Rain trickled down the cracked windowpane of the farmhouse, dripping onto the dusty wooden floor. Amira paced the small living room, her boots leaving muddy streaks as she moved back and forth, the gun in her hand trembling with every breath.
Zion leaned against the doorway, his eyes locked on her, studying every twitch in her face. He wanted to speak, to reach out and pull her close, but the tension between them was thicker than the smoke still curling from the ruins of the safehouse they'd left behind.
Rosalie sat on the tattered couch, her laptop balanced on her knees, her fingers moving frantically over the keys. "I'm almost through," she muttered, sweat glistening on her brow. "Dominic's men left a trail, but they're bouncing signals. He's hiding something."
"Find him," Amira snapped, her voice ragged with exhaustion and rage.
"I'm trying!" Rosalie snapped back, glaring up at her. "You think this is easy? You think...."
Amira slammed her fist into the wall, cracking the plaster. "I don't care if it's easy. He has Gabriel. He's taunting us. He killed Celeste. And I swear to God, I will rip him apart with my bare hands."
Zion stepped forward, grabbing her wrist gently, his voice low. "You're shaking, Amira. You need to breathe."
She jerked away from him, eyes wild. "Don't touch me. You knew, didn't you? About the auction? About his plans? You knew he was circling us."
The color drained from Zion's face. "I…I suspected. But I thought I could control it keep you out of it until we had him cornered."
"Control it?" Her laugh was bitter, cold. "You never controlled Dominic. He was always two steps ahead. And now Gabriel might die because of you."
"I'm sorry," Zion whispered. "I wanted to protect you. I wanted...."
"Stop," Amira cut him off, turning away. "I don't want your apologies. I want blood."
Rosalie finally breaking through Dominic's last encryption, revealing his location in an old factory on the outskirts of the city. As they prepare, Lucia confesses her past betrayal, her voice choked with guilt. "I sold him information on Celeste," she whispers. "I thought it would save me. I was wrong."
Amira looks at her, fury flashing in her eyes. "You'll show us the way. And if you lie, I'll kill you myself."
They load into the truck, driving through the night toward the factory. Amira stares into the darkness, every mile bringing her closer to the final reckoning. In her mind, Celeste's voice is a whisper: Do it. End him.
The chapter ends as they pull up outside the factory gates, the air thick with fog, engines humming in the distance, and Amira whispering, "Tonight, he dies."