I felt like I was in an alternate dimension as Benson entered the room.

I hated the triumphant look on his face, like he finally had the upper hand seeing me with my wrists cuffed to the table.

I guess in a way, he did. On bullshit charges.

They immediately separated Xavier and me when we arrived at the FBI office, putting us in different interrogation rooms. There was no clock in the room, but it had to have been over an hour, not including the long car ride. I'd been searched and lost all my gear, including my earpiece.

Benson put some files on the table, making a show of it as he sat down in the chair in front of me. The bastard was lucky I was cuffed or I would have lunged at him.

"I have to say, this is way more satisfying than I imagined. How does it feel being completely disconnected from Xavier and all of your buddies? You're alone and no one is going to help you get out of this. It's time that you feel small and weak, which is what you've always been. Following all of Monroe's orders like a puppy. If anything, you're just as bad as he is. You were there when it started all those years ago and you did nothing– still didn't speak up when my father was arrested." Benson leaned closer and gave me a sneer.

Your father murdered a person that I considered a second mother and tried to kill me, I thought.

I didn't bother saying anything. He wouldn't accept my answer and it would be a waste of my time. Benson was too far gone to ever change his opinion or see past his vengeance. He continued his damn self-righteous speech, which was only pissing me off.

Benson opened his folders and began showing me his bullshit evidence, fake messages and photos. He flourished a picture of two large figures going into the hotel room where the shooters were murdered. I almost scoffed because those figures could be anyone.

But depending on how Benson spun it with all the "proof" he'd manufactured, we could be in serious trouble. We would need to give an alibi and point out the holes in his evidence. But I didn't show any sign of nervousness as Benson continued, with a smile I wanted to punch.

"This is just the beginning. This will be the link I need to connect you to other crimes that you and your organization committed. I've collected plenty of evidence over the years that there will be no doubt about it. The FBI will have no choice but to finally believe me. You're done.

"However, I'm willing to give you a plea deal if you confess and tell me everything that you know."

I began to think– not about his stupid ass plea deal, Benson could go to hell.

I wondered why Jasmine hadn't gotten us out yet. Xavier and I already requested her as our attorney. She shouldn't have been that far behind us if she was still at the property.

Benson's nonsense cut me off from my thoughts.

"I can't believe you're such a coward. I'm helping you get out of a life sentence and you are willing to risk it all for the Monroes? All those lives that have been ruined are on their heads, including yours. I have what I need–"

"Bullshit," I cut him off, glaring daggers at him. "What you have is a bunch of bullshit. Your evidence is faulty and you know it. Someone is using you, but you don't seem to give a shit. You're being played, Benson, and only causing damage."

"And you haven't? Your organization has done nothing but cause harm. Like your little girlfriend, Rosaline Sinclair? Did she have anything to do with all this? Did you harm her and force her to run into your arms?" Benson taunted.

I forced my body to not tense up as hot fury rose within me at the accusation. I wasn't going to give Benson any satisfaction by giving him a reaction.

I pictured my Flower's face to calm me down, remembering when she said that she loved me. The flames began to extinguish until Benson opened his damned mouth.

"I wonder if she was the reason you went after those men. I know that she was at the shooting in LA. Was Rosaline the one who got you to kill them? Is she a part of your organization now? Maybe it will be good if we brought her in–"

Fuck it.

Since he was still leaning over, trying to foolishly intimidate me, it was easy to grab his tie and pull him down. He landed with an oof, his face pressed against the table.

"Don't talk about her ever again. She is none of your business." I said evenly as Benson struggled uselessly. A let out a smirk before letting him go.

He stepped back, standing up with a red face.

"I will have you charged for assaulting an FBI agent–"

Benson was cut off when the door opened. Agent Adlai entered with Xavier.

"Garrett Benson, you are under arrest for accessory, planting and bringing in false evidence, and your association with the Diablos." Adlai said, bringing out his cuffs.

"What? That's preposterous! I never–"

"We found your private bank account where you transferred money into a close associate of the Diablos, asking for evidence to be planted. We also found messages of you arranging Mr. Cohen and Mr. Monroe's arrests, as well as the raid on their property without approval." Adlai spoke calmly as I looked up at Xavier when I heard the word 'raid'. By the look on Xavier's face, this was his first time hearing about it as well.

A couple more agents came in to grab a raging Benson.

"Wait! I wouldn't have been able to arrest them without their help! Someone contacted me first for their assistance. They believe in the cause! These people are monsters and deserve to rot in hell! Just look at all the evidence from their property and it will show!" Benson yelled, all signs of arrogance gone and showing how unhinged he had become. His yelling continued as he was taken away.

Agent Adlai quickly got me out of my cuffs and I stood up, massaging my wrists.

"What was he talking about?" I demanded.

"Look, Benson was able to organize a raid on your property. Multiple people have been taken into custody and it's a forensic nightmare. All of your electronic evidence had inconveniently short-circuited," Adlai raised a brow at Monroe, who gave him a strained smile. "Rosaline and Maria have not been found."

Xavier and I looked at each other. They would be in the safe house or panic room, hopefully out of reach from the feds.

"We need to go, now." Xavier spoke urgently.

"You're free to go. Erik is waiting for you out front with someone else I was able to let go," Adlai said and began to guide us out. "I need to stay here for surveillance. Erik sent me Benson's electronic trail that I need to follow. Who knows how far he's gone and now that he seems to be a bit...manic, he's not going to be taken seriously again." Adlai said with a shrug.

When we made it to the entrance, Adlai went to the desk to sign some paperwork.

"I knew I liked you. I think you are the first real FBI agent I ever liked," Xavier told Adlai with a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. Doesn't mean I have to like everything you do. I don't even want to know what you mean by 'real'," Adlai muttered. Someone behind the desk brought two bags that were presumably our belongings. Adlai gave them to us. "Call me if you happen to run into anything with the Diablos. I'll see if I can arrange something if I'm not completely out of the loop."

"You're the best. Let's go see our women." Xavier slapped me on the back before striding away. I stayed back for a few moments.

"Thank you. We wouldn't have gotten out of here without you." I spoke quietly, offering my hand. Adlai stared at it for a moment before shaking it firmly.

"Got to learn to trust each other, right? I was just taking the first step."

~*~

"I can't believe they didn't give back all my knives. The fucking nerve of those people. Pshh," Julian mumbled in the back seat.

"What the fuck did you expect? I can't believe they even let you out of the cells. I heard you tried to use your knives on the federal agents at the house." Erik grumbled as he started installing his new tablet.

For safety reasons, Erik had to destroy his former device at the mansion, something he wasn't happy about. Fortunately, with all the backup copies he carried, he'd be caught up in no time and connected to our network again.

"Hey, that agent came to me in the cells. I just happened to volunteer the loudest. I batted my eyelashes and he was smitten. He wasn't wearing any red today, so bonus points to him." Julian stated, fiddling around with his favorite knife, Bethany.

I focused on the road, hands clenching the steering wheel as I sped down the highway. Xavier cursed next to me, hanging up the burner phone that was in the car.

"Good news is that the FBI only took the people who were patrolling the gates, including Tom. The others escaped and said the FBI is clearing out now that Adlai called them off. They'll be gone by the time we get there. Bad news is that no one has seen or heard from Rosaline, Maria, Josh, Jasmine, and John. I tried calling Maria's cell and she didn't answer."

"But aren't they on full lockdown when they are in the panic room?" Julian asked and Erik shook his head.

"There is a small feature where they can press a button to signal they're okay. John should know about it. There's also a private line used for emergencies only. I can give you the number, Xavier." Erik started spewing some numbers.

"We have to get back soon. If what Erik said was true, the raid was a cover to get to Rosaline. They could still be on the property searching." I sighed, impatient to get home.

I looked at the mirrors and saw multiple black cars trailing behind us. I kept my eye on them, trying to think of the probability that it was just paranoia. We were in the middle lane when the cars took separate lanes, surrounding us on both sides.

"Xavier, hold off on that call," I said. Something from my tone made Xavier face me, before looking around at the black cars. "We got company. Seems Lorenzo figured out we left."

"Five cars. Black-tinted windows and no license plates. Wouldn't be surprised if the windows are bullet-proof like ours," Xavier observed. "Erik, navigate Damon through the side streets. Julian and I can handle this."

"Yes!" Julian fist pumped before rummaging through the compartments in the truck. He cheered as he pulled out an RPG.

"What the hell? You just leave those in the car?" Erik snapped.

"I want to be prepared for all situations!" Julian argued.

"Enough! Erik, do your job. Julian, don't use that unless instructed to do so. Use your knife or a regular gun." Xavier ordered as he pulled out his own weapon.

Really glad the expert marksman is here.

I looked through my rearview mirrors, composing myself for what's next.

"Damon, get off the highway now." Erik rattled off directions just as the two cars beside us moved in closer. I stomped my foot on the brake immediately, forcing us back as the two cars rammed into each other instead. I gritted my teeth as my body lurched forward from the sudden stop before hitting the gas again.

Xavier and Julian put their windows down, firing at the tires. The two cars lost control and began swerving out of control. Not staying around to witness the result, I drove us to the first exit off the freeway.

"I just accessed the network for traffic signals. You'll be running green lights." Erik updated before telling me to turn right to the emptier side streets.

"Still got two cars tailing us." Julian sang, ducking when a bullet fired in his direction.

I swerved, speeding down the street. Multiple rounds impacted the rear windshield, but the bullet-proof glass held. I briefly saw men sticking out their windows and firing at us. Erik crouched low, still giving me directions and making sure the signals worked in our favor.

I sped up as Xavier and Julian kept firing.

"Julian, keep firing at the driver in the car closest to us. Make sure you hit the same area so the glass can break. I'll make the final shot!" Xavier ordered, and Julian obeyed. The glass began to crack and weaken. Xavier fired, making the fatal shot. The car veered and ran straight into a streetlight. Luckily, no civilians were around to get hurt.

"We lost sight of one of the– never mind!" Julian cried out as the mentioned car came from an intersection and swerved, hitting the car from my side.

I cursed as I fought for control of the vehicle, our cars side by side, only inches from each other. A passenger window whirred down and a man aimed his weapon at me.

Julian quickly reached out to grab the enemy's arm, slicing the man with his knife. The man shouted and dropped his gun into our car as Julian knocked him out with a punch.

Erik quickly grabbed the fallen weapon and aimed for the driver. Blood splattered the windshield and the enemy's car lost control, crashing into a wall.

Erik passed Julian the gun and returned to his tablet. I gave him a nod of thanks.

"Make another right in thirty seconds and you'll be in a foreclosed area." Erik instructed.

Xavier had been trying to aim for the final vehicle when he heard Erik.

"I don't have a clear shot on the last one without going through a building or civilian," Xavier admitted. "Damon, find an open space. Julian, grab the RPG– you're on deck."

"Hell yeah!" Julian screamed in delight. "Josh is going to be so jealous!"

The Anderson twin had been acting like he was in an arcade this entire time.

Xavier opened up the sunroof on the car and Julian got into position, being careful not to expose himself to gunfire.

I continued racing down the street until Erik shouted a confirmation to move. I made a sharp turn and made my way to a parking lot area I'd spotted.

"Almost there! Trying to make it to that parking lot in fifteen seconds." I shouted as the black car got closer.

"We need some distance for this, Damon, or else our car will end up on fire, too!" Xavier yelled, keeping an eye on our pursuer.

The car thumped as we drove over the bumpy road and finally made it to the lot. It only took a few more seconds for the other car to clear the entrance.

"Now!" Xavier shouted. Julian jumped up, hoisted the weapon onto his shoulder, and fired at his target with a battle cry.

An explosion of orange blinded me as I finally slowed down, leaving the parking lot and going back to the streets.

"Emergency vehicles have already gone to the other cars. We'll need to go a different route. I found one and we should be at the house in twenty minutes." Erik spoke quietly, the tension in the air dissipating now that the threat was gone.

"Make sure no one sees us. Our vehicle is not in good condition. Nice driving though, Asshole." Xavier complimented as he gestured to the scratches and bullet holes on the windows.

"And nice shot." I sighed in relief, glad that we all made it with no injuries.

"We need to do that again." Julian said happily, plopping back onto his seat.

Crazy bastard.

The rest of the drive was quiet, all of us too wound up and waiting for another vehicle to strike. Lorenzo Diablo did not care if we were dead and we weren't going to underestimate him.

I was happy to see no FBI agents waiting for us at the gate. There was still yellow tape, but I didn't give a shit as I drove right through it. I parked at the entrance, where I saw the front doors had been ripped open.

"They better pay for all these damages." Xavier growled as we all got out and rushed for the woods in the back of the house.

I didn't bother looking at all the destruction, my primary focus finding Rosaline.

We went into the designated spot, searching for the correct tree.

"It should be around here somewhere." Xavier mumbled as he examined different tree trunks to get to the entrance.

I scouted the area, squatting down to inspect for any footprints.

"Xavier. There's a blood trail," I called out, my heart racing with fear as the others joined me.

"Follow it." Xavier barked. We all pulled out our weapons and followed the trail. It wasn't a heavy stream, but whoever was hurt still lost enough blood to leave evidence behind.

"There." Erik said and quickly passed his hand on the secret button on the trunk. The ground began to move and the stairs appeared.

Julian went down first to put in the entry code. The rest of us followed him, impatient to get inside.

My imagination went wild with fear. Was it Rosaline that was bleeding? Did one of the agents hurt her?

Was it the Diablos' hitmen? If they touched her–

My thoughts were cut off when Julian quickly moved, putting his knife to Josh's throat. Josh had the end of his gun against Julian's forehead.

Both twins' eyes widened before they lowered their weapons and hugged each other. Before Josh could speak, Xavier pushed them to the side.

"Maria!" Xavier shouted and stormed through the door to search for his wife. I quickly followed him inside.

"I'm here," Maria called and quickly came out of the room. Xavier rushed towards her, pulling her close as Maria began to hit him weakly. "You scared the shit out of me. You didn't answer your phone–"

"I'm so sorry, Sugar. I was going to but got distracted. Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" Xavier fired questions, placing his hands on her belly protectively.

"The baby is fine. We're both fine. Promise." Maria pressed a kiss on his lips to stop his rambling.

I turned away to scan the room, wondering where Rosaline was. There were only two rooms in the bunker, so she shouldn't be hard to find. I saw Erik going to one of the computers in the room while the twins talked to each other.

"No. All of this stress could be bad for the baby and the last few hours caused nothing but that." Xavier growled.

I moved to the other room, only to find John lying in a bed, wearing wrappings around his waist and leg. I sighed in relief that he was okay and the cause of the blood trail, but there was no sign of Rosaline.

Banging my hand on the doorframe, I whirled to face Maria.

"Where is she, Maria?" I growled, unable to understand why she wasn't here. She was supposed to be here.

Maria shook her head rapidly, trying to pull away from Xavier but he held her firmly. She wasn't leaving his arms without a fight.

"That's why I was trying to reach you! The FBI raided the house and we rushed here. Rosaline was following behind me but she closed the door behind her when I heard gunshots. Josh went back to search for her, but only found John unconscious and shot. He couldn't find Rosie anywhere.

"Josh was able to patch him while I've been trying to reach you all," Maria said, running a hand through her hair in defeat, tears running down her face. "I should've waited for her to come inside. I'm so sorry, Damon."

Fear and rage clouded my vision. I grabbed the closest object and threw it across the room before going to the next object. I barely heard Xavier usher Maria into the room John was in before closing the door.

I continued trashing the room, letting out all of my anger.

My worst fears had come true– Rosaline was taken by Lorenzo and the Diablos. They won't hesitate to kill or harm her. What if we couldn't find her in time? I wouldn't be able to survive it.

I'll kill Lorenzo. I swear. If she–

I went to throw another object when a hand wrapped around my wrist. I tried to pull away but Xavier wouldn't relent.

"Damon! Losing it won't bring her back," Xavier said calmly as he stepped in front of me. "Rein it in for now. We're going to get her back. Come on, Asshole, control yourself or you aren't going anywhere."

Xavier slowly pulled the item out of my hand. I clutched the rose necklace I had around my neck. I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths and struggling to contain the intense emotions coursing through me.

I forced every emotion away, feeling a sense of numbness as my body released all the tension.

Xavier examined my blank expression with concern. He knew I was a ticking time bomb, everything building up and waiting to explode. I could practically hear the ticking in the room.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

However, Xavier knew this was the only way I would be able to operate right now. He sighed, cursing under his breath as we walked into the bedroom.

Everyone but Erik was in the room, Maria sitting on the bed John was resting in. The twins were whispering to each other quietly, serious expressions on their faces.

Julian, the happy twin who was basking in the recent violence, was now giving off a dangerous energy. I felt a twinge of concern before pushing it away, going back to that blissful void of nothing.

"How are you doing, John?" Xavier asked as John sat himself up with a wince.

"Knock it off, John!" Maria snapped as she helped him rest on the pillows against the headboard. "You can pull your stitches. Hold still."

John waved her off.

"I'm fine. These aren't the worst injuries I've ever had. I'm angry that those fuckers got the jump on me," John grumbled. "I was knocked out with a dart."

"Tell us what happened." I said, crossing my arms and resting against the wall.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

"Jasmine and I were almost here when I got hit. These guys were good, not trying to kill but slow us down. Rosaline appeared to help when we heard footsteps. Jasmine ran off to divert them. Rosaline wanted to follow, but I was able to convince her to help get me back to the bunker. Just as we were about to go, I was knocked out. I came to just as Josh finished stitching me up." John nodded to Josh.

"After I settled Maria here, I went out to search for ma'am, but there was no sign of her or Jasmine." Josh took a quick glance at Julian, who had a strange expression on his face.

My jaw clenched before I forced it to loosen up.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

"So both Jasmine and Rosaline are missing, meaning they're both with the Diablos somewhere," Xavier concluded as he paced the room, thinking through a strategy. "But where did they take the women?"

"Did you say Jasmine is missing as well?" Erik called out through the door.

"Yes. Why?" John asked when Erik rapidly began going through his computer.

"Because Jasmine is wearing the watch that I was working on. It has a tracker and an SOS signal. Let me connect to it." Erik rushed back to access one of his programs.

"They're going to be okay," Maria murmured before standing up. She walked over to give me a hug. My arms stayed limp at my sides, but Maria just hugged me tighter. "You're going to find her and then you will fuck those Diablos up. Have some faith. Rosie isn't alone and Jasmine has been in situations like this before. Jasmine won't let anything happen to her."

I mustered the power to give her a small smile before emotionally retreating. Maria accepted the effort before cautiously going to Julian, who had a manic glint in his eyes and fiddled with his favorite knife.

Xavier went to intercept Maria, but stopped when she shot him a glare. Xavier returned the look, not willing to put Maria in the direct line of the crazy knife wielder.

Maria continued anyway, slowly taking Julian's hand that was holding the knife.

"Julian, you know that Jasmine is stronger than she looks. She's been on missions like this before. She is calculating, tough, and can get out of any situation. Right now, I need you to use your brain a little bit more or you could risk both Jasmine and Rosaline. Think through things first before you start stabbing. Got it?" Maria spoke firmly, also eyeing Josh.

Josh would do anything for his brother. Julian could storm a building with no chance of survival and Josh would follow without a second thought. The twins were loyal to one another and because of Jasmine's relationship with Julian, she was now part of their little group by default.

Julian pressed his knife against his fingertips, pricking the skin. Maria squeezed his wrist again, causing Julian to pull his fingers away from the weapon and nod quickly.

"I'm going to kill them all. Make their blood spill." Julian murmured, seeming far away.

"Yes, you will. You can paint the ground in your least favorite color. I'm sure Xavier will let you bring all the knives and explosives you want. But for now, pay attention when it's time to move." Maria said, patting his arm and returning to Xavier's embrace.

John grabbed the first aid kid from the nightstand and tossed it to Julian.

"Treat those wounds. Doesn't look deep but take care of it." John ordered. Julian complied, not saying a word. It was strange seeing the twins so quiet.

"I got it! Jasmine sent an SOS signal twenty minutes ago. I'm tracking her location now. She's at a warehouse about forty miles from here." Erik shouted and I ran to him, Xavier quickly following.

"Check the satellites. How many people will we be dealing with?" Xavier asked and Erik quickly pressed a few keys.

"Multiple heat signatures surrounding the place. Could be cars. I see smaller ones, meaning there are guards stationed as well. It's heavily guarded. I'm going to see if there are any cameras that I can connect to." Erik informed us.

"We need backup. Josh and Julian, start calling task forces. Erik, send the coordinates and give me an update on the situation." Xavier said before walking to the door of the bedroom. "John, you stay here with Maria. Can you still defend the place?"

I heard a scoff from the other room.

"I can work my rifle just fine. My injuries can't stop me. I can hold the fort just fine." John stated.

"Boss, I can send a signal to Jasmine that we're on the way." Erik included as he rapidly typed on the computer.

"Do it. We should be there soon," Xavier said and gave Maria a final hug. "I'll be back soon. They need me."

Maria nodded in agreement. "Be careful. I love you."

"I love you, Sugar." Xavier murmured and gave her another kiss then kneeling down to kiss her swollen belly.

My heart clenched at the words, reminding me of the last time I saw Flower.

Xavier separated from his wife and came to me with a chilling smile that I found comforting. My brother was going to help me destroy the men who took the love of my life.

"Let's go. We have people to rescue and people to kill."

I slowly stalked out of the room, the twins following me as they were on the phone gathering reinforcements.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

The Diablos had no idea what they'd started and we were going to finish it. The Organization was done with them and it was time to get rid of them for good.

All plans and strategies that were meant to keep the peace were gone. We were being generous, not wanting to lose many lives, but the Diablos gave the first strike. It was time to show the dark side of our Organization. They'd regret messing with us.

Lorenzo Diablo was going to pay in blood and nothing was going to get in my way.