Chapter 26

Her Obsession.

Between The Bullets.

Conner

My phone buzzed, just a single message but it hit harder than any alarm. “He’s coming for you. Now.”

I didn’t hesitate. Every muscle tensed. I knew exactly who. Aleksei Mirov wasn’t the kind of man who sent threats lightly. This was war. Full throttle. The kind that swallowed lives whole. I threw on my jacket and moved fast, but even as I gathered my men, the weight pressed down heavy. We’d been on edge for days, but now it wasn’t just paranoia. The enemy was here, and I could feel it in every shadow, every distant noise. The compound transformed into a warzone overnight. My guys took their posts, faces grim and hands steady on weapons. The night thickened, lit only by the pale glow of security lights and the red glint of tactical gear. Then came the first shots,quick, deadly. Mirov’s men weren’t amateurs. They hit hard, pushing past our outer defenses like they expected resistance. I moved among my men, shouting orders, trying to keep the chaos tethered. The sound of gunfire echoed through the night air, mixing with shouted commands and the low growls of engines idling beyond the fences. I kept scanning the perimeter, hoping, praying to see Sage, my ghost in the darkness. She’d warned me, she’d always been one step ahead. And there she was, up high, a silent sentinel. Her shots rang out like thunderclaps, precise, ruthless. One by one, the attackers dropped, but the pressure didn’t let up. The bastard was relentless, sending wave after wave. Then, amid the chaos, my voice tore through the noise. I was yelling, telling my men to hold, to fall back, to flank, anything to survive. But something caught my ear, a sudden cry from above.

“Sage!”

My heart lurched. I saw her falter on the rooftop, then stumble. She caught herself on the edge, hanging on with one good arm, until two more shots rang out and she fell.