The night air was thick with the scent of oil and rust as Dominic, Alyssa, and Julian crouched behind a stack of shipping containers at a private dock in Prague. The intel Alyssa had uncovered led them here one of Volkov's key smuggling hubs.
Armed guards patrolled the perimeter, their rifles gleaming under the dull yellow floodlights. At the center of it all, a massive cargo ship sat docked, its crew unloading crates onto black SUVs.
Weapons.
Enough firepower to start a small war.
Dominic adjusted his grip on his silenced pistol, adrenaline surging through his veins. He wasn't used to being on the ground like this normally, he fought battles in boardrooms, not on the frontlines but tonight, it was personal.
He glanced at Alyssa. She was all business, checking her gear one last time. A suppressor was already attached to her sidearm, and a combat knife rested at her hip.
"You sure about this?" Dominic asked, keeping his voice low.
Alyssa smirked, her eyes glinting in the dark. "What, worried about me?"
Dominic didn't answer. He wasn't sure what the hell this thing between them was an alliance, a rivalry, or something else entirely but every time he looked at her, he felt it.
"You two done flirting?" Julian muttered, shaking his head. "We've got fifteen minutes before more of Volkov's guys show up."
Alyssa ignored him and focused on the mission. "Here's the plan. We get inside, plant the trackers on the weapons shipments, and get the hell out before they know we were here. No unnecessary risks."
Dominic arched an eyebrow. "That almost sounds like you care about my well-being."
She smirked. "Don't flatter yourself, billionaire. I just don't want to babysit you if you get shot."
Julian sighed. "Can we please focus?"
Alyssa rolled her eyes but nodded. "Let's move."
Moving in silence, they navigated through the maze of containers, avoiding patrols with practiced ease. Alyssa led the way, her movements precise, efficient. Dominic followed, his mind shifting into focus every step, every breath calculated.
They reached the first set of crates. Alyssa pulled a tracker from her pocket and pressed it against the wooden surface. A soft beep confirmed the signal.
"One down," she whispered.
They moved deeper into the dockyard, planting more trackers along the way. Everything was going smoothly.
Too smoothly.
Dominic's instincts screamed at him something wasn't right.
Then he saw them.
Two guards standing at the far end of the dock, speaking in hushed Russian. One of them had a radio pressed to his ear, his expression shifting to one of alarm.
"Shit," Dominic muttered. "They know something's up."
Alyssa didn't hesitate. She moved like a ghost, creeping up behind the first guard. Before he could react, her arm wrapped around his neck, cutting off his airway. He struggled, but she held firm until his body went limp.
Dominic wasn't as subtle. The second guard turned his hand reaching for his weapon when Dominic fired a single silenced round into his chest. The man collapsed without a sound.
Alyssa shot him a look. "Not exactly stealthy."
Dominic smirked. "It worked, didn't it?"
Before she could argue, Julian's voice crackled in their earpieces. "Guys, we've got company. A whole convoy just pulled up outside the docks."
Alyssa swore under her breath. "We need to get out of here. Now."
But as they turned to leave, another voice came through the guards' radios.
A deep, accented voice.
"Find them. Kill them."
Volkov.
All Hell Breaks Loose
The second the words hit the air, the floodlights flickered on, bathing the entire dockyard in harsh, blinding light.
"Go, go, go!" Alyssa hissed.
Gunfire erupted. Bullets ricocheted off the containers as they sprinted for cover.
Dominic fired back, taking down a man near the SUVs. Alyssa moved fast, dropping another with a precise shot to the throat.
Julian's voice was frantic. "I've got an exit, but you need to get to the north side of the dock!"
Easier said than done.
More of Volkov's men swarmed in, blocking every escape route.
Alyssa ducked behind a crate, reloading. "We're pinned."
Dominic scanned the dockyard. His mind worked in overdrive. He wasn't a soldier, but he was a strategist.
And right now, he needed a goddamn plan.
His eyes landed on a fuel truck parked near the cargo ship.
"How big of an explosion do you think that thing would make?" he asked.
Alyssa followed his gaze. Her lips curled into a wicked smile. "Big enough."
Without another word, she pulled a grenade from her vest.
Dominic blinked. "You just carry grenades?"
Alyssa tossed it between her hands. "You don't?"
Before he could argue, she pulled the pin and lobbed it at the truck.
The explosion was instant. Flames shot into the sky, engulfing the dock in a wave of heat. The shockwave knocked some of Volkov's men off their feet, buying them the opening they needed.
"Move!" Alyssa shouted.
They sprinted through the chaos, gunfire ringing in their ears.
Dominic felt a bullet graze his shoulder, searing pain ripping through him, but he didn't stop.
Alyssa turned, saw the blood, and cursed. "You good?"
Dominic gritted his teeth. "Keep moving."
Julian's black SUV screeched to a stop ahead of them. The doors flew open.
"Get in!"
Alyssa and Dominic dove inside just as more bullets tore through the air.
The second the doors slammed shut, Julian hit the gas, tires screeching against the pavement.
As they sped away, Dominic pressed a hand to his bleeding shoulder, adrenaline still surging through him.
Alyssa, breathing hard, glanced at him. "You're gonna need stitches."
Dominic smirked despite the pain. "And here I thought you didn't care."
Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Don't get used to it."
But as she reached for a makeshift bandage and started tending to his wound, her fingers lingered on his skin just a second too long.
Neither of them said anything about it.
But they both felt it.
And in that moment, Dominic realized something.
Surviving Volkov wasn't just about strategy or firepower.
It was about trust.
And whether he liked it or not, Alyssa Rowan was becoming the one person he trusted most.
Even if it was going to get them both killed.