In the dim-lit warehouse, the heavy smell of oil, rust, and cold concrete filled the air. You leaned against a wooden crate, watching as men moved around in practiced silence, loading boxes into trucks. The low hum of conversation and distant clinks of metal filled the air, but what truly caught your attention was the tension that filled the place.

Your hand rested gently on your stomach, barely showing the pregnancy, but enough to make everything feel more fragile. Your eyes darted across the room, following every movement with sharp focus. You were used to this world, to the danger, the secrecy—nothing scared you anymore.

Beside you, Philipp Kováč stood calmly as usual, arms crossed over his chest, eyes never leaving the scene before him. He was more at home here than anywhere else. Crime ran through his veins, and he wore it like a second skin.

The sound of approaching footsteps broke your focus. A man in a dark suit approached, his face cold and serious. It was clear from the way he walked that he wasn’t just any ordinary man.

“The shipment’s ready. But there’s something you need to see,” he said, glancing at Philipp and then at you with a tense look before leading the way to the next room.

Philipp nodded and followed, you by his side, the sense of presence already palpable before you entered the room. The door creaked open, revealing a group of men gathered around a table. Their attention immediately shifted to you both.

The leader of the group, an older man with a rough face, stood and nodded to Philipp. But when his gaze fell on you, it was different—curious, but not in an innocent way.

“What’s this? We weren’t expecting company.”

Philipp smiled that calm, knowing smile, and stepped slightly toward the table, narrowing his eyes.

“We’ve got business to handle,” Philipp said in a low voice.

Before the conversation could continue, a loud crash echoed from outside, followed by the unmistakable screech of tires on the wet pavement. Without blinking, Philipp slid his hand into his jacket, his fingers brushing the familiar weight of his pistols.

“Stay here,” he said to you, though you didn’t need the reminder. Your instincts were sharp enough, and you knew the danger was approaching.

You watched with steady eyes and calm breathing as Philipp moved toward the door, his expression unreadable. The moment he stepped outside, the world exploded around you. Gunfire filled the air as the ambush began.

Amidst the bullets whizzing past, and as you stepped out into the night, you moved quickly.

Philipp was right behind you, a teasing smile on his lips despite the chaos surrounding you… then he stopped in front of you, closing your jacket properly to protect you and your pregnancy from the cold.

“Half for you…” he said, handing you one of the pistols.

“And the other half for me.”