22 - Emilia

“They’re close to the parking garage; if you want to give them the element of surprise now is a good fucking time,” Kaius’ voice comes through my earpiece just as I get to the elevator, and Alexius nods silently.

“Ready to dance, Emilia?” he asks as we get inside and I chuckle.

“I was born covered in someone else’s blood and will leave this world covered in it as well,” I say, recalling how my mother said I literally tore her in two when she gave birth to me.

Alexius chuckles and shakes his head. “Fuck, you’re the perfect woman for him,” he murmurs and the elevator doors open without a sound.

The parking garage is dimly lit, its concrete walls casting long shadows that danced in the flickering overhead lights. Kaius' other men are here, sounding off their positions through the earpiece and setting me at ease. The tension in the air was palpable as Alexius and I positioned ourselves behind a row of expensive cars, preparing to face off against Ivan and his bunch of fuckers.

I pull out