Chapter 11

POV: Mike

The agency gym smelled like sweat and determination, filled with the rhythmic sounds of fists hitting punching bags, weights clanking, and boots skidding against the mats. Amanda was in the ring with Lara, their sparring session attracting more than a few spectators. I leaned against the ropes, arms crossed, watching my girl move with precision and grace, effortlessly dodging and striking back with a smirk on her face.

“She’s kicking your ass, Lara,” Tommy called from the side, earning a glare from his teammate.

Lara grunted, shifting her stance. “You wanna come take my place, smartass?”

“Hell no. I like my ribs unbroken.”

I chuckled, shaking my head, but before I could add my own comment, Gordon’s voice cut through the noise.

“Alpha couple, let’s go. Briefing room.”

Everyone there saluted him, and we answered in unison. “Yes sir,”

Amanda huffed, stepping back from Lara, and wiping sweat off her brow. “Still hate that nickname.”

“Yeah?” I teased, grabbing her towel and tossing it to her. “Cause you sure don’t complain when it gets us first pick on missions.”

She rolled her eyes but smirked as she slung the towel around her neck. “Come on, big guy.”

We followed Gordon, meeting the rest of the A-team in the briefing room. Margaret was already there, standing beside a screen displaying a logo—some high-tech security company I didn’t recognize.

Gordon got straight to the point. “We have intel on a possible breach in national security. Someone’s selling access to high-level weapons systems—missile controls, military-grade surveillance, the kind of tech that could tip the scales in any war.”

“Who?” Clark asked, leaning forward.

“That’s what we need to find out,” Margaret replied. “We believe it’s someone in the tech industry. A CEO, possibly a politician. Someone with a clean reputation but dirty hands. We don’t have a name yet, but we know the company involved.”

The logo on the screen expanded, showing the name ‘Titanus Technologies.’

“Great,” Tommy muttered. “Another billionaire with a god complex.”

Amanda rested her elbows on the table. “What’s the plan?”

“You two,” Gordon pointed at us, “are going undercover. We need you in Italy.”

That caught me off guard. Italy. Amanda’s dream destination. My brain immediately went to a ring I had hidden in my apartment, to a plan I had been shaping in the back of my mind for weeks. Italy could be it.

Amanda’s eyes lit up for a second before she masked it with a professional nod. “How long do we have to prepare?”

“You leave in four days.”

Tommy leaned back in his chair, smirking. “Italy, huh? What a hardship. Candlelit dinners, romantic gondola rides… hope you two can stay focused.”

Amanda threw a pen at him, which he barely dodged. “We’re professionals.”

Clark laughed. “Yeah, yeah, tell that to the last guy who walked in on you two making out in the armory.”

Amanda turned red. I just smirked. “He should’ve knocked.”

The room burst into laughter, and even Gordon shook his head with a small chuckle before bringing us back on track.

As the meeting wrapped up, my mind was already working through details—not just for the mission, but for something bigger. Something life-changing.

I glanced at Amanda, who was studying the screen, already lost in strategy mode. She had no idea that, if this mission went well, I wasn’t just bringing her to Italy for work.

I was bringing her there to ask her to be my wife.

walked into our office, still toweling off my damp hair from the shower, and found Amanda exactly where I expected—sitting at her desk, surrounded by case files and reports. Her green eyes flickered with focus as she analyzed every detail, completely immersed.

The glow of the monitor cast a soft light over her features, making her look even more determined. I leaned against the doorway, watching her in admiration. The way her mind worked, the sheer focus she had—it never failed to impress me.

God, I loved watching her like this. Sharp, determined, brilliant.

“Still at it?”

She hummed in response, “Mmm-hmm. This company has too many shell accounts, too many redirects. Whoever’s running this is smart. They know how to hide.”

I chuckled,“But you’re smarter.”

That got me a little smirk. “Damn right.”

I came up behind her, leaning down to press a soft kiss to the top of her head before trailing my lips lower, pressing a slow kiss to the curve of her neck. She inhaled sharply, tilting her head just slightly, giving me more access. My hands rested on her shoulders, sliding down her arms, fingertips tracing her skin.

“You know,” I murmured against her ear, “I can think of much better ways to spend our last few hours before this flight.”

Amanda let out a soft, amused huff, though I could feel the way her body responded to my touch. “We have a plane to catch, Lancaster. Work first.”

I sighed dramatically, letting my lips brush against her skin one last time before pulling away. “Fine, fine. But I’m holding you to that rain check.”

She smirked, glancing up at me for a second before turning back to the files.

“You packed?” She asked.

“Mostly.” My eyes flickered toward my suitcase across the room. Hidden beneath neatly folded clothes, tucked in a small box, was the ring. The weight of it—of what I was about to do—settled deep in my chest, a mixture of nerves and excitement.

“Italy, huh?” I said, leaning against her desk. “You’ve always wanted to go. We should take some time after the mission, actually enjoy the country.”

Her eyes softened for a moment, but then she gave me a teasing look. “Are you planning a romantic getaway, Lancaster?”

“Maybe,” I shrugged, giving her a lopsided grin. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

Amanda narrowed her eyes but let it go. “Come on, Alpha, we’ve got a plane to catch.”

Truth was, I was planning something. Something big. My fingers itched to check the small box hidden in my suitcase, but I resisted. I wanted this to be perfect.

The moment we landed in Italy, the mission was on. Our cover was airtight—security consultants evaluating the company’s risk exposure. With our backgrounds and experience, it was a believable excuse to be inside one of the most technologically advanced firms in the world. We spent the first few days gaining trust, learning the layout, watching for vulnerabilities. Amanda played the role of the sharp-witted strategist, and I posed as the no-nonsense technical expert. It was an easy act. Mostly because it wasn’t an act at all.

She sent her status reports religiously every ten hours, it was an order, and she was following.

She knew it was worried parents asking for this.

Despite the job, I couldn’t help but steal glances at her whenever we were together, the way she commanded a room, the way she made people believe everything she said. She was mesmerizing.

But when night fell, the real work began.

“Alright, we’re in position,” Amanda whispered through the comms, crouched in the shadows near the server room door. “Tommy, you ready?”

Tommy’s voice crackled in our earpieces. “Born ready. Just get me inside, and I’ll do the rest.”

I moved beside her, picking the lock with practiced ease. The door clicked open. Amanda slipped inside first, scanning the area before motioning for Tommy. He darted in, plugging his drive into the mainframe, fingers flying across the keyboard.

I stood guard, keeping an eye on the hallway. “How long?”

“Couple minutes,” Tommy muttered. “This encryption is a bitch.”

Amanda exchanged a glance with me. We were completely in sync, every movement, every breath. No words needed.

Finally, the transfer was complete. Tommy yanked the drive free, stuffing it into his pocket. “Got it. Let’s go.”

We moved quickly, slipping out just as quietly as we came in. Another flawless execution.

Back at our hotel, I lay in bed, arms folded behind my head, watching Amanda as she brushed her hair. The moonlight streaming through the window made her look softer, almost delicate. But I knew better. She was the strongest person I had ever met.

My gaze flicked to my suitcase, at the small box hidden inside.

Soon.

The mission was growing bigger than we had anticipated. What started as a simple investigation into a tech company’s shady dealings was unraveling into something far more complex. Every bit of data Amanda and I extracted only led to more questions—offshore accounts, encrypted messages, connections to people who didn’t belong in a corporate setting but in classified military or intelligence reports.

Amanda sat across from me in our hotel room, typing up a report for Gordon. I watched her, fingers moving fast over the keyboard, her green eyes narrowed in deep concentration. She was completely absorbed, lost in the puzzle we were trying to solve.

“This isn’t just some rogue hacker making a profit,” she muttered, not even looking up. “Whoever’s behind this has connections. The kind that don’t just buy data—they buy power.”

I nodded, rubbing a hand over my jaw. “And we still don’t have a name.”

“Not yet.” She finally turned to me. “But we’re getting close.”

That was the problem. The closer we got, the more dangerous it felt. But for now, there was nothing we could do but wait. The next crucial delivery wouldn’t happen for another five days, which meant we had time—time that I intended to use wisely.

Amanda stretched, cracking her neck. “I hate waiting.”

I grinned. “You’re terrible at it.”

Her eyes flickered to mine, narrowing playfully. “And what about you, Mr. Patience?”

I stood, grabbing the keys to the rental car. “I, my dear McDawson, am going to make the most of our time here.”

She arched a brow. “Oh?”

I leaned down, brushing my lips against her temple. “Be ready in an hour.”

Chapter 12

POV: Mike

The sun was dipping low by the time we pulled into the countryside, painting the sky in warm hues of gold and orange. Amanda stared out the window, her lips slightly parted, taking in the rolling vineyards, the endless green stretching as far as the eye could see.

“Mike,” she breathed, turning to me with wide eyes. “This is…”

“Beautiful?”

She nodded, almost dazed. “Yeah.”

I pulled the car to a stop near a quiet overlook, stepping out and moving to her side to open the door. Amanda slid out, still looking around in awe. “You planned all this?”

I shrugged. “Had some time to kill.”

She turned to me, smiling. “You’re full of surprises, Lancaster.”

We wandered through the vineyard, the scent of ripe grapes thick in the air, the distant sound of soft Italian music drifting from a nearby farmhouse. Amanda’s fingers brushed over the vines as she walked, a small, contented smile on her lips.

“Alright,” she said, spinning back toward me. “What’s the real reason for this little getaway?”

My heart pounded harder than it ever had in the middle of a mission. I could hear every heart beat inside my head. Me, the sniper, the trained soldier that could get a target miles away, that already killed in the most ways possible, nervous, in the edge of freaking out, reached into my pocket, fingers wrapping around the small box.

“Amanda,” I started, stepping closer. My voice felt thick, heavy with everything I was about to say. She tilted her head, eyes searching mine, sensing the shift in my demeanor.

I exhaled sharply, shaking my head with a small chuckle. “Damn, I had this whole speech planned, but now that I’m standing here, it’s—”

“Mike.” She reached for my hands, grounding me, steadying me. “Just say what’s on your mind.”

I swallowed hard, gripping her fingers. “You drive me crazy, you know that?”

She laughed softly. “I’m aware.”

I tightened my hold, pulling her closer. “But you also make me better. You challenge me, you see me in ways no one ever has, and somehow, even after all the shit we’ve been through, you still look at me like I’m worth something.”

Her breath hitched, and for once, Amanda McDawson—the woman who always had a sharp retort, who always had control—looked completely undone.

“I never thought I’d have this,” I admitted, voice raw. “Not after everything. But with you, it’s different. You’re different.”

I dropped to one knee, pulling out the ring, watching as her eyes widened, her lips parting in shock. “Amanda McDawson, marry me.”

She blinked, just staring at me. My pulse pounded, each second stretching into eternity.

Then, finally, she let out a breathless laugh. “You absolute idiot.”

My brows shot up. “That’s not exactly a—”

“Yes.”

I froze. “Yes?”

She nodded, laughing again, this time with tears glistening in her eyes. “Yes, Mike. Of course, yes.”

Relief, joy, something indescribable crashed over me all at once as I slid the ring onto her finger, standing to pull her into my arms. She kissed me, hard and deep, as if she was branding the moment into existence.

When we finally pulled apart, she cupped my face, her smile soft, unguarded. “You really planned all this?”

I smirked. “You’re worth planning for.”

She shook her head, grinning. “We’re getting married.”

“Damn right we are.” I kissed her again, the taste of laughter and love lingering between us, knowing that whatever came next—whatever dangers, whatever challenges—we’d face them together.

After Amanda said yes to me, I couldn’t have been happier. Pure joy filled my chest, overwhelming, almost unreal. She said yes. She was mine. My fiancée. The word echoed in my head, making my heart race with something deeper than happiness—something like peace. Like home.

I booked a hotel room at the vineyard, something different from the sleek modern places we usually stayed in. This was rustic, charming—romantic in a way that felt fitting for what had just happened. After a long day of celebrating with wine tastings, rich cheeses, and incredible Italian food, I took Amanda’s hand, leading her into the cozy space. The wooden beams, the scent of aged wine lingering in the air, the warmth of the dim lighting—it was perfect.

Before she could say anything, I swept her up in my arms, spinning her in the air, making her laugh as her dress flared around her. When I set her down, I looked at her, drinking in the way she gazed back at me, her green eyes glowing with something that made my breath hitch.

“Oh, my fiancée,” I murmured, testing the word on my tongue, loving the way it sounded.

She grinned, stepping closer. “My fiancée,” she echoed, eyes flickering down to the ring on her finger. She turned her hand in the light, admiring it, then looked up at me. “Did you pick this?”

I nodded, watching her face carefully. “You like it?”

She stared at it for a beat longer before looking back at me, something soft, something achingly tender in her expression. “I love it. It’s beautiful.”

I reached for her, my fingers threading into her hair, tilting her head up so she had no choice but to meet my gaze. And then I kissed her—deep, slow, reverent. Tasting the wine on her lips, tasting the happiness between us. My heart pounded as I held her close, knowing I would never get enough of this woman. I loved her so fucking much. And I had fought too hard, lost too much, to finally be here, finally be happy with her.

She kissed me back, just as desperate, just as certain.

I broke away only for a second, whispering against her lips, “Sparky.”

She smiled into the kiss. “Hmm?”

I kissed her again, breathing her in. “You’re the spark of my life, you know that?”

Her hands ran up my chest, nails scratching lightly. “You always get sentimental when you’re about to fuck me.”

I laughed, my lips brushing her jaw. “And?”

“And I love it,” she whispered before pulling me back in.

I moved her toward the bed, our bodies falling into sync, just like in the field, just like always. We worked together like we were built for each other—whether in combat or in moments like this. Our movements were effortless, natural, inevitable.

She peeled my shirt off, her hands tracing over my skin, memorizing. I reached for her dress, slipping the fabric off her shoulders, letting it pool at her feet. My fingers hooked into the lace of her panties, dragging them down slowly, teasingly. When I ran my knuckles against her, I groaned.

“You’re already so wet for me,” I murmured, my lips grazing her ear. “You react to me, don’t you?”

Her breath hitched. “Always.”

I kissed my way down her body, worshipping her—her collarbone, her breasts, the curve of her waist, the dip of her hipbone, the inside of her thighs. Every inch of her deserved to be celebrated. My fiancée. My soon-to-be wife.

When I reached her center, I took my time, savoring every sound, every gasp, every tremor of pleasure that wracked through her. Her fingers twisted in my hair, her back arching, her body moving the way I knew it would, like she was made for this. Made for me.

I knew exactly how to bring her to the edge. Knew exactly what she needed. And when she shattered beneath me, when her body tightened, her moans filling the room, I didn’t stop. I kissed my way back up, letting her catch her breath as her hands found the button of my pants, her touch eager, desperate.

We were lost in each other, no barriers, no walls—just us. Raw. Real.

When I positioned her on all fours, she didn’t hesitate, obeying me with a smirk over her shoulder. I ran my hand down her back, gripping her hips, sliding into her inch by inch, groaning at the way she took me, the way she squeezed around me, pulling me deeper.

I moved slow at first, savoring it, letting the pleasure build. My hand tangled in her hair, pulling slightly, just enough to make her gasp. My other hand slid around, finding her clit, teasing, making her shudder.

“I’ve got you,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. And then I pulled her up, flush against my chest, my arm wrapped around her waist, keeping her exactly where I wanted her.

We moved together, finding that perfect rhythm, that perfect connection, bodies tangled, hearts racing. She was everything. She was mine. And when we came undone together, her name left my lips in a way I had never said it before. Not like this. Not with this much meaning.

We collapsed onto the bed, breathless, laughing softly, wrapped up in each other. I pulled her against me, burying my face in her hair, inhaling deeply.

“I love you,” I whispered against her skin. “I love you so much.”

She tilted her head, kissing my jaw, her fingers tracing lazy circles over my chest. “I love you,” she whispered back. “Always.”

I closed my eyes, letting the moment settle, letting it etch itself into my soul.

This night, this love—it would carry me through anything. Even through the darkness I didn’t yet see coming.

Chapter 13

POV: Mike

The five days in Italy felt like a dream. A beautiful, intoxicating dream of wine, breathtaking landscapes, and stolen moments with Amanda—my fiancée.

We spent the days exploring vineyards, losing ourselves in the golden countryside, and the nights tangled together, bodies speaking in ways words never could. It was more than just a break from our mission. It was a glimpse of what our life could be—what it would be, once this was all over.

But when we returned to the hotel, Amanda did something that made my chest tighten. She pulled off her ring, tucking it carefully back into its box.

“I want to keep this for ourselves. Just for now,” she said, looking up at me with those green eyes that always had me undone. “Before the mission is over, before my parents know… the other agents are already making comments. I want to tell my family when we get back. Until then, let’s keep it between us. Just for a little while.”

I understood. More than that, I agreed. The last thing we needed was distractions. The ring would stay hidden, but nothing could take away what it meant.

“Alright, Sparky,” I murmured, pulling her close. “Our secret.”

She smiled, pressing a kiss to my jaw. “Our secret.”

And just like that, the dream ended. We were back to reality. Back to the mission.

The delivery was the final piece. Once we secured the data, we’d have everything we needed to blow this entire operation apart.

But when we analyze the last data, when we put together the puzzle, this was so much bigger then we thought.

What we uncovered was so much bigger than we expected. This wasn’t just about some high-tech weapon sales—it was global.

The men behind all this was Horatio, Horatio Quin.

Horatio Quin wasn’t just a powerful billionaire; he was a ghost pulling strings in every corner of the world. He had influence, money, and access to weapons that could wipe out entire continents.

The part that sent ice down my spine? His tech system. A program so advanced, so insidious, that it could track anyone, anywhere in the world. There would be nowhere to hide.

We had to end this.

The plan was simple. The team would stay at the hotel, Tommy would monitor from the van outside, and Amanda and I would go in, extract the last piece of data, and get the hell out. We’d done riskier missions before. We could handle this.

Only, we weren’t expecting him to be there.

Horatio Quin.

The moment we saw him, everything shifted.

One second, Amanda and I had our guns drawn, backs against each other, every exit mapped out in our minds. The next, armed guards surrounded us—silent, efficient, well-trained. They didn’t bark orders. They didn’t fumble. They moved like men who had done this before.

“Drop your weapons,” Horatio said, his voice smooth, calculated. He stepped forward, his dark hair perfectly in place and his blue eyes sharp and meticulous, his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his expensive suit. “Let’s not make this messy.”

Amanda’s fingers twitched around her gun. I knew she was calculating, trying to find an opening. But there wasn’t one. Not this time.

“Do it,” I said under my breath.

Amanda hesitated for half a second before lowering her weapon. I followed. The guards took them immediately, kicking them out of reach.

“Smart choice,” Horatio mused. He studied us like we were pieces on a chessboard, not people. “I’ve heard a lot about you two. Quite the team. A shame it ends here.”

I clenched my jaw. “You don’t scare us.”

He chuckled. “You should be.” He gestured to his men. “Separate them.”

“No,” Amanda snapped, stepping closer to me.

I grabbed her wrist. “Sparky. It’s okay.”

It wasn’t. It wasn’t okay at all. But the last thing I wanted was her getting hurt trying to fight them off when we were already at a disadvantage.

The moment they pulled her away, something in my chest cracked wide open.

“Mike!”

Her voice hit me like a bullet. I surged forward, but a blow to my stomach had me doubling over. The last thing I saw was her being dragged in the opposite direction, her eyes locked onto mine.

The last time I would see her properly.

They threw me into a cage—a fucking cage like I was some kind of animal. Cold metal bars, a concrete floor, no windows. Just a single dim light flickering overhead.

I had no idea where Amanda was. No idea if she was okay. And that thought alone was enough to make me go insane.

I gripped the bars, my knuckles turning white. “Amanda!”

Nothing.

I slammed a fist against the metal, my pulse a deafening roar in my ears. I needed to get to her. I needed to get us out of here.

Because if Horatio had us now, this wasn’t just another mission gone wrong.

This was the beginning of something much, much worse.

I knew Horatio was dangerous. I knew he had power, influence, and the resources to make our lives hell. But I didn’t know he was this meticulous. This prepared. This in control.

He had us from the moment we stepped into that fucking building.

Now, I was in a cage, stripped of my weapons, my comms, and any semblance of control. My hands were cuffed behind my back, the cold metal digging into my wrists as I sat on the concrete floor, breathing heavily through the pain in my ribs. My head was throbbing, blood trickling from the cut above my brow. But none of that mattered.

Not when Amanda was out of my sight.

Not when I didn’t know what the fuck they were doing to her.

Horatio had barely spoken to me, but I knew he was watching, studying, playing whatever sick game he had planned. He wasn’t here for me. I was just the pawn. The real target was Amanda.

The door creaked open, and I forced myself to sit up straighter despite the pain. Horatio stepped inside, his suit perfectly pressed, not a hair out of place, like this was just another day in his life. Behind him, two of his men followed, carrying a large screen. My stomach twisted.

“What the fuck is that?” My voice was hoarse, but I didn’t care.

Horatio smiled like we were old friends. “You’ve been rather uncooperative, Lancaster. I thought perhaps a little motivation would help.”

A sinking feeling settled in my gut. My jaw clenched so tightly I thought my teeth might crack. “Where is she?”

Horatio didn’t answer. Instead, he motioned for his men to set up the screen. It flickered to life, and my blood ran cold.

Amanda.

She was tied to a chair, her arms bound behind her back, her face bloodied and bruised. Her green eyes were burning with defiance, but I could see it—the pain. The exhaustion. The sheer force of will it took for her to hold on.

A man stood beside her, holding a metal rod.

And then he pressed it against her side.

Her scream tore through me, ripping me apart from the inside. I lunged forward, the cuffs biting into my skin as I strained against them, a roar of pure, unfiltered rage tearing from my throat.

“Stop! You motherfucker, stop!”

Horatio barely spared me a glance. “She’s quite strong, you know. Impressive, really.”

I could barely hear him over the blood pounding in my ears. My vision blurred with red as Amanda gasped for air, her body trembling from the pain. I felt sick. Helpless. Useless.

Another scream.

I slammed my shoulder into the bars, desperate, fucking desperate to break free, to do something, to stop this.

“Amanda!”

She didn’t look at me. She couldn’t see me. But I could see her. And that was enough to break me into a thousand fucking pieces.

Horatio turned to me, his expression calm, composed. “You see, Lancaster, I don’t need to lay a finger on you. Because this? This is far worse than anything I could ever do to you.”

I breathed heavily, my chest rising and falling in ragged, uneven movements. “I swear to God, if you touch her again—”

“Oh, Michael,” Horatio sighed, almost mockingly. “You’re not in a position to make threats.”

Another scream.

I lost my fucking mind.

I thrashed against the cage, my throat raw from shouting, my body fueled by nothing but pure, unrelenting fury. But it didn’t matter. Nothing I did mattered.

Because Amanda was still in that fucking chair. And I couldn’t save her.

Not this time.

Three days. Maybe four. I lost count.

They don’t feed us. They barely give us water. My body is screaming for something, anything, but I don’t care about myself. I can take the pain. I can take the hunger. But Amanda—she’s suffering, and I can’t fucking do anything about it. That’s the part that’s killing me.

I can hear her in the other room. Sometimes she screams. Sometimes she goes silent, and that’s even worse because I don’t know what the hell they’re doing to her. They show me footage. Horatio’s sick game. A screen lights up next to my cage, and I watch as they hurt her. I scream her name. I punch the walls. I fight against the chains. I do everything I can, but nothing changes. She’s still in there. I’m still in here. And that bastard wins every time.

On what I think is the fourth day, Horatio finally walks in.

He’s calm. Too calm. Like he’s already won. He pulls up a chair in front of me and sits, crossing one leg over the other, watching me like I’m some kind of science experiment he’s fascinated by.

Chapter 14

POV: Mike

“All right, Mike,” he says, like we’re old friends. “Let’s talk.”

I say nothing. My mouth is dry, my throat raw from screaming. But even if I could talk, I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

He sighs. “You can keep up the silent treatment, but I want you to know something. I could keep torturing you two forever. I really could. But that’s not the plan.”

He leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Killing you? That would be too easy. And honestly, what’s the point? The CIA would just send another team, another headache for me. No, I have a much better solution.”

His eyes glint in the dim light as he studies me. “Michael Lancaster. Military golden boy. Sniper, strategist, a real hero. I’ve read your file. You’ve got medals. Awards. Your record in combat? Impressive. You’re not just some field agent. You’re one of the best.”

His smirk grows. “And her? Amanda McDawson. I know exactly who she is. The daughter of Colonel Gordon McDawson and Lieutenant Colonel Margaret McDawson. The CIA’s precious prodigy. They’ve been looking for her everywhere, and you two made it so damn easy for me.”

He leans back, stretching. “So here’s the deal. I let you go. I let her go. But there’s a catch.”

I already know I’m not going to like this.

“If I ever see you together again,” he says, his voice turning ice-cold, “if you two so much as breathe the same air, I will come for you. I will come for everyone you love. And I will destroy them.”

Something inside me freezes. I don’t even have time to process that before he keeps going.

“You see, I have a little gift,” he continues. “A facial recognition system that scans every security camera, every phone, every airport, every restaurant, every single fucking place on this planet. If you two are ever in the same frame, I’ll know.”

He pauses, letting it sink in. “And if that happens, I won’t just come for you. I’ll come for all your little agent friends too.”

His smirk returns, sharper this time. “Because you see, I don’t just have your files. I have access to everything. Your entire agency. I know the names, faces, and military histories of every field agent in your division. If you so much as try to come after me again, I will sell every last piece of that information to the highest bidder. And trust me, the people willing to pay for it? They’re not the kind who believe in second chances.”

My stomach twists. This isn’t just about me and Amanda anymore. He’s threatening everyone. Every agent we’ve fought alongside. Every person who has ever worked in the shadows for something bigger than themselves.

And he’s right. If that intel gets out, they’ll be hunted like animals.

My hands shake. My vision blurs.

“Do you understand now?” Horatio says, tilting his head. “This isn’t just about you two. This is bigger than you. So be smart, Mike. Walk away. Because if you don’t, I promise you—I will burn everything you love to the ground. Especially her”

Silence stretches between us. My mind is screaming. My body is numb.

I think of Amanda. Of her voice. Of the way she looked at me when I asked her to marry me. Of the way she said yes. And now—now I have to walk away from all of it. I have no choice.

Horatio stands, dusting off his suit. “I’ll have my men escort you out.”

I don’t move. I don’t breathe. My world is ending, and all I can do is sit here and watch.

I stumbled out of the van, my legs weak, my body aching from exhaustion and the lingering effects of torture. Spain felt too bright, too loud, too open. My body was free, but my mind was still locked in that fucking cage, trapped with the sound of Amanda screaming.

The agency found me, they rushed me inside the base at Spain, voices blending together, but I didn’t care about any of them. I just kept asking for Amanda. Where was she? Had they released her yet? Was she safe?

No one had answers. Not until Gordon found me.

He sat across from me in the dimly lit briefing room, his face unreadable, his hands folded on the table like we were discussing a fucking mission report and not the woman I loved, his daugther.

I leaned forward, my fingers gripping the edge of the table. “Where is she?” My voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. “Horatio said they’d release her after a couple of days. It’s been—”

“We know,” Gordon cut me off, his voice calm, controlled. “We’ve been monitoring the situation.”

“Monitoring?” I barked out a laugh, sharp and bitter. “She’s still out there! She’s still with him. You don’t know what he’s doing to her. You weren’t there!” My breath hitched, the image of her body strapped to that chair flashing behind my eyes, her screams, her pain. “He wants us apart. He wants to destroy us. He said if we—” My voice cracked. I swallowed hard and forced myself to continue. “If we’re ever together again, he’ll come after us. After everyone.”

Gordon’s face was hard, his mouth set in a grim line as I laid out everything Horatio had said—the threats, the separation, the way he’d been watching us for God knows how long. My voice cracked when I talked about Amanda still being there, and how I couldn’t fucking sleep, couldn’t eat, couldn’t think about anything except getting her back.

Gordon didn’t flinch. “We’ll find a way out of this, Mike.”

But I could see it in his eyes—he didn’t know how. And that wasn’t good enough.

I worked like a madman, throwing myself into every lead, every shred of intelligence, trying to help the team locate her. But I was barely functioning, just a shell of a man running on caffeine and sheer desperation. I couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t breathe. Every minute Amanda was still in that bastard’s hands was another minute I felt like dying.

And then she was free.

She was free, and I still couldn’t see her.

She was released in France. I was still in Spain. I waited, thinking she’d be brought to me, that I’d hold her, feel her, make sure she was real. But she didn’t come. And when Gordon and Margaret went to see her, she refused to see me.

She saw Gordon. She saw Margaret. But not me.

Not me.

We were all sent back to USA.

I stormed into Gordon’s office, slamming my hands down on his desk. “Where the fuck is she?”

Gordon didn’t look surprised. He just let out a breath, slow and measured. “She’s safe, Lancaster.”

“That’s not an answer!” I roared. “I need to see her, Sir. You can’t keep me away from her!”

“She’s keeping you away from her,” he shot back, and that knocked the air out of my lungs. “She made this decision, Lancaster.”

I shook my head, stepping back. No. No fucking way. “She wouldn’t—”

“She did.”

The words hit like a gunshot.

I could barely stand, barely fucking breathe. Gordon’s voice dropped lower, rougher. “Mike, you need to drop this. Amanda—” He ran a hand over his face, and when he looked at me again, he called me Mike, now he wasn’t just the agency director. He was a father. A father who had just gotten his daughter back. “You think I don’t want to fix this?”

He wasn’t using my last name anymore. He was calling me Mike.

That was personal.

I swallowed hard, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “She’s my everything.”

Gordon’s expression twisted, pain flickering across his features. “And I’m her father.” His voice was raw. “I want to hold my little girl and tell her it’s over. But I can’t. And neither can you.”

I was shaking, my head pounding with rage, grief, confusion—

“She made her decision,” he interrupted. “She spoke to us, and she was clear. She wants you to let her go.”

I felt my stomach drop. I felt m world fall apart.

The sensation was completely hollow inside my chest.

Like I had everything, and someone ripped it away from me.

No. No, that wasn’t right. That wasn’t her. She wouldn’t just—

“She’s protecting you, Mike.” Gordon’s voice softened, like he thought I needed comforting. “She knows the risk. And she doesn’t want you caught in it.”

I swallowed hard, my throat raw. “No. She wouldn’t do this.”

“She already has.”

The words crushed me. Hope had been the only thing keeping me together, the thin thread I had been clinging to. And now it snapped.

I stumbled back, gripping the edge of the chair to keep myself standing. “So that’s it?” My voice was hollow. “She’s just…gone?”

Gordon didn’t answer.

And then he pulled something from his pocket and placed it on the desk between us.

A folded piece of paper.

“She wanted you to have this.”

My fingers trembled as I picked it up, slowly unfolding it. Amanda’s handwriting stared back at me, her strokes familiar, burned into my memory like scripture.

I love you. I always will. But this is bigger than us. We need to stay apart to stay safe.

Always your Sparky, big guy.

I couldn’t breathe.

Everything inside me shattered at once. I squeezed my eyes shut, but the tears came anyway, hot and fast, dripping onto the page. My knees almost buckled. My whole body felt like it was caving in, like nothing could hold me up anymore.

Gordon didn’t say another word.

He just walked out, leaving me alone in the ruins of everything I had left.

I had lost Amanda McDawson.

And I had no idea how to live with that.

Chapter 15

POV: Mike

I couldn’t let it go. Even when Gordon ordered me to move on, even when Amanda’s note told me we were done, I couldn’t stop. The thought of her still out there, alone, dealing with Horatio’s threats, made my blood boil. I spent every waking moment trying to track her, combing through reports, looking for any trace of her. I was barely sleeping, barely eating, just surviving on sheer determination and an anger that wouldn’t fade.

But Gordon was watching. He knew me too well. He caught onto what I was doing and made sure I wouldn’t get anywhere. One morning, I tried pulling up Horatio’s files—blocked. Every database I accessed shut me out. I ran a bypass, a trick Amanda and I had used before, but nothing worked. I even tried getting into restricted records through a contact in cyber, but the moment I did, a message flashed across my screen: “Let it go, Lancaster.”

Gordon.

Next thing I knew, I was being called into his office. He didn’t waste time.

“You’re off this case and will be sent to another team,” he said, his voice sharp. “You’re being reassigned.”

“Reassigned?” I scoffed. “You can’t just—“,

“I can. And I did.” His eyes locked onto mine, unrelenting. “You’re going to Eagle’s team. Effective immediately.”

I shook my head. “You’re punishing me—”

“I’m saving you, Mike!” Gordon snapped, slamming his hand down on the desk. But you’re digging around, refusing orders, it’s not going to bring her back.”

I clenched my fists. “So that’s it? We just leave? Let Horatio win?”

Gordon exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “This isn’t a fight you can win right now. You don’t have a choice, Lancaster. You’re done here.”

That name—Lancaster—told me everything. He wasn’t speaking to me as Amanda’s father anymore. He was speaking as my superior, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I left the office feeling like my chest had been ripped open. An hour later, I was packing up my things, moving out of the space that had been mine for years. My new assignment was with Johnny, and after a couple of years with Danna, too—a solid team, but it wasn’t the same. Nothing would ever be the same.

Starting over wasn’t an option. It wasn’t even a possibility. But I had no other choice.

Now:

Danna was silent, watching me as I finished my story. I didn’t tell her everything—not the nights Amanda and I spent tangled in bedsheets, the way she whispered my name like a secret only she knew, or how her smile could undo me in a second. Some things were just mine. But the rest, the pain, the loss, the way she walked away and never looked back—I gave Danna all of it.

“And that was it,” I said, leaning back against the leather seat of the jet. I felt drained, like I had just relived every second of those years in the span of a conversation. “I never saw her again.”

Danna studied me, her expression unreadable. “But you never stopped looking.”

I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. “No. I tried. I tried to move on. Gordon made sure I had no access to anything related to Horatio. He reassigned me, cut me off from every lead. I worked with you, with Johnny, with a whole new team, trying to act like I wasn’t constantly wondering where she was, what she was doing, if she was even still—”

I cut myself off before I could say it. I didn’t want to. I never wanted to think it.

Danna nodded slowly. “And now Gordon himself is asking you to find her. After all these years.”

“Not asking,” I corrected, my jaw tightening. “Pleading. He didn’t even try to hide it. The man who spent years keeping us apart now wants me to bring her home.”

I exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over my face. The weight of it all pressed against my chest, suffocating.

“She never stopped looking,” I murmured, more to myself than to Danna. “She never let it go. And now… she’s gone. Horatio took her. He took her because she was still searching. Because she never stopped.”

The thought made my stomach turn. My fists clenched at my sides, every instinct in me screaming to move, to act, to do something.

Danna leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “Then let’s bring her back.”

I met her eyes. For the first time in years, I felt like maybe I could. Like maybe, after everything, I would see Amanda again.

I just didn’t know if she would still be the same woman I lost.

The jet touched down in Germany, the wheels hitting the tarmac with a dull thud. I barely noticed. My mind was stuck in the past, still wrapped in the story I’d just told Danna. The memories I tried to bury, the pain I carried like an open wound—now it was all fresh again.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out, seeing a message from Gordon.

Sent some familiar faces to help you. Meet them at the hotel.

I exhaled sharply. Gordon wasn’t the sentimental type, but this? This meant something.

As soon as we stepped off the jet, my eyes scanned the airport until they landed on two figures standing near the exit.

Tommy and Lara.

A small part of me unclenched at the sight of them. It had been years, but they hadn’t changed much. Tommy was still built like a tank, his shaved head catching the dull glow of the airport lights. Lara stood next to him, sharp-eyed and steady as ever, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Look who finally decided to call in the cavalry,” Tommy said, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

I smirked despite myself. “You still as useless as ever?”

“Still carrying your ass,” he shot back, clapping a heavy hand on my shoulder.

Lara gave me a once-over, eyes assessing. “You look like hell.”

I huffed a laugh. “Feel worse.”

Danna and Johnny stood behind me, watching the exchange. I turned to introduce them. “This is Johnny and Danna. They’re with me.”

Tommy nodded at them. “If you can put up with this guy, you must be good.”

Danna arched a brow. “We’re still debating that.”

Johnny just chuckled.

I looked back at Tommy. “What do you know?”

“Gordon filled us in. We’re here to help get Amanda back,” Lara said simply. “So, where do we start?”

I took a deep breath. “Her hotel. She had a room before they got to her. If there’s anything left, it’ll be there.”

The hotel was a standard European business stay—clean, nondescript, nothing remarkable. The kind of place you could disappear in if you needed to.

We got the key from the front desk—Gordon had already pulled strings—and made our way up.

The second I stepped inside, I knew Amanda had been here. And I could swear it smelled like her.

Her presence clung to the space. It wasn’t just a room; it was a goddamn war zone of research.

The wall opposite the bed was covered. A chaotic, obsessive map of everything she’d uncovered over the years. Photos, articles, and handwritten notes are pinned and connected with a red string. Horatio’s network. His associates. Locations. Weapon shipments.

She never stopped. Not once.

Tommy let out a low whistle. “Jesus.”

Lara stepped closer, eyes scanning the notes. “She was close.”

I swallowed hard. “Too close.”

Danna moved beside me, studying the board. “She found things even we didn’t.”

Johnny ran a hand through his hair. “She’s been hunting him alone for six years.”

Six years.

Six years of this. Chasing a ghost. Dedicating her life to bringing Horatio down. No backup. No safety net. Just her own obsession and whatever leads she could find.

My chest tightened.

I stepped forward, running my fingers over one of the pinned notes. It was her handwriting, sharp and precise, the same as the note she left me all those years ago.

Never stop. He has to pay.

My jaw clenched. I felt my eyes watery; this was too personal, but I needed to stay straight.

“Alright,” I said, turning back to them. “We use this. We figure out where she was going next, and we get her back.”

Tommy nodded. “Damn right.”

Lara pulled a notepad from her pocket. “Let’s start breaking this down.”

We got to work. Because this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

Chapter 16

POV: Mike

The room was silent, save for the sound of papers rustling and the occasional tap of fingers against keyboards. Amanda’s research was everywhere—pinned to the board, scattered across the desk, lining the walls in a chaotic but purposeful web of connections. The sheer depth of it was staggering. She had never stopped. Every lead, every whisper of Horatio’s operations, every potential move—she had it all mapped out.

I should’ve known.

Danna was flipping through a thick stack of documents, her sharp eyes scanning every word like she was trying to burn them into her mind. Johnny and Tommy were pulling apart the timeline, tracing Amanda’s steps, while Lara sat cross-legged on the floor, sorting through a pile of handwritten notes.

We were all working. We had to be.

But I wasn’t focused. My eyes kept drifting back to the board, to the years Amanda had poured into this, alone. She had done what I wasn’t allowed to do. What I had been told not to do. And for what? To keep me safe? To keep me away?

I clenched my jaw, forcing my gaze back to the table in front of me, but then Johnny’s voice cut through the silence.

“Mike.”

I looked up. He tilted his head toward the balcony. “Come on.”

I hesitated for a second before pushing away from the table. Danna glanced up at me, but I gave her a nod before following Johnny out. The night air was crisp, a sharp contrast to the heat building inside my chest. Johnny leaned against the railing, arms crossed, waiting.

“You okay?” he finally asked.

I huffed a laugh. “Do I look okay?”

“No,” Johnny admitted. “You look like you’ve been punched in the gut and left to bleed out.”

I exhaled sharply, running a hand down my face. “She never stopped looking.” My voice came out raw. “All these years… she never let it go.”

Johnny nodded, waiting for me to go on. I looked back at the mess of papers inside the room, at Amanda’s mind laid bare across every surface.

“I thought… maybe she moved on,” I admitted, my fingers gripping the railing. “That she left me behind. That she accepted it.” I swallowed hard. “But she didn’t.”

“She just didn’t want you in it,” Johnny said quietly. “Not because she didn’t care. Because she did.”

I scoffed. “And what did that get her?” My voice was bitter, but the bitterness wasn’t for her. It was for myself. For believing, even for a second, that Amanda could ever stop fighting. “She’s in Horatio’s hands now.”

Johnny was silent for a long moment. “You know, when Gordon asked us to help, I didn’t even think twice. Not just because it’s Amanda, but because it’s you.”

I turned to him, frowning.

He shrugged. “I know what she means to you, Mike. I know how hard you tried to move on. And I know you never really did.”

I swallowed hard, looking away. “Doesn’t matter now, does it?”

“It does,” Johnny said firmly. “Because whatever happens next, we’re gonna get her back. And you’re gonna figure out what the hell you want when she’s standing right in front of you again.”

I let out a slow breath, nodding. But before I could say anything else, Danna’s voice called from inside.

“Guys! I think I found something.”

Johnny and I shared a look before pushing off the railing and heading back inside. Danna was holding up a piece of paper, her expression sharp and focused.

“It’s a meeting,” she said. “One Amanda was looking into. A possible deal happening in Prague. If she was tracking this lead…”

“She might have gone there,” Tommy finished.

My pulse kicked up.

Finally. A direction.

Tommy and Danna sat across from each other in the hotel room, both hunched over their laptops, fingers flying across the keys as they worked through Amanda’s files. Johnny and Lara were sifting through physical notes and images Amanda had collected, trying to piece together patterns. I stood near the window, arms crossed, staring out into the dark cityscape of Berlin, my mind running in circles. Amanda had been here, so close. And now she was gone.

Danna suddenly let out a low hum, breaking the silence. “This code…” she muttered, her brows furrowing as she shot a glance at Tommy. “What encryption were you using when you accessed this?”

Tommy barely looked up. “Custom algorithm. A mix of AES and RSA encryption with a slight variation.”

Danna’s fingers hovered over her keyboard, her eyes narrowing. “That’s a weird mix.”

“It works,” Tommy said casually, his tone even, but I caught the flicker of something in his expression—something off. Danna pressed her lips together like she wanted to say more, but let it go, shaking her head slightly before refocusing on her screen.

A tension settled in my gut, but I pushed it aside for now. We had bigger problems.

Danna’s fingers moved fast, and after another few moments, she leaned back. “She had a meeting,” she announced. “At a bar, just outside the main city. Three nights ago.”

That got my attention. I pushed off the window. “Who with?”

“No idea,” she admitted. “But she booked a private room. And she didn’t use her real name—no surprise there. But cross-referencing the data Amanda left behind, this meeting was important.”

I exhaled, trying to steady myself. “Then that’s where we’re going.”

The plane ride was quiet, filled with the soft clicks of keyboards, the occasional exchange of theories, but I couldn’t focus. I leaned my head back against the seat, exhaustion pulling at me. I closed my eyes, just for a moment.

And I dreamed of her.

Amanda was standing there, right in front of me, in my apartment. She was barefoot, wearing one of my old shirts, her green eyes soft but unreadable. “You’re still looking for me,” she murmured.

I reached for her, my fingers brushing her wrist. “I never stopped.”

She shook her head, smiling sadly. “You should’ve.”

Then she was gone, slipping through my fingers like smoke.

I woke up with a sharp inhale, my fists clenched. Johnny, sitting beside me, glanced over. “You okay, man?”

“Yeah,” I lied.

When we arrived in Prague, the city was alive with movement—cars rushing by, people walking in groups, the neon glow of streetlights casting long shadows on the pavement. The bar wasn’t far, tucked into a quieter part of town, the kind of place that was good for meetings people didn’t want to be overheard.

Inside, it was dim, the scent of alcohol and cigarettes thick in the air. A few men played pool in the corner, and a bartender wiped down glasses behind the counter.

I walked up, planting my hands on the bar. “A blonde girl,” I said. “Green eyes, small but tough. She was here three nights ago.”

The bartender eyed me lazily. “You mean the one that could take down four men by herself?”

My chest tightened. “Yeah. That one.”

He huffed out a laugh, setting a glass down. “She had a meeting in the back. Wasn’t here long. But when she left…” His expression darkened. “Some guys followed her. Ten of them.”

Lara cursed under her breath. “She fought, didn’t she?”

The bartender nodded. “Like hell. Took down at least four of them before they got her in a chokehold. It was messy.”

My stomach turned. I could picture it too clearly—Amanda fighting with everything she had, refusing to go down easily.

“Who took her?” I asked, my voice coming out sharper than I intended.

The bartender leaned on the counter. “Xavier’s men.”

Danna frowned. “Xavier?”

“Runs X Company,” the bartender explained. “Not the kind of guy you wanna owe money to. Or piss off.”

At that moment, a truck rumbled past outside, catching my eye. The side of it bore the logo: a red ‘X’ slashed across the company name.

I turned to the others. “That’s our lead.”

Johnny nodded. “Then let’s go find her.”

We spent hours digging through everything we could find on Xavier and his operations. Dana and Tommy worked side by side, cross-referencing Amanda’s research with what they could pull from their own resources. Xavier Industries had a sprawling web of businesses—shipping, logistics, even some real estate investments—but it was all a front for something deeper. Every legitimate venture led back to shell companies, and those led to weapons smuggling, money laundering, and human trafficking.

“This guy isn’t just bad,” Dana muttered, scrolling through a stream of encrypted files. “He’s a fucking ghost. No real digital footprint beyond the businesses, nothing that ties him directly to the crimes.”

“That’s because he doesn’t need to be seen,” Tommy added. “He had connections to Horatio back in the day, but they split ways. Xavier is doing his own thing now, and whatever it is, it’s big.”

That was enough for me. If Xavier had Amanda, it wasn’t by chance. He was either keeping her for leverage, for trade, or to get rid of her. None of those options sat well with me.

Then we found it—a deactivated industrial site, officially listed as abandoned but still receiving periodic shipments under a different company name.

“That’s it,” I said, pointing at the satellite images. “If they’ve got Amanda anywhere, it’s here.”

Johnny nodded. “Makes sense. If they’re keeping someone off the grid, they need a location nobody’s watching. No cameras, no workers, just armed men who aren’t supposed to be there.”

It was time to move.

The industrial site loomed ahead, a skeleton of rusted steel and broken windows. The perimeter was guarded, but not in an obvious way. The men weren’t just standing at the gates—they were posted in shadowed corners, walking in pairs, keeping a sharp eye on their surroundings. This wasn’t a place that needed protecting. This was a place where someone important was being kept.

“We do this quiet,” I said, voice low. “Dana, Tommy, find a way to disable their security feeds. Johnny, Lara, we go in first, clear the entrance. No gunfire unless absolutely necessary. We don’t want them moving Amanda before we get to her.”

Dana and Tommy got to work, tapping into their systems remotely. Within minutes, Dana smirked. “Cameras are looping. You’ve got about fifteen minutes before they notice.”

“That’s all we need,” I said, then signaled Johnny and Lara.

We moved in.

Johnny took down the first guard before he could react, his knife slicing clean across the man’s throat. Lara and I handled the next two, silencing them before they could call for backup. We slipped through the main entrance, clearing the way for the others.

The inside was worse than the outside—dust, rust, and the stench of stale air. It looked abandoned, but the faint hum of electricity in the walls told me otherwise. Lights flickered in the distance. Someone was definitely here.

“Clear left,” Johnny murmured, moving ahead. “Mike, you take right.”

I swept through the rooms, gun raised. Each step sent adrenaline through my veins. I checked every dark corner, every doorway. Nothing. But then, down a hallway, I saw movement. A shadow slipping away.

“We’re not alone,” I whispered into my comm.

Lara nodded, signaling for us to move faster. We picked up the pace, taking down anyone in our path. Gunfire erupted ahead—someone must’ve realized we were here. The quiet approach was over.

“Go!” I shouted. “Find her!”

We fought our way deeper into the facility, through rusted stairwells and corridors lined with decayed machinery. Then, at the farthest end of the compound, I found a door. A reinforced one.

I kicked it open.

And there she was.

Amanda was on her knees, wrists bound above her, cuffed to a steel beam. Her skin was pale, her lips dry. Three days. She’d been here for three fucking days.

Her head lifted slowly, and when her eyes met mine, something flickered across her face. Disbelief.

She murmured, voice barely audible, “God, I am hallucinating. I think I see Mike.”

My chest tightened. I stepped inside, swallowing the ache in my throat. “You’re not hallucinating, Sparky. I’m here.”

Her lips parted slightly, but she didn’t speak. She just stared.

I clenched my fists. I was going to burn this place to the ground.

Chapter 17

POV: Mike

I unshackled Amanda’s wrists with shaking hands, the metal cuffs clattering against the floor as I caught her before she could collapse. She barely had the strength to stay upright, and when her body sagged into mine, I wrapped my arms around her like I was afraid she’d disappear if I let go. She smelled like sweat, like blood, like Amanda.

I buried my face in her hair for half a second—just enough to remind myself that this was real. She was real.

“We need to go,” Johnny’s voice cut through my moment of relief. “Now.”

I pulled back just enough to look at Amanda. Her green eyes, clouded with exhaustion, locked onto mine. “Mike…” she murmured, her voice barely a whisper, like she still couldn’t believe I was standing there.

“I’ve got you,” I said, lifting her into my arms. She didn’t protest, just rested her head against my shoulder, her breathing shallow but steady.

Lara and Johnny covered us as we moved, their weapons raised as they shot down the few stragglers left standing. Tommy and Dana had done their job shutting down the facility’s security, but we had to move fast. Reinforcements would be coming.

We cleared the hallways, my grip on Amanda tightening as we maneuvered through the dark industrial corridors. Every step felt too slow, my mind screaming at me to get her out of there faster, to put as much distance between us and this hellhole as possible.

We made it outside into the cold night air. The van was parked just a few yards away, but the moment we stepped into the open, gunfire erupted from the far end of the lot.

“Cover!” Johnny shouted, pushing Lara behind a stack of rusted crates as he returned fire.

I shielded Amanda with my body, backing up behind a concrete pillar. My grip on my gun was tight, my heart hammering in my chest. “Lara, Johnny, take the left! I’ll cover the right!”

“Copy that!” Lara called back.

I set Amanda down for just a second, pressing her against the pillar. “Stay here.”

She nodded weakly, her fingers brushing against mine for half a second before I turned back into the fight. I fired shot after shot, dropping the men between us and the van, and when the last one fell, I ran back to Amanda, scooping her up again and sprinting towards the vehicle.

Johnny threw open the van doors as Lara kept watch. “Get in, get in!”

I climbed in, Amanda still in my arms, as Johnny slammed the doors shut behind us. The tires screeched as Dana floored it, speeding us away from the facility.

Amanda shivered against me, her fingers clutching weakly at my shirt. I brushed the damp strands of hair from her face, checking for any new injuries. “You’re safe,” I whispered. “You’re okay.”

She let out a breath, almost like a laugh, but it was too broken to be one. “Didn’t think I’d see you again.”

I tightened my grip on her. “Neither did I.”

Lara turned in her seat, eyeing Amanda. “We should get her to a hospital.”

“No.” Amanda’s voice was stronger this time. “No hospitals.”

“Amanda—”

“Take me to my hotel,” she said, looking up at me. “In Berlin.”

I hesitated, but I knew that look. She wasn’t going to budge.

“Fine,” I murmured, brushing my thumb over her knuckles. “Berlin, it is.”

I didn’t take my eyes off her the entire drive.

We arrived at the hotel in Berlin in silence. The weight of what had just happened still pressed against all of us. Amanda was exhausted, but she was holding herself together, just like she always did. The second we got into the room, she went straight to her bag, searching for something with quick, precise movements.

“Amanda, you should shower first,” I said, my voice lower than I intended.

She barely spared me a glance. “I need to show you what I recovered first.”

Her fingers gripped the edge of a worn book. Something about the way she held it made my chest tighten. She flipped it open, revealing a carefully cut-out hole inside. Nestled within the carved space was a small, silver pen drive. But that wasn’t the only thing inside.

Three origami flowers—delicate, slightly crumpled—rested beside the drive. The sight of them stopped me cold.

My heart sank.

I knew exactly what they were.

I had made them for her. That night. After our first kiss.

Amanda hesitated, her fingers grazing the paper petals, before pulling out the pen drive. She looked up at me, her green eyes unreadable. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The tension between us was suffocating.

Then, as if nothing had happened, she turned back to the pen drive. “The files from the agency, about us, and about all the agents. Horatio never uploaded this information anywhere. He knew it was too valuable to risk exposure, so he kept it here, in an office in Berlin.”

My jaw clenched. “And you managed to get it.”

A small smirk touched her lips. “Of course I did.”

Johnny grabbed his coat. “I’m going to get something for her to drink and eat. She looks like she’s about to pass out.”

“I’m fine,” Amanda said.

Johnny snorted. “Sure, you are.” He left before she could argue.

Danna, Tommy, and Lara moved to the other side of the room, spreading out their gear and laptops, already working on organizing the information we had. That left me alone with Amanda.

She moved to sit on the edge of the bed, rolling up the torn sleeve of her shirt. Bruises painted her skin, and there was dried blood near a cut along her arm. My stomach twisted at the sight. Without thinking, I grabbed the first aid kit and crouched in front of her.

“You don’t have to do this,” she murmured, watching me.

I didn’t look up. “You already did the same for me.”

She stiffened slightly, and I knew she was thinking about it—about the moment I threw myself over her when the explosion went off, shielding her body with mine.

I dipped a cotton pad in antiseptic and gently pressed it against the wound on her arm. She sucked in a sharp breath, her body going rigid.

“Sorry,” I muttered, though I wasn’t sure if I meant for the sting of the antiseptic or for everything else.

Her breathing was slow, controlled, but I could see her pulse hammering against her throat.

I kept working, trying to focus on the task, but touching her like this, feeling the heat of her skin beneath my fingers, was messing with my head. She smelled like sweat and blood and something distinctly Amanda, something I hadn’t let myself think about in six years.

She shifted slightly, and my fingers accidentally brushed over hers.

I felt it—she felt it too.

Her lips parted slightly, and for a second, she didn’t pull away. I looked up, meeting her gaze.

That was a mistake.

Everything in her eyes told me what I already knew. This tension between us wasn’t just mine. It wasn’t one-sided. It never had been.

I swallowed hard and forced myself to keep going, finishing up the bandage quickly before I lost the last bit of control I had left.

“All done,” I said roughly, standing up and stepping away.

Amanda nodded, but she didn’t look at me. She was gripping her own wrist like she was trying to steady herself.

The silence stretched between us. I should’ve left, should’ve walked to the other side of the room, but my feet stayed planted where they were.

And I knew—this wasn’t over. Not even close.

Chapter 18

POV: Mike

Amanda sat on the couch, freshly showered, her hair damp, dressed in clean clothes. Her skin had regained a bit of color, but exhaustion still clung to her features. I kept stealing glances at her, making sure she was really here, really safe. She called Gordon and Margareth and told them she was okay.

Johnny had gone out and returned with food, setting it on the table. Amanda took small bites, hydrating herself, while the rest of us dug in. I watched as she picked at her food, not eating much but at least trying. The tension between us hadn’t lessened; if anything, it had only thickened, wrapping around us like a force field.

Johnny and Dana formally introduced themselves to Amanda, and she greeted them with familiarity.

“So you are the famous Amanda McDawson?” Johnny said at first, “Nice to meet you, I’m Johnny Klein,” he completed.

“I’m Dana.”

“Dana Swan,” Amanda herself completed.

She knew.

Too much familiarity. I narrowed my eyes. My breath caught in my throat at the feeling.

“How do you know them?” I asked, my voice coming out sharper than I intended. I could feel Johnny’s and Dana’s eyes burning on me.

Amanda lifted her gaze to mine. There was hesitation, her green eyes trying to tell me something her voice couldn’t, but then she sighed. “Because I chose them.”

My lips parted.

I froze, my grip tightening around my fork. “You chose my team?”

Of course she did.

Gordon.

“Yes.” She set her food down, eyes locking with mine. “Even from afar, I always worried about you. I want you to have the best team, people you could trust,” Her last words came as a confession, a whisper, but I heard it, out and loud.

The words hit like a punch to the gut. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to feel. The thought of her watching over me, even when she was supposed to be gone, sent my head spinning.

The tension in the room shifted, heavy and unspoken, but before I could push further—

“I found something,” Tommy interrupted, his voice cutting through the moment.

We all turned to him, and he pulled up his laptop, the screen casting a blue light across his face. “Horatio and Xavier were partners once, but things turned bad when Xavier stole the facial recognition software from him. They’re enemies now.” He smirked. “And we can use that.”

Amanda straightened, her sharp mind already racing. “That’s why Xavier had me but never delivered me to Horatio. He was keeping me—maybe as a way to change something. If he was still fully aligned with Horatio, he would’ve handed me over already. Or killed me. But he kept me, waited until I was useful. So, Xavier has the software now?”

Tommy nodded. “Yep. Horatio doesn’t have it anymore. Which means that while he still needs to be dealt with, our bigger problem right now is Xavier.”

“And where is Xavier?” Johnny asked, leaning forward.

“He’s headed to France. If we want to get ahead of him, we need to move fast.”

Amanda ran a hand through her damp hair, exhaling slowly. “Then we leave tomorrow morning.”

I watched her, watched the determination settle back into her features. But I wasn’t done with her, not yet. The tension between us hadn’t reached its breaking point. And something told me that when it did, we wouldn’t be able to stop it.

The team picked up their own rooms, leaving Amanda and me standing in the dimly lit hallway. She turned toward her door, hand on the knob, when I spoke.

“I’m not leaving you alone.”

Amanda let out a breath, shaking her head. “Mike—”

“You’re not okay,” I cut her off, my voice low but firm. “You say you are, but we both know that’s not true.”

Her jaw tensed, but she didn’t argue. She didn’t push me away.

“When was the last time you actually slept? Really slept. No worries, no threats, no nightmares.”

She didn’t answer.

She just stared at me, her lips parting slightly as if searching for words she didn’t have. The silence stretched between us, heavy and unspoken, like everything else.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I’ll stay in here. I’ll keep watch while you sleep.”

Amanda studied me for a long moment, then exhaled, nodding once. No argument, no protest. She just let me take care of her.

I followed her inside, locking the door behind us. She sat on the edge of the bed, and I leaned against the wall, arms crossed. My emotions were a hurricane, but above all, I was relieved she was here, breathing, safe. We weren’t sure about the future. But for now, this was enough.

She lay down, her body finally surrendering to exhaustion. I stayed where I was, watching over her, guarding her, knowing that as long as I was here, she was safe.

And knowing, deep down, that no matter what, I would always protect her.

Morning light streamed through the hotel window, casting a warm glow over the room. I moved quietly, balancing two cups in my hands as I approached Amanda’s bed. She was already sitting up, hair still a little messy from sleep, her sharp green eyes scanning me as I handed her the cup.

“Latte,” I said simply.

She blinked, surprised. “You remembered.”

“Of course,” I murmured, taking a sip of my own coffee. “You never liked coffee much, but lattes? You love those.”

She hesitated before taking the cup, her fingers brushing mine for just a second. That damn touch sent something through me. Something I wasn’t ready to deal with.

The others were moving around in the suite, packing their things, but Amanda and I were alone for now. I sat on the chair across from her, watching her closely. There was so much I needed to say. So much I’d held in for years.

“I tried to find him, you know,” I finally said, voice low. “Horatio. After you left. I wanted to keep fighting. I needed to. But Gordon never let me.”

Amanda exhaled slowly, staring into her cup. “I know.”

I frowned. “What do you mean, you know?”

She lifted her eyes to mine, and that familiar weight settled between us. “I asked him not to let you.”

Something cold and sharp twisted in my gut. “You what?”

She sighed, setting her cup down. “Mike, Horatio didn’t just threaten you. He had more leverage. More ways to ruin everything.”

“I don’t care about me,” I snapped, my frustration bleeding through.

She shook her head. “It wasn’t just that. He threatened to release all your files. Every mission. Every kill. Mike, you’ve done nothing but serve and protect, but taken out of context? Twisted by the wrong people? It could destroy everything.”

I scoffed, running a hand through my hair. “So what? I never cared about my reputation, I could handle that.”

“But could your family?” she whispered.

I stilled.

“He threatened Barbara and Christopher,” she finally said. “He knew everything, Mike. Your sister, your nephew. He was going to have them killed. That’s why I kept you away. I wasn’t just protecting you. I was protecting them, too.”

The words hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest. My breath caught, my vision blurred. I had thought the pain of her leaving had shattered me before, but this—this obliterated me.

My family.

She left to protect my family.

She gave up her happiness to protect me.

And my fucking family.

Amanda had carried that weight. Alone.

My fists clenched, my jaw tightened, every muscle in my body screaming to do something. Say something. But the weight of it all crushed me.

I stared at her, my heart a fucking wreck. “Amanda—”

A knock at the door made us both flinch.

“Time to go,” Johnny called from outside.

Amanda exhaled, glancing away. Just like that, the moment was gone. The rawness between us shoved back down. But I wasn’t letting this go.

Not this time.

Chapter 19

POV: Mike

We landed in Lyon, France, a city big enough to blend in but not as obvious as Paris. The agency had secured a safe house for us—a discreet house in a quiet neighborhood, far from prying eyes. Gordon and Margaret had ensured we had everything we needed, from weapons to surveillance tech.

Amanda barely stopped moving. From the moment we stepped inside, she was on her laptop, sorting through data, connecting dots, completely absorbed in the mission. She looked exhausted, but she wouldn’t stop. I hovered close, watching her, waiting for a moment to make her pause, even just for a second.

“You should rest,” I finally said, leaning against the table beside her. “You’ve barely slept.”

“I’m fine,” she muttered, eyes locked on the screen.

I exhaled sharply. “When was the last time you actually rested?”

She didn’t answer. Just kept scrolling. That was answer enough.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to keep my frustration in check. “Amanda, pushing yourself like this—”

“We don’t have time to slow down.”

“You also won’t be any good to the mission if you collapse from exhaustion.”

She finally glanced at me, and for a split second, I saw it—the weight of it all pressing down on her. But she wouldn’t say it. Wouldn’t admit it. Instead, she just sighed and looked back at her screen. “We found something.”

I stayed quiet, letting her continue.

“There’s a politician, Carl Delacroix. He used to work with Xavier. Not anymore, but he knows things. Things we can use.”

“He used to work with Xavier,” Dana explained, her brow furrowed as she scrolled through files. “And more importantly, he’s still sitting on something valuable.”

“What kind of something?” Amanda asked, her focus sharp now.

Tommy smirked. “Blackmail material. Documents of international transactions linking Xavier and Horatio to their illegal activities. And get this—there are videos. Meetings between Carl, Xavier, and Horatio. We’re talking undeniable proof of their partnership before things went south.”

A thrill of opportunity sparked through the room. This was it. A way to turn the tide.

Dana frowned. “But we can’t access the files remotely. They’re not stored on any online database.”

Tommy exhaled sharply. “Which means they’re only available in one place.”

“His office,” Amanda said, finishing the thought.

Tommy nodded. “And guess what? There’s a charity ball happening at his company in two days. That’s our shot.”

Lara, who had been silently listening, suddenly grinned. “Well, well. Looks like we’ll get to see the Alpha couple in action again.”

Amanda didn’t react, but I felt the shift. The heat in my veins. The way everyone in the room knew exactly who she meant. My jaw clenched.

Amanda smirked, though, eyes still on the screen. “If it works, it works.”

I swallowed hard. My body was still wired from the night before, from everything Amanda had told me, from everything she had done for me without me even knowing. And now? Going undercover with her again, working together like we used to? The tension was a live wire under my skin.

I straightened. “Then we’ll go undercover.”

Amanda hesitated. “We would. But there’s a problem.”

She clicked a few keys, and a security feed popped up on the screen, showing a broad-shouldered man standing by Delacroix’s office. He looked vaguely familiar, but it took a second for it to click.

“That’s—”

“Jack Muller, former US military, Head of security for Delacroix.” Amanda finished for me. “You worked with him before.”

I stepped forward and cursed under my breath. “I know that bastard.”

Amanda arched a brow. “Yeah?”

“I shot him once.”

Johnny let out a low whistle, while Tommy muttered, “Well, shit.”

Amanda leaned back in her chair, eyeing me. “That’s a bit of a problem.”

“No kidding.” I exhaled sharply. “I can’t go. He’ll recognize me instantly.”

She pursed her lips, tilting her head slightly. “You are kind of hard to miss.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She shrugged, a teasing glint in her eyes. “You’re a big guy, Lancaster. Hard to blend in.”

A shiver ran down my spine. Big guy. Her nickname for me. The same one she used to say in a completely different tone. My stomach tightened.

I masked my reaction with a scoff. “Right. So what’s the plan?”

Amanda turned to Johnny. “Looks like you’re up.”

Johnny blinked. “Wait, what?”

Amanda smirked. “You’re taking Mike’s place. You and I will go undercover at the charity ball.”

My jaw locked. My gut twisted at the thought of Amanda going in without me. Watching from the sidelines. Having to trust someone else to have her back. It went against every instinct I had.

But there was no choice.

“Fine,” I gritted out. “But I’ll be watching.”

Amanda’s gaze lingered on me for a second longer than necessary, something unreadable flickering behind her eyes. Then she turned away, already focused on the mission.

I clenched my fists. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

I hated everything about this. Amanda going in without me? It made my blood boil, even though I knew it was the right call. I wasn’t used to sitting on the sidelines, and I sure as hell wasn’t used to watching Amanda walk into danger without me at her side.

“It’s a masked ball,” Tommy added. “Xavier and Horatio won’t be there. As long as Amanda keeps her identity under wraps, it should be safe.”

Safe. Right.

I barely heard the rest of their planning. My mind was already racing, already anticipating every possible thing that could go wrong. Amanda would be out there, surrounded by unknowns, and I’d be forced to watch from a distance.

I wasn’t sure if I could handle that.

I couldn’t sleep.

After hours of prepping, of digging through files, mapping out plans, briefing Johnny and Amanda, running through Dana and Tommy’s tech setup—I still couldn’t shut my brain off. My body was exhausted, but my mind wouldn’t stop.

So I found myself in the kitchen of the safe house, leaning against the counter, staring at nothing. The quiet of the night pressed in, amplifying every thought.

Footsteps. Light. Barely there. I knew it was her before she even stepped into view.

Amanda.

She paused in the doorway, eyes flicking over me. Her blonde hair was slightly messy, like she had tried to sleep but hadn’t fully settled. She wore a long-sleeve shirt, sleeves pushed up, revealing the fading bruises on her arms.

“Can’t sleep?” Her voice was soft, tired.

I exhaled, shaking my head. “No.”

She stepped closer, her presence grounding me in a way I wasn’t ready to admit. Without thinking, I turned to the counter and grabbed the small box of tea I had found earlier. Chamomile. I filled the kettle, set it on the stove, and waited.

Amanda leaned against the counter beside me, watching with a hint of amusement. “You making me tea now?”

I glanced at her. “Yeah.”

She let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. “Since when do you make tea?”

The kettle whistled. I poured the hot water over the tea bag, letting it steep before handing it to her.

Amanda took it, fingers curling around the warm ceramic, but she was still smiling, something flickering in her green eyes. “This is a first,” she murmured.

I frowned. “What?”

She lifted the mug slightly, then met my gaze. “Since your apartment.”

I stared at her.

It hit me like a punch to the chest. The question I had asked her last night, the one she hadn’t answered—When was the last time you truly slept?

Since my apartment.

Since us.

My throat tightened. I felt her words in my bones, in the ache that had never fully left. She had been running, restless, on edge for six years. And the last time she had known peace, real peace, was when she was with me.

I swallowed hard, forcing down the storm raging inside me. Without thinking, I stepped closer. My hand lifted, hesitating for only a second before I rested it against the back of her head, pulling her to me.

She didn’t resist.

She let me hold her.

Her forehead pressed against my chest, her fingers curled slightly into my shirt, like she needed the contact just as much as I did.

I closed my eyes, breathing her in.

For a second, just a second, it felt like everything stilled.

I wanted to say something, anything, but I knew if I spoke, my voice would betray me.

So I just pressed a kiss to the top of her head, lingering there longer than I should.

Then I pulled back, just enough to meet her eyes. “Drink your tea,” I murmured.

She nodded, her expression unreadable.

I turned and walked away before I did something reckless.

Before I gave in to the part of me that was still hers.

Chapter 20

POV: Mike

I was checking my gear, trying to focus, when Johnny found me.

“You good?” He asked, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe.

I glanced up at him. “Yeah.”

He didn’t buy it. Johnny knew me too well.

“She was your partner,” he said after a moment. “I get it if this is—”

I shook my head. “It’s not you.”

Johnny studied me, waiting.

I exhaled. “It’s her being in danger again.”

His expression softened. He nodded, understanding. “I’ll watch her back.”

I didn’t doubt him. Johnny was one of the best. But it wasn’t about skill. It was about me. Watching Amanda walk into another mission, another risk, after everything she’d already been through—

It killed me.

But I forced myself to nod. “I know.”

Johnny clapped a hand on my shoulder before heading out. I took a breath and went to find Amanda.

Her door was slightly open. I knocked once before stepping inside.

And then I froze.

She was half-dressed, standing in front of the mirror, pulling her gown over her hips. The silky fabric hugged her in a way that made my brain short-circuit. Her bare back was exposed, muscles taut, skin smooth, golden under the soft light.

She turned at my hesitation, catching my reflection in the mirror. “Mike,” she said, voice even.

I should have left. Should have turned around.

But I didn’t.

Her green eyes locked onto mine. Something flickered there—something unreadable, something that had burned between us for years.

“Help me?” she asked, her voice quieter now.

I swallowed hard and stepped forward.

She lifted her hair, exposing the zipper along her spine. My hands hovered for a second before I forced myself to move, pulling it up slowly, carefully, like I was touching something I wasn’t supposed to.

Her skin was warm beneath my knuckles. I felt her inhale, felt the subtle shift in her muscles, like she was affected just as much as I was.

The air in the room changed, thick with something I wasn’t ready to name.

My fingers grazed the nape of her neck as I finished. I lingered—too long.

Her breath hitched.

I met her gaze in the mirror.

I should step back. I should.

But for a split second, I didn’t want to.

I wanted to stay right there. Close enough to feel her warmth. Close enough to remember.

The knock at the door shattered the moment.

Lara’s voice. “Time to go.”

Amanda blinked, then took a step forward, breaking whatever had just passed between us.

I clenched my jaw.

She turned, smoothing her dress, not looking at me. “Let’s go.”

I nodded, but as I followed her out the door, my heart was still pounding.

The comms were clear, the team was in position, and I was miserable.

I wasn’t built for this. Sitting in the damn van, listening, watching through grainy surveillance feeds while Amanda was out there, walking into the lion’s den.

She and Johnny had just arrived at the charity ball, masks in place, looking the part of an elegant couple. The second Amanda stepped out of the car, heads turned. Even with the mask, even with the anonymity of the event, she stood out.

I clenched my jaw.

Johnny extended an arm, playing his role, and Amanda took it with ease. They moved together up the grand steps, disappearing inside.

“We’re in,” Johnny’s voice came through.

I adjusted my headset, eyes fixed on the screens. “Stick to the plan. No improvising.”

Johnny chuckled. “Relax, man. I know what I’m doing.”

I scowled. Of course he did. That wasn’t the damn problem.

Amanda’s voice came through next, smooth and confident. “Big guy, I got this.”

I exhaled sharply at the nickname. She was doing this on purpose.

Lara grinned, nudging my shoulder. “They’re doing fine, van agent.”

I shot her a glare, but she just laughed.

Inside, Amanda and Johnny blended into the crowd. The ballroom was filled with politicians, CEOs, and criminals disguised as philanthropists. But our target was Carl Delacroix, the man who held blackmail material against Xavier and Horatio.

And right now, we need a distraction.

Amanda moved toward the bar, scanning the room.

“There,” Tommy said, pointing to the screen. “That guy—he’s one of Delacroix’s security leads. If Amanda keeps him occupied, Johnny can slip through.”

A moment later, Amanda took a glass of champagne and walked straight to him. Smooth. Effortless. Like she was born to do this.

The guy didn’t stand a chance.

I knew it. Hell, she knew it.

Still, watching it happen made my hands curl into fists.

She touched the man’s arm lightly, laughed at something he said. He was eating it up.

I muttered under my breath, barely realizing I said it out loud. “That poor bastard never had a chance.”

Lara smirked. “You’re so obvious, Lancaster.”

I ignored her.

Amanda was perfect—too perfect. The way she leaned in, the way she tilted her chin just slightly, the way she owned the moment.

She was stunning. Not just because of the dress, but because of the control she had over the room.

She had always been a weapon. And right now, she was wielding herself like one.

“Johnny, you’re clear,” I said through gritted teeth.

He slipped past the distracted guard, moving toward Delacroix’s office.

Now, all we had to do was wait.

And for me, that was the hardest part.

I knew it.

I knew something was going to go wrong.

The second Johnny’s voice came through the comms, tense and low, my pulse spiked.

“I need backup here,” he said. “We’ve got a problem.”

I sat forward, muscles coiled. “What kind of problem?”

“The kind where I can’t get into Delacroix’s system without setting off alarms unless someone manually overrides it from here.”

Amanda’s voice cut in. “I’m on it.”

I clenched my jaw.

“Wait—” I started, but it was too late.

On the screen, I watched Amanda slip away from the ballroom, heading toward the hallway that led to Carl Delacroix’s office.

Lara cursed. “Damn it, she’s fast.”

Tommy tapped furiously at the keyboard. “Security hasn’t noticed her yet, but if they do…”

Yeah. If they did, she was screwed.

I gripped my headset. “Amanda, you need to—”

“Relax, big guy,” she said smoothly. “I got this.”

I exhaled hard, rubbing my face. She was trying to keep me calm, but it wasn’t working.

On the screen, she made it to Johnny. The two of them moved fast, pulling up files, plugging in the flash drive. The download started.

Sixty percent.

Seventy.

Eighty.

Then Tommy’s voice sliced through the comms, sharp with urgency.

“Shit. Security’s on the move.”

My entire body went rigid.

Lara cursed. “They must have detected the data leak. They’re heading toward Delacroix’s office.”

And leading the charge—Jack Muller.

I straightened. “Jack fucking Muller?”

Amanda muttered something under her breath.

I’d worked with Jack once. Once. He was ex-military, and not the kind who believed in brotherhood or honor. He took the highest paycheck and followed orders, no matter what those orders were.

I had put a bullet in his leg eight years ago.

If he saw me, it was over.

I didn’t care. I was already strapping my holster back on, locking a mag into my gun.

“Mike,” Amanda’s voice came through, tight but controlled. “Don’t. You cannot come in here.”

“I don’t give a damn—”

“You have to give a damn,” she snapped. “If Jack sees you, we lose everything.”

I shoved my gun into my waistband. “I’m not sitting in this van while you—”

“We’re almost done,” Johnny cut in. “Eighty-five percent. Just give me a minute.”

“You don’t have a minute,” Tommy bit out. “They’ll be outside the door in thirty seconds.”

I was already out of my seat.

Lara grabbed my arm. “Mike, think.”

I was thinking. I was thinking about Amanda trapped in that office. Thinking about how Jack Muller wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet in her.

“Download complete,” Johnny whispered.

Amanda was already moving. “We’re getting out of here.”

But it was too late.

I watched on the screen as shadows moved down the hallway, stopping right outside the office door.

I clenched my fists.

Not fucking happening.

Amanda and Johnny had seconds.

Then Amanda did something that made my stomach drop.

She turned to Johnny, wiped the edge of her thumb over her lips—smudging her lipstick—and dragged her hand down his face, making sure the color transferred to his cheek. Then she yanked one strap of her dress down her shoulder and slid his jacket off, letting it fall to the floor.

I froze.

“What the hell is she doing?” I growled.

“Adapting,” Lara muttered.

The door burst open.

Jack Muller stepped in, gun drawn, three other men flanking him.

Amanda and Johnny were tangled together, bodies close, Amanda’s breathless laughter filling the room.

“Gentlemen,” she said, voice full of teasing irritation. “I thought this place had more privacy.”

Johnny groaned like an embarrassed guy caught in the act. “We, uh… we were just—”

“Looking for somewhere quiet,” Amanda finished, running a hand through her hair, disheveling it further.

The guards stared.

Jack’s eyes narrowed.

I barely breathed.

One of the guards coughed awkwardly. “You’re not supposed to be back here.”

Amanda pouted. “Then maybe don’t throw a party in a building with so many locked doors. It’s tempting.”

Jack didn’t look convinced.

My grip tightened on my gun.

Then Amanda sighed, grabbing Johnny’s arm. “Come on, darling,” she drawled. “Let’s go before they call our parents to come pick us up.”

She led Johnny out of the room, brushing past Jack without so much as a glance.

And just like that, they were clear.

I exhaled.

Johnny’s voice crackled in my ear. “Well, that was something.”

Amanda’s was quieter. “Told you, big guy. I got this.”

I closed my eyes for a second.

Yeah. She did.

But that didn’t mean it was getting any easier to watch.