Bile burned the back of my throat at the thought of my fragile wife in his cruel hands. I swallowed hard and shoved the dark thought away. I didn’t have room in my brain for fear now. All I could do was focus on my goal with violent intent, keeping my senses sharp.

Tires squealed as we pulled up to the house, the back of the SUV skidding around the circular driveway. I burst from the car, along with the men I trusted most in the world. Gabriele and Lorenzo were right behind me, the burly brothers’ faces set in identical grim masks.

I kept the car door open as a shield, and—unsurprisingly—more bullets slammed into it. There were guards at the front of the house, firing from the entryway before ducking back inside for cover. I whipped into the open when the bullets stopped flying for a heartbeat, pulling the trigger on my rifle. A dozen sharp reports rent the air, and someone screamed inside the house.

Gabriele bellowed behind me, a sound of rage and panic. I whirled, and something slammed into my shoulder, the bullet testing the efficacy of my tactical vest.

Fuck!

Lorenzo was on the ground, gasping for air. Blood poured from a gash on the side of his neck, where a bullet had torn through the delicate flesh. The pulsing crimson streamed onto Gabriele’s hand where he pressed it hard against his brother’s ruined skin.

“Get him into the car!” I bellowed, fear for my friends rising up and threatening to choke me.

Behind me, more of my men screamed. The gunfire was coming from a different direction now. I looked up and saw four snipers on the roof.

“Go, go, go!” I shouted, peppering the front door with suppressing fire as I rushed for the house.

I was vaguely aware that some of my men followed, but many of them were still pinned down by the snipers.

Somehow, I managed to avoid more bullets as I burst into the house, rifle raised. Something sharp slammed into the side of my neck, and I spun to face the threat. There was no one to my right, only an empty corridor. It wavered strangely.

More gunfire directly behind me. More screams.

I whirled and stumbled, the world tilting. The barrel of my gun drifted toward the floor as my fingers began to go numb.

Confusion threaded through my fear, and I swatted at the thing stinging my neck. A silvery dart fell away and clattered onto the hardwoods beneath my boots.

“Fuck.” The curse was slurred, and I took a step toward the door, struggling to get back to the cover of the SUV.

It’d been too easy to get to the house. Dante had wanted this.