LOGINAXEL POV
I answered anyway. "What?"
"Axel Mikhailovich." Volkov's accented voice, smooth and unhurried, like a man who had all the time in the world. "I hear you're having problems with your woman."
"How the fuck do you know about that?" I demanded, my grip tightening on the phone.
"The Bratva knows many things," Volkov said pleasantly. "Including that Emilia Romano arrived at Mr. Kane's factory approximately ninety minutes ago."
My heart stopped.
The
AXEL POVDawn came.Em woke up.Red eyes. Swollen face.Dark circles from no sleep."I need to shower," she said. "Need to wash the blood off.""There's a bathroom," I said.She left.I heard water running.Heard her crying through the door.Twenty minutes later, she came back.Clean but still haunted.Hair wet. Eyes red."We need to talk," Em said."About what?" I asked."About us," Em replied. "About whether love is worth all this death.""Em," I started."Let me finish," she interrupted. "I love you. But Carmen's dead because Victoria wants me. Bull's dead because you tried to save me. How many more people die before we accept that maybe we're the problem?""We're not the problem," I said. "Victoria is.""Then why does everyone around us keep dying?" Em challenged.I didn't have an answer.The question hung in the air.Heavy. Accusatory. True."Maybe we should separate," Em said quietly. "Maybe if Victoria can't use me against you, she'll stop.""She won't stop," I replied. "She'll
EMILIA POV"Stop," Sandra said.Everyone looked at her."Victoria, stop," Sandra repeated. "Please. This has gone far enough."Victoria smiled."Has it?" she asked."Yes," Sandra replied. "You've made your point. Isn't that enough?""No," Victoria said simply."Please," Sandra begged. "I've done everything you asked. For years. Can't this be enough?"I froze.Everything you asked.For years."Sandra," I said slowly. "What are you talking about?"Sandra looked at me.Tears in her eyes."I'm sorry, Em," she said.Victoria laughed."She doesn't know the truth, " Victoria said. "Should we tell them?""What truth?" Axel demanded.Victoria walked to Sandra.Cut her zip ties.Sandra stood.Walked to Victoria's side.Next to Rookie.Both traitors together."Sandra's been mine from the beginning," Victoria said. "My cousin. Placed in your club three years ago.""No," Marco breathed."Yes," Victoria confirmed. "Every plan. Every strategy. Sandra heard it all. And told me everything."She gestur
EMILIA POVI'd stayed at the clubhouse.Axel had insisted.Said I'd be safer there.Said the cemetery operation was too dangerous.So I stayed.With Carmen. Sandra. Six other brothers.Everyone else went with Axel and Marco.Leaving us with minimal protection."I don't like this," Carmen said. "Everyone gone. Feels wrong.""Axel knows what he's doing," I replied."Does he?" Carmen challenged. "Because Victoria's been ahead of us every time. What if this is another trap?""Then we deal with it," I said.But I was worried too.Something felt off.Ten PM came and went.No word from Axel.Eleven PM. Still nothing."Try calling," Carmen suggested.I did.No answer.I tried Bull. No answer.Tried three other brothers. No answer."Something's wrong," I said."Maybe they're just busy," Sandra suggested. "In position. Can't answer.""Maybe," I agreed.But my gut s
AXEL POVWe arrived at the clubhouse at eleven PM.Team One was already there.With the rescued hostages.Carmen stood in the main room.Bruised. Exhausted. But alive."Carmen," I said.She turned. Saw me. Ran over.Hugged me tight."You saved us," Carmen said. "Victoria had us for hours. Said she was going to kill us one by one. But you saved us.""We got lucky," I admitted."I'll take lucky," Carmen replied.She pulled back. Looked around."Where's Tank?" she asked.My stomach dropped."Carmen," I started."Where is he?" Carmen pressed. Her smile fading."He didn't make it," I said quietly. "Victoria killed him. During the rescue."Carmen's face crumbled."No," she breathed. "Not Tank.""I'm sorry," I said.Carmen sat down hard.Started crying.Tank had been with the club for fifteen years.One of the originals.One of the best.And now
EMILIA POVWe had ten hours.Ten hours until midnight.Ten hours to find Carmen and the others.Ten hours to end Victoria."We need a plan," Bull said."We have a plan," Axel replied. "Draw Victoria out. Kill her.""That's not a plan," Bull countered. "That's a wish.""Then help me make it better," Axel shot back.They argued while I sat there.Thinking.Processing everything.Tank was dead.Marco might die in surgery.Carmen was Victoria's hostage.Seven people would die unless we stopped this.And it was all because of me.Because I'd fallen in love with Axel.Because I'd chosen this life.Because every decision I'd made led here.My phone rang.Hospital.I answered."Is this Emilia Romano?" a voice asked."Yes," I confirmed."Your brother Marco came through surgery. He's alive. Critical but stable. You can see him in an hour.""Thank you," I said.
AXEL POVWe reached the County General in fifteen minutes.Bull pulled up to the emergency entrance.Honked repeatedly.Medical staff rushed out.Saw Marco."Gunshot wounds!" I shouted. "Multiple. Four days old. He's septic!"They loaded Marco onto a gurney.Rushed him inside.Em tried to follow.A nurse stopped her."Family only beyond this point," the nurse said."I'm his sister," Em replied."Then come with me," the nurse said. "But your friends stay here."Em disappeared through doors.Bull and I stayed in the waiting room.Both covered in blood.Both exhausted."Tank's dead," Bull said quietly."I know," I replied."Victoria killed him," Bull continued. "Right in front of us. And we couldn't stop it.""I know," I repeated."What do we do now?" Bull asked."We'll finish this," I said. "We find Victoria. We kill her. We end this permanently.""How?" Bull challen
EMILIA POVDay three of the seven-day countdown.I woke up in Axel's bed. His arm around me. His breathing steady.For a moment, I pretended everything was normal.Then I heard Marco shouting orders outside.Reality crashed back.The Bratva was coming in four days.
AXEL POVThe second the chapel cleared, Marco pulled me aside."My office," he said. "Now."I followed him.
EMILIA POVHe groaned into my mouth like he couldn't breathe without tasting me.His hands grabbed my shirt and ripped it straight up and off. My tits bounced free, nipples already tight and achi
EMILIA POVTwo days after the first shipment attack, Axel knocked on my door."Get dressed," he said. "Something nice. We're going out.""Now?" I asked. "Marco just put us on lockdown.""I cleared it with Marco," Axel replied. "Two hours. That's all I'm asking. Two hours where







