Chapter 13: The Council’s Move

The moment the words left Dominic’s mouth, my heart slammed against my ribs.

Thea’s been taken by the Council.

I barely registered the way my breath hitched or how my fingers curled into fists at my sides.

Dominic’s grip on his phone was tight, his knuckles white. His jaw clenched. “She sent a message before they got to her.”

I snapped out of my daze. “What did she say?”

He turned the phone toward me. A single text glowed on the screen.

Warehouse. Midnight. Come alone.

The blood in my veins turned ice-cold.

Dominic swore under his breath. “They’re baiting us.”

I already knew that. The Council didn’t make careless moves. They were calculated, patient, and terrifyingly precise. If they had Thea, it meant they were done lurking in the shadows. They wanted us to come to them.

And they wanted us vulnerable.

I swallowed hard. “We don’t have a choice.”

Dominic shook his head. “We do. We just don’t like any of the options.”

I knew what he meant. Walking into a trap was the worst possible move, but leaving Thea in their hands? Unthinkable.

I lifted my chin. “I’m going.”

Dominic’s eyes darkened. “Like hell you are.”

I glared at him. “She’s my best friend. I’m not sitting this out.”

He exhaled sharply. “You walk into that warehouse, and they’ll take you too. That’s what they want.”

I stepped closer, my voice low. “Then let’s make sure they don’t win.”

His gaze flickered with something unreadable.

Then—his lips curled into a dark, knowing smirk. “Fine. But we do it my way.”

****

The warehouse was an abandoned relic of the past, a towering structure of rusted metal and shattered windows. The kind of place where secrets were buried—sometimes literally.

Dominic and I crouched behind a line of cargo crates just outside the entrance. His team was stationed around the perimeter, waiting for his signal.

I adjusted the earpiece Dominic had given me. “You sure this will work?”

His gaze met mine. “No.”

I rolled my eyes. “Great. Fantastic.”

He smirked. “Relax, Sinclair. If things go south, I’ll drag your stubborn ass out of there myself.”

Despite the tension, my lips twitched. “I’d like to see you try.”

His expression turned serious. “Stick to the plan, Elena.”

I nodded, inhaling sharply before stepping toward the warehouse doors.

The second I crossed the threshold, a floodlight snapped on, blinding me.

A voice echoed through the space. “You’re early.”

The shadows shifted, and a tall man stepped forward.

Nathaniel Crowe.

One of the Council’s most notorious enforcers.

I masked my unease, straightening my spine. “Where is she?”

Nathaniel chuckled. “Ah, I see why Dominic likes you. You’ve got fire.”

I clenched my fists. “Cut the bullshit. Show me Thea.”

He tilted his head. “Impatient, aren’t we?”

Then he snapped his fingers.

A door on the far end of the warehouse creaked open. Two men dragged Thea into the light.

My stomach lurched.

She was alive, but barely. Blood smeared her temple, and her wrists were bound behind her back.

“Thea!” I took a step forward, but Nathaniel held up a hand.

“Not so fast.” His lips curved into a sinister smile. “Let’s talk first.”

****

I forced myself to keep my breathing steady. “What do you want?”

Nathaniel’s smirk deepened. “Clever girl. Straight to the point.”

He circled me like a predator. “You’re an interesting case, Elena. A Sinclair by blood, but not by loyalty. Digging into things that don’t concern you.”

I glared. “My mother’s murder concerns me.”

He clicked his tongue. “You assume we had a hand in it.”

I crossed my arms. “Didn’t you?”

Nathaniel chuckled. “Perhaps. But tell me, does it really matter? Your mother is gone. Your father is a pawn. And Dominic?” His gaze flicked past me. “Well, we both know he’s not nearly as untouchable as he pretends to be.”

My jaw tightened. “You’re stalling.”

Nathaniel’s amusement dimmed. “Fine. Let’s make this simple.”

He stepped closer.

“Walk away.”

I froze.

“What?”

“Forget the past. Forget the Council. Live your little life with Dominic or don’t—I don’t particularly care.” His expression sharpened. “But stop digging. Stop fighting. Because if you don’t…”

His gaze drifted toward Thea.

A sharp, choked sound left her lips as the man beside her pressed a knife against her throat.

Rage roared through me.

“You son of a—”

“Ah, ah.” Nathaniel held up a finger. “Decide, Elena. What matters more? The truth… or the people you love?”

My pulse thundered.

Nathaniel thought he had me cornered. That fear would make me weak.

But he underestimated me.

I clenched my jaw. “Fine.”

I let my shoulders sag, feigning defeat.

Nathaniel’s smirk returned. “Smart girl.”

I lifted my chin. “But I want proof she’s alive before I leave.”

He nodded to his men.

The blade left Thea’s throat, and she gasped. The moment she was pulled upright, I saw it—

The small flick of her fingers.

The signal.

A second later, the warehouse plunged into chaos.

Gunfire erupted from the rafters as Dominic’s men descended like shadows. The lights cut out, and shouts filled the air.

Nathaniel cursed. “You bitch—”

I drove my knee into his stomach before he could grab me, then spun and sprinted toward Thea.

The guard holding her swung his weapon, but I grabbed a rusted pipe from the ground and slammed it into his skull.

Thea collapsed against me, barely conscious.

“I got you,” I whispered.

Dominic’s voice crackled through my earpiece. “Get out. Now.”

I half-dragged, half-carried Thea toward the exit, dodging stray bullets and bodies.

Dominic appeared at my side, taking Thea’s weight from me. “Move.”

We sprinted toward the waiting SUVs outside.

The moment we hit the pavement, the warehouse behind us erupted in flames.

****

The drive back to Dominic’s penthouse was tense.

Thea was stable, but unconscious in the back seat. Dominic’s grip on the steering wheel was white-knuckled.

I stared out the window, my mind spinning.

We had won this battle.

But the war was just beginning.

I turned to Dominic. “Nathaniel won’t stop.”

His jaw tightened. “No, he won’t.”

I exhaled. “Then we end this. We find out who really killed my mother, expose the Council, and take them down.”

Dominic’s gaze met mine in the dim light.

A slow, dangerous smile curled his lips.

“Now you’re speaking my language.”