"No," Drakon said immediately, his voice dropping into a harsh, dangerous growl that vibrated through the quiet garage. "Absolutely not."
"It has to be this way, Drakon," I said, turning to face him in the dim light of the overhead utility bulb. "Carlos isn't stupid. If he steps foot in here and senses even a fraction of an ambush, he's going to bolt or start firing blindly. I need to be the only thing he sees. This is my fight."
Drakon's jaw flexed so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek. He hated every single word coming out of my mouth. Every protective instinct in his body was screaming at him to keep me behind him, but he knew the logic was solid. He knew what Carlos had taken from me, and deep down, he knew this blood was mine to spill.
"We're right behind the side access door," Ba
