Chapter 171 YOUR MEN.
\~~~LUCIANO.
“It will be dangerous,” I warned, glancing back.
“I don't care,” she said, her chin lifted, defiant.
I stopped in front of a heavy steel door, the armory. I pressed my thumb to the sensor, the lock beeping as it scanned.
The door hissed open, revealing the arsenal within. The racks of guns in every caliber, pistols, rifles, and shotguns gleaming under fluorescent lights. Grenades lined shelves, and ammo crates stacked high. The scent of oil and metal hit me, sharpening my focus.
I grabbed a tactical vest first, the heavy Kevlar settling over my shoulders like armor for the soul. Straps tightened with clicks, securing it firmly. Next, a Beretta pistol, sliding into my holster with a satisfying snap. I loaded a magazine, racked the slide, then added a knife to my boot and an AR-15 slung over my back. Each piece felt like extending my rage, turning grief into a weapon.
I turned to Alessia, eyes hard. “I will kill each and every one of them. I don't care who they are, or what they are. I will kill them. So, return to your house, or office, anywhere, but not here,” The words came out low, lethal, the promise of vengeance hanging heavy.
She didn't flinch. Instead, she crossed to the racks, snatching a Glock and a vest of her own. Her movements were quick and practiced.
Oh, I had missed the force of Alessia, and not the one she now wore, the corporate woman.
She strapped on the vest, tucking the gun into her waistband, then grabbed extra clips.
“Mind I remind you as well, Raina is family. She is my sister-in-law, and this is MY fight as much as it is yours!” she snapped, her voice cracking with intensity as she tucked in the gun. The armory felt smaller, and the air was electric with our shared fury.
I opened my mouth to argue, but the look in her eyes stopped me. She was right. Raina had become ours, woven into the Moretti fabric.
I nodded once, grim. “Fine. But you stay close. Don't play heroics.”
We marched outside together, the cool evening air hitting like a slap.
My men were assembled in the driveway. Two dozen strong faces set in determination. Black SUVs idled, headlights cutting the dusk. Viktor and Gabriel stood at the front, rifles in hand, their teams flanking them. The helicopter's rotors whirred faintly in the distance, Viktor having pulled strings fast.
“First, Marcel,” I called out, spotting the burly enforcer in the line. He stepped forward, his eyes cold and ready.
“Sir?”
“Take a few men with you, and grab Talia. I don't care what she says, or what she does. Grab her,” My voice was a whip, cracking the silence. Talia would pay for every lie, and every threat. I was done with her games.
Marcel nodded, selecting two guys, and they peeled off toward another vehicle.
The rest shifted, waiting. I scanned them, the weight of command settling heavily.
“We are dividing into three groups. Viktor, pick your men. Gabriel, pick yours. The rest come with me.'
Viktor moved first, pointing out six of his trusted crew, hardened fighters who'd bleed for this family. Gabriel followed, claiming his squad, their nods sharp. I took the remaining ten, the core of my personal guard. The groups formed quickly, no words wasted, the tension humming like a live wire.
Alessia fell beside me as we loaded into the lead SUV. Her hand brushed my arm, a silent vow. The doors slammed, engines roared to life. As we sped toward the helipad, the five-hour drive shrinking to minutes in the air, my mind locked on Raina.
“Hold on, sunshine. I am coming for you,” I whispered to myself.
The flight was a blur of shadows and strategy. Viktor briefed over headsets, the entry points, the possible traps, and the rough terrain around that 1600-meter radius.
My grip tightened on my rifle, knuckles white. Every bump of turbulence felt like a delay, every second a torment.
Alessia sat across from me, checking her gun, her face a mask of resolve.
“We will get her, brother,” she said quietly, over the roar.
I met her gaze, the bond between us unbreakable. “And then we end this. All of it.”
As the chopper descended toward the drop zone, lights piercing the night, adrenaline surged.
Ground teams radioed in that Marcel had eyes on Talia, closing fast.
We touched down, our boots hitting dirt, and then spread out. The air was thick with pine and danger, the radius a hunting ground.
“Fan out,” I ordered, my voice low. Viktor, take the east flank. Gabriel, west. Alessia, with me,”
We moved like shadows, hearts pounding in sync.
“Get the drones in motion!” I ordered into the radio.