“Abby, huh?” Olivia’s voice sliced through the heavy silence of the car, startling Carlos slightly. Her eyes were still fixed on the road ahead, but there was a sharp edge to her tone, a curiosity that Carlos hadn’t expected. The quiet hum of the car’s engine and the dark expanse of highway that stretched before them suddenly felt more oppressive.Carlos shifted in his seat, his eyes narrowing. He hadn’t sensed this kind of curiosity Olivia before. Why now? His fingers drummed lightly against the armrest, his mind racing. “What about her?” Carlos asked cautiously, his voice low and guarded.Olivia glanced at him, her expression unreadable. “Tell me about her,” she said softly, turning her attention back to the road. “I want to know what she was like.”Carlos frowned, suspicion flashing in his eyes. “Why do you want to know about Abby?” His voice had a hint of challenge in it, as if daring her to push this conversation further. “Why are you asking about my dead fiancée?”There was a m
Carlos could barely keep his eyes on the road ahead as they drove the last few miles. The towering trees thickened on both sides of the narrow path, casting long shadows in the evening light. The further they went, the quieter it got, and Carlos noticed the change in Olivia's demeanor as she gripped the wheel, her lips pressed together in a tight line.“You sure this is the right way?” Carlos asked, casting a suspicious glance at the GPS on the dashboard, which had lost signal a while back. “I know where I’m going,” Olivia replied, her voice steady but tense. She leaned forward slightly, focusing on the winding road as it began to narrow. “It’s just up ahead.”Carlos remained silent after that, but his mind was racing. The silence between them stretched, thick with unspoken worries. They had both seen too much, done too much, and now they were on the run together. He wasn’t sure if this was the best idea, but it was the only one they had.As they rounded the final bend, the house cam
Olivia stood in the doorway of Carlos's guestroom, her hand lingering on the doorknob. The early morning light had not yet broken through the windows, and the room was dimly lit by the pale moonlight filtering through the blinds. She took a deep breath, steeling herself before stepping inside.Quietly, she padded across the floor and sat gently on the edge of the bed. Carlos lay there, his breathing slow and steady, his chest rising and falling rhythmically as he slept. His face, usually marked by tension and stress, looked peaceful for once, his features soft in the stillness of sleep. His thick black hair was tousled, resting across his forehead in a way that made him look almost boyish. Olivia couldn’t help but marvel at the sight of him.How did they end up here? She thought as her gaze softened. The long journey they had made, the obstacles they had faced, and the lives they had both lost to the common enemy they shared— Edgar and the woman he worked for. Fate, it seemed, had twi
Carlos sat in the dimly lit living room, the silence only broken by the occasional clatter of keys as Jon worked on his laptop. The weight of the situation settled on him, pressing heavily against his chest. He’d been through a lot, but this… this was different. Tomorrow, they’d be facing Edgar, a man who seemed untouchable, a man with power, money, and the ruthlessness to destroy anyone who crossed him. But they had no choice. It was either strike first or be hunted.He glanced across the room at Jon, who was entirely focused on the glowing screen in front of him. Whatever he was working on, it had to do with tomorrow’s mission. He was double checking everything— the coordinates, the intel, the logistics. Making sure there were no mistakes. Carlos pushed himself off the couch, his mind racing. He couldn’t just sit there any longer, not with all that was hanging over them. He needed to talk to Jon. They hadn’t really had a proper introduction, and Jon was risking just as much as he w
As the heavy door to the living room closed behind Olivia and Jon, Carlos stood for a moment, staring at the empty space they left behind. His thoughts churned, the weight of the plan pressing on his shoulders. Everything they’d talked about had led to this— no more waiting, no more failed missions. They were going after Edgar, and there was no turning back.Carlos paced the room, his mind racing with possibilities. Every step felt like a countdown, every thought a reminder of how much they stood to lose. He couldn't afford to make a mistake. Not with Jon, Olivia, or himself.Determined, Carlos walked toward the kitchen. He needed something to clear his head. The tension between them had built up so thick he could almost taste it. A glass of water might help, even if just for a moment. As he poured the water and stared at it, he couldn't help but replay Jon’s words in his head.Jon had been right: This wasn’t just a simple mission. Edgar wasn’t someone they could easily bring down. He
The early light of dawn broke through the thin curtains of their small rented cabin in Hawaii, casting soft shadows on the walls. The quiet of the morning was pierced by the low hum of Jon’s alarm. He slapped it off with a groggy hand, glancing over at Carlos and Olivia who were already stirring. It was time. The tension in the room was palpable, none of them needing to say a word to feel the weight of what lay ahead. Today was the day they’d leave for New York, and the only thing on everyone’s mind was Edgar.Olivia was the first to move, slipping out of bed and heading to the kitchen to start coffee. She was the most prepared, the one who seemed to keep it all together, even when the walls felt like they were closing in. Carlos sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor. His mind was miles away, already in New York, already thinking about the dangerous mission they were about to undertake.“Everyone ready?” Olivia asked, her voice cutting through the silence. She poured coffee
Carlos took a deep breath and glanced at the envelope in his hand before slowly extending it toward Deon. But just as Deon’s fingers grazed the envelope, Carlos pulled it back slightly. "Actually, Deon, how about this?" Carlos’s voice was calm but tense. "You get paid after the job’s done. That way, we know you’ll deliver as promised."For a second, the warehouse felt even more silent than before, as if the very air had paused in anticipation. Deon’s eyes slowly narrowed, his smirk fading into a look of cold disbelief. His fingers, which had been poised to grab the envelope, curled into a fist at his side."Are you serious right now?" Deon’s voice dropped low, a dangerous undertone rippling through it. He took a step forward, towering over Carlos.Carlos swallowed hard, feeling the shift in the atmosphere. Olivia and Jon exchanged uneasy glances, both sensing the storm brewing. Jon’s hand twitched slightly at his side, as if he was debating whether to reach for something – anything –
Carlos, Olivia, and Jon climbed into Olivia’s SUV, with Deon’s four hired men piling into the back, their presence looming silently over them. The tension was thick in the air as Olivia started the engine, her knuckles white against the steering wheel. Carlos, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to Jon in the back.“So what's next?” Carlos muttered, barely loud enough for the others to hear. “We can’t just charge in without knowing what we’re up against.”Jon nodded, his eyes darting nervously from Carlos to the four men in the back, who watched with steely eyes, saying nothing but making their presence known with every heavy breath. One of them, a tall, muscular man with a scar running down his cheek, leaned forward slightly as if waiting for some signal.“We should head to my apartment,” Carlos suggested, his voice firm but laced with frustration. “We’ll figure out our next move there.”Olivia hesitated for a moment, but then nodded, her eyes flicking to the rearview mirror where