Page 36 of The Mafia’s Second Shot (Burning For You Again #3)

ZOEY

T he makeshift command center is chaotic, a storm of voices, maps, and crackling radios. I sit at the edge of the main table, headphones on, listening intently as the updates come in. Every word paints a fragmented picture of the battle unfolding just a few miles away.

“Team Two has secured the west flank,” someone says over the radio, their voice strained but determined. “Minimal casualties so far.”

“Copy that,” I reply, my voice as steady as I can manage. “Hold your position and await further instructions.”

The screen in front of me flickers with a live feed from one of the drones circling overhead.

The industrial yard looks like a war zone, smoke rising in thin, dark plumes.

I can make out flashes of gunfire and the silhouettes of men moving through the wreckage.

It’s distant, removed, but the tension in the air is palpable.

“Any word from Cooper?” I ask Angelo, who’s standing by the map.

He shakes his head, his expression tight. “Not yet. Marco’s with him, but comms have been spotty since they moved deeper into the yard.”

My stomach twists, the lack of clarity gnawing at me. “Keep trying,” I say, forcing my voice not to waver.

The minutes drag on, each one stretching longer than the last. Every update that comes through is fragmented, incomplete. I know Cooper’s leading the charge, but not knowing exactly where he is—or if he’s safe—makes it hard to breathe.

“Zoey, we need reinforcements at the south entrance,” someone calls out from across the room.

“On it,” I reply, signaling for a small team to move out. The men file out quickly, their faces set with determination. I want to believe they’ll make a difference, that every move we’re making is pushing us closer to victory, but doubt lingers at the edges of my mind.

Then it happens.

A garbled message comes through the radio, the voice barely audible over the static. “...Cooper... heading... Rossi.”

I freeze, my heart pounding. “Repeat that,” I say, gripping the edge of the table. “What about Cooper?”

“...gone after Rossi... alone,” the voice repeats, slightly clearer this time.

“No,” I whisper, the weight of the words sinking in. “He wouldn’t.”

But deep down, I know he would. This fight has always been personal for Cooper. Rossi isn’t just an enemy—he’s a ghost from Cooper’s past, a constant reminder of everything he’s lost. Of course he’d go after him alone.

“Marco’s with him, right?” I ask Angelo, my voice trembling.

Angelo hesitates, and that hesitation tells me everything I need to know. “Marco was regrouping with Team Three,” he says quietly. “Cooper’s on his own.”

I push back from the table, the chair screeching against the concrete floor. “I have to go.”

Angelo steps in front of me, his expression firm. “You can’t, Zoey. Cooper needs you here. This command center?—”

“Isn’t where I need to be,” I snap, cutting him off. “He’s out there, alone, and if something happens to him...”

Angelo sighs, glancing at the others in the room. “Marco would kill me if I let you leave.”

“Then don’t let me,” I say, my voice softer now. “But I’m going anyway.”

He steps aside reluctantly, his jaw tight. “Be careful.”

“I will,” I promise, grabbing a pistol and a radio before heading for the exit. The moment I step outside, the cold air hits me like a slap, but it does nothing to dull the fear coursing through me.

The journey to the yard is harrowing. The closer I get, the louder the sounds of the battle become—gunfire, shouts, the occasional explosion. The ground is littered with debris, and the air smells of smoke and sweat.

I stick to the shadows, moving as quietly as I can. My heart races with every step, the fear of being spotted making my movements deliberate and cautious. But the chaos around me is overwhelming, and it’s clear that Rossi’s forces are putting up a brutal fight.

I pass a group of Cooper’s men huddled behind a stack of crates, their guns trained on an approaching vehicle. One of them spots me, his eyes widening in surprise.

“Zoey? What the hell are you doing here?”

“Looking for Cooper,” I reply, my voice low but firm. “Which way did he go?”

The man hesitates, then points toward the center of the yard. “He was heading that way. Be careful—it’s a war zone.”

“Thanks,” I say, moving before he can stop me.

The deeper I go, the worse it gets. Bodies litter the ground, and the sound of gunfire is deafening. I keep moving, my grip on the pistol tightening as I scan every shadow for danger. My fear is a constant hum in the back of my mind, but I push it aside, focusing on one thing: finding Cooper.

I spot him before I hear him.

He’s near the center of the yard, locked in a brutal fight with a man I recognize instantly as Rossi. They’re circling each other like predators, their movements deliberate and deadly. Cooper’s gun is trained on Rossi, but so is Rossi’s on him.

I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. They’re too far away for me to intervene, and the chaos around them makes it impossible to get closer without drawing attention.

“Cooper,” I whisper, my voice trembling.

He doesn’t hear me. He’s too focused, his entire body coiled with tension as he takes a step closer to Rossi. The hatred between them is palpable, an electric charge in the air.

I grip the pistol tighter, my mind racing. I have to do something. But before I can move, Rossi lunges, and the fight escalates into something far more dangerous.

The battlefield fades away as I watch them, my heart pounding in my chest. This isn’t just a fight—it’s the culmination of everything that’s brought us here. And as much as I want to believe Cooper will come out on top, the fear that he won’t claws at me relentlessly.

I raise the radio to my lips, my voice shaking. “Marco. I found Cooper. He’s with Rossi.”

“Hold tight,” Marco replies instantly. “We’re coming.”

I lower the radio, my eyes locked on Cooper. “Come on,” I whisper. “You’ve got this.”

But even as I say the words, the fear lingers, heavy and unshakable. Because if he doesn’t, I don’t know what I’ll do.