Page 48 of The Coffee Shop

“Fuck!” I shout, hitting the steering wheel.

The Jacks are not a huge gang, hell, we might have taken out half of them back there, but they still have some decent firepower. Especially on their home turf. If we go in there, it’s going to be an all out war.

The sane part of me says we should run for the hills. But Leena is in there, sosaneisn’t an option.

The part of me that’s a cop wants to do the right thing and call this in. To do things by the book. But I also know for a fact that there’s no way in hell that the PD will agree to barge into a known gang’s hideaway with no evidence and no warrant. They would do their best, sure, but not in time. Not even close.

We need to get her out of there,now.

We’re quiet for several minutes, letting the situation sink in.

“We in this?” I ask the man beside me. The man who has been through it all with me since the beginning, every fucked up situation. And he’s been there for every moment we’ve had together with Leena and before.

Risking a glance towards him, I know he’s aware of what I’m asking. We’re outnumbered, so there is a very good chance we won’t make it out this time. But how can we move forward if she’s not with us? It’s not even a question.

We can’t lose her.

“Oh, we’re in this,” he meets my gaze and I can tell there’s no hesitation in his mind either.

“Then let’s make those motherfuckers pay for taking our girl.”

—

“Lu, you got eyes on her?” Sebastian asks in my ear from his position at the top of the old water tower just outside the large warehouse.

“Affirmative. She’s tied up, center of the room,” I say quickly so my voice doesn’t betray the emotions I’m feeling from the sight of her. She is gagged, bound and surrounded by armed men. She is so much smaller than them and the instinct to protect her has my teeth grinding in my skull. But I force myself to focus. “We’ve got twenty on the ground. How’s it looking?”

“Perimeter is clear. Thirteen down. None of them sounded the alarm, but we better make this quick,” he says.

It’s then that I notice one of the windows I’ve been spying through is cracked open. I quickly make a decision. I know Sebastian will be pissed, because this wasn’t the plan, but I can’t just leave her down there like that. Not if I can get to her sooner.

“I’m going in,” I say, pushing open the dirty window that gives me access to the catwalk on the second floor.

“Fuck, no you aren’t! Lu, that is not the plan. Stand down and wait for me. We’re going in together!”

I ignore him.

I don’t know why I do that, it’s stupid and irrational. But all I know is that I can’t think straight when it comes to her. I look down at Leena again anda wave of determination washes over me. This is closeenoughto the plan, I’m just getting to her sooner.

“Lu!” Sebastian screams at me through my com.

“Fuck off, Seb,” I grind out quietly because I am inside the building now and can’t risk someone hearing me. I pull the rifle from my back, screw on the suppressor and lay flat on my stomach, taking aim at the men surrounding Leena.

Seconds later, I hear the unmistakable sound of Sebastian continuing with the plan. I watch out the large windows on the far side of the building as an explosion goes off outside, then another and another as one by one, all of The Jacks’ vehicles go up in flames by the charges we set earlier.

Just as expected, nearly half of the men from inside draw their weapons and file out the door where they are met with Sebastian’s ambush from above.

I study the room below, watching as men reach for their phones or radios while others look around warily, trying to determine what is going on. Every man in here is sporting their Jack of Spades tattoos proudly on their arms or necks, confirming Sebastian’s suspicions. I’m not sure who started it, but once one gang decided to name themselves after a playing card, it became a trend. Now there’s an entire fuckingdeckrunning around the city, and they’ve been at each other’s throats for decades.

And I hate that Leena is caught up in the middle of it.

I look down at her again. She doesn’t look hurt, butfuck,she’s probably terrified. I take aim at the man standing closest to her as the firefight continues outside, just as expected. What’s not expected is the sound of the next detonation.

It shakes the building, rattling the windows. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I hear Leena’s muffled scream as the sound cracks through the air.

But I can’t look at her.

I stand slowly, my eyes fixed on the water tower outside. Where an RPG has found its mark. Shrapnel pummels the side of the building and falls to the dirt outside as the structure is quickly engulfed in flames.

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