Chapter 44

(Tony's POV)

Vinah's words hit me like a gut punch. And not the kind you shake off after a few seconds-the kind that leaves you doubled over, gasping for air, questioning all your life choices.

The Syndicate wasn't just some underground criminal network-it was worse than I ever imagined. They hadn't just infiltrated us; they'd been controlling us from the inside. And Julian was dead because of it.

I clenched my fists, trying to steady my breathing. My mind raced. This wasn't some small-time gang war or a territorial dispute. This was big. Bigger than anything I had ever been prepared for.

What the hell was I supposed to do now?

"Tony, there's more," Robison's voice broke through my thoughts, bringing me back to the nightmare of reality.

I turned to him, already bracing for whatever terrible news was about to slap me in the face. "What kind of 'more' are we talking about?"

Robison hesitated. And let me tell you, Robison never hesitates. The guy is a walking, talking efficiency machine, so the fact that he was struggling to get the words out? Yeah, that didn't exactly make me feel better.

After what felt like an eternity, he exhaled sharply and finally said it. "The Syndicate wants the intel we've gathered over the years. They want you to deliver it personally."

A sick feeling churned in my gut. My stomach twisted like I had just eaten a week-old burrito. "And if I don't?"

Robison's expression turned to stone. "Then they kill everyone."

My breath caught.

Everyone.

Not just me. Not just the team. But everyone connected to us. The Syndicate didn't bluff. I'd seen firsthand what they were capable of. If they said they'd wipe us out, they would.

I took a step back, running a hand through my hair, my mind racing a million miles per second. My options?

Give the Syndicate what they wanted and betray everything I stood for?

Or refuse and watch them murder the only family I had left?

Yeah, those choices sucked.

The abandoned warehouse was dead silent except for the sound of my boots scraping against the concrete as I paced. Back and forth. Back and forth. Like a madman trying to find an escape route from a burning building.

Every possible move ran through my mind like a bad dream I couldn't wake up from.

There had to be another way.

I couldn't just roll over and give the Syndicate what they wanted. That wasn't me. But I also couldn't let them go on a murder spree. That wasn't an option either.

"Why are you hesitating?"

Vinah's voice cut through the silence like a knife. I turned to find her standing in the doorway, arms crossed, looking at me like I was an idiot. Which, to be fair, I kind of felt like one right now.

"Do what needs to be done, Tony," she said. "Don't let them destroy us all."

I shook my head. "I can't just hand over what they want. But I can't let them slaughter everyone either."

Her lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. It was more predatory. "Then we take matters into our own hands."

I narrowed my eyes. "And what exactly are you suggesting?"

"We strike first," she said. "Find the mole. Eliminate them. Then we take down the Syndicate from the inside."

Oh. Just a simple assassination and an all-out war with the most dangerous criminal organization in existence. No big deal.

The reckless determination in her voice sent a chill through me. It was a solid plan-except for one problem.

I wasn't sure I could trust her.

I wasn't sure I could trust anyone at this point.

Before I could even respond, the air in the room shifted. You know that eerie feeling when someone enters a room, and the temperature drops like ten degrees? Yeah, that happened.

A shadow stretched across the floor. Slow, deliberate footsteps echoed in the doorway.

I didn't need to turn around. I knew exactly who it was.

Marco.

The bastard himself. The Syndicate's local leader. The man responsible for all of this.

"You're still alive, I see," Marco said. His voice was smooth like he already knew exactly how this was going to end. And he was enjoying it.

I kept my expression neutral. My muscles tensed, but I refused to let it show. If there was one thing Marco thrived on, it was fear. He liked to sniff it out like a bloodhound and use it as a weapon.

I wasn't about to give him that satisfaction.

"What do you want, Marco?" My voice was steady. Flat. Uninterested. Like he was a bad salesman trying to pitch me a terrible deal.

He stepped further into the room, all casual-like. Like we were old friends just catching up. "Only what's mine."

I clenched my jaw. "I don't belong to you."

Marco chuckled, shaking his head like I was some naive kid who didn't understand how the world worked. "Don't you?" His gaze flickered briefly to Vinah before locking onto me again. "Loyalty is a funny thing, Tony. And yours? It's not as valuable as you think."

My blood boiled, but I forced myself to stay calm. He wanted me to react-to show weakness.

I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"I'm not afraid of you," I said, keeping my voice steady.

Marco's smirk widened into something dark. Something cold. Something dangerous.

"You should be."

And that? That was the moment I knew-this was just the beginning of a long, bloody game. And I was smack in the middle of it.