Aria pov
"Non-negotiable," he said, echoing my words. "You want partnership? This is a partnership. You don’t get to protect by keeping away."
I studied his face—the determination, the fear, the absolute refusal to back down. "Okay," I said softly. "Together."
"Together," he agreed.
The rest of the day was a blur of preparation. The training room slled like gun oil and sweat. The bulletproof vest pressed heavy against my ribs. FBI tactical briefings, weapons training (I refused a gun but accepted pepper spray and a panic button), morizing the warehouse layout, running through scenarios.
By the ti evening fell, I was exhausted and wired simultaneously.
"You should eat," Olivia said, appearing with takeout around 6 PM. "Can’t rescue your terrible sister on an empty stomach."
"How did you"
"Richards called . Said you were doing sothing stupid and brave and might need dical support." She set down Chinese food. "So here I am. Ready to patch you up when this inevitably goes sideways."
The sll of Chinese food filled the room—normally I’d be hungry, but my stomach twisted. "Your confidence is overwhelming," I said dryly, but I hugged her.
"Aria, you don’t have to do this." Olivia’s voice was serious. "Vivian made her choices, you don’t owe her this."
"I know." I pulled back. "But I owe it to myself, to the person I want to be. I can’t preach about rcy and forgiveness and then abandon her when she actually needs , knowing that was the one who put her in a position where she could be taken by Marcus.."
"Even if it ans walking into a trap?"
"Especially then." I smiled slightly. "Besides, I have an FBI tactical team, Damien’s security forces, and the knowledge that Marcus wants to talk before he kills. That gives us an advantage."
"Or it gives him ti to torture you," Olivia said bluntly. "But I know better than to argue with you when you’ve made up your mind. Just" Her voice cracked. "Just co back. Noah needs his mom and I need my best friend."
"I’ll co back," I promised. "I’m too stubborn to die."
"That’s the spirit." She squeezed my hand. "Now eat, you need strength for tonight."
At 10 PM, I stood in our bedroom, staring at my reflection. The bulletproof vest made look bulkier, more imposing. Dark clothes, hair pulled back, no jewelry except for my engagent ring. I looked like I was going to war.
"You don’t have to do this." Damien appeared in the mirror behind , his hands settling on my shoulders. "Say the word and we’ll find another way."
"There is no other way." I turned to face him. "Marcus wants . If I don’t show, he kills Vivian. And even though she’s betrayed more tis than I can count, I’m not a person who lets people die when I can stop it."
"I know." He pulled close. "It’s one of the things I love about you. Your compassion, your strength, your refusal to beco bitter despite every reason to be. You’re" His voice cracked. "You’re everything good in my life, Aria. And the thought of you walking into danger"
"I’ll be careful," I promised. "And I’ll have a whole FBI team watching my back."
"Still." He cupped my face. "If sothing happens—if Marcus tries to hurt you"
"Then you and Torres’s team will stop him." I covered his hands with mine. "But nothing is going to happen. We’re going to get Vivian out, arrest Marcus, and go ho to our son. That’s the plan."
"Plans change." His eyes were haunted. "I’ve already lost you once, Aria. I can’t—if I lost you again, for real this ti."
"You won’t." I kissed him gently. "I promise. I’m coming back to you."
"You better." He pulled into a fierce embrace. "Because I’m not done proving myself to you. Not done showing you every day that I’m worthy of your love. I need decades for that, not days."
"Then I guess I’ll have to survive," I said against his chest. "Can’t leave you with unfinished business."
At 11:30 PM, we gathered in the tactical van three blocks from Pier 47. Agent Torres reviewed the plan one final ti.
"Aria goes in alone at midnight. She’s wired—we’ll hear everything. Sniper teams are positioned on buildings surrounding the warehouse. Ground teams will move in at my signal." Torres looked at . "Your job is to keep Marcus talking. The longer he talks, the more ti we have to locate Vivian and plan our breach."
"Understood." I checked the wire hidden under my vest.
"And if he demands you remove the vest or wire?" Torres asked.
"I stall. Say I’ll do it once I see Vivian alive and unhard."
"Good." Torres nodded. "Rember—you see a weapon, you hit the ground imdiately. Don’t try to be a hero."
"Wouldn’t dream of it," I said dryly.
Damien had been silent through the briefing, but now he caught my arm. "Can we have a minute?"
Torres nodded, and Damien pulled aside. "I need you to know sothing," he said quietly. "Before you go in there, just in case"
"Don’t." I touched his lips. "Don’t say goodbye, this isn’t goodbye."
"Let finish." He caught my hand, holding it against his heart. "I love you. Completely, desperately, probably unhealthily. You’re the reason I learned to be human again. The reason I believe I can be better than my father, than the monster I was. And if sothing happens there."
"Nothing will happen"
"If sothing happens," he continued firmly, "I need you to know that loving you, being loved by you, being Noah’s father—it’s been the greatest privilege of my life. You made want to be worthy. And I’ll spend every day I have left trying to be the man you deserve."
My throat was tight. "Damien"
"I an it, Aria. Every word." His eyes were intense. "So you co back to . You hear ? You co back because I’m not done loving you. I’ll never be done loving you."
"I’ll co back," I whispered. "I promise."
He pulled close then, one hand sliding into my hair, the other gripping my waist like he was afraid I’d disappear. For a mont we just stood there, foreheads pressed together, breathing the sa air. Then he kissed .
It wasn’t gentle. It was desperate and fierce and full of everything he couldn’t say. His lips crushed against mine like he was trying to morize the taste of , the feel of . I kissed him back just as hard, my hands fisting in his shirt, pulling him closer even though the vest was between us.
His heart hamred against my palm when I pressed my hand to his chest. The kiss deepened—urgent, almost painful. When he finally pulled back, we were both shaking. Both breathing hard. His thumb traced my bottom lip, gentle now, reverent."Co back to ," he whispered against my mouth.
"I will." I kissed him once more, softly this ti. "I will."
"Ti," Torres called. "Aria, you ready?"
I looked at Damien one more ti, morizing his face. Then I turned and walked toward the warehouse. "Ready as I’ll ever be."
The warehouse lood ahead, dark and nacing against the night sky. Every window was broken, every surface covered in graffiti and rust like a perfect place for a horror show.
I walked to the main entrance, trying to look confident despite my heart hamring. The door was ajar as the tal door handle burned cold against my palm. I pushed it open and stepped inside.
Inside, the sll hit —mold and standing water and rot. So much darker than I expected. My eyes struggled to adjust. That single bulb swung slightly overhead, making the shadows move. Water dripped sowhere as tal groaned. Every sound was too loud. I could hear my own breathing, ragged and uneven. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears like drums. The warehouse was massive—three stories of empty space as a single light hung in the center, illuminating a chair.
Vivian was tied to it. "Aria!" Her voice was hoarse, face bruised. "You shouldn’t have co—it’s a trap"
"I know it’s a trap." I walked forward slowly. "That’s why I brought friends."
"How sweet." Marcus’s voice echoed from sowhere above. "Sister cos to save sister, very touching."
I scanned the shadows but couldn’t see him. "I’m here, Marcus. Let Vivian go."
"Not yet." He stepped into the light on a second-floor catwalk.. "First, we talk. You and . About family, betrayal and justice."
"Fine." I kept my voice steady. "Let’s talk. But first, prove Vivian’s okay."
"She’s fine." Marcus gestured, and Vivian lifted her head. She was bruised but conscious. "See? Alive and relatively unhard. For now."
"What do you want?" I asked.
"What I’ve always wanted." Marcus began descending the stairs. "To make Damien suffer and the best way to do that?" He reached the ground floor, smiling coldly. "Is to destroy everything he loves."
He pulled out a gun, pointing it directly at my head."Starting with you."
Through the wire, I heard Torres shout orders. Heard Damien scream my na. But I kept my eyes on Marcus and forced myself to smile."Then you’re going to be disappointed," I said calmly. "Because I’m not that easy to destroy."
"We’ll see about that." Marcus cocked the gun. "We’ll see about that."
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