LOGINThe depot was strangely quiet when I arrived. That was what bothered me first. There were containers everywhere, huge cranes hanging over the yard and enough buildings to hide an army far within. And there were men. Plenty of them. I took a closer view but they weren't the men I knew. Malachi had clearly changed his security. That meant getting inside wouldn't be easy. So I stayed low. Watching. Then I started moving. I had survived long enough in this world to know when a place was dangerous.You didn't rush into danger. You studied it. Found its weak points. Then you moved. A few men didn't see me coming.That was their mistake. I dealt with them quietly and slipped farther inside. Rows of containers blocked most of my view. I already knew enough about today's plan. I didn't waste time going through the main entrance. Thanks to the containers, I snock carefully into the inner section while men paced from one end to another. Then shortly after, I saw Malachi. He stood high abo
Gabriel’s PovI hadn't slept well since I lost Nyx. Every night, I thought about her. Every morning, I woke up with the same fear.Renz was alive.And sooner or later, he would come for everything. For his businesses. His empire. His revenge.And Nyx.Especially Nyx.I stood on the balcony of my hotel room, staring down at Italy while a glass of liquor rested loosely in my hand.The city looked beautiful from up here.Almost peaceful.It's funny. I couldn't enjoy it.Nothing about my life had been peaceful for a long time. You see Renz and I went way back.Back to Miami.We were young then. Stupid, ambitious and hungry enough to believe the world belonged to us. We both wanted power.Money.Respect.But somehow, Renz always got there first.It irritated me.No.It fucking destroyed me.Why him?Why was Renz always better? Why did people listen when he spoke? Why did opportunities fall into his hands? Why did his name keep growing while mine remained somewhere behind his?Renz wasn't b
"B-Boss!""Speak before I blow your fucking head off.""Please—""What the fuck is happening outside?"The man struggled for breath."The plan... it was betrayed."I stared at him."Obviously.""No, boss. You don't understand. The whole place is compromised. There are too many of them. Our men are being taken down everywhere.""Ricardo?" He hesitated. "Where is Ricardo?""I don't know.""Dante?""He's also out of sight.""Casper?""Boss, I don't—"I shoved him forward. "Then what the fuck do you know?" I snapped. He turned halfway toward me. "Some of our men are still fighting. They're trying to survive."I didn't care.My eyes moved around the passage."Where's Maria?"The man went silent. My heart sank before he even answered. His lips trembled. That was enough...I slowly lowered the gun."Speak.""She's gone."I stared at him."Gone?"His eyes dropped."Gone where?" I asked forcing calm into every word.He looked terrified."Dead."I swear that word hit differently."She was switc
Malachi's PovI couldn't breathe.I stood there staring at the flames, but my mind had stopped understand what I was seeing.The car was gone...the woman was gone. That was what I wanted. That was the sight I had spent days imagining...to see Renz break. It should have been the end. So why the fuck was he suddenly moving? He turned away from the burning car and ran toward the little girl.I stared. "The fuck?"The girl was still there.Alive.Renz reached her and dropped beside her. He pulled her against his chest so tightly that she almost disappeared inside his arms.Then several men rushed toward him.I blinked.Men?Where the fuck had they come from? They appeared from between the containers and moved around Renz and the child like they had been waiting for a signal. I couldn't understand it. It wasn't part of the plan. I knew In that moment that something had totally gone wrong. Why was that bastard so difficult to destroy? I had done everything. Everything. I had buried him. Br
Nyx's PovThe first thing I remembered wasn't the pain. It was Rynna screaming. The sound tore through my head before I even opened my eyes. Then came everything else.The chair, the ropes biting into my wrists until they went numb. The cold water they kept throwing over me whenever I blacked out.The questioning....and beatings. Malachi's fucking laughter. Every memory crashed into me at once. A groan escaped my lips before my eyes slowly opened.The ceiling above me looked unfamiliar. My body felt like it had been crushed beneath a truck. Even breathing hurt.I tried moving but a sharp pain shot through my ribs. "Damn..." I whispered."Easy.".. That was.....Marco's voice so I turned weakly. He was kneeling beside me.Several armed men stood around us, watching the entrance with their weapons raised. Among them stood a stranger with a hard face, watching the outside more than me.For a second, I couldn't understand what I was looking at. The last family I'd seen before everything wen
Then came the beep.The sharp sound echoed across the depot, and every muscle in my body locked.It had begun.Marco slowly lowered the binoculars and exhaled."It's time."Out in the open, Renz reacted exactly as we'd planned. He bolted toward the black SUV without hesitation. His hand grabbed the handle and pulled. He knew it was locked, but he kept pulling.His fist slammed hard against the reinforced window a couple times but the glass refused to give way."Damn..." I muttered under my breath. For a split second...Even I forgot it was an act. Renz looked completely broken. He leaned close to the window, resting one hand against the glass as his lips moved. Whatever he whispered was clearly meant only for her.We both couldn't hear a word. But somehow... It didn't feel rehearsed. Marco shook his head with the faintest grin."Someone give that man an Oscar." A quiet chuckle escaped me. "He deserves two."We couldn't move yet. Not while Malachi was still scanning the yard. Renz sud
Renz’s POVThe morning light slipped through the curtains, warm and golden, falling across her skin. Nyx lay tangled in the sheets, her breathing slow and deep. I stayed there for a while, just watching her. She looked peaceful.I moved carefully, trying not to wake her. When I slid out of bed, she
Rynna’s PovI lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, my phone clutched in my hand. Tomorrow was the talent show, but I didn’t feel excited. Everyone would be there with their parents cheering them on. Everyone but me.I had called Mom earlier, hoping she’d changed her mind.“Sweetheart, I really wa
The night was brutal. I didn’t sleep at all. Just lay there, staring at the ceiling, cursing everything. By morning, Renz dragged me to the gym. We worked in silence, pushing through weights, letting sweat do the talking.On our way back, the sun was barely up, the ladies still knocked out in their
I jumped into my car, planted my foot, and chased. Heart banging, hands tight on the wheel. I didn’t think. I only wanted to close the distance. My eyes didn’t leave the van.Whoever you bastards are, you picked the wrong girl. Y'all be dead men if she’s hurt, I’ll make sure you beg for death.But







