Page 73 of Omega on Fire

"Good. We're pinned down. Need a distraction."

"On it," Deacon replies.

I look down at Charlotte, her eyes wide but determined. "You good, Harlequin?"

She nods, a small smile playing on her lips. "Never better, Motley."

Fuck. This woman, she's fearless.

More gunfire erupts, this time from the other side of the warehouse. Deacon's distraction. Teagan nods at me, and we move, using the chaos to our advantage. We slip through the shadows, Charlotte staying close, her movements mirroring mine.

We round a corner and freeze. There, in the center of the warehouse, is Brookes. He's tied to a chair, his head slumped forward, his body bruised and beaten. Rage surges through me, hot and violent. I want to tear these fuckers apart, limb from limb. But first, we need to get Brookes out.

Teagan signals to me, and I nod, understanding his plan. We'll split up, take out the remaining hostiles, and secure Brookes.

I turn to Charlotte, my voice low. "Stay here. Cover us."

She nods, her eyes hard, never leaving Brookes position in the middle of the floor.

Teagan and I move out, our steps silent, ourweapons raised. We take out the hostiles one by one, our movements synchronized, our aim precise. It's like a fucking dance, a deadly ballet.

When the last hostile falls, I rush to Brookes, cutting his bonds. He slumps forward, and I catch him, easing him to the ground. His eyes flutter open, pain and fear swirling in their depths.

"You're safe, Brookes," I murmur, brushing his hair back from his forehead. "We've got you."

Charlotte joins us, her eyes filled with concern. She kneels beside Brookes, taking his hand in hers. "We're here, Brookie. You're safe."

Brookes looks up at her, a small smile playing on his lips. "Knew you'd come, Char."

Charlotte smiles back, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Always, Brookie. Always."

Teagan joins us, his eyes scanning the warehouse. "We need to move. Now."

I nod, scooping Brookes up into my arms. He's a dead weight, but I barely feel it. Adrenaline is a hell of a drug.

We move out, our steps quick and silent. The warehouse is eerily quiet, the only sound the distant hum of the city. We slip out the way we came, melting into the shadows, leaving nothing but chaos and death in our wake.

As we reach the SUV, I can feel the adrenaline starting to fade, the pain and exhaustion sets in. But we did it. We fucking did it. We got Brookes back.

I slide into the back seat, cradling Brookes in my arms. Charlotte slides in beside me, her hand resting on Brookes' forehead. Teagan takes the driver's seat, Joker riding shotgun, the light of his laptop washing his face in blue light. Deacon jumps in the back, his eyes scanning our surroundings, ever the watchful guardian.

As we pull away from the warehouse, I can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

Okay, so we can't catch a break. One minute we're riding high on the rush of victory, the next we're smacked down into a shitstorm of bullets and chaos. The SUV rocks with the impact of another vehicle ramming into us, and my instincts kick in. I throw myself over Charlotte and Brookes, shielding them with my body as metal groans from the impact.

"Stay down," I growl, feeling Charlotte's heart pounding against my chest. Brookes is barely conscious, his breathing is shallow and he moans in pain. Fuck, he's in bad shape. We need to get out of here, and fast.

Joker's voice is frantic over the comm, coordinating with our sniper team, but one glance out thewindow tells me we're fucked. Surrounded, outnumbered, and running out of time.

"We're going to have to engage!" Moses shouts from the back, his voice steady despite the storm of shit we're in.

Charlotte's voice is muffled against my chest, but I can hear the determination underlying her fear. "You mean we have to get out of the car? Brookes can't move. We can't leave him."

Teagan's calm is almost unsettling, a stark contrast to the adrenaline pumping through my veins. "We're not leaving a man behind, Charlotte, but we need to clear a path to get out of here, or we're all dead."

Fuck it. If they want a fight, we'll give them a fucking fight. I look up, meeting Teagan's gaze in the rearview mirror. He nods, and I know what he's thinking. It's time to dance with the devil.

"Joker, you ready to show why you earned your call sign?" I ask, a smirk playing on my lips despite the situation.

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