Chapter One Hundred & Twenty

Chapter One Hundred & Twenty
Nora's P.O.V

Because now—

There was nothing left to delay what was coming next.

I turned back toward Nick.

“We need to get a game plan together,” I said, voice steady. “We’re moving on the Order later today.”

They already knew.

This wasn’t their fight.

“You two make yourselves at home,” I said. “There’s staff everywhere. If you need anything, just ask.”

Amelia glanced around the place again, a grin pulling at her mouth. “Oh, I plan on it.”

Nick huffed a quiet breath, but there was no edge to it.

“Go do what you need to do,” he said, looking at me. “We’ll be here when you get back.”

I nodded once.

Leo’s hand brushed mine—quick, grounding—before he stepped away.

Killian moved first, already heading toward the hall.

“War room,” he said.

We entered the war room.

It was already full—at least a dozen guards spread around the table and along the walls, all in position, all waiting.

The second we stepped in, they snapped to attention.

Chairs shifted. Backs straightened. The low murmur of conversation cut off instantly.

Silence took its place.

Killian moved first, taking his spot at the head of the table like it was built for him.

I stepped to his right.

Leo settled in at my side, close enough that I didn’t have to look to know he was there.

They were waiting.

Killian didn’t waste time.

“Pier fourteen,” he said, voice carrying easily across the room. “We move today.”

A screen behind him lit up—maps, layouts, movement patterns already pulled up and marked.

I stepped forward slightly, taking it from there.

“It’s a front,” I said. “Controlled traffic, tight rotations. They’re hiding something, and they’re expecting us to come looking.”

A few of the men exchanged brief glances.

Good.

They understood what that meant.

“It’s not a smash and grab,” I continued. “We go in clean. Fast. No hesitation.”

Leo’s voice cut in beside me, low and steady.

“Primary entry point here,” he said, stepping forward just enough to indicate the blind spot between stacked containers on the map. “You’ve got a thirty-second window during shift change.”

One of the guards nodded. “And if that window closes?”

Killian answered that one.

“It won’t,” he said.

No room for doubt.

No second guessing.

The guard didn’t ask again.

I stepped closer to the table, placing my hands on the edge, grounding myself as I looked at all of them.

“They hit this estate last night,” I said. “That means they’re not testing anymore. They’re escalating.”

The room shifted slightly at that.

“So we escalate back,” I finished.

Leo stepped in again, adding to it.

“Secondary team takes the north side. Cut off any exit routes before they can reorganize.”

Killian tapped the map once, sharp.

“No unnecessary noise. We’re not there to make a statement—we’re there to end it.”

A pause.

Then one of the guards spoke up. “And if it’s more than a front?”

I didn’t hesitate.

“Then we burn through it,” I said.

Silence followed that.

Killian’s gaze swept the room.

“Gear up,” he said. “We move in one hour.”

Chairs shifted.

The room came alive again—controlled movement, quiet orders, everything snapping into place.

Leo stepped back beside me, his presence steady.

Killian didn’t look at me—but I felt it.

The unspoken understanding.

This wasn’t just another hit.

This was the beginning of something bigger.

And we were walking straight into it.

The hour passed fast.

Too fast.

By the time it was over, the room had shifted from planning to execution. Men moved with purpose, gear clicking into place, weapons checked and rechecked. Every movement sharp. Controlled.

Everyone suited up.

Except me.

Except Leo.

We were the weapon.

I only switched into my combat boots, lacing them tight as the rest of them loaded up. No armor. No extra weight. I didn’t need it.

Neither did he.

Outside, engines rumbled to life—blacked-out SUVs lining the drive, doors opening and shutting in quick succession as the team filed in.

Killian led the way.

Leo stayed at my side.

We climbed into one together, the door slamming shut behind us, sealing us into a quieter kind of tension.

The convoy rolled out.

Silence filled the car.

I leaned back slightly, my gaze drifting out the window as we passed houses, storefronts, the normal world moving like it had no idea what we were about to do.

Like none of this existed.

The closer we got to the docks, the quieter it felt.

Then—

I felt it.

Two sets of eyes.

On me.

I turned slightly, looking between them.

“Why are you both staring at me?” I asked.

Killian didn’t look away.

Leo didn’t either.

But I felt him try.

Felt the shift through the bond—like he was pulling something back, like he didn’t want me catching it.

Too late.

I raised a brow, my attention settling on him.

“You know that doesn’t work,” I said quietly.

His jaw tightened just slightly.

“Not everything is for you to feel,” he replied.

I leaned back again, crossing my arms loosely.

“Then stop thinking so loud.”

That almost pulled something out of him.

Almost.

Killian’s gaze shifted to me, sharper now, more direct than before.

“You need to stay in control,” he said.

I didn’t respond.

“You feel it slipping,” he continued, voice low but firm, “you find us… or you call Rael.”

That snapped my attention to him instantly.

“Why Rael?” I asked, the edge in my voice not even hidden.

Killian didn’t hesitate.

“Because he’s the only one who can leash it,” he said. “Your power.”

Silence hit hard.

My eyes narrowed.

“Leash me?” I repeated.

The word sat wrong.

Too close to something I didn’t accept.

Leo shifted beside me immediately, his presence tightening—not aggressive, but alert.

Killian didn’t back down.

“I didn’t say control you,” he said evenly. “I said contain it if it turns on you.”

“It’s not turning on me,” I shot back.

“Not yet,” he replied.

That landed harder than I wanted it to.

The bond flickered—Leo felt it.

I looked away for half a second, jaw tightening before I forced myself back into stillness.

“It’s mine,” I said, quieter now, but no less certain. “I control it.”

Killian watched me for a long moment, measuring.

“I’m not questioning your strength,” he said. “I’m questioning what happens when it stops listening.”

My fingers curled slightly against my knee.

“It listens,” I said.

“For now,” he answered.

Leo finally spoke, his voice lower than both of ours.

“We’ve both seen what happens when power like that grows faster than control,” he said. “This isn’t doubt. It’s preparation.”

I exhaled slowly, forcing the tension out instead of letting it build.

“I’m not calling Rael unless I have to,” I said.

Killian nodded once.

“That’s all I’m asking.”

The SUV slowed further, the docks now fully in view—metal, water, shadows stretching across everything.

The moment passed.

Not resolved.

But set aside.

For now.

Because there were bigger problems waiting.

And this—

This wasn’t the place to lose control.