The black SUV's doors burst open, spilling out masked men with rifles. Their boots slammed against the pier in perfect rhythm — trained, merciless, and already closing in.
Leo swore under his breath. "Not Agency. Not cartel. These are professionals."
"And they're aiming straight for us," I snapped, ducking behind a crate as bullets shredded the wooden planks. Saltwater sprayed my face, the harbor alive with the deafening crack of gunfire.
"Zara—move!" Leo yanked me just as a bullet sparked off the metal container above my head. His grip was strong, but the fire in his eyes burned hotter. He wasn't just protecting me—he was hiding something.
We dashed between shipping containers, shadows swallowing us. The SUV revved closer, its headlights sweeping like a predator searching for prey. One masked man barked orders in Russian.
Russian.
My stomach knotted. "Bratva?" I hissed.
Leo didn't answer, which told me everything.
"Dammit, Leo—what did you get us into?"
He shoved a pistol into my hand. "Less questions, more survival."
The world narrowed to gunfire and heartbeat. I squeezed off two shots, one bullet dropping a man into the dark waters. Another grazed Leo's shoulder, but he didn't flinch—he just kept firing, each shot precise, controlled, lethal.
And then—silence.
Not victory.
A spotlight flared, blinding us. The SUV screeched forward and braked hard, its back door swinging open.
A voice purred from inside. Smooth. Feminine. Familiar.
"Get in the car, both of you. Now. Or the next round doesn't miss."
Leo froze. His jaw tightened.
I recognized that voice too late.
Aria.
My chest hollowed out. The woman who had betrayed me in Istanbul. The ghost who haunted Leo's silences.
"Your choice," Aria said coolly. "The harbor… or me."
The men raised their rifles in unison.
Leo met my eyes, searching me, begging me to trust him. But trust felt like stepping off a ledge into darkness.
I lifted my chin. "Ladies first," I growled, climbing into the SUV.
Inside, the leather reeked of perfume and gun oil. Aria sat poised, legs crossed, a silencer gleaming in her lap like a threat wrapped in velvet.
"Well, well," she purred, eyes sliding to Leo. "Still choosing lost causes, darling?"
The tension between them was a blade against my throat.
Leo leaned back, his voice steel. "What do you want, Aria?"
Aria's smile widened. "Want? Oh, Leo. I don't want. I own. And right now…" Her gaze flicked to me like a knife. "…that includes her."
I gripped my gun tighter, pulse roaring in my ears.
The SUV roared away from the pier, into the night, carrying us deeper into the shadows.
And for the first time, I wasn't sure if Leo was my partner… or my greatest mistake.