LUCIEN

 

I CALL IN a favor from my mentor, the man who taught me everything I know about the dark web, and he proficiently hacks into the city's electrical grid within the matter of several minutes.

"When I give him the signal, the whole house will be in total darkness for a total of ten minutes," I tell the team of men gathered several hundred yards from the backyard of the house.  It's not much time, but it gives us one hell of an advantage.

"Your guy's gonna cut off all the electricity for ten minutes?  Fuck, he's good," one agent whistles.  "What did you say his name was again?" he asks slyly.

I roll my eyes.  "Not a chance."

"Can't blame a guy for trying," he says with a grin.

It's amusing to see the good guys and the bad guys working together towards a common goal.  But I'm sure that if we weren't going up against a bigger target than me, these agents would have no problem gunning for me instead.

Giovanni is their number one goal on a long list, and they're going to get a chance to capture him tonight.

Little do they know that they won't be catching him alive; however, because I have no intentions of letting him live to see tomorrow.

Wraith motions for everyone to get into place, and then we're donning the night vision goggles that were supplied by the FBI and making our way through the surrounding tall grass towards the mansion.

When we're within striking distance, we all stop and lie in wait as I send out a text to my hacker colleague to cut the electricity.

Seconds later, the entire property is doused in a shroud of darkness.  They have no communication systems from the front gate to the house, no security cameras, no fucking lights, nothing.

The FBI agents go first, securing a portable climbing assist tool to the top of the fence.  One by one, they climb up the makeshift ladder and down the other side, disappearing into the night.

Wraith motions his men ahead, and the group runs towards the tall barrier, resembling black knights storming a castle.  I watch them repeat the agents' actions from just a few seconds prior.  And once they fade into the veiled property of the manor as well, I hear Jax cursing behind me.  "Fuck!"

I turn to see him frantically searching the area around us.  "What's wrong?" I ask.

"Katya's gone!" he says in a panic.  He looks towards the house, and his face falls.  "She must have followed Wraith."

I clasp my hand on his shoulder.  "I'm sure Wraith will watch over her."

He hangs his head and nods.  "Fuck, I hope so," he mutters.

I allow some time to pass before Jax and I maneuver our way over the fence.  The muffled gunshots can be heard sporadically throughout the property as Gio's men are taken out by weapons equipped with silencers.

Seeing a clear path to a back service door of the mansion, Jax uses a large rock he finds nearby and breaks off the handle of the door.

We enter the house just as the lights flicker back on.  Tearing off our goggles, we move carefully through the house with our guns in our outstretched hands.  Jax and I tread lightly through the kitchen.  But when I hear Adeline's screams coming from a few rooms over, I forget all about my safety and take off running.

"Lucien!" Jax hisses from behind me, but I don't stop.

I need to find her.

On the floor of the dining room is Adeline, and on top of her, trying to hold her down is that fucking bastard, Giovanni.

"Get the fuck off of her!" I roar.

My voice startles the hell out of him, and his head snaps up.  His eyes narrow when he sees me, and I know he's wondering in that moment if he's seeing a fucking ghost.

"Look who's back from the dead," he sneers.  In a quick move, he stands, pulling Adeline up with him.  He positions her in front of him, using her as a human shield.

The fucking coward.

With one hand wrapped around her chest and one hand gripping her hair painfully, Adeline cries out in pain.  Her eyes are wide and filled with tears as she stares at me with shock lacing her features.

I want to reassure Adeline that everything is going to be fine and that we're going to be okay.  But there will be plenty time for our reunion later, because right now I'm transfixed on my sweet fucking revenge.  The urge to kill him is too strong in me now.  I want to make him suffer and make him feel every ounce of pain he has put us through.

"Let. Her. Go," I growl, emphasizing each word.

"If I let her go, I'll never get out of here alive," Giovanni says, slowly taking a step back towards another room.

I'm quick to match his steps, not letting him out of my sight.  "You're not getting out alive either way," I tell him in response.

He moves his hand to Adeline's neck, squeezing her throat in a threatening manner.  "Perhaps, but I like my odds better this way."

"Coward," I spit at him.

Adeline gasps for air, and my heart skips around nervously in my chest.  "It will be okay, Adeline," I tell her.  "I won't let anything happen to you."

Giovanni clicks his tongue against his teeth.  "Making promises that you can't keep again, Wolf?"

"Says the dead man walking," I hiss.

A shadow appears in the next room, and I know right away that the mammoth man is Wraith.  He's sneaking up behind Giovanni slowly, and I just need to buy some time.

"Let me go and I won't snap her pretty little neck," Giovanni tells me menacingly.

"You're not getting it," I tell him, scratching my forehead with my free hand and giving him a sly grin.  "There's nowhere for you to go.  FBI agents have this place surrounded, and they're dead set on taking you."

"Lies," he says, but I can hear the nervous edge to his tone.  "You're a fucking liar.  The FBI would never work with you."

"It's funny how a common goal can bring two complete opposite parties together."  I take a step closer to him, knowing that Wraith is almost there.  "They want to take you in…alive."  I watch in the corner of my eye as Wraith steps up behind the sonofabitch.  "But I have other plans."

Giovanni opens his mouth to respond, but it's too late.  Wraith grabs Giovanni's arms and hauls him backwards, twisting him away from Adeline.  He pulls Giovanni's right arm behind his back roughly and sharply.  I can hear his shoulder popping out of place and his bones snapping from where I'm standing, and I grimace.

"Fuck, that's gotta hurt," I whisper as Giovanni begins screaming in pain.  My gun is still trained on him, and my vengeance is so potent I can almost fucking taste it.  I need to kill him before the agents come busting in and ruin my plans.

But a sharp sob coming from Adeline tears me from my homicidal thoughts.  Turning, I take a step towards her before stopping suddenly.  She's on the floor, and one hand is pressed against her stomach.  And the other hand is outstretched towards me, shaking and…covered in blood.