Dane gripped both his own gun and Fablo’s weapon, his chest heaving from the fight. Fifteen of Ricardo’s men stormed in, guns raised, shouts filling the air. But Dane didn’t hesitate—he ran straight at them, moving like a phantom of death.Bang! Bang! Bang!One after another, the men fell. His shots were clean, precise, and merciless. Within minutes, the ground was littered with bodies, silence replacing the chaos. Dane wiped the sweat from his brow, smoke rising from the barrels of his guns.He turned back and walked into the container where Ricardo was being held.Ricardo’s eyes went wide the moment he saw him. “What? What the hell is going on? Where’s Fablo? Why isn’t Fablo here? He should’ve killed you already!”Dane’s face was stone cold. “He’s dead. I killed him—and the rest of your men.”“You must be joking,” Ricardo stammered, shaking his head. “That’s impossible. If… if that’s true, then fine. I won’t attack you anymore. I’ll just take my leave.”Dane chuckled darkly, a low l

“Hey! Stop moving closer!” Alessandro barked, his voice cutting through the silence.“Please, put your gun down,” Jane said firmly, stepping forward.Alessandro’s eyes narrowed. He shifted the barrel until the cold metal pressed against Jane’s head.“Stop! Don’t shoot her, Alessandro!” Dane shouted, his chest heaving.Jane raised her hand calmly, keeping her voice steady. “Listen. I told you—I have a proposal. Put the gun down, and hear me out. What if I give you a million dollars?”Alessandro blinked, almost scoffing. “A million? That’s not enough. And how would you even give it to me?”Jane didn’t flinch. “We already gave you the cash we brought. But here—” she lifted her phone slightly. “I’ll wire it to you. Right now. No cops, no tricks. Straight to your account. You know as well as I do… no matter how rich you are, you’d never reject more money. Not even you.”The silence dragged. Then Alessandro’s shoulders loosened, the tension in his grip fading. He slowly lowered his gun, eye

Dane’s breath came heavy as the patrol car cut through the night. His cuffs bit into his wrists, but that wasn’t what hurt. It was the weight of failure pressing against his chest. “Well, I don’t have any answers,” he muttered, voice low, almost to himself. “What do we do? What the hell do we do? Is there no way out? Is jail really how my life is going to end?” His mind raced. Damn it. I could escape now. If I slam my hands hard enough, maybe I can break the chain. Smash the glass. Jump out while we’re moving. I could run. But… His gaze shifted to the briefcase at the front. The diamond. The Hope Diamond. The very stone Buddha entrusted me with… it’s worth more than my own life. I won’t let it go. Not this time. Not ever. Captain George’s voice cut through his thoughts like a blade. “Hey,” George said, his tone sharp, eyes fixed on Dane in the rearview mirror. “You better not be thinking of anything stupid. Do you understand me?” Dane met his gaze, jaw tight. “Because if yo

As George collected the phone, he put it to his ear.“Hello, boss,” he said.“Do what does two tell you,” Butcher replied, then ended the call.“What should I do?” George asked.“Well… where’s the key for this car?” Dane asked.“It’s over here,” George said, raising it up.Dane grabbed it, but before he could move, George snatched it back.“I’m taking it,” he said.“What? What do you mean you’re taking it?” Dane asked.“The boss said I should take it. You can join one of your people—there are about six waiting,” George replied.“Six cars?” Dane clarified.“Yes, six cars. You can enter one of them,” George said.“You bastard… you’re lucky he called. I wish I had just shot you—or killed you right there—but I wanted someone to take the blame, and that would’ve been you too,” George added.“That’s why I know you’re an asshole,” Dane muttered.“Let’s leave. Just get the fuck out of here,” George said.“I’m driving,” Jane said, taking the key from Dane. She slid into the driver’s seat while

I think I’m going to take my leave,” Dane muttered. He walked out of Jane’s room, and she watched him as the door closed behind him. He rested his back against it, taking a deep breath.Why did I let my emotions get the better of me? Did I just creep her out? She’s right… we just came back from a mission. We killed so many people. Blood is dried on our bodies, our clothes… and I’m talking about love?Dane shook his head and started walking toward his room. As he entered, his thoughts shifted. The hope diamond… wow. 250 million dollars. Would Butcher just give the king of all mafia bosses something that expensive? That’s absurdly too much for a gift, even if you wanted to get close to him…But then he shrugged mentally. Then again, for Butcher, it’s nothing. He earns billions per week, per month. The price is nothing.He stripped off his suit and stepped into the shower. The dried blood on his body ran down the drain as he scrubbed it away, each sponge swipe cleansing him not just phy