Chapter 9
chapter nine
Dash
Three days of keeping Madelyn locked down tight in my house while Hudson works his FBI magic and tracks Vega's movements.
I watch her jump at every sound, tense every time a car rolls past the house, and it takes everything I have not to go after Vega myself.
That bastard deserves a bullet in his skull for making her afraid. But we're doing this right.
Hudson's been feeding us intel around the clock.
Vega's got a warehouse operation forty miles outside Silver Lake, running drugs and laundering money through a network of shell companies.
The FBI's been building a case for months, but they didn't have enough to move until Madelyn's testimony gave them the murder charge they needed.
Now they've got everything. And tonight, we're taking him down.
My phone buzzes on the kitchen counter. Hudson's name flashes across the screen.
"Talk to me," I answer, keeping my voice low. Madelyn's asleep upstairs, finally getting some rest after three nights of barely closing her eyes.
"We've got confirmation," Hudson says. "Vega's at the warehouse right now. Bruno and Sal are with him, plus four other guys. FBI tactical team is mobilizing, but they're thirty minutes out. I need you and Finn to hold position until?—"
"Negative." I cut him off. "We're going in now. You can catch up."
"Dash, goddammit."
"He sent men after her, Hudson. Into my bar. Into my town. He threatened what's mine." My grip tightens on the phone. "I'm not waiting thirty minutes for your team to get their shit together. We move now. You want this arrest clean, get your ass there and make it official."
Silence. Then Hudson sighs, that familiar sound of a man who knows he's already lost this argument. "Fine. But you don't kill him. You hear me? We need him alive for trial."
"He stays breathing," I agree. "But that's all I'm promising."
"Good enough. I'm ten minutes out. Don't do anything stupid before I get there."
I end the call and look up to find Finn standing in the doorway, already dressed in black tactical gear, his expression hard and focused.
We've done this dance a thousand times, different enemies, different wars, but always with the same coordinated precision that kept us alive through two decades of combat.
"Hudson's ten minutes out," I tell him. "FBI's thirty. We're going in now."
Finn nods once. "Weapons?"
"Already loaded." I move to the gun safe in my office and pull out two Sig Sauer P320s, extra magazines, and tactical knives. We check the weapons with practiced efficiency.
Finn straps a knife to his thigh. "You tell Maddie?"
"She's asleep. We'll be back before she wakes up." I holster my weapon and grab my jacket. "This ends tonight. No more looking over her shoulder. No more fear."
"Damn right." Finn's eyes are cold, lethal. "Vega made a mistake coming after her."
We move through the house silently, locking the doors behind us and setting the security system. I pause at the bottom of the stairs, listening for any sound from the bedroom. Nothing. She's safe here. Protected. After tonight, she'll never have to run again.
The drive to the warehouse takes twenty-five minutes. We don't talk, don't need to. Finn's checking his weapon again, running through tactical scenarios in his head. I'm doing the same, visualizing the layout Hudson sent us, identifying entry points and potential threats.
My phone buzzes.
Hudson: Five minutes out. Wait for me.
I don't respond.
The warehouse comes into view, a sprawling industrial building surrounded by chain-link fence, dim lights glowing in a few windows. Two cars parked out front. No visible guards, but that doesn't mean they're not there.
I kill the headlights and pull off the road, parking behind a cluster of trees. Finn and I exit simultaneously, moving low and fast toward the fence line. The night air is cold, sharp in my lungs. Adrenaline surges through my veins, familiar and welcome.
We reach the fence. Finn pulls wire cutters from his pack and makes quick work of the chain-link, creating an opening large enough to slip through. We're inside the perimeter in seconds, weapons drawn, moving in perfect sync toward the main building.
I signal left. Finn nods and peels off, circling around to cover the back entrance while I approach the front. My heart is steady, my breathing controlled. This is what I was trained for. What I'm good at.
The front door is unlocked. Sloppy. Arrogant. Vega thinks he's untouchable up here, thinks no one's coming for him.
He's wrong.
I ease the door open and slip inside. The interior is dimly lit, stacks of crates lining the walls, the smell of oil and metal heavy in the air. Voices echo from deeper inside, rough, angry. Vega's voice rises above the others, barking orders.
I move silently through the shadows, weapon raised, every sense on high alert. Finn's voice crackles softly in my earpiece. "In position. Three hostiles in the back room. Vega's in the main office, second floor."
"Copy," I murmur. "Moving to intercept."
I take the stairs two at a time, keeping low, my boots silent on the metal steps. The office door is partially open, light spilling into the hallway. Through the gap, I can see Vega inside, pacing behind a desk, phone pressed to his ear.
"I don't care what it takes," he's saying. "Find the girl. Bring her to me. I want her alive so I can?—"
I kick the door open.
Vega spins, eyes widening. His hand moves toward the gun on his desk, but I'm faster. I cross the room in three strides and slam the butt of my weapon into his wrist. Bone cracks. He screams, stumbling back.
"Sit down," I growl, leveling the gun at his chest. "Hands on the desk. Now."
He glares at me, clutching his broken wrist, but he obeys. "Who the fuck are you?"
"The man who's going to make sure you never touch Madelyn Graves again." I move around the desk, keeping the weapon trained on him. "You sent your men after her. Big mistake."
Recognition flashes in his eyes. "You're the bartender. The one who broke Bruno's arm."
"That's right. And if you move, I'll do a hell of a lot worse to you."
Footsteps pound up the stairs. Finn appears in the doorway, weapon raised. "Three down. Bruno and Sal are zip-tied in the back. The others ran."
"Good." I don't take my eyes off Vega. "Hudson's on his way. We hold him here until the FBI arrives."
Vega laughs, a harsh, grating sound. "You think the FBI scares me? I've got lawyers. Connections. I'll be out in twenty-four hours."
"Not this time." Finn moves to cover the door. "We've got a witness. Madelyn saw you murder Tommy Ricci. She's going to testify, and when she does, you're going away for life."
Vega's face twists with rage. "That bitch."
I move before I can think, slamming him back against the wall, my forearm pressed to his throat. "Say her name again," I snarl. "I fucking dare you."
He chokes, clawing at my arm. I press harder, watching his face turn red. Every instinct screams at me to finish this, to make sure he never threatens her again.
But I promised Hudson. Alive.
I release him and he collapses, gasping. "You're done," I tell him. "Your operation's over. Your men are in custody. And Madelyn's safe. You'll never touch her again."
Sirens wail in the distance, growing louder. Red and blue lights flash through the windows. The FBI's here.
Hudson bursts through the door seconds later, weapon drawn, tactical vest strapped over his chest. He surveys the scene, Vega on the floor, Finn and me standing over him, and shakes his head. "You couldn't wait five more minutes?"
"Nope." I holster my weapon. "He's all yours."
Hudson signals to his team and they flood in, securing Vega and reading him his rights. I watch as they haul him to his feet, cuffing his hands behind his back. He's still glaring at me, still spitting threats, but none of it matters anymore.
He's done. Finished.
Hudson claps me on the shoulder. "Good work. We've got enough evidence here to put him away for decades. Madelyn's testimony will seal it."
"She won't have to testify if you've got enough without her," I say flatly. "I don't want her reliving that night in a courtroom."
"We'll do everything we can to keep her out of it," Hudson promises. "But either way, Vega's not walking. You've got my word."
I nod, the tension finally draining from my shoulders. It's over. The threat's neutralized. She's safe.
Finn and I walk out of the warehouse together, the cold night air hitting my face like a slap. My hands are still steady, pulse still elevated, but underneath the adrenaline is something else.
Relief. Satisfaction. The bone-deep certainty that I just protected what's mine.
"She's going to be pissed we didn't wake her," Finn says as we climb into the truck.
"She'll get over it." I start the engine and pull back onto the road. "We did what we had to do."
"Damn right." Finn leans back in his seat, a rare smile crossing his face. "It's done, Dash. She's ours. No more running. No more fear."
"Yeah." I grip the steering wheel, my chest tight with emotion I don't have words for. "She's ours. Permanently."
The drive back to my house feels longer than the drive out. My mind's already racing ahead, waking her up, telling her it's over, seeing the relief flood her eyes when she realizes she's finally safe. Claiming her completely. Promising her forever.
Because that's what this is. Forever. Not temporary. Not casual.
Mine. Ours.
I pull into the driveway and kill the engine. The house is dark except for the porch light I left on. Finn and I head inside, moving quietly through the living room toward the stairs.
The bedroom door is still closed. I ease it open and step inside.
Madelyn's curled up in the center of the bed, her dark hair spilling across the pillow, one hand tucked under her cheek. She looks so damn beautiful and at peace.
I sit on the edge of the bed, my hand sliding to her hip. "Maddie. Wake up, sweetheart."
Her eyes flutter open, unfocused and sleepy. Then she sees me and bolts upright. "Dash? What…where did you?—"
"It's over," I tell her, my voice rough. "Vega's in custody. The FBI has him. He's never coming near you again."
She stares at me, her mouth opening and closing. "What? How?"
"We handled it." Finn appears in the doorway, leaning against the frame. "Hudson coordinated the arrest. Vega's done. And most importantly, you’re finally safe."
Tears well up in her eyes. "You went after him? Without telling me?"
"We weren't going to wait around for him to make another move," I say. "You're ours, Maddie. We protect what's ours. No exceptions."
She launches herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck, her body shaking with sobs. I hold her tight, burying my face in her hair, breathing her in. "It's over," I murmur against her temple. "You're safe. You're ours. Forever."
"Forever," she whispers against my chest.
And I know, with absolute certainty, that I'm never letting her go.