Page 110 of Playboy

“They’re talking, but whatever she’s saying is pissing him off,” Snow added, a hint of tension in his voice.

Playboy’s grip tightened on his rifle. He was ready to take out Ramon himself, but they had to be smart about this. “Jay Bird, Aussie, set the explosives as a decoy. Let’s get this done,” Derek ordered.

Seconds felt like hours. The sound of the wind roared louder, masking the faint footsteps of his team as they approached the main house and got ready to move in. The explosives detonated in the distance—an orange flash lighting up the sky as more guards ran toward the chaos.

“Go, go!” Derek barked, signaling the infiltration team.

They moved swiftly, breaching the entrance of the mansion and clearing room after room until they neared the southeast corner. That’s when they heard it—Gabby’s scream.

Playboy’s blood ran cold. Without thinking, he surged forward, throwing his shoulder into the door as Derek kicked it down. Weapons raised, they stormed inside, ready to gun down Ramon.

What they found wasn’t what they expected.

Gabby was half-leaning against a desk, with her prosthetic leg clutched in her hands like a weapon, as Ramon lay sprawled out on the floor in a twisted mess of blood and broken bones. He was clearly dead. His skull caved in from the force of the blow.

Playboy froze, staring at Gabby, disbelief and awe washing over him in equal measure. “Gabby?” His voice cracked, relief flooding him at the sight of her alive and—well, very much in control of the situation.

She looked up at him, a wicked grin spreading across her face despite the exhaustion. “Took you long enough,” she muttered, tossing the prosthetic leg onto the desk with a hollow thud.

Jay Bird let out a low whistle, eyes wide as he took in the bloody scene. “Hell of a way to take someone out, Allen.”

“Yeah,” Aussie chuckled, nudging Nails. “Who needs a weapon when you’ve got a leg?”

Tink stepped into the room, a slow grin forming on his lips as he looked from Ramon’s body to Gabby. “Well, looks like you saved us the trouble of taking him out ourselves. Nicely done, Allen.”

Gabby wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, still catching her breath. “I think I need a new leg. This one has seen better days.”

The room erupted into laughter, tension easing as the danger subsided.

“Alright,” Derek said, “we need to move. That storm is rolling in, and our ride’s about five minutes out.”

Playboy didn’t waste a second. He crossed the room and lifted Gabby up into his arms. She gave him a grateful, tired smile before looping her arms around his neck and letting her head rest on his shoulder.

The team moved swiftly through the compound, racing against the wind and rain that began to pelt them as they reached the extraction point. The helicopter was just touching down, its blades kicking up sand and debris. Playboy tightened his hold on Gabby, shielding her as they made their way to the bird.

Once inside, with the roar of the helicopter’s blades drowning out everything else, Playboy felt the knot of fear and tension finally unravel in his chest. Gabby was safe.

As the chopper lifted into the stormy night, taking them to the safety of Tink’s private base to ride out the hurricane, he heldher close. For now, the storm could rage on outside, but in that moment, with her head resting against his chest, everything felt right again.

EPILOGUE

Gabby stood in the middle of her and Playboy’s new condo, looking at the boxes still left to unpack. It had been a whirlwind of a month, but finally, the chaos was behind them.

Ramon was gone, his twisted family no longer a threat, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she could breathe easy. She and Playboy had officially moved into their own place just down the street from where they’d been staying, and today, on Thanksgiving, she found herself reflecting on how far they’d come in just a short amount of time.

Her thoughts wandered to Selena—Ramon’s sister, who had been caught in the crossfire of their dangerous world. Gabby hadn’t known about Selena’s connection to Ramon until she returned home. Even though Selena would never be bothered by her brothers again, Gabby was still worried about her safety, especially with Selena's ex-fiancé on the loose.

Tink promised she'd be safe, Gabby reminded herself. Tink had reassured her that Selena was being looked after by friends of his—people who could keep her and her son safe. He’d even said that when the time was right, he would make sure that Selena could contact her. That gave Gabby some peace of mind, but the concern still lingered.

Gabby was pulled from her thoughts by the soft sound of the balcony door sliding open. She turned her head and saw Playboy standing outside, his broad frame silhouetted against the dusky sky. He was gazing out at the water, the gentle waves reflecting the fading light of day. She felt a warmth bloom in her chest asshe watched him, grateful for everything they had endured and had overcome together.

Slipping on her sweater, she padded outside to join him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. Playboy smiled, leaning back into her embrace, his hands resting on hers.

“You alright?” he asked, his voice low and comforting.

“Yeah,” she sighed contentedly, pressing her cheek against his back. “Just thinking about how lucky I am.”

He turned in her arms, facing her now, his brown eyes catching hers with an intensity that made her heart flutter. “I think I’m the lucky one,” he said, his voice warm with affection.

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