Damien’s pov:
We regrouped before dawn, what was left of us gathering in the shadow of a burned-out factory two miles from the ambush site. The air smelled like oil and smoke, the kind of stench that sinks into your clothes and refuses to leave. My men moved quietly, efficiently, tending wounds and counting ammunition. They avoided my eyes.
They were waiting for orders… but I gave none.
I stood apart from them, staring into the gray haze, my body running on something far older than adrenaline. I hadn’t slept and I didn’t plan to. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that room again: the blinding white light, the collapsing walls, and the blood soaking into the concrete.
Empty restraints.
Gideon’s absence screamed louder than any explosion.
One of my men approached me carefully. "You ne
