CHAPTER 6 THE SAFEHOUSE CONFRONTATION #2
"You’re reckless," Gabriel said, voice low. "You think I don’t see what you’re doing? Dragging your whole network into this mess for him." His chin jerked toward Dario, who stood by the counter, watching the street through the smudged glass.
Evelyn set her mug down carefully. "I don’t answer to you."
"You do when you’re burning bridges that took years to build." Gabriel’s jaw tightened. "You’ve got informants, safehouses, half the damn city’s whispers funneling through you—and you’re risking it all because Vitale flashed you a smile and a promise."
Maya shifted beside her, one hand resting on the grip of her holstered pistol. "Careful, Shaw."
Dario turned from the window, his expression unreadable. He didn’t move closer, but his presence coiled through the room like a slow current.
Evelyn kept her voice steady. "You don’t know what I’m risking or why."
"I know you’re gambling with more than your own neck." Gabriel’s fingers tapped against the table—once, twice. A tell. "You think the Morettis won’t chew you up and spit you out the second you’re not useful? That’s how they operate."
Dario’s voice cut in, smooth as a blade. "You’re misinformed."
Gabriel didn’t look at him. "Am I?" His gaze stayed locked on Evelyn. "You’ve got a system. A network. And you’re letting him reroute it straight into a warzone."
Maya’s thumb flicked the safety off her gun. The click was soft, deliberate.
Evelyn exhaled through her nose. "If you’re so worried about my choices, why not merely cut ties?"
"Because I’m not an idiot." Gabriel’s mouth twisted. "Your people trust you. That means when you go down, they go down with you."
Dario moved then, finally stepping away from the counter. He didn’t raise his voice. "You’re overestimating your influence, Shaw."
Gabriel’s laugh was brittle. "And you’re underestimating how fast loyalty turns when the bullets start flying."
Evelyn’s fingers curled against the table. She could feel the weight of the silver chain around her neck, cool against her skin. A reminder—or a leash.
Maya’s voice was flat. "Last warning. Back off."
For a second, no one moved. Then Gabriel leaned back, spreading his hands. "Fine. But when this blows up in your face, don’t say I didn’t warn you."
Dario’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, then slid it into his pocket. "We’re done here."
Evelyn stood, pushing the half-finished coffee away. The diner’s door chimed as Dario held it open for her, his other hand resting lightly at the small of her back. A gesture that looked like courtesy to anyone watching.
She knew better.
Outside, the streetlights flickered. Somewhere in the distance, a car backfired. Maya fell into step beside her, her gun still within easy reach.
Gabriel’s words clung like smoke. When you go down, they go down with you.
Dario’s fingers brushed hers as they walked. "He’s wrong," he murmured.
Evelyn didn’t answer. The truth was, she wasn’t sure anymore.
The alley between the diner and the next block was narrow, the brick walls slick with condensation. A stray cat darted from behind a dumpster, its eyes flashing in the dim light before it vanished into the shadows.
Dario’s grip on her hand tightened slightly, just enough to make her glance at him. His expression was calm, but she saw the tension in the line of his jaw. "We need to move," he said, voice in a low voice.
Maya was already scanning the rooftops, her free hand hovering near her hip. "We’re being watched."
Evelyn didn’t ask how she knew. Maya had instincts like a bloodhound. Instead, she slowed her steps, forcing Dario to match her pace. "Whose eyes?"
"Not sure yet." Maya’s tone was clipped. "But they’re not ours."
Dario’s phone buzzed again. This time, he didn’t check it. His thumb traced a slow circle over Evelyn’s wrist—a silent signal. Stay sharp.
A rustle came from above. Evelyn didn’t look up. She kept her gaze forward, her fingers twitching toward the knife strapped to her thigh beneath her coat. The street ahead was empty, the usual hum of the city muted tonight. Too quiet.
Maya exhaled sharply. "Left side, second-floor window."
Evelyn caught the flicker of movement in her periphery. A silhouette, then gone.
Dario’s voice was a low hum beside her. "Keep walking. Don’t stop."
The air smelled like rain and exhaust. Somewhere behind them, a door slammed. Evelyn’s pulse didn’t spike—she wouldn’t let it. But the weight of Gabriel’s warning settled deeper, a stone in her gut.
Maya’s fingers flexed. "If they make a move—"
"They won’t." Dario’s reply was smooth, certain. "Not here."
Evelyn almost believed him.
Then the first shot rang out.
Evelyn's fingers tightened around the hilt of her knife, the leather grip biting into her palm. The alley stank of rotting garbage and wet concrete, the kind of place where deals went bad and bodies went missing. Gabriel's warning still hung between them, sharp as the blade in her hand.
"They won't," Dario had said, like that settled it.
Maya stepped forward, her Glock leveled at Gabriel's chest. "Stand down, Shaw. You don't get to call the shots here."
Evelyn exhaled through her nose. "He's right."
Gabriel's jaw flexed. "You don't know what you're walking into."
"I know exactly what I'm doing." She kept her voice low, deliberate. "You think I made these choices lightly? Every move I've made was necessary. Survival isn't pretty."
Dario watched her, silent, his dark eyes tracking the tension in her shoulders.
Gabriel shook his head. "Necessary doesn't mean smart."
"Neither does standing in the open arguing about it," Maya snapped. "We're exposed."
Evelyn didn't flinch. "You don't like my methods? Fine. But don't pretend you wouldn't do the same if your back was against the wall."
A flicker of movement above—Evelyn caught it first. The glint of a scope.
She lunged, shoving Gabriel sideways as the first shot cracked through the air. Concrete exploded where he'd been standing.
Maya didn't hesitate. She fired twice toward the rooftop, the recoil snapping her arms back. "Move!"
Dario grabbed Evelyn's wrist, hauling her behind a dumpster. His grip was iron, his voice a blade. "You're done explaining yourself."
She wrenched free. "Not to you."
Another shot. This one punched through the dumpster's metal siding, inches from her head.
Gabriel cursed, pressing a hand to his ribs where the bullet had grazed him. Blood seeped between his fingers. "We need to go. Now."
Evelyn didn't argue. She'd defended her choices. Now she'd live with them—or die trying.
Maya covered their retreat, firing methodically toward the rooftop. "Left, through the service door!"
Dario moved first, kicking the rusted door open. The hinges screamed.
Evelyn followed, Gabriel at her back. The wound slowed him, but he didn't complain.
Inside, the air was thick with mildew and the sour tang of old chemicals. A single bulb flickered overhead, casting jagged shadows.
Maya slammed the door behind them, wedging a chair under the handle. "That won't hold them long."
Evelyn wiped her knife clean on her thigh. "Then we don't stop."
Dario's gaze locked onto hers. "No more detours."
She bared her teeth. "No more warnings."
The next shot came through the door, splintering wood.
They ran.
The narrow hallway twisted like a gutted snake, doors gaping open on either side, rooms stripped bare except for rusted filing cabinets and broken glass. Evelyn kept her knife ready, her breath steady despite the burn in her lungs. Behind her, Gabriel’s footsteps were uneven, his breathing ragged.
Maya took point, her Glock sweeping the shadows ahead. "Clear," she muttered, but the word was brittle.
Dario moved like a ghost beside Evelyn, his silence more unnerving than any threat. When he spoke, it was in a low voice. "You drag us into your mess, you don’t get to play martyr."
Evelyn didn’t slow. "I’m not asking for forgiveness."
"Good. Because you won’t get it."
Another shot shattered the quiet, this one tearing through the wall beside them. Plaster dust rained down. Maya didn’t flinch. "Stairs. End of the hall."
They reached the stairwell just as the door behind them burst open. Evelyn didn’t look back. She took the steps two at a time, the others close behind. The lower level reeked of damp and something fouler—old blood, maybe, or worse.
Gabriel stumbled on the last step, his hand slipping on the railing. Evelyn caught his arm before he could fall, her grip bruising. "Keep moving."
He shook her off, his face pale but determined. "I’m fine."
Maya kicked open the door to the basement. The darkness beyond was absolute. "Flashlight. Now."
Dario pulled one from his jacket, clicking it on. The beam cut through the black, revealing a maze of pipes and crumbling concrete. Somewhere in the distance, water dripped, the sound echoing like a ticking clock.
Evelyn stepped inside first. "This way."
Maya followed, her gun never lowering. "You sure?"
"No."
Gabriel exhaled sharply. "Comforting."
They moved deeper, the flashlight’s glow bouncing off the walls. The air grew colder, the scent of mildew giving way to something metallic. Evelyn’s skin prickled.
Then the light caught it—a door, newer than the rest, reinforced steel with a keypad beside it.
Dario’s voice was flat. "You knew this was here."
Evelyn didn’t deny it. "I had a hunch."
Maya’s jaw tightened. "Hunches get people killed."
Another shot rang out above them, followed by the distant thud of boots on stairs.
Gabriel wiped blood from his ribs with the back of his hand. "Time’s up."
Evelyn stepped forward, her fingers hovering over the keypad. "Then we don’t waste it."
She punched in the code. The door hissed open.
Beyond it, the room was lit with a sickly blue glow, rows of monitors flickering with static. And in the center, a single chair, its restraints hanging open.
Dario’s breath hitched. "What the hell is this?"
Evelyn didn’t answer. She was already moving toward the monitors, her reflection fractured in the cracked screens.
Maya kept her gun trained on the door behind them.