Into the Lion's Den

Some battles are fought in silence. Others demand blood.

Celeste....

The stench of blood still clung to my hands.

Even after wiping the blade clean, even after watching Lorenzo's body fall for the second and final time, I could still feel the heat of his lifeblood seeping through my fingers. It wasn't the first time I'd killed a man. But this? This was different.

Lorenzo had been a traitor. A rat gnawing away at the foundation of Adrian's empire. He had made his choice, and I had made mine.

But there was no time to dwell. The war wasn't over.

I pulled my gaze away from Lorenzo's corpse and turned toward Adrian. He was still watching me, his expression unreadable. His lip was split, blood trailing down his cheek, but he barely seemed to notice.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked, voice low.

I took a breath, steadying myself. "I was ready the moment I found out who's really been pulling the strings."

Adrian studied me for a beat longer, then nodded. "Then let's end this."

We moved through the city like ghosts, slipping between shadows, unnoticed but never unprepared. The FBI mole had been playing this game far longer than we had realized, and now, it was time to turn the board over.

The intel we had gathered from Lorenzo's last desperate attempt at survival had led us here—to an abandoned federal black site, one that should have been wiped off the map years ago.

But some ghosts refused to stay buried.

Dante and a handful of Adrian's most trusted men waited outside, keeping watch. Inside, it was just Adrian and me. Two wolves stepping into the lion's den.

The halls were eerily quiet, the dim overhead lights buzzing faintly. Every muscle in my body was coiled, ready. I didn't need to glance at Adrian to know he felt the same.

We reached a heavy steel door at the end of the corridor. Adrian tested the handle—it was locked.

I exhaled. "Step back."

He arched a brow. "You have a key I don't know about?"

I smirked, then raised my gun and fired at the lock. The steel groaned under the force of the bullets before giving way. I kicked it open, stepping inside first.

And there, sitting behind a desk like a king on his throne, was him.

William Carter.

My father.

The man who had shaped me. Lied to me. Used me.

He didn't look surprised to see us. In fact, he almost seemed amused, like he had been expecting us all along.

"Celeste," he greeted smoothly, folding his hands on the desk. "I was wondering when you'd finally show."

Adrian stiffened beside me, his fingers flexing near his weapon, but I lifted a hand. Not yet.

I stepped forward, my heartbeat a steady, deadly rhythm. "No more games," I said, voice even. "No more manipulation. No more lies. Just tell me why."

William exhaled, shaking his head like he was disappointed in me. "Because you're my legacy. And I needed you to be strong enough to do what had to be done."

I scoffed. "You mean kill Adrian? Destroy his empire? What, take it for yourself?"

His gaze darkened. "You still don't understand, do you?"

I clenched my jaw. "Then make me understand."

He sighed, as if I was a stubborn child. "His father stole something from me. Something I can never get back. I waited years for my revenge, Celeste. I raised you to be the one to finish what I started."

Adrian's expression didn't change, but I could feel the tension rolling off of him like a storm. He took a slow step forward, his voice like steel. "What did my father take from you?"

William's lips curled, but he didn't answer.

Adrian's grip tightened on his gun. "Answer me."

Silence.

And then, just as I took another step forward, the world erupted in gunfire.

I barely had time to react before bullets tore through the room. I hit the ground, rolling behind a fallen desk as the air filled with dust and chaos. Adrian moved beside me, his own weapon drawn, firing into the dark corners of the room where hidden guards had been waiting.

Of course my father hadn't come alone.

I bit down on a curse, turning to Adrian. "We need to move!"

He nodded, taking out another guard before ducking behind cover. "We're pinned."

I scanned the room, my mind racing. My father was gone. He had slipped away in the chaos, leaving us to deal with his men. Typical.

But he wasn't getting far.

I met Adrian's gaze, breathless but steady. "We chase him down."

He smirked, despite the blood trailing down his arm. "Now that's the Celeste I know."

I reloaded my gun, pushing forward. "Let's end this."

We moved as one, stepping over the bodies, slipping through the smoke.

Retribution was coming.

And I was going to deliver it myself.