My First, My Last, My Everything

Chapter 12

Gabriella

The private jet touched down in Chicago, and Jeremy, Liana, and I hopped into one of the black BMWs waiting for us on the private runway.

Our driver revved up and headed towards the hideout of the rebel gang that had attacked my parents.

Liana had dug up intel on them – they were a bunch of high school dropouts calling themselves 'THE XXO'. These amateurs were clearly failing at their mission.

No wonder they couldn't get anything done properly.

Our destination was an abandoned warehouse. As we turned onto a gravel road, I spotted a faint light emanating from the silhouette of a large building ahead – their hideout, no doubt.

We parked a bit away from the warehouse, cautious of any unexpected bystanders who might catch wind of our presence.

I definitely didn't want to blow our cover; surprise was our advantage here. We needed to get this done and dusted quickly. I wasn't ready to trust those two dimwits back home to handle things, and I was eager to return as soon as our business here was done.

We all disembarked from the car, while the five guys who came with us emerged from the vehicles that followed.

Jeremy popped the trunk and distributed firearms to the crew, including Liana. He handed me a small handgun with a silencer – no need to create a spectacle.

"Here you go," Jeremy said, passing me the weapon.

I checked the bullets and inserted a small earpiece, casting a glance at Liana, who was busy on her iPad.

"All set," she nodded at me, her voice coming through the earpiece.

"Listen up, Monty and Cyrus, you guys stand by and watch the cars. If any of those morons try to make a getaway, you're on it. Matteo and Kirill, take the back entrance and wait for my signal. Jeremy, you're our sniper lookout. Lee, you're with me. Liana, scout for surveillance cameras and make sure they don't tip off the gang. Everyone clear?"

"Clear!" they all chimed in.

With nods exchanged, we dispersed to our assigned positions. I approached the entrance with Lee following close behind.

"All cameras are disabled, I'm in," Liana's voice chimed in my ear.

I leaned against the doorframe, Lee mirrored on the other side.

"How many inside?" I asked Liana.

"Uh... give me a sec... this camera's acting up... wait, what the fuck? Someone hacked my feed! I've been locked out!" She exclaimed.

Frowning, I adjusted my earpiece.

"What? How's that even possible? Is it them? Do they know we're here?" A garbled noise crackled in response, and I saw Lee's puzzled expression, indicating he was hearing the same thing.

"I don't know... I can't breach their system anymore... the hacker's good," Liana finally responded.

I tightened my grip on my gun and signaled to Lee.

"On three. One... two... three!" We kicked the door down, entering a pitch-black space.

The door crashed to the floor, accompanied by a cloud of dust. I aimed my gun into the darkness, as did Lee, using his flashlight to reveal glimpses of the surroundings.

With caution, we advanced, the only sounds our breathing and footsteps echoing on the concrete floor.

Suddenly, the room illuminated, and we both flinched, finding ourselves confronted by a group of gun-wielding men in black.

What. The. Fuck.

My breath hitched as my eyes locked onto the figure seated in front – the last person I expected to see here.

"Anthony," I spat his name, my gun immediately aimed at him, prompting his men to redirect their guns toward me.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, sweetheart. You're outnumbered," he said casually, arms folded.

"Yeah, I can see that. Why the hell are you here?" He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Heard you'd be around, thought I'd drop by for a surprise," he smirked. I targeted him, and his goons repositioned to target me.

"Not the time, Anthony. I've got business to take of. Excuse us, we'll deal with you clowns later. Now, where are they?" A smirk formed on his lips.

"They're mine," I protested.

"True, but they were my bait. So I got what I wanted – you," he smirked.

Gunshots erupted, two of his men crumpled. Relief flooded in me as Jeremy's crew stormed in, guns blazing.

My gun was yanked from my grasp as a kick to my gut sent me sprawling. Anthony loomed above.

"Now, it's time to eliminate my target," he sneered.

I surged up, blocking his punch, remembering he was no pushover. Fists flew, but he evaded most. I leg-swept him, he staggered, and I nailed his stomach.

"Is that all you've got, Merliah?" he taunted.

"Don't call me that," I growled.

"But you used to love it," he leered. I kicked his legs, he stumbled, and I nailed his stomach again, following with a roundhouse to his face, sending him sprawling.

But he wasn't giving up. He tackled me, pinning my arms on the ground. A peculiar expression crossed his face, locking eyes with mine, and I stilled. Swiftly, I flipped him over and pinned him down.

"Eager to get on top of me? You could've just asked you know," he goaded.

"Fuck you," I countered.

His lips curved, a spark in his gaze. Tension filled the air, broken by a loud sound.

We ducked instinctively. I stood up and noticed that he had vanished.

"Damn it!" I kicked the floor, running fingers through my hair. Surveying, I noted the empty room, two lifeless bodies on the ground.

Grabbing my gun, I approached Jeremy.

"What the hell happened?" I inquired.

"Someone dropped a gas bomb. Some of the guys managed to escape," he reported.

"Lee?" I scanned the warehouse for him.

"I'm here!" His voice drew our attention, relief washing over as we saw him panting by the door.

"Got someone who knows where XXO's leader might be," he said, presenting a lanky boy, dark hair hidden by a black hoodie. Maybe 16, 17.

"The kid might know something," Lee said.

The boy stuttered, "I don't know anything."

Amused, I faced him. "What's your name?"

"Landon."

With menace, Matteo grabbed Landon, demanding answers. "Talk!"

Panicking, Landon stammered, "I-I swear, I don't know."

I approached, a smile curling my lips. "Sweetie, lying won't help. Where do the XXO meet tomorrow?"

His eyes darted between us. "There's a shipment at a private wharf near Krypton. Alex and the gang will be there, new armory weapons from Vegas arriving at noon."

"Who's Alex?"

"Our leader."

"Good. Jeremy, handle him quickly. Let's move."

As we departed, Landon's pleas echoed behind us, drowned by my thoughts consumed by vengeance against Anthony Castillo