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As the minutes passed, the tide of the battle turned decisively in our favor. The remaining cartel members, disorganized and desperate, were no match for our well-coordinated attack. I took out a number of them as they tried to flee, and my men and I made certain that they didn’t escape.
Just as the fight was winding down, a cartel soldier leapt out from behind a piece of factory equipment, clutching a semi-automatic machine gun in his hands.
Before I could even process the threat, a single gunshot rang out, and the soldier’s grip on the machine gun loosened. He crumpled to the ground, his weapon clattering away.
I turned and saw Ivan standing beside me, his gun still smoking from the discharged round. He had taken him out with a precise shot, ending the threat before it could escalate.
“Nice shot,” I complemented him, and he smirked in my direction.
“Thanks,” he replied with a respectful nod of his head. “After you,” he added.
We moved forward, taking out a few more threats just like the last. Another wounded cartel soldier lunged towards me, a bloodthirsty glint in his panicked gaze. I didn’t bat an eye as I steadied my grip on my weapon and pulled the trigger.
The gunshot reverberated throughout the factory as the bullet struck the soldier, forcing his menacing charge to come to an abrupt halt. My shot found its mark, and he crumpled to the ground, shock written all over his face.
Raw adrenaline surged through my veins, and I pushed forward, taking out another soldier climbing through the rusty rafters above us.
His body crashed to the ground with a resounding thud.
Within an hour, the factory was ours. The remaining cartel members stationed in the building were eliminated. When the coast was finally clear, I walked through the building, surveying the wreckage, and congratulating my men and Maxim’s for a glorious success.
“We found something you should see, your Highness,” Ivan murmured, and I nodded once, peering back at him with expectation.
His icy blue eyes held a sharp intelligence and an air of authority that commanded respect. His closely cropped salt-and-pepper beard, always impeccably groomed, added to the sense of seriousness that defined him. His well-tailored suits and ever-present black leather gloves were indicative of his meticulous attention to detail and his relentless commitment to our cause.
What I especially liked about him was that he looked at me with the same respect he’d given my father.
He gestured for me to follow, and I dipped my head, indicating to him that I would.
He led the way as we descended into the basement, his deliberate steps echoing through the narrow metal stairwell. I moved through the hallway, glancing across dusty boxes and old forgotten tools until Ivan led me into the back room at the end of it.
As soon as I saw what was waiting for me in that room, I had to stifle a laugh. Instead, I lifted my chin and kept a stern, expectant expression on my face, but I couldn’t help raising a single eyebrow in judgement.
In the center of the room on the cement floor, Connor, Caden, and their consigliere Liam Shelby were all bound together with thick, coarse rope. Both twin’s gazes locked onto mine, one very angry and the other very much relieved.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” I began.
“I thought I told you to stay put,” Caden glowered, and I smirked in his direction. My sore bottom aside, the look on his face was more than worth it. I’d do it again a thousand times.
“Lucky for you, I’m not the obedient type. You, on the other hand, seem to have a thing for being tied up,” I countered.
His eyes narrowed with challenge, and I grinned wider.
“What did you do?” he pressed.
“I came to rescue Connor since you seemed to be in a bit of a bind,” I teased, and beside him, Connor started to laugh.
“Look at you, shown up by my future wife,” Connor exclaimed.
“Shut up, Connor,” Caden muttered.
“Don’t worry, Anastasia. I’m perfectly happy to be rescued by you. Ignore my brother, my would-be failed rescuer,” Connor chuckled, his amusement written all over his face.
“Don’t worry. I will,” I vowed, unable to stop my smirk from growing wider with my amusement.
Pointedly, I met Caden’s gaze. His blue depths held a multitude of emotions, from anger to frustration to a tumultuous sense of desire. I swallowed hard and lifted my chin, unable to stop myself from glancing down at his hands, which were just as tense as they had been before they’d smacked my bottom bright red.
He didn’t say it, but I knew he was thinking that he should have spanked me harder.
