Page 107 of Say You're Mine

But I carried her warmth with me, the feel and the taste and the scent of her, wrapping around my heart like armor.

One more fight. One more battle. And then, come hell or high water, I was coming home. To her. To us. To the future we'd forge together out of bullets and blades and the unbreakable steel of our love.

Elaine Deveaux didn't stand a fucking chance.

Chapter thirty-two

June

The taste of copper floods my mouth as I bite the inside of my cheek, willing the pain to ground me. My hands tremble as I grip the edge of the table, knuckles white with tension. The others talk, their voices a dull roar in my ears, but all I can focus on is the hollowness in my chest where Cara should be.

"June, are you even listening?" Natalie's sharp tone cuts through the fog in my mind.

I blink, forcing myself to look up at the faces gathered around the dimly lit room. Natalie's eyes bore into mine, a mixture of concern and frustration etched across her features. Beside her, Judith's lips are pressed into a thin line, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Song leans against the wall, his usually stoic expression marred by a furrowed brow. And Dante... Dante paces like a caged animal, raw energy radiating off him in waves.

"I'm here," I growl, the words scraping against my throat. "Run it by me again."

Natalie sighs, pushing a hand through her tangled hair. "We've got a lead on Elaine's facility. It's tucked away in the mountains, heavily guarded. But there's a weak spot in their security rotation every third night."

My pulse quickens at the mention of Elaine's name. That bitch. The one who's keeping me from Cara, from our child. My fingers curl into fists, nails digging crescents into my palms.

"And?" I press, leaning forward. "What's the plan?"

"We go in hard and fast," Dante interjects, his dark eyes glittering with anticipation. "Hit them when they least expect it, take out their communications first. Then we find Elaine and make her pay."

A savage grin tugs at my lips. "I like the sound of that."

"Hold on," Judith cuts in, her voice laced with caution. "We can't just go in guns blazing. We need to be smart about this. One wrong move and Elaine could disappear again, or worse..."

The unspoken threat hangs heavy in the air. My stomach churns at the thought of what Elaine might do if cornered. Images of Cara, pale and vulnerable, flash through my mind. Our baby, still nestled safely in her womb, oblivious to the danger that surrounds us all.

"Judith's right," Song says quietly, pushing off from the wall. "We need a solid plan. In and out, minimal casualties. Our priority is gathering intel and neutralizing the threat Elaine poses."

I slam my fist on the table, the sharp crack echoing through the room. "Fuck that! Our priority is making that psychotic bitch suffer for everything she's done!"

The room falls silent, all eyes on me. I feel the rage bubbling up inside, threatening to spill over. My chest heaves as I struggle to regain control, but it's slipping away like sand through my fingers.

"June," Natalie says softly, reaching out to touch my arm. I flinch away from her, unable to bear even the slightest comfort right now. "We understand how you feel, but-"

"No, you don't," I snarl, shoving away from the table. The chair clatters to the floor behind me as I stalk towards the window, pressing my forehead against the cool glass. "None of you understand what it's like to have your entire world ripped away from you. To know that the woman you love, the mother of your child, is lying in a hospital bed right now and you can't even be there to hold her hand."

My voice breaks on the last word, and I squeeze my eyes shut against the burning threat of tears. The silence stretches on, broken only by the sound of my ragged breathing.

"You're right," Judith says eventually, her tone gentler than I've ever heard it. "We can't fully understand what you're going through. But June, you have to trust us. We're all here for the same reason – to keep Cara and your baby safe, and to put an end to Elaine's reign of terror."

I turn back to face them, my jaw clenched tight. "Then tell me how we're going to do that. Because every second we waste planning is another second Cara's alone, scared, and in danger."

Song steps forward, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the turmoil raging inside me. "We have a contact on the inside. They've been feeding us information, helping us map out the facility. In three days, there's going to be a shift change that leaves a small window of opportunity."

My heart races at his words. "Three days? That's too long. We need to move now!"

"June," Dante says, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "I know you want to tear the world apart to get to Cara. Believe me, I get it. But if we fuck this up, we might never get another chance."

I close my eyes, inhaling deeply through my nose. The logical part of my brain knows they're right, but every fiber of my being screams to act now, consequences be damned.

"Fine," I grit out, opening my eyes to meet their concerned gazes. "Three days. But I want to know every detail of this plan. And when we go in, Elaine is mine."

Natalie nods, relief evident in her expression. "Of course. Let's break it down step by step."

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