THE TRAP

SMOKE'S POV

For weeks, I’d known Miguel was still lurking in the shadows, waiting for his chance to strike. He’d teamed up with Renzo, and while I had managed to handle Renzo, I knew Miguel wasn’t going to give up that easily. The man was smart, calculating, and, most importantly, relentless.

The feds had been tailing me more than ever. Every move I made, every place I went, I could feel their eyes on me. It wasn’t hard to figure out that Miguel was behind it. He had connections in high places, and now, it seemed like he was using his brother, who worked with the feds, to try to bring me down.

But none of that mattered tonight. Tonight was supposed to be about Lena and me. We had planned a date—just the two of us, away from all the chaos. I wanted to give her a night where she didn’t have to worry about anything, where she could feel normal again.

I had everything ready: reservations at her favorite restaurant, a small gift I’d picked out earlier in the day, and a plan to surprise her with a quiet walk afterward. But as the clock ticked closer to the time we were supposed to meet, my phone buzzed with a message.

Lena: Almost done with my shift. I’ll see you soon.

That was the last message I got from her.

I waited at the restaurant for over an hour, trying not to let the growing sense of dread take over. I called her phone several times, but it went straight to voicemail. Something wasn’t right.

By the time her phone finally rang, I was already in my car, driving to the hospital to see if she was still there. When the call connected, I felt a brief sense of relief—until I heard his voice.

“Looking for someone?” Miguel’s smug tone sent a chill down my spine.

“Miguel,” I growled, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. “Where is she?”

“She’s with me,” he said calmly, like he was talking about the weather. “But if you want her back, you’re going to have to come and get her.”

“Don’t play games with me, Miguel,” I warned. “If you hurt her—”

“You’ll what?” he interrupted, laughing coldly. “You’re not in control here, Smoke. I am. And if you want to see your little girlfriend alive, you’ll meet me at the warehouse on 7th and Lincoln. Alone.”

The line went dead before I could respond.

\---

I didn’t waste any time. I didn’t call Charles or Jimmy. This was personal, and I wasn’t going to put anyone else at risk. I grabbed my gun and a spare clip, tucked them into my jacket, and headed straight to the warehouse.

The place was exactly what I expected—dark, abandoned, and reeking of Miguel’s arrogance. As I stepped inside, I saw him standing in the center of the room, flanked by two of his men. Lena was tied to a chair, her face pale and her eyes wide with fear.

“Smoke,” Miguel said, spreading his arms as if he were welcoming an old friend. “So good of you to join us.”

“Let her go,” I said, my voice cold and steady.

He smirked. “Why should I? She’s the perfect leverage. You’ve taken everything from me—my cousin’s empire, my money, my city. Now I’m taking something from you.”

“You’ve already lost, Miguel,” I said, taking a step forward. “This isn’t going to bring any of it back.”

He pulled a gun from his waistband, pointing it directly at Lena. “One more step, and she’s dead.”

I froze, my hands clenching at my sides. “You don’t want to do this,” I said, trying to keep him talking. “If you kill her, you’ll have nothing left to bargain with. You know I’ll come for you.”

He laughed, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. “You think you’re invincible, don’t you? Well, let’s see how tough you are when you lose the one thing you care about.”

I needed a distraction, something to break his focus. My eyes darted to the men standing beside him. They weren’t paying much attention to me—they were too busy watching Lena, probably to make sure she didn’t try to escape.

“Tell me, Miguel,” I said, trying to buy time. “Is this really how you want it to end? Hiding behind a woman? You think that makes you a man?”

His jaw tightened, and I saw a flash of anger in his expression. “You don’t get to talk to me about being a man,” he snapped. “You’re nothing but a thief and a murderer.”

While he was distracted, I reached for the gun in my jacket, moving as quickly as I could. The moment he noticed, it was too late. I fired a shot, hitting one of his men in the chest. The other guy lunged at me, but I took him down with a second shot.

Miguel cursed, grabbing Lena and pulling her to her feet. He held the gun to her head, using her as a shield. “Put the gun down, or I’ll kill her!”

“Let her go,” I demanded, keeping my weapon trained on him.

“Drop it!” he shouted, his hand shaking as he pressed the gun harder against Lena’s temple.

I hesitated for a moment, then slowly lowered my gun. “Fine. You win,” I said, my voice calm despite the rage boiling inside me.

He sneered, shoving Lena toward me. “You should’ve stayed out of my way, Smoke.”

The moment Lena was clear, I raised my gun again, firing a single shot that hit Miguel in the shoulder. He screamed, dropping his weapon as he fell to the ground.

Lena ran to me, tears streaming down her face. “Smoke!”

I pulled her into my arms, holding her tightly. “It’s okay,” I whispered. “You’re safe now.”

Miguel was still alive, but he wouldn’t be causing any more problems. I made sure of that before calling Charles to clean up the mess.

As I drove Lena home that night, I couldn’t help but think about how close I’d come to losing her. Miguel had crossed a line, and I knew it wasn’t over. But one thing was certain: I wasn’t going to let anyone take what mattered most to me.

Not Miguel. Not the feds. Not anyone.