Damian's Assassin

"Evac and implode the building before dawn," Dusty said. "I want to make it uncomfortable for our friend here in Miami. It'll be a good distraction while we rig the country club and other hotels."

"I can do that," Jimmy said, a slow smile spreading across his face.

Dusty gazed at his condo building. He never considered anywhere home. Every few years, he had to move anyway; they all did, for security reasons. His condo was as Bianca had said, boring with no color and no character. He was rarely there anyway.

So why did he feel a twinge of loss at the order to send it up in flames? It had something to do with Bianca, with destroying where he'd started with her.

"Dusty, can I go to watch the building explode?" Darian asked.

"We'll watch it from here," he replied.

"Jimmy, I'll schedule the condo for 0530. That gives you three hours. Is that enough?" Toni asked, whipping out his PDA.

"Yeah, good," Jimmy confirmed.

"Bring in the explosives teams to prep the country club and hotels. As soon as the condo goes up, have them start," Dusty directed. "Jenn, start intel feeds every thirty minutes starting now. Toni, ready evacs, just in case. I hope to disrupt whatever it is they've got planned for tomorrow night. Everything needs to be ready, especially if the hurricane shifts to make landfall."

"Got it," Toni said and sat, logging into the computer at the table.

Jimmy jogged out of the basement war room, and Jenn disappeared.

"I'm glad I got the cat," Darian murmured. "I hope you get him, Dusty."

His words were hushed. Dusty didn't have to ask who; he knew Darian's painful history, thousands of years as a slave to the sadistic Black God. Dusty couldn't kill him and didn't expect to. If anyone could, it would be Darian while Damian was away. Dusty's eyes returned to the image of the country club.

This is where it'll happen. This is where I die, he thought. He looked at Darian, recalling Sofi's warning. Once Dusty died, someone had to take care of the girls. Darian was excited and anxious, but the mention of Czerno made his features darken.

"Darian, I wanna give you a new rule," Dusty said. "No matter what, you will always, always protect your family first. Sofi and Bianca. You understand?"

"I know that one, Dusty." The Grey God rolled his eyes.

"At all costs. Even your own life. You will not fail them, even if you face Czerno himself."

Darian looked at him uneasily. "I promise, Dusty. You'll be here to help me. I won't face him alone."