LOGINChapter 59The morning after the dock raid broke gray and heavy over the estate.Leo stood on the repaired section of the main balcony overlooking the river, a black coffee in one hand and Kai’s arm around his waist. Below them, crews were already clearing debris and boarding up the worst of the damage. Smoke still rose faintly from the east wing, but the fires were out. For the first time in weeks, the estate felt like it might actually heal.Kai pressed a kiss to the side of Leo’s neck, right over a fading bite mark. “You should be resting.”“I’ve rested enough,” Leo murmured. “Today we announce it. The marriage. No more hiding. No more waiting for the next ghost to crawl out of the dark.”Kai’s grip tightened. “Good. I want everyone to know you’re mine. Legally. Publicly. Permanently.”They met the inner circle in the war room an hour later. The mood was exhausted but lighter than it had been in months. Mia sat beside Elena, still pale but no longer shaking. Marco looked stronger,
Chapter 58 The convoy tore through the predawn streets like a funeral procession that refused to die. Leo sat in the back of the armored SUV, Mia wrapped in a blanket between him and Elena. The girl was shaking, silent tears streaming down her face, but she was alive. That was what mattered. Kai drove, knuckles white on the wheel, eyes constantly scanning mirrors and rooftops. Luca’s team followed close behind, Marco in the third vehicle despite the doctors’ protests. “We hit them at sunrise,” Leo said, voice low and final. “No more negotiations. No more waiting for them to come to us. We take the fight to Viktor’s main compound on the docks.” Elena looked up, eyes red but fierce. “I’m in. All the way.” Mia clutched her sister’s arm tighter. “Please… just make it stop.” Kai glanced at Leo in the rearview mirror. Their eyes met — a silent promise passing between them. No more half-measures. No more playing defense. By the time they reached the estate, the sun was just beginning
Chapter 57 The amphitheater smelled of gunpowder, blood, and fear. Leo stood motionless on the central platform, phone gripped so tightly in his hand that the screen threatened to crack. Viktor Drago’s face filled the display, calm and merciless, while the knife pressed deeper against Mia’s throat. A thin line of blood already trickled down her neck. “You have until sunrise,” Viktor repeated. “Marry into the family. Produce the alliance your mother promised. Or we stop playing with pawns and start removing pieces that matter. Starting with this girl… and ending with everyone you’ve tried to protect.” The feed cut to black. For three full seconds, the only sound was the wind moving through the stone seats and the distant groans of the wounded. Then Leo exploded into motion. He spun toward Dante, still chained and bleeding on the ground, and kicked him hard in the ribs. “Where are they holding her? Talk!” Dante coughed up blood and laughed weakly. “You think I know every cartel
Chapter 56 The ruins of the guest house smelled of smoke and blood. Leo and Kai barely took time to breathe before pulling on fresh tactical gear and heading back down to the war room. Dante was awake. Chained to a reinforced chair in the center of the room, face bruised, lip split, but his eyes still burned with arrogant hatred. Marco stood over him with a pistol in hand. Elena and Luca flanked the sides. The air was thick with tension. Leo walked straight up to him, grabbed a fistful of Dante’s hair, and yanked his head back hard. “Where are the rest of your cells?” Leo demanded. “How many more attacks are coming?” Dante smiled through bloody teeth. “You think torturing me will save your little experiment? The True Blood is everywhere. Capos who smile at your council meetings by day and sharpen knives by night. The cartel is done playing games with your reform fantasy. They want blood or profit. You’ve given them neither.” Kai stepped forward and drove a knife into Dante’s th
Chapter 55 Leo’s finger was a millimeter from pulling the trigger when the second explosion lit up the horizon. The church windows rattled. Orange fire bloomed in the distance — the direction of the estate. Kai’s hand clamped down on Leo’s shoulder. “We have to move. Now.” Dante laughed through bloodied teeth, eyes wild with triumph even as he bled on the cold stone floor. “Run along, cousin. Save your precious new empire. But know this — it’s already rotting from the inside.” Leo pressed the barrel harder under Dante’s chin, breathing hard. Every instinct screamed to end him right there. But Marco, the council, Elena’s sister, and everyone still fighting for the reform were back at the estate. He made the choice. Leo slammed the butt of his pistol into Dante’s temple, knocking him unconscious. “Zip-tie him. We take him with us.” Kai moved fast, securing Dante’s wrists and ankles while Leo called Luca on the encrypted line. The response was chaos — gunfire, explosions, and Luca
Chapter 54 Leo stared at the coordinates glowing on his phone screen, Dante’s message burning like a brand. “Come alone.” He didn’t even need to say it out loud. Kai read the message over his shoulder, body going rigid behind him on the balcony. “Absolutely not,” Kai growled, spinning Leo around to face him. “You’re not walking into that trap by yourself.” Leo met his eyes, jaw set. “If I don’t, he kills Marco. Or Mia again. Or starts dropping council members’ heads on my doorstep. He’s forcing my hand, Kai.” The air between them crackled. For a long second they just stared at each other — two men who had survived hell together, now facing another impossible choice. Then the tension exploded. Leo grabbed Kai by the front of his shirt and slammed their mouths together in a bruising, desperate kiss. Kai responded instantly, shoving Leo back against the balcony railing, hands already tearing at his clothes. The night air was cool on their skin as shirts hit the ground, followed b







