London — inside a car-modification garage.
Dominic and Brian stepped through the doorway.
"I checked — this is the only place in London that can build the kind of modifications Owen Shaw runs," Brian said.
"Well, we need Owen Shaw's whereabouts, now." Dominic's voice was flat. "Giselle betrayed us. Word will get out that Letty was undercover."
Brian only shook his head.
They crossed the courtyard. A young blond man was bent over a pile of parts, hands greasy with oil. When he looked up he asked, "You here to modify a ride?"
Brian shook his head. "We're looking for some cars. The modifications and designs on those vehicles — you did them. They're Owen Shaw's builds."
At the mention of Owen Shaw, the blond man's expression changed. He knew exactly what they were asking."
"Why should I tell you? You with the Met?" he spat, and started for the shop.
Dominic moved faster. He grabbed the man by the collar and slammed him to the concrete. "This isn't negotiation. Tell us where Owen Shaw is, or I'll make sure you don't have a body to bury."
The blond man flailed, eyes wide. "Okay, okay. I can tell you — but I need to look it up on the computer."
Dominic hauled him up and marched him inside. The mechanic sat, booted fingers flying over a keyboard. He didn't open a customer database. Instead he logged into a comms app and placed a video call.
Dominic's hand went to his sidearm. "Are you out of your mind? You want to play games with me?" he snarled, pressing the muzzle to the mechanic's temple.
A voice answered from the laptop. Familiar. Dominic froze, then turned his head.
On the screen: Cole Shaw. And beside Cole, Letty — bound and gagged.
Dominic shoved the blond man aside, slammed into the chair and barked, "Letty! You all right?"
Cole's smile on the screen was small, controlled. "Don't worry. She's not dead yet."
Dominic's chest rose. "Cole Shaw — what are you going to do to Letty? If you hurt her, I swear I'll come for you. I'll come for your family. Your friends — I'll burn all of you."
Cole sat back in Owen's base and let a quiet chuckle slip. Empty threats. He's naming shields—my mother, Magdalene "Queenie" Shaw; my eldest brother, Deckard, ex-MI6 black ops; my other brother, Owen, former SAS major; and my sister, Hattie, active MI6. That roster makes noise. It doesn't make me vulnerable—not here.
Cole tilted his head. "If you want to go after them, go ahead. But don't touch the blond kid. He's mine. You hurt him, I press the trigger on your girlfriend. One for one. Business like, and profitable."
When Cole decided Dominic would be the inside man, he'd already planned the setup: find a mechanic — Galdo — and make sure he was at the garage when Dominic arrived to initiate contact. Galdo's a small talent but a valuable one — repairs, design, vehicle mods. Now, he's part of the Round Table's engineering division.
Dominic's laugh was hard. "Since you've got Letty and me on video — lay it out. What do you want?"
Cole nodded on the screen. "Smart man. Since you're tied to Luke, I want you working undercover for me inside Luke's operation. Help me from the inside. Follow orders. Report. You cooperate, I free Letty when this is over and we all get back together. You refuse, and you can spend the rest of your life visiting a gravestone."
Brian and Dominic both went quiet. There was nowhere to go; Luke's promise of rescue looked thin against what Cole now held.
Cole held up a watch. "Three minutes to decide. When the time's up, if you haven't agreed, then the bullets in this gun will be in Letty's head."
He pressed the muzzle against Letty's temple and watched the seconds tick down.
Dominic didn't hesitate. "I'll do it," he said.
Cole lowered the weapon, clapped once. "You're not as complicated as people make you out to be. Aside from Letty, the people you call family are just partners to you." He looked at Brian in the frame. "Even him."
Dominic's face didn't change. There was no argument left that mattered; after Han, after the betrayals, refuting Cole's assessment would be empty words.
Cole set the terms. "Take Owen's contact info back to Luke. Tell him you'll help, but report your plans to me daily. Also: find out who Luke is asking for help this time. I want the names."
Dominic frowned — he'd expected to be sent away without a lifeline, not handed contact details. He didn't know Cole's full intent.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"You'll do this. You'll live. When the job's done, Letty gets released." Cole's voice evened. Then, "That's it." He ended the call.
Cole removed the gag. Letty's mouth opened; she rubbed the place on her cheek where the cloth had lain.
"You're monstrous," she said, voice raw.
"I learned from you," Cole returned. "You helped me before — but now you're my enemy. I won't be sentimental." He watched her. "When you recovered your memory, you tried to get Dominic to give up this mission so people wouldn't die. That would've been sensible."
Letty stayed silent. If I could go back, she thought, I would do it differently. But it's too late for that now.
There was no way to regret it now.....