now this? I’m about to kill all you motherfuckers!”

I held back a smile, feeling Titan embrace me tighter. They were cracking, turning on each other just as we’d planned.

“Time to go,” he murmured against my ear. “Let them tear themselves apart.”