Chapter 26
Camilla paced the room, the pregnancy test still clutched in her hand. She should have been happy–this should have been one of the most joyful moments of her life. But the tension in the air was suffocating. War was on the horizon, and she could feel the weight of it pressing down on her.
She tried to stay calm, to hold herself together, but the fear gnawed at her.
Her phone buzzed on the table, and she snatched it up without hesitation.
“Colen?” she said, her voice trembling despite her effort to sound composed.
“Camilla,” his deep voice came through the line. “How are you holding up? Is everything okay?”
She swallowed hard, her free hand drifting to her stomach.
“You need to come back,” she said, her
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Chapter 26
tone urgent. “I have a surprise for you.
“A surprise?” There was a hint of curiosity in his voice, but it was layered with the tension of the battles he was fighting.
“Yes, but it can’t wait. Please, come home.”
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There was a pause on the other end, then a soft sigh. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Stay safe.”
“I will,” she said, her voice softer now. “You too.”
As the call ended, she stared at the test again. She wanted to share this moment with him, but the reality of their situation was grim.
Meanwhile, the Steel Serpents and their allies launched their attacks. Warehouses
and safe houses were targeted simultaneously, each strike aimed at dismantling the newly formed mafia group led by Don Roberto. Jackson and Ridge,
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wanting to avenge their group, were at the forefront of the operation.
At the warehouse, Jackson signaled for his team to move in. The air was thick with
tension, the silence before the chaos almost unbearable. The plan was simple: take down Don Roberto and end his
group’s threat once and for all.
The firefight began with deafening gunfire and shouts echoing through the dark, sprawling space. Jackson moved with precision, taking out targets while Ridge covered him.
They were closing in on the heart of the operation when Jackson spotted him–Don Roberto, the leader of the newly formed mafia group Bloody Stag.
He raised his gun, finger tightening on the trigger.
“It’s over,” Jackson said, his voice cold and steady.
“Jackson!” Katie exclaimed, her voice
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high–pitched and shaky with what sounded like alarm as she stumbled into the room.
Her steps were uneven, and her arm clutched at her side as though she was
hurt.
Jackson, caught off guard, turned his head.
“Katie? What are you-
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Before he could finish, Katie‘ s
momentum carried her into him, and her shoulder bumped his arm. The gun slipped from Jackson’s grasp, clattering to the floor with a metallic thud.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jackson snapped, his frustration bubbling over as he glared at her.
“I–I’m sorry!” Katie stammered, her face pale and her voice trembling. She bent down as if to help him retrieve the gun, but her movements were slow, her body visibly shaking.
“Katie, get out of here!” Jackson barked, his attention split between her and Don
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Roberto, who was still struggling against the grip of Jackson‘ s men.
“I just–I’m hurt!” Katie whimpered, her hand brushing over a spot on her side where blood stained her shirt.
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Jackson hesitated, his anger softening just slightly. “For God’s sake, Katie, not now!”
His momentary lapse was all Roberto needed. With a surge of strength, Roberto broke free from the hold of one of
Jackson’s men, shoving the man aside and making a desperate lunge toward a nearby weapon.
“Damn it!” Jackson cursed, diving for his
gun.
Roberto grabbed the weapon and
immediately aimed it at the nearest exit.
Shots rang out as Ridge fired toward
Roberto’s retreating figure, but it was too
late–the older man had slipped into the shadows of the alleyway.
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“He’s getting away!” Ridge yelled, frustration etched into his voice as he
reloaded.
Jackson snatched his gun and whirled back to Katie, his expression furious. “This is on you, Katie! If you hadn’t shown up, Roberto would‘ ve been done for!”
Katie flinched under his glare, her voice cracking. “I didn’t mean to! I—I was hurt, Jackson. I just came to warn you. I didn’t think-”
“Exactly, you didn‘ t think,” Jackson spat, his voice sharp. “You always show up at the worst times, and look what happens!”
The room erupted into chaos. Men shouted orders, scrambling to secure the perimeter, while Katie stood off to the side, her trembling hands suddenly steady. Her teary, weak demeanor was just an act, and now she was calculating her next move.
Don Colen spotted Roberto slipping away
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through the chaos. Without hesitation, he shouted, “Lock the area down!” before sprinting after him.
In the dim lot behind the warehouse, Colen caught up. Roberto turned, gun in hand, a smug grin on his face.
“Armand,” Roberto drawled. “You never learn, do you?”
“Cut the talk,” Don Colen snapped,
aiming his weapon. “It ends here.”
They circled each other, tension thick in
the air.
“Think you can win this?” Roberto taunted. “You‘ re already bleeding men.”
“And you‘ re out of time,” Don Colen
shot back.
Roberto moved first, his gun firing wide. Colen‘ s response was immediate—a clean shot that caught Roberto in the shoulder, sending him stumbling to the ground.
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Roberto groaned, clutching his wound. Colen closed the distance, gun trained on him. “It’s over,” he said coldly, finger tightening on the trigger.
A faint shuffle from behind made Colen pause. Before he could react, a silenced shot rang out. Pain exploded in his chest.
Colen dropped to his knees, blood soaking his shirt. His vision blurred as he fell.
From the shadows, Katie emerged, lowering her gun with a smirk. “Not so invincible after all,” she whispered, stepping over his fallen form.
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