The second I stepped outside the hospital, my phone buzzed in my pocket again.With a clenched jaw, I pulled it out.There was another photo message.I opened it.My entire body went cold.Bella’s earring was covered in blood.Below it was a text:“Come alone or she dies.”And a pinned location. My blood went cold again, these people had crossed the line.I put the phone back into my pocket, then turned on my heel and marched toward my car. My steps were fast. My heart was beating faster.But my mind was clear.They wanted me to come alone?Fine.I would play along.But I wasn’t stupid.Kelvin was standing close to the car, his eyes were burning with fear.“She has been kidnapped. When I come back I will deal with you.” I said to him and I got inside my car. I closed the door with a loud thud and called Axel.“Boss?”“I just got a message,” I said through gritted teeth. “They have got Bella. I’m sending you the location. I want you and the other five minutes behind me, come silently.
I pushed the warehouse door open, the scent of oil and steel hitting me like it always did. My boots echoed across the concrete floor as I walked in. The guys were already there, Marcus, Theo, Andre, and a few others, they were gathered around the big table in the center, maps and laptops spread across it.“Morning, boss,” Marcus said, standing a bit straighter.I didn’t bother with greetings. “Let’s get started.”We didn’t waste time. I pulled the chair back and sat, fingers already tapping against the edge of the table. My voice came out low and sharp. “I want Arman’s warehouse locations. Hideouts, too. Anywhere they might be storing weapons, cash, or drugs. And find Felix’s lieutenants. I want every one of them to be followed. Pressure them. Cut off their money lines, bribes, weapons suppliers, all of it.”Theo nodded, scribbling down notes. Andre was already typing fast, probably sending out orders to his tech guys.“I don’t care if they hide underground. Drag them into the light.
I could not process all that happened today. Liam’s arm was still wrapped around me like a shield. Even though my heart still had not settled from everything that happened, being close to him helped. The steady beat of his heart under my cheek made it easier to breathe.The gunshot sound, the glass chattering, all of it was giving me PTSD right now.It was all still in my head, playing again and again.I had never been that close to danger before. Not like this. I wasn’t used to seeing men with guns firing right in front of me. And I definitely wasn’t used to passing out from fear.But somehow, I survived. I was here. In his arms.Just as I closed my eyes to calm down, Liam’s phone rang. He reached for it with one hand, still holding me close with the other, and answered it, putting it on a loudspeaker.“Boss, they ran,” a voice said from the other end. “They drove off the moment they saw they were losing the fight.”Liam’s jaw tightened. His fingers curled into a fist.“We will get t
Liam’s POV.Gunshots were flying everywhere.I pressed my foot on the brake and turned the steering wheel left, hard. The tires screeched as the car moved quickly across the road. Glass shattered, and I didn’t even have time to process where it came from. My ears rang. Everything was chaos, the gunfire, yelling, screeching tires, and smoke in the air.Marcus was sitting behind me in the back seat, shouting instructions into the earpiece. “We’re under fire! Send backup now! Location sent!”They were circling us, two cars in front, another behind. One of them tried to overtake, but Marcus fired out the window, forcing them to dodge back.I gripped the wheel tighter, swerving left just as more bullets tore through the back of the car. The windshield on Bella's side had already shattered, glass spraying like rain. But she hadn't moved. Not once."Bella!" I yelled, glancing at her.She was slumped against the passenger door, her head tilted slightly to the side, motionless.No scream. No r
Liam’s POV.I was pacing back and forth in the room like a caged animal, my fists clenched so tightly my knuckles ached. Rage boiled in my veins, hot and sharp. I couldn’t sit still. Couldn’t think straight. Someone dared to cross me. Not just cross me, they stomped on my fucking pride.They didn’t just touch my business.They painted a goddamn target on my back.I was still pacing when Joshua’s voice cut through the thick tension. “Boss,” he called, sharp and urgent. “I found something.”I spun around and marched straight to his desk, leaning over his shoulder to see what was on the laptop screen. Joshua’s fingers danced over the keyboard, then he pointed to a grainy black-and-white image from a CCTV feed.“I traced the route they took after the ambush,” he said. “Got into a bit of hacking… here.” He clicked again and the image changed to a shot outside a convenience store.“They stopped here to grab a pack of cigarettes.”“Zoom in,” I barked.Joshua did, and my eyes locked on the ma
Liam’s POV. As soon as I drove out of the hospital, my mind was still on Bella. That softness in her eyes... it did something to me. My hands were firm on the wheel, eyes on the road.But I barely got two blocks away before my phone rang. I checked the screen. One of my men.I picked it up. "Talk.""Boss... we've got a problem." His voice was shaky.That alone made my grip on the wheel tighten."What is it?""It's the shipment. They hit it. Took everything. Drugs are gone... and our men... they're all dead."My jaw clenched. My fist curled around the wheel so hard I could feel the leather straining. My heart pounded with rage."Who did it?""We don't know yet, there are no clues, and no survivors. It was clean, boss. Real clean."I slammed my hand against the wheel. "Call everyone and gather around. Ten minutes. I'm on my way.""Yes, boss."I ended the call and threw the phone on the passenger seat. My foot hit the gas. Hard. I didn't even care about the speed. Whoever thought they co