Xavier POV

“Some wars don’t end when the blood dries, they just change who holds the knife.”

And Gunfire sounds the same whether it’s mercy or revenge pulling the trigger.

We were halfway through tearing down the surveillance feed when Luca’s voice cut through the comms, breathless:

“We’re clear of Dock 9—heading west.”

“Turn around,” I ordered.

Celeste protested, “We just escaped that madhouse!”

“Rourke’s signal just came online,” I said. “He’s less than a ...