Chapter 71

NOLAN’S POV

It had been two days since I left home, and I hadn’t heard a word from Anna. The silence put me in distress, and no amount of whiskey or distraction could drown out the guilt or the ache in my chest.

We were all at the hideout waiting for the next order. Dimitri sat across from me, his eyes scanning through a few folders on the table. Camila was pacing by the window, talking to someone on the phone in low murmurs.

“What's the word?” I asked, tapping my fingers on the edge of the table, trying to focus on the work at hand.

Dimitri raised an eyebrow without looking up. “The usual—deals, contracts, risks. The buyer's still on the fence. They’re asking too many questions.”

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples. “So, what's the next step? We wait for them to decide. Or do we push harder?”

Dimitri didn't immediately respond like he was considering whether or not to say something. He finally met my eyes. “Maybe we push, but not too hard. We don’t want to spook them. The moment they think we’re desperate, they’ll have the upper hand.”

“Push, but not too hard,” I echoed, nodding slowly. “Got it. What about the goods? Are they ready to be moved?”

Camila snapped her phone shut and turned to face us, a smirk creeping onto her lips. “The merchandise is ready. It’s all lined up. Just waiting for your signal.”

I exhaled sharply, rubbing my neck. “And you’re sure it’s all clear to move?”

Dimitri chuckled dryly. “You’re asking that now? It’s a bit too late for that.”

“We’re on schedule, Nolan,” Camila said smoothly, but there was something cold about it that didn’t sit right with me. “The only question now is when. When do you want to move this?”

I stared at her, the uneasy knot in my stomach twisting tighter. “I'll give the word when I’m ready. No one moves until I say so.” I stood up abruptly.

Dimitri glanced at me, clearly noticing the shift in my mood. “You’ve been off these past couple of days, Nolan,” he said with a knowing look. “Anna’s still not talking to you?”

I gritted my teeth. “You’re not the one who has to go home and explain why he’s been disappearing for weeks.”

“Yeah, but we’re in this life, man,” Dimitri said. “She knows what we do. This is part of it.”

I shook my head, walking to the window. “You know damn well she doesn’t know anything about this”

Camila walked back into the room. “Boys, are we all set?”

I turned to face her, my jaw clenched. “Not so fast, Camila,” I said coldly.

“Oh.” She paused for a moment looking between Dimitri and me. “You’ve got something else for me?”

“More like what have you got for me.”

I watched her slowly walk over to fit on the table. “I’m listening, pretty boy.”

“Listen, I’m done with the fucking games Camila. We had a deal.”

“Yes, I’m pretty sure I remember the deal.”

“Doesn’t look like it to me.”

A slow smirk formed on her face as she folded her arms. “Nolan, you know why this operation mustn’t get fucked up?” she asked, raising her brows. “If it does, we’re all dead.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Dimitri asked. 

Camila reached for a file on the table and tossed it at me. “That file belongs to Raul.”

Dimitri tapped his fingers on the table reading the contents of the file. His eyes widened in surprise.

“I see you’ve got it figured out,” she said with a chuckle and got off the table.

“What’s going on?” I asked, looking at Dimitri. 

“The dealer for tonight is Raul’s sponsor. It’s the same fucking name,” Dimitri said, walking over to me with the file in his hand. 

“Now that you both know, you’re taking the backseat tonight. I’m not risking my head for you, pretty boy,” she said with a wink,and walked out of the room. 

The silence that ensued allowed Dimitri and I to soak up this new information. Before we could discuss it, someone from the team came to tell us we had to move. 

“Let’s get moving,” I said, my voice tight. 

Dimitri gave a nod, pushing back his chair and standing up. “About time. Let’s finish this.”

Once we got outside, we climbed into the black SUV. The drive was brief, the streets winding through the city until we reached a nondescript building. 

We climbed out of the SUV, heading toward the rear entrance of the building where the sniper team had already taken their position on the roof. 

We rode the elevator ride up, Dimitri checked his weapon, his fingers moving with practiced ease, and I checked if the rest of the crew carried everything we needed. 

The doors opened on the top floor, and we were greeted by the quiet buzz of a command center. Camila was already here, talking to the lead sniper.

“Good to go,” the sniper said, giving me a quick nod. I nodded, scanning the room.

“We're in position,” Dimitri muttered, scanning the monitors. His eyes flicked back to me. “Everything seems locked down.”

“Who’s doing the exchange?” I asked, looking at the screens.

“Beta team,” Camila responded.

I nodded, glancing at the screen.“Well, they better not mess this shit up.” The buyers were on their way, the exchange about to take place.

Minutes later, I heard the sound of vehicles pulling up. 

“My cue to move to the ground floor,” Camila said as she moved to the door. “Remember, you’re not killing anyone on this operation, understood?”

I gave her a blank look. 

“I’m pretty sure you do since you want to be back home in one piece,” she said with a wink and disappeared out the door. 

I watched as the cars pulled up to the building's entrance. The buyers got down from their cars and moved toward the building.

But it wasn’t the buyers I was focused on. It was the man sitting in the back seat of an SUV. Raul’s sponsor.

I’d never seen him in person, but I knew that face. His name had come up in conversations before, only in whispers—never in public. And now here he was, sitting casually.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath.

Dimitri’s eyes narrowed as he caught the shift in my expression. “What is it?”

I pointed at the man in the crowd. “It’s taking everything to not take him out right now.”

Dimitri glanced at me, then back at the screen. “But we know how messed up that would make things right?”

I couldn’t help but glance back at the monitors, staring at the faces of the people who had made this job personal. It wasn’t just about business anymore. It was about survival.

And tonight, one wrong move could cost us everything.