NICO
Serenity’s worst nightmare had finally come true.
One of my enemies had taken her.
Taken my son.
The tracking devices on my family had been removed and discarded, leaving us blind for precious hours.
My men were ready to jump into action.
“Devlin, talk to me,” I say into the earpiece while seated inside the helicopter. I pull the magazine from my AR-15, check it, then snap it back into place.
“My drone is in position. Nolan’s is nearby.”
“Do you have eyes on them?”
“Yes, sir. I got a look inside the warehouse.” His voice tightens. “It’s Rod.”
My blood turns to ice.
“And?”
“Kobe is with him. Serenity and Madden are tied to chairs. I had to pull back before I was spotted.”
He rattles off the address.
“Good work. Thank you. We’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
Then I switch channels.
“Everyone, listen up. The second helicopter will drop you nearby. You’ll need to get to my family on foot.”
A chorus of confirmations comes through the earpieces.
“We’ll get her back,” Ritchie says from the seat beside Catch.
I nod once.
Rod.
The son of a bitch faked his death.
All these years.
But why the hell was he working with Kobe?
Questions can wait.
Getting my family back alive comes first.
The helicopter touches down in a field less than a mile from the warehouse.
The rear hatch drops, and the Army jeep rolls onto the grass.
“Nolan. Devlin. Status.”
A brief pause.
“A man just entered carrying a medical bag.”
The blood drains from my face.
No.
No.
They weren’t touching my wife’s belly.
“Ritchie, Miff, and I have the perimeter covered,” Catch says. “You link up with the others and hit the warehouse.”
I take off running.
Around me, my cousins move like ghosts.
Silent.
Efficient.
Deadly.
One by one, the guards around the perimeter drop before they even realize we’re there.
“The back entrance is clear,” Nolan says.
His drone hovers above the rear door.
I pull a brick of C-4 from my cargo pocket and slap it against the steel.
Then I step back.
“Three.”
“Two.”
“One.”
The explosion rocks the building.
The door rips from its frame and crashes across the concrete floor.
We surge inside.
Chaos erupts.
I fire first.
The round slams into Kobe’s shoulder and spins him sideways.
Angel fires almost simultaneously, catching Rod before he can react.
Gunfire explodes throughout the warehouse.
Bets and Kisha sprint toward Serenity and Madden.
Kobe fires back.
The bullet slams into my vest hard enough to steal my breath.
Pain blooms across my chest.
I recover instantly.
Raising my rifle, I fire again.
His Glock flies from his hand.
Two more shots.
His legs buckle.
Rod drops seconds later after taking rounds to both legs.
Around us, my team finishes securing the warehouse.
The gunfire fades.
“Boss,” Devlin says through the earpiece. “Three truckloads of men just left. Looks like they’re heading toward the private airport.”
“You and Nolan stay on them.”
“Copy.”
Catch comes over the line. “Are you secure?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” he replies.
“Help Nolan and Devlin stop those trucks.”
My voice turns cold.
“No survivors.”
“Understood.”
I lower my rifle and stare at Rod.
The bastard smiles through the pain.
“Why fake your death?”
Before he can answer, Serenity steps forward.
“Kobe’s real name is Ignazio Vero.”
Every head turns toward her.
“Rod had him get close to me in Italy.”
Her voice trembles with rage.
“This was always their plan.”
She points at both men.
“Rod wanted me for himself.”
Then her hand moves protectively to her stomach.
“And Ignazio planned to take our children. He also planned to betray Rod and kill me for handling his family.”
Silence fills the warehouse.
Then Serenity’s eyes lock onto the doctor. “That doctor...”
The realization hits her.
She pulls a Glock from my holster before anyone can stop her.
“You cut babies out of their mothers.” Her voice cracks with fury.
The doctor’s face drains of color.
Six shots ring out.
He drops.
Dead.
Serenity doesn’t even look at the body.
Instead, she walks toward Ignazio.
One shot.
His other hand jerks violently.
“That,” she says through clenched teeth, “is for touching me.”
For Madden’s sake, she keeps the wording clean.
I move beside her and rest a hand on her stomach.
The metal armor beneath her shirt is still intact.
I tap it lightly.
“Are you baking safely in there, princess?”
I can’t feel my daughter’s kicks through all that protection.
But later tonight, I will.
And that’s all that matters.
Madden suddenly runs towards us.
Before anyone can stop him, he stomps on Rod’s leg.
Then Ignazio’s.
“That’s for talking about my daddy!”
A laugh bursts out of me.
Even Serenity struggles not to smile.
“Bets. Angel,” I call out.
Both step forward.
“Wrap these two up. They’re coming with us.”
Serenity gives Rod and Ignazio a little wave.
“See you boys soon.”
Her smile is terrifying.
“Our torture chamber is waiting.”
I scoop Madden into my arms and pull Serenity against my side.
Only then do I finally let myself breathe.
“How are you two holding up?”
Madden launches into a detailed retelling of everything that happened.
Every conversation.
Every threat.
Every brave thing he did to protect his mother.
I listen carefully.
One day he’ll make a hell of a boss.
Outside, we head toward the waiting SUVs.
I stop and kiss Serenity.
Relief crashes over me.
“So damn happy I got to you.”
Her eyes soften.
“Me too.”
Then she pats her stomach.
“Can we stop for soul food?”
I blink.
“What?”
“I was craving it before we got kidnapped.”
A laugh escapes me.
Only my wife would survive an abduction and immediately start thinking about food.
“Sure.”
Her smile widens.
She slips her hand into mine.
Still strong.
Still stubborn.
Still standing.
Like I said before. I married the right woman.
“Soul food it is,” I say.
THE END