Chapter 93

The early morning light filtered through the heavy curtains of Dominic's penthouse, casting a muted glow over the room. Ava stood at the window, absently tracing the outline of her growing belly, her reflection mingling with the cityscape beyond. She could feel the baby stirring inside her, a constant reminder of the life she and Dominic were fighting for—a life beyond the violence and bloodshed that had defined their world for so long.

Dominic entered the room quietly, his gaze softening as he watched her. For a brief moment, the tension that had weighed heavily on his shoulders over the past few weeks seemed to lift. In that instant, she was the only thing that mattered. But reality crept in like a shadow behind him.

“Couldn't sleep?” he asked, his voice a low murmur as he approached.

Ava shook her head, still gazing out over the city. “I was thinking about everything... us, the baby, all of it.”

Dominic placed a hand gently on her shoulder, and she turned to face him. The lines on his face seemed deeper than ever, etched by the weight of the decisions that loomed. Ava searched his eyes for reassurance, but behind the strength and control, there was something else—fear. Not for himself, but for her.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she said softly, her fingers grazing his cheek. “You're worried. About Alex, about the cartel, about everything coming back to haunt us.”

Dominic’s jaw tightened, his eyes flicking briefly to the window, as though the answers lay somewhere in the distance. “We’ve dealt with worse,” he said, though the reassurance sounded hollow even to him. “But this time, we finish it.”

Ava’s gaze held his, unwavering. “You’ve said that before, Dominic.”

“I mean it this time,” he replied, his voice harder now, more resolute. “Alex won’t stop until I end this. And the cartel... if I don’t wipe them out, they’ll come for us. For you and the baby.”

Ava’s heart clenched. The baby. It was always the unspoken fear that hung between them. She knew Dominic would do anything to protect them, but that protection came at a cost—his soul, his peace, and potentially his life. And she couldn’t bear to lose him, not after everything they had been through.

“Then let me help,” she said, her voice stronger than she felt. “I’m not some fragile thing that needs to be locked away. I’ve proven that.”

Dominic exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “You’ve done more than enough, Ava. But this... this is different. This isn’t just about taking out a few enemies. This is war.”

“I know what it is,” Ava insisted, her eyes flashing with determination. “But I’m a part of this too. I can’t sit here waiting for something to happen, wondering if you’ll come back alive. We’re in this together, Dominic. All three of us.”

Her hand rested protectively on her stomach, and Dominic’s gaze softened as he placed his hand over hers, feeling the slight movement of the baby beneath. The enormity of what they stood to lose settled over him like a shroud.

“I’ll make sure you’re safe, I promise,” he whispered, but there was a vulnerability in his voice that hadn’t been there before.

Ava nodded, but deep down, she knew safety was relative in Dominic’s world. There would always be someone, somewhere, waiting to take him down—and now, with a baby on the way, they had even more to lose.

Dominic’s phone buzzed from across the room, breaking the silence between them. He pulled away, his expression hardening again as he read the message. Ava watched him, her stomach knotting with the tension that always followed these moments.

“It’s time, isn’t it?” she asked quietly.

Dominic nodded, slipping the phone into his pocket. “Carlos is gathering what’s left of the cartel. Alex is with them, planning his move. We strike first.”

Ava swallowed the lump in her throat. She had known this was coming, but it didn’t make it any easier. “And Mateo? Can we trust him?”

Dominic’s lips tightened into a thin line. “He’s given us good intel so far, but he’s still a snake. I don’t trust him any more than I trust Alex. But we don’t have a choice.”

Ava stepped closer to him, her hand resting on his chest. “Just come back to me, Dominic. That’s all I ask.”

He leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers. “I will. I swear it.”

For a long moment, they stayed like that, two souls tethered by the fragility of life and the uncertain future ahead of them. Finally, Dominic straightened, the steel returning to his spine. “I need to go.”

Ava nodded, watching as he left the room, his presence leaving a cold void in his wake. She stood there for several minutes after he was gone, staring at the door, trying to calm the storm of fear swirling inside her.

But she wouldn’t sit idle this time. Not anymore.

In a dimly lit warehouse on the outskirts of the city, Dominic’s men gathered around a map spread out over a table, marking key targets for the upcoming assault. The tension in the air was palpable, each man understanding that this mission was different. This was the final move.

Lucas, his right-hand man, leaned over the map. “The intel checks out. Alex is holed up with Carlos at this compound. If we hit them hard enough, we can take them out in one sweep.”

Dominic stared at the map, his mind racing. He had done this a thousand times before—planned and executed missions with precision. But this time, the stakes were higher than ever. He wasn’t just fighting for control or revenge. He was fighting for his family.

“We hit them at dawn,” Dominic said finally, his voice low but commanding. “No one gets out. No mercy.”

The men nodded, grim determination etched on their faces. They had followed Dominic through hell and back, but this... this was personal.

Dominic glanced at Lucas, his oldest and most trusted ally. “You know the risks. Alex will have laid traps. I need you to lead the second team, sweep the perimeter. If anything goes wrong...”

Lucas met his gaze, understanding the unspoken words. “I’ve got your back, boss. Always.”

Dominic nodded, his expression unreadable. “Let’s end this.”

As the men dispersed, Dominic stood alone, staring at the map. His mind drifted back to Ava, her face, her voice, the feel of their unborn child beneath his hand. He had promised her he would come back. He couldn’t break that promise.

But deep down, he knew that promises were fragile things in a world like his. And sometimes, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t keep them.

The dawn was fast approaching, and with it, the final battle that would decide everything.