Chapter 6
Logan
The pub’s interior felt oppressive now, the dark wood and faded walls closing in tighter around us. I stood near the back window, looking out toward the foggy Dublin streets, senses keen and unsettled.
Around me, the men moved restlessly; Edward pacing like a caged animal, Aidan leaning against the bar with narrowed eyes, Jamie fiddling impatiently with a hunting knife, and Declan staring quietly into the fire, his face shadowed by the flames.
A pack forged by circumstance, not choice, yet united against threats none of us had foreseen.
Aidan’s gaze met mine from across the room. “They’ll be awake in a few more hours, I reckon,” he said quietly, inclining his head toward the ceiling. “Your sister and her pack mates.”
I nodded, something warm blooming in my chest at the mention of Zara. “She trusts them completely.”
Edward glanced sharply toward me, raising an eyebrow. “You seem surprised.”
I gave him a cool look, keeping my voice even to hide my emotions. “I’m not surprised she’s found allies, but she’s my sister. I’ll never be comfortable seeing her with strangers.”
Edward’s gaze flicked briefly toward the staircase leading upstairs. “From what I saw out there, they’re not just strangers. They’re more to her than that. Like a proper unit.” He hesitated, then added, softer, “It’s rare to see that with wolves. Usually, they’re chaotic. Unpredictable.”
I met his stare, a challenge unspoken, but clear. “Well, it’s often a mistake to judge all by some.”
Jamie grinned from across the room, twirling his blade idly between his fingers. “Aye, it’s cozy up there, but don’t let your guard down, lads. Remember who hired me—and why.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, tension coiling through my muscles. “You plan on causing trouble, Buchanan?”
He shrugged lightly, unaffected by my suspicion. “Relax, Yorke. Not today, anyway. Got bigger problems right now.”
Declan stood quietly, his voice firm. “He’s right. After what we’ve seen in this city, I’m not counting on anything being easy.”
Aidan nodded slowly. “Then we stick together. We protect our own.”
Silence settled over us, unspoken understanding drifting between us.
Then Edward’s voice cut through the calm, eyes narrowing as his military-trained instincts flared visibly. He tilted his head slightly, like a soldier sensing the subtle shift in the air before a battle erupts. “Something feels off. It’s too quiet outside.”
My pulse quickened. “You think—”
The words barely left my mouth before a force slammed violently into my side. Edward crashed into me, knocking me off my feet and throwing me toward the floor before I could do anything to stop him. I barely had time to gasp as my shoulder slammed into the cold wooden boards.
As I hit the floor, I heard the faint, suppressed whistle of a silenced sniper rifle. My heart lurched violently.
Behind me, glass shattered suddenly, spraying shards across the floor. Where I’d been standing moments earlier, the wall splintered, a bullet lodged deep into the aged wood.
Edward rolled to his feet with the trained grace of a veteran Special Forces operative, eyes razor-sharp, his voice snapping like a whip. “Sniper!”
Chaos erupted instantly. Aidan and Declan dove swiftly for cover behind the heavy oak bar. Jamie tipped a table on edge and pressed flat behind it, blade gripped tight. My heart hammered, breath catching as I crawled quickly toward Edward, eyes locked on his focused expression.
Edward crouched down, urgently scanning the rooftop line through the shattered window. “Stay low! Don’t give them another shot!”
I forced air into my lungs, adrenaline surging through me, every muscle flexed with tension. “Can you see them?”
Edward narrowed his eyes, breath even, voice steady. “Not yet. Military-grade silencer. Whoever’s shooting is trained—MI6 or delta-grade, at least.”
Jamie cursed quietly under his breath. “Not bloody good news.”
Edward shot him a sharp look. “We need to move. Now. We’re sitting ducks here.”
I felt something cold settle deep in my gut, thinking immediately of Zara upstairs. “My sister—”
Edward cut me off abruptly, his voice calm but firm, seasoned with battlefield authority. “They don’t know yet, and right now, they’re safer unaware. They can take care of themselves. Our priority is neutralizing the sniper before anyone else gets hurt.”
Aidan hesitated only a fraction of a second before nodding decisively. “He’s right. We eliminate the threat first.”
Declan’s jaw tightened, eyes locked in determined agreement. “Quick and quiet. We’ll flank them, then flush them out.”
Edward gestured and instantly assumed command with practiced ease. “Stay low, move fast, and follow my lead. Let’s move.”
“Alright,” I murmured, my voice even despite the rapid pulse throbbing in my veins. “I’m with you.”
He met my gaze, a brief flash of approval in his steely eyes. Without another word, he led us swiftly toward the side door. It creaked softly as Edward nudged it open, his gaze sweeping the narrow, moonlit alley before waving us forward.
One by one, we slipped silently into the chilly Dublin night, shoulders hunched, bodies tense and ready. My heart was a drumbeat in my chest, every nerve on edge as we hugged the cold brick wall, pressing ourselves deep into shadow.
Edward crouched down at the front, scanning the rooftops diligently.
He signaled us forward silently with a flick of his hand, leading our small group deeper into the darkness.
A sudden whisper, harsh and tense, broke from his lips.
“The sniper’s elevated. On a rooftop somewhere.
Likely northwest. We need to get to higher ground. ”
Aidan nodded tersely, eyes narrowed as he glanced upward, his stance rigid. “Clock tower down the street, maybe?”
Edward’s eyes tracked the dark silhouette towering in the distance. “Good vantage point. Move carefully, stay quiet, stick to cover.”
We assembled into a tight formation, moving quickly but carefully, darting from shadow to shadow. Declan hovered protectively at our rear, muscles visibly taut. Jamie’s wiry frame moved with lethal agility, eyes flickering cautiously around corners as he tightened his grip on his knife.
We barely made it thirty yards when Edward suddenly flung out his arm, halting us instantly, pressing our backs urgently against the rough brick wall. I held my breath as he tilted his head, listening intently.
In that instant, the wall behind us exploded in a puff of brick dust as a bullet punched clean through where my head had been seconds before.
“Move!” Edward hissed, shoving me ahead, instinct propelling me forward. Adrenaline surged through me, narrowing my world into a frantic blur. Another suppressed whistle followed, the bullet pinging loudly off a dumpster, sending sparks dancing into the darkness.
Edward guided us to a small alcove beneath a narrow fire escape, pressing us tight against the building. He glanced upward, tactical mind rapidly calculating our next move.
“Sniper’s good,” Edward growled quietly. “We’re pinned if we stay down here.”
Jamie cursed under his breath. “Then what?”
Edward narrowed his eyes. “Split focus. Aidan, Declan, move east, give them something else to worry about. Buchanan, you’re with Logan and me. We take the fire escape up, fast, get to the rooftops.”
I met Edward’s tense stare and nodded once. “Understood.”
Aidan and Declan exchanged a quick look before sprinting into motion, dashing swiftly across the street. Shots sliced through the silence, pinging dangerously close to their heels.
“Go now!” Edward barked, seizing the opportunity as the shooter redirected attention. I lunged forward, grabbing hold of the rusted iron ladder, scrambling upward ahead of Jamie, breath heavy, pulse pounding in my ears. Edward followed behind us.
The fire escape groaned beneath our combined weight, rattling ominously with each rushed step. A bullet glanced off the metal railing just inches from Edward’s fingers, sending sparks dancing into the air. He grunted, unfazed, and pressed upward faster.
We vaulted over the final rail and onto the flat rooftop, breath rasping hard in the cold night air. The ruined city stretched out around us, rooftops shadowed under the muted glow of sparse moonlight.
Jamie crouched beside me, knife in his hand, eyes narrowed as he looked out. “See anything?”
Edward knelt, carefully peering through the shadows, every muscle in his body coiled with lethal readiness. His voice was a harsh whisper, battle-honed and ever ready. “Northwest rooftop. Three buildings away. Slight reflection—scope glare.”
I followed his gaze, catching the brief glint of moonlight on metal and glass. My jaw clenched tightly. “Can you take them from here?”
Edward shook his head once, eyes never leaving his target. “Too far for a clean shot, even for me. We need to close distance.”
Jamie’s breath hissed quietly through clenched teeth. “That’s risky. One slip, and—”
Edward’s voice cut him off, coldly resolute. “We won’t slip.”
Another bullet cracked through the air near Aidan and Declan’s position, echoing faintly.
Edward’s eyes flashed. “We move now, or not at all.”
I took a slow breath, the stakes razor-sharp in my mind. “Let’s end this.”
Edward nodded, eyes meeting mine with fierce approval. “Low and silent. Follow my lead.”
Together, we moved swiftly, ducking along the roofline and jumping across the divide to the next one.
Our boots barely made a sound against the damp rooftop tiles.
Time slowed, each heartbeat echoing through me like thunder.
The sniper turned swiftly, swinging the rifle toward us, moonlight spilling across their face. And just like that, I froze.
It wasn’t the deadly glint of the weapon pointed at me that halted my steps.
It was her.
The sniper was a woman, and she was unlike anyone I’d ever seen.