Synek had one cigarette to his name—the one he was currently turning over between his fingers.

The only reason he wasn’t climbing the bloody walls was because he knew Rosalie—even though it had been years since he was last with her—wasn’t really interested in Iris. She wanted him.

That was the reason she’d taken her in the first place. It was her way of punishing him—the only thing she had left to use against him.

If he could count the number of times he’d been frustrated in his life, now would be the only time. He usually wavered somewhere between bored, annoyed, and homicidal, but never frustrated.

He couldn’t go about this the way he normally would—shooting first and asking questions later. Rosalie wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. The second a wall was blown in, she’d shoot Iris in the head before the smoke could clear.

He had to be smarter than that.

“You actually like her, don’t you?”

Synek contemplated sending Winter away as she dropped down next to him, her gaze trained straight ahead, but her presence helped eased some of the building pressure in his chest.

“Am I that transparent?” he asked, glancing over at her.

“You remember my junior year of high school when that kid cut off my ponytail because I wouldn’t go to the dance with him? I called you in tears and told you all about it.”

“What about it?” He remembered that day well.

“That was the only time you were ever calm when I was in hysterics. I thought you were busy at first until a few days later when he stopped coming to school. You broke his hands.”

He nearly smiled at the memory. “It felt more poetic.”

“My point is, you’re calm now. That’s when you’re at your worst.”

“We’re not all built for torture, little miss,” he said with a shake of his head, thinking of what he’d had to suffer at Rosalie’s hands. “It breaks you.”

And the more he thought about the possibilities—the more he imagined her suffering the way he had—the more the red-hot anger swept through him.

“You don’t have to do this alone,” Winter said quietly. “You don’t have to be alone. I’m with you, you know that, right? Till the end of—”

“If you quote that movie again, I will seriously consider harming you.”

“Whatever you need,” she said with a laugh. “I’m here for you, always.”

Synek stood and flicked his cigarette away. “Then let’s get my girl.”

* * *

“Well, I’m glad I was the first call,” Red muttered from his position on the couch, a beer in his hand as he watched the Wild Bunch walk in.

He’d only arrived twenty minutes after Synek called him, but there hadn’t been a moment’s hesitation in him showing up simply because he asked him to. Mercenaries, by nature, weren’t loyal to anyone, just the money they were paid.

And the Wraiths had been that way as well.

For a long time, he hadn’t trusted anyone outside of Winter—he hadn’t wanted to trust anyone or give someone a chance to betray him again. It was far easier closing himself off than allowing someone in.

He had Iris to thank for that.

Fang cut his eyes to Red but didn’t respond to his remark before he was focusing back on Synek. “You rang?”

Not even nine months ago, he had wanted to hurt the four standing in front of him, and he'd very well nearly killed Tăcut the first time they met.

And the second …

Even the third.

But now, he stood in front of them, ready to ask for their help. “The people I used to work for took someone from me. I want her back.”

His gaze went to Tăcut because it didn’t matter that Fang was the leader of their group, or that it was he who would voice the decision—it was all ultimately his choice.

“The one who had you taken, right?” Fang asked. “Why the hell would you want her back?”

Because she’d chosen him, even when he didn’t deserve it. Even when it was her own life on the line if she did.

Because she stood up to him.

Because she laughed when he told her jokes, and he loved her laugh.

Because she looked at him without seeing the damage.

“She’s my one,” he answered simply.

A moment’s pause.

Tăcut glanced at Fang—no words had to be spoken.

“Yeah, all right,” Fang said. “What’s the plan?”

Truthfully, Synek didn’t have one—the only thought to dominate his mind was that he wanted Iris back by any means necessary. He wanted to finish this with Rosalie to ensure it wouldn’t happen again.

He needed to end it.

But he’d given Bear his word. He’d promised that in the end, whatever was left of the Wraiths, the man could rebuild and start over.

He couldn’t kill everyone at the compound, not if he wanted to keep his word.

“I point, you shoot.”

“Sounds legit.” Fang looked at Red. “What’s he for?”

Red cut his eyes to Fang, gaze narrowed even as he smiled. “I’m good at what I do, ty rumynskoye der’mo.”

If Synek wasn’t loading his gun, he might have laughed at the expression on Fang’s face. He didn’t know why the two didn’t get along—could have been that they both titled themselves the best sniper—or maybe Red just wasn’t a fan of him. Either way, it was entertaining when the two were in the same room.

“This Romanian shit can put you on your knees,” Fang replied easily, flashing one of his canines. “Better watch yourself there, Russian.”

“Unless you’re mud wrestling in Speedos, both of you shut up,” Winter called from across the room, rolling her eyes. “Though if I had to bet, my money’s on Fang.”

“Good to see where your loyalty lies, Winter,” Red said with a shake of his head, though there didn’t seem to be any malice behind the words.

“Don’t worry. I won’t ever have to choose between you, so it’s all in good fun.”

“Care to put money where your mouth is, Russian?” Fang asked, finishing strapping his rifle to his back.

“You don’t want to bet against me, that much I can tell you.”

They bantered back and forth, betting on who was the better shot. By the time they finished, there was nearly half a million dollars on the line.

“I can guarantee you half an hour,” Winter said with her laptop in hand. “But the way their security is set up, they’ll know the moment I get into the system.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Understood.”

“Come back alive,” she said before looking over at Tăcut. “You too.”

“Right.” Synek glanced back at Red and the Wild Bunch. “Let’s make some noise.”

* * *

Iris closed her eyes against the pain in her leg, trying to force herself to breathe through it and focus on anything else.

For a time, the cracks that spidered up the floor were enough, then counting the water stains on the ceiling.

At least the blood had finally slowed, though she was sure she’d lost too much from how light her head felt. Even if she was able to get free, she doubted she’d be able to get very far before she passed out from blood loss.

Wren was still passed out, her head lolling forward, her body slack even as she was strapped to the chair. The bruise on her eye had darkened further, along with another mark next to her mouth.

She wasn’t sure if the girl hadn’t gone quietly, or if they’d been unnecessarily cruel in their treatment of her. Either way, Bear wasn’t going to respond well.

But that was only if they found them in time.

Rosalie was growing more anxious with each passing minute, her heels clicking on the floor as she paced. Iris wasn’t sure which of them was most looking forward to Synek walking through the door.

“I should have fed you to the dogs,” Rosalie spat at her as she walked over, still holding the knife from earlier.

Her gaze flickered over her slowly, as if she was trying to desperately find something in Iris worth looking at.

“I was never good enough for him. Nothing I ever did was good enough. Yet he’d choose you? You’re as pathetic as he is.”

As she turned, setting her sights on Wren, Iris spoke up. “You called him puppy.”

“What did you say?”

“You actually thought he would feel anything for you when you treated him like he was your pet?”

A cold smile curled her lips. “Are you going to educate me on someone you’ve known for”—she snapped her fingers—“this long?”

“Yet I know him well enough to say that he’s more than just your personal hunting dog.”

Never mind the things he’d had to do to survive—Synek was a person. A human being. With thoughts and feelings. Undoubtedly, he had done things that she never wanted to know about, nor would he ever share, but she didn’t care.

She saw him for who he was—and she liked every fucked up and precious bit of him.

“Don’t worry,” Rosalie said with a shake of her head, “he’ll ruin you the way he ruins everything.”

Iris didn’t think before she responded. “Looking forward to it.”

She didn’t see her hand move until it was striking her across the face, the pain sudden and nearly overwhelming, but even as she spit out the blood in her mouth, Iris didn’t falter.

A rapid set of beeps sounded as Rosalie pulled out her phone, flashing Iris the screen. “It looks like your time is up. Maybe you don’t mean as much to him as I thought, not like she does.”

Rosalie didn’t continue to taunt her as Iris expected—the game was over for her. Instead, she pulled out her gun, pointing it in her face. “Last words?”

“Did I ever tell you how it started between us?” Iris asked, noticing a hint of movement in the back of the room. “In the Hall, I mean. I don’t think I did.”

“Doesn’t matter,” the woman said with a shrug. “He’s not yours anymore.”

Wren was starting to rouse, her arms shifting beneath the binds on her wrists— and the men on either side of her didn’t seem to notice.

“Well, he may not be mine,” Iris agreed, “but I think I’m his.”

Rosalie only had a second to turn before the shots sounded. The two on either side of Wren never saw them coming.

One day, she thought as she stared across the room at Synek, she would get used to the sight him like this.

Vest on, boots laced, and a manic sort of frenzy in his eyes. “What’ve I said? A dog will only rest so long as it’s not provoked.”

It wasn’t just Synek or Bear who came in behind him, but the Wild Bunch were also on their heels.

Iris, even as exhausted as she was, didn’t miss the show of power and what it was meant to signify.

“Glad you could finally join us, puppy. I was afraid you were going to miss the show.”

Rosalie had always been good at playing a bluff, but even she couldn’t manage to hide her surprise entirely.

Iris understood why.

She had been on the receiving end of both coming after her, and she knew the image they made in their gear.

“You could’ve left me be, and I wouldn’t have come for you,” he said as he came closer.

“You betrayed me,” Rosalie retorted, coming to stand behind Iris, using her as a shield. “I couldn’t let that go unpunished.”

“I told you I wouldn’t harm a kid. I did, didn’t I? I warned you, you would push me too far.”

Rosalie scoffed. “You liked what we did. You got off on it! I never forced you to do anything.”

Shots rang out, and though she couldn’t see her, Iris could feel the fear in Rosalie as her hands shook.

“You didn’t think I’d come alone, did you?” Synek asked, finally pausing in the middle of the floor.

He was calm, his voice level, but there was a lethal edge to him that made her think if anyone in the room made a move he didn’t like, they wouldn’t live long enough to do it again.

But Rosalie wasn’t ready to admit defeat just yet. “If you hurt me in any way, the Wraiths will never stop coming after you. They will hunt you down until the end of your days, Syn. Your best bet is to let me go.”

“You’re right,” Synek said, surprising the both of them. “According to the code, it’s an eye for an eye. I take something from you, you take something from me. Isn’t that right?”

Rosalie was too confused to respond, not understanding where he was going with this, and neither did Iris, because if he offered to exchange himself for her, she wasn’t going to let him do it.

And when she got free, she was going to beat him for even suggesting it.

“But see, the way the Wraiths work, it’s the boss who makes that decision, innit?”

“Johnny will agree to whatever I want,” Rosalie uttered through gritted teeth.

“Johnny’s dead.”

Bear’s voice came from behind them, and despite the fact that she was supposed to be threatening Iris, Rosalie forgot all about that as she turned, an audible gasp making Iris turn to strain to see what was happening.

Bear was entering the room, pushing in a wheelchair with—

Shit, was that Johnny?

His head lolled to the side, and only once Bear stopped pushing the wheelchair did Iris realize that the man wasn’t just still—he was dead.

Synek wasn’t finished, and now, he looked far more amused than he had when he first entered the room. “I made him a deal. If he gave me what I wanted on the Wraiths, I wouldn’t burn this shithole to the ground, but see Bear, he’s loyal to the brotherhood. He might have given me a few plans, but I had to do the rest.”

Rosalie was still staring at her father, but there were no tears in her eyes. As if it wasn’t his death that affected her, but what his death meant for her.

“I picked my way through the chain of command until there was only you and Johnny left. You understand what this means, yeah?”

Rosalie didn’t respond.

“To be honest, I didn’t think you would pick up on Bear’s involvement, which was why I never bothered to actually get more than a few names from him. Your mistake, if you’re wondering—it wasn’t taking my Iris, it was taking Wren.” Synek smiled wider. “You know why, don’t you?”

It was lost on Iris, the connection not making sense to her until she thought of everything Synek had said.

Then she understood.

The men Synek had killed over the past week all fell into the order of who would be in charge of the Wraiths should leadership die.

First Johnny, as the head, the others who came after Rosalie, and now she was the only one left standing.

Because once she died, there was only one person who no one would question become the new leader.

Bear.

And ultimately, it would be his decision if he wanted retaliation for Rosalie’s death.

Except she’d taken something from him … and now it was his turn.

A tear spilled down Rosalie’s cheek. “I loved you.”

Synek shook his head, even as he raised his own gun. “I didn’t love you.”

Two shots in rapid succession.

Two shots and Rosalie crumpled to the floor.

Two shots and it was all over.

He stepped over Rosalie’s body to reach her. Pulling a knife from his belt free, he cut off her restraints, careful when he crouched and saw the state of her leg.

His brows furrowed as he gazed at the wound.

“She’s already dead,” Iris said with a pained laugh, her words enough to get him to look at her. “And I’m fine.”

From the look on his face, she was sure he wished he could kill Rosalie all over again. “Next time you want to take off, yeah? A little warning beforehand.”

Her mouth gaped open even as she rubbed her sore wrists. “This isn’t my fault.”

“I told you to wait for me.”

He was serious. Actually serious. “You realize you were in the middle of a thing with Winter, right? Something I didn’t need to stick around for. Besides, that letter was important to me.”

“Who the hell are you—” He cut off, his expression softening, and it should have been illegal for him to look at her like that.

Even though he hadn’t asked, she still felt the need to explain. “I’ve missed visitation twice. I just … I needed him to know I hadn’t forgotten about him.”

“I doubt he thinks that at all.” Synek didn’t give her a chance to stand before he was lifting her from the chair.

“I can walk you know.”

“Then I wouldn’t be able to carry you, would I?”

Eh. Maybe she didn’t need to complain.

“D’you think I’ll get to meet him?” Synek asked, expertly avoiding the bodies on the floor.

She had never imagined a life when she would meet someone like Synek, who could be charming and kind … even as he maneuvered around bodies he’d put on the floor.

“My dad?” she asked.

“Of course. I’ve never gotten to meet parents before. Think I might need to shave first.”

And probably wash the blood off. “You want to meet him?”

“Of course. He should know who his daughter is with, shouldn’t he? Besides, he’ll want to meet the one who helps get him out of prison.”

Three little words sprang into her mind—words she was too afraid to say just yet.

There was still so much to figure out. Not just with her father, but with Synek too.

But they were there all the same. And even though it didn’t make sense, and nothing about this strange relationship was remotely normal, she couldn’t deny the way she felt.

Across the room, Bear was whispering to Wren, getting her free, wiping her tears away.

The Wild Bunch were circling the floor, watchful and alert.

But there was no one left standing—Synek had made sure of that.

“Let’s get you home.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Iris didn’t want to let go.