LOGINMarco leaned closer to the screen.“We can get there within a few hours.”“Not a few hours. Faster. The Dead Ravens have my wife.” I grabbed my jacket.“Call the pilots. Prepare the aircraft. Get every available man ready to move.”Marco was already on the phone.I turned to another of my men. “Contact our allies in that area. I want the city borders monitored, every major road watched, and every possible exit covered. Nobody connected to the Dead Ravens gets through without being stopped.”“Yes, boss.”I looked at Marco.“Tell Laro to assemble his team. I want him with us.”Marco nodded. “I’ll handle it.”Within minutes, the operation was underway.Men were armed. Aircraft were prepared. Our allies began securing the routes around the location marked on the screen.I didn’t care if the Dead Ravens had a hundred men waiting for us.They had taken my wife; they had made their biggest mistake.**The moment we reached the location, I knew something was wrong.The compound was surrounde
Dario’s POVFive hours earlierThe moment my helicopter touched down beside the warehouse, the sound of gunfire greeted me.“Get down!” Marco shouted.I barely heard him before I jumped out, raised my gun, and fired at the men shooting toward us.Dead Ravens.Those bastards had the audacity to attack one of my biggest warehouses in broad daylight.“Push them back!” I roared. “Nobody leaves this place alive!”My men spread out, returning fire as bullets shattered windows and tore through the metal containers stacked around the warehouse. I took cover behind a truck, reloaded, and shot two men attempting to circle around our position.We had too much at stake here. This warehouse held some of our most important shipments, and I wasn’t about to let those bastards take everything without a fight.The firefight lasted longer than it should have.By the time the last gunshot faded, several of my men were injured, most of the Dead Ravens were dead, and the few survivors had been dragged to t
Fina’s POVThey barely gave us time to breathe before they dragged us out of the room.“Let go of me!” Elena screamed, fighting against the men holding her. “Where the hell are you taking us?”Nobody answered.I wanted to fight too, but the guns pointed in our direction made me think twice. We had already made one terrible mistake by trusting Leo. I wasn’t about to make another one by getting Elena shot.I followed their orders, even as my heart pounded painfully in my chest.Then I looked at Elliot Rave.The man looked even more frightening up close. His brown teeth were broken and rotten, and his face carried the kind of expression that made my skin crawl. He looked old, but there was something disturbingly healthy and strong about him. He held a walking stick, tapping it impatiently against the floor as though we were wasting his precious time.He grabbed Elena by the arm and shoved her toward a waiting vehicle. Another man pushed me in after her.The doors slammed shut. Within se
Fina’s POVGetting my husband to agree to anything these days required the patience of a saint.“Dario, please.”“Fina, we’ve had this conversation.”“And I’m having it again.”I sat up against the pillows, clutching my phone to my ear while staring at the empty side of the bed. He’d left for work before I woke up, and I’d had to call him the moment I got out of the shower.“I need to visit Casa Serena. There are some documents I need to sign, and I haven’t been there in days.”“I’ll have someone bring them over.”“They’re documents concerning the orphanage, Dario. I need to be there personally.”Silence.I could practically picture him rubbing his forehead on the other end of the call.“Baby, this isn’t a good time for you to be going out unnecessarily.”“It’s not unnecessary! I run that place, remember? The children need things, the staff need me, and I have responsibilities that don’t disappear just because you’re fighting a war.”“Fina.”“Dario.”Another silence. Then he sighed.“
Fina’s POVThe moment the video call ended, my phone rang.Elena was calling.I answered, leaning back in my chair. “Hello?”“Fina, I don’t think you should go.”I closed my eyes briefly. “Elena…”“No, listen to me. I know you want answers, and I understand why, but don’t you think this is moving too fast? First, Leo finds some old documents. Then he recovers a video. Now, suddenly, there’s a man who worked with the Ravens seven years ago and is willing to meet us.” She paused. “Doesn’t that sound suspicious to you?”I rubbed my forehead.“Of course it does. I don’t know what to think anymore.”“Then maybe we should stop.”“Stop?” I sat up. “Elena, we’re talking about a witness. Someone who might actually know what happened. How can we just dismiss that?”“Because we barely know anything about Leo’s life these past twelve years, Fina! I know he’s your childhood friend, and I know you trust him, but you haven’t been around him for twelve years. You don’t know the people he’s associated
Fina’s POVMy entire body felt like a horse had ridden over it.I groaned and rolled onto my side, only to discover that the other half of the bed was empty.Dario had taken me more times than I could count last night, and the man had shown absolutely no mercy. He’d been rough, demanding, and relentless, and honestly, I hadn’t complained. With everything going on in my head lately, I’d needed that kind of release more than I’d realized.Still, my body was paying for it this morning.I dragged myself out of bed and shuffled into the bathroom, hoping for a hot shower and a little mercy from my aching muscles.Dario wasn’t there either. Instead, I found a small note beside the sink.‘Ran out for some important work, Ti amo.’I smiled despite myself. Then I lifted my head and caught sight of my reflection.There was a very noticeable hickey on my neck.I closed my eyes.“Oh my God. Not again.”That man was going to be the death of me.After showering, I dressed and tried my best to cover t







