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Rhodes---Steady Shot

I shuffle my body, pressing deeper against the metal awning, as Amelia walks into view. She is gorgeous, the leather jacket draped on her making me smile. While yes, Amelia is wearing a dress, she also decided to have a piece of herself present. My baby loves her leather jacket. I know that she has a blade in that jacket, another hidden on her thigh.

Her clutch is now tucked under her arm and the posture she’s carrying is at ease. Amelia has transformed herself into The Fox, and it is a dangerously beautiful sight to behold. The air around her is charged with power, and I notice the change in Medina as Amelia walks closer.

I had arrived before anyone else, taking time to scout the area and setup. The warehouse is secluded, far enough from the highway that whatever happens here stays buried in the darkness. I can see why this location is used. The windows by the awning were easy to open and I waited, watching as Medina pulled up, followed by Duncan, and finally, Amelia.

Medina hadn’t come alone. Amelia had planned for this; her gut telling her that she would be walking into a situation filled with potential unknowns.

“What is your plan, kochanie? What will you do if it isn’t just the two of you?” She spins, facing me as the pot on the stove bubbles. There is an eerie calmness on her face, one that if you weren’t in tune with her history, you’d think she was dismissive. However, I know that she is shutting the world out, locking her emotions inside a steel vault so she can think clearly.

“I’ll do what I’ve always done. This is child’s play.” Her head tilts as she moves closer. “He won’t touch me, Rhodes.” Her hands rub my biceps, her grey eyes cutting me to the core. “I wouldn’t be surprised if I walk into a trap. It’s what I would do, to be honest, if I were meeting with someone I wanted eliminated.”

Hearing her talk this way, not as Amelia but as The Fox, forces me to reconcile with the understanding that the mafia is ingrained into who she is. This is second nature for her, as easy as breathing. Amelia continues, her voice deceivingly soft. “I am not in my father’s chair by chance, Ro. I would not still be here if I had laid down and played dead.”

I shake my head, clearing last night from my head. Needing to be focused, I cannot allow fear to have a foothold here. My gaze returns to my target as I inhale deeply.

There is another body in the warehouse; he is larger than Medina, and I notice the second Amelia recognizes this. Good girl, kochanie. I feel the butt of my MK 22 against my shoulder and I keep myself calm. I don’t know if Duncan realizes what is going on, this second man is very adept at keeping hidden.

I can’t hear what Amelia is saying, but I know that she’s pissing Medina off. I peer through my scope, keeping him in the crosshairs. Amelia stalks toward him, confidence radiating from her, and I see her for the mafia queen she is. This version of the woman I love would terrify any other man. It isn’t long before she is closer than I’d like to Medina. Suddenly, her hand is flying from the jacket, and her clutch falls to the ground.

I follow the blade as it hits Medina’s man square in the neck, and he falls to his knees. I pan back to her and see a gun held to her temple, Medina reminding me of a raging bull.