Natalie and Cassian moved like clockwork, trading reloads so one rifle was always blazing. The gang members didn't back down. Their eyes turned red with fury as they rushed forward. But packed so tightly together, they could barely move. The ones in front dropped first, tangling the feet of those behind. Chaos followed in an instant. Some were shot, others stumbled, and a few were punched by their own allies. More were shoved down by the men charging from the back. It was a mess of screaming, cursing, and flailing until the bodies stopped moving. The few who broke through didn't even make it to Natalie or Cassian before the pets lunged and brought them down. After months of hard training under their command, the pets were lethal. A few stray enemies were nothing to them. They even knew how to fight in formation now—quick, brutal, and precise, like a unit of seasoned soldiers. Cash had the clearest view from above, swooping low as it aimed straight for the men's eyes. Once blinded, even the fiercest fighter panicked, losing every ounce of composure and skill. Baron, who used to rely only on brute force, had learned a few mean tricks under Natalie's guidance. At his height, every punch hit right where it counted—square in the groin. Each blow was enough to end the fight instantly. The men collapsed, clutching themselves and screaming in agony. Then it was Lucky's turn. The ones Cash had blinded, she finished with her teeth. The ones Baron had taken down, she crushed under her weight. She tore through the battlefield like a storm, leaving no survivors in her path. Down in the basement, the first burst of gunfire sent the women into a panic. They screamed and ran back into their rooms. This wasn't before the apocalypse. No one in their right mind could mistake that for fireworks. Especially not with the gunfire mixed with the men's screams, echoing through the walls and making their legs shake. Selene finally slipped free from the mob of women clawing at her and clutched the blankets tight as she rushed toward the locked room holding Selina and Guinevere. Her heart pounded wildly as she ran. Thank God, she'd moved fast. Those two upstairs were exactly what she thought—cold-blooded killers. At the door, she stopped to catch her breath. Setting the blankets down, she dug through her pocket for the key, her hands trembling so hard she nearly dropped it. Forcing her face to stay calm, she turned the lock and stumbled inside with the clothes and blankets in her arms. Selina and Guinevere had already heard the gunfire and were staring at each other when Selene entered. She quickly shut the door behind her and whispered, "Hurry, put these on. They're dry and warm. Your knights in shining armor are here." Both women froze, stunned. Their knights in shining armor? Who could that be? Were those gunshots outside actually for them? They'd thought it was just another gang fight. And this woman had refused to help before. Why the sudden change of heart? Seeing their confusion, Selene rushed to explain. "You told me to go find someone at the inn, remember? I ran into them on the way there. I gave them a note saying you'd been hit by the beauty cursebug and locked down here. They're upstairs fighting for you right now!" Every word she spoke was technically true. She'd just made herself sound a little better in the story. Sure enough, the two women—well, the two older girls—looked at her with tears of gratitude. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" They locked eyes, their faces trembling with relief. They had never imagined that couple would actually come for them. Kindness really did have its rewards. Selene felt herself relax a little at the sight of their gratitude. She had no idea whether that couple knew about the living curses, how much they understood about the gang, or if her note had helped at all. She hadn't done any of this out of kindness. She just wanted to make it clear where she stood. If the couple managed to destroy the Greendale Gang, maybe they'd let her live. And if they didn't, she wouldn't be the one paying for it. The note had been written with her left hand. As long as she didn't admit it, no one could prove it was her doing. She had only followed orders, making sure the two old women had food and warmth by bringing them blankets. The three women stayed in the room, each lost in thought while waiting for the fight upstairs to end. After a long stretch of tension, the gunfire finally stopped. Guinevere let out an excited gasp. "The shooting stopped! It's over!"She clutched Selene's arm. "Can we go up now?" Selene's brows tightened. "Relax. It's not over yet." Guinevere looked confused. "What do you mean it's not over? But there's no more shooting." Selene wasn't foolish enough to mention the reinforcements. If that couple lost, these two old women started talking, and the leader found out she'd known about it all along, her act as a "loyal follower" would be done for.