Page 53 of Knuckles & Knives
From his perch in the Sterling building, Kieran’s sniper fire creates chaos in the enemy’s carefully coordinated approach. His shots aren’t meant to kill—though some do—but to disrupt, to force them off their planned routes and into kill zones established by Dom and Axel.
And Marcus, moving beside me through the darkened floors of his compromised fortress, proves that all those years of intelligence work haven’t made him soft. When we encounter resistance on the twenty-fourth floor, his response is swift, silent, and absolutely lethal.
“Stairwell’s clear for now,” he murmurs, stepping over bodies with the same casual efficiency he brings to analyzing data. “Bridge access in sixty seconds.”
But as we move through the destroyed remains of what had been his secure refuge, I see something in Marcus’s expression that speaks to a deeper transformation. This isn’t just about protecting me or defending territory. This is about four men who’ve discovered that their individual strengths become exponentially more powerful when combined.
Dom’s raw physical dominance, Axel’s unpredictable adaptability, Kieran’s strategic positioning, and Marcus’s technological superiority—separately formidable, together virtually unstoppable.
The emergency bridge between buildings is a narrow span of reinforced steel and glass, designed for evacuations exactly like this one. As we cross thirty floors above the street, with smoke and flames visible below and the sound of gunfire echoing through the urban canyon, I realize something fundamental has shifted.
This attack wasn’t meant to eliminate us. It was meant to test us, to force us to reveal our capabilities and coordination. And in responding to it, my four men have just announced to the entireunderworld that we’re no longer four separate entities orbiting around Raven Blackwood.
We’re infinitely more dangerous than the sum of our parts.
By the time we reach the Obsidian, the immediate threat is over. Bodies in tactical gear litter the approaches to the building, and Dom stands guard at the main entrance like an avenging angel covered in other people’s blood. Axel perches on a fire escape, cleaning his knives with the satisfied air of someone who’s just had an excellent workout.
“Casualties?” I ask as we regroup in the main office.
“None on our side,” Dom reports. “Sixteen confirmed hostile KIA, three wounded and in custody for questioning.”
“Equipment analysis suggests military contractors, not regular criminal muscle,” Marcus adds, already connecting to backup servers and rebuilding his intelligence network. “Professional grade weapons, tactical coordination, electronic warfare capabilities.”
“And the coordination was too precise,” Kieran says as he joins us, rifle case slung over his shoulder. “They knew our locations, our security protocols, our response patterns. Someone gave them detailed intelligence about all of us.”
Fuck me. We have a traitor somewhere in our organization, someone with access to information about all four men’s operations.
“So what’s our response?” Axel asks, his wild energy channeled into deadly focus. “Because I’m thinking we make an example that’ll have people thinking twice before they come for us again.”
“We do exactly that,” I agree, looking around at the four men who’ve just proven they’re willing to face coordinated military assault to keep me safe. “But first, we send a message. Not just to whoever ordered this attack, but to everyone watching to see how we handle being challenged.”
“What kind of message?” Dom asks.
I smile, something cold and sharp settling in my chest. “The kind that reminds this city why people used to fear the name Blackwood, and why they should fear it even more now that I’m not alone.”
Marcus pulls up a map of the city on his largest remaining screen, marking known enemy positions and probable safe houses. “Target priorities?”
“Everyone who participated in tonight’s attack,” I say without hesitation. “Everyone who funded it, planned it, or gave it intelligence support. We’re going to systematically dismantle every organization that thought we were weak enough to attack directly.”
“That’s a lot of enemies,” Kieran observes, but his voice carries anticipation rather than concern.
“Good thing we’ve got the right team for the job.” I look at each of them in turn—Dom with his unshakeable loyalty, Axel with his chaotic brilliance, Kieran with his strategic mind, Marcus with his technological mastery. “They wanted to test whether we’re strong enough to rule this city. Time to give them an answer they’ll never forget.”
The attack that was meant to destroy us has instead forged us into something unprecedented in this city’s criminal history. Not just a crime family built on blood ties or territorial agreements, but a true partnership between equals who’ve chosen to stand together.
And now that we’ve been tested by fire, it’s time to show our enemies exactly what they’ve created.
The war for this city’s underworld has officially begun. And we intend to win it.
CHAPTER 18
The adrenaline from the attack is still coursing through my veins three hours later, but it’s transformed into something else entirely as I stand in the center of the Obsidian’s private suite, watching four dangerous men look at me like I’m something precious they nearly lost.
The silence stretches between us, heavy with unspoken words and the weight of what we’ve all just survived together. Dom leans against the reinforced door, his dark eyes never leaving my face. Kieran stands by the windows, his usually perfect appearance disheveled from combat, ice-blue eyes intense with something that makes my pulse quicken. Axel perches on the edge of the desk, his wild energy barely contained as he spins a knife between his fingers. Marcus sits in the leather chair, fingers steepled, watching me with that calculating gaze that sees everything.
“We need to talk,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel.
“About what happened tonight?” Dom’s gravelly voice carries an edge of protectiveness that makes something warm unfurl in my chest.
