Page 63 of Echoes of Desire

“Lights,” Ghost orders, and we activate our tactical flashlights, the beams cutting through the darkness.

At the bottom of the stairs, we find another corridor, this one lined with reinforced doors. The cries are louder here, the sound of desperation and despair making it hard to breathe.

“Which one?” King asks.

Emily’s voice comes through the earpiece, calm but urgent. “Third door on the left. I’m seeing a heat signature—two figures. Up ahead at the end of this corridor is a large room full of people. More prisoners, I assume.”

Ghost nods, signaling for us to stack up. Blaze takes one side of the door while I take the other, my heart hammering in my chest.

“Breach on three,” King whispers. “One, two—”

On three, Ghost kicks the door open, and we storm inside, weapons raised.

The scene inside makes my stomach churn. Knox is tied to a chair in the center of the room, blood staining his shirt and trickling down his face. Beside him stands a man holding a knife, his face twisted with anger.

“Drop it!” Ghost barks, his voice like a whip crack.

The man hesitates for a moment, his grip tightening on the knife. But he’s outnumbered, and he knows it. Slowly, he drops the blade and raises his hands.

Blaze is on him in an instant, slamming him against the wall and cuffing him with zip ties. “If you so much as blink wrong, I’ll end you,” he growls.

I rush to Knox, cutting the ropes binding him. “We’ve got you, boy,” I say, my voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through me. “You’re safe now.”

Knox looks up at me, his face pale but his eyes defiant. “Took you long enough,” he mutters, his voice weak but laced with his usual sass.

Blaze kneels beside him, helping me lift him to his feet. “You’re lucky we like you, boy,” he says, his tone gruff but affectionate.

“We need to move,” Ghost says, his gaze scanning the room. “Emily, status on the rest of the building?”

“Clear for now,” she replies. “But you need to hurry. Reinforcements are en route. I called them to get the others out. If you don’t want them to know were here, hurry the hell up.”

“Copy that,” King says. “Let’s get out of here.”

With Knox supported between Blaze and me, we make our way back up the stairs and through the corridors. The captives don’t even seem to realize that we’re here. I hate leaving them, but I know they’ll be safe soon.

By the time we reach the vehicles, the air outside feels impossibly fresh, like a lifeline after the suffocating hell of the warehouse.

“Get him to Taylor,” King orders, and Blaze and I help Knox into one of the waiting trucks.

As the convoy pulls away, the warehouse fades into the distance. But the memory of what we found inside will stay with me forever.

Luckily, Knox isn’t seriously injured. He’s going to have a black eye and a swollen cheek for a couple of weeks, but other than that, he’s fine.

“Rest, boy,” I say, gripping Knox’s hand. “You’re safe now.”

Blaze leans back in the seat beside me, his jaw tight. “You do realize you’re in trouble, right?”

“Is Papa okay?” Knox asks, tears flowing down his face. “He’s dead, isn’t he? He’s dead because of me.”

“No, sweet boy,” I soothe. “Taylor was shot, but Doc got to him in time. He’s currently at the hospital, and he’s going to be just fine. When we left, he was awake and holding my woman captive in a cuddle bond.”

“Good,” he smiles. “Then I don’t care if I’m in trouble. My butt’s going to be sore for the rest of my life, and I’m probably never going to see my Legos again, but I don’t care. Papa is alive, and the scumbag who was selling those people's bodies for money is going to jail.”

Knox’s defiant words bring a smirk to my lips despite the gravity of the situation. His sass is still intact, a sure sign he’ll be okay, even if he’s scared and shaken.

“You’ve got a lot more to worry about than Legos,” Blaze says, his voice sharp but laced with affection. “You scared the hell out of everyone, boy. Taylor’s going to tan your ass, and honestly? I might help him.”

Knox groans, leaning his head back against the seat. “Can we focus on the fact that I’m alive, and we shut down that operation instead? Positive vibes, guys. Let’s keep it positive. By the way, I think that asshat broke my nose. Is it crooked? Do you think Papa will let me keep my Legos since my nose is broken?”

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