Chapter 60 Carter
Carter
The control tower loomed above us, its windows glowing faintly against the dark. My grip tightened on the rifle as River and I pressed to the base of the stairs.
“Two guards posted outside,” he murmured.
“I’ll take left,” I said, already moving.
The first never had a chance—my arm clamped around his throat, the knife sliding clean. He sagged without a sound. River dropped the other just as fast. We exchanged a quick nod, then ascended the steel steps, boots silent against the metal.
My pulse was steady, but underneath, rage burned low and hot. Every breath carried Harper’s face with it—her whisper in the SUV, her trust when she looked me in the eye. Live with me.
That was the only reason I hadn’t already torn this place apart with blind fury.
At the landing, River crouched by the door, his fingers moving fast over the lock. A soft click. He eased it open.
Inside, the tower was dim, shadows stretching long. Monitors flickered with security feeds—black screens now, thanks to Cyclone. A man stood in the center, broad shoulders, expensive jacket, hands clasped behind his back like a general surveying his empire.
Graves.
He turned slowly as we stepped in, a smile cutting across his face. Cold. Confident. The kind of smile I’d seen on warlords who thought money and men made them untouchable.
“So the soldier finally comes to collect his prize,” he drawled. “You think taking me down will end this? She’ll always be marked. Harper is leverage too valuable to waste.”
The words detonated inside me. My rifle came up, sight trained dead center on his chest.
“One more word with her name in your mouth,” I said, my voice low, lethal, “and it’s your last.”
He laughed, dark and easy, like the whole damn yard wasn’t about to burn around him. “Do it, soldier. Shoot me. But it won’t matter. Contracts don’t vanish with one dead man. They multiply. And she’ll never stop running.”
River’s eyes flicked to me, waiting. My finger tightened on the trigger, every muscle taut.
Because this wasn’t just about ending Graves. This was about making damn sure Harper could breathe free air again.
And I was ready to pull the trigger.