Page 110 of Relapse

“Where the fuck are you?”

“We’re at the rave in the industrial district—oh my god—”

Another shot explodes somewhere nearby through the call. Blair yells something in the background before Mina screams hard enough the sound tears through my chest.

The warehouse atmosphere changes immediately.

Noir goes still beside me, like a predator scenting blood.

“What the fuck is going on?” I bark.

“They found us!” Mina screams over the bass and chaos. “We’re by the loading docks, but they’re—”

The line cuts dead.

My pulse slams violently behind my ribs.

The warehouse explodes into movement instantly afterward.

“Gear up!” I snap.

Crates slam open around us. Weapons dragged out. Ammo shoved into jackets while Saint racks a shotgun loud enough to echo through the warehouse. Reaper starts barking orders while Knox loads magazines with terrifying calm beside the workbench.

War mode.

Fast and fucking efficient.

Noir strips his rings off one by one before pulling black gloves over his hands slowly.

Tiny movements, but still enough to make something cold crawl beneath my skin again.

Too calm.

Way too fucking calm.

I yank another handgun from the crate and call Blair immediately.

Straight to voicemail.

Again.

Nothing.

A horrible image flashes through my head instantly.

Blair bleeding on concrete beneath neon lights.

Dead because I let her out of my fucking sight and fucking trusted Mina with her.

Rage detonates hard enough my vision almost whites out.

Noir notices immediately.

“She’s alive.”

“You don’t know that.”

“She is.”