We followed Wyatt to a mansion that was a few miles outside the city.

Everything went horribly fast. We wasted no time surrounding the entire mansion and covering every possible exit.

Almost immediately, gunshots and the clanging of gun shells hitting the floor cracked into the air as loud as thunder. The count of dead bodies kept increasing as more minutes passed, leaving casualties from both sides.

Gradually, the amounts of armed men attacking us decreased. The rest of them backed down into the inside of the mansion, probably to protect their boss or escape through some hidden passageway.

We decided it was our best chance to storm in. The SWAT team was the first to dash in; we followed behind.

The place was full of dead bodies and blood portraying its many shades of red. We walked past multiple corpses as we made our way to the inside of the mansion. It was oddly quiet and empty.

They must have been trying to find a way out, but all their attempts were going to be in vain. There was an entire force already waiting for them on the outside, and there was no way they could make it out without being caught. Nonetheless, we still had to search every corner of the mansion, and we decided it was better if we separated.

Walking carefully through the corridor, I kept a firm grip on my gun as I watched out for any danger that might come from any of my four sides.

Suddenly, I heard muffled noises coming out of a room at the end of the long corridor.

Holding my breath, I reached for the doorknob. I opened the door and trudged into the room, my gun raised.

The room was pitch black as if covered in a velvet curtain. I tried to find any source of light. But abruptly, someone shoved me down a few stairs, knocking the gun out of my hand.

I landed mercilessly on the cold ground. I had no time to process what had happened. Someone had turned the lights on, and I found myself facing a gun barrel that was pointed directly at my head.

My eyes locked with a cold, relentless gaze. The man holding the gun threw a venomous smile my way.

"I tried to warn you a lot of times, Alex, but you didn't listen. What can I say? Like father, like daughter." Wyatt scoffed, his tone vile and gruff.

"It's over, Wyatt. You won't walk out of this. The place is fully surrounded," I seethed at him, rising to my feet. His gun rose with me.

He smirked mischievously. "See, I happen to disagree with you. I have my ways, and I will get myself out of here unscathed. But sadly, I can't say the same about you. I'm afraid you won't live to see the light of another day."

There was a blazing fire burning inside of me, and his words were like gasoline poured on it.

I clenched my fists. "Why? Why did you do that to someone you once called a friend?" There was a part of me that needed to know why he did it.

He let out a sarcastic snicker. "Alexandra, my dear. This world doesn't understand the meaning of friendship or loyalty. There are only two kinds of people in this world: predator and prey. It's your choice to be either the hunter or the prey." A wicked smile was drawn on his face as he shrugged. "I just chose to be the former."

His words blinded me with a five-course rage that tasted bitter. "Then you should really beware because every predator is somebody else's prey."

Before he could even know what was happening, I scuttled toward him, and my fist came in contact with his face. Then, I threw a kick at him that caused him to fall to the ground, wailing in pain.

He started shooting his gun aimlessly. I managed to dodge most of the bullets, but suddenly, I felt a throbbing pain in the upper part of my left arm, causing me to lose my balance. Blood oozed thickly and soaked my shirt.

Putting my hand on the wound, I looked at Wyatt, who had taken the opportunity and was now back on his feet.

He pointed the gun back again at me and smiled. "Any last words, Ryan?"

"I hope you burn in hell," I said, clenching my teeth.

I wasn't scared of him—or death, for that matter. I stopped fearing it since that day. Instead, it made me wonder if I would ever reunite with my parents in the afterlife.

"I don't think so." He smirked, putting his finger on the trigger, and squeezing it slowly.

Closing my eyes, I waited to hear the sound of the bullet that would put everything to an end... but it never came.

Opening my eyes, I found Wyatt trying to pull the trigger in futility. Every time he did, he was met with a click sound instead of bullets.

He had emptied his clip...

Wasting no time, a sound of both a cry and a growl erupted from me as I threw myself at him. I slammed him against the wall and connected my fist wherever I could reach.

He dropped to the ground, and there was blood coming out of his mouth and nose. He gazed at something on the floor, and he tried to reach for it. It was my gun.

I threw another kick at him that made him crawl in pain, and then I hurried and picked up my gun. I pointed it at him, panting as my heart raced in my chest.

He looked at me and let out a bitter laugh, revealing teeth filled with blood. "Come on. Pull the trigger, Alex. Shoot me. Isn't this what you want?"

My hands were clasping the gun. I pulled the trigger back slowly as if squeezing the life out of it. All while toying with the point at which a bullet might or might not be released mercilessly into the air.

There was a burning desire inside of me to pull the trigger, but I knew I couldn't let vengeance take control over me. I heard my father's voice inside my head, urging me to do the right thing.

Lowering the gun, I looked him in the eye. "No, that would just make me no better than you, and I refuse to let that happen. An eye for an eye will just cause more blindness."

I put my gun back in its holster and brought out my handcuffs. "It's over, Wyatt," I said, as I slapped the handcuffs on his wrists.

"This is not the end, Ryan," he hissed at me as I pushed him to his feet.

"I doubt so." I harshly grabbed him by the biceps and led him out of the room.

***

After that, I handed Wyatt to a SWAT agent who read him his rights and started frisking him while I was taken to an ambulance to get my gun wound treated.

"You may feel a little pain," the paramedic told me, ready to stitch the wound.

I gave him a little nod, and he started doing his job. I grimaced in pain once the needle pierced through my skin, but then I adjusted to the tingling.

A while later, I noticed Liam approaching me.

"Is it bad?" he asked, looking at my now bandaged arm, his blue eyes full of genuine concern.

"It's just a scratch," I assured him, a smile on my face. "I will live, don't worry."

He returned the smile. "Good, because I still owe you a shot of tequila. And it would have been very rude if you died and left me hanging here."

A small laugh escaped my lips, and I locked eyes with him. I haven't yet explained what happened between us before the raid, but there was one thing I was sure about. It made me happy.

When our lips connected, there was a strange feeling that stretched throughout my body. It was overwhelming, yet it made me feel complete. I wasn't used to those kinds of feelings. I didn't even remember a time when I felt such an absolute feeling.

Liam had been my backbone through all the chaos. I didn't even think that I could have done anything if he wasn't there to push me forward, to have my back. I had this strange, even frightening feeling toward him I couldn't put into words, but I knew for sure I wanted him in my life. No, the right words were, I needed him in my life.

I didn't notice that I was staring too long at him, but his blue eyes were also looking straight at me, and his dazzling smile never wavered.

"So," he broke the silence. "We have their boss in custody, as well as Wyatt. It's a huge win, Alex. We should be proud. We made it to the end and broke the case."

"Yeah," I murmured with a smile. I couldn't believe it was really over, that I had just fulfilled what I wanted all my life. To find whoever murdered my parents and make them pay. To finally have justice.

"I think we should head back to the bureau and see how the interrogation goes," Liam said. "Then we are going to enjoy our promised shot of tequila while celebrating the well-deserved victory." He smirked, offering me his hand.

Grinning, I took his outstretched hand and rose to my feet.

***

Aaron McCoy insisted that he would interrogate Wyatt himself. He promised he would make him pay for all his crimes. And he was true to his word. We charged Wyatt with a dozen different crimes, ranging from money laundering to murder. It assured me that he would be thrown into the darkest of holes and would never see the light of day ever again.

After the long interrogation was over, we watched as Wyatt was being escorted by the Marshals to the place where he belonged. The one he would spend the rest of his life behind its bars.

I gave him a victorious smile as he walked past me. His vicious eyes locked with mine, and I couldn't understand the look he was giving me.

The smile was now wiped off my face. I kept my eyes on him as he walked with the Marshals. I felt a knot forming in my stomach.

Something didn't feel right...

Out of nowhere, the entire floor started fuzzing. Everything happened so quickly, yet it felt to me like it was in slow motion.

Wyatt snatched a gun from one of the Marshals who were escorting him and quickly pointed it in my direction.

A gunshot was fired. The noise reverberated in my ear.

I froze and waited for it to pierce through my heart, but for some reason, it didn't...

Instead, I only heard screams—familiar screams of my name.

I looked to see that Wyatt was now knocked to the ground, lying in his own pool of blood after receiving a shot from one of the many agents surrounding him.

Something was still not right, I reminded myself. I needed to focus...

Why didn't the bullet reach me? I saw it flying toward me. It should have hit me. That wasn't how it was supposed to go.

Then I realized I was covered in blood, but it wasn't mine.

I was supposed to take that bullet, not the other way around.

It wasn't supposed to be him...

Liam collapsed to the floor, fighting for breath.

I fell to the ground with him, holding him in my arms while trying to stop the bleeding as much as I could.

"No, no! Liam, stay with me," I shouted, now back to the shocking reality.

"A—Alex, I—" he tried to say something, but his mouth refused to cooperate.

No, I couldn't take in another loss. I couldn't...

"Liam, please, don't you dare close your eyes on me," I pleaded, the tears burning in my eyes, but it wasn't of any use.

I watched helplessly as the blue in his eyes faded slowly until he finally closed them.

The place was filled with chaos and people were shouting "agent down," all around me. But at this point, all I could hear was silence.

Only dead silence...