Chapter Six: Loyalty or Death
The black SUV sped down the coast highway just past midnight, its headlights slicing through the thick fog rolling in from the sea.
Julie sat in the back seat, dressed in black tactical gear, her hair tied back in a tight braid. A sleek handgun was strapped to her thigh, and her heart pounded like a war drum.
This was no training drill.
This was her first real mission.
Beside her, Marco checked his weapon. "When we hit the port, you stay to my right. We neutralize the outer guards, then head straight to the main office. We're looking for shipment logs—evidence that Matteo's using Port G to smuggle in weapons from Eastern Europe."
Julie nodded, fingers tightening.
"And if someone recognizes me?" she asked.
Marco glanced at her. "Then you shoot first. Ask later."
---
The warehouse was quiet—too quiet.
Julie followed Marco through the shadows, gun raised, boots silent on the concrete. They took down the first guard without a sound. The second was asleep in his chair. The third didn't even see Marco coming.
Then they reached the office.
Marco picked the lock in seconds. The door creaked open.
Inside: computers. Shipping logs. Crates. A desk covered in documents.
Julie moved fast, scanning the files. "Here," she whispered. "This one—arrival from Kaliningrad. It matches the name on Matteo's offshore account."
Marco grinned. "That's the smoking gun."
But before they could move—
A voice behind them said, "Don't turn around."
Julie froze.
That voice.
It was familiar.
Too familiar.
Marco slowly lifted his hands. Julie turned slightly—just enough to see the figure standing in the doorway.
Milo.
Lorenzo's consigliere.
The man who'd taught Julie how to use a weapon.
The man who had laughed with her two nights ago at dinner.
"Put the gun down, Julie," Milo said. "You weren't supposed to find this place."
Marco cursed under his breath. "I should've known."
Julie stared at Milo, disbelief and betrayal tightening her chest. "Why?"
Milo smirked. "Matteo made me an offer. A better one. And I always knew Lorenzo's weakness would come in a pretty package."
Julie's hands curled into fists. "I trusted you."
"That was your first mistake."
Then everything exploded.
Marco lunged.
Gunfire. Screaming. Glass shattered.
Julie ducked as Milo fired. The bullet missed her by inches.
She rolled behind the desk, heart pounding, and aimed.
Milo was reloading—she took the shot.
It hit him in the chest.
He dropped to the ground.
Silence.
Then Marco stood, breathing hard, blood dripping from a cut on his temple.
"You okay?" he asked.
Julie nodded slowly. "Yeah. Just… give me a minute."
---
By the time they returned to the mansion, the port logs were secured, and Milo's betrayal was no longer a secret.
Julie showered in silence, the blood washing off but not the weight of what she'd done.
She had killed again.
This time, someone she knew.
She wrapped a towel around herself and stepped into the bedroom—only to find Lorenzo waiting, seated at the edge of her bed.
Their eyes met.
"You knew," she whispered. "About Milo."
"I suspected," he said. "But I wasn't sure until tonight."
Julie walked past him, grabbing a robe, fingers trembling.
"I killed him."
"I know."
"I didn't hesitate," she added. "I didn't think twice. What does that make me?"
Lorenzo stood.
He didn't answer with words.
Instead, he walked to her, placed a hand on her cheek, and looked into her eyes like he could see the soul behind them.
"You're not a killer, Julie," he said. "You're a survivor. And you're mine."
Then he kissed her.
Hard.
Deep.
Like the world was ending and she was the only thing that mattered.
Her body responded before her mind could catch up—months of tension igniting all at once.
The towel dropped.
His hands found her waist.
Her lips traced the scars along his chest, the ones he'd earned in battles he never talked about.
And when they finally fell onto the bed, it wasn't rough or frantic.
It was slow.
Intimate.
Real.
When it was over, they lay in silence, their bodies tangled, hearts still racing.
Julie turned her face into his chest, breathing him in. "What happens now?"
Lorenzo's hand ran through her hair. "Now, we burn Matteo's empire to the ground."
She smiled against his skin.
"Good," she whispered. "I'm tired of playing nice."
---
But across the city, inside a darkened penthouse, Matteo Lucetti stood in front of a glass wall, watching the night.
His phone buzzed.
He answered.
A distorted voice said, "She passed the test. She's one of them now."
Matteo smiled.
"Good. Then it's time."