Chapter 39 39

Chapter 39 39


Domenico's convoy rolled in at blazing speed, tires crunching gravel as they finally pulled to a stop in front of the deserted area, leaving clips of dust in their wake. His men stepped out first, scanning the area with their guns ready.

He followed, face cold and jaw tight. Even with the slight unfocused look in his half-blind eye, his presence still reminded everyone that he'd arrived.

Calm. Heavy. Dangerous.

Just then, another car pulled up on the other side of the yard and Blaze stepped out immediately, hurrying towards the warehouse. At the sound of the cars stopping, Blaze’s men soon fanned out of the warehouse where they'd been discreetly hiding.

Seeing what was about to happen, they lifted their weapons and pointed them at Dom's team. Dom’s men responded instantly. Barrels raised and the atmosphere so tense it was almost tangible. For a moment, nobody said a word.

Only metal clicking and the bolts grinding on the dusty dirt below them. Blaze stared at his brother, shocked and angry.

"How the hell did you find me?"

Dom smirked like the answer was obvious. His voice was calm but sharp. "It wasn't rocket science. You're not as careful as you think, brother."

Blaze’s jaw flexed at the thinly veiled insult. He hated being outmaneuvered, especially with the oldest trick in the book.

That was the moment he remembered the call with his brother. It hadn't lasted long because he'd hung up, but he never thought Dom already knew what he was up to. Now, yet again, his plans were going to halt because of Domenico.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Dom asked, but Blaze wouldn't listen to him.

Blaze didn't answer. He tried to move toward the warehouse door, the place where the woman was, tied up and waiting to be murdered.

Dom wasn't letting that happen. His voice sliced through the air like a blade.

"Don't do something stupid now. Don't do something the both of us are going to end up regretting brother."

Blaze paused, standing there until a beat passed before he turned slowly, looking annoyed as hell now.

"It's not your concern." Blaze said. His tone was deadly calm. "Move. I am going to finish what you started."

Dom pulled out his gun. "Finish what I started. I don't remember starting anything that would make you take an innocent l, defenseless woman and try to kill her. Is that what you are now, brother? Do you think that low of yourself? You think killing a poor woman will stop this?"

Blaze shook his head and turned to move but Dom pulled his gun out and clicked it before pointing it at his brother's leg.

Blaze’s men responded immediately by directing their guns at him.

"You take one more step and I put a bullet in your leg."

Another long moment of silence passed before he said. "What are you going to do to her, huh? Are you going to shoot her so you'll be done with it? Like the coward you are? Why not take out a knife and butcher her to show how really angry you are about this. That will be a more befitting way to finish what I started."

Their men twitched, arms tightening around their guns. Blaze’s lips curled. "You gonna shoot your own brother?"

"You are not acting in any way that respects the code of the stone family, Blaze. This is a fucking disgrace. And you look nothing like my brother anymore. I can't recognise you anymore."

Blaze moved again, not a step forward because he knew Dom meant his word.

Instead he made a picture and gravel Dom’s shirt, before growling in his face.

"What the hell gives you the right? You think you can kidnap my mistress, beat her up and there won't be payback?"

Dom shoved him hard with the other hand, breaking the grip before lowering his gun.

Blaze swung, and it was a quick punch aimed for Dom’s jaw but Dom slipped it, half blind and still faster.

"Your mistress?" Dom spit the word like poison. "She almost killed an innocent girl. She got what she deserved."

Blaze’s face twisted in rage, pride, and madness.

"Innocent girl?" He shouted. "How many innocent girls have suffered because of us? Because of this family? You never cared before! But now you pretend to have a fucking conscience? If there's anyone who's changed. It's you brother, not me."

Dom’s voice shot back in a harsh baritone. "That woman isn't going to die today. Not on my watch. And she sure as hell isn't dying because your fragile ego were hurt."

Blaze’s voice dropped to a low and lethal tone. "She dies today."

He tried to push past him again, but Dom stepped in front of him.

"You're making this harder than it should be. And I promise, you're going to be on the receiving end of this madness that you're trying to stir. You're not touching her."

Blaze let out a dark, humourless laugh. "You must be joking."

Dom didn't blink. "Try me-" He didn't finish because Blaze reacted very fast.

He pushed Dom to the side with everything strength he could muster, just before the air cracked with the slice of a bullet through it, down the path where both men had been standing about a second ago.

CRACK!

Domenico tried to get up but Blaze reacted fast again, pushing him down.

"They are shooting at us, dumbass."

Their men had already reacted, standing around them and looking out for the source of the attacks.

That's when one of Dom’s men jerked, blood exploding from his shoulder as he fell to the floor right before another shot ripped past.

CRACK! A second guard screamed and dropped dead instantly, his chest hit clean.

“Cover!”

Domenico quickly reached into the comm system and furiously yelled out the order. “We have a code red! I repeat, we have a code red!”

But he had no idea their communication system had been compromised by their enemies, leaving them completely at the mercy of their assailants.