Chapter 32

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

AURORA

T he sound of gunfire reverberating around the cavernous warehouse is painfully loud. We’ve got the meagre number of men pinned down in one of the laboratories to our right. We took out a few of their security on the way in, but I know that the ones on the perimeter will be here soon, so we need to get control of this room before they get here.

This can’t be it though, there should be a fuck ton more people on this site and we’ve yet to find them.

“We’re going to need to split up. You and Nico go high,” Sinclair shouts over the din, pointing at the catwalks above. “We’ll take the back rooms and flush them out to you.”

“Keep your comms open,” I call back before nodding and signalling to Nico for him to follow. He takes my six, laying down cover fire while I cross the open floor to the stairs to my left. We’re thundering up the metal stairs and in position when Sinclair, Enzo, and Benny make their move .

I can hear them planning their movements over the comms devices in my right ear while their footfalls echo throughout the open warehouse below. The layout is split between a covered area, divided into multiple rooms and laboratories and then a large open space towards the back where the loading bays are. There are also doors along the right hand side, presumably leading to sleeping quarters and offices. It would make sense to keep several rotating teams of security on shift here for protection. Especially with the volume of product they appear to be shipping through here. If I wasn’t so disgusted, I’d be impressed with the organisation of it.

There’s no place for drugs in the Bianchi family. They make those that sell them greedy, and those that take them weak.

A barrage of bullets erupt out of a door on the right. Nico and I race back to the far left catwalk to get a better position and start laying down fire to cover the guys who’re nearly at the back wall and out in the open.

Unloading my clip, I reach into one of my many cavernous pockets for a replacement. Max better show up soon, because we need backup if the volume of gunfire coming out of that door is anything to go by.

From our position, I have a better angle on the men in the lab. Holstering my gun, I huddle behind Nico and start rummaging in the pockets of the black hunting vest he’s wearing over his Kevlar. I pull out some of Benny’s ‘boomers’ as he calls them, otherwise known as homemade grenades.

“What are you doing back there, phoenix? You’re throwing off my aim.”

“Mind your business. I’m dealing with our friends in the lab.” Using my teeth to pull the pin on the first one, I stand a little from my crouch and launch it over the railing. It only takes a few seconds after it bounces along the top to blow the roof off of the lab. Wasting no time, I throw the second one for good measure.

Plumes of acrid smoke start to fill the upper levels of the warehouse, and I instantly regret my decision.

“Shoot out the windows on the other side,” Nico shouts. After shattering six pains of glass, the smoke thins out enough up here for us to assess the damage. A slew of bodies are scattered in the lab beneath us.

“You were fucking lucky that lab wasn’t in active use. I love you, woman, but you’re fucking nuts.”

I blanch for a moment, realising what a stupid fucking idea that was before snapping myself out of it and grabbing my weapon again. “Enzo, what’s your position?” I say, lifting my hand to the earpiece to activate the comms.

“Pinned down in the corner, but we have cover.”

“Can you hold out?”

“Yes, but not indefinitely,” Sinclair chimes in.

It’s then we hear Stefano. “Eight black SUVs approaching from the east, ETA two minutes.”

“Thank fuck,” comes a rather strained reply from Benny.

“Time to stop jerking these guys off. The main event has arrived. Stefano, get Dom’s team on comms and saddle up.”

“Got it, boss,” Stefano replies.

“Blow it, Benny.”

Nico and I cover our ears as a loud explosion erupts on the other side of the warehouse. It’s followed by a mix of agonising screams and the thunder of cascading rubble. It’s now we find out what we’re up against as those who survived the explosion run out of the side door, seeking safety. It’s a relatively easy process to peck them off one by one as they funnel out of the door.

When the noise from the explosion and wall collapse dies down to a low rumble and the men stop running into a spray of bullets, I’m able to hear the guys talking back and forth over the comms as they cross the warehouse floor to do a sweep for any stragglers.

Zo is confirming the all-clear from the back offices when the shutters roll on the loading bay doors.

Nico and I take the opportunity to run across the gantry and through the door on the nearside wall. It’s a stairwell, giving us the option of returning to the warehouse floor or heading for the roof. Until backup arrives to thin out Max’s numbers, down is not an option.

Reaching for my earpiece, I shout out our updated location to everyone, and as our feet pound up the stairs, I hear each team sounding off their position.

It dawns on me for the first time that these aren’t just my men. My army. They’re dedicated to not just the Bianchi name, but everything it stands for. They may not have my history with Max De Luca, but every single one of them is out for his blood. They’re standing against not just the way his family has corrupted our way of life, but they’re standing up for what’s right.

Max De Luca hasn’t just betrayed me. He’s betrayed us all. And his reign is over.

As we reach the top, Nico and I burst through the door onto the roof and immediately slam it shut just as more bodies follow us up the stairwell. I scan the rooftop and point towards the warped railings in front of us. Nico wrenches one of the top bars free and slides the metal pole through the handle, locking us outside.

There’s a sudden screech of tires and we run to the side of the building, peering over just in time to see a procession of SUVs and vans block in Max’s men at the entrance to the loading bay. Stefano’s men pile out and I’m deafened by the noise of the arsenal of guns cutting a swathe through his men.

It may be overkill, but Stefano has instantly turned the tables our way.

Back on the comms, I call out to Zo, Sin, and Benny, “His backup is down. We only have those already in the building to deal with. I want you to sweep in a grid pattern. Stefano, there's an unknown number moving to our position on the roof in the west stairwell. No way out at the top. They’re sitting ducks. Take them out.”

Tapping Nico on the shoulder, I point at the fire escape on the side of the building. We’re up and over the side in an instant, hopping down onto the metal gangway and hurrying down the steps to the men Stefano stationed below. As we reach the final level, I kick out the release for the vertical ladder and make swift work of dropping to the ground.

There’s at least thirty of our men holding positions outside and I ask the nearest how many have gone in with Stefano.

“Twenty five, split across three teams. Two teams of ten and five have gone to support Enzo, Sinclair, and Benny.” Clad in full tactical gear, I almost don’t recognise Stefano’s number two, but as soon as I hear his voice, I know it is Marcus. I’m fucking relieved to have him at my back. He’s a rottweiler when it comes to close combat. I know he won’t let anyone past him at this entrance.

“You taking the lead out here?” I ask.

“Yes, Don Bianchi. Just tell us what you need,” he says, bowing his head. I’m about to tell him to cut out the head bobbing. No one's got time for that shit right now when another fleet of cars pulls up behind us.

Dom is jumping out of the front SUV with a wave of bodies following suit, running towards us. For someone who spends the bulk of his time behind a desk, he sure as shit knows how to carry himself with a weapon. At six foot, he’s by no means the tallest here but, fully kitted out in black combat gear, he cuts an imposing figure.

“I’ve sent two teams to cover the other building exits. We’re at your disposal,” Dom barks.

Nothing in the world can prepare you for how it feels to hold the lives of so many people in your hands. It’s truly humbling to have the trust of so many and a privilege I do not take lightly. This is not a frivolous crusade, this is a battle to protect our way of life. Sure, it has the added bonus of destroying a monster, but above all things, what we achieve tonight will protect us from any major threats for a long time to come.

“Any word from the other raids?” I ask.

“So far, so good at the warehouse, minimal casualties and maximum destruction. They were able to save a considerable number of women, but Vittoria doesn’t have the go ahead from Leandro to get them out yet. They’re still securing the building.”

“Any news on the compound?”

“Luc has them under siege. Dante’s men are on their way there now to provide support.”

I look over the sea of faces before me and tilt my head towards the building. “Dom, your guys are with me. We’ll split into four teams and take out the last of De Luca’s men. No one touches Max. He’s fucking mine.”

Nico pulls out spare comms from his side pocket and starts handing them out as Dom splits his men, nominating a person in each to coordinate the team. I take that opportunity to check in with the teams inside. They start rounding off their locations, and I’m more than a little relieved when I hear Enzo, Nico, and Benny confirm their positions. I see Dom nodding along, and then jumping into action, assigning his teams to any uncovered areas and floors.

He waves over five guys and says, “They’re with you.”

There’s nothing left to do… time to go on a husband hunt.

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