LOGINDamien, Blade, and Karim finally emerged from the forest with the girl, Grace, on Karim’s back. She hadn’t stopped weeping softly the entire way.Grace never thought rescue was possible, not after watching Rafael, her supposed father, slaughter every man Silvano had sent before.But Damien had come for her like an angel carved from darkness. He’d destroyed Rafael as if the man were made of nothing.While Blade and Karim dealt with the remaining guards, Damien had dragged Rafael back to his chair, bound him tight, and ignored his frantic pleas.“T–this isn’t what you think, boss,” Rafael stammered, trembling as Damien pulled another knot taut. “I wasn’t going to hurt her. She’s my daughter, I just—I just wanted her back!”Damien didn’t look at him. His movements were organized, deliberate, as he stuffed a cloth into Rafael’s mouth and secured it with another rope. Then, wordlessly, he began laying out his knives on the table one after another. Each one gleamed under the weak lantern l
It became so difficult for Damien to breathe. His chest rose and fell in a shallow, broken rhythm as he leaned closer and saw Vladislav smiling, though his eyes were red, and his body trembled.“I’m glad we both understood what love means before we depart,” Vladislav whispered, and Damien’s throat tightened, his eyes filling with chilling red.“We didn’t start on a good foot, and of course, we were just partners,” Vladislav continued, his voice fading. “But you’re someone I could call my best friend, Wolfe. Thank you for being a good partner and a friend. It means a lot to me.”His trembling fingers lifted weakly toward Damien’s face, but Damien’s jaw only clenched harder, his silence heavy with everything he couldn’t say.“One more thing, Wolfe…” Vladislav’s voice shook. “Please tell her I’m sorry I couldn’t fulfill my promise. Tell her I love her so much and that I wish I’d met her earlier, before joining this business… maybe in the next life.”Damien didn’t answer. He just stared a
Blade and Karim stood the moment they saw Vladislav emerging from between the trees, the weapon bag slung over his shoulder.His steps were slow, even but the pain on his face said everything words couldn’t.He was drenched in blood, dirt, and grief.Neither man spoke as he approached.They just watched as he reached the rocks where Damien lay shirtless, his skin pale under the flickering firelight, his chest barely moving, so it made them wonder if he was still breathing.Vladislav stopped beside him, stared for a heartbeat then dropped to his knees.The sound that tore from his throat was low and guttural, a mix of rage and grief that made even Blade flinch.“It’s better you stand up now, Wolfe,” Vladislav rasped, grabbing Damien by the shoulder, his voice trembling. “I just lost Sergio… I can’t lose you too.”He tugged weakly at Damien’s chest, desperate enough to believe that if he held on tight enough, Damien would start breathing again.Blade turned his head away, blinking hard
The sound of rushing water filled the silence. The rustle of trees, the sound of their own breathing, even the faint hum of insects that usually filled the night. Damien lay shirtless on the rock. His chest rose and fell so faintly that for a moment, it was hard to tell if he was still breathing.No one spoke.Niko stared blankly at the water, his gun limp in his hand. Karim crouched nearby, his head bowed, his fingers buried in his hair. Tomas stood a few feet away, eyes fixed on Damien’s unmoving body, jaw clenched so tightly the muscle twitched. The intel guy sat with his back against a tree, his face covered with tears he refused to wipe away.Vladislav knelt beside Damien, elbows on his knees and silent as stone. Every now and then, his gaze flicked toward the wound; checking, waiting and hoping.And then there was Blade.He stood a little apart from the rest, his eyes locked on his boss, the man who had pulled him out of the kind of darkness most men never returned from. The fi
Graves slid off the settee and also sat on the floor, his gaze distant, as if he were staring through the walls.“My old man had a little body shop in Queens,” he began, voice low and rough. “He didn’t make much, but it was enough. He was the kind who worked with his hands, oil under his nails, always smelled like metal and smoke. My mom kept the books and my sister followed her everywhere.”Lila and the men stayed silent, watching him carefully.“One day,” Graves continued, “a guy showed up and said he needed his car repainted overnight. My father told him no. The guy didn’t like that. Then he smiled when he left and said he’d ‘be back.’”Graves’s jaw flexed, a muscle ticking near his temple.“He came back that night. Three cars, maybe four. I was upstairs, by the window. I saw them pull in.” His voice faltered for a second before hardening again. “I thought it was a dream, at first. The noise… it didn’t sound real. Then I heard my mother scream my father’s name. Then the first shot
“What are we going to do?” Blade’s voice cracked as he stared at Damien lying limp across Vladislav’s thigh. Blood soaked through the fabric under him, dark and heavy.Vladislav’s jaw clenched. He was trying to stay composed, but the fear in his eyes betrayed him. He glanced down at Damien, pale and motionless, before forcing himself to look at Blade.“He needs water,” he said, voice low but tight. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. The bullet didn’t stay long.”Blade nodded quickly, though his throat burned with disbelief. “One of them said there’s a waterfall at the far west end of the forest. Behind it is where he’s hiding.”“Fine.” Vladislav shifted, pushing to his feet. “We need to move him there fast.”He bent, muscles tensing as Blade crouched beside him.“Put him on my back,” Blade offered.“No,” Vladislav said sharply. “I’ll carry him. You and the intel keep watch.” He pointed toward the guy, who swallowed hard and nodded.The forest around them was deathly still, except for the distan







