Chapter 12
12
JESSE
J esse adjusted the scope of his rifle, sighting in on the man who was about to die.
The abandoned warehouse was a sprawling mess of rusted metal, shattered glass, and decay—perfect for an ambush, perfect for an execution. His grip tightened around the barrel as he watched Keely step inside, her stride confident, her chin high, every inch of her radiating calm control.
But Jesse knew better. He could see the pulse flickering at her throat, the slight hitch in her breath as she took in the dozen or so men spread throughout the space. She wasn’t afraid, not exactly, but she knew she was walking into the jaws of a predator.
And Jesse was one breath away from ripping those jaws apart.
“Keely’s inside.” Dawson’s voice crackled through Jesse’s earpiece. “We’ve got eyes on the perimeter. No snipers. No lookouts. Alvarez came in cocky.”
Reed’s voice was sharper. “That doesn’t mean shit. Stay sharp.”
Jesse barely heard them. Jesse focused on Keely and how Nico Alvarez leaned against a rusted-out support beam, a cruel grin twisting his face. His attire—dark slacks, an open-collared shirt, and a gold chain gleaming against tanned skin—showed a man who thought he was untouchable.
Jesse’s finger twitched over the trigger. He wanted to end this now. One shot, one kill. But Keely needed time to the evidence they needed. He forced himself to breathe.
The second she got what they needed, the second Nico lowered his guard, Jesse was going in. And if anyone so much as looked at her the wrong way, he’d make sure they regretted ever being born.
Even though they weren’t in the room, they had good vantage points and their comms system ensured they could hear and record every word.
Keely stopped five feet from Nico, crossing her arms over her chest. “You don’t waste time, I’ll give you that.”
Nico tilted his head. “Neither do you, carino. That’s why you’re here, yes? You want this done. No more running.”
Keely snorted, playing her part. “I don’t have a choice. You made sure of that.”
Nico chuckled, the sound slick and mocking. “You always have a choice, chica. You could’ve disappeared, changed your name, gone off the grid. But instead, you came to me.” He stepped closer, eyes gleaming with dark amusement. “Why?”
Jesse listened through the earpiece, every muscle in his body locked down tight as he watched the scene unfold through his scope.
Before Keely could react, Nico moved, closing the space between them in a flash. Jesse’s jaw clenched as Nico grabbed her wrist, yanking her in close until his face was inches from hers. Keely stayed still, her body language calm, controlled—but Jesse knew better. She was fighting every instinct to lash out, to shove Nico back, to put space between them. But she didn’t. She couldn’t. Not yet.
Nico’s voice came through the comms, smooth and mocking. “You seem awfully confident for a woman with no leverage.”
Jesse tracked the way Keely lifted her chin, keeping her voice steady. “I’m not stupid. I assume you’ve done your homework and know who my brother is. You and I both understand that if I end up dead or missing, my brother and his team won’t stop hunting you. I don’t think you want to spend your life looking over your shoulder any more than I do. It’s in both of our best interests to conclude our business and walk away.”
Jesse’s trigger finger itched as Nico studied her, dragging out the silence. Nico laughed.
“Fair enough,” Nico said, loosening his grip slightly. “Maybe I underestimated you.”
Jesse growled low in his throat.
Gavin’s voice came through the earpiece, tight and controlled. “She’s handling it. Hold.”
Jesse didn’t want to hold. He wanted to put a bullet through Nico’s skull and drag Keely out of there. But Keely had been determined, and in the end he had agreed this was their best plan.
And Jesse? Jesse had let her walk away from him, straight into danger. He swore to himself that this would never happen again. Jesse watched through the scope as Nico ran a slow hand over his jaw, considering. Then he moved in close, too close, leaning down so his breath brushed against Keely’s cheek.
“Let’s say I believe you,” he murmured, grasping her chin and tilting her head back to search her face. “What’s to stop me from taking you for insurance?”
Jesse’s world went red. His finger curled around the trigger.
Dawson’s voice snapped through the comms. “Not yet.”
Jesse was going to kill every single one of these motherfuckers.
Keely didn’t even blink. “As you said, I’m not stupid. I may have agreed to meet with you, but I have an insurance plan of my own. If I don’t check in with Silver Spur in the next five minutes, they’ll burn your whole goddamn operation to the ground.”
Nico stilled. His eyes flickered with something new—calculation.
Jesse let out his breath. She had him.
Nico’s grip loosened. He stepped back, nodding slowly. “Smart, chica. Very smart.”
Keely forced a casual shrug. “So? Do we have a deal?”
Nico’s lips curled. “You think you’re good at making deals? He turned slightly, gesturing to one of his men. “Bring her a chair. Let’s talk.”
Jesse’s breath evened out. Keely had done it. Nico had bought the lie, had let his guard drop just enough.
It was time.
That was the last mistake Nico would make for a long time—maybe ever. Jesse didn’t hesitate. His voice was sharp and lethal as it cut through the comms. “Now.”
Jesse was already off the rooftop, moving fast, his rifle secured to his back, his Glock in hand. The explosion hit seconds later—this one a distraction, a warning.
Keely wrenched free, dropping low, moving toward the cover he’d told her to get to.
Gunfire erupted, bullets slicing through the darkness as the Silver Spur team moved in. Jesse was already pushing forward, his rifle trained on the first of Nico’s men, dropping the bastard before he reacted. The mission had officially begun, and Jesse had only one focus—reaching Keely.
Jesse barely registered the orchestrated chaos. All he saw was her.
Keely had put space between her and Nico. He’d turned toward the explosion, pulling his own gun, his men scrambling around him. Jesse shot the first of Nico’s thugs.
Gavin and Hawke came in from the left, Dawson and Reed from the right, a wall of bullets tearing through Alvarez’s men. Jesse moved through the wreckage with single-minded purpose, every muscle primed, every instinct screaming to get to Keely .
Nico lunged after Keely, grabbing her wrist.
Jesse moved like a predator through the carnage, his gun an extension of his arm, his focus locked on one thing—Keely.
Gunfire cracked through the warehouse, a brutal symphony of destruction. Bodies hit the floor, screams tore through the air, and the acrid scent of gunpowder burned his lungs. But none of it mattered. Not the chaos. Not the bodies. Not the blood.
Only her.
Keely was somewhere in the wreckage, and every second Jesse wasn’t at her side was another second too long.
Hawke took out a man to Jesse’s left, a single shot between the eyes, while Gavin and Dawson flanked the back, cutting down Alvarez’s guards before they could regroup. Reed moved like a goddamn machine, knife flashing, taking out two men in a brutal, silent sweep.
But Jesse wasn’t thinking about them. He was thinking about Keely, about the moment he’d seen Nico’s knife glint under the overhead light as he yanked her against his chest.
Adrenaline surged through his veins, his vision narrowing on the far end of the warehouse. He saw her—fighting.
Keely twisted against Nico’s grip, her body straining, her hands grabbing at his arm where he held the knife to her throat. Her eyes met Jesse’s for a split second—fierce, defiant, but there was something else there, too.
Trust.
He had to get to her. Jesse moved fast, taking out two of Nico’s men with deadly precision. One shot, two shots, both bodies hitting the ground before they had a chance to fire back. He was twenty feet away, his Glock raised, his finger steady on the trigger.
Then Nico snarled something in Spanish and dragged Keely back, pressing the blade tighter against her throat.
Jesse froze. “Let her go,” Jesse ordered, his voice like gravel, rough and uncompromising.
Nico let out a low, amused chuckle. “Or what? You’ll shoot? You wouldn’t risk putting a bullet through your pretty little plaything.” He pressed the knife harder, just enough to nick Keely’s skin. A thin line of red bloomed along the curve of her throat.
Jesse’s blood turned to ice.
Keely barely flinched, her voice calm despite the blade at her throat. “If you were going to kill me, you’d have done it already.”
Nico’s expression darkened. “You really should learn when to shut up, carino. ”
Keely’s fingers twitched, her body shifting just slightly in Nico’s grip. Jesse knew that movement. She was setting him up.
Damn, but he loved her.
His grip on the gun tightened, his stance widening, his entire body aligning for the shot. Nico saw it. His lips curled, his hand shifting the blade, preparing to end this with a single stroke.
Jesse didn’t let him. His bullet tore through Nico’s skull, right between his cold, dead eyes.
For a split second, the world stopped. Then Keely was shoving Nico’s body away, stepping over him like he was nothing more than another problem she’d solved.
Jesse reached her in two strides, grabbing her by the waist and yanking her flush against him, his hands running over her arms, her back, her throat—checking, making sure.
“Are you hurt?” His voice was hoarse.
Keely’s fingers fisted in his shirt. “No.”
Jesse barely breathed before he crushed his mouth against hers, his hand gripping her jaw, owning the kiss, staking his claim. He tasted adrenaline, tasted victory, tasted her . Keely moaned into his mouth, her arms wrapping around his shoulders, her body melting against his like she’d never belonged anywhere else.
Dawson’s voice crackled through the earpiece. “Warehouse is clear. Alvarez is down. We’re moving out.”
Jesse pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. “It’s over.”
Keely let out a shaky laugh. “I’d say you just made damn sure of that.”
Jesse glanced down at Nico’s body, at the gaping hole in his head, and let out a slow breath. Keely was safe, and that was all that mattered.
As the team swept the warehouse, securing weapons, bodies, and any intel they could salvage, Jesse didn’t take his hands off Keely. She was still alive, still breathing, and he needed to feel that.
Reed walked up, his eyes scanning Keely before flicking to Jesse. “Nice shot.”
Jesse didn’t let go of her. “You doubted me?”
Reed huffed. “Never.”
Keely rolled her eyes. “What is it with you guys and the dick-measuring contests? Because I could really use a drink.”
Jesse let out a low growl. “You could really use some goddamn obedience training.”
Keely’s lips curled, her eyes flashing with heat. “That so?”
Jesse’s grip on her waist tightened, his breath ghosting over her ear as he leaned in. “Damn right.”
Keely’s pulse jumped. Jesse felt it, felt the way her body responded, how she softened just a fraction, how she wanted what he was promising.
Reed cleared his throat. “I don’t need to hear whatever’s about to come out of your mouth.”
Gavin walked past, clapping Jesse on the shoulder. “Come on, Reed. Let’s get out of here before someone else tries to kill us.”
Jesse brushed his lips against Keely’s one last time before pulling back. “You ride with me.”
Keely stared at him. “I always ride with you.”
Jesse’s eyes darkened. “That’s right, darlin’ . And when we get back? You and I are going to have a very long, very thorough conversation about following orders.”
Keely swallowed hard, her pupils dilating as her breath hitched. He could tell she liked the idea.
Jesse grinned. This was far from over. He was about to make damn sure she knew exactly who she belonged to.