Page 39 of Lured By the Cartel

"They think they're herding us," he confirmed. "But we're really herding them."

It was a brilliant plan, I had to admit. Giovanni's forces were so focused on pushing forward that they didn't realize they were being funneled into a trapped position.

"Salvatore," I barked into the comm. "Get ready to spring the trap."

The trap closed like a well-orchestrated dance of death. From his elevated position, Lucas methodically picked off anyone who tried to break formation or retreat, his shots precise and calculated. I'd taught him well—each bullet found its mark with deadly efficiency. He wasn't just shooting; he was controlling the battlefield, forcing our enemies exactly where we wanted them.

Meanwhile, my men and I advanced in a disciplined sweep, pushing forward from three directions. Salvatore led his team from the west, while Romano's group pressed in from the east. I spearheaded the central thrust, each of us moving in perfect synchronization, forcing Giovanni's increasingly panicked meninto a tighter and tighter space in the building's main hall. The walls amplified each shot into thunder, turning the space into a chamber of explosive fury.

Their tactics fell apart as they realized they were being herded. Some tried to break for the exits, only to be cut down by Lucas's covering fire. Others attempted to stand their ground, but found themselves caught in devastating crossfire from multiple angles. The space between the columns became a killing ground, with nowhere to hide and no escape route left uncovered. Bodies began to pile up as Giovanni's men, trained but not prepared for this level of tactical precision, fell one by one.

I could see the fear in their eyes as they realized their mistake. They'd come expecting to find a distracted crime boss, weakened by family obligations. Instead, they'd walked into a carefully laid trap, executed by a mated pair who'd learned to fight as one. Every attempt to regroup or counterattack was met with immediate, coordinated response—if they tried to concentrate their forces, they'd be picked off by Lucas from above; if they tried to scatter, they'd run straight into my advancing teams. The trap was as much psychological as it was physical, and watching it unfold filled me with a fierce pride in what Lucas and I had become together.

Then I saw him—Giovanni himself, finally entering the building, probably thinking victory was within his grasp. The fool. I was going to have his life.

"He's mine," I growled into the comm.

"We've got you covered," Lucas replied, understanding in his voice.

I moved through the battlefield like a wraith, my focus narrowed to a single target. Giovanni saw me coming, his eyes widening in recognition and fear. Good. He should be afraid.

"It's over, Giovanni," I called out, my voice carrying over the diminishing gunfire. "You lost the moment you threatened my family."

He raised his gun, but we both knew he was too slow. My first shot took him in the shoulder, spinning him around. The second hit his knee, dropping him to the floor. Perfect.

"Please," he gasped, clutching his wounds. "We can make a deal-"

"No deals," I cut him off, advancing slowly. "You came after my mate. My children. There's only one way this ends."

A movement caught my eye—one of Giovanni's men, not quite dead, raising his gun toward the upper level where Lucas was positioned. Time seemed to slow as I realized what was about to happen.

"Lucas!" I shouted, already moving, but I was too far away.

The shot rang out, but it wasn't followed by what I feared. Instead, Lucas's return fire was instantaneous and lethal. The would-be shooter collapsed, and I heard my mate's dry chuckle through the comm.

"I saw him," he said simply. "I'm not as easily surprised as I used to be."

Relief and pride surged through me as I turned back to Giovanni. He was trying to crawl away, leaving a trail of blood on the floor.

"Your men are dead or captured," I informed him coldly. "Your territory will be absorbed into mine. And you?" I raised my gun. "You're about to become a cautionary tale about what happens when someone threatens my family."

"Wait-" he began, but I'd heard enough. Three shots rang out in quick succession, and Giovanni DeLuca ceased to be a problem.

"Clear!" Salvatore's voice came through the comm, followed by similar confirmations from other sectors of the building.

I looked up to where Lucas was making his way down to ground level, his movements still careful and controlled. When he reached me, I pulled him into a fierce embrace, not caring about the blood and gunpowder staining our clothes.

"That was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid," I murmured into his hair.

He laughed softly. "I learned from the best. Besides, no one threatens our babies and lives to tell about it. No one."

I pulled back to look at him, really look at him. His face was smudged with dirt and gunpowder, and his clothes were torn and bloodied, but his eyes... his eyes shone with the same fierce love and determination that had drawn me to him in the first place.

"The twins?" He asked, though we both knew Antonio would have contacted us if anything had gone wrong.

"Safe," I confirmed. "Antonio will bring them back once we've secured the area."

He nodded, then surprised me by pulling me down for a kiss that tasted of gunpowder and victory. "I've been thinking," he said when we parted. "Maybe we should consider retiring. Find a nice, quiet place to raise our boys. Do you think that's possible?"

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