BONDED BY HATE

Screams and gunfire filled the night.

Dylan ducked behind a steel column, his pistol aimed and steady. Jayden was already engaged, exchanging shots with Richard's men. The warehouse had become a battlefield.

"They brought an army," Jayden shouted.

Dylan snarled, "Let's give them hell."

The darkness was lit by muzzle flashes. Dylan moved like a shadow—silent, lethal. Every shot he fired was calculated. This wasn't just survival. This was war.

Richard stood in the middle of it all, untouched, protected by layers of loyal men. He watched the chaos unfold with a smirk, arms crossed, like it was all a game. "You see, big brother," he whispered to himself, "this is the world you tried to keep me out of. Now I own it."

---

OUTSIDE – INSIDE THE SUV

Heaven trembled as she watched the chaos through the cracked glass. Michael was safe, far away, but her heart wasn't. It was in that warehouse—with Dylan.

She wanted to storm out, to scream, to find him—but she remembered his words: Stay close. Don't speak unless I tell you to.

A flash of light caught her attention. One of Richard's men had broken through the line—and he was approaching the SUV.

Her instincts kicked in. She reached into the glovebox where Jayden had left a small pistol—just in case. Her hands shook, but she gripped it tight.

When the door was yanked open, Heaven didn't scream. She aimed—and fired.

The man dropped.

Her chest heaved. Her ears rang. But she was alive. She had just pulled the trigger for the first time.

---

INSIDE THE WAREHOUSE

Dylan's eyes snapped to the SUV the moment he heard the shot. "Heaven—"

Jayden cursed. "She's under attack!"

"I'll go," Dylan growled.

He stormed through the chaos like a demon, taking down anyone in his way. He found the SUV door wide open and Heaven sitting there, pale and shaking.

"You okay?" he asked, breathless.

She nodded, eyes glassy. "I didn't want to die without seeing your face again."

He stared at her for a moment, then cupped her cheek. "You won't. Not while I'm breathing."

Then a sniper's shot rang out.

Dylan pushed her down instinctively, the bullet grazing his arm. He grunted and stood. "Jayden! Pull back! We're regrouping!"

Smoke grenades exploded around them, shielding their retreat.

---

LATER – SAFEHOUSE

Dylan sat on the bed, his arm being stitched by a medic. Heaven sat beside him silently, her fingers curled around his uninjured hand.

"I shot someone," she finally whispered.

"You protected yourself," Dylan said. "That's not weakness. That's strength."

Her gaze lifted to his. "Are you okay?"

"I've been through worse," he said with a faint smirk. "But this war... it's just beginning. Richard crossed a line."

He leaned forward, his forehead touching hers. "He thinks I'm weak because I have something to lose. You. Michael. But he doesn't realize that's exactly what makes me dangerous."

Heaven swallowed the lump in her throat, her fingers tightening around his.

"You're not fighting alone anymore," she whispered.

Dylan's eyes darkened. "No. I never was."