LOGINInto the Auction Hall
The elevator doors opened right into the underground garage. The air smelled like engine oil and wet concrete. Ruiz was already at the first car, engine running low, three guys from the team piled in. Lena climbed into the second vehicle with two more shooters. Cove slid behind the wheel of our car, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on my thigh like he was making sure I stayed put.
“Promise again,&rdquo
The Chip and the TruthThe screen on the laptop glowed cold in the quiet of the penthouse. Marco’s file stared back at me, the words burning bright: he’s been working with the Bratva. Against us. Nikolai’s his new partner. I read them again, my chest tight, the laptop bag still heavy on the table. Lena stood beside me, her shoulder wrapped tight, eyes sharp.Cove leaned against the table, arms crossed, his voice low. “Marco’s been feeding Nikolai everything. He wants us dead. We can’t trust him. Not after tonight.”I looked straight at him, my voice coming out steady even though my hands shook. “He’s alive. We just got him back. The chip proves he’s been tracking me since I was nine. The 2018 fire. The closet. All of it. He never stopped. We have to go. We have to get him out before Nikolai kills him.”Cove stepped closer
The Mission and the ChipMarco’s file sat on the screen, the words burning bright: he’s been working with the Bratva. Against us. Nikolai’s his new partner. He’s been feeding them info the whole time. I stared at it, my chest tight, the words looping in my head. Working with Nikolai. Against us. Marco had been lying the whole time.Lena stood there, laptop in her hands, face still pale from the bullet graze. “He wants us dead. Or worse. We can’t trust him anymore. But we can’t leave him either. He’s alive. Held by Nikolai.”Cove stepped closer, arms still around me from a minute ago, his voice low but hard. “We argue about this now? Marco’s been feeding the enemy. He’s the one who started the war with his secrets. We don’t go anywhere near that building. Not with him.”I pulled away slow, looking straigh
The Mission to the BratvaThe video message from Marco still played in my head on loop, his voice saying come alone and Marco dies. I closed the phone and looked up at the warehouse on the screen, the one I had pulled from the old contacts. The team was already loading up in the garage, boots moving fast, engines starting one by one. Lena stood by the cars, her shoulder still wrapped tight, face set like she meant to fight.Cove stepped out of the lead car and walked straight to me. “Eli, you’re not doing this alone. We talked about it. Stay behind me.”I nodded, even though my chest felt tight. “I know. I’m not. But we can’t let him kill Marco. That video… it’s real. He’s alive.”Lena jumped in quick. “We move now. I’m coming with you two. My shoulder hurts but I can still shoot. We do this together or we don&rsqu
The Threat from the BratvaThe words from Nikolai hit me like a slap in the face. Your brother’s blood is still useful. Hand over the hacker or Marco dies. I read them again on the laptop screen, my fingers still typing from the fight. The room felt smaller, the city lights outside looking colder than before. Lena sat up on the medical bed, her shoulder wrapped tight, face pale but eyes sharp.Cove stood beside the bed, one hand on my shoulder, the other clenched into a fist. “They have Marco. Nikolai’s got him. We can’t ignore this.”I stared at the message, my chest tight. Marco. My brother. The one I thought was gone, the one I killed years ago. If Nikolai had him, it meant everything was about to blow up again. “We have to do something. He’s holding Marco. We can’t just sit here while he threatens us.”Lena pushed herself higher on the pillows
Lena’s Hit and the Near-MissLena dropped hard to the floor, her shoulder bleeding fast through the jacket. “I’m okay… keep going…”Cove was already moving, dropping his gun for a second so he could slide his arm under her knees. “Stay with me. You’re hit but you’re not going anywhere.”I kept typing on the laptop, fingers flying. “Got the sniper position. Third floor, left window. Nikolai’s calling more men that way. The feed’s still live.”Cove lifted Lena quick, her body light but her breath coming in short gasps. “We’re pulling out. Team, fall back!”Ruiz’s voice came over the comms, tight. “We’re with you, boss. Lena’s down. We got her.”The team moved fast. Bullets still flew but fewer now. A couple of Bratva men tried to
Chaos in the Auction HallThe shout from Matteo still rang in my ears, mixed with the sound of bullets cracking through the hall. You think you can hide from me forever? The Bratva already has your brother’s codes! I shook my head, trying to push it out, and kept hacking on the laptop. The old contacts were still open, feeding me camera feeds. “They’re turning on the assassins now,” I yelled to Cove. “Just watch!”Cove stood right behind me, back pressed to mine, his gun up and ready. “Keep it coming. Don’t stop.”Lena moved to our left, covering the side table. “I’m good here. Keep talking, Eli. Tell me what you see.”I clicked faster. The screens on the wall lit up with the guards’ own cameras. The assassins on the other side suddenly turned their guns on each other. “Got them! They’re shooting the wrong peopl
Cove stood up fast. “I told you to leave it alone.”Eli kept staring at the screen. “Why are there files with my name on them? ‘Eli Reyes Protocol’? ‘Long-term Hold’? What the fuck is all this, Cove?”
Eli stared straight into his eyes. “Why did you really take me, Cove? Not the debt story. Not the ‘your brother offered’ story. The real reason?”Cove looked at him for a long moment, then stood up and walked to the window. He kept his ba
Eli whispered, “He really wanted me dead…”Cove stayed sitting beside him on the bed, hand still on his shoulder. He didn’t say anything at first.Eli laughed, but it sounded broken. “All this time I thought maybe deep down
Cove’s jaw tightened. “How bad is it?”Lena stepped further into the room, glancing at Eli again. “Bad. Marco’s been meeting with the old families. He’s promising them territory if they help him take you down. He’s saying you kidnappe







