Page 67 of Rising from the Ashes

Shado’s blood.

The feeling of Quinn’s fingers lacing through mine breaks my dead stare at the bag and I look up at Drake.

He is nervously pacing the living room.

“We separated. He wanted to go map out the tunnels and he told me to go stake out your father’s place to see if I could register how many heat signatures were in the house. He wanted to know how many mercs we may be up against.”

He shakes his head and exhales. “We should never have separated, but when I returned to the tunnel that his location was pinging all I found was these,” he says. His voice and hand shake as he points to Shado’s belongings.

The front door swings open and two men step inside. One I recognize instantly as Julian, even beneath his mask. The second man, dressed in a neatly pressed black suit, I vaguely recognize as the Bratva member from Raven’s. Drake nods at their presence as they enter the living room. The Russian guy approaches me cautiously.

When I look down at his hands, he holds one out to me, “Daniil Parshikov. I’m a friend of Drake and Shado’s.”

Recognizing the last name as one of the members of the Fourth Circle, I glance at Drake and snap, “Why the hell do you work with Parshikov’s son?”

“Daniil has helped me several times in the past. I knew I would need him and his men.”

“His men?”

Just as the words escape my lips, six more heavily armed men walk in dressed in dark black jeans and shirts.

His muscle.

Noticing me staring at the men standing in the foyer, he laughs. “Don’t get it twisted. I can hold my own, but I’d prefer not to die tonight saving your boy toy,” Daniil quips.

“Saving?” I ask. Drake’s message seemed like Shado was dead.

Drake walks over to me, his dark eyes are soft as he explains, “It was a trap. The shipment is happening tonight. When CiCi hacked their system, they piggybacked onto ours. They knew our plans. That’s how they knew where Shado and I would be.”

I glance at CiCi. Her eyes are filled with worry and regret as she looks at me. “I’m so sorry. I thought the firewall was strong enough,” she cries, wrapping her arms tightly around her body as though any of this is her fault.

Before I can reassure her, Drake continues. “Calista, do you have any idea where they may have taken him?”

Without hesitation, I swallow down the knot in my throat and respond. “The docks. It’s the place Shado ruined their shipment last year, where he killed his father, the same place we took Allister, and w-where if we don’t get there fast enough he will die too.”

“How did you know Shado was at the docks last year?” Drake eyeballs me questioningly.

“I’m the reason my father and Demassi got away. I was the driver of the getaway car. I saw a man, who I now assume was Shado, running from the freighter seconds before it blew up. There’s no way The Dragon took on all of them by himself, and now that I know Shado was working with you, it was easy to put it together.”

He nods, accepting my answer.

Within moments, it’s like looking at a total body transformation. Drake stands taller and more intimidating as the wheels begin turning in his head. I can literally see The Dragon taking over, all to save his friend.

The man I’ve grown to love.

Drake motions to Daniil. “Take your men to the tunnels. Do whatever you need to do to prevent those guns from getting into the city. Kill whoever gets in your way.”

Daniil smirks and cracks his knuckles. “My favorite words to hear.”

Pointing to Julian, he orders, “Go scope out Enzo and Allister’s estate. Take out anyone you need. Meet us at the docks when you’re through.”

Instead of responding, he nods and quickly walks out the door.

That is unlike Julian to be so quiet.

Drake’s voice snaps through my thoughts, “You, Quinn and I will go to the docks.” He looks at Quinn, “You are not bait. You will have to help us fight if it comes down to it.”

“I don’t have my bow or anything.” I quickly realize.

---