Page 68 of Brutal Queen

A barrage of bullets erupt out of a door on the right. Nico and I race back to the far left catwalk to get a better position and start laying down fire to cover the guys who’re nearly at the back wall and out in the open.

Unloading my clip, I reach into one of my many cavernous pockets for a replacement. Max better show up soon, because we need backup if the volume of gunfire coming out of that door is anything to go by.

From our position, I have a better angle on the men in the lab. Holstering my gun, I huddle behind Nico and start rummaging in the pockets of the black hunting vest he’s wearing over his Kevlar. I pull out some of Benny’s ‘boomers’ as he calls them, otherwise known as homemade grenades.

“What are you doing back there, phoenix? You’re throwing off my aim.”

“Mind your business. I’m dealing with our friends in the lab.” Using my teeth to pull the pin on the first one, I stand a little from my crouch and launch it over the railing. It only takes a few seconds after it bounces along the top to blow theroof off of the lab. Wasting no time, I throw the second one for good measure.

Plumes of acrid smoke start to fill the upper levels of the warehouse, and I instantly regret my decision.

“Shoot out the windows on the other side,” Nico shouts. After shattering six pains of glass, the smoke thins out enough up here for us to assess the damage. A slew of bodies are scattered in the lab beneath us.

“You were fucking lucky that lab wasn’t in active use. I love you, woman, but you’re fucking nuts.”

I blanch for a moment, realising what a stupid fucking idea that was before snapping myself out of it and grabbing my weapon again. “Enzo, what’s your position?” I say, lifting my hand to the earpiece to activate the comms.

“Pinned down in the corner, but we have cover.”

“Can you hold out?”

“Yes, but not indefinitely,” Sinclair chimes in.

It’s then we hear Stefano. “Eight black SUVs approaching from the east, ETA two minutes.”

“Thank fuck,” comes a rather strained reply from Benny.

“Time to stop jerking these guys off. The main event has arrived. Stefano, get Dom’s team on comms and saddle up.”

“Got it, boss,” Stefano replies.

“Blow it, Benny.”

Nico and I cover our ears as a loud explosion erupts on the other side of the warehouse. It’s followed by a mix of agonising screams and the thunder of cascading rubble. It’s now we find out what we’re up against as those who survived the explosion run out of the side door, seeking safety. It’s a relatively easy process to peck them off one by one as they funnel out of the door.

When the noise from the explosion and wall collapse diesdown to a low rumble and the men stop running into a spray of bullets, I’m able to hear the guys talking back and forth over the comms as they cross the warehouse floor to do a sweep for any stragglers.

Zo is confirming the all-clear from the back offices when the shutters roll on the loading bay doors.

Nico and I take the opportunity to run across the gantry and through the door on the nearside wall. It’s a stairwell, giving us the option of returning to the warehouse floor or heading for the roof. Until backup arrives to thin out Max’s numbers, down is not an option.

Reaching for my earpiece, I shout out our updated location to everyone, and as our feet pound up the stairs, I hear each team sounding off their position.

It dawns on me for the first time that these aren’t just my men. My army. They’re dedicated to not just the Bianchi name, but everything it stands for. They may not have my history with Max De Luca, but every single one of them is out for his blood. They’re standing against not just the way his family has corrupted our way of life, but they’re standing up for what’s right.

Max De Luca hasn’t just betrayed me. He’s betrayed us all. And his reign is over.

As we reach the top, Nico and I burst through the door onto the roof and immediately slam it shut just as more bodies follow us up the stairwell. I scan the rooftop and point towards the warped railings in front of us. Nico wrenches one of the top bars free and slides the metal pole through the handle, locking us outside.

There’s a sudden screech of tires and we run to the side of the building, peering over just in time to see a procession of SUVs and vans block in Max’s men at the entrance to theloading bay. Stefano’s men pile out and I’m deafened by the noise of the arsenal of guns cutting a swathe through his men.

It may be overkill, but Stefano has instantly turned the tables our way.

Back on the comms, I call out to Zo, Sin, and Benny, “His backup is down. We only have those already in the building to deal with. I want you to sweep in a grid pattern. Stefano, there's an unknown number moving to our position on the roof in the west stairwell. No way out at the top. They’re sitting ducks. Take them out.”

Tapping Nico on the shoulder, I point at the fire escape on the side of the building. We’re up and over the side in an instant, hopping down onto the metal gangway and hurrying down the steps to the men Stefano stationed below. As we reach the final level, I kick out the release for the vertical ladder and make swift work of dropping to the ground.

There’s at least thirty of our men holding positions outside and I ask the nearest how many have gone in with Stefano.

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