The night was colder than usual, and as we approached the docks, an eerie silence hung in the air. The weight of what we were about to do pressed heavily on me. I glanced at Rose, who was staring out the window with a resolute expression, her lips pressed into a thin line.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked.
She turned to me, her gaze unwavering. "You don't have to keep asking me, Daniel. I'm here, aren't I?"
I wanted to argue, to tell her that she didn't understand what she was getting herself into, but the truth was, neither did I. Leo had given us the bare minimum of details, and all I knew was that we were delivering a shipment that others would kill to stop.
The docks were a maze of shipping containers and dimly lit paths. A black van waited at the rendezvous point, its engine idling softly. Leo's men were already there, their faces grim as they loaded heavy crates into the back of the van.
One of them, a burly man named Carter, handed me a small, sleek handgun. "Just in case," he said, his tone making it clear that we'd likely need it.
I slipped the gun into my jacket, feeling the cold metal against my skin. Rose watched silently, her eyes darting between me and the men.
"What's in the crates?" she asked, her voice cutting through the tension.
Carter smirked but didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Leo, who had just arrived, his presence commanding immediate attention.
"Everything ready?" Leo asked, ignoring Rose's question entirely.
"Ready as we'll ever be," Carter replied.
Leo's eyes scanned the area, his sharp gaze missing nothing. Finally, he nodded. "Good. You two are riding with the shipment. If anyone tries to stop you, make sure they regret it."
I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening. This wasn't just a delivery; it was a test, a trap, or maybe both.
The ride in the van was tense, the air thick with unspoken fears. Rose sat beside me, her hands clenched in her lap. Every bump in the road felt like a harbinger of doom, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong.
"Why did you agree to this?" I asked her softly.
She looked at me, her expression unreadable. "Because you're not the only one who wants to protect this family," she said.
Her words struck a nerve. I wanted to protect her, but in doing so, I'd dragged her deeper into a world she didn't belong in.
As we neared the drop-off point, the van suddenly swerved to a stop. The driver cursed under his breath.
"Blockade ahead," he said, peering through the windshield.
My heart sank as I saw two SUVs parked across the road, their headlights cutting through the darkness. A group of men stood in front of them, armed and waiting.
Leo's voice crackled over the radio. "Handle it."
Carter jumped out of the van, motioning for us to follow. I hesitated, but Rose was already moving, her determination unwavering.
The leader of the opposing group stepped forward, a smirk playing on his lips. "You boys think you can just roll into our territory and take what's ours?"
"This isn't your business," Carter said sharply.
"It is now," the man replied, signaling his men to spread out.
I tightened my grip on the gun in my jacket, my palms slick with sweat. Rose stood beside me, her face a mask of calm, though I could see the tension in her shoulders.
"Let's not make this messy," the man said, though the glint in his eyes suggested he wanted exactly that.
Before anyone could respond, gunfire erupted, shattering the fragile standoff. Carter and the others dove for cover, returning fire as the men advanced. Chaos engulfed the scene, the sound of bullets and shouts echoing through the night.
I grabbed Rose, pulling her behind a crate. "Stay down!" I shouted over the noise.
"Like hell I will!" she snapped, grabbing a discarded weapon from the ground.
I didn't have time to argue. One of the attackers spotted us and charged forward, his gun aimed directly at me. I fired instinctively, the recoil jolting through my arm. The man crumpled to the ground, and for a moment, everything seemed to freeze.
"Daniel!" Rose's voice brought me back to reality. She was firing at another attacker, her movements surprisingly steady.
The skirmish ended as quickly as it began. The opposing group retreated, leaving behind their wounded and the stench of gunpowder.
Carter surveyed the scene, his expression grim. "Good work," he said reluctantly, glancing at me and Rose. "You handled yourselves better than I expected."
"Thanks," I said dryly, though I felt anything but victorious.
As we climbed back into the van, I caught Rose's gaze. There was something different in her eyes—something darker.
"You okay?" I asked.
She nodded, but her voice was hollow when she replied. "Yeah. Just another night, right?"
I didn't believe her. And as we drove away, I couldn't shake the feeling that this job had changed her—and us—in ways we couldn't yet understand.