Page 48 of Rusty's Command

“This whole thing is sick,” Rusty said. But after Colombia, nothing surprised him anymore. He’d seen fathers sell their own children there, too, and he’d learned long ago that nothing shocked him anymore.

“Man down! Man down!” The shout echoed off the marble walls below.

Sienna stiffened beside him.

“Shit! They’ve found the server room.”

Heavy boots thundered across the stage.

“Hicks and Temple are dead. Jesus Christ!” The panic in the guard’s voice echoed up to them. “Temple’s throat was cut. There’s blood everywhere!”

Multiple footsteps joined the chaos, and orders were barked in overlapping Mandarin and English. Flashlight beams sliced through the darkness like frantic searchlights.

Wang appeared on the stage, positioning himself behind the line of terrified women.

Fuck, he’s using them as a human shield.

His face tilted up toward the balcony, and Rusty yanked Sienna back into the shadows. Holding his breath, he eased forward for a better look. Even in the dim light, Wang’s expression burned with cold fury.

“Shit! What do we do?” Sienna’s whisper was hot against his ear.

“I’ll take those guards out one by one. Then Wang.” The ice in his voice surprised even him.

After years in the military, he’d never minded being the cold professional. But now, seeing Sienna flinch at his tone, itbothered him. She was getting under his skin in ways he couldn’t afford. Not here. Not now.

“They’re scared now,” he added, softening his voice. “Scared men make mistakes.”

But Wang wasn’t scared. Not even close. Despite the fury etched on his face, his posture remained calculated, controlled. The way he positioned himself behind those women. How he methodically swept the shadows. These weren’t the actions of a man losing control. If anything, he looked like he was waiting for something. Or someone.

That put the fear of God into Rusty. Wang had resources and connections that went deeper than anyone knew.

Who did he call?

Local Yakuza? His government contacts? The calm certainty in Wang’s expression suggested backup was already on the way.

Rusty’s mind churned. Time was slipping through their fingers. If Wang’s reinforcements arrived before they could finish this, it was over. He’d seen enough missions go sideways to know exactly how bad this could get.

And with Sienna here . . . his chest tightened. He can’t fail. Not now. Not with her life on the line.

“What is it?” she whispered, maybe reading the tension racing through him.

“Wang.” Rusty kept his voice low. “He’s too calm. Something’s up.”

She curled her hair behind her ear. “Like what?”

“No idea, but we need to find you somewhere safe to hide.”

“What? No! I’m helping you. I’ve had self-defense training. I know what?—”

“Sienna! These men are armed and dangerous?—”

“No shit. I can see that. But you can’t take them all alone.”

“I’ve got Soda.”

“Great, but I’m not sitting this out.”

He growled. “Christ.”

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