Zain had to keep moving and dive for cover as he duelled it out with the machine gun wielder.

  "You think you'd be more careful with a gun like that in your house!" Zain yelled at him.

  "Tch, stop moving and let me shoot you, Bertolottis scum." The man grumbled as he went to change clips.

  Zain heard the first clip unlock and came out from behind a metal pillar.

  Bang.

  The man hadn't bothered to hide, so it was easy for Zain to take him out then and there. The man fell to the ground, lifeless.

  "Okay." He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulder. "Damn thing is taking too long to heal." He looked at the way out and turned around, heading back to help Roger. "You owe me for this, Grace."

  Zain approached the nearby body and took the gun, along with a new clip, and headed back to where they came from.

  Bullets were still flying every which way, so Zain hid behind a nearby statue as he tried to see where Roger was now.

  He was nowhere in sight.

  "Dammit... He couldn't have gone far."

  The front and back doors to the factory slammed open and a flood of men came running in with their guns ready. Like a well-oiled cog, they went into formation around Ray, who sprinted towards Zain.

  "Boss?"

  Bang.

  Ray stumbled back as a bullet hit his chest.

  "Boss!" Zain ran over to him, strafing, and shot the man who was cheering because he hit the Bertolottis boss.

  The other Bertolottiss spread out to fight. He skidded in and dropped to his knees by Ray as he called out to him.

  "Ha..." Ray gasped as he opened his eyes. "Even with a vest on, that hurts. Thank you, Vincent." Ray tugged on the bulletproof vest to pull it a bit away from him.

  "You're... You're okay?" Zain's jaw hung open, and he rubbed his eyes, hoping to hide the tears that were threatening to fall. "What were you thinking? Running in like that. Crazy old man..."

  "As if I'm any worse than you." Ray chuckled and then groaned.

  "I really thought you were shot and on the brink of dying, you know?"

  "I may not be dying, but damn, did that bullet hurt. Men, capture everyone!" Ray growled and the group of men who stuck around them went running off. "We can figure out who's who later."

  Zain helped Ray stand. Ray groaned and looked at where the bullet would've gone. "Might've still lived."

  "Boss, please don't do things like that. I thought you wanted to live, especially with Grace being in your life now."

  "You're right, but you're discounting how much you mean to me, too. You're like my third son, though quite a bit younger than the other two would've been now." He chuckled and held up his gun. "Let's go get Roger."

  No matter how much Ray wanted to lead the way as they searched for Roger, Zain pushed his way in front.

  Ray's flood of men were overrunning the Kuros and capturing them left and right. Everything was slowly quieting down, with fewer bullets flying, but they couldn't find Roger on that floor.

  "He has to be here somewhere," Zain grumbled. "Where the hell would he go?" Zain slammed his hand on the wall.

  "Maybe he didn't go willingly. I've kept an eye on every dead person and every person being captured as we walked by, but I haven't seen him. Let's split up—"

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  "No," Zain refused right away. "You've already been shot today; I'm not going to be separated from you, and chance something happening again."

  "You realize I'm your boss, not the other way around, right?"

  "Of course, I know that, but you're someone important to me, like a father, so let me protect you like an underboss should." Zain stepped in front and headed to the basement area.

  "If it were anyone else, or if anyone overheard, I wouldn't let you get away with that," Ray grumbled and followed him down.

  The basement halls had cleared out, but Zain kept going until they got to the auction area.

  On the stage, Roger was kneeling down, heaving as he held onto his side where blood trickled out. In front of him, a man was yelling at Roger as he aimed a gun at his head.

  "I guess this didn't work out for him at all." Zain sighed.

  "But we can't let him die or Grace will be heartbroken." Ray raised his gun and shot without hesitation. His shooting was good as Grace's; he hit the man in the head. The man fell to the side, dead.

  "Still got it?"

  "Of course, now go help Roger." Ray shooed him over. Ray sat down in the audience for a moment and rubbed his chest where the bullet hit as he watched over Zain.

  "You... why would you come to save me?" Roger coughed and cringed as the pain in his side got worse.

  "Because a certain girl we both know would be sad if you died. Besides, Ray was the one who took the shot. Their skills must run in the family." Zain knelt down and stared firmly at Roger. "I hope you've learned your lesson, and you know not to go against us now. Let go of the revenge scheme and just stay away."

  "Stay... away? Ha... But..." Grace's face flickered through his mind. "I can't... I love her..."

  "I know you do, but she's not yours." Zain leaned in close. "She's mine. And if you want to survive, and have any chance of seeing her again, you'll be a good little boy and come along with us."

  "Come along?"

  "We're taking everyone in and hoping you can tell us who was on the other side. And tell us who wants to get their revenge, and not just restart the family. Deal?"

  "Ha... What other... choice do I have?" Roger wobbled, feeling faint.

  "Dammit. Hold on; we have our doctors outside and ready to help the wounded."

  Zain helped him stand and wrapped Roger's free arm around his shoulders so he could put his weight on Zain and walk.

  "Boss." Zain and Roger approached him slowly. "He's not looking too good; he's lost a lot of blood."

  Ray eyed Roger for a moment, frowning. "Lay him down," Ray commanded.

  "What? I just got him up and walking. The doctors are outside; we don't have to make it far."

  "I already called them in, but I also have emergency supplies with me. Now, lay him down." Ray pulled a small kit out of his jacket.

  "Yes, Boss."

  Roger looked between Ray and Zain. "I'll... be fine..."

  "What, are you worried I'd try to kill you after saving you? Lie down, now." Ray pointed at the floor.

  "Come on," Zain urged Roger to lie down on the floor.

  With no energy to fight them, and his consciousness wavering, he knelt down. He fell back and groaned as his head hit the floor.

  "Stay awake, Roger." Zain lightly slapped Roger's cheeks.

  "Why? My eyes... don't want... to stay... open..." Roger lost consciousness.

  "Zain, you're going to have to help me." Ray ripped open Roger's shirt to start.

  "What's taking so long?" Grace kept her eyes on the factory. Every time a door opened, she hoped to see either Roger, her grandfather, or Zain.

  "They'll be back soon. Be patient." Vincent pulled her flush against him. "Or do I have to distract you?"

  "Uh..." She pushed lightly on his chest. "Do I even want to know what you're suggesting?"

  "While making out with you would definitely be a good distraction, that's not what I had in mind—"

  "That has to be most of them by now, right? Let me go in. I am a cop; I can handle myself."

  "You were a cop, and I know you can handle yourself, but wait a bit longer."

  "Why did those men go in just now? That's a bad sign, right?"

  Vincent looked over and recognized them. He knew right away someone was injured.

  "Vincent?" Grace looked up at him with her eyes shaking.

  "I refuse to lie to you... so yes, it's a bad sign. Someone is probably injured. And no, I'm still not letting you go in there. Those were doctors who went running in; we'd only get in their way."

  Grace couldn't help but worry about all of them. Who was hurt? Her hands shook.

  Vincent hugged her and stroked her back. "Everything will be okay," he whispered.

  "You don't know that."

  "Not for certain, no, but I believe they'll be fine. If anything happens, you can rely on me to help you."

  "I can't take waiting anymore. I'm sorry, Vincent."

  "What? Ow!" Vincent yelped, his grip on her loosening after she stomped on his toes.

  Grace took off back towards the factory.

  "Dammit, cara mia." Vincent took off after her.

  If she was in her own shoes, not the tall heels they put on her, she would've gotten away from him easily, but not being used to the footwear slowed her down.

  He grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Please, don't make this hard on me."

  "They're coming back out." Grace went into a daze as she watched. Ray came out first and held the door open for a doctor and Zain to come out carrying a stretcher. Her eyes went wide when she saw Roger on it. "Roger's injured."

  "Come on." He tugged on her arm. "The doctors will take care of him, and I'll take you home, so you're ready to see him when he's allowed visitors."

  "Oh..." Grace nodded, her gaze on Roger's unconscious body being carried.

  Vincent gave a wave to Ray, then pointed at Grace, and then at his car waiting.

  Ray swung his hand forward, telling him to do it.

  "I'll get you home safely." Vincent wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her over to his Mercedes. He helped her in and even buckled her seatbelt before hopping into the driver's seat.

  "Nice car..." Grace mumbled as she slid her hand across the dashboard.

  "Thanks." His car purred as he started her and took off.