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Silence follows as we all drop the antics and focus on moving in as silently and stealthily as possible. I’m impressed with the way Asher matches Kade and I stride for stride, never making any more noise than we would. I knew I didn’t have to worry about inviting him to join us.
We reach the back doors and don’t even need to utilize Kade’s skillset to get in, opening the door easily. I motion for them both to stay close, eyeing Asher a beat longer to emphasize my point. He doesn’t seem the type to take directions from just anyone, but I don’t care if this is his town, it’s my mission. He nods his head in acquiescence. I believe him, even if it was a bit reluctantly he did so.
We know the floor plan, but no way to know where the guards will be within the house or where Romano currently is. It was the biggest reason why we decided to attack the house from every angle in order to ensure the least amount of damage to us, while being sure Romano had no chance to slip out of our grasp.
We move on silent feet as we move through the back of the mansion. The first two rooms we pass through are empty, but just as we’re about to exit the second room into a long hallway, voices rise. I hold my hand up and all three of us pause. Kade flattens himself against the wall behind me, as Asher does the same on the opposite side of the frame. Dropping to my knees, I hold my breath as I listen for the footsteps and different timbres of voice coming down the hallway. I hold up two fingers to indicate how many guards there are. Asher acknowledges me with a nod while Kade presses a hand firmly to my back.
They’re coming down the hallways from our side, meaning Asher will be the first to lay eyes on them. I stay in my crouched position, watching his eyes for the moment they enter his line of sight. His eyes harden and his lips quirk up in half a smile, and he takes several steps back to stay hidden. Giving me the perfect amount of notice before two bodies are passing the doorway.
Both guards are oblivious to our presence as they focus on the conversation between the two of them. Idiots. I guess we shouldn’t really be surprised. It isn’t like Donahue was going to waste his best men on protecting someone he isn’t even sure is worth keeping alive.
As soon as they pass the open doorway, I launch myself from the ground and wrap my arm around the neck of the guard that was further away and cling to his back. I expected Kade to be only half a step behind me, to silence the other one, but huff a chuckle as I find Asher’s blade in his throat instead. The guard under me struggles and Ash raises a brow where my feet dangle. I shrug, well as much as I can, as I put the majority of my strength into choking out the beefy guard as he tries his best to dislodge me.
A laugh eddies up through me as Asher knees him in the nuts, making him drop his knees. I land on my feet, and release the chokehold only to snap his neck instead, now that I have the momentum and balance to pull it off.
Kade studies him but before he can say anything Asher begins ticking off his fingers. “It was faster than him slowly suffocating. And two, I took care of the other one so you’d stop babying me.”
“Fair enough,” Kade concedes and the three of us begin to move in unison again.
We kill three more guards before running into Luca and Rachel at the designated meeting spot just behind the stairs that lead to the upper floors. Still no sign of Romano. It’s only a few more minutes before the other teams reach us as well, both Declan and Ryder shaking their heads. I shouldn’t be surprised, they would have said something through the coms had anyone found Romano, but an antsy feeling slithers down my spine at not having my hands on him yet.
I force myself to remain calm as each team discloses how many guards they ran into, bringing the total of dead guards to thirteen. There should only be two guards and Romano left. I check the time, but no one else should be arriving until tomorrow morning for a shift change. Joe is parked down the street but between the drone and his vantage point, he will be able to warn us with plenty of time of any unexpected visitors.
Trying to get all of us up the stairs without drawing attention is another matter altogether. Even as quiet as we all are, that’s a big feat considering just how many of us there are. I gesture for Noah, Tyler, Declan, Ryder, Holden, and Asher to stay here. None of them seem happy, but at least no one gives me lip. We need someone to stay down here to watch our back and block the exits and the two guards left should be a piece of cake if we can just make it to the top of the stairs.
Ryder and Tyler follow the rest of us to the base of the stairs, their weapons drawn and ready to cover our backs as we make our way up. The others fan out around the bottom of the stairs, their eyes trained at the top.
I meet Luca’s eyes and nod to Rachel. He grimaces but agrees, he’ll have her back, even if it means not being able to focus entirely on me. As we climb the stairs, all four of us stay in a single file line, hugging the wall and taking each step carefully, weapons held against our thighs. Ready to use, but only as a last resort. We don’t want Romano to know we’re coming. Let him have a few more moments of delusional peace.
We make it to the top without incident, much better than the gun fight that was happening in my mind’s eye as a worst case scenario. Luca and Rachel take the left, while Kade and I begin to move towards the right. We clear each room as we go, but don’t find anyone. With each step, the tension ratchets higher and I become more and more sure that he must either be in the office or master bedroom. I can see both doors from here, but both are closed.
Kade and I edge our way towards the office door. We pause and I press my ear against the door and hear the low rumble of conversation. At least two people are behind these doors. I hesitate, waiting to confirm all three are in there before kicking down the door. It takes a few minutes but I finally hear the familiar drawl of Romano. I crack my neck and grin savagely at Kade.
I click the safety on my gun off and raise it in my hands. Kade follows suit before sending the door crashing open. We lift our weapons at the same time. I barely spare a glance for where Romano sits behind his desk, a laptop in front of him. My focus immediately lands on the two guards, one standing at either side of him.
I’ve fired off my shot and hit the guard on the right between the eyes, before he ever had a chance to yell, let alone pull his weapon. The other guard drops only a moment later and both Kade and I lower our weapons to Romano’s shocked form before he’s even processed his last two guards are dead.
“Did you really think you could hide from me?” My heart races as elation fills me as his mouth drops open and he desperately begins to scramble. Kade moves swiftly to his side, pressing the gun to his temple and Romano freezes. I can’t help the chuckle that escapes at finally having him in my grasp, under my thumb, completely at my will. My hands shake from the influx of emotions in a way I’ve never experienced before.
Luca and Rachel appear in the doorway and Luca immediately moves to Kade’s side to pull Romano’s arms behind his back. Kade holds him in place as Luca searches his body and pulls a few weapons off his person and tosses them on the desk in front of him. With them he also tosses a phone, a wallet, and a small journal down.
“Asher, you’re free to begin your search. Ty and Holden, stay put and keep watch. Make sure to have his back.” They both grumble at not being able to watch but it dies down quickly. “The rest of you can head up to the office, we have him bound and secured.” Even I can hear the slight manic edge my voice has taken but no one calls me out on it, even if I do hear a few chuckles.
“Still clear from out here,” Joe adds. “Another kid is here, said Asher sent for him. If he needs more backup I can send him in.”
“Tell him to stay put,” Asher practically growls, making me snort. “He’s only here for cleanup.”
“Got it,” Joe responds, laughter in his tone.
Kade and Luca have gotten Romano perfectly situated in the middle of the room as everyone else gets settled. As soon as Declan, Ryder, and Noah make their way into the room, we’re all ready to go.
Rachel drops her bag with a loud thunk as it hits the floor in front of Romano’s bound feet. Her face is still heavily lined with grief, but at the moment, it’s almost untraceable. A mere shadow that only serves to contrast the brilliant glow of her finally getting her vengeance.
“What do you have in there?” I tease her, excited to see how she works up close and personal. It was an easy decision to let Rachel take the lead here. She needs this more than any of us. He may have answers for me, maybe the missing piece I’ve needed all these years, but he stole something irreplaceable from her. Her wound is fresh, still aching and bleeding. There’s been no time for it to wear down into a scar, to heal enough to not still steal the air out of her lungs every morning when she remembers Alec is gone.
“You’ll see,” she promises, a wicked glint in her brown eyes.
The guys span out around the room, knowing exactly what is needed from them. Silent support. We’ll take our cues from Rachel.
