Page 108 of Fortress of the Brave

“Why am I always the one who gets the side eye?” he grumbles.

“Maybe because you’ve killed more men than you’ve had hot dinners,” I remind him.

“Be careful, everyone,” Marco says to us, clasping my hand in his. He gives Darko a good, solid slap on the back.

“Same.” I nod to him and Angelo. Rocco and Dom follow them out.

It sucks we have to split up like this, but I get it has to be done this way and as swiftly as possible. It’s the only way.

One of the guards, Dario, drives us while Darko sits next to him in the front.

“What do you guys make of all of this?” Enzo asks as Dario drives into the blackest of nights. Even the stars decided to hide.

“What I can’t get is how they really thought they’d get away with us taking the fall,” Fynn mutters. “They must have known it would eventually catch up with them.”

“You’d think they’d have disappeared somewhere far away,” I agree. “Not stayed in Boston.”

“Greed,” Darko mutters. “Greed rules all.” No truer words have been spoken.

“Whichever way you look at it, it’s brazen,” Enzo says. “Colombian warlords don’t exactly ask questions first.”

I shake my head, trying to fathom it. “Hence why they blew up the car. Gotta hand it to them, it’s shaken us up where security is concerned.” I keep thinking about what Angelo said about Ma having to bury all of her boys. As if reading my mind, Fynn turns to me and gives me a shoulder squeeze in a rare moment of affection.

“At least I’m not fucking babysitting the women this time,” Fynn mutters quite happily. “I’ve had to sit the last two showdowns out.”

“No offense, but I’d much rather be sitting back there with the women than with you two right now, on our way to capture some Colombian drug mule.” I chuckle.

Mia flashes in my mind, but I push all thoughts of her aside so I can keep my wits about me.

I need to be strong for Angelo, for all of us. I need to return to her in one piece so that we can start our life together.

“Count me in on that,” Enzo agrees. Glancing at Fynn. he says, “Heard you caught up with Sage last night?”

Fynn looks out the window, pretending to be unconcerned. “Good news travels fast.” He gives me a look.

I raise my palms. “I said nothing.”

“When are you two gonna stop fighting it?” Enzo goes on. “Just bang and get it over with.”

Darko chuckles to himself.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Fynn replies. We broke it a long time ago.”

“I seem to remember you’re the sole reason for that,” I remind him. “Or have you forgotten?”

He snorts. “She hardly gave me much of a choice. She would have wanted an out eventually, so I gave her one.”

I roll my eyes. “Such a big man, stepping up to the plate like that.”

“Fuck you.”

I rest my head back on the headrest and ignore him. Like all things Fynn-related, where he doesn't want to be accountable for anything, he ignores me right back.

As we get closer to the location, Darko tells us there’s a team of six soldiers in place, and the guy we’re tailing is surrounded. They will swarm the place as soon as we get there, then we will take the reins and drag his ass back to the warehouse.

Couldn’t be more simple than that.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

---