The urgency of the command in my brain grew stronger. I tried to rise, but Ty held me back.
“Wait. We need to come up with a plan first.”
“I can’t,” I told him, my whole body straining with the effort of resisting the compulsion. “I was given a command, and I have to follow it. I can’t ignore it.”
“For fuck’s sake, Liam,” Ty muttered under his breath, his anger palpable, but there was also an understanding in his eyes. We both knew it was better for Liam to have given the command than Castro. At least now I had the freedom to choose when to deactivate. And for the moment, I was buzzing with energy—an energy I needed to use to take Castro out.
“I know you wanted to be the one to do this, but it has to be me.” I stood, wincing slightly as my body protested. “I have to be the one to take him down.”
Ty hesitated for only a moment before nodding grimly. “Fine, but I’m coming with you.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, my heart swelling with love.
Liam stayed with Sabrina, ensuring she was safe as Ty and I took off toward the woods. We raced through the underbrush, our senses heightening as we tracked Castro’s scent. My muscles ached from the strain of pushing myself to my limits, but the adrenaline coursing through my veins kept me going. The cool night air stung my nostrils as I breathed heavily, the earthy forest scents mingling with the coppery tang of blood spilled earlier.
“Stay alert,” Ty warned as we moved deeper into the woods. “Castro won’t go down without a fight.”
As we made our way deeper into the forest, my senses sharpened, and I caught the smell of worms in the ground, termites in the trees, while the sound of rustling branches and distant growls echoed around us. My skin prickled with awareness, and I could almost taste the electricity in the air.
Every molecule of air brushed against my skin, and I sniffed, picking up on Castro’s scent among the crisp pine needles. He reeked of sweat and something darker, more sinister.
“Can you feel that?” I murmured to Ty, my eyes darting around the shadows cast by the towering trees.
“Feel what?” he asked, his voice tense and alert.
“Castro. He’s close.” My muscles itched, eager to take action.
“Wait,” Ty whispered, stopping in his tracks.
I paused as well, realizing he’d picked up on something. Our surroundings seemed to come alive with movement. We weren’t alone.
“An ambush?” I growled, baring my teeth as I searched for the source of the threat.
Ty stiffened, his body language mirroring my own wariness. “Looks like it.”
From behind us, Sven appeared, his expression grim. “Did you really think we’d be the only ones here?”
For a moment, I bared my teeth instinctively, thinking he had betrayed us. But Sven held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Relax. There’s still a battle happening. Castro has men all over, waiting to attack. I’ve got my own guys placed, though. Tonight’s fight won’t be as big as it would’ve been if Benny had stayed involved. We got word of this and arrived as quickly as we could, but I sensed you two were already here. Go on, find Castro,” Sven urged. “My men will handle the rest.”
“Thank you,” I said, though it was difficult to convey true gratitude when I was so focused on the mission Liam had given me.
As Ty and I made our way through the trees, men materialized out of nowhere and made to grab me, but I was on another level now, activated and driven by a single-minded determination to fulfill my command.
“Get back!” I snarled, kicking one attacker in the chest with enough force to send him flying into a tree trunk. Another came at me from behind, but Ty intercepted him, landing a vicious punch that left the assailant’s face bloody and broken.
“Nicely done,” Ty grunted as he scanned the surroundings.
“Thanks,” I replied. “You’re not too bad yourself.”
Sven’s men appeared just in time to handle the remaining attackers, allowing Ty and me to continue our hunt for Castro. We came across more of his henchmen, but they were no match for our combined strength.
My heart pounded while we pressed on. The cool night air felt almost electric on my skin, and the forest seemed alive with the sounds of our pursuit—the crunch of leaves underfoot, the distant echoes of Sven’s men fighting, and the steady beat of our hearts as we closed in on our prey.
The forest’s shadows seemed to reach out and claw at us as Ty and I moved cautiously through the trees. The ground beneath my feet felt strangely comforting, grounding me despite the chaos unfolding around us.
“Almost there,” Ty muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of our target.
My heart raced with a mixture of dread and determination. We had to end this not just for ourselves, but for everyone affected by Castro’s twisted machinations.
