《The Story of Blood and Roses》


 Chapter 1 Preface: Pull the Trigger

    As I walked into the park, I spotted a middle-aged man in the distance. He was sitting at one end of the seesaw, looking ridiculous as he nced at me every so often. The park was empty otherwise, and I thought it fortunate that there would be no interference during the face off.


    It was still snowing, the kes rained down at a rapid speed. I was d that no innocent lives would be endangered during this encounter. I quickly shifted my hand discreetly to my waist so that I could ess my gun if the man tried to attack. I could sense that his eyes were glued to my hand as they moved, and he, too, pushed his hand inside the pocket of his jacket and prepared to pull his gun out and shoot.


    I took in a deep breath as I calmed myself. The other man was hesitant; it just helped boost my confidence further. His jaw was clenched and I could see his muscles tense as if he were clutching onto the gun in a tight grip. He probably thought that he could shoot me if he had to, but I knew better.


    He pulled his hand out of his pocket when he noticed that I had retreated my hand from my waist. He sighed in relief and continued to keep watch on me. I took a quick nce around the park, dissatisfied with his unwavering stare, attempting to find an escape route if worse came to worst.


    Mytest hit had been tipped off about my mission and was adamant to finish me off before I could get anywhere near him. It was understandable considering that only one of us woulde out alive of this mission, and to want to be the one who survives is only human. I had been looking over my should for the past week, unable to find the opportunity to get close to my target because hisckeys just seemed to swarm around me, always vignt, but today the stupid game of hide-and-seek would finallye to an end.


    The man jolted up from his spot at the seesaw and I saw him shifting ufortably from one foot to the other. He was staring past me. His eyes widened a bit before he turned and bolted to leave. I felt my back stiffening immediately and I sucked in a breath, preparing myself for the pain.


    It never came.


    I was left stunned as a familiar voice resonated in the cold day. No, it wasn''t just any voice; it was the voice of the man I hade to loathe with the very fabric of my being.


    "Mia?" his voice was soft, almost a whisper. I didn''t turn, trying to keep my heart in control as it thudded loudly in my chest. Ignoring my tumulus heart, I turned to him with the coldest expression that I could muster.


    I was shocked to see his face. It was still perfect with sharp features and undeniable beauty, but he looked¡­ younger. Though I hated him ardently, I couldn''t help but be in awe of him. His velvety voice pulled me out of my thoughts again.


    "Where have you been all this time?" he asked, false concerncing his words. He was an astonishingly good actor. Even when he smiled warmly and reassured people of his undeniable love for them, his cold and ck heard was only concerned with using and throwing away the people he associated with. And he never let them know his real thoughts; that was how good of an actor he really was.


    He wrinkled his nose in irritation when he saw me nonchntly shrug off his concern.


    "Where did you go?" he tried again, and that time I let out a snort. His eyes bulged in curiosity as they locked with mine, trying to coax me into answering him. I had taught myself in time to grow resistant to his charms, to try and keep him out of my head so as to protect me from his mind games. I had learned not to let his treachery affect me. But facing him, being in such close proximity with me was slowly gnawing away the harsh training I had put myself through. I could feel my shield crumpling as he kept on pushing for information.


    "Damn it!"


    I smiled victoriously to myself as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration.


    "Speak to me!" he shook me and myposure broke. I saw red as I pushed him away from me and ground my teeth together to restrain myself from shouting at him.


    "None of your bloody business," I growled.


    An unknown emotion crosses his features, but before I could recognize it¡­ it was gone. A cocky grin spread across his lips. The thought invaded my head like lightning; he was meaning to torture me with his vicious ways.


    "You haven''t changed one bit, my kitten." His grin widened.


    Two memories from years before flitted through my mind. One made me want to rip his head off of his body and the other to kiss the smile right off his face. Yet the first option was the only one that would satisfy my bloodlust.


    "If you call me that one more time, I will chop off your balls and feed them to your watchdogs, Anthony."


    He didn''tment because he knew I could do it. His eyes softened a bit and he pulled me into an embrace.


    "I''m not Anthony for you, Mia. It''s me¡­ Michael."


    I knew what he intended to do, this name was given to him by someone who made him want to live a better life, it made him believe that he was not a waste of space on our beautiful, and I would not be the one to give him thefort and reassurance of being called an eptable human being. I wanted to hurt him; I wanted this criminal to remain a criminal in the eyes of the public. He was simply that, undeserving of my sympathy.


    I was too shocked to speak as he held me tightly against his chest. My body went limp, and my eyes blurred. I fought back the tears that threatened to spill. I took in another deep breath and umted all my strength to push him away. He didn''t let go, but I struggled until I broke free from his arms. He dropped his eyes to the ground and he smiled. He was too confident, and I wasn''t ashamed to say that I had once liked that about him.


    I clenched my hands into fists as I tried to refrain from jumping him. I carefully mulled over my thoughts before I spoke them out to the universe.


    "I''m no different from any of those other people in the world. You prefer to be a man who is feared. You are Anthony, a criminal that needs to be punished." My harsh words didn''t have an effect on him. Rather, he seemed wickedly amused by the words, he burst out intoughter.


    "Still the same," he whispered before leaning down to kiss my cheek.


    The sound of approaching footsteps jolted me away from the touch. The snow crunched under the force of their feet as they ran towards me. I crouched down, hand over the gun at my waist as I prepared forbat. I was prepared to use. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I red at the man standing in front of me and pointed the gun to his temple.


    "I knew it!"


    I was not going to fall into his trap again.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 2 Preface: Dont Tempt Me

    "I don''t think you are seeing the situation clearly, Mia. They are trying to kill us," he said tly.


    I groaned as I gave in to his words. Fine, I would have to deal with him after I came out of this confrontation alive. I looked him in the eye and reverted back to the familiarmunication between us. Neither of us spoke, but we nodded in understanding.


    We turned at the same time, our backs pressed up against the other''s as we covered each other. I quickly spanned my gun over the men facing me to gauge is the range was right.


    "Seven against two?" the man who seemed to be the leader of the party spoke.


    "Seems hardly fair for you," the cockiness was back in Anthony''s voice, and I couldn''t help, but smile.


    They all scowled at us, prepared to shoot.


    "Now!" I heard him say and I aimed for their head.


    I pulled the trigger three times, one after the other. I saw the men fall heavily to the ground and color the white ground in a bright crimson. I heard four shots from behind me, and I knew that it was over. The blood slowly spread across the surface, tainting the pristine snow. The dirt that the footsteps had left behind slowly submerged under a fresh coat of kes.


    We turned around at the same time, curiosity piqued to see if the other was breathless or hurt. We smiled when we noticed that it was not the case. I saw the glee in his eyes that I was feeling. It was the happiness of a job well done, of surviving another day.


    "Good shot," he said impressed.


    "I have only ever missed one." The crooked grin spread over his face.


    "You didn''t fire that time." He leaned down, brushing his lips across my neck, "We''re still good together, my kitten." My lips tugged down into a grimace as his words pierced me like a thousand knives, and I hissed under my breath. I was not going to take any of that crap from him. He was either trying to enrage me or to delude me into believing that he didn''t want to use me for his benefit.


    "We were never together in the first ce, Anthony." My voice seemed dead even to me.


    He faked a flinch, and I rolled my eyes. His acting meant nothing to me, but deep down I wanted him to suffer and hoped that he would somehow be capable to feel.


    Pain.


    Hate.


    Love.


    Passion?


    Anything.


    I would take anything he would offer.


    I had loved him once, and even if I denied the fact that I wasn''t that girl anymore, I couldn''t escape reality. I was the same girl who couldn''t shoot him when her father was going to die. I was still that girl who would dive in front of him to take the bullet in his stead. I was still the girl who had given up her chance of living by continuing to trust the vile man.


    Yes, I was pathetic.


    "Maybe I have changed!" His eyes shined with humor as he uttered the words. I let out a guffaw, which in turn made him burst into a fit ofughter.


    "Even if you try ¡­" I began. Despite knowing that I didn''t have to reply to his ridiculous words, I did. "A snake remains a snake even if it wears a bow on its head."


    "Really?" He grinned mischievously.


    I pointed the gun right at his head, making his eyes sparkle with amusement.


    "Are you going to shoot me, baby?"


    I was seething by the time he finished the sentence. I pressed the gun harder to his forehead and tightened my hold on the trigger.


    "Maybe I will," I gritted through my teeth. A devious smile reced the amusement and before he could retaliate, the threat rushed out of my lips. "Don''t tempt me."


    His eyes locked with mine for a long second and then he ced his hand right over mine and pulled it where he could clearly see it. He pressed his lips lightly on my wrist. But then his eyebrows knit together in concentration. He recovered quickly and didn''t even let me prepare for what came next. His hold on my wrist tightened and a dull ache spread across my arm.


    "What the fuck is this?" His voice was deafening in the silence that surrounded us. I didn''t blink, but I was surprised. Was he acting possessive?


    Never.


    He was a cold-hearted bastard.


    "This is called a ring." My voice shook a bit. I rolled my eyes, trying to control my scattered thoughts.


    "Why?" His voice strained to keep from shouting again. At that moment, I wanted nothing but to hug him and keep him all to myself. I wanted to tell him that it was all a lie. Then suddenly Jacob''s face shed in my mind and myst memories of Michael Gray came rushing in.


    His provoking speeches and unreliable promises came to my mind first. Followed by the moment when he told me that he wanted me to be safe even if it cost him his life, and then after that, him leaving me injured and telling me that I was of no use to him any longer.


    My blood started to boil when I realized that his current drama was all based on what he needed. Again, I was going to be a pawn in his ns and fight for him.


    This time, no such thing would happen.


    He silently waited for my answer, his eyes never leaving my face.


    "Because he is a good man. He loves me." I smiled a bit remembering Jacob''s bad jokes and proposal. He did love me very much.


    "But you don''t love him. You should be with the one you love!" His implication didn''t go unnoticed by me. I clenched my fist in preparation to punch his pretty face hard enough to mutte it.


    "No. You should stay with the one who loves you because they keep you happy and protected. And not use you," I spat out. His jaws clenched. He tilted his face to look at me for onest time. He pulled out his phone and typed in the number.


    "Clean up this mess," he ordered the person on the other side of the phone. I took that as the cue to leave.


    "See you soon," he called from behind me, and I shook my head in frustration.


    "I hope I never meet you again, Anthony." I turned around once again and walked till I was sure I was out of his view. I turned and saw him standing among three other men who nodded silently to what he was saying.


    Relief washed over me soon after, telling me that I had sessfully dodged a great danger. It told me that my concentration should be focused on Armando Francis, an illegal ammunition dealer who was in town. I had to kill him ¡­ tonight.


    There was going to be no posing. No disguise. Just a bullet between his eyes.


    As for Michael Gray or should I say, Anthony¡­ He was going to die as soon as Jacob finds him. He never misses a shot, just like me.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 3 Ruin Him

    "Mia Vincent¡­ official ID, Agent Vincent," I muttered into the small hole in which I knew the super-technologically advanced microphone was ced. The dais situated at the center of the room was equipped to catalog the biometrics of every agent thates into the building. Standard procedure.


    "State your condition." The mechanical voice ordered. The little box on the dais glowed green. With a nonchnt nce, I leaned forward and spoke into the microphone again.


    "Home Alone." I rolled my eye at how ridiculous this situation was. For the life of me, I couldn''t understand why they would keep such ludicrous codes for the assignment status of the agents. Home alone: currently not on a case. What had possessed the people at the top toe up with this? What was the mental capacity of the people running the show? I wondered.


    "Come in," said the voice.


    If I ever found the person who bbers into the microphone all day, I swore that I would use a spoon to gouge their eyes out of its sockets. Working a job which nted your ass on a chair all day just emotionlessly going through the motions was beyond me. How this individual managed to live like this, I didn''t understand.


    I preferred the wild life; I loved being surrounded by guns, bombs, criminals, assassinations, and ransoms. The adrenaline these injected in me was worse than any drug a human could imagine. It didn''t hurt that people in my line of work earned a shit-ton of money from every mission. It was sweet when the money would ''magically'' transfer into my bank ount minutes after I hadpleted my task. All in all, life was good and I would have it no other way.


    Therge metallic frame hissed as it unlocked. The view of a simr view behind it greeted me. I huffed in frustration, wondering why I had to go through this torturous security system all the time even though everyone knew me here already.


    ''Perks of the job,'' I reminded myself.


    Not many people have the guts to turn themselves into a new person every day and kill mercilessly for a beautiful amount of money. It was that easy. Get in, fool, kill, get out. If I could, I wouldpare the experience to that of ying a videogame¡ªyou could choose your avatar and the weapons you use, you had your missions and you felt a thrill on winning against your opponent. Only, it was better in real life; the graphics were no doubt excellent and the options in modes ofbat were not restricted.


    As maniacal as it may sound to the ears of others, I truly enjoyed the thrill of a job well done. I loved the adrenaline rushing through my veins and the sight of warm blood seeping down my victim''s face as I said thest prayer and closed their eyes, the tiny droplets coloring my fingertips a grotesque red. One even got used to the smell of blood: the rust like quality could grow addictive and make one want to bask in the scent of their kill, it could even make one imagine what the taste of this blood would be like, but I don''t think any of the agents had the time to hang around and quench their curiosity.


    The voice in the box told me to take off my clothes and get inside the sterile cubicle. I sighed as I did their bidding and grumbled about how they must have enjoyed the striptease. The scanner came on, the red light seemingly swallowing my body as it checked for potential threats. The process was done within moments and I was back trying to put on my clothes before the next door opens. dly, the hissing of the door produced the sight of what seemed like a private office.


    The headquarters was a bewildering ce all around the year. One never knew what woulde next; they changed the routes and structures regrly so that no one could breach the building, but all it did was irritate the agents. We understood that it was for security purposes, but making things overlyplex only invites more trouble, in my opinion. The pattern of these changes? I had never tried to discover because I did not have the time to think about such trivial, mundane things.


    The room I had entered was decorated warmly with mahogany furniture and inviting d¨¦cor. Chief''s personal office had only two chairs, one for him and the other for the guest. I took the empty seat and waited for the man to arrive. It was a while before a private door opened and he walked inside with a warm smile on his face.


    "Mia," he greeted. "Please take a seat. I have rather important news to share with you." His demeanor told me that there was something very wrong with the scenario.


    "I hope everything is well."


    He dismissed my words and offered me a ss of water.


    I shook my head.


    "Good¡­ This time I am hoping you will be able to hold your cover for longer. Anthony Murray is your next target, and we expect a full dossier about him. Your mission will be to get us inside information about who the key figures in his organization are and how it functions. I need Murray''s private history. And for that, you will have to get close to him."


    I raised an eyebrow. Anthony Murray''s name was one that I couldn''t forget even if I tried.


    ''I was going after Anthony Murray.''


    "May I ask the purpose of extracting this information?"


    "You seem curious!" He seemed delighted that I had reacted positively to the assignment.


    "I like to know why I am doing what I am doing, and when I am doing it." My voice was strong, and it surprised the Chief.


    "Simply because he has remained hidden from the public eye for the past twelve years. We have little information on him and it is only limited to his name, his location, and a few other details on his family."


    "When do I have to kill him?" I asked, a little more enthusiastic than I should be.


    "When we have all the information we need." He looked at me like I was an idiot.


    Well, my question was somewhat stupid.


    I wanted Anthony gone as fast as it was possible.


    "Thank you¡­ I should probably leave," I said as I stood up awkwardly. I was almost out of the door when I heard him call me again.


    "Mia," I turned to look at him. "I want you to ruin him. He has to pay for what he did to your mother. Make him regret that he ever came near Melody or you." I forced a smile on my face and nodded.


    "Billy, I promise you, he will not die without regretting each and every mistake he has ever made. I will use everything you have taught me to annihte him."


    "By the way, I hear that he has a thing for brtes," he teased.


    "Atst! I found a guy who doesn''t love blondes. I can be me again!" He joined me inughter. I bid him farewell, my jolly fa?ade slipping away as I left the room. I was back to being myself.


    My feet slid against the concrete as I dragged them. The lights overhead flickered. The roads were deserted. It was an image of destion.


    My mind flooded with memories.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 4 Death Of Me

    "Mia¡­" I could hear my father calling my name. I heard the knock on my door again. I scribbled the answers in my notebook.


    "Mia?" My father''s voice was louder this time.


    ''What''s he doing at home? He''s never home.'' I thought bitterly as I walked towards the closed door.


    My father hadn''te home for my birthday or his own anniversary, yet here he was, suddenly appearing out of nowhere acting like he cared about his family.


    As the door creaked open, I took in the figure of my father. I had not seen him in a while, but he looked¡­ different. He was holding the doorframe as if to support his trembling body. I leapt forward to catch him as his knees buckled and guided him inside the room. He was heavy, but I somehow managed to seat him on my bed.


    "What is it?" I asked softly as I stood in front of him. A sob broke out of his chest as he pulled me into his chest and squeezed me. I was stunned. I grew still as I heard him mumble incoherently.


    "I''m so sorry," I thought I heard him say. The words were jumbled, his tears cracked his voice. I scrunched my brow as I tried to process the sorry figure of my father. I grew desperate. My constant questions did nothing to coax aprehensible answer from him. I pushed away from him eventually, grabbing onto his shoulder and shaking him gently to snap him out of his state.


    His eyes were red and swollen when he finally looked up at me. His sobs had ebbed away, but his body still trembled.


    "Your ma. . . is dead."


    "Wha¡­?"


    "Your mother was killed!" He spat out as if muttering a curse. I recoiled in horror.


    ''What kind of sick joke is this?''


    My mother had informed me that she had an important task toplete. I knew that she must have been hunting down another criminal and making the world a better ce for everyone to live in. She had told me that she would be gone for a couple of days, only a little while. I knew from prior experience that trying to call her or contact her in any way was a risk and would put her in harm''s way, so I had kept to myself, knowing that she would be home safe before the week ended.


    I didn''t really remember much of that night as I grew older. I only remembered my father I clutching onto each other as we tried to suspend our disbelief. I think we cried until there were no tears left for us to shed.


    I remembered the morning after vividly. It was carved into my consciousness and would never leave me even in sleep. They brought my mother''s body home at around eleven in the morning. I begged them to at least let me see her face, but they refused. I didn''t understand why I was being punished like that. Why could I not see my mother for onest time?


    But I was a stubborn child, and I had learned my ways from my mother. I bypassed all of them and peeked at her face. I remember the silence the surrounded me as I tried to process the jarring image of my mother, lying lifeless in front of me. Her face was mutted. Deep jabs marred her cheeks. Her face was pale and puffed; her eyelids were missing.


    I screamed in agony.


    Maa was dead.


    I felt my father hold me, support me. He, too, had dared to look at his wife''s face. I could only imagine how it felt to him. I lost two people that day: my mother and my father.


    [My blood boiled in my veins as anger rose with each step I took. I was ted; finally, my mother''s murderer would receive the same treatment he bestowed on her.]


    We''d been home for an hour aftering back from the funeral when the doorbell rang. My father, still dazed, sat on his spot as I took the initiative to open the door. He was a young man with defined facial features. I was too short to see the color of his eyes, but they seemed like a mysterious grey hue from where I stood. His hair was jet ck, slightly falling over his temple and obstructing his view of the world.


    "Who are you?" I asked firmly, knowing that no sign of fear would work with my parents'' line of work.


    "Is your father home?" he asked, smiling politely at me.


    "No. You can leave a message." I narrowed my eyes at him in suspicion. No one came to our house looking for us.


    "You are just like your mother," he said, tilting his head to a side as he observed me with interest. He seemed rather amused by something.


    "You knew my mother?" My voice grew cold. My lids felt heavy as tears threatened to escape my eyes.


    "I did. We yed a wonderful game of hide-and-seek."


    I didn''t understand.


    "Anthony Murray!" It was my father''s loud voice that startled me. The name seemed vaguely familiar... like I had heard it somewhere in a conversation. I searched my mind for a moment and remembered my father whispering to one of his colleagues about Anthony Murray.


    The murderer.


    "Why the hell are you here?"


    "I just wanted to say goodbye to one of the most beautiful women in the world." He smirked.


    My father lunged at him. He dodged.


    The heated conversation continued for what seemed like an eternity.


    I kept quiet. When I found my voice the words that came out of my mouth were those I intended to fulfill. It was a promise I made to myself.


    "I am going to kill you." They didn''t hear me.


    "I am going you kill you." My voice grew firmer.


    "What did you say, little girl?" he asked with a smile.


    "I am going to kill you someday. Remember that." His smile vanished and he stared at me for a long time. A devious smile spread across his lips.


    "Sure you will, my kitten." He leaned down and nted a kiss on my cheek.


    I stared at him in disgust, yet he had the audacity to look amused.


    "Darling, I am only twelve years older than you. Someday we''ll meet, and you will be the death of me." He turned around and left.


    My father was left staring into space. He too followed Anthony out of the house. That was thest time I ever saw him.


    Both of them.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 5 Killed in a Car Crash

    The contact with my father was limited to asional emails and other forms of insignificantmunication that was best kept between polite strangers. I never saw his face. Every other memory of my father was wiped away by the memories of his tormented, dazed face thest time I saw him. As I grew older, I realized that my father had never felt offended that a strange man came into our house and threatened me. He was only concerned about his deceased wife. It made me wonder if I was somehow the reason for our grief. Maybe he held me responsible for what happened. Maybe I was responsible. I had often regretted not being older or mature enough to sit my mother down and convince her that her job was not only dangerous for her but also for us, those who loved her to bits. But if she was anything like me, she would never have listened to my concerns. She would have thrown away her safety for her love for her job.


    I felt my phone buzz in my pocket within an hour of returning home. I had already packed my bag for the mission and was ready to leave. I ignored it at first but then eventually gave in to my impatience and pulled out my cell-phone from my jeans pocket and flipped it open to see that it was Chief who had sent the message.


    ''Your dad got killed in a car crash. Sorry.''


    I stayed mum. A few minutes seemed to pass in a sh as I tried to grasp the tremendous effect of the event on my life. With one message I was rendered¡­ alone. The word shed in my head and despite not having seen my father for a long time, I felt it creep into my very being.


    ''Orphan.''


    I had lost another important person in my life, one who couldn''t be reced.


    Yet, I couldn''t turn back; I couldn''t let this emotion overwhelm me. I had a job to finish.


    The list of regrets piled up as time went and I fought the mist blocking my vision to recede.


    I had never told him that I loved him.


    I had never forgiven him for ignoring me.


    I had never cooked him a meal.


    I had never been able to make him proud.


    ''I never made him proud!''


    ''If he had only...'' I stopped myself frompleting that usation against him. I couldn''t me him for dying!


    The cabby had already called me a couple of times to inform me of his arrival. I hurriedly took the stairs and stepped into the car before giving him the address of my location and pushing the earphone into my ears. The music sted at full volume, stinging my ear, but I fought on hoping that it would help me clear my head. I could feel the moisture on my cheeks as tears poured out of my eyes. I did not brush them away, I did not evade the pain. I let the feeling drain itself from my body.


    My chest felt lighter by the time I reached my location. The huge white gate was surrounded by at least a dozen guards who were instantly on edge when the car came to a stop near them.


    I paid the cabby and walked straight to towards the gate. My path was obviously obstructed by one of the guards who ced himself between the gate and me.


    "Sorry, ma''am. We need to process your identification for security reasons," he said as he extended his hands towards me so that I could hand over whatever form of identification he wanted.


    "No need for that," I told them flippantly and tried to brush past him.


    "I need to know the purpose for your visit," the man grunted, grabbing my arm. I sighed as I felt him encircle my forearm. I sent him a pointed re.


    "I have an appointment with the boss."


    "Mr. Murray doesn''t have any people visiting him to-" I snapped my hand away from his hold before he could finish his sentence.


    "Except me," I said confidently. "Let me in."


    They frowned, disarmed by my persistence. I saw one of the other guards pulling out their cellphone and dialing someone''s number. A few momentster, the perturbed expression on the man''s face filled me with satisfaction.


    "You can go in," the guard said gruffly as he pushed his phone back into his pocket. I could feel their eyes looking me over as I walked past.


    "Any problem?" I red.


    "No," he said suspiciously, but nheless let me inside.


    The house buzzed with activity. The living area seemed to be the hotspot for congregations of the members of the organization. It came equipped with a bar and a pool table. It was a rather banal picture of the mob life, to be honest. Mobsters seemed to enjoy their life to the fullest in their free time. It made me wonder how they overcame their guilt if they could even feel an ounce of it.


    "I am Cienna. Who might you be?" A lovely, nasally voice spoke up. She was wearing a jumper. I felt her near me and poke me with something on my stomach, which Iter looked down to see was a poor excuse of a gun.


    "Put that away, darling. You don''t need to know my name." I smiled icily at her. She seemed to be the doll who the men kept around to enjoy. Eye candy, if you will. While there was a fair share of talented women working in mobs, the setup of this one just didn''t make her look like one of them. The men seemed amused by my retort and broke intoughter. Some even cheered for me.


    Imbeciles.


    ''I don''t like mobsters. I hate them.''


    I am a little biased because they seem to be the main problem in my life and in the world. They make my life hard and try to kill me. I think that reason is enough for me to be prejudiced against them.


    "Where''s the boss?" I asked.


    No one replied.


    I ground my teeth in frustration and repeated the question. They said ''he''s not in''.


    I ignored their protests as I headed towards the smaller rooms. They were all empty, but then I heard the harsh whispering from behind one of the doors. I mmed the door open, but the person sitting on the desk didn''t seem to acknowledge me when I entered the room.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 6 Fire Away

    "Get the work done, Jared, or else you have no use staying here." He hung up and turned his attention to me.


    He was still the same. His features still strong, but he seemed bolder, more powerful. Now that I looked closer into his face, his gray eyes had a hint of blue in them that made him look predatory; his ashen face, lips pressed in a thin line, and the way hebed his hair made me fidget.


    It might have just been a reaction to what seemed like the most important mission of my life, but I knew that there was more to this.


    I was finallying face to face with the man who killed my mother. He''d had the audacity to put her down when she was just like me: the top of her batch, the one capable ofpleting any mission thrown her way, the one who every other agent looked up to. But no, this scumbag had killed her. And this very fact shook me. My nervousness ran deeper than I couldprehend. I feared the man in front of me.


    His jet ck hair had grown lighter in shade, almost taking on a brownish hue, very different from that time nine years ago where he came before me. My eyes flickered to his lips. I remembered the wretched smile as clear as it was yesterday.


    "Anthony, I am so sorry," Cienna panted, acting as if she had chased after me as I ran into the room. "I couldn''t hold her back," she whined.


    He raised his hand and dismissed her.


    "Who might you be, miss?" His eyes burned on impact with mine. The intensity made me want to look away, but the effort was in vain.


    "Mia," I replied before I could stop myself.


    I realized instantly why I had blurted out my name so willingly to him. It was something beastly inside me that wanted to kill him right there in that very moment as he mulled over my name. That would be thest thought that would pass across his mind as I gently stole his life from him.


    But there was another reason, I reassured myself. I knew that he wouldn''t dig for information on me. First of all, he was incapable of finding anything on me; second, every agent worked under a fake name. I had just happened to choose my own as a nket. I was delighted that this time around, I would be able to act without pretending, that I could roam about without a disguise and a fake personality to fool everyone around me. Nothing was stopping me from letting my true emotions course through my body and unleash itself as the wrath I had bottled up inside me for ages.


    I knew of his keen senses. No one could prate his organization because he knew exactly who they were, and the only way to avoid his suspicion was to be transparent in front of him, toy myself bare in front of his eyes so that he could find no trace of deception on me.


    That wretched gaze had somehow slowly made my fear dissipate. It had turned into unwavering resolve. A trace of dark humor lurked in his eyes. He showed no signs of hiding his emotions, and it was unnerving to be capable of reading him: it made me doubt the reading I was getting off him. This open book needed a magnificent spell to unearth its secret words, and the words were a riddle, but they would be solved very soon.


    "Mia. What a beautiful name!" He spun in his chair. I could see the smirk stered on his face.


    ''Is he trying to infuriate me?''


    "I know," my voice sounded weak and hoarse in his presence.


    ''Kill him. Kill him,'' my inner voice chanted.


    "Sit down, will you, Mia?" He gestured to the chair across from him.


    I moved towards the chair, only to ce my hand on the back of it. I was in no mood to sit down in front of him when he very curiously had ced his chair at a higher height than that of the guest. He didn''t spare me a nce when his phone started buzzing on the phone. He picked it up in a fluid motion, pressing it to his ears he started speaking in fluent French.


    I was impressed, even though there was nothing impressive about being bilingual.


    He was talking about some kind of shipment. It sounded like drugs. My ears perked up in interest as I heard all about the notorious buyers who were posing problems and putting out traps for Anthony and the gang.


    "Take care of it," he pushed the words out through gritted teeth. A subtle feeling traveled through my body and took residence in the pit of my stomach.


    ''Fuck,'' I cursed myself.


    I watched him with rapt attention as he pulled the phone away from his ears and started punching in a series of numbers. He spoke harshly to the person on the other side. His voice was low, exuding a roughened authority. Suddenly, his voice would rise in volume, but he would make a menacingeback with a low growl that would send shivers down my spine.


    Though his bodynguage was fascinating to me, I didn''t have much time to waste away. I needed to confirm my spot and then prepare for whates next. And from the looks of it, I would need all the preparation in the world. His mood shifted around like a loose whip, sometimes cold, sometimes zing.


    "Hey there," I snapped in irritation. His eyes threw a simr look at me.


    "Yeah, you," I told him pointedly. "You''d better listen up. I am not here to stare at your face,"


    "I wouldn''t mind," he smirked. I raised my eyebrows at him partly in frustration and partly in confusion.


    "Well, I don''t mind if you ogle all day. I was enjoying your undivided attention. I didn''t want to interrupt you."


    ''Smart ass.''


    "So fire away, Mia."


    "I want to join you," I said smoothly.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 7 Wrestle and Wriggle

    The conviction in my words seemed true when they came out of my mouth.


    "What are you good at?" he asked, a calctive look shing across his eyes. All traces of humor had left his eyes, what remained was the businessman. He stood up abruptly, took his phone and muttered a quiet e in'' into it.


    I was bewildered by his actions.


    "Anthony?" I heard someone call from the door. Anthony just waved the person in. The man who entered was tall, burly, and had ck spiky hair.


    "Scott, please join me." He gestured to the chair in front of him. Scott turned to me with a serious look in his eyes and looked me over once.


    Anthony too was staring at me, and his look held excitement. I mulled over the option carefully, I wondered if he liked what he saw. From the hint of amusement I found in his eyes, I had a feeling that he wasn''t going to go easy on me in this little ''interview''.


    "I like your spirit, but if you want to work in this industry, you need to turn it down a notch."


    The graveness of his voice stunned me, if only for a fraction of a second. He did mean business. While his yful side was irritating, this gruff and businesslike attitude was something I preferred. He was easier to predict in this mode.


    "Now tell me what you''re good at."


    "Everything." I couldn''t help but smirk. I could do everything that he could. Maybe not better, but surely not far behind his level. I had prepared myself for it my whole life.


    He reached to his waist and pulled out his gun and threw it towards me. I caught it without exerting much effort. I just gave him a confused look.


    "Dismantle it," he ordered.


    ''Dismantle it? Has he lost his mind?''


    "You''re not good at taking orders, are you?" he snorted. "I said, ''dismantle it''."


    I furrowed my eyes together but didn''t question him as I dismantled the gun piece by piece.


    "Good. Now, put it back together."


    I leaned forward to take the trigger and he stopped me.


    "Wait. I want to time you. I''ll give you thirty seconds to put it back together. Scott here will shoot you if you take longer." His voice was filled with authority. I shuddered in excitement.


    ''What is he ying at?''


    I roved through the parts and realized the problem. There was a part missing.


    "Bastard," I hissed under my breath as I took out my own gun and pointed it at Scott.


    Both the men looked shocked at my reaction.


    "You didn''t finish the task. You pulled your gun out, instead. Should I ask Scott to pull the trigger?" His threat made no difference to me. I wasn''t scared of him. I held the gun at Scott''s head, knowing full well that I had passed the test. I had ovee the challenge. It didn''t matter if I put the gun together. What mattered was my reaction.


    "I don''t have time for your stupid games, Anthony."


    "But this was supposed to be a lesson, darling. You should be vignt at all times." His tone was almost taunting. "I''m impressed that you caught my little trick and had the balls to point your gun at him. I like to be prepared for the worst and I am d that you feel the same way."


    He walked straight to me and handed me the bullet.


    "Nice work," he whispered into my ears. My eyes narrowed at him and he burst intoughter.


    "You can leave now, Scott." His voice was friendly again. "Are you good atbat?" he asked after some time of silence. I fidgeted under his scrutiny but nodded.


    "Isn''t it a bit too hot in here?" He tugged at his shirt and opened it.


    ''What the¡ª''


    I tried not to ogle, and atst, looked towards the ground. This man was twelve or so years older than me and certainly no movie star that I could form an immature crush on. I wasn''t so weak.


    "You should take off that jacket, you know," he said with amusement.


    I didn''t flinch back as he touched my shoulder and tried to open the first button. I pped his hand away. Swearing under my breath, I jumped away from him when he tried toe near again.


    ''What a jackass!'' I thought to myself as I got hold of his misbehaving hand and strategically twisted it so that I was pressed against his back, and his hand was locked behind his back in my tight grip. Heughed, impressed by my little show.


    Before I understood what hit me, I twirled around and flinched as he grabbed my hand and locked it behind me.


    ''Son of a bitch.''


    He put one leg between mine and twined it so that my right leg was locked, too.


    I groaned in humiliation. The pain was there, but not as much as I had imagined.


    He was holding back on me. But I could feel him pressed up against me. It wasn''t a pretty thought, but I did wriggle around a bit.


    ''Mayday! Mayday! We need help here!''


    I was freaking out. There was nothing to be freaked out about. He was a guy and guys were horny all the time. Nothing to panic about!


    ''Maybe he is a huge pervert.''


    ''You know he is!''


    ''So shouldn''t you run?''


    ''He killed my mother.''


    ''That, too.''


    My inner conflict had died down, but the chant continued desperately.


    ''Kill him.''


    That was when I felt something press up against my neck. The cold, hard surface made me stiffen. I shouldn''t have had such an borate reaction, but his closeness made it hard for me not to feel fear. He was definitely an intimidating creature. And it was not only his personality that scared me but something deep in me moved, looking at his pretty face did weird things to me. He was good looking after all, and lust was natural. But entangling myself with him would be a pity.


    He moved our body together, as if to some unheard music, but I saw what he was doing.


    There was a huge ss window that reflected our image. He had pressed his lips to my hair and slightly brushed the strands away from my face. I shivered at the sight. I heard him chuckle at my expense.


    Anthony let go of me abruptly, leaving me in a trance.


    I heard the squeaking sound of leather. He was sitting in his damn chair and smirking at me.


    He pulled out his cell phone again and dialed without haste. He spoke quickly into the phone and then looked up to grin at me.


    "I will be seeing you soon, Mia." He bowed his head and a devious smile followed.


    ''He sure smiles a lot. Damn him!''


    I raised an eyebrow, not trusting my voice toe out properly. Heughed and just waved his hand, dismissing me.


    "Pervert," I muttered under my breath. He seemed to have heard it.


    "My feisty kitten," he said in an amused voice. I stiffened.


    ''Had he recognized me? No, that couldn''t be!''


    I was sure he was trying to make me angry. He was seeding, and I hated him for that.


    I stomped out of his office and as soon as I entered themon room, it seemed to burst with excitement. There were catcalls and whistles. There were conspiratorial whispers and then there were simple smiles.


    The same woman from before came in and extended her hand towards me.


    "Cienna," she said in a clipped voice.


    This was clearly meant to be a warning for me. I was getting close to her territory and like the possessive lioness she was, she wouldn''t sit by and watch her things get swept away from her. She possibly couldn''t stand the thought that her reign mighte to an end because of a new addition.


    "Mia."


    "Wee to ground zero. You''d better be prepared for what''sing at you, we don''t want some amateur to ruin our hard work." She drew closer to me and leaned in to whisper in my ear. She wasn''t the least bit intimidating, and it was funny that she was trying so hard. "And stay away from my man."


    I think I chuckled because she was seething.


    ''I know, darling. I have that effect on people.''


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 8 No Offense

    I exited the mansion in haste, prepared to call the chief and finalize all ns. I needed more rules, hard boundaries and some personal details checked up before I got into anything.


    I was sitting on my sofa with myptop and doing some research on Anthony Murray when a wild chat popped up on the screen out of nowhere.


    ''Who is this dumbass? Why is he using a Gmail ount to chat with me?''


    [JH212: Wassup?]


    Really? This had what he hade down to? I smiled at the screen and thought before I replied.


    [MV: Are you kidding me? Are you still roleying Justin Beiber?]


    [MV: When will your Belieber phase pass?]


    [MV: Am I missing the joke?]


    His reply was quick.


    [JH212: That time of the month?]


    Hunt had been my ymate since we were in diapers. He''d been the one who warded off the bullies in elementary school and followed me to boarding school when my father abandoned me. Billy had been ecstatic that his son, Jacob Hunt had taken such a decision.


    He was been young when his mother passed away, and it had a strong impact on him. He was extremely protective of those he loved and he loved me like a sister.


    His friendship meant a lot. He had been there when my mother died. He had helped me train. He was a born fighter; watching him maneuver weapons like a magician performed magic tricks was one of my greatest delights when we were training. I had learned a lot from him, and he had learned a lot from me.


    [MV: Har har. Very funny.]


    [JH212: Heard about your new case¡­]


    [MV: Oh.]


    [JH212: That''s all you have to say?]


    [MV: What else?]


    [JH212: Aren''t you excited?]


    [MV: Yup.]


    [JH212: I''ll visit you sometime. Miss you.]


    [MV: Gotta go! Duty calls.]


    [JH212: Daddy Dearest? :D]


    [MV: Have some respect for your father!]


    [**212: Bye. ;)]


    My phone came to life. The call was from a private number. I picked it up and waited for the other person to speak.


    "Mia, you are wanted at the headquarters in thirty minutes."


    And the phone went dead.


    ''Why do I have to go to the headquarters again?'' I groaned.


    ''Hello, work pressure.''


    I thought I was going to sit on myptop and have a nice evening stalking people, but hell no¡­ They just had to ruin my ns.


    It took me ten minutes to dress formally and reach my car. And then I drove like a maniac¡ªtraffic rules be damned.


    "Agent Vincent," I said to the Chief''s secretary.


    A junior agent greeted me and asked me to follow him. The Chief was there, sitting in his office, going through a bunch of files.


    Busy man.


    "Mia, please take a seat. We will start the meeting shortly."


    The door opened again and a blonde beauty came through it. She smiled politely at me as she sat down on the seat beside me and then cleared her throat.


    "Daisy Green will be your partner for this mission." He gave me a pointed look.


    "I''m sorry; I don''t understand." My brows were furrowed in confusion. My mind screamed to protest.


    ''No, I can''t work with someone else.''


    "I''m sure you understand that I don''t have to exin the reasons behind my decisions." He raised an eyebrow as if to challenge me to protest. "You might have experience with shootouts and battlegrounds, but what you don''t have is the power of using technology-" I cut him off.


    "I''m sorry, but as far as I remember, I am well acquainted withputers and software functioning. You know this!"


    "You''re being stubborn, Mia," he said in a calm voice.


    "What''s so different in this case?"


    ''Calm down, Mia, he''s the boss. You can''t scream at him. He has experience on his side; he must have a good reason!''


    "Anthony Murray is not only a very intelligent man but also very well informed about the workings of our organization." My eyes widened. "We need to hide your identity. We have to make your fake records as real as it can get. You will be busy with the field work, but what about the other part of the job?"


    "Excuse me, Chief, can I speak?" Daisy asked. Chief nodded at her.


    "Miss Vincent, my name is Daisy Green. I have been appointed to make your job easier. Anthony Murray has a reputation for his background checks. He has a team of trackers who can find out each and every detail about you if you don''t have a good way to block them out. I''ll be acting as the barrier. My job will be to remove your birth records, and job records, among other things, so that you can continue without triggering their suspicions."


    She was a confident girl. There was something about her that told me that she would do whatever to get the job done. There was a wicked gleam in her eyes, a gleam only workaholics had.


    ''Nice.''


    "Shouldn''t that be the job of the organization?" I challenged. Of course, now I was just testing her determination to make me understand. I think even Chief understood that. He didn''t interrupt my interrogation. She blinked at myment and then rolled her eyes.


    "No offense, Miss Vincent, but the organization doesn''t revolve around you." Iughed. "With the huge amount of work to be done continually to protect you, the organization has hired me to oversee it personally. We wouldn''t want anything to get missed and leave you vulnerable."


    "None taken, Miss Green." Yes. She would call me out on my bullshit. "Anything else?"


    "Ah, Mia, now that we''ve caught your interest. I''ll leave it to Daisy to give you the details¡­ As far as I''m concerned, she gets the job done. You two will make a good team. Good luck."


    He didn''t let us speak further. His tone held finality. We left the room silently as I grumbled in my mind.


    It might be fun to work with someone else. Maybe I would learn something new. Adding to the experience was never a problem, but then did I have the time to experiment on my abilities to socialize in this case?


    "I know what you are thinking. You should rx a little." Yeah, she was indignant.


    "Excuse me?"


    "I mean, c''mon, I did my research. I know that you must be really furious that Anthony killed your mother. You should be, but don''t let your emotions get in your way! If he gets in your head, there will be no way that we will be able to dodge his attacks¡­"


    "I know that." I sighed. "Let''s make a n. So apart from the records, what else will you be working on?"


    "Well, if you must know, I will be monitoring your locations and interactions with the members of the gang and recording them, just in case we get any information on their workings. Then, we need to hack into their system and get ess to the mansion."


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 9 Suicide Mission

    "I can do that!" I told her confidently. She let out an involuntary shake of the head as she looked at me.


    "Actually, you can''t," she began. "They have a kid called Sean there. The boy is fourteen¡ªDon''tugh!" She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.


    I was listening to a cautioning tale, that too for a fourteen-year-old?


    "Sean hacked into the system of one of thergest banks and transferred ten million dors into his own ount. This was a year ago. No one could trace it back to him because he had spread the money in small denominations across the globe. This boy is a genius," she gave me a pointed look.


    She must have noticed my impressed state of mind as she was smirking in response to it.


    ''Hacking a system of that level of protection at the age of thirteen was a big deal. How did Anthony get his hands on this gem?''


    "And you can outweigh his genius?" a dark chuckle escaped my lips as I asked threw out the question at her.


    "No. I can''t. But I''m better than you," she cleared her throat and took a fleeting nce around. We were standing in front of a small caf¨¦. She pulled me inside in spite of my protests.


    "I do my work here," she whispered to me.


    Several people were sitting across the caf¨¦ silently reading, writing, working, and just thinking by themselves.


    "They make excellent hot chocte here. Want some?" she asked with a warm smile. I shrugged.


    Daisy called the waitress over and ordered for both of us. She dug into her bag and pulled out a thick file.


    "I''m not going to apologize for snooping around. It''s my job. So, I was looking through the records of your past missions, and I was surprised. You''re excellent in recording all the data, but what you don''t know is that you should use more of yourself in your work and less of your . . . assets."


    "What are you trying to say?"


    "You dive in head first. I think you aren''t using your resources to their fullest extent." She quirked an eyebrow, expecting me toe back with a snarkyment, but when I didn''t, she continued with her deliberations. "Murray is well known for seeing through people. If he already hasn''t seen through you, then it will take him a few days to understand that you are up to no good."


    "Why are we having this discussion, again?" Her underestimation of my capabilities was getting on my nerves. "What are you, my boss?" I sniped.


    "No." She cleared her throat. "I''d rather be your friend."


    I almostughed at that.


    "Your point?" Defianceced my voice.


    "Well, you need to prate their system. I can work withputers, but I need the information to start doing my job. You need to bond with the people¡ªdon''t roll your eyes. I know you hate them, but that doesn''t mean that you can shirk your responsibilities. We need this hacker-boy on your side. Murray is, no doubt, most important, but we need the boy."


    I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose.


    "I know how important this is for you," she said in a hushed voice. She was fidgeting in her seat. Maybe, she didn''t like tofort people.


    "You do?"


    "As I said, I snooped around. While you were very particr about your missions you never wrote anything rted to your family. I know everything."


    "How dare you dig up on my personal life? You have no right-" she cut me off.


    "Listen to me! It''s a good thing, believe me. It just makes you that much stronger. Yes, you can get emotionally weak, but you can turn your emotions into your power! I''m not sure what you were told about your mother''s death, so I pulled some strings and got this report. I have your father''s report, too." She handed me two ck folders with a sympathetic look on her face.


    ''Hell, I don''t want your bloody sympathy. There''s no reason to pity me!''


    "My father''s report?" my voice shook.


    He''d been in a car ident. I couldn''t see him for thest time. The organization had some weird notion about it being problematic for my current mission.


    ''Damn the mission!''


    "Just go through it. I hope you''ll get some answers."


    "You know a lot, don''t you?"


    I had closed my eyes by that point. I couldn''t take it. I wanted to open the damn folders and read them already, but I knew that I would breakdown. I didn''t want to appear weaker than I already did.


    My eyes snapped open when a shrill voice told us that our order was ready.


    "Onest thing . . . Um, I was asked to deliver this to you personally." She handed me a watch.


    "Is this a joke?" I couldn''t help butugh. C''mon, it was a blue watch with a Mickey Mouse head on it!


    "This is one of the most important weapons you have. This cute little thing has a chip that records your location. It also records all your conversations and has a self-destruction mode." She cleared her throat, ufortable.


    "Why is this sounding like a suicide mission?" I narrowed my eyes, doubt clouding my brain.


    "This is not a suicide mission. If you feel that there is no way out and you want an end, push the little red button on the side. You can make a password and save it. If you say that password, the timer will start. A liquid will be ejected in your body . . . you won''t feel a thing. And then the watch will self-destruct five minutester, killing all your enemies effectively."


    "You talk too much!" I groaned. "Okay, I understand."


    I could see that she was still nervous. I''d say that I was infamous, but I had a feeling it was something else. What is it?


    "Why are you so nervous?" I asked, not being able to keep my curiosity at bay. She looked startled for a minute but then took a deep breath topose herself.


    "You will find some rather shocking things in those files. I''m not sure how you''ll take it." She shrugged, trying to seem nonchnt.


    "And you are concerned because¡­"


    "You''ve obviously never worked in a team. I feel the need to socialize when I''m working; it makes work easier." I snorted at her angryment. "You should try it!" she hissed.


    "Alright. Are we finished here?" I asked her with a roll of my eyes. She sighed, got up from her chair, and slung the bag she was carrying on her shoulder.


    As she was about to leave, she looked at me for onest time and smiled at me.


    "A good mystery never reveals the story in the first few pages¡­ the urge to know keeps us from putting the book down. And if the book is worth it, the reader remembers it long after they have finished reading. We are no different. Don''t let your ''secrets'' out. Your body is a holy ce, if you let your secret out before its time, you will be forgotten and put away like a bad mystery. Think about it."


    And then she was gone. I stared after her and then looked down at the mug on the table. I picked it up and sipped as I considered her words.


    "Good point, well made, Miss Daisy."


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 10 She Was Pregnan

    I sat on the couch in my apartment with a cup of coffee and stared at the ck files in front of me.


    ''God help me. I want to pounce on those files. But what if I can''t handle what is in them?''


    ''Fuck that. No one''s looking; I can cry all I want.''


    I picked up a file, randomly and opened the first page.


    A beautiful picture of my mother was there with her name written beside it.


    ''Read me''.


    My mind was ying games. I sighed once and vowed that I wouldn''t stop till I finished.


    I turned to the next page and saw the list of cases she had been working on. Apparently, her death had left the organization shaken.


    They were handwritten notes. I felt my throat tighten as I recognized her handwriting.


    [Dorian Murray.


    Personal Profile: Son who was killed a few years ago during a shootout. His son''s body was never recovered. Mr. Murray believes that his son is alive and invests arge section of his funds in searching for his son.


    His wife died shortly after his son. The cause of her death is rumored to have been suicide. The reason remains unknown.


    Business: The mob boss is known for his expertise in guns and hand on handbat.


    The mob specializes in the trafficking of humans, weapons and prostitution as well as illegal drug dealing, grand theft auto, and killing.


    He has about a thousand or so people working under him.


    Medical History: Suffers from a heart condition. Suffers from acute lung problems due to smoking and liver cirrhosis from excessive drinking. He takes medication for depression.


    Personal notes: It is possible that his situation with his family can be used to weaken him. We are pretty sure that his son is dead. A body was brought to the morgue but was never identified- the very same day as the shootout. His wife was the love of his life, and since the reason behind hermitting suicide remains unknown, it is safe to believe that Dorian wasn''t the reason behind her death.


    Our team of three has worked day and night to understand what is going on. We have a solid n to finish off the man and submit the paperwork to effectively shut out the whole system he has been running.


    Tango and Jasper have been keeping tabs on Dorian Murray. Our n will take effect in two weeks time.]


    I stared at the piece of paper. Who the hell are Tango and Jasper? Of course, they must''ve been her colleagues, but what were the real names? My mom had always used the name Ray for some reason. I think my dad used to call her that. He said that she was the ray of hope in his life. That must have been where the name came from.


    I stared at the date that was written on the note. It was two weeks before she died. Maybe she died during the mission.


    What surprised me was that everyone thought Anthony Murray was dead. Dorian must''ve known it all along. It could be that he was protecting his son from the clutches of people who wanted to hurt him or his son.


    I needed to find Tango and Jasper. I needed to hack into the agent database and find what was going on.


    I turned to the next page and gasped. It contained pictures of my mother. The images were nothing that I hadn''t seen, but it brought back fresh memories.


    There was a forensic report with the pictures. I read carefully through them.


    They had checked her and found that she had been given overdosed on drugs. They had used a knife to cut her wrists and eyelids.


    I shut my eyes to prevent the images from evading my mind. It took me a while to control myself and push away the memories of seeing her body.


    She had a few broken ribs. She was also pregnant.


    I couldn''t believe it. Had I lost more than I had reckoned? How could I have lost more?


    My heart was pained at the new found truth. It had been a long time ago, but the thought of losing my mother and a brother- or a sister. It was like the first day I had spent without her; Father and I holding each other as we cried.


    I missed her. Now, even more than before.


    I looked away from the page and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes.


    I had seen worse, heard far more horrible things, yet I felt a shiver run down my spine as I imagined how it would feel to be gone before seeing the light.


    I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers on my lids until I saw the colorful y of lines that looked like lightning.


    I could think of everythingter at night. Right at that moment, I needed to stay professional.


    I took a deep breath and set the file back in its ce, now looking curiously at the other ck file. Cain''s.


    I took it and flipped the cover open. To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. There was a full image of him, and I was proud to be his daughter. I realized that I got my looks from both my parents. But that was not what surprised me. It was the name written beside it.


    Tango.


    Tango? How the hell can he be the man who was part of Mom''s team? I thought he was a software engineer at some MNC. This is so fucked up!


    [Cain Vincent, officially known as Tango, was one of the best undercover agents of all time. His identity had been hidden since he joined. His cover as an engineer was an attempt to locate and eradicate any connection that thepany or organization could have had to the Mafia. He was an expert at hacking into several high-security systems and a maker of spy chips.


    Shortly after the death of his wife, agent Ray, he quit the agency and opened a search program on Anthony Murray, the alleged murderer of agent Ray. His age was thirty-five when he left the organization.


    He had spent thest nine years of his life hunting down Anthony Murray to no avail. It was with his help that the ''Spy Technologies'' department was built.]


    How the hell had he been the best and still not been able to catch Anthony? Maybe they were exaggerating or something.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 11 Avenge Your Beloved

    I turned to the next page where a list of his missions was given.


    They were all over the ce. Sometimes they were small hits and then there were others that were high profile, like taking down drug cartels and the like. There were a few very famous names that caught my eye. It was then I discovered something; he had no pattern or specific way of getting the job done. It seemed as though he worked like a madman.


    Of course, that was a professional view, but the fact that he was so dedicated, that he loved my mother so much made me want to do¡­ Something.


    [ording to his testimony, during the assassination of Dorian Murray, Cain had been the one who killed Dorian. Ray was supposed to be breaking into the security system without detection, and Jasper was stationed across from the Murray estate, acting as the sniper. Unfortunately, Anthony Murray found Ray in the security room. Anthony Murray, who was earlier considered been killed in a shootout, is believed to have been underground, training to take over the business after his ailing father. ording to Cain, in spite of having no proof that it was Anthony Murray who killed agent Ray, he was pretty sure it was him. The Chief ruled the option of killing Anthony as hical because there was nothing to prove him guilty, so he was spared much to Cain''s displeasure.


    Cain, too, attested that it was hical, but that didn''t stop him from further investigation. It is said that the opinion of the Chief was what made up his mind. He wanted to do something, and doing that under the organization would break its rules, so he quit.]


    Cain''s decisions were made when he was emotional. But then, after the funeral, why hadn''t Cain killed Anthony? He must have found ample opportunities to exact revenge. Why did he change his mind on the subject so many times?


    To not kill the person who killed your beloved, there must have been a reason behind it. It went over my head, but I was pretty sure there were a few things that even this file couldn''t answer. All of this just didn''t add up.


    I flipped the pages that gave his bio-data. It had everything! Things I didn''t know. For a moment I wondered if that was what it was to be an agent, to hide oneself from people. I shook the thought away and concentrated on the file.


    [Cain Vincent''s car was found on a roadside, totally crushed. His body was recovered from the car.]


    Pictures.


    Pictures.


    There was no point in acting like I could recognize him. I couldn''t. But the body was dered as Cain Vincent''s.


    My father was really dead. But looking at the car, the condition of his body . . . How could this be an ident?


    [All possibilities of the reason for his death are open. It could be a murder or it could be indeed an ident, but the organization believes that it was a murder.


    They can''t rule out the fact that it could be suicide also.]


    Suicide.


    Could my father have killed himself? After all these years, had he given up? Had he known that I was taking over his work? So many questions would remain unanswered.


    I thought over everything I had read. I took the files and ced them on my working desk. Papers were scattered all over the ce. I opened myptop and searched for newspaper clippings. There were none. It was as if my father never died or was never found.


    I picked up my phone and dialed Daisy''s number. It was picked up on the second ring.


    "Miss Green, here."


    "Mia Vincent."


    "Oh, yes. Have you gone over the files that I gave you?" I nodded, realizing a little toote that she couldn''t see me.


    "Yes," I said in a whisper. I knew she heard. That was why she sighed.


    "So, what can I help you with?" she asked, alert and calctive.


    "You are recording this conversation, aren''t you?" I asked, a bit amused. I was impressed with her presence of mind. In the short time I had known her, I would''ve liked to think that she took care of each and every factor, looked at each facet of the case.


    "I am. You were saying?" she asked in irritation.


    "You never mentioned anything about this guy, Jasper. Who is this? Could you find out?"


    "Okay¡­" She hesitated. "I don''t know why you want it." And that was my cue.


    "Because I want to know. I''m sure you''ve read the files." I rolled my eyes.


    "Yes. I will do that ande back to you when I find out," she said easily.


    "Nice working with you."


    "Yeah." As I was about to hang up, I heard her speak again. "Remember¡­ mystery book," she said cryptically. I sighed and hung up.


    I plopped down on my bed, throwing the cell-phone to the corner and put my hands behind my head.


    ''Who the hell is this Jasper?''


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 12 Ready Or No

    It had been two days since I called Daisy. She had still not called with the information; it was a bit unsettling.


    I also didn''t have much to do. I cleaned the house, looked at some of the family pictures from when I was young- which were a very few- yed games on odd socialworking sites and kept myself from thinking about the ck files on my table that I had already read,. It was like they were screaming at me to look at them again.


    My mind wandered to too many ces. The only thing that could keep it off from the horrid thoughts was my morbid curiosity about Jasper, the person I had to find. So I opened myputer and searched.


    Most agents had names that were of significance to them; it was usually what defined them or something they liked. Of course, I was hoping that the person would have significance to the name he gave himself. My father''s name had been Tango. . . his favorite dance style, even though he had never been a good dancer. Jasper could be anything. . . What did the name mean?


    [In English, the name Jasper can derive either from the Persian name Caspar, meaning ''treasurer,'' or the Persian word ''yashp,'' meaning ''spotted stone.'' It is the name of a semi-precious form of quartz.


    Famous Jaspers include Jasper Tudor, uncle to the English King Henry VII, novelist Jasper Fforde and fashion designer, Jasper Conran.


    It was the 51st most popr name in Belgium in 2006.]


    Then in another tab,


    [Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color and, rarely, blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time, for snuff boxes. When the colors are in stripes or bands, it is called striped or banded jasper. Jasper is basically chert, which owes its red color to iron three inclusive.


    The twenty percent of foreign materials determine its color, streak, and appearance.


    The Jasper is, along with heliotrope also known as bloodstone, one of the traditional birthstones for March.


    In physical therapy, Jasper is used to heal mental stress. It is said to aid in grounding, to give protection, and to help align all the chakras and bnce yin-yang energies.]


    I hunted for a pad and pen of paper and then scribbled down the newfound information in it. I thought for a second and then dismissed the idea.


    I opened a few sites about authenticity andposition, but the most striking thing that came was that Jasper stones were polished to make aristocratic vases sometimes.


    Yeah, not very interesting.


    I shut theptop down and stared at the notepad.


    I was staring at things an awful lot these days.


    I didn''t know why I was doing this, myself. I needed time to think through my game n with Anthony and here I was thinking about this Jasper who may or may not have any significance to his real name or character.


    I was probably wasting my time and energy. So I kept everything aside and dragged myself to the bed. I covered myself up with a sheet and then closed my eyes to find some sleep.


    Luck was not on my side, apparently. My phone started ringing, and I startled awake. I found it tucked underneath my backside.


    ''Awkward.''


    I picked it up and looked at the number.


    Nope. Don''t know it.


    I picked it up and answered cautiously.


    "We need you tomorrow morning, at five." FIVE! "Don''t bete." And then I heard the dial tone.


    ''That bastard, Anthony!''


    I smiled to myself in satisfaction. I was going to begin my dream job. I closed my eyes again, the smile still on my face.


    Ready or not . . . Here Ie.


    It was almost four in the morning when I peeped out from under my sheets and looked at the digital clock on my nightstand. My eyes were still heavy with sleep. I''d gotten very little sleep the night before. With the excitement of starting my mission mixed with my obsessive thoughts about the ck files, sleep had note easily to me.


    It took me a while to get back to my senses and get ready to leave.


    He didn''t even tell me where to go! I thought for a moment and then checked my mobile to see who had calledst. It was a private number. Damn.


    The man was testing me. How the hell was I supposed to reach him by five in the morning if I didn''t know where to go? I ran to my room and fired up myputer.


    ''Shit. Half an hour to go!''


    I connected my cell phone to myputer and tried to find out the number.


    No. It didn''te out. I racked my mind and tried again. This time I tried to re-dial the number.


    ''Bingo!''


    I pressed the okay button and pulled the phone to my ears.


    "Good morning, Mia. How are you doing this fine morning?" I could hear the amusement in his voice.


    He wasn''t impressed. It took me too long to get back to him. He probably had expected me to call him backst night, like the asshole he is. He was testing my limits and my emotions were incapacitating me, rendering me ipetent. He was good. He was probably trying to break my will.


    Does he suspect something? Maybe.


    ''I need to find out.''


    "You never mentioned where I was supposed to reach," I said in a clipped tone. He chuckled lightly and then sighed.


    "You''rete." Fuck. "Get to the mansion in ten minutes. I''ll be waiting for you there." He hung up.


    He sure loved to be rude to people. Every phone call I had heard him take had been the same.


    ''Doesn''t he want to increase his empire or hold onto it? If he behaves like this with everyone, they would all turn against him and probably kill him one day!''


    I didn''t think I would ever understand the man. He was a mystery, a mystery I had to unravel in front of the world.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 13 Bring It On

    I was standing in front of the mansion¡­ again. No one stopped me this time.


    It was early, too early!


    Like the day before, several people were sitting in the huge hall. They seemed unaware of my presence. I wasn''t important¡­ yet.


    I stood at the entrance of the room and observed quietly. Most of them were in their early twenties and thirties, while some were forty. There was only one¡ªa young boy, who seemed to be the center of attraction. They were teasing him about some girl and hollering when he answered and blushed.


    ''Sean.''


    My phone went off and everyone in the room seemed to jump in surprise. I sighed and looked at the ID.


    ''Private number.''


    "Come into my office," he said sharply and then hung up.


    ''Asshole.''


    I made my way towards his office, without acknowledging anyone else in the room and stopped in front of the door.


    "Come in," I heard him say.


    I sighed and entered the room. He was sitting on the leather chair with his gun in his hand. He was cleaning his gun as if preparing for some special event.


    It seemed like this was the day the neer would be weed. It was going to be a disy of brute power and intelligence. He was going to make sure that I understood how powerful he was.


    ''Bring it on,'' I thought to myself and smiled.


    "Good morning, Mia. I hope you slept wellst night?" His lips twisted into a smile as he raised an eyebrow at me.


    I gave him the nk look I hade to resort to when I didn''t want to show my feelings.


    I nodded slightly, and he seemed to be pleased.


    "We''re going to introduce you to the others today." He smiled at me without any malice or amusement in his eyes. There was warmth in his smile that I never thought I would see.


    I really couldn''t understand him.


    Either he was a very good actor and fucking with my mind, or he had a split personality disorder.


    He led me back to the hall where the people were still sitting in silence and waiting. They all turned around when they heard us enter. They were all smiling¡­ all except one.


    Cienna.


    "Everyone!" Anthony shouted. Everyone turned to stare at him as he began speaking, "Wee Mia to the Murray family. She has passed her tests and now is going to apany us for a long time."


    "But bo¡ª" Cienna was cut off abruptly as Anthony raised his hand.


    "She will assist me when we are on ground zero." They all seemed surprised at that.


    It wasmon for someone of my age to join a mob, at twenty-one; I was more than of age to take such decisions. But it was umon for a neer to have a key position; it took years to gain the trust of the boss and have excellent skills. On the other hand, it took immense maniption to hold your ce and climb up thedder. The others would try to pull you down like crabs often do. The jealousy and malice was something to be avoided. It seemed as though Anthony had pushed me into the lion''s den without informing me.


    Apanying the boss was like winning a lottery for those who cared. It was the position in which you would act like a bodyguard if your boss was weak and a partner if he was strong. It seemed he was giving me the role of his partner.


    To say that I was scared would be an understatement. I hadn''t nned on bing so popr within the first few months. It was like my silent promise to Cienna had been fulfilled before time.


    "And to top it all, she is going to be recing our dearest Scott here," he said pleasantly. My head whipped around. I heard gasps. I turned to look at the one I remembered from the day I had been ''interviewed'' by Anthony.


    I was recing him? What?


    "Boss, what''s going on? I don''t understand¡­" Scott trailed off, confusion getting the better of him. He gulped once and stared at the floor.


    "Well, didn''t Scott tell you all? I nned on sending him on a long vacation. With all the work he''s been doing recently, we wouldn''t want him to wear out, right?" It felt like you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. It was suffocating.


    "A vacation?" Cienna voiced.


    I had never heard of someone on the mob getting a vacation; it was work twenty-four seven!


    "Yes. Why don''t we all sit down and I''ll exin?" Anthony smiled. There was a wicked glint in his eyes.


    Anthony led me towards the open bar, pulling Scott with him. My curiosity was growing.


    ''How does this man work?''


    "Someone bring Scott a chair!" A man in the corner stood up and brought in a chair. "Sit down," he ordered. Scott gulped again and sat down. Anthony sat down on the bar table and put his legs on the edge of the chair. "Now most of you must be wondering what all this is about. Yes, Scott is going to go on a very long vacation. Know why?" No one answered. "Scott has consistently done a great job!" he eximed.


    Scott was fidgeting like a child who had been caught stealing.


    "Don''t get nervous," Anthony told him.


    ''Oh, no.''


    "Why don''t you tell them what you have been up to?" Anthony''s voice was low. His eyes grew darker as he waited for the reply.


    "Boss¡ª"


    "He''s an informer. He''s been stealing from us. Now¡­ what should we do to him?" Anthony put his leg on Scott''s thighs roughly, making him yelp. He slid off from the bar and walked around it to pull out a bottle of whiskey.


    He poured himself a ss, his eyes still trained on Scott¡ªhis prey. Scott on the other hand, sat unmoving, waiting for Anthony''s wrath.


    It never came.


    I watch him in wonder as he calmly downed the whiskey and then poured himself another ss. The room was silent, everyone was observing him. Anthony didn''t react as most would have. Most people in this world would have just killed the bastard already, but no, not him. He had to do everything differently. He had to be intriguing.


    He sat down on the counter and ced his foot on Scott''s thigh, again. He looked at me curiously and then a wicked smile overtook his features.


    "Why don''t you introduce yourself?" he asked with amusement. My eyes traveled to Scott again. He was squirming in his chair, ying with his fingers nervously, probably hoping he would have an easy death.


    I didn''t think that was possible. Anthony seemed too calm to put an end to the scene too soon.


    He waved his hand for me to proceed and I sighed deeply. He was building the tension so that the end would be more shocking to the onlookers.


    "My name is Mia, and I''m the newest member of the family," I said in a monotone.


    People furrowed their eyes and frowned at my brief introduction. I didn''t understand what they would want to know. They wouldn''t want me to tell them the tale of my life, would they?


    I almost rolled my eyes.


    Anthony gave me an incredulous look. I might have given him a look which said ''what-the-fuck-is-your-problem''. He chuckled quietly, shaking his head.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 14 Highway To Hell

    "Mia here wanted to be a cop when she was a kid and serve the people¡ª" I heard a series of snorts, but others remained silent, looking anywhere except at me in fear of revealing their true dreams. "-but as it turns out, she has chosen the highway to hell!" They allughed with him. Even I smiled a little.


    They all respected him, I could see that. They would probably give their lives for this man¡ªwell, some of them, at least.


    "Yeah," I said with a smile.


    I heard a distinct cough from beside me and saw Scott tapping his foot impatiently. For a man who was going to die, he was utterly irritable. Normally, people would let the pursuers talk a hell lot so that they could live for a few more minutes.


    ''Interesting turn of events, indeed.''


    "Oh yes, Scott." Anthony walked towards him until he towered over Scott, looked down at him with an amused expression. "How could I forget you?"


    Scott remained silent as Anthony circled his chair once to inspect him and then gave a satisfied sigh. "How could I forget you?" he teased.


    He sauntered back towards the counter and ced the ss of whiskey on it and reached back into the back pocket of his jeans to pull out his gun. Scott gulped audibly at the sight of the loaded gun.


    But to my utter surprise, Anthony detached the magazine out and removed all the bullets from it one by one and put them on the counter. "Join me," he said smoothly, holding his hand out to me. I stared at his hands for a moment, before taking it.


    ''Let the games begin.''


    "Put these bullets in the ss for me, will you." He leaned back on the counter just beside where he had kept the ss and bullets. I nodded, refusing to show my confusion and collected the bullets in my hand. They made clinks as they hit the bottom of the ss. All the while, I was aware of Anthony''s presence. His hands brushed against mine as I worked on the given task. I took the ss in my hands and turned to him. He had a satisfied grin on his face. He looked down at me, his eyes twinkling in pleasure as I handed him the ss of whiskey.


    He tilted his head to a side as if to say a silent ''thank you'', and turned to Scott.


    "I would like to thank him for providing excellent service throughout his stay." His eyes never left Scott as he addressed the others. "I''ve had my drink, but you look thirsty. Why don''t you enjoy the drink I''ve made for you? It''s my specialty!" His spoke as if he was actually celebrating and asking others to join him. He was a brilliant actor and a master maniptor.


    Even though it embittered me to admit it, he was a genius. The FBI, CBI and any other organizations would never be able to touch him.


    ''A genius,'' I tested the word in my mind yet again.


    Scott shook his head slightly, nervously wondering if he did the right thing. It pleased Anthony to no end. He was having fun seeing him squirm and suffer. It wasn''t anything new; it was a standard method many such people used- using the mind to torture. But the way he was doing it... it was a slow burn, consuming everything so slowly that death seemed like a better option.


    Anthony''s expression changed abruptly. His lips were pressed into a thin line, his teeth grinding, and his jaw tense. He was by the chair in a second, and in the next, kicking its legs so hard that it gave away. I saw Scott crash to the floor before hearing the sound of wood snapping.


    Scott was curled up on the ground holding his left arm on which he hadnded on, but he made no sound. Anthony was kneeling by his side again, flipping him over by the shoulder. His hands gripped the ss of whiskey painfully hard as he grabbed Scott''s chin and yanked his head up.


    "Cheers to you," he growled as he brought the ss to Scott''s lips and tilted it until the whole whiskey was poured down.


    Scott coughed and spat out as much as he could. He gagged as the bullets hit his throat, but couldn''t turn his head and throw up because of Anthony''s firm grip.


    After a few seconds of tormenting Scott, Anthony let go of his jaws and raised himself up. Hebed his hand through his hair.


    His breathing was harsh, his eyes dark with anger.


    His eyes snapped to me. "Get your gun." I nodded. I pulled the gun out from my left boot and held it by my side. "Shoot," he instructed.


    My hands didn''t shake. I lifted my hand up, aimed for his forehead and fired. The sound of the shot echoed in the room. All fell silent again, waiting for Anthony''s next move. He turned to look at Scott''s lifeless body.


    It was as if I could see the fire disappearing from his eyes. His eyes were calm and collected.


    "Clean this up," Anthony ordered. "Mia, please follow me." I did as he asked. He headed back to his office with me trailing behind him.


    His walk was confident. I couldpare it to the walk of a lion- majestic and strong.


    He entered his office, grabbed his cell phone and spoke harshly into the phone. I waited for him to give me further instruction. It took a while for him to settle down and finally look at me.


    "I hope you enjoyed the little show," he mumbled under his breath. He was still angry. There was a storm inside him that he couldn''t quench even after he had finished off Scott.


    "Immensely," I said loudly. His eyes snapped to me, and he frowned.


    "Of course you did." He shook his head. "I''m impressed that you didn''t hesitate to kill," he said with a raised eyebrow. "It was a test of course- to see how well you follow orders and handle situations." He added thest part quickly.


    ''Sure!''


    "So you kill a member every time someone newes in?" I challenged.


    "No, this was a rather inviting change," he grumbled. "But you have done a good job. We''ll be a great team." His smirk was back in ce. I rolled my eyes before giving a quick nod.


    "You''re expected at my beck and call. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Understood?" I nodded. I couldn''t question his authority when he gave no scope for an answer.


    "You can leave now," he said, pointing at the door and putting his attention to a bunch of papers.


    I pressed my lips together, wondering what I should do and decided that I should leave.


    "Have a good day, Anthony," I mumbled before leaving the room.


    .


    I was lying on my bed with my eyes closed. My wet hair stuck against my skin. The shower had rxed me after I had gotten home.


    Suddenly, I heard the bell ring and jumped up. I ran to the door and opened it, only to find a man delivering a parcel. I signed after asking who the parcel was from. I received no answer.


    Just to be safe, I pulled out the watch and waved it over the box. Daisy had mentioned something about it having an X-ray scanner. It showed nothing suspicious, so I opened the parcel to find a cardboard box. I opened it.


    A ck rose.


    There was a note stuck inside the box. I pulled it out and read it carefully. My eyes widened as I registered the words.


    [''No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death and with his title greet Macbeth.


    What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won. ¨CDuncan, Act 1 scene 2. (Macbeth, William Shakespeare)


    Love,


    Jasper.'']


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 15 Trust Myself

    I read the note again and again. I wasn''t sure if I should feel threatened. Though the note seemed to be a bit smug in tone, it didn''t seem like the person who wrote it would do any harm¡­ yet.


    Maybe I could let it go. I had enough on my te to worry about and I was putting a lot of pressure on Daisy Green, too. She wouldn''t appreciate me throwing another assignment at her.


    ''No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death and with his title greet Macbeth.


    What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.''


    I read it again and sighed. This mystery man didn''t exist until a day ago and now he''s sending me notes?


    I twirled the rose in my hand and flinched as it pricked my thumb. A drop of blood surfaced, and I pulled my finger to my mouth and sucked on it.


    That was it. This ck rose was a sign. Jasper was either very dangerous or very helpful. He was a huge risk in the case, and if he turned out to be on Anthony''s side¡­ I shuddered at the thought.


    What if he was? Anthony called me his ''kitten'' that day¡­ I was so preupied with trying to convince myself that he didn''t recognize me that I forgot to actually find out if he did recognize me.


    I was pretty sure that I would have to put Daisy on my speed dial. I had been calling her way more times than I had ever called Jacob in a span of a week''s time.


    ''Love, Jasper''


    I dialed her number.


    "Daisy Green," she said in a cold voice.


    "Daisy, I need to ask you something." I was a bit hesitant to ask her, sure that she would ask me why I was asking such stupid questions.


    "Yes?" she was paying full attention, now.


    "How easy is it to dig up information on someone rted to our organization?" I heard her breath catch. She already guessed.


    "It depends on the level of secrecy the organization wants to keep for that particr person. Why do you ask?"


    Iughed a little, knowing full well that she was panicking.


    "So Agent Jasper is high priority?"


    "Yes. It seems so. All information I could get was that he was on his first official mission with your mom and dad, but then his records are clean. It''s as if he just went missing from the face of the earth. He was either killed or he left the organization. I couldn''t get anything on him. He''s a secret. I wanted to set up a meeting with the chief, but it seems hardly fair. He isn''t involved in this case, and it would be wrong to divert our attention from our goal. We are going to take out Anthony Murray. We should forget about Jasper. It will only waste our time."


    I could hear the shuffling of paper in the background.


    "I received a package half an hour ago. Believe me, Jasper is very much alive. I don''t know how he''s involved in the case, but I have a very bad feeling that ignoring him is going toe back to bite us in the ass."


    "I''m telling you, you''re wasting your time. I know we were told that we should work as a team, but we need to steer off of the whole thing. Jasper isn''t an issue. If he sends you something, throw it out. If you feel threatened, then leave it be."


    "That''s not very wise." I snapped at her.


    "Well, I''ve got a lot on my mind. I need to clean up your records, make you look like you''re a civilian gone wrong." Her voice became angrier as she spoke.


    "What about Anthony? Can he ess my files?" I ground my teeth together as I tried not to scream at her.


    "I''m working on it. There has been no breach in the system yet; no one has hacked into the system and checked for your details." I pinched the bridge of my nose as I thanked God.


    "Sean is good. Watch out."


    With that, I hung up. Daisy was going to be pissed, but I needed to be sure. There were too many people involved, and with Daisy onboard, it felt as if one wrong step could mess everything up. That was always the case, but this¡ªthis uncanny feeling that the worst would happen¡ªmade my nerves buzz. I was being edgy and jumpy. I could snap with all the tension flowing through my body.


    Jasper.


    Anthony.


    Mom.


    Dad.


    So many mysteries¡ªso many questions I had no answers to. I had read the files; I had been in the presence of Anthony. He was a ruthless man, but somehow I felt that he didn''t kill my mother. He was arrogant and reckless¡ªshit!


    I couldn''t take anymore, and I had already begun toe in contact with the bitter truth of my life. This mission would alter me. It would bare me to the world of evil I had known very little despite my years in the organization.


    At that moment, I wasn''t sure I could trust anyone. Hell, I wasn''t sure I could trust myself.


    ---------


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 Chapter 16 Hunger in His Eyes

    I tried to hold myself together. Years of training had taught me to always trust my instincts. Yet in that excruciating moment, I was confused between digging up the skeletons in Jasper''s closet and simply running away from all of this. My instincts told me to talk as fast as I could and persistently nce over my shoulder just to make sure no one was following me. This was just the beginning yet I was already trying hard to hold myself together.


    Maybe I was going mad.


    I just ''knew'' that I needed to get out.


    ''How?'' I found myself asking.


    ''I need to excavate everything there is about that scumbag Anthony and I need to keep my stupid emotions at bay. Only until I can kill him,'' I reminded myself.


    ''No. I wouldn''t run. This is just me being paranoid. I''m safe. My resolve will not crumble. I will finish what I started. I''m not weak. I''m not pathetic. I''m strong and brave. I''ll take them all out, one by one, painfully. I''ll save Anthony forst.''


    Even as I said those words in my mind, I could hear how crazy I sounded.


    I took in a deep breath, closed my eyes and then a smile spread across my features.


    ''Keep calm and pave the way to sess. You will see the day you''ve been so long for,'' I promised.


    ''Rx, it''s not like you''re going to die!'' I thought as I searched for a container to put the ck rose in.


    It was, no doubt, a beautiful little thing. I looked like death¡ªbeautiful and stagnant, cold and untouched by time. It was the ashes of a love that hid the sparks of fire brewing beneath it. It was¡­


    It was like smoke.


    I paused for a moment and took in a cleansing breath before trying to formte a n which would help me gain ess to information on Anthony. For now, we knew how he looked, who Sean was, what crimes Anthony hadmitted, but I was yet to find out how he had gone about those audacious deeds.


    I jumped when my phone started to vibrate.


    ''So much for being always prepared,'' I snorted.


    It was a text message from Anthony. I red at the screen as I read what he had written. He had asked me to dress for the ''hunt'' and be at the ''Poseidon''s Realm'' club by ten.


    Why couldn''t he be like Jasper? Send me a gift to apany a not so subtlemand... He could at least do that!


    ''Yeah, because he''s your boss,'' I answered myself bitterly.


    And there I was thinking receiving mysterious notes was distressing. This Anthony Murray should be hanged for his maltreatment of people.


    Imbeciles¡ªthese mobsters¡­


    I hated them.


    ''Cut the crap, Mia. You can''t let him affect you like this. You can''t afford to lose control. Concentrate!''


    It was about seven in the evening, and I still had three hours to go. I sank onto the couch and flipped through the channels on the television. By the time I realized that the news was getting particrly boring, it was almost eight.


    I hurried to my bedroom and wondered about what I''d wear. I remembered Anthony''s expression from earlier. I hadn''t worn any revealing clothes on the two asions we''d met and to say that he had been disappointed would be an understatement. This time, I would show him.


    The memories of him trying to unbutton my jacket shed through my mind. Oh, yes. I''d be wearing a jacket again.


    I couldn''t help, but grin as I opened my closet and looked on the rows of clothes that adorned the shelves.


    ck. I was definitely wearing ck.


    I pulled out my ck leather jacket that hugged my curves just right and brushed my hand over the cor.


    It was beautiful, one of my favorite articles of clothing. I had taken hisment about being the predator seriously and chosen something that would mirror that very image¡­ literally.


    I drew on some intricate leopard prints on my eyelids and couple it with some nude lip gloss. The look popped with a bit of shiny ck nail polish and mascara.


    ''Your wish is mymand,'' I thought smugly.


    I slipped into my clothes and stared at myself in satisfaction.


    ''I hope this is enough for you, my dear old Anthony.''


    I winked at my reflection and then slung my jacket over my arm.


    .


    There was a small line of people standing outside the club, waiting for their turn. I walked past them, ignoring their protests, and smiled at the bouncer.


    "Your name?" he asked eyeing my breasts.


    "She''s with me," Anthony said.


    He was standing right behind the bouncer, his eyes trained on me as he smiled. I could see that he was impressed. I had put my jacket on while I was in the car. By the look on his face, he definitely liked the jacket. As much as I relished the feel of the leather against my skin, I knew it needed to go as soon as we entered the club. Anthony held his hand out to me, and without a second of hesitation, I took it and followed him into the club.


    Now that I took a closer look, he looked more domineering as the blue and purple lights illuminated his face. He turned his head towards me, a smile on his face and shouted over the booming music.


    "Wee to Poseidon''s Realm, Mia."


    I tilted my head to a side and fiddled with my ne. His eyes darted to my hands and his smile grew.


    "I see that you''ve worn a jacket again, my kitten," he said lightly. I couldn''t help it, Iughed.


    "Something funny?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.


    I shook my head before slowly unbuttoning the jacket, slowly. His smile vanished instantly. His eyes traveled lower as my hands glided over the fabric. Even in that lighting, I could tell the shift in his eyes¡­ he looked hungry.


    ''Tut tut, Anthony.''


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 Chapter 17 Dont Make Me Wai

    I slipped out of the jacket and waited for him to calm down. He held his hand out towards me, after taking enough time topose himself. I handed him the jacket and walked past him. He stood there, frozen for a moment and then his brows furrowed together. He shook his head and then followed me.


    I had no idea where I was going, but I could feel his eyes on me. He was watching my every move; he was taking the bait.


    Mystery...


    The word came back to me. I snapped my eyes shut to push it back. Maybe Daisy was right, what good would fucking him do? He wasn''t stupid enough to think with this dick. He was a mob boss, for God''s sake; he didn''t reach this height in a day...


    Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the bar, staring at the bartender.


    "One White Russian, please."


    "So you like it sweet and creamy?" The voice was just a whisper. I could barely hear Anthony over the music, but I could feel his hot breath against my ears. Before I could say a word, he spoke again. "Ron, bring the drinks up to VIP area." The bartender nodded and silently went back to taking orders. "Now!"


    I wish I could feel bad for the bartender at that moment. I didn''t. I was actually amused by Anthony''s irritation. I tapped on his shoulder, trying hard to conceal my amusement, but he saw it the moment he turned to face me.


    "You look gorgeous tonight, Mia." He eyes flicked to my lips as I licked them and his trademark smirk was back on his lips in no time. "Shall we?" he asked, pushing his hand towards me. I looked at it for a moment, as if to contemte before sliding my hand into his.


    His hands were warm and rough against mine. Anthony''s long fingers grasped mine in his grip and then he led me towards the VIP area.


    He wasn''t dragging me with him, he was simply weing me¡ªguiding me. I stared at our joined hands and felt my brows furrow. It felt¡­ odd. My palm felt like it had been set on fire¡ªwell metaphorically.


    The purple and blue lights dulled into a softer tone that hurt my eyes. In the dimness of the room, I actually saw Anthony. His sharp jaws, his gray eyes looking around the room, his Adam''s apple bobbing as he gulped, his white shirt which he had unbuttoned the top two buttons of, his loose grey tie, his grey suit . . . His eyshes left dark shadows under his eyes as he turned to me.


    "The others will be joining us soon," he said with a sigh. I hadn''t expected the disappointment that radiated from him.


    "What are we going to discuss today?" I asked, curiosity evident in my voice.


    "Recovery." I raised a brow at him. "Scott''s stunt has left us at a loss. I was quick in killing him, but we needed him." His lips curled over his teeth as he growled. He stepped forward and sank down on the couch ced in front of the ss wall. Through the tinted ss, he stared at the masses of people who danced and sang along.


    "How important was Scott?"


    "Not important," he snapped.


    "You needed his help; that means he was important," I stated matter-of-factly.


    "I didn''t need his help! I needed him alive for a little bit longer. He just had to slip up and ruin my ns!" He wed at the mess of his hair so hard that he might as well have pulled it out. I gulped, waiting for him to say more, but he didn''t give any more away.


    "He was important," I said sternly.


    "Ugh!" His head snapped up at me. "Don''t try to be smart with me, Mia. You''re ying with fire here." He had stood up and now sauntered towards me. I retreated until I felt my back press against the cool of the ss. His hands were on either side of my head and his head inches from mine. I was staring directly into his green eyes that were filled with anger.


    "I can do away with you just like I did with Scott; you don''t mean a thing to me," he sneered. I didn''t flinch back. It was obvious that I was important. He just wouldn''t admit it.


    But why was I important?


    ''Run!'' my instincts screamed at me.


    "He was important," I said again, my voice cold and filled with finality.


    "He was trouble. He shouldn''t have poked his nose in my business. Now I need to start from scratch." By this point, I didn''t know if he was talking about Scott.


    His gaze shifted away from mine, and he looked over my shoulder. He took in a deep breath and then let his hand fall to his sides.


    "Sit down," he ordered as he straightened his clothes and backed away from me. I leaned away from the ss, standing tall and ready for his next jibe.


    The knock at the door interrupted us. It was the bartender from earlier, holding a tray of drinks.


    My eyes flickered to Anthony who openly red at the poor bartender.


    "Don''t make me wait, Ron. I''m a busy man," he taunted. Ron''s expression didn''t change. He lithely came into the room, ced the drinks on the table at the side of the couch, and left without a word. I would say he was used to it.


    The others entered the room one after the other and scattered across the room, all eyes on Anthony.


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 Chapter 18 Grind

    Anthony, on the other hand, leaned forward to pick his drink up and gulped it down at one go. The only sound that could be heard over the sting music was that of the harsh and nervous breathing of the people scattered across the room. No one dared to move a muscle. It was fascinating to observe the amount of control Anthony had over these people. They were all well-experienced assassins and could easily leave his side, but he held them all together. He made them fear him. Such was the power of Anthony Murray.


    "Scott is dead," he began.


    I heard the sharp intakes of breath in the small crowd. I looked around to read the expression on everyone''s faces. One particr person caught my notice. Sean, the hacker, was looking directly at me, his eyes filled with question. I stared back at him, silently asking him to look away. His eyes shifted back to Anthony who was now facing the others in the room.


    "Jared, I need you to search the dock again, find out where he hid the shipments. I need the losses recovered within two weeks."


    The blonde haired boy, who had a constipated look on his face just nodded. He was in trouble because the shipments had been stolen from under his nose.


    "Eric, find out who Scott was working for exactly, take the men under you and a few of the other people present in this room." Eric opened his mouth to say something, but Anthony cut him off. "I know that you have your doubts, but we can''t go in blindly with what you think happened," he snapped. "Get to work, Eric. Now!"


    Eric went out of the door silently, without a nce back.


    What was the n that Scott ruined? How did it affect him so much? This was it. Atst, I had something concrete to work on.


    "Sean!" Anthony barked. The boy jumped back, startled by the harshness in Anthony''s voice. "Trace the people who hacked into our system. I want to know how they found the loophole." Sean gulped but said nothing to protest.


    "Mia." My eyes were focused on him.


    His shoulders were pushed back, his eyes were darker, and his jaw was clenched.


    "How much do you know aboutputers?" His voice was low, his question meant to be answered in negative.


    "I know a few things," I admitted hoarsely, letting him win for the moment. I had never faced his anger in full force, and I had no intention of experiencing it firsthand. He grinned, the anger fading slowly from his eyes.


    "You''ll be joining Sean. I hope you learn something productive." I nodded and waited until he dismissed everyone.


    He didn''t.


    I sauntered to where my drink was and grabbed it. Taking a sip, I turned my back towards Anthony Murray and exited the room. I felt satisfied walking away from Anthony.


    I found myself at the bar again, sitting on a stool and looking at the people who moved to the music. It was a mixture of intense passion and alcohol. Everyone danced without inhibition, throwing their heads back, letting their bodies go with the music.


    "Another drink?" I heard the bartender say.


    "Of course, Mr. Bartender," I said with a slight smile.


    "Mixologist," he grumbled.


    "Excuse me?" I asked, confused. He shook his head as he poured me my drink.


    "I''m a mixologist," he rified. "I had a dream to take my passion to extraordinary degrees." I nodded, impressed by the intensity of his need to fulfill his goal. "So, tell me, why are you here with my boss?"


    "Your boss?" I snorted. "To be honest? He never got to the point!" I whispered conspiratorially. His lips broke into a smile. "You''re used to his... rudeness?"


    "He''s usually a pretty cool guy. Tips a lot and hangs around with the crowd, but he''s in a foul mood today. I''ve learned to go with it." He rolled his eyes. I chuckled under my breath, imagining how Anthony would ever mix in with the normal crowd.


    "You should go ahead and dance, you know?" The bar¡ªoops, mixologist-said after a long time. I quirked a brow at him. "Go ahead." Heughed.


    I shook my head and downed my second White Russian. I felt the tingling sensation in my body.


    "Thanks," I mumbled before blending into the crowd. This time I ''felt'' the crush of people ''moving''. It was hypnotic. I let myself go. I swayed with the music, letting my hands do what they wanted.


    It was as if I was flying. I could feel the heat radiating from my body as I moved my hips andbed my hand through my untamed hair.


    I looked up to the sky, a smile spreading across my lips as I traced my sides with my fingers. I tugged at the end of the dress and then slid my hand up my body again.


    I shuddered as I felt the heat of another body near me.


    Hands grabbed onto my hips and guided my unruly motions. Chest pressed against my back, making me push back. Hips grinding into me, making me lose my mind. His grip on me tightened and he spun me around.


    I was met with the familiar grey pairs of eyes. The anger in them was lost and lust had taken its ce.


    He licked his lips as he let go of my hips and took two steps back. I stared at him wide-eyed, as he pulled his coat off and threw it away.


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 Chapter 19 Impossibly Close

    The music rushed through my body. The crowd moved with it. But they had moved away from our swaying bodies, I noticed btedly. At that very moment, I couldn''t care less about what anyone else around me was doing. The light swaying left me wanting more: I needed to move, my body begged me to push back, for my mind to follow what it knew it needed.


    I took two steps back closing the gap between us. I closed my eyes and let my inhibitions go. All my energy was concentrated on the waves of heat that radiated from his body and clung onto mine. If it was even possible, I felt him shift and move closer to me.


    Close enough for me to feel his presence.


    Yet we didn''t touch.


    We just moved with the music. I didn''t know if we were synchronized or not, but something in the air changed. It was more intense, the need to move was reced with the need to hold.


    I didn''t have to wait for long.


    His hands snaked onto my hips as he guided me step by step. I suddenly realized that the atmosphere of the club had only intensified our passion. Our anger had not dissipated, but the heat of passion that radiated from us was enough to make me high.


    I kept moving my hips, unsure if I should walk away. I took in a deep shuddering breath and then opened my eyes. His grey eyes held no amusement. They were wild, trained on my face, waiting for me to look up at them.


    The blue and purple light made his eyes glitter. His pale face looked like that of an angel, an angel set out to destroy me.


    I gulped past the lump in my throat, contemting my next move, trying to choose wisely. But all I could feel was the heat of his body, the feel of his skin against mine, separated by our clothes. I couldn''t help but notice how my body just wanted to grind against his. I didn''t want to resist my body''s need to feel him closer, impossibly closer.


    It was wrong... but I still wanted it. There was a small part of my mind that screamed at me to pull away, p his hands away and leave. I just... couldn''t.


    I gave up. I put my arms around his neck and took in a deep breath.


    He smelled like expensive aftershave. His lips parted as he stared down at me, his eyes hovering at my lips. His hold on my hips tightened as he gently nudged my legs apart and ced his leg between them. He held me up as my knees threatened to give away, he crushed his body to mine, leaving no ce for moving away, and crouched down until his lips almost touched my forehead. Anthony moved his hips against mine like there was no tomorrow.


    We ground together, changing our paces rapidly, pushing and pulling, moving away anding back together. Our breathing grew heavier, but our bodies didn''t fail to move with the other.


    He pushed against my waist, making me spin once. I moved away from him, seemingly having enough for the day, but he grabbed me again, pulling me back into him. My head hit his hard chest, and he chuckled as I let out a groan.


    He ground against me shamelessly, not caring about the others surrounding us. His hands slid down just like mine had before and as if he had memorized the way my hands moved, he repeated the same, only this time it took me higher than before. His hands were not as gentle as they tugged at my dress. I looked down at where his hands were touching me. My dress had ridden up considerably. His hands roamed over the naked skin of my thighs.


    I could hear his breathing grow heavier as I slid my hands down his forearms, stopping his hands from their ministrations. I pulled them away from my legs and ced them on my waist again. My hands went to his thighs as I held him, making my hips grind harder.


    Anthony let out a groan as he turned me around. My hands went around his shoulders again. His hand fisted my hair gently as he dipped me. His lips lightly brushed over my chin to the hollow of my throat. I felt his kissed running across my corbone. His hot breath against my shoulder made me shudder in what I understood as anticipation.


    It was just the two of us, waiting for the other to say something. He tugged against my hair pulling my head back as he let his hands go down my body again. He clutched at the back of my knee, pulling it up so that it was around his waist and then pulled me even closer than before. His lips were at my ear, and the sound of his heavy breathing was all I could hear.


    "Breathe," he mumbled against my ear. I blinked once, looking up at him. I stared at how his Adam''s apple bobbed. He leaned in, his face barely an inch away from mine.


    "Tell me that you want this."


    His lips were right there, not pressing, but barely brushing against mine. His breath against my lips felt divine, the vibration of his words against my skin was going to drive me crazy. I closed my eyes again, inhaling his scent and in that very instant, the decision was made.


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 Chapter 20 A Good Show

    "Tell me you want this."


    His lips were right there, not pressing, but barely brushing against mine. His breath against my lips felt divine, the vibration of his words against my skin drove me crazy. I closed my eyes again, inhaling his scent and in that very instant, the decision was made.


    "No." I could barely believe myself as the words came out from my lips. I had been ''this'' much closer to win him, but I pulled back. I couldn''t look into his eyes as I took a few hurried steps backward. My hands trembled as I moved away. My lips felt cold without the warmth of his breath, but that wasn''t all.


    When I looked up to his eyes, I could see the confusion in them even as the bright lights assaulted my eyes. I shook my head once, just to make sure that my intentions were clear and turned back to leave.


    "You can''t just leave like that!" His harsh words were low and rushed. I looked over my shoulder at him and just shrugged. I wasn''t sure that I could speak.


    His hands were on my shoulder in an instant.


    "You can''t leave like that." He was calmer now; the harshness in his words was gone, but his words now resembled amand.


    Just like that, he had snapped the intensity of our exchange. The need for his touch was gone. His words brought back the bitterness that had been hiding behind the curtains and unleashed in full force. I didn''t wait for him to speak any further, knowing that he would try his best to lure me back to him. I pped away the hand he had ced on my shoulder and stomped away from the dance floor.


    The seat I was previously upying was taken up by a middle-aged man with blonde hair. He turned towards me as I ordered the bartender another drink and smiled politely. For some odd reason, he rose from the stool and walked away.


    I took the seat anyway and stared around the club once again to see the crowd. The crowd was smaller now. People movedzily around each other. Most of them were either too drunk or too busy kissing or groping their partners. It was amusing, to say the least until I realized that I was an active member of thetter just moments ago.


    ''Shame on me!''


    My eyes furrowed as I sipped the drink and wondered why exactly I had pulled back.


    I admit that the decision was instantaneous, but I must have had some reason to pull back. Now that I thought about it, it must have been Daisy''s words that had subconsciously enforced my decision. What had she said again?


    ''A good mystery never reveals the story in the first few pages... the urge to know keeps us from putting the book down.''


    So I''m going to have to keep him on his toes.


    I sound like a stalker, I thought to myself with a frown. But Daisy''s words were clear in their meaning. Leave them hints of what is toe, but not enough to show them the ending.


    I''m pretty sure that Daisy had tried to talk me out of using my body to get through this mission, but I''d only twisted her words... a little.


    But was the trick going to work on Anthony? He was notorious and smart. He wouldn''t let me win these games. He was an older, confident man who knew what he was doing. He could handle women as artistically as he handled the gun. He knew how to push people''s buttons and keep them guessing. He was a sinner with extremely maniptive thoughts that added to his appeal.


    Men like him are usually charismatic. That''s why women fall in love with the so-called ''bad boys''. The only difference is these mobsters aren''t just bad, they are monsters that feed on the pain of others. I was pretty sure I wasn''t going to fall in love with him because I knew who he was, but I would lust after him. The connection we shared on the dance floor was just a glimpse of how good we could be together. He knew that the moment he held that gun against my throat the first day.


    I didn''t know if he had killed my mother or not, but I did know that I had been assigned the task of finding valuable information about his mob family, and I would try my best. The bigger and more important question would be if he knew what I was up to. I wanted to trust Daisy, but Anthony had been in the game for longer than her, and he knew all the dirty tricks and loopholes.


    "You are a good dancer," the bartender said. I smiled at him, unsure of what I was supposed to say to that.


    "Thanks," I mumbled.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, what was that?" His voice filled with amusement as he spoke the words. I raised an eyebrow at him. "You know... your dance partner and you..." he probed.


    "Aren''t you a little too nosey to be a bartender?" I smirked, knowing full well that he hated to be called a ''bartender''.


    "Call me Rob," he said with augh. "I have to admit, everyone had a good time watching you!" He winked.


    ''He winked!''


    I gave out a loudugh, and he joined me. "It was quite a show, wasn''t it?"


    He nodded enthusiastically.


    "I''ve never seen the boss dance like that! If he was in a foul mood earlier, he is going to be furious now! You just walked away."


    "You''re too talkative for your own good." I rolled my eyes at his fascination with his boss dancing with me.


    "That''s what we do. We talk to our customers and sweet talk them into leaving us handsome tips." His eyes glittered with amusement as I pulled out some cash and bent over the bar to tuck it in his breast pocket.


    "There you go," I said, satisfied with myself. "You''ve aplished the task of receiving a handsome tip from me." I took a turn to wink at him. It didn''t seem to affect him.


    ''He must have dozens of women asking him out in their drunken glory''.


    "Uh..." He seemed nervous all of a sudden. "I don''t know what''s going on between the two of you, but I don''t think that you want to turn around." Curiosity got the better of me and I turned around, ignoring Rob''s protests.


    There were very few people left on the dance floor. At one corner of it was Anthony dancing his ass off with some red haired chick.


    Cienna.


    ---------


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 Chapter 21 Are You Going to Hurt Me?

    I took a moment to look at Anthony.


    He was holding her by her ass and guiding her movements. He was a really good dancer, but his partner was shit. He was kissing her roughly, probably shoving his tongue down her throat, but she didn''t seem to protest.


    My mouth became dry as I watched them.


    ''Desperate much, Anthony?''


    I rolled my eyes and looked back to the smirking Rob again.


    "Jealous?" he mouthed. I narrowed my eyes at him but didn''t reply.


    I wasn''t jealous. The man was fast in getting over refusals. I was certainly in awe of him.


    I snickered to myself.


    "It''s gettingte, don''t you think?" I sighed.


    "If it makes you feel better, she doesn''t hold a candle against you," he chuckled.


    "Now thatment just blew it!" I burst outughing. "She''ll probably have you by the balls if she gets to know that youpared her to me." I couldn''t hold back the fits ofughter. "But we should draw the line here. I''m new, and I don''t want any problems." He nodded sagely, acting as if he knew what I was talking about.


    "Rob." Cienna appeared out of nowhere. "You have other customers to serve," she hissed.


    "Cienna, you seem... frustrated," I teased.


    "Shouldn''t you be working?"


    "Not really. I can''t see the little hacker anywhere, so I''m taking a break." I made a kissy face at her just to get a reaction out of her, and boy, was I surprised. She seemed ready to explode. I think she even stomped her foot.


    "You little bitch! You''re new here, so keep your distance. Poseidon''s Realm is mine. I''m the boss here. You keep your ws away from what''s mine, and I leave you alone."


    So, she had resorted to threatening. It was clear to me that she wasn''t talking about the club at all; she was talking about her precious Anthony grinding against me a few minutes back.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, where is that rude man of yours?" I snickered as she narrowed her eyes at me.


    "None of your business, kid." I rolled my eyes at the ''adorable'' new nickname she had given me. I was looking forward to her ''affectionate'' name-calling in the future. At least she could try harder and actually insult me.


    "I take it that you''re pissed because your man meat took off?" I asked, knowing well that I was hitting a sore spot. Her eyes narrowed further¡ªif that was possible¡ªand I saw her hands ball into fists as she tried to restrain herself. "Are you going to hit me, Granny?" and boy did it work! She looked like she wouldbust.


    She was probably in her early thirties and there was no doubt that she was beautiful with her ming red hair framing her face, but I couldn''t understand how someone could find her attractive when she had that grimace on her face. It seemed to be there at all times and made her look unattractive and definitely scary enough to not get anywhere near her in a lovey-dovey way.


    "Don''t think that I didn''t notice how you were gripping onto Anthony, you bitch. Anthony has ns for you, and I trust him, so I''ll let you be... for now. Think before you act, sweetie. You might end up bing food for those dogs Anthony entertains." At those words, I raised my eyebrows. She returned my look with a re. Even she thought those mobsters were imbeciles. That was good to know. Apparently, we had something inmon.


    "Thanks for the warning, redhead," I smirked. "You do realize you were the second choice, right?" She knew exactly what I was talking about. "So, I''m not the one in danger of bing dog food here," I said with a smug grin stered on my face.


    "As I said, Anthony has ns for you. I''m not second best."


    I saw it then. She didn''t have any feelings for Anthony, and as far as I had analyzed the man, the feeling was mutual.


    Cienna wanted to be the best. Not the boss, but the only woman in his life. This argument was just a reaction to her sour case of marking territory and not the story of her unrequited love.


    ''Thank God for small miracles! If she had been in love with Anthony, it would have seriouslyplicated matters, not that I would have cared much to get her out of my way, but she would''ve been harder to remove.''


    She doesn''t love him. That''s good.


    "Where is he?" He''s taken the refusal well, and had moved on to Cienna, but why did he leave her? Did he get bored that soon? I hoped not.


    "Off to an important meeting," she said with a sigh. Her disappointment was clear. She must''ve thought she was getting some tonight, but unfortunately for her, he''d left her hanging. "Stop analyzing me, kid."


    "I''m not." It was her time to raise a brow. "Take your leave from Anthony before you hit the road," she said in a grave voice and then left me alone.


    Rob was silently working behind the bar and trying to avoid my eyes.


    "Sorry for that," I apologized and then got on my feet and looked up to the room we were previously sitting in. I could see the shadows of people who were walking across the room every now and them.


    I sighed to myself and half-heartedly went up the stairs to where the meeting was being held. A bouncer-like man stood outside the closed doors of the room and stared at me nkly as I reached them.


    "Anthony Murray," I said in a gruff voice, but he didn''t react. I was going to turn burst into the room when I heard Anthony''s angry voice.


    "You''d better have a good reason to be here; I don''t like to be interrupted when I''m not working." There was something dangerous about his tone that made me shiver.


    "I know what you''re ying at. You knew Scott was a fucking rat, yet you entertained him and let him believe that he was seeding," the other man said.


    "Get out of my business or I''ll ruin you," Anthony hissed.


    "Fuck you, Anthony. You might have grown up, but you still can''t beat me!"


    "Try me," were his final words and then everything fell silent.


    I opened the door and saw Anthony staring directly at me, there was a man across the room with his back to me. I stared at the man long enough to see his ck hair and the slivers of gray in them. He wore a blue suit which he was straightening.


    I turned back to Anthony who was ring at me with his jaws clenched.


    "What?" he snapped. I tried not to roll my eyes. Either he was irritated that I''d interrupted or he was angry that I''d left him on the dance floor alone.


    "I''m leaving," I bit back.


    "Good. Reach the mansion by nine tomorrow." I nodded and turned to close the door. "Don''t bete," I turned around, stared at him for a moment and then sighed.


    "Yes, boss."


    "Now go." And that was the end of it. Whatever connection I''d felt towards him didn''t vanish, but my unadulterated hate was in ce and in action.


    ''I hate him!''


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 22 Sneak Ou

    The only sound that echoed in the alley was that of my clicking heels. I slid the jacket on and buttoned it. It was getting cold outside and my legs were freezing. If for the jacket, I would''ve returned to the club where it was heated.


    As I approached my car, I heard a soft sigh from somewhere beside me. I squinted in the darkness and saw a shadow there. Realizing that it was just a kid, I rxed a little.


    "Is there something you want?" I called out into the darkness. I heard a boyishugh directed at me and gritted my teeth in frustration.


    "Mia, right?" I saw him as he stepped out of the darkness. He was wearing what seemed like a protective suit. He was covered from head to toe, all except his face. He blew out a shuddering breath and stuck his hand out towards me.


    "Sean," he told me, grinning.


    "I know. I saw you at the meeting, remember?"I grasped his hand and shook it roughly.


    "So, what are you doing all alone in the middle of the night?" I asked, just to make conversation. I was not in a mood to freeze in the cold today, but I had to do my job. Keep the kid happy, I thought. He''ll help me get into the gang smoothly.


    "Waiting for a cab," he grumbled. I couldn''t help but chuckle. Anthony left his precious little hacker to fend for himself in these streets at night?


    "You won''t get a cab here. Do you have a cell-phone?" He shook his head. I sighed, wondering what teenager didn''t carry a cell -phone these days. "Where is Anthony?" He shrugged. I sighed again.


    "Get in the car," I said, irritated with Anthony and the boy. How could Anthony leave a teenager alone sote at night?


    He stared at me for a few moments and then blinked twice, realizing my words.


    "Get in the car!" I shouted exasperated. He jumped,ing back to his senses and fumbled towards the passenger''s side. I shook my head as I got in the car and put on the heater.


    Sean was sitting silently, positioning himself as far as he could from me and looking outside the window. I could feel the smile spreading across my face as I saw him shift ufortably.


    I turned to face him.


    "Where do you live?" I asked him. He gulped, turning towards me atst. He rattled off the address which I put in on my GPS and realized that he lived fifteen minutes away from my ce.


    "Put on your seatbelt," I ordered. He hastily put it on, grumbling something about mobsters and safety. I rolled my eyes at him and drove off. The first few minutes of the ride were silent. I could hear his nervous fidgeting. I could feel his eyes roaming over my face as I concentrated on the road.


    "You''re pretty," he announced suddenly, surprising me. I hadn''t expected him to be bold enough to say that.


    "I know." I tried to smile at him.


    "I know that you know. How old are you?" he asked curiously.


    "Twenty-two. Why?" I turned to stare at him suspiciously. He gulped and looked away.


    "You''re twelve years younger than Anthony... That is just weird." His face scrunched up in disdain. I raised a brow at him, and he chuckled.


    "Everyone saw the little show today. One would have to be blind to miss that!" He snorted. "Anyway, you''re the first person who has turned him down. It was fun." He smiled, going back to staring out of the window.


    At first, I''d thought that he was scared of me. He fidgeted and shifted his weight ever so often, but then I looked back and reflected on how he behaved. He wasn''t sure whether to trust me or not. He was probably a good kid Anthony was taking advantage of.


    But what good kid robs a bank? my mind screamed.


    "What do your parents think about you being out sote with a bunch of gangsters?" I asked.


    "Hah! They don''t know," he said. He snorted after that, shaking his head repeatedly. "I sneak out a lot." He turned to smile smugly at me. I grinned back at him.


    "That sounds cool. How do you manage that?" He shrugged.


    "You just sneak out?" He nodded. "Just like that?" I pressed.


    He shook in silentughter.


    "My parents are a little clueless when ites to me." His face morphed into a frown. He looked as if he''d tasted something bad.


    He said no more and the silence filled the car.


    "I was adopted when I was a few weeks old," he said, finally breaking the silence. I nodded, keeping my eyes on the road. I didn''t understand why he was telling me this. "I don''t know who my real parents are . . ." he trailed off. I shook my head and reached out for the radio.


    I didn''t want to have a discussion about parents right now.


    "Don''t!" He surprised me. I pulled my hand back.


    "What about your parents?" My jaws tightened as he asked. I knew it woulde to this. I pressed my lips together, trying not to say something rude, and ignored him. "You didn''t answer me. Do they know that you''re working for a mob now?" he chuckled.


    "I don''t know." In simpler words, fuck off.


    "C''mon, I don''t like one-sided conversations! Tell me about your parents, please." I turned to re at him. Little brat!


    "They passed away," I replied coldly, hoping he''d shut up. I could feel his stare but didn''t reprimand him.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 23 Without A Figh

    "I''m sorry," he whispered. I nodded, wondering how being sorry would help me forget that I don''t have anyone on this to fall back on.


    "You still didn''t tell me how you snuck out." I tried to change the topic.


    "My dad doesn''t stay with us; he''s a busy man... So I live with mom." He shrugged. "She''s drunk half the time, so she''s rarely sober enough to know what I''m up to."


    "Does your dad know this?" He nodded. "He still leaves you behind?"


    "He''s working. He pays the bills and the school fees... He''s usually too busy to call." I narrowed my eyes at him.


    "You go to school?" He shook his head.


    "Then why does he pay the fee?" I grimaced.


    "Those are my savings." He smiled a little. "The money never reaches the school. The school I supposedly study hasn''t got me enrolled. I''ve been hacking into his ounts and putting the money for the fees in my bank ount every month for the past two or three years."


    "And he hasn''t got a clue about this?" He shook his head.


    "All mary transactions from his ount are handled by an employee of his," he said as he rolled his eyes. "He''s too easy to fool."


    "That''s not possible... What about parent/teacher meetings and stuff?"


    "He doesn''t care about those." He smiled.


    "What about when he finds out that you''re cheating him?" I asked, worried.


    "I''ll run." He shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing of importance.


    "You should be in school, studying, having a nice childhood." All my anger was directed towards Anthony.


    "I know what you''re thinking. Don''t me Anthony. He''s a cool guy. He helps me out all the time with the family stuff. He asked me to stay with my mom and help her get better." Surprised, I turned to him. He had an amused smile on his face.


    "You didn''t think he''d just use me, did you?" I shook my head, not believing a word he said. "He pays me a handsome amount of money; he encourages me to study when I''m not working."


    "And he buys you toys?" I asked sarcastically.


    "Yes," he said, chuckling under his breath. "You''ll see tomorrow. My toys are some of the best." He winked at me. I stopped the car.


    We''d reached his ce. He took off the seatbelt and opened the door. "See you tomorrow." I nodded.


    He shut the door the car with a thud and walked away.


    As I drove towards my apartment, my phone started ringing. I picked it up. "Mia, I found out about Jasper," Daisy blurted out.


    "Great," I said, excited.


    "But you need toe to headquarters. I needed to get the Chief''s permission to get the information. You owe me," she hissed.


    "Now?"


    "Yes," she replied, obviously pissed off.


    "It''s two-thirty in the morning!"


    "And the Chief wants you here." She hung up, leaving no room for discussion.


    That was one of the many hazards of being a secret agent. The Chief could call you at any time he wanted, and the work of the criminals had to be monitored all day. You barely got any sleep, and people were always ready to kill you. When tired, you were weaker than usual and hence an easy target.


    And the best part about it was you could neverin. The moment you startedining, they would kick you out of the project and give it to one of your masochist of your colleagues. That''s how it worked in the badass world.


    The unofficial motto of the organization was ''noints, no demands''.


    Now that I thought about it, the organization was very much like a mob family. We killed criminals, a lot of them. We destroyed their lives and gained a lot from it, and we tookrge sums of money to get the job done. We were loyal to the organization, yet there were people who would rat us out. And the mob families were the same! They killed people, criminals, and civilians. They destroyed people''s lives at a whim; they gained from massacring people''s lives. They got paid handsomely to get their work done. They were loyal to their boss, and obviously, they had spies all over the ce. And they too killed the spies painfully.


    The only difference was, we were criminals who killed criminals.


    The main office was still full of people who rushed in and out. Some of them greeted me and moved out. I silently nodded at people who acknowledged me and went straight to the Chief''s room.


    "It''s three in the morning, Daisy! This better be good, or I''m going to strangle you," I huffed. The Chief was not present in the room. I could see Daisy sitting on the couch across the room, herptop on herp as she typed.


    "You need to see this." She smiled, brightly. I scurried off towards her and plopped down on the couch. She turned theptop towards me and pointed at something.


    "What is this?" I asked her, not getting the big deal about a fully blue screen shing three starred words.


    "This, dear Mia, is the password for all the records of the organization, even the high-security ones." She gave me a pointed look.


    "Jasper?" I smiled, realizing what she meant. "How did you get it? The password, I mean." She rolled her eyes.


    "It took hours to figure out the password. I called the Chief, and he was genuinely proud, so he let me go through Jasper''s records and gave me ess to every small bit of information on the database." She looked like a girl who''d been handed a lollipop. I rolled my eyes at her.


    "He just gave it to you without a fight?" I couldn''t believe it. She shook her head.


    "Not without a fight," she sighed. "I think he gave me ess to everything." She started typing furiously, "But I''m not sure if he''s going to change everything again." She gritted her teeth as she concentrated on something.


    "They change the password every week. Basically, in about two days, you''re going to be back to square one. You better give me all the information fast. The chief might limit your ess any moment." I was sure of it. The Chief would never jeopardize the safety of the agents like this. On a mission, yes, but when they were not doing anything, he would protect them at all costs.


    She took in a deep breath and looked at me.


    "Jasper joined the organization when he was sixteen." I nodded, gesturing her to continue. "He started his field work when he was seventeen and continued till he was twenty-one. He took up the job of training agents after that and continued until he was twenty-three. He voluntarily retired from his position because of some personal matters." I raised a brow, in need of more information.


    "There is no more," she whispered.


    "Nothing?" She shook her head. "Give me a picture!" I asked, exasperated. Her face scrunched up. "It''s not there?"


    "Seriously? I thought I had ess to everything!" She shouted.


    "His identity is something that can''t be revealed to anyone." Both of us jumped as we heard the Chief''s voice. He had a frown on his face as he walked over to his desk and sat down. He gave us disapproving looks as we stood up and greeted him.


    "Daisy, as happy as I am that you could hack into the high-security database I''m disappointed that it came down to this. You exploited your liberties." He didn''t even look at me as he spoke. I was in for another lecture.


    Shit.


    "But, si-" Chief cut her off.


    "I don''t want to listen to any of your exnations. I had told you that Jasper is none of your concern, but you kept investigating about him." He shook his head and sighed. "I''m sorry, but you are not allowed to do this. You are excellent at your work, but what you did today could easily be portrayed as disloyalty." Daisy''s head was bowed as she took in his reprimands. It was like she was being scolded by the principal of her school. "I hope that this will not happen in the future," he said with a stern look, clearly ending the conversation. "You may leave now." The two of us turned around to leave.


    "Not you, Mia." I heard the Chief say and stopped walking. I turned back, knowing full well that I would get a fair share of scolding.


    Daisy gave me a reassuring smile and hurried out of the room, leaving me alone with the Chief . . . the very angry chief.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 24 I Get What I Wan

    The Chief had been like a father figure for me. He had taught me everything I knew and treated me like his own daughter. He filled the role of Cain perfectly for all these years. He''d never left me a reason to be dissatisfied, but when he was angry or disappointed he wasn''t exactly the person you''d want your father to be. He''d been sweeter to me, but with Jacob, he was an unstoppable force. Billy was not only a man of many skills but a man who could scare anyone when he meant to.


    "Mia, I''m sure you''re doing a great job, but please don''t forget that I want to no harm toe to you. The fact that you felt the need to snoop around without prior permission is insulting. Jasper is none of your concern. If he had been, then I would have informed you!" His voice was raised.


    "He sent me a package which I felt was threatening." I tried to justify, failing miserably. He raised an eyebrow as if to question my sanity.


    "Did he send you a bomb?" I shook my head. "Did he tell you that he was out for blood?" I shook my head.


    "Then what?" His voice grew harsh.


    "His note was in riddles, and he spoke as if he knew a lot." That was all I could say.


    "Jasper has always been aplex man. I''m sure he doesn''t mean any harm. If you want to know something, contact me." He pursed his lips. "Anything else?"


    The thought suddenly came to my mind.


    "Chief, you always told me to follow my instincts." He nodded, giving me the courage to go on. "I don''t think Anthony killed my mother." His eyes narrowed.


    "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?" he roared. I would have been scared if I hadn''t expected that reaction. "HOW CAN YOU THINK THAT?" I stared into his eyes.


    "There''s something about him... My gut tells me that he''s not my mother''s murderer. I believe it." His eyes zed with anger.


    "That''s all?"


    "I need proof. I won''t believe otherwise." I needed to know if I had been fed lies all these years. I needed to know if I had pointed in the wrong direction.


    He banged his head on the desk as he stood up and stomped towards the hidden vault right beside the room, which was always hidden by the door. I knew because I had seen him open it too many times. The man trusted me.


    He pulled out a file and walked back to me.


    "See the pictures," he sneered as we waved the file in front of my face. "I saved everything because I thought that you''d want these, but I never thought you''d say this!" I took the file from his hands, leaving him to his fuming.


    I opened the file, looking at a set of images, yet again.


    ''How many times will I have to endure this?'' I thought to myself.


    I inspected each image carefully, knowing full well how the story portrayed in the pictures would end.


    The first was of my mother, facing away from the camera, but her posture told me that she was waiting for someone.


    The second one showed a man behind her. His head was covered in a hat and he wore distressed jeans. The picture wasn''t as clear as I would''ve wanted them to be, but they spoke volumes.


    The next was of the man without the cap. His hair gave him away . . . It was Anthony standing with her. My mother had pulled out her gun and was pointing it at his chest.


    My throat tightened as I wondered if I had been wrong.


    Thest image was that of Anthony... I gasped.


    I could see him kneeling beside my mother''s lifeless body, his back towards the camera. He held the knife in his hand and leaned over her body.


    There was one where he wasbing his hands through his hair.


    He had pulled out his gun in another...


    And atst, he rushed out.


    I stood there frozen.


    "Do you have something to say?" I could hear the anger in his voice, clearly.


    "I don''t believe these pictures... These can be lies!" I turned to him, refusing to go against my gut.


    "Mia, I know more than you ever will and believe me when I say that this is no lie. Anthony Murray killed your mother." He was so sure of himself that I could feel my thoughts waver. I was bing weak.


    "Isn''t there video footage of everything?" He shook his head. "That''s impossible!"


    "Mia, Dorian Murray''s security camera gave us this much to work on." He stared into my eyes and pleaded me to stop.


    "Pictures lie."


    "So do our instincts..." We stared at each other for a minute and then I sighed.


    "I won''t believe these," I was fighting a losing battle.


    "There was no one else in there, Mia," His voice broke. "You are dismissed. Go do your job."


    I left silently, not looking back till I was inside the car.


    My mind was filled with questions. All I could think about was if my gut had been wrong and Anthony had truly killed my mother.


    ''Why am I even siding with the criminal?'' I thought to myself.


    The clock on the dashboard said it was five in the morning. I had been in there for over two hours, obsessing over the idea that Anthony was innocent.


    ''Was he innocent?''


    ''Are the pictures lying?''


    ''Was Chief correct?''


    ''Anthony... He''s everything that is wrong in my life!''


    I didn''t realize till I found myself parked in front of Anthony''s mansion that I had driven to his ce. It fifteen minutes until six, and I had been ordered to be present by nine. Now that I was here, I would wake the bloody man up from his beauty sleep and ask him for a ce to crash.


    ''At least he won''t be able to use me of beingte.''


    I pulled out my cell -phone from my purse and dialed his number. He picked up after what seemed like an eternity.


    "Hello?" he replied, groggily. I help back augh, amused that for the first time he''d greeted someone over the phone.


    "It''s Mia. I need a ce to crash..."


    "And you''re calling me this early because?"


    "I''m standing outside your ce." He growled.


    "Leave ande back when you were asked to," he hissed.


    "I won''t."


    "Then sleep in your damn car!" He hung up.


    ''The fucking bastard hung up on me!''


    I marched right up to the mansion, picked the lock and walked in. There were no security guards to stop me. I searched for his room on the second floor and opened the door loudly.


    He sat up abruptly, his hand gripping his gun.


    He took in my appearance and narrowed my eyes.


    "What the fuck is wrong with you?" he shouted.


    "I''m here, so give me a ce to crash." His eyes were instantly sparkling.


    "You can sleep right here if you want to." I rolled my eyes and tapped my foot. "Don''t act cute with me," he chuckled.


    I gave him a pointed look, and he winked at me in return.


    "I''ll get you for pulling away..." he threatened in a low voice. I shrugged, knowing well that I would find a way to reject him again.


    "I get what I want, Mia. Always remember that." I silently took in his words and gulped.


    "First floor. The guest bedroom is empty," he finally said. His words kept reying in my mind.


    ''He always gets what he wants; he can do anything to get it.''


    And slowly, I could feel my neutrality slipping. What if he did kill my mother?


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 25 Youre Nex

    I was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I tried to push all my suspicious thoughts aside and close my eyes. I exhaled a ragged breath, turned to a side and snuggled into the pillow.


    [I found myself standing in the middle of Anthony''s office, waiting for him toe in. My mouth tasted bitter with something. I gulped once, trying to wet my dry throat and hacked a cough.


    I had no clue what I was doing in his office. As far as I remembered I had found the damned guest room on the first floor and pounced on the bed as soon as the door opened. Then how had I ended up here?


    My head felt light. I blinked a few times and stared around me, but my surroundings looked a little misty. I hadn''t drunk ''that'' much.


    It was momentster I realized that I was dreaming, and what a strange dream it was. I was standing alone in a room, doing absolutely nothing.


    I heard the door creak behind me. I turned around, feeling the relief rushing through my veins. It was Anthony who had entered the room. He was dressed in casual clothes, his jeans ripped at his knees. His white shirt clung to his chest. His breathing was harsh as he approached me, his eyes holding a look of determination I had never seen before.


    He reduced the space between us and grabbed my hands forcefully. I tried to snarl at him, but my voice didn''te out. He shoved me back, and I lost bnce and fell over. My eyes closed instantly as my body hit the floor.


    I opened my eyes slowly, ready to get up on my feet and punch his face, but I saw that I was standing behind Anthony chair holding it tightly. In my ce- fallen on the floor was my mother, looking exactly as she did on thest day I saw her.


    My breathing stopped as I looked at the scene in front of me. He didn''t give her time to stand back up. He pounced on her, pulling out a de from behind his jeans and pressing it to her throat.


    I tried so hard to run towards them. I tried to scream at him to stop, but I was frozen.


    I could only see, and it killed me.


    I could do nothing.


    He muffled her screams with his hand. Before I could grasp what happened he sliced through her throat. I watched as the color left her face.


    My scream couldn''t be heard.


    She was lying there lifeless¡­ I couldn''t even drop down to my knees and cry.


    His eyes snapped to me. He stood up and straightened his shirt. There was a maniacal gleam in his eyes.


    "You''re next, my kitten," he said as he stalked towards me. He pressed me against the wall, the knife positioned at my stomach, its sharp end poking my skin. I looked down at the object and tried to fight him. I felt my throat burn as he gripped my throat.


    No¡­


    My hands twitched and I clenched my fingers together. A gun went off and I stumbled back. I stared at Anthony. His eyes were wide and he looked down towards his own body. I, too, followed his eyes and found myself staring at a patch of red liquid which spread across his white t-shirt and colored it a bloody red.


    My eyes fell to my hands¡­ The gun was still clenched in my hands, feeling heavier than ever, but I couldn''te to regret putting a bullet in him. It gave me a sense of satisfaction that I''d never felt after I''d killed someone.


    This was revenge¡­ This was how it felt when one got what they wanted. I licked my lips as a smile spread across my features.]


    I turned over in the bed, feeling perfectly content, and my body buzzing with excitement. I stretched my arms and my legs and rolled on the bed for a few moments, relishing the sweet feeling of satisfaction. I wondered if it was the after effect of my dream.


    I pulled out the gun from under the pillow and tucked it under my dress for the moment. A gun was a security, but it was first and foremost a weapon of destruction. People who could use it for all its worth were the winners. Their minds didn''t scream for them to stop when they pulled the gun out. Their hands didn''t tremble when they raised the gun. And they certainly didn''t hesitate to pull the trigger if they had to.


    I''ve always been one of the winners. My conscience didn''t hurt when I pulled the trigger. I was doing some innocent people a huge favor by killing a ruthless bastard and freeing him from his duties. It might sound immoral, or cruel, but it was true.


    I had my moments of weakness, but they''dst long enough to show me that they did nothing but confuse me.


    Anthony had killed my mother¡­ both Cain and Billy had said so. Just because I had this fleeting thought that Anthony was not a murderer in a moment of weakness didn''t make him innocent.


    Now that I thought about it, Anthony was the only person who had a motive to kill her. She was a threat to the Empire he was going to inherit. He acted in defense. End of story.


    Now that I knew exactly how good it felt to see him wounded, I wouldn''t stop to think about his actions. I''d pursue him and then destroy his empire from under his nose.


    I''d return victorious, free of any guilt that I couldn''t fulfill my father''s expectations.


    Cain had wanted Anthony to die, didn''t he? He''d get his wish fulfilled.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 26 Someone Was Helping Him

    I was in the hall where Scott had been executed. I remembered the whole scene. Anthony had gone easy on the man; I wished I knew why. He didn''t seem like the type of guy who let go of people who were disloyal to him. I had seen his anger, and I had seen how hard he tried to control it. He wouldsh out on everyone around him.


    He had mentioned that he needed Scott for something and that Scott had been an idiot to lose his cover so easily. Anthony used people as they came; ignoring their actions until it was too obvious. Would he do the same for me? He might know, but what use would I be to him? I''m just an agent who is here to finish him off. I can''t help him with anything except that. If he really wanted to get rid of his life, he could''ve pulled the trigger himself. It was something I had to think about.


    Someone tapped on my shoulder. Instinct kicked in and I cautiously turned around.


    It was Sean. His nose was wrinkled like he had smelled something bad. I gave him a look that asked, ''what?'' He cleared his throat and looked away.


    "You''re wearing the same clothes asst night," he said, trying his best not tough. I narrowed my eyes at him, sure that he could see it from the corner of his eyes. "And you smell," he burst outughing. I rolled my eyes at him, not even embarrassed.


    "So?" He bit his lips to hold fromughing again and failed.


    "Where are your shoes?" He stared at my naked feet.


    "What''s your problem?" I deadpanned. He stoppedughing, still looking down, a bit scared by my voice. I stifled a smile, pleased to make him squirm.


    "N-no¡­" he choked. "I-I was just¡­ saying," he cleared his throat, now looking at me. I raised a brow, just to be a little more intimidating.


    "Urm¡­ Let''s get to work!" he blurted out. He gulped once and without another nce at me, turned to leave. He went down the hallway and opened a door.


    To say the truth, I quite liked pulling the poor boy''s leg.


    The thought struck me suddenly. Did Anthony do the same with me, too?


    Maybe he wanted to get a reaction out of me just like I did with Sean? It could be, right? But mine was a harmless approach¡­ I bit my lips and thought for a few more minutes.


    Now it was my turn to wrinkle my nose. I really did smell. I tried to run out of the property without gaining any attention, but all the guards seemed a little too interested in my sweaty clothes.


    Not that I minded.


    After I''d retrieved the spare pair of clothing from my car, I went up to the bedroom I had taken upst night and got into the shower.


    I took a hasty shower and slipped into my clothes. I looked well rested, even though I didn''t get much sleepst night. There was a hint of a smile on my face and my eyes shined despite the smudged eye makeup around my lids. I carefully washed my face to wipe off the makeup, properly and then looked at myself.


    I remember how my mom looked with her wet hair falling on her shoulders. When I was young, I''d looked exactly like her. I had a heart-shaped face with wide innocent brown eyes, but now I had developed some features of my father, too. My face had lost its roundness and my eyes were framed by longshes. They weren''t wide anymore, they had taken a thinner shape which suited my face perfectly. My lips were not plump, but enough to make my smile look beautiful.


    I dried my hair with a towel and then ran my hands through it tob it.


    Good.


    Having finished cleaning up I searched for Sean.


    A smile spread across my lips as I reached where Sean was. The room looked like a deathtrap with all the wires scattered on the floor. There were t screen televisions all over the walls and a dozen desktops. Sean sat in the middle of it all in a small revolving chair with aptop on hisp.


    He was staring intently at the screen and typing with inhuman speed.


    I coughed to let him know of my presence. He looked up, unaffected and nodded.


    "The chair is behind the door," he muttered as he went back to his typing. I shut the door close and stared at what I saw. There was an identical chair kept beside what seemed like a mini-fridge.


    I took the chair and walked through the obstacles. I took a seat beside him and he looked up again.


    "What are you up to?" I asked him.


    "I''m writing a story." I raised a brow at him, not expecting the answer. "I like to write short stories and post it on the inte. People love me," he said with an easy smile. This was a different person altogether. He wasfortable with himself and he had a gleam in his eyes. This was where he belonged, I understood. He felt at home between all theputers and wires.


    "Let''s get to work, shall we?" I asked, excited about learning something new. He nodded, closing the tab and opening another. He cracked his knuckles and plugged in a wire into hisptop. All theputer monitors came to life, showing different pages. He handed me theptop, giving me instructions and walked over to the set ofputers.


    "Log in for me, will you?" He said and I nodded. I logged into the system, breaking through the firewall will little difficulty. The codes were easy to find, though a bit tricky sometimes. He turned his head back and smiled in appreciation.


    "Not bad," hement, satisfied.


    "So, here it is. Breaking through the security is too easy," I shrugged. He nodded, absentmindedly and then turned back.


    "These passwords have not been changed in a while. They were set before I came. We need to reset them." He licked his lips and then stared at various monitors for a long time.


    "Now," he said as he came back to me and took theptop from me. "I need to break through the second barrier. You go and check for anything peculiar in the system." I nodded and got up. He typed away, his eyes locked to the screen. I looked at the monitors, my mind calcting and looking through the details. This one was really tough. Sean took about fifteen seconds and then looked up at me.


    "Got anything?" I shook my head.


    "I couldn''t trace a thing. There was no bug. You could check again." His jaws clenched.


    "Either someone got the passwords or they are excellent hackers." His face was pale. "I didn''t know we had someone who was good at this." He gulped the lump in his throat and then shook his head. "Scott couldn''t have had the time to find out the exact location of the shipments without breaking through the system."


    "Maybe he''s really good."


    "Or someone was helping him." He closed his eyes, trying to seek out a way. And then the idea struck me.


    "You know, there is this process I''ve heard about where you can track down the stuff that happened on theputer. It''s sort of like having your history stored." His eyes opened at my thought.


    "Yes!" He shouted, overjoyed. "Now, I work here all day¡­ We need to find out when he came in and worked."


    "Don''t you have any cameras around here?" I asked. He nodded and clicked on some files so that a list of recordings came up. Now we need to go through each and every one of them. My eyes widened.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 27 I Like Feisty Women

    This wasn''t a smart idea.


    Sean first concentrated on one particr camera which was ced over the door. Then he picked out the video''s when the location of the shipments was confirmed.


    "Now what?" I asked.


    "Just like on facebook where you go through the procedure of tagging someone once and it gets saved in the system, I''ll try to do the same." I stared at him wide-eyed. I hadn''t known that was possible.


    He kept working and then it took him about ten minutes to see through the ces where Scott was in the room. There were just two ces.


    Once when Scott hade in to call on Anthony and another where he seemed to sneak in and in a matter of fifteen minutes he was out. He had been rifling through the system and hacking into it slowly. He was not that good, but he did the job anyway.


    He saved the video''s on a CD and then put it inside his pockets.


    "Now we need to build a new firewall¡­ one that''s absolutely terrifying to hack into." His smile was infectious, but even though I smiled with him, I had a n forming in my head. I pulled out my mobile phone and texted Daisy inconspicuously.


    I didn''t look up towards the security cameras because I knew that would look suspicious. In about three minutes I had a reply from Daisy and was ready to implement my n.


    Cracking my knuckles I went back to work. Sean worked through the system, building up walls and recing them when he wasn''t satisfied. In the middle of the whole process, Sean went out of the room to give


    Anthony the CD for a few minutes, asking me to carry on with my work. I took the opportunity to pull out my cell-phone and type in a whole program which would help Daisy keep tabs on the work.


    Information. We needed valuable information that we could use against them.


    I installed a bug so that it was easier for Daisy to ess the information and then ensured that it produced a ripple effect and produce some inconvenience for Sean. He''d fix it, but he''d take time to get this bug out of the system. I''d texted Daisy to know which bug would have the best effect and her reply had not only been enlightening but also had the methods I could use to make the bug invisible.


    I was done before Sean was back. It took me about two minutes toplete the whole process, and I was smug that I could do it as fast as I did. Bugs where touchy little things¡­ you never know when they screw your n.


    "Are you done?" I nodded, relieved that I''d had enough time to finish off the part he''d asked me to check. He smiled. "Let''s get back to work, shall we?"


    After what seemed like hours of work, we were done. We had the details of how Scott broke in and had figured out how to make the system more secure.


    My shoulders ached, my head throbbed and I could feel my eyes drooping.


    "That''s it. We''re done." Sean smiled at me. I nodded and got up.


    "You''re good," Iplimented him and left.


    .


    I saw that Anthony''s office was open and peaked in. His eyes which were on theputer screen shifted up to my face and he ushered me in.


    I took in his appearance, he hadn''t shaved in the morning, and the scruff was very conspicuous. His jaw was clenched as he gripped the paperweight on the table and went back to watch theputer screen.


    He tugged at his hair as he looked away and then peaked at me from under hisshes.


    "Job well done, Mia. I''m impressed that you are capable of dealing withputers as well. I didn''t expect that." He smiled a tight-lipped smile at me, reminding me of his challenging tonest night. He''d been angry, but I''d proved that I could do what I set my mind to and presumably more than that.


    "Thank you," I said with a smug smile. He seemed to ignore it, so I continued. "I have done what you asked me to do. I think I will take your leave now." The words sounded awfully formal as they slipped from my lips. We did share a rtionship that was based on hate and revenge after all. I had no reason to be so formal with him. He raised a brow, surprised by my choice of words but didn''tment.


    "No, you can''t," he replied calmly. "I have found some valuable information that I think is important to share with you. You''re taking up the position of my partner; you need to be informed about threats." I just nodded.


    "Eric informed me that the stolen shipments haven''t been located as of yet. I believe that I know who''s behind this, but I will not take any action against them until I''m perfectly sure that my suspicion is correct." I raised a confused brow at him. "I told youst night that I had known Scott was a rat, but I hadn''t taken any action against him because I didn''t want to get into a full-blown enmity with another mob."


    "Who was Scott working for? Who do you think it is?" He smiled.


    "Luke Darcy." The name made me freeze.


    "Luke¡­ Darcy?" I choked out. "You pissed off Luke Darcy? How?"


    Luke Darcy was a hotshot arms dealer in Russia whose ammunition was known for its power and brilliant handling. He also dabbled in drugs and human trafficking, but he was infamous for smuggling weapons from under the noses of Government officials. He had enough power to destroy whole cities and people who met him with the intent to take him down never lived to tell the story. He never lost¡­ neither did he leave his challengers alive.


    "I didn''t piss him off," he hissed. "He thinks I''m branching out in Russia without going through him- which I am," he added when I gave him a stern look. "He hasn''t sent out any warnings, but he''s keeping tabs. He''s taking as much as he''s losing out on in Russia. He had sent in Scott so that he could keep track on my work, but he was bing too obvious. I had to get rid of him."


    "That''s why you went easy on him that day," I realized. "I thought Scott was Italian." Anthony shook his head.


    "His name is Scott Bashov. He was pretty convincing in the beginning, but I knew better."


    "If he was so convincing, how did you know otherwise?" I asked.


    "I have my eyes and ears spread across the globe. Believe me, very little escapes my notice." I raised a brow at him, feeling overly smug because I proved him wrong. He seemed to take aggressively to it.


    "Mia, I like feisty women. Their attitude is something I appreciate and love. I admit that having an attitude is necessary for this field of work and that you need to look tough in front of the crowd and maintain your reputation, but you need to tone it down a bit. I''m your boss. You don''t question me, you do as I ask and in the way, I ask you to do it. Your ego shouldn''te in between your work. I don''t give a damn to how you treat other people, but you will respect my authority. I demand that you shut up and do what I tell you."


    My mouth tasted bitter as I gave him a sharp nod.


    "You''d better remember who you are," he growled at me. I clenched my teeth together to keep from snapping back at him.


    "You may leave now." I turned around.


    "Oh, Mia?" He called me back. I turned back to him, giving him the attention he wanted. The look in his eyes made it clear that he was going to say something aboutst night. His eyes were dark, yet in control, "Close the door behind you," hemanded.


    I turned away not bothering to give him a reply and thud shut the door behind me as I left.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 28 Youre Crazy!

    I had every code Sean typedmitted to memory. I documented it all at first, typing rapidly as the procedure came back to me like a scene from a movie. It was pages and pages of decoding and programming that was now saved on myptop.


    A hacker''s identity was his codes, he could morph them to fit the situation, but it was so private that no one shared it. He just happened to make the mistake of using his tricks in front of me. I''m sure those were just the basics, but it was a start. He wouldn''t give away his trade tricks.


    I opened my work email and scanned through the emails that were sent to me.


    There were soft copies of the files I had received from Daisy about my father and mother, while there were others that kept reminding me of an uing twenty-fifth anniversary of the organization. I had a mail where I received the information about the new security password I had been allotted and a bank statement.


    That just made my day. I had received an advance payment for my current job. I read through the mail carefully and then gave a little smile.


    One million dors.


    Yes, that was how much I already received. Anthony had too many enemies that he either didn''t know about or didn''t consider as threats. They wanted him dead and his business in shambles. That was natural. Anthony was a shrewd businessman. It didn''t matter if it was in legal or illegal matters, he could make the best of the situation. He hid his crime life well, and himself, better.


    The man was a mystery¡­ a puzzle I had to solve, and what would I get in return? Ten million dors. Well, that and they want to see his dead body. I even had a list of names of the people who were paying for the job to be done.


    Some of them already had hit men chasing them.


    Hopefully, I''ll get paid for my services.


    I made my way to the kitchen and tried to make those readymade noodles when I heard my email ping. I took my cup of noodles and went back to myptop.


    The noodle was nowhere near as good as home cooked food, but I''d not had anything else since my mom was killed. I never really learned to cook. Thank God for caf¨¦s and home deliveries.


    There was an email from Daisy sitting in my inbox.


    Someone hacked into the systemst night after you went back. I need to make sure you remember all the safety measures. There are some gadgets waiting for you in your letterbox. Retrieve them. The instructions are given.


    Surprised by the callousness of the email, I stood up and went down to the entrance of my apartment and opened my letterbox. I took out the only envelope in the box and headed back upstairs. I opened the letter as soon as the door closed behind me and found that it was handwritten.


    A parcel will reach you in an hour.


    That was it.


    I hadn''t thought that Daisy Green could just drop a letter in my mail that contained information about a mission. She just didn''t seem the type.


    I picked up my phone and dialed her number. She picked up the phone and didn''t give me a chance to speak.


    "You need to install a microchip in your cell phone which can''t get traced. Your call log will be wiped out immediately."


    "How can you be so callous?" Well, tit for tat. I wasn''t giving her a greeting if she just shouted at me over the phone, the very second she picked it up.


    "I don''t know what you mean," she deadpanned.


    "I don''t even want to know how you got the letter into my mailbox!" I said exasperated.


    "Well, I just asked the security guard to put it in your mail. And as for my reasons, I don''t think criminals are smart enough to check mailboxes. They are so much into technology that they forget to think the old fashioned way," she chuckled.


    "You''re crazy!" Imented coldly.


    "I know. Anyway, wait for the delivery to reach you."


    "The system was hacked. Any idea about who did it?"


    "No idea. It might be Anthony, but he wasn''t searching for you. You''re safe." I nodded to myself, feeling relieved. "The parcel contains the microchip I was telling you about and a pair of earrings. I''m sure you know how to install the chip. As for the earrings, they give me ess to what you are hearing."


    "I thought that''s what the watch was for!"


    "That''s for recording. I need first-hand information to keep you safe." I snorted at thement.


    "Don''t you think you''re overreacting just a little?" I wish she could see me roll my eyes.


    "Better safe than sorry," she mumbled.


    I hung up the phone and went back to my noodles.


    .


    Fitting the chip was rather easy. It took me about a few minutes to install it and then activate the damn chip. I fired up myptop, putting my cell-phone beside me and then tried to find out if my location was avable. The bowl of noodles was long gone, and I still felt hungry, so I decided to order something to eat.


    I''m growing quite an appetite. I need to be well fed for my brain to work.


    My phone started ringing as soon as I picked it up to dial the number of a local restaurant. It was probably Daisy checking in on me.


    "Hello."


    "Good work. The chip is working. I''ll recheck the programming of the chip, just to be sure. Have you read the letter that apanied the chip?"


    "No."


    "Do that."


    "Sure." And we hung up on each other.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 29 Crack The Code

    I took the envelope that had been delivered to me and pulled out the letter. It was a printout, thank god. Her handwriting was illegible, to be honest. She had written two pages of information. I stifled a yawn as I scanned through the letter with disinterest. I''d always hated long essays and letters¡­


    [1) After you fit the chip make sure that it''s safe to use the cell phone and that the chip is working. The chip has been programmed to be invisible to any unwanted attention and can''t be tracked. I''m sure that you''ve got people following you.


    2) When you go out of your room or move out to your balcony DON''T look at the minivan parked across the street. It was there when I dropped by and has been there for quite some time. I''ve been following the CCTV footages of the area. Seems like Anthony has someone following you. Be careful of what you do and don''t act suspiciously. I''ll check out the footages for thest few days and let you know for how long the man has been following you.


    3) You need to know exactly how the watch works. Set a password as soon as you can and tell no one. Not even me. This is your life at stake, here. Now when you press the small button on the side, you''ll hear a beep. The watch will start recording after that. That is when you set your password. The next time you press the button (only in case you find yourself in a situation where you have no other way.) you will have to tell the password and only then will the chemical be injected in your body.


    4) If you want to know the name of the chemical then I will have to say that it''s cyanide. I know it''s a bit old fashioned, but it will work. It has been tested. So be careful with the watch.


    5) All the organization''s hackers were called in to fix the problem. It was Anthony. Sean left a marker on our system so that we know it was him. We''ve worked out some of the details and have found that the bug you fit is working perfectly and THAT is what caused the marker to be ced. I''m sure they''ll try to set up a new system once again. Get to know what they are up to.


    6) I won''t be able to hack into the system till I know what protective measure Anthony has taken. Find out and let me know. I''m sure they''ve been searching for the defect.


    7) Stay safe, you''re one of the prime suspects now because you helped Sean out, but you can always tell them that the bug had been previously ced and that both of you missed it.


    8) I need the information as soon as possible. Go down to Anthony''s mansion and get the information. When I say that I mean that you need to do the work today.]


    I could taste the bitterness in my mouth. I gulped once to wet my throat and then took the letter to the kitchen. I realized that Daisy was pretty much trying to control the whole mission. Thest ''suggestion'' had made my blood boil. She was supposed to protect my identity, not order me around, and that''s what she had been doing from the beginning.


    I produced a lighter from one of the kitchen cabs and took pleasure in burning the damn letter to ashes. Satisfied with the oue, I went back to the living room and saved all the codes and procedures in a safety file. After making sure that all the files were locked, I shut down theptop and thought about my next move.


    I''d ced the bug in their system and if I didn''t act quickly, they''d remove the thing and then take action against me. There was still a few hours left for me to run down to the mansion and get some work done, but on what pretext? I couldn''t just drop in because I felt like it.


    Though it seemed like the others hung out in the mansion all the time, I couldn''te to ce myself in that category even when I was undercover. Anthony had a totally different idea about my personality, and when he asked me to bow down to his authority; he knew very well that it was only for him. I would never socialize with those other people.


    I was acting like an amateur!


    I''d have to redeem myself. It''s time I y the game properly. No more childish tricks, no more hesitation.


    The decision was made. It''s time for Anthony Murray''s downfall.


    .


    "What are you doing here?" Cienna was thest person I wanted to talk to. Her speech two days back had left me with a sense of irritation.


    "Not now," I said as I passed her and headed off to Anthony''s office. I knocked on his door once and entered when I hear him calling out to me toe in.


    "How are you this fine afternoon, Mia?" I cocked my head to a side, looking at him for a moment before I spoke.


    "I''m doing fine, thank you for asking." He looked up from hisputer and gave me an appreciative smile.


    "Nice t-shirt," hemented before he looked down again, the smile still lingering on his lips. I looked down at the t-shirt I was wearing, a little amused that he''d noticed the words ''Your wish, mymand'' written on it. I''d bought it a few years back when Billy had grounded me for being silly and barging into a room full of agents and pulling the gun on a spy. He had thought that I had lost my senses for pointing the gun at the senior spy. Turned out he was working for an Italian gang which was growing more powerful by the day. So, he''d grounded me. For not telling him, or waiting for his orders.


    "Thank you," I chuckled, knowing full well that he knew that I''d worn this for his benefit.


    "Why are you here?" He asked absentmindedly.


    "I''ve got an idea." He looked up, interested. "You said that Eric couldn''t find out where the shipments are, right?" He nodded slowly. "What methods have you used to search for them?" He pressed his lips together.


    "Eric has called in a team of trackers who are searching the dock, and Sean has been trying to hack into the dock''s records and find out more about the location."


    "Have they had any luck?" He shook his head, calmly, waiting for me to put forward my suggestion. "What have they found?"


    "Sean has found a set of gibberish words." I stared at him. "I haven''t looked through them, yet, but from what Sean says it seems that it just trantes to nothing." He frowned. "What do you suggest?"


    "I''m not sure myself," I frowned. "I''ll see what I can do." He stared at me for a moment.


    "You came here so that you could ask about the progress?"


    "Yes."


    "Very well then, you''d better go to work," was all he said. I''d been dismissed, and I didn''t mind. I trotted away to theputer room where I knew Sean would be. I opened the door and was met with the sight of Sean typing on hisputer.


    He didn''t turn to see who it was.


    "Anthony, I''ve checked. The bug has been cleansed from the system. It hase as a surprise that the bug wasn''t nted¡­ it was just there. You know what I mean?" I coughed, trying to get his attention. He turned around, rmed. "Hey!" he gulped. "I''m sorry¡­ I didn''t know you wereing. What''s up?" He was back to the boy I dropped home. He stammered and looked around for an escape.


    "I''m here to help you out," I told him. He eyed me for a second.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 30 Caesars Box

    "I''m already done with reprogramming the system. Is that why Anthony called you?" He eyed my movements.


    "Anthony didn''t call me, and I was interested about the whole Luke fiasco. Any luck with that?" I asked.


    He shook his head and sighed. "I just finished building an anti-hacking wall."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah, this could earn me a lot if I sold it in the market," he chuckled. Sensing my curiosity he began exining. "This system has no ws. You know how the spider weaves a web and people think that it''s not strong?" I nodded. "Did you know that if this web was of the size of the wires we get, it would be harder than steel wires?" I nodded, again, not getting what he was trying to make me understand. "So, in this system, there is a web of detectors, like a spider''s web. When someone tries to hack into the system, they think that it''s nothing, but when they actually get in, they get trapped. It''s like a string ofs all around the system, blocking all unwanted entries. On the other hand, as soon as the hacker gets caught up, the system extracts all the information from the hackingputer and stores it, while erasing all the data from the hackingputer itself." I didn''t think I could understand. "In easier words, it''s like the spider''s web. It traps flies. The flies unknowingly step into the trap and then get killed." My eyes widened in realization. "I call it the ''Web of Lies''. Nice name, right?" I smiled.


    "What does it take to bring it down?" He shrugged.


    "It''ll probably take a swarm hitting the system at the same time to get this baby down." I sucked in a deep breath. A whole swarm? I couldn''t believe what I''d heard.


    A swarm was a team of hackers who were so well organized that they could get in and out of a system within seconds. I couldn''t imagine the amount of coordinating it would take to break through the system. Daisy didn''t have the numbers and capability to break through.


    "Have you tested it?" I asked hoarsely.


    "No," he said smugly. "I don''t need to."


    "You should." He looked up thoughtfully.


    "You wanna try?" He asked. I shrugged, a little nervous. "C''mon then," he motioned for me to sit down beside him. "Type away."


    I closed my eyes for a minute. I can do this. I told myself.


    I cracked my knuckles.


    "Here we go," I mumbled to myself. I logged into the system and started clearing the first security wall. It was really easy-


    The screen froze, in front of me. A little cartoon bounced on the screen, screaming ''Boo-Yah'' again and again and my shoulders ckened in defeat. Sean had doubled over inughter, clearly enjoying the scene. The cartoon stopped cheering in a few moments and then became impossiblyrge. ''You''ve been served!'' It shouted before the screen went nk.


    "What just happened?" My voice was just a whisper.


    "Sorry for the special effects, but I couldn''t help but rub it in the faces of the hackers who tried to prate my system." Pride gleamed in his eyes.


    "Did the files really get removed?" He smiled.


    "Restart theputer and check for yourself." I did as he said. Theputer looked the same, but the important files were all missing.


    "Damn," I chuckled, astonished that the system was effective.


    "What do you think?" His eyes glimmered with excitement.


    "I''m not much of a hacker, but I think this spider is very, very impressive." I licked my lips, a bit worried about what was going to happen. The system was very efficient. He''d built a trap which anyone would fall right in.


    "Now that I''m done with this, I have to try to decode the stuff I found on Darcy''s case." I was sure that my eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Aren''t you going to help?"


    "You just read it out to me, kid. I''ll see what I can do." I winked at him before moving across the room and pulling out a bottle of water from the refrigerator.


    "Anthony wanted to be here, so, I''ll call him," he said as he rubbed his palms together. I nodded at him, sipping my water and waiting to get a chance to inform Daisy about the system. I tapped on my watch twice, wondering if she would understand that the coast was clear.


    "Got it," was all Daisy said.


    I heard the door open but didn''t turn around to see who it was.


    "Mia," Anthony addressed me. I nodded my head as he sat across me. "So, where are the codes, Sean?" Sean pulled out a paper from his jeans pocket and handed it to Anthony. I waited patiently, knowing that I would get my turn.


    "I think I know what this is," he told us.


    "What is it?" I asked, curiously.


    "It''s not much actually. This is in Morse Code." He handed the paper to me.


    "I thought Morse Code uses dashes and dots," I heard Sean say.


    "It does. Morse is used orally, too. It''s usually ''dit'' for dots and ''dah'' for dashes. It''s easy; you''ll be able to figure it out." He was about to stand up when I interrupted him.


    "It still doesn''t make any sense, Anthony," I hissed. "It''s Morse, but it doesn''t trante to anything!" I held the paper close to my face and re-read the whole thing.


    "Let me see," Anthony said with exasperation. "Hand me a pencil, will you?" He asked Sean. Sean produced a pencil and watched closely as Anthony took the paper from me and started circling the separate letters.


    ''di-di-dit dah-di-dah-dit dah-dit dah-dah-dah dah-di-dah-dah di-di-dah dit di-dah-dit di-dah-dit di-di-dit di-dah-dah dah-di-dah di-dah dit dah-di-dah-dah''


    "That turns into S-C-N-O-Y-U-E-R-R-S-W-K-A-E-Y," I tried to keep my voice devoid of smugness, but the sharp look Anthony gave me was enough for me to know that I hadn''t done a good job. He pointed at my t-shirt, which I instinctively looked at and frowned.


    I had forgotten that I had to tone down my attitude.


    ''As you wish, Boss.''


    "I can''t see a pattern here," Anthony told me as hebed his hair with his hand. "See if you get something." I nodded, chanting the letters in my head.


    "Fifteen letters," I mumbled to myself before staring at the page again. Anthony tapped his fingers on each letter. "Maybe the words are all mixed up."


    "And how are we going to find the words?" Sean asked calmly.


    "Patterns," both of us said at the same time. We looked up at each other and then back at the letters.


    "Fifteen can be divided by three and five." Anthony quickly went over the letters, hoping to find some simrity or a trace of a word.


    Nothing.


    "The closest square to fifteen is sixteen," I mumbled to myself. "Give me the paper, will you?" Anthony handed it over to me. "So, if I make a table of four by four, it will be okay." I made a grid on the paper and started filling the boxes with one letter each starting from left to right. Once the words were ced, I read the letters vertically.


    SYRACUSE NEW YORK.


    A smile spread across my lips.


    "Caesar''s box?" Anthony whispered in fascination. "That was great. Syracuse, New York." He turned away from us; pulling out the phone from his pocket he dialed a number.


    "I need all the information about Darcy''s contacts in Syracuse, now. And find out where he can store things." He turned to us once more. "Job well done," he said before he walked out of the room.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 31 Not Good Enough

    "He trusts you," said Sean as he peeked up from behind theptop screen. I looked upward from my phone and stared at him, startled. "He''s a tough cookie, but you cracked the code. You did what he couldn''t do. You''ve earned his respect and inadvertently, his trust." He continued as I stared at him for a moment longer and said, "You sure know how to get the news across." He smiled and rubbed his eyes- after he had left hisptop on one of the many tables- and cracked his knuckles. His smile widened as he leaned back in his chair and took a sigh of relief.


    "You''re pretty cool when you don''t intimidate. That trick with the Morse and stuff was pretty neat." I rolled my eyes at the boy. "Before I forget, Anthony just pinged me to let you know that he wants to meet you after you''re finished with your work here." I raised a brow at him, earning a nonchnt shrug. "Don''t know. You''re not doing much anyway..." he eyed me suspiciously and asked, "What are you doing here, exactly?"


    "Making sure you''re done here and taking you home," I responded as I looked back at my cell phone, making sure that I had not received anything from Daisy. She was yet to reply.


    "Uh¡­" His nervous fidgeting was evident. "I''ll manage on my own." I looked up at him, not really in a mood for the whole modesty scene. His ce was in the way anyways. It''s not like I had to rush home and take notes. There was only field work to do, for now, nothing more.


    "Let''s leave if you''re done," I stated with a pointed look. And that was all it took to shut him up.


    "Okay," he squeaked.


    Nodding, I got up, ced my cell in the back pocket of my jeans and left the room.


    The door to Anthony''s office was slightly open. I peeked in, hoping to catch him unaware.


    "Come in," I heard him say. His voice was low and rough. I pushed the door open and walked in, wondering what he wanted to talk about.


    His face was scrunched up, his teeth grinding and his fingers gliding over the keyboard. He cursed every so often, leaving me standing in silence across the table from him. "Sit," he ground out and tilted his head. His tongue appeared from between his lips as he licked them and then his teeth mped down as he concentrated. Being a good employee that I was, I sat down. As soon as my back hit the chair, his body jerked and he threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "Fuck," he swore over and over again.


    Concerned, I leaned forward, trying to make out what had got him so winded. To say I was shocked was a bit of an understatement.


    "I''ll have to y it again!" he whined. What? Is he out of his mind?


    "What?" he snapped at me, noticing my incredulous look. I just shook my head, still a bit awestruck, amusement taking over my thoughts. And as it set in, a smile crept into my face and a chuckle bubbled at my lips. Judging from the look he was giving, it wasn''t a good idea tough at that moment. So I suppressed the uncontroble urge tough and looked at anything but his face.


    He looked irritable and- I hated to admit it, cute.


    To think that Anthony Murray would react like that because he lost a game¡­ it was expected. He was apetitive asshole who didn''t know where to draw the line, but his whining over a video game¡­ Hah! Fantastic!


    I tried to stay serious as his temper subsided. His hands tapped impatiently on the fine desk in front of him and the ticking of his jaw followed every beat. As soon as he seemed calm enough, I gave him an expectant look. He closed his eyes for a moment, murmuring something too low for me to hear and then opened them again.


    "I''m sending you for some work the day after tomorrow." I nodded. I had expected that much. "It''s a new dealer. He''s new in the business and his supplies are good and cheap and the estimated profits will be higher. I''ve got a file ready for you, go through it." I nodded again. "You''ll meet the boys who run errands. I need you to interview them. Make sure nothing slips past you." I didn''t speak. It took me some time to process. A new dealer¡­ and then it seeped in.


    "You''re cutting down on Darcy?" I asked. I hoped not. If that was the case, the issue would get much moreplicated than I had anticipated.


    He looked up at me sharply.


    "Yes," he hissed.


    I had it all yed out in my mind. The cutting down. Darcy''s reaction, and the gradual instigation towards an enmity between the two mobs. The result was inevitable. What I couldn''t understand was why Anthony was taking such a risky step. Did he want a war on his hands? It might either destroy him or bring both of them down in one fall!


    "Sir¡­" I didn''t know what to say. I didn''t want toe across as arrogant in my concern. His cold stare was judgmental. He was waiting for me to say the wrong words. "Do you think that is a good decision?" No other words could have been more correct. He just needed a reason to be unpleasant to me. I knew he liked to have a reason to be unpleasant.


    "Are you challenging my judgment, Mia?" He raised his brow, a cruel smirk on his face.


    "No, sir."


    "Then don''t voice your opinion," He replied cruelly. My jaw clenched at his reply. Obviously, he liked the fact that I wasn''t going to answer. "But just forughs, Mia, why do you think that it''s a bad idea?" My eyes drifted to his lips where menacing words were on the tip of it. I''d have to hear anyway.


    "Because Darcy is a man who should not be fucked with." was my simple reply. It was true. We all knew that.


    "But he seems to forget that I''m just as dangerous as him." He wanted me to say otherwise, I didn''t.


    "Cutting down on his supplies will only result in him cutting down on yours." Was the second reason that his decision was dangerous; especially looking at it from a business perspective. He was a businessman after all.


    "I give him the best deals. He''d be running at a loss if he lets me go." That wasn''t good enough. Knowing Darcy, he''d rather make a loss than bow down to Anthony''s ideas. I shook my head, not voicing my reasoning.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 32 Catch Them Off Guard

    "Come on, try harder," he pressed. My blood boiled. A dispute between Anthony and Darcy would mean¡­


    "It would be a foolish decision on your part, sir, precisely because you''d lose out on all your resources in the process of defeating him and you would destroy yourself eventually. By the number of favors you can call in, you''llst for a few years, but some of them will turn on you. You''ll ruin yourself because of a stupid decision you made, and because his unsubtle spy couldn''t handle his greed."


    "Impressive, Mia, but that''s where youe in. YOU get to save the day. It''s your job to see to the fact that I don''t ruin my chances and that''s what you''ll do till the very end." The nerve of the man!


    "No sir, I shall not let some man I have just known and worked for a few days dictate my life. I joined in so that I could be a part of this intricate system you have built. I am honored that you have taken me in with a notorious title on my head, but I sure as hell won''t risk my life because of your stupid decision when I know what the resulting the oue would be. I took this job and will do it thoroughly. I''ll take a bullet for you if ites to that, but you can''t ask me to voice my opinion and then proceed to tell me my duties. I know very well that you will not take my advice, hence I don''t feel the need to be reminded what this decision of yours will cost me." My breathing came in pants, my hands curled up into fists. I was ready to punch something, his face being the most beautiful option at that moment.


    "Very well, Mia." His expression was serious, hardness seeping from each pore. "I''m d we get each other."


    Taking the file in my hands, I stood up and left the room.


    ''Respect'', Sean had said. That looked nothing like respect.


    Sean stood outside the room, an apologetic look on his face.


    "Let''s go," I told him. He followed me without a word, knowing full well that I''d snap at him. It was a sane decision on his part.


    "Get your seatbelt on," I ordered.


    "Done?" He nodded in reply.


    And then I drove off like a maniac.


    I needed to punch something so badly, but I had nothing to do and nowhere to go.


    I dropped off Sean at his ce and continued on, my eyes locked on the rearview mirror. A ck shadow of a car trailed behind me, inconspicuous enough to not notice, but it was there. After I was sure that it was tailing me, I took a shortcut home, speeding as fast as the car went, leaving the little fuckers behind.


    .


    My balcony remained vacant for the next two mornings. I peeked out from the windows sometimes, just to check if there was any car waiting, but nothing ever happened. There was no car. There was no suspicious person lingering around. I knew for sure that I wasn''t paranoid, and the fact that Anthony wasn''t foolish enough to leave me unattended when I was new and worming into the mob at such a fast pace. I thought so because he was cunning, and that evening when I''d sped like a maniac, trying to get away from the car I knew was following me, he''d gotten the call which let him knew that I was well aware that someone was following me. So, he must have been using other means to keep track of me.


    The file Anthony had given me for studying was dealt with. I''d found out as much as I could about some new guy who stumbled across money when Anthony approached him. Anthony had found out about the dealer from somewhere; from one of his errand boys. The boy told Anthony the new guy sold the good stuff and had the potential of making more profit than even Darcy could imagine. I don''t know how Anthony even thought that was possible. Maybe he was choosing second best alternative so that he can piss off Darcy.


    I was supposed to make no judgment until I had psychoanalyzed the newbie, but I had my doubts. Socializing was one of my traits, or so I thought. I hated it, but I could put up a show.


    Dressed in red, I looked like someone who would go to Realm all the time. But not like amoner, someone powerful. I meant business with a wicked twist. My gun was tucked in my waist; my baggy top hid it perfectly. I kept my cell phone in my back pocket, and my watch was donned on my right hand. It looked silly but funky.


    I took off.


    .


    The crowd at the club was smaller that night. The floor was half empty with only a few people chatting at the bar. Though not as much as usual, there were quite a lot of people. Looking around, I spotted Ron serving one of the side tables in the reserved areas. It didn''t take much time for me to get his attention.


    "Good evening, Ron." I smiled.


    "How are you doing, Mia?"


    "Good." It was good to see him, sort of. But I was more concerned about having him working around me tonight. "Are you serving the VIP room this evening?" I lowered my voice a little despite the fact that no one will be able to hear us. His curt nod was nothing short of relief for me.


    I needed him there this evening. He was an integral part of my inquisition.


    "Just keep the drinksing," I told him.


    "Yes, ma''am." He tipped his head to a side. "They''re already here, waiting for the boss actually." With that, he walked towards the bar area again.


    Thanking him in my mind, I took the flight of stairs to the VIP room, barely registering the guards outside the door as I burst in. Seven curious looking young men turned to look at me. I could imagine that I looked nothing like the strong, older man they were expecting to meet. I looked like a girl in her twenties on a night out.


    ''Catch them off guard'' was the first rule of the night.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 33 All About The Thrill

    "Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Mia Vincent." I extended my hand towards the man who looks like the head guy. I''d seen a picture of him, but he looked much different from it; a bit older, wearier. He was in casual clothes, ripped jeans and a Batman T-shirt. The only thing that made him stand out was the calcting look in his eyes. In his stream of work, being invisible was a pretty good thing. He was in histe twenties, new in the business and nervous by the looks of it. He was more confused than nervous; my presence wasn''t intimidating¡­ yet.


    His hands were clenched at his sides and he openly gaped at my extended hand. He took it eventually, making it hard for me to keep my face free from the irritation I was feeling by the time he took it. From the look in his eyes, he had already thought about my identity and the oue of our meeting by the time I let go of his hand.


    "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Vincent," he smiled a tight smile, his eyes looking me over with slight disinterest after he was over his initial shock.


    "Call me Mia," I urged. This friendly facade is easy to slip in when a group of rowdy boys and their caretaker is involved. "Please," I gestured to the six errand boys who stood scattered across the room. "Take a seat." My smile seemed to have an instant effect. They followed my plea, a bit flustered.


    "I''d probably misinterpreted when Mr. Murray said that he''d fix a meeting with me. I hoped I would be talking to him this evening." His eyes flitted across the room, waiting for Anthony to pop out of somewhere.


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t catch your name," I heard him mumble his name quietly. "Yes, Nn. You weren''t wrong in thinking that you had a meeting with Mr. Murray himself. Unfortunately, he had something he had to take care of. So here I am." My voice sounded pleasantly sweet, even to me. Even though I know none of what I''m saying is true. "All you''ll get is me." I gave him that sultry little smile of mine.


    His stiff nod was enough to let me know that he was not pleased by my presence.


    Get them upset and vulnerable. Rule two.


    "Why don''t we get a bitfortable? Tell me a little about yourself¡­ about your business." I asked him. He raised a curious brow at me.


    "Who are you exactly?" he asks with a chuckle. "Shouldn''t you know all this if Mr. Murray sent you?" I nodded solemnly.


    "I already told you my name. I would have asked you to fuck off but hey, I just bombed the room, didn''t I?" I heard the slight snickering of the younger boys. "I just started working with the Boss. Honestly, I''m trying to impress him." I gave him a sly look; feeling satisfied that I was getting along with the younger boys easily. Nn was a tough cookie.


    "So, you''re new and you''re trying to impress Mr. Murray?" I nodded. "We have the same agenda then." He gives me a tight smile.


    "So, how long have you been in business?" He looks up, a bit shocked. The boys seemed ufortable. They shifted around on the couch, feeling ill at ease. I did know about Nn and his little business, but I was ying a part, and I had to make him start speaking. I needed him to make a mistake so I can prove to Anthony that taking on a new dealer is bad for him.


    "I really thought I would be striking a deal this evening." He seemed incredulous.


    "Of course, but you must understand that the Boss is pretty protective of his family. And this is more about me and the business. Get to know people that sort of a thing. And he- Boss- hates it when people have a wasted journey. It''s a lovely evening. It''s a happening club, why not enjoy ourselves?" Stay casual. Cut to the chase. "So, how many years has it been?"


    He gulped.


    "Three years now." His reply is short and quick.


    "And?" I prompted.


    "This is supposed to be my big break into the big bad world," he seemed a bit more at ease, not too much though. He had a long way to go. He looked like a fraud if you ask me.


    "I hear that you left your practice as awyer to get into the drug business. Why sell cheap drugs to the locals when you can be awyer? Get a good job?"


    "Why didn''t you do an honorable job?" he joked.


    "It''s all about the thrill," I winked at him.


    "It''s more profit to branch out as a dealer than it is to be a newbiewyer at somew firm. The pay is better." Of course!


    Ron interrupted then. He lithely carried a tray of drinks, handing each person in the room one. I smiled at him, giving him the ''keep-iting'' look. He seemed to understand.


    "What about them?" I pointed my ss towards the boys who raptly gulped at their sses.


    "They''re just some kids wanting to earn some extra cash. They don''t mind being bossed around by me until I stop giving them their cut." Not a tight group of partners sharing the burden of business. Merely small-town boy taking the risk of going into such a business venture. And the kids¡­ they looked normal. Not the high profile one''s Darcy had running around, but they were perfect for the younger age group. They blended into the crowd.


    The drinks kepting and the conversation flowed like water. Atst, I decided that I''d had enough to hear. I stood up, and as if in response Nn stood up, too. The younger boys remained oblivious to the little gesture.


    "I''ll be back in a few. Enjoy yourselves." Once they thought I''d left, I heard their enthusiastic whispers. The guards outside were keeping watch on the lot and Ron kept serving them. I took a seat at the far end of the bar and helped myself to a ss of water.


    In my mind, I was going over the conversations. The information from the file had left a few nk spots which the exchanged words had filled in.


    Nn¡­ he struck a chord. His stories were too practiced; his shrugs too stiff. One would think that he was nervous about the meeting. He was, but not the sort of nervous people get before striking a deal. It had more to do with fear. And it was obvious from the way his eyes flitted across the room; as if searching for something, and his defensive replies throughout the conversation. It didn''t sit well with me. On top of that, his way of speaking was abstract. He used phrases that runners often use, not employers. It''s like he was nted. The perfect next-great-thing-to-happen.


    Is it a distraction maybe? A ruse to maintain sales and disrupt the work of the mob from an integral part. The products were identical to those of Darcy''s. Most of the stuff out there was, but Nn''s¡­ too simr, and the differences seemed fabricated.


    My intuition said that it was a ploy. I would find out by the end of the night.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 34 Answer Me

    "Something''s up," Ron informed me. I looked up at him and nodded after breaking out of my thought.


    "I''ll go see what it''s about," I replied handing him the ss I was sipping from and steered towards the VIP area. The boys were huddled together with Nn. He was speaking in hushed tones to them and sounded angry. The moment his hand tightened around the ss he was holding was the perfect moment to interrupt them.


    "Don''t fuck this-"


    "What are you guys up to?" I asked in a sweet voice. I regretted not waiting a little longer to hear Nn finish the sentence. They jumped back from the circle, trying to look normal, but they were anything but.


    The errand boys looked a bit scared and Nn had a fake smile stered on his lips. Everything he did looked suspicious. I carefully made my way towards them.


    "Plotting something big, I hope?" I asked with humor because I knew that''s exactly what they were doing. Their eyes widened for a fraction of the second, but no one reacted more than that. What they didn''t know was that they were being recorded. Every word they said would be captured and sent to me. I would dissect their ns and destroy them. Those were all my ideas, though. Anthony would never allow me to do that. He was too wasteful at time. He liked to indulge in games just because he liked to y with people''s mind. I admit he did quite a great job.


    "Plotting would be too harsh, Mia," answered Nn. The way he said my name¡­ it made me want to narrow my eyes in suspicion.


    "To be honest, I don''t understand why you''re here to meet us." Me either, buddy.


    "What did you expect?" I scoffed. "Boss doesn''t need to exin why he does the things he does. Let''s just say that this is important."


    "So you know why you''re here?" He asked. I was inclined to think that he knew that I was left out of the loop, too.


    "Yes, I already told you, the Boss doesn''t like a wasted journey."


    "He could''ve just called the meeting off!" he eximed. An outburst, just what I had been waiting for. His defenses were breaking slowly and so thoroughly that I felt sorry for the boy.


    "Excuse me for a moment," I told them as I felt my phone vibrating.


    [What''s the verdict? - Anthony]


    It''s just what I was waiting for.


    [I''m 90 percent sure that the boy is working for Darcy. I''ll go through the videotapes just to be sure. What do I do next? -Mia]


    [Set the deal. -Anthony]


    [Very well, sir. -Mia]


    [Won''t you oppose me, Mia? -Anthony]


    [Answer me. -Anthony]


    [No, sir. You''re the Boss. I have no authority to question you. -Mia.]


    [Good, but humor me. Ask me why you have to set the deal. -Anthony.]


    They say curiosity killed the cat. Right at that moment, I wasn''t the only person who was curious. The boys looked at me with interest, slight frowns on their faces as they tried to figure out what exactly I was doing.


    [Why? -Mia]


    I ignored the curious looks. This was more important.


    [What would you do if you knew that Darcy was trying to protect his sales by generating a new branch? One that was unknown to us? He knows we''re going to turn on him. -Anthony]


    [What would you do, Mia? Won''t you do what is necessary? -Anthony]


    I thought about it. If Darcy really knew that we were going to turn on him, he knew that we would cut down on the deal. Which meant he''d suffer a huge loss and if it came down to a war between Anthony and Darcy, Darcy would surely have fewer resources. He''d lose out. Darcy was protecting his interest. If we called him out on his ns, there would be no other way than to initiate war¡­


    [I''d make the deal, sir. -Mia]


    [Why? -Anthony]


    [To protect the family, sir. -Mia]


    [Thank you, Mia. -Anthony]


    For a moment, I was left stunned. Anthony was taking a step back so that he could gain time to get an upper hand on the situation. He was protecting everyone¡­


    He really thinks before he takes decisions. He is Anthony Murray after all.


    [Call me. I want to talk to the boy. -Anthony]


    "I think the Boss wants to talk to you, Nn." He gulped on hearing that. Excellent!


    "Loudspeaker, Mia." Always so bossy. Of course, I did as he said.


    "Nn." His voice rang throughout the room. "Wee to the big bad world. Hope you enjoy your time here." With those ominous words, he left the group of boys stunned and surely scared for their lives.


    "Thank you, sir. It is an honor to work with you." Nn''s strangled reply almost made meugh.


    "For me. You work FOR me now. Understood?" The devil said. Always with the attitude. It didn''t bother me. I wasn''t on the receiving end and I was a bit impressed by the recent conversation we had. I''d let him go this time, even if he bosses me around.


    "Mia, it''s gettingte. Go home." He didn''t let me reply. He simply hung up. Thatsted for a short time, I thought sourly.


    "Well then, gentlemen¡­ we''ve all understood what he wants. Let''s go our ways." They merely nodded. Fear and joy radiated from them. Mostly fear.


    As I headed to my car after picking up the recordings, I saw a silhouette behind my car. The sound of rustling was followed by quick footsteps. I hurried forward, trying to get a look at the person. He was out of sight and leaving me with a sense of dread. Opening the door to the driver''s seat I inspected the car for a moment. Nothing seemed to have been touched. I waited for some time before deciding that it was better for me to ditch the car.


    I called a cab and waited for it to arrive. As I entered the cab, I saw the ck car again. Always following.


    Anthony!


    Forgetting my earlier impression of him, I gritted my teeth together and cursed him. I had work to do, and Anthony''s attitude wasn''t going to stop me from doing it.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 35 Were Trapped

    "It took us so many years to get here. Don''t act like brats while I try to save the day!" Nn threw his hand up in the air. "You know what will happen if we fail." His angry whispers were easily heard.


    "Nole, we can''t help it. We didn''t know what we were getting into when you contacted us..." one of the boys spoke.


    ''Oh, my. This is getting interesting.''


    "Even I didn''t know what I was doing when I contacted you," his voice seemed defeated. He was scared.


    "We need to get out of this mess, man. We can''t handle this. I don''t want to die." Another said, hysterically.


    "None of us want to die. I''m sorry¡­"


    "We need to stop feeling sorry for ourselves. We can''t change anything."


    "We''re trapped."


    "What''s going to happen?" Asked one of the boys and his question was met with silence. Nn didn''t have the answers. He was in no position to reassure them when he himself was not so sure about what would be of him.


    "We need to pull our act together. If any of them finds out, we''re dead. Nothing is going to touch the two sitting on the thrones, they''ll just swear peace and walk away; we¡­ we will be ambushed. We must remain in his good books. Only he can protect us."


    ''He. Who is he? Say it. Say it, dammit!''


    "You think Darcy will help us if we are found out?" One asked rather loudly.


    ''DARCY! I knew it! I just knew it!''


    "Shut up, you idiot!" Nn hissed, ncing towards where the door should be. "They''ll hear you. You''ll be good as dead, then." He gulped.


    "If we can do what he wants, then we''ll be safe." It seemed as though he was trying to convince himself.


    "What about Anthony?" Nn shook his head.


    "Come here," he gestured around him. They formed a loose circle around him and waited for him to speak.


    "Listen. You guys thought you would earn some quick cash, and I understand that. But this shit is dangerous." He warned them. "What you need to do is shut your trap, hide and do what you are told to do. You do not ask questions and you do not look them in the eye. They''ll know if you do. Do NOT look them in the eye." He sucked in a breathe.


    "Don''t fuck thi-" And the door banged open.


    I pressed on pause on the video and waited. My eyes ached. I''d been watching the video for quite some time and I was in desperate need of some sleep.


    No matter how much I wanted to sleep, I reminded myself that I have work to do.


    I picked up my cell phone and dialed Anthony''s number. He picked up the phone before it could ring twice.


    "I see you''re back." He sounded irritated.


    "Yes¡­ actually, I was calling to tell you that I found something rather interesting."


    "What is it?" he snapped. Well, he''s in a pleasant mood. I almost rolled my eyes.


    "I was watching the video footage of the VIP room and I found that Nn and his band of boys are in reality working for Darcy." I tried to keep the smugness out of my voice. I did manage it to a great extent. I kept thinking, ''I told you so.''


    "Ah. Brilliant. What else?"


    "Nothing else, at least for now. I''ll work on it and see what happened when I left them." I could hear him huff in irritation.


    "You should''ve called after you''d gone through everything. There''s no need wasting my time, Mia," he growled. This was a pointless conversation! Why are we even speaking? Why did he even send me in today when he knew that this was not why he kept me?


    "I''ll keep that in mind forter, sir." And I had thought that he cared! Fuck, if he cared. Egotistical bastard!


    "What happened to your car?" He spoke suddenly when I was about to hang up.


    "Someone was messing with it. I thought I''d leave it where it was and check up on itter."


    "Good." Was all he said.


    "And sir? If you want more information about me, you don''t need to have me tailed."


    "Sure, Mia." His chuckle was thest thing I heard before he hung up.


    .


    I was half asleep when my phone started ringing. I wanted to throw it against the wall and smash it, but curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to know what they spoke about after I left. I wanted to see the end of this.


    "Hello," the person from the other side spoke.


    "Yes?" I cautiously said into the phone.


    "Ma''am, we have it. We''ve sent it to you. Please check it." It was one of the guards who I''d given the job of providing me with the videos of the room after I left.


    "Thank you very much. I''ll let you know if there is something else." With that, I hung up the phone. For the first time after I''d joined Anthony did I feel so self-satisfied. This was going to be a job well done.


    I clicked my mail open and downloaded the file. I took care to delete the mail before going over to skimming through the video.


    The video began on a dull note with the cell phone sitting on the table and Anthony''s voice on the loudspeaker. It continued on to where I left and the relieved look that Nn and the other boys wore. At first, it seemed pretty harmless. Just a group of men celebrating a done deal, but then it all changed. Nn''s phone started ringing. His demeanor changed and a look of fear crossed his features. He hushed the others before cradling the phone to his ears. His voice shook as he spoke into the thing.


    "Boss, I was just about to call you..." Pause. What I would give to have listened in on what the other person was saying. "Yes, the deal has been finalized."


    "No, sir. I didn''t meet Anthony, but there was this girl who came in his ce."


    "I haven''t forgotten. We''ll find her, sir."


    "Yes, sir. I''ll keep an eye out. I''ll bring you all the information you need." The guy sighed.


    "Thank you, sir¡­ Yes, sir." The put the phone away from his ears and a smile lit his face up.


    "Darcy called." The crowd broke into whispers. "We''re doing well, boys. Let''s just hope we find the girl and we are on his good books." The boys eagerly nodded. They cheered and gulped down their drinks before slowly scattering out.


    Only Nn was left in the room, his hands in the hair.


    "Poor kids," he said. "Being sent to the ughterhouse to be murdered. Hopefully, I''ll return alive from this." He shook his head a few times before packing up and leaving the room.


    ''Shit.''


    ''Need to tell Boss.''


    ''Text him, now.''


    I texted him all the details and the reply delighted me.


    [Send the video to Sean and me. -Anthony.]


    [Be there at the private shooting range tomorrow at noon. I''ll send you the addresster. -Anthony.]


    [Don''t bete. Sleep. -Anthony.]


    I pushed my body down on the bed and as soon as my head had hit the pillow, I found myself being dragged into a restless, but much-needed dose of sleep.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 36 Youve Killed Him

    One. Two. Three. Four. Five¡­ Five times the rm rung. I tried to break the little thing, but it was too far away. At midnight, I''d woken up with an urgent need to relieve myself. Nature calls. I''d set myself on the bed after that and waited for sleep to consume me after that.


    It was hard. Harder when I fell asleep.


    I was in my car¡­ in the parking lot of Poseidon. I was waiting; waiting for something. I don''t know.


    I heard the shuffling of feet and looked towards the source of the sound. A smile lit up my face.


    Sean.


    The boy looked grown up, somehow. His hands were shoved down his pocket, and a hood covered his head. He looked taller.


    He clicked the door open and sat down beside me.


    "Home?" I asked him pleasantly. He nodded, keeping his eyes downcast. I shrugged it off and forced the car alive.


    "So, how have you been doing?" I asked him as I drove. "I hope you''re doing your job!" I joked lightly. I wouldn''t have normally. But I knew it was a dream. I didn''t mind how it yed out. "Are you doing any studying?" At this point, the sweetness in my voice was getting too much. I wanted to tone it down, but I couldn''t.


    I hated my dreams. I lost control. But this was good. Sometimes it was good, but not always. It was good, for now. But not too good.


    I was confused at how Sean hadn''t replied to a word I''d said. Was he perhaps astounded by my sweetness, too?


    I looked at him for some time. He looked worried. His eyes flitted from my face to our surroundings. He gulped a few times. What was wrong with him?


    I looked away. I would just make him ufortable by staring.


    "Are you okay?" I saw him gulp from the corner of my eyes. "Sean?"


    He jumped a bit and look at me with a startled expression. I saw it then. Fear.


    "What is it?" My voice was calm, not a trace of worry that I felt for the kid.


    "I''m scared," he confessed atst.


    "I can see that, but why?" Try to look nonchnt. Don''t smother him.


    "Just¡­ just don''t stop the car." I heard the plea in his voice.


    "Talk to me. Is someone following us?" I knew no one was. I had checked.


    "Nothing! Just drive. Don''t stop." It was difficult driving and looking at him at the same time. I didn''t want the kid hurt.


    "Just tell me what''s worrying you!" I snapped. He has to tell me.


    "They''re following us," his voice was barely a whisper.


    "No one is," I assured him.


    "Yes!" he eximed.


    "Sean. No." Calm. Cool.


    He was just being paranoid.


    ''Or maybe it''s you.''


    "LOOK, DAMNIT!" His shout instinctively made me look.


    And there it was.


    The ck car.


    "This is it." The car had picked up speed. It was getting closer. I''d had enough.


    "Don''t stop. NO!" And I tried. I pushed the break, but nothing¡­ nothing. I heard a sigh of relief from Sean. I wasn''t relieved. I tried again and again. Nothing.


    "Sean?" His eyes cut to mine. "The breaks not working." His eyes widened just a bit as he absorbed my words. He panicked for a moment before rxing.


    "They won''t catch us then," he stated simply.


    "The car won''t stop even if you need it to. We could die!" He shrugged.


    "I don''t want it to stop. If it does¡­ we''ll die." So simple. Fear wasn''t lost, but it was strange seeing Sean like that.


    "Sean?"


    "It''s your dream. No one dies. We only die when you want us to in this dream." Realization. No¡­ rity. I''d forgotten what it was¡­ a dream. Sean was just my subconscious mind reminding me.


    I wanted no one to die. No one would.


    No one would die.


    And then it happened. The car went faster. I didn''t push the elerator. It just happened on its own.


    I saw it.


    The car following us. The panic in Sean''s eyes as he looked forward.


    "Stop the car!" he screamed. I looked ahead, a slight gasp leaving my lips at what I saw.


    Nothing.


    The road suddenly ended in a crooked cracked end, abrupt and deadly. There was no escaping. I tried to turn the car away. Nothing. It didn''t budge.


    "Take your seat belt off!" I yelled at him. He sat frozen.


    My seat belt came off in a snap and I leaned in to work on his. It snapped open, too, but he didn''t respond.


    "Jump, you idiot!" I screamed. I begged. He wouldn''t move. He turned towards me, his eyes showed fear.


    The door beside me opened, making me fly out, but I saw him¡­ Sean. His eyes wide, his mouth open in a silent scream. The car speeding, faster and faster until a scream hurt my lungs. The car lurched over the edge and disappeared.


    A disgusting series of crunches filled the air.


    I sat there, staring at it, remembering¡­


    I heard the screeching of wheels, I heard the engine stop. I heard the door click open. Silence.


    A cold gun pressed to my forehead.


    "Congrattions. You''ve killed him." And I tried to remember that it was just a dream.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 37 I Welcomed Death

    [Gasping for the breath I don''t need, I tried to look up at the face of my killer. I stared in horror as I saw nothing, but charred fragments of skin hanging off of bones. There were no eyes, no sockets to ce them in; no eyebrows to give the man any features. The thing just had a thin line for an opening¡ªhis mouth. No lips. If closed, one wouldn''t even think it existed.


    ''WAKE UP!'' I shouted at my own subconsciousness. If I didn''t wake up in the next few seconds, I would probably lose my mind.


    "Did you have fun hiding?" I could just stare at the faceless figure. It was a growl of anger he let out when I didn''t answer. "I''m tired of following you around. This is it. No one can save you, anymore," he said. "Anyst wishes?" he deadpanned. Of course, I wasn''t given a chance to answer. "Time''s up, kitten. Now, you die." I saw his hands jerk against the trigger. I heard the sound of the thing go off. I felt the cold, hard material against my skin for the fraction of a split second. I felt the gut-wrenching pain as the bullet locked itself in ce. I could smell the faint smell of burning skin from the firearm being held to close to the juncture of my eyebrows. Yet, I wasn''t dead. I realized in a jolt that it was merely a dream; a painful one, but a dream. I was living the dream of a horrible death.


    I couldn''t even remember my mission at that moment.


    My mission? What mission?


    I couldn''t remember.


    All I could think of was Sean, the ck car, and impending death.


    I felt the pain after the deafening sound of twelve more bullets leaving the gun.


    I weed death.]


    .


    The address to the private shooting range was sitting in my inbox when I woke up. I''d woken up altogether too early. I wondered how little I''d slept.


    I had been drenched and in dire need of a shower. As the cold water rushed over me, I tried to remember the dream. Most of it was lost. It was all shock and terror and no real memories. I knew a bit about dreams. They could be three things; a manifestation of our subconscious, a long forgotten memory or a prediction of the future. I had ruled out the second option before I''d even thought about it, but then there was thest one. I never really did have dreams that told me the consequences¡ªthe future. I''d believed that I lived in the moment: one day at a time.


    The first option gave mefort. I knew I''d been thinking of the ck car that tailed me and the fear that someone had messed with my car. But how had Seane into the scene? Was it because I''d given him a lift a couple of times?


    Maybe.


    As the time passed in the shower, I was determined to hold on to the memory of the dream, but with each drop of water that ran down my skin, the memories, too, ran in different directions; ran off until I just remembered the fear I''d felt and the blurred image of a faceless man holding the gun at my head.


    It didn''t matter anymore, I decided by the end of the shower.


    I just stopped thinking about it and got down to work. I needed to get someone to check my car out and reach the shooting range in a few hours.


    .


    Standing in front of my car¡ªthe same one that induced that wretched dream, made me nervous. I could almost hear the ticking of a bomb, but I ensured myself that no one would be stupid enough to nt a bomb that would be easy to find.


    As the mechanic checked over my car, he furrowed his brow and poked around a little longer than I would''ve liked and in the end with a sigh came back up to face me.


    "Your car is in perfect condition." His smile didn''t falter as I asked him to take another look. "There''s no need. I realize that you were a bit worried, but you have a beautiful car. I think it was just some kids who wanted to check it out."


    It made sense, but I was adamant that it wasn''t just that. I was suspicious by nature and this was definitely suspicious. Maybe I could get my hands on the CCTV footage of the alley. I think they had a camera in the area. It was then that I remembered a fragment of my dream (so much for forgetting about it).


    "Do me a favor, check the brakes again." He nodded, understanding my worries.


    Proving that my worries were unnecessary, the brakes seemed to work just fine when the mechanic checked it.


    I paid the man and with a final prayer to whatever god was up there. I entered the car and drove towards my destination¡ªthe shooting range.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 38 Good Shot, My Kitten

    "Good work on the deal!" they hollered as I entered the range. All dressed up, muffles over their ears. They had no clue that I would''ve heard them if they''d spoken a lot less loudly. Some patted my back; others looked at me with silent appreciation or contempt. I was not their favorite, but they''d have no option but to get used to me ''cause I was going to hang around for quite a long time and they knew it.


    Looking around therge expanse of the ce, I spotted Anthony right at the edge of the range. There was no one around him. I believe he preferred it to be that way. His goggle covered eyes never left his target as the bullets punctured through the air in quick session.


    I made my way towards him, the n forming in my head. I wanted to test his concentration; see if he could hit the target with absolute precision even if I interrupted him with my sheer presence. Before I knew it, I was standing right behind him, staring at his back, waiting for his reaction. I knew that he could feel me right behind him, but he didn''t move or show as much. I peered over his shoulder to see that the target was close to destroyed, barely any danger points left to be shot.


    I waited for him to be done, or at least acknowledge my presence and he did finish his round of shots soon after. He pulled his ear protectors off and leaned forward to change the cartridge.


    "Enjoying the show, Mia?" His voice was low for someone who''d just finished his round of shots and out away his ear protectors. Standing in close proximity to someone who shouted their answers at you for no reason was appalling. He didn''t do it. His control over his senses was refreshing. Few people could pull off keeping their voice low after taking of ear gear. He was still facing away from me, not ncing over at me to see if it was me or not.


    "Sure am." I could see the side of his face from where I stood, and the distinct lifting of his cheeks as his lips spread into a smile. He ced the gun beside him and turned towards me while he removed the offending goggles from over his eyes. He scrutinized me for a moment, taking in my clothes, my face¡ªmy eyes.


    "Didn''t get much sleepst night, I presume." I shook my head with a little grin. "After I asked you to rest, that is," he mocked, coolly. I didn''t answer him back.


    "Thank you for calling them off my back," my voice was barely a whisper. Yes, the tailing bastards were gone. That was why my rancid mood had vanished. Momentarily, but vanished.


    He just shrugged it off like it was nothing.


    "You did some good work, yesterday," he said. I took a bow but ended up thinking of a lot of questions.


    "Why did you send me, yesterday? Clearly, Cienna handles all the business." He smiled a sarcastic smile at that.


    "I knew you''d ask that." He tilted his head to a side to appraise me. "I want you to know the odds of working for me. I had to get you into the sight of Luke Darcy. You''re my new associate; an asset. I was just unting to you. There is nothing wrong with that, Mia. I have ns which are bigger than these little meetings." He raised a brow as if to dare me to ask him his ns. I didn''t. I just knew that he''d have already told me if he intended for me to know. After a while, you ept that Anthony isn''t someone you can take out information from. He''ll hint at it, but never tell it like it is.


    Mind games: he loves those.


    "Thank you for the opportunity." I appreciated it. To be unted by Anthony was a good thing. I didn''t exactly understand where that left me, but it certainly gave me an advantage. People would trust me enough to give me information freely. It would be easier to infiltrate Anthony''s mob.


    "Nice jacket," he said before he left me behind to stare at the carnage he called ''practice''. There was not much left of the target. He was the brand of dangerous that mixed genius with a destructive attitude. It suited him.


    Thement made my stomach tighten. Memories of the first fight between Anthony and I shed across my mind. I flung the jacket open and threw it beside Anthony''s discarded gun. I chose the target next to Anthony''s and picking up the gun I''d been given, shot at it mercilessly.


    One after the other the bullets flew, piercing the damned thing over and over. Never missing, never faltering, I shot at it until I had no bullets left. I shot at it until I felt my shoulders ache with exertion. I put the gun down to give my shoulder some time to recuperate.


    "Good shot, my kitten," I heard him say. He stood right behind me, too close to miss. And even though I could feel the warmth radiating from his body now, I hadn''t felt it all the time I''d been shooting at the target.


    "You don''t miss, do you?" he spoke into my ears. I heard a quiet, strangled chuckle follow. I peered at his face to see if he''d been sincere. His lips were twisted into a smile, his eyes burned. His hands gripped at his sides as he stared at me. He licked his lips as he stared at my shoulder. "Put the jacket back on before half the men in the room decide to forget themselves and gravitate towards you." I stared at him for a moment as he walked away, feeling a sense of power overtake me.


    I had the ultimate control¡ªto have him want to possess me. That excited me to no end. I was reaching the very peak. He would soon be in my palms to do with as I pleased.


    Lewd images crossed my mind. Us: flesh on flesh, glistening and tearing at each other like hungry wolves, shaking with need, uncontrolled. My blood boiled and swam in my veins, scorching me¡ªwith familiar anger and unfamiliar need.


    Putting my jacket back on, I stole a look at Anthony who was talking to the other men, his hands still clenched at his sides; eyes still flitting across the room, trying not to look at me.


    I felt triumph- a victory I had never thought would feel so sweet. I lived in those moments for some time.


    It onlysted for a few moments. Cienna had entered my range of sight. Shetched herself onto Anthony as soon as she spotted him and as if disgusted by the conversation the men were having, looked away. Her eyes met mine and she sneered at me. I knew that Anthony was talking about me, and she didn''t like it. The look on her face was proof.


    She left his side like she''d been scorched. Anthony didn''t give an ounce of attention to her. She walked towards me with contempt filled eyes and stopped mere inches from me. Her face was too close to mine. I felt her breath on my face. I wanted to move away, but I didn''t want her to think that I was backing off.


    "You reek!" she used like it was an insult. To me, it wasn''t. I sweat because I work. I was powerful; I was closer to my goal than she was. I reeked of victory and promise. She hated it.


    I wondered then, when did I start bing so insightful? Maybe, it was the forgotten dream that jolted me out of my helpless act.


    I fucking worked now. I would pretend to do every damn thing asked of me and ruin them. I would have fun. I would destroy and take; take everything and anything I want. It was all clear in my mind. It was the only way to win.


    "Cienna!" I think I gave her a sweet, fake smile. It made me look terribly scary. I''d seen myself in the mirror while I pulled that smile at anyone. "Give me a hug." I engulfed her into my arms, surprising her. She shrieked in horror.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 39 I Never Lose

    "Get off me, you filthy bitch!" she screamed like the banshee that she was. Iughed on her face. She growled in disgust. She was trying her best to rid herself of my sweat. "Are you happy now? You''re the next big thing in the house. They want you. Just wait until Anthony has fucked you. He''ll leave you. He keeps hisrades happy. They think you can keep them happy." At this point, her threats didn''t mean a thing. I knew why she spoke like that. That was what Anthony had done to her. He had her then let the others have her. She aimed big, she slept around. Anthony still got it on with her when he had no other choice.


    "Don''t be jealous. If what you''re saying is true then you don''t have anything to worry about." That got to her. I think I heard her muttering something about killing me, but I gave up on her once I saw Anthony looking at me with an amused look.


    "You handle yourself well," heplimented as he returned to me.


    "I would''ve asked you to tell her to keep her ws to herself, but I enjoy insulting her too much," I admitted. He raised a brow.


    "Your requests only extended to you asking me to put those tailing you off your track?"


    "What did you find out about me, anyway?" It was a simple question. One I was dying to know the answer to. There was no dangerous gleam in his eyes. He didn''t discover much more than what I''d already told him or wanted him to know.


    "Simply, that you have a bad habit of speeding, don''t wear your seatbelt as often as you should and that you are apulsive insomniac."


    "Compulsive insomniac, you say?"


    "You don''t want to sleep," he stated, simply. I shook my head in denial.


    "I love my sleep. I just never get enough."


    "So if I gave you a day off from everything, you''d miraculously sleep for a few more hours?" I shrugged. "I would like to see how that works out." He moved closer. "You like to stay awake, don''t you? You like the high. The power you have over your body. You hate your nightmares."


    "Nightmares?" I asked.


    "Us¡ªthe bad guys, we''ve seen the worst of everything. You don''t think I know what nightmares are? I used to get those when I was younger. I am where I am because of them. They made me stay awake, focus and build my empire from scratch."


    "I don''t have nightmares," I assured him. I could taste the bitterness in my mouth.


    "I''m curious, though. Was it you being who you are the reason why your mother killed herself?" His eyes hardened at that. I had hit a sore spot. I''d tried to bite down on my tongue to not spew something venomous and failed. He was on a mission to unravel me. It was a dangerous game that he was ying. I wouldn''t let him win.


    "How did you know about that?" he growled. I shrugged.


    "I did some research before I met you. I''m not as reckless as you believe me to be." His lips tugged up in a sarcastic smile. "So, will you answer me or not?" His eyes twitched with anger, but he spoke anyways.


    "She hated my father for letting me follow his footsteps. She didn''t like watching her son put a bullet through some guy''s head." His eyes bore into mine. I froze in the spot. "She hung herself just so she could punish us both."


    "She was weak." His fists clenched in anger as I uttered the words.


    "Pitifully weak," he conceded. "You wanted to be a cop. Why change your mind?"


    "I''ve already answered that before. The question remains, how did you find out about that?"


    "To address thetter: I had done my homework, too, Mia." He stared at me intently. "Your lies I can see through, any day. Don''t fucking lie to me. Your lies will only make me want you more." Awareness jolted through me at that. He gravitated towards me like a negatively charged atom, ready to take my electrons from me. Complete oxygen against hydrogen. Form water. I held back. I moved away. I wasn''t giving up. I was going to be negative this time. I would take his electrons, protons, and neutrons.


    "Do they, now? I don''t lie."


    "Lying just makes me want you more," he taunted. I loved it. "Tell me." His wish was mymand.


    "A cop was too small. They''re honorable creatures if they intend on following the rules, but when they don''t? They be the pawns of the bigger yers. They are insignificant. I wanted to matter, to hold absolute power and being a cop would''ve held me back."


    He chuckled. I wondered if the truth made him want me any less. There wasn''t much difference between those I considered scum and I. I was a bit more civilized in terms of my employment but dirtier when one considered the job description. I''d do anything to get the job done; being a cop wouldn''t give me that. That sort of control came with abusing power. I wanted to avenge my mother. I wanted to annihte all those who threatened her¡ªor me.


    "When did you decide on bing a mobdy?" When I found out that YOU killed my mom.


    "I wouldn''t want you to want me any less, by telling the truth." That appeased him. "You know too much about me." It scared me a bit.


    "Not enough." He stared for too long. "There''s news of a little healthypetition among the guys. Wanna join in?"


    "What''s the deal?"


    "Bike race or some shit. They''re meeting at the mansion in the early hours. The one who wins gets twenty grand." His smirk was contagious.


    "Any bets?" He raised a brow.


    "I''m going to win, my kitten."


    "We''ll see."


    He leaned in and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "I never lose."


    ''This time, you will''.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 40 Throw Them Off Track

    I let the bullets fly until I had nothing left in me. My shoulder ached with the need to rest. My tank top had been soaking wet with sweat; my jacket was long forgotten. The atmosphere had grown hot as the day carried on. People had grown tired and left, but I had remained until the very end. Anthony had been called to the mansion for some urgent work, giving me time to think about what had happened.


    Without him in proximity, I could think about what had transpired between the two of us with a clear vision. We''d started a dangerous game¡ªthe two of us. I had been blinded by his words, but I had gotten some leverage over him. His lust for my body far exceeded his need to control me, I hade to believe. It was probably the fact that I was beyond his control that spurred him on. Now that I thought about it, I realized that... that had been true since the first day we''d met; not as a child, but as an adult. My hatred for him was what made us bothe inexplicably close to devouring each other.


    If it went on at the rate that it was¡­ we''d have no control and not even Cienna would be able to pull us apart (not that she had the power to do anything of the sort).


    My mind worked at dissecting many things simultaneously; one part focused on how I would approach the situation with Anthony, another was focusing on getting as much information as I could about the organization as fast as I could andst but not the least- find out what was going on with Daisy.


    Daisy would be the first part of the n I would have to figure out. She had been missing in action for quite some time and I wondered if she was even working on anything. As I rode back home I dialed her number and waited for her to pick her phone up.


    It took a few tries to get her to pick up her phone.


    "Seven times, Daisy. I called you seven times," I said, irritated with her for picking up the phone sote.


    "Good to hear from you, too." Her voice sounded garbled. I slowed the car down, taking a moment to adjust my Bluetooth device on my ear so that I could hear her properly. It was of no use, though. "What made you think about me?" she wondered aloud. She sounded like she was stuffing food into her mouth and talking while chewing.


    "I have a better question. What have you been up totely?" I hear her swallow whatever she was gorging on. So, I had assumed correct. The woman had been eating while I desperately tried to catch hold of her. I guessed that I could let her pass for the time being.


    "Trying to make your life easier, would be a good answer to that question."


    "I would''ve thanked you if you had told me what you''ve been doing and how it is going to make my life easier."


    "I''m trying to find out how to hack that system that little nutjob build for Anthony. It''s not particrly easy, let me assure you. It''s going to take some time, but I think I have the answer." I decided that she sounded confident enough.


    "Just try not topromise yourself or my identity," I warned her.


    "Don''t worry about my safety. They''ve been trying to check you out quite thoroughly. If there was any person who should be happy that they have no rtives, it should be you. You''re lucky." The silence was audible. I knew what she meant and it didn''t hurt as much as she probably thought it did, but the realization hit me like a freight train. I really have no one left to go back to.


    "I''m sorry!" she hurried to apologize. I didn''t mind. The realization hade to me more as a shock than a jolt of pain. Shock, I could manage.


    "Don''t worry your pretty little mind about me being offended. It takes more than that to get me going." I could hear her sigh, audibly. "What you said is true and it''s a good thing. Nopromises, nothing. They have nothing to hold against me. They can''t get me through emotional ckmailing. Isn''t that a wonderful thing?" When I thought about what I said, it made perfect sense. It was a good thing and I didn''t have it in me to think otherwise or hurt.


    All my anger had been diverted into thinking about my mission. It was helping me cope with the loss of my mother. My father was never around for me, so I didn''t feel the need to grieve. My mother, I had never given up on. My anger had helped me move on. It had made me think clearer.


    "They''ve been doing some background checks in you. They''ve got the best private investigators on you." She changed the topic.


    "Should I be worried? Do you think they guessed who I am?" I heard the shuffling of paper on the other side.


    "There is nothing to be worried about. They are just a bit confused that they can''t find much about you. I might have done a little too well with the hiding your identity thing. Your apartment is the only weak spot now."


    "I want to know what sort of background checks Anthony has asked this investigator to do before." I heard a faint hum and then the sound of her gorging on more food.


    "Will you be able to do that?" I asked her, wondering if she already had too much on her te. I wouldn''t be that cruel.


    "Yes," she said after gulping her food down. "Now let me eat in peace. This is the first meal I''ve had in two days. Helping you out is going to get me killed." With augh I hung up on her, letting her eat in peace.


    .


    Being home had never felt more peaceful than at that moment. To enter the apartment after the noise of bullets firing and then the noisy cosmopolitan street, felt heavenly. I soaked in the sound of silence into every pore. What renewed my sense of peace was the knowledge of what Daisy was up to. Talking to Daisy had left me with a sense of relief. She had not dropped from the face of the earth and now I could do my work in peace.


    I decided that I''d better take a shower before the apartment started to stink like dead and decaying buffaloes. As I stood in the shower I tried to remember thest time I''d ridden a bike. It had been a couple of years, but the memory brought back a smile on my face. It had been a really close call.


    I had been assigned to infiltrate a small drug cartel at the Mexican border. They were digging up kids who had run away from home. They were hanging around a local school in search of younger boys and girls to run errands. The kids had been disappearing fast and the police could do nothing to stop the disappearances. There had been over ten teenagers missing when the assignment was ced in front of me. I''d wasted no time in signing the contract and started work immediately. My mission was to try and rescue the kids and get them out before they got too involved. I''d ended up killing one of the important stakeholders in the cartel and had to flee from the site immediately. Their men were everywhere. It turned out that the man I had killed had been a politician. The security had been severe and I''d almost gotten caught trying to escape. I had used a decent looking bike which one of the guards had left outside to find my way out of danger. It was a dangerous ride, though. It left me unguarded from all directions. I''d just hopped on it and thanked the God that the man had left his keys.


    My disguise had helped me throw them off track too. My love for long hair had always made me wear wigs when the mission demanded that I chop my poor locks off. That time it was a neon green colored hair that stuck out everywhere. I''d removed the damn thing and rushed away and it seemed that it had dyed my pursuers to find me.


    No doubt that it had been exhrating, but I''d had a tough time constantly on road and rarely taking stops to feed myself. I''d constantly been on that thing for two days to throw them off track.


    Dangerous things happened on missions.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 41 Good View

    Snapping out of my thoughts I checked my cell phone to see if the Boss had sent the specifications for the asion tonight. Of course, as expected, there was a message waiting for me.


    [Report at headquarters at 12:00 am. We ride to LaGuardia from there. Bring your own gear. The bike, you''ll get when you arrive. ¨CAnthony]


    Smiling at the cell phone I shook my head. The man was always to the point. He involved no emotions in these texts merely because they were meant asmands. Not giving it much thought, I helped myself to some canned food and then curled up in my bed to get some sleep.


    Why waste time doing nothing when I can sleep?


    Free of any worries at that moment I found myself slipping into a peaceful sleep, and no wicked dreams seemed to touch me in those moments.


    .


    My car waited outside the huge ck gates in front of the mansion. Following standard procedure, the guards checked the car. I waited for them to be done before they let me enter the premises. The garage was overflowing with bikes and mine seemed to be one of the few cars that were parked. Judging by the number of bikes that were visible at first nce, I wondered exactly how many people would attend the festivities that were going to take ce. If such an amount had arrived on call for a race, I could only imagine the actual number of people who Anthony employed. Obviously, the numbers that I had received as data had been wrong. He''d grown his numbers drastically and done a good job at managing everything, it seemed. One wouldn''t find many loose strings in his mob. It was a huge aplishment if I''d ever witnessed one.


    "Mia, right?" I heard someone say as soon as I''d gotten down from the car. I calmly turned around to see the face of the person who had finally gotten the guts toe up and actually speak to me, directly. The first thing one would notice about him was his tattoos. Any skin that was not covered with clothes had ink on it. He was a well-built man with a hard face and a scar running down his left brow to his eyelids. He was wearing a tight ck T-shirt with a pair of army print shorts and had a cigarette hanging off of his lips. I remembered seeing him the day I was officially introduced in front of the people who were present and had to shoot Scott between the eyes to prove that I possessed unwavering nerves. He''d been sitting at the back of the room, wearing a grim expression on his face as the whole debacle had taken ce.


    "Yes, and you are?"


    He smiled before taking a step closer to me and offering me his hand. I took his hand and shook it.


    "Ethan McCarthy," he introduced himself. I nodded my head even though I had no idea who he was. "I work for the security department. I''m the head." I knew that he saw the interest in my eyes when he smirked and nodded his head. "I know, I do some pretty badass stuff to keep those people safe. We''ll be working closely. I look forward to working with you. I was impressed by that little disy the other day." With a tip of his head, he turned and walked away. Of course, I followed him into the mansion. As we entered the great hall I saw that the whole room was filled with people. It was like the house had been infested with rats or locust.


    "I have arrived," Ethan announced in his booming voice. I could see that the whole room turned, their eyes fell on him as he made an entrance with his arms open wide. They rolled their eyes or smiled¡­ until they saw me.


    The first person I noticed in the room was Cienna. She had been sitting at the center of the room, flirting with the men andughing animatedly with her head thrown back, but she stopped when Ethan entered. Her eyes followed me and a sneer was ced permanently on her lips. She slipped off from the high chair she was sitting on and sauntered to me.


    "There you are!" she eximed with fake enthusiasm. I raised a brow at her wondering why she even tried to fake enthusiasm. Clearly, they all knew that she loathed me. She had been pouncing on me at any chance she got.


    "And you''ve met Ethan," she sneered. She said this like it was something bad. Maybe, it was. Or she was trying to embarrass me by implying something that went over my head. I didn''t give a damn about what she thought.


    "Oh, yes. I''ve met the littledy," Ethan said as he made room for to sit. "She''s got quite an ass on her, that little thing. I got a good view." I rolled my eyes, unaffected by the remark.


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 Chapter 42 Treasure Hun

    "Not going after Anthony, anymore?" She might have made a remark about my intelligence but didn''t want to acknowledge her implications with a reply.


    "Aw, don''t be jealous, Cee," someone said. This was slowly bing a regr urrence for us. She tried to publicly humiliate me and it, in turn, made me more popr with all these people. These people loved a good catfight and especially one where one had their ws drawn and the other literally kicked them down, cold. Obviously, Cienna losing her fight was entertaining to them and I was their personal hero (for the moment).


    Looking at the people who crowed the room, I wondered how long it would take me to get to know and extract information from each one of them. It would take years, I calcted and those years would be worth it.


    Then I saw Sean seated between two boys who looked a bit older than him. He grinned at me before giving me a mock, two-fingered salute and then going back to the conversation. There was no space left in the room, so I promptly went up to the empty stool that Cienna had vacated and ced myself on it.


    They stared at my audacity at first, but then they leaned back, going back to their respective conversations. Cienna would have burst out in rage if Anthony hadn''t entered the room at that moment. The room grew silent as they saw him enter. They shot up to their feet as if by reflex. Even I found myself springing to my feet. They made space for him to move about. They gave him the throne, the central seat at the bar. He sat down and leaned back, spreading his legs a bit. It must have seemed inviting because Cienna just went up to him and slithered into hisp.


    I decided that rolling my eyes would be an awful habit by the time I finished my mission. At the rate she was demonstrating her stupidity it would be a challenge to not pick up the habit.


    His arms snaked around her waist and I could feel the curious eyes shifting from me to them from time to time. I felt a sudden loss of power, but put up a smile on my face, nheless.


    She might have winked to aggravate me. It had the exact opposite effect on me. I felt the feeling of loss of power leaving me. She was weak enough to pull these stunts just so that she could prove her superiority.


    Anthony, on the other hand, had his eyes fixed on me. Well, it was actually the protective jacket that I had pulled on when I entered the mansion behind Ethan. He definitely had a jacket fetish. He gave me a slow,zy smile when he saw that I had caught him looking at me.


    He brushed her off hisp and got up to his feet with his hands shoved inside the pockets of his jeans.


    "You guys ready?" His voice was loud and clear. His dismissal of Cienna was lost in the excitement of getting to know what would happen next. "So, we''re celebrating the signing of a new contract. We might be in a tight spot, but we''re going to trash the other team." The crowd chortled and cheered in enthusiasm. "And that brings us to the beginning of the celebrations."


    "What''s the prize, Boss?" someone from the back of the crowd asked.


    "Ten grand for winning the race," he answered in a light voice.


    "You get to choose your partner. You ride the bike and they navigate you. We ride to LaGuardia where we start the race. We race back to the mansion, park the bike and the one sitting behind runs around the house trying to find the cash." The crowd broke out inughter.


    "A treasure hunt?" someone asked, hesitantly. Anthony shrugged.


    "Go ahead, my toddlers. Let the games begin!" he backed away.


    "Are you participating?" I asked. He nodded. He pulled out something from his pocket and signaled me to extend my hand. I did so and he dropped and keychain in it. I smiled.


    The room filled out. I followed Anthony out of the mansion to the garage where he pointed at a wicked white beauty that was hidden behind his cars. I took it out to see him going to another one. Sleek, fast and powerful was what I''d thought of his bike.


    I towed the bike out to see the others already moving out of the gates. Sean was waiting for me, I hoped. I mounted the bike and waited for Sean to do the same. He hopped onto the bike, bursting with enthusiasm. The bike buckled under his jerky movements as he kept talking.


    "Shut up, Sean," I told him. He did stop talking but his enthusiasm did not fade anytime soon. I wondered what the cause of such hype was. I asked him as much, and he told me that he wanted the money. I remained amused until I saw Cienna''s ws on Anthony as she wound herself around him like a snake.


    .


    I nned on warming the little demon of a bike when I heard it purr as it was brought to life. The demon bent to my will, smoothly rolling across the streets, almost making love to the asphalt. I could feel Sean gripping the bar at the back to bnce himself.


    "Why are you going so slowly?" I snorted at his question. Heughed as I increased the speed just a bit.


    "You''re enjoying the wind against your skin, kid. Don''t make me drive like a maniac and get you wound up enough to leave you disoriented during thest phase of the race."


    "The real reason, please?" He asked, screaming at the top of his lungs so that I could hear him over the whooshing sound of the wind. I increased the speed further, feeling him leaning forward, going for my waist to keep from falling off.


    "I''m warming it up so I can work it to maximum capacity during the real race." I didn''t hear a reply but continued to voice my question. "With Anthony participating in the race, don''t you think it''s a little unfair for the others? Who hid the damn cash, anyway?"


    "Ethan. That dude won''t open his mouth even if you torture him for days, and he''s been through that. He was a war prisoner, of sorts. He''s the perfect secret-keeper." Still shouting, Sean leaned in closer to speak in my ears. The whoosh of the wind was slowly turning into a loud roar as the speed increased.


    "What happened to warm up and saving energy for the race?" he screamed.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 43 Gold-Digger

    "I''m still warming up. We''ll see what this demon is worth during the race. This is just a trailer." The excitement slithered through my veins as I saw the bright lights ahead.


    Headlights.


    The bunch had stopped moving.


    We were thest to reach, but lucky enough to see the irritated looks on everyone''s face. Anthony''s head was hidden behind that tinted helmet of his. His posture screamed ''smug''. He was sure of that he would end up victorious. He was apetitive man who would never go down without a fight. His superiorityplex would be the end of him if it was not for his hard-headed intent on winning every single fucking time.


    It waster when I felt Sean shifting off the bike that I realized that Ethan was at the crown of the crowd. His bike was parked at an odd angle and the other bikes stood behind him. He yed with an odd looking piece of cloth in his hand while leaning against that bike of his.


    I silently parked the bike at the end of the messy formation.


    Ethan took a few moments before he started to speak in that booming voice of his.


    "Hello, bitches!" The collective snickering broke out from the crowd. "We''re all gathered here today to beat some biker ass and race towards the cash." The hollering ensued. "But there are fucking rules!"


    "No one deviates from the designated route."


    "No one hurts any civilian."


    "No one hurts another participant during the race."


    "You go as fast as you can."


    "May the odds be ever in your favor!" Whispers broke out and peopleughed at the enthusiastic little ending. They took their positions, as did I. I felt the weight of the event pressing down on me. This was a serious matter. It was like one of those rituals that held deeper meaning that no outsider could understand. I was an outsider. I''d eventually get the hang of it, I tried to soothe myself.


    This was a bonding session, of sorts; each testing their loyalty to the other. Competition brought out the truth behind every mask. It was a tactic tob through all the members of the mob and prune out the rotten ones. Pride, I decided, was the key factor. It was a matter of pride, too. As an outsider, I had no other reading into the matter.


    What sounded like a loud ''go,'' echoed through the air, followed by the growl of engines being pushed to their limits.


    I felt Sean squirm behind me as I brought the demon to life and whizzed past a few of the contenders. Adrenaline pumped as the distance between the final destination and we decreased. I realized that it was time to test the limit of the little demon that purred in satisfaction between my legs. Gripping the handle tighter, I elerated it until I felt like I was flying. I could hear Sean squealing behind me. The poor kid was holding on to me for dear life, but I didn''t let that deter me. I pressed harder and harder until everything became just a blur. The roaring turned to shrieks. The sirens sang in my ears as I saw glimpses of bikes falling back. Nothing was fast enough. Nothing except that one bike that sped right beside me, often overtaking me and speeding away for moments. The sh of bronze was all it took. Everything became sharper at that moment. Harder and harder, the demon broke through all limits, giving Anthony a hard time.


    I saw his face constantly moving from me to the road. I saw the woman behind him clutching on to him, his helmet on her head. His head was air blown, an explosion of bronze swiveling with the winds around him. I took up too much time concentrating on that, I realized.


    Adrenaline pumped harder, constricting everything within me to push harder. Anthony won out, speeding away, not far, but enough for me to know that we were losing. I doubted that Sean would be able to find the cash before her.


    She was a gold digger, right? Who was better in sniffing out shit worth something than her? I thought a bit bitterly. Yes, it was pride. My pride hurt knowing that I wasn''t winning and they were.


    That wouldn''t do.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 44 Lure You

    "Where do you think Ethan can hide the money?" I shrieked like a hyena so that he would be able to hear me. Sean''s replying ''huh?'' didn''t make me feel better. "Game n!" I barked, again.


    "I suspect that he has hidden it somewhere in the kitchen. He was lingering for too long," he let me know in a contemtive voice. I nodded.


    "Try out the garage as well. I saw him there when I was getting out of my car." I tried to add to the list.


    "She''s going to win this," he groaned. "I really need the money!"


    "What the fuck for?" I asked him. The boy earned enough from Anthony and from the tuition fees that his father paid to the fake school he was supposed to study in and what had happened to all the money he had stolen from the bank a few years ago?


    "I need to buy this newputer and all the other essories so that I can do some work from home." I don''t reply. "I want to go back to school, someday. Study aboutputers. I''ll probably top the ss, but I want to go to school." I was a bit surprised at his request. The boy wanted to go back to school, and that was a great thing! But I was still left wondering as to what he had done with all the money that he had earned in the past couple of years.


    "You could just ask Anthony," I told him. Obviously, Sean could do that. Anthony loved the boy more than any of his associates. Anyone who saw them interact would understand that. He was Anthony''s weakness, of sorts, I hade to realize. Sometime in the distant future, I could use this weakness of his to my advantage. I liked the kid, too, so the day would note so soon.


    "Nah, this is something that I got to do myself," he told me. The boy had honor. I respected him for that. I let the conversation go, knowing that he''d try his best to get his hands on the cash first because he needed to win. His determination to get his hand on cash would lead him to victory. There is nothing stronger than the willpower and desire to back it.


    I sped faster than I''d ever done before. When I reached the mansion and parked right outside, I saw Cienna getting off the bike and rushing inside the mansion. The demon came to the stop and I felt it jerk as Sean jumped off it and rushed towards the direction of the garage.


    Anthony got off from his bike and leaned against it as his eyes silently followed the boy''s every step. When Sean went out of sight, he focused on me. I took my time in getting the helmet off and unzipping my jacket to rx. My part of the job was done, now it was Sean''s business to get his hands on the goods.


    "Only if Ethan would be that obvious!" Anthony chuckled. "He won''t find a thing in the garage." I didn''t feel like answering him. I was a bit short of breath from the fast ride. He took the silence as a cue to speak some more.


    "You lost," he stated, casually. I shook my head. A smile curved his lips. "Denial is not just a river in Egypt," I thought that heughed at his own joke. "It is a beautiful thing," he shrugged as he stared at me. "You lost, kitten," he announced.


    I made it a point to let him know that he hadn''t won yet. He was too cocky, and it might have been getting on my nerves. The man wasn''t winning against me anytime soon. I''d make sure that he didn''t.


    ''Sean, I hope you find the damn thing before Cienna gets her hand on it! I don''t think I''ll be able to handle his smug ass for the next god knows how many days. My patience is limited and I might try to strangle him. He might get a kick out of it, but I sure don''t want him to try and strangle me in return. I''m not interested in dying just yet!''


    "The race isn''t over until someone gets their hand on the prize." I dared to give him a pointed stare. I was half-expecting him to snap at me for my insolence but was d when he didn''t seem to mind my tone. Of course, all was fair in love and war and anypetition was considered as a war to Anthony.


    He snorted as Sean came out of the garage with a disappointed look on his face and rushed towards the mansion. "I told you so." I gave him a look that seemed to amuse him. "You''re a surprisingly good biker," hemented.


    "I''m good at just about everything," was my ingenious reply.


    "You''re after my poor heart, aren''t you?" heughed out, surprising me at first. Then it made me roll my eyes at him. Hisughter was infectious and I soon found myself shaking my head in amusement.


    "You know the answer to that, Anthony," I teased him. "What other purpose do I have to join your little mob than lure you into my trap and have my wicked way with you?" I could almost see his eyes glimmer when I said that.


    "By all means, go ahead and lure away. You''re doing quite a good job at it, I must admit." He winked. Our little conversation was broken as we heard the sound of approaching bikes.


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 Chapter 45 Youre Getting Old

    The sounds of shuffling and cursing people filled the entrance of the property. Others had started appearing and they stumbled to stop and run for the house. Cienna and Sean clearly had an advantage over the other people... if they were being intelligent and leaving no evidence about the ces they had searched and not found the prize. The people who cameter would know if they didn''t tread carefully and gave their whereabouts to them.


    None of those who remained came closer to us. At the very end, Ethan came into view, following thest of the bikers. He parked the bike and gave me a little wink after he had taken off the helmet.


    "Sweet ride," hemented and got off the bike. He said no more when I tipped the imaginary hat on my head but just gave me a wicked smile before shoving his hands down the pockets of his pants and striding towards the house without hesitation.


    "Why do you think he''s going inside the house?" I asked Anthony. Nobody even looked at Ethan as he passed them and entered the house.


    "He''s just going to go inside and lie down on the couch. Maybe he''ll switch on the television and watch animal." I stared at him for a moment. "That''s Ethan for you," he informed me with a shrug.


    "How long do you think it''s going to take for one of those people to finally get their hands on the goods?"


    "I have no clue. I know Ethan and he would never make it easy. So, we could be camping out here for hours. I can only imagine what condition the house will be in when this is over." I thought I heard him groan. Of course, his prized mansion was going to be in shambles by the time someone found the goods. I got some sort of sick happiness from it. I think he knew it, too.


    "Cut that smile off your face, kitten. I''ll make all of you clean up the ce while I take a nap," he threatened.


    "You''re getting old, Anthony," I teased. "If you''re feeling thatzy, I don''t think it''s a good sign." I shook my head in mock worry.


    "I''m not. Want me to prove it to you after Cienna wins the damned race?" He raised his eyebrows at me. The innuendo was clear, and it didn''t bother me, really. I let it go with an eye roll and looked away.


    "I''ll love the look on Cienna and your faces when Sean and I win this thing."


    "You wish, kitten."


    "And wishes doe true." I pointed towards Sean who walked out of the mansion with a delighted expression on his face. He waved the white package over his head, signaling that he had found the treasure.


    "I told you so," I leaned into Anthony and whispered to him in a patronizing tone. He turned towards me with raised brows.


    "I''ll get back at you for that," he whispered back to me, his voice low and scratchy. I winked at him and leaned away.


    Sean skipped towards me, clearly ecstatic that he''d been the one to find the prize. It made me wonder about how serious he actually was about his education and his reasons. Not that the money he was getting from this race was going to be any more legal than any of the other sources of ie that he has.


    "I got it!" he shouted as he raced towards me. He took me by shock when he hugged me. His grip tightened around me as heughed. He was a short kid as he hadn''t hit his growth spurt as of then. I think I chuckled at his antiques, too, because the others seemed highly amused at his show of affection.


    "Get off me, before I kick your ass," I warned him in a light voice. He scrambled away at that. Of course, I had been kidding... partially. The boy couldn''t understand the difference between a joke and a threat. Someone had to teach him that if he wasn''t picking it up himself.


    I saw Cienna then. Her hair was a mess, probably due to the fact that she had tried to tear at it when she found out that Sean had gotten his hands on the cash before she had.


    "Better luck next time, baby," I heard Anthony tell her when she came to him, a petnt expression fixed on her face.


    "That kid must have cheated. It was as if he knew from the beginning!" she almost screeched. People tried to engage in their own conversations as she ate out poor Anthony''s ears. Both Sean and I enjoyed that part, though. Anthony seemed unaffected, an image of calmness as he tried to calm her down. One wouldn''t be able to spot even a tick of his jaws that he might have let slip in frustration. He let her speak, before giving her a stern look that silenced her. Her mouth pressed into a thin line as she waited for him to say something. The tact way he handled her was an indication that he was experienced in handling the tantrums of the woman and he no longer gave any importance to them.


    "This is not important." His voice was loud and clear. "He''s just hurt your ego by using his brains when you didn''t." He simply left it at that. I didn''t know what was worst, losing to Sean or Anthony''sment.


    "I swear I''m telling the truth! Ethan must have helped him." She looked like a maniac as she ran her hands through her hair. Her eyes were red, brimming with unshed tears. For a moment, I wondered why she was so concerned about this. How she summoned the courage to speak over Anthony was beyond me. I might have made a habit out of it, but I doubted that Anthony would spare me if I bbered to him in the condition that Cienna is in.


    "Cienna, I think you should get some sleep," the simple suggestion sounded like a threat. He pushed past her and walked away without giving her another nce. He did look our way once but said nothing.


    Cienna saw that, obviously. She flew towards us in rage.


    "YOU!" she screamed. I flinched. She had a dirty habit ofing on to people and screaming at their faces. Sean visibly shrunk back and tried to hide behind me.


    "What the fuck is your problem?" She had been at it for some time and it was irritating the hell out of me. "Stop acting like a big baby. Don''t lose your shit over a stupid treasure hunt." That straightened her up.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 46 Vanquish Evil Monsters

    "Damn you and that little apprentice of yours. Stop trying to ruin all my ns. I needed to win this. You... both of you just ruined it," she growled at us. She sounded more like the helpless victim who had nowhere to escape than the fierce woman that she pretended to be. I wondered what she had gotten caught up in to make her want to win the race so desperately.


    It could be something to do with her ego, but she wouldn''t make such a fuss about it despite the fact that she was a drama queen. I would safely strike out that option. Maybe, it was something to do with her position in the mob and her pride kicking in. Possible. Or she had gotten caught up in some mess and was in dire need of cash. It was an improbable scenario, but I wouldn''t put it past her to get tangled into something bad. It was probably the reason why Anthony had sent me to deal with the dealers and not her.


    Though each of the possibilities was interesting to ponder on I couldn''te to care about how much of trouble she was in. I was past seeing her aspetition; not that I ever recognized her as such. Her melodrama seemed to make my job a lot easier. I just hoped that she would be intelligent enough to not humiliate herself further.


    "Are you done?" I asked her calmly. If she was going to act like she''d lost her mind, then that was how she was going to be treated.


    ''I''m suddenly acting like a responsible adult who hates kids but has to take care of a house full of them. At first, it was just Anthony, then Sean and now Cienna. I hope no one elsees to join the slumber party.''


    She grumbled and with a death re at both of us, walked away. I could hear the sigh of relief from Sean as she retreated.


    "She''s a scary woman," he admitted in a small voice. "Wonder what crawled up her bum," he snickered, his nervousness slowly dissipating.


    "Political or financial issues, I presume."


    "We could hack into her email ID''s and bank ounts and find out what her problem is." He seemed a little too enthusiastic for something that he wasn''t asked to do. It wasn''t even remotely entertaining.


    "Truthfully, I don''t have the time or the interest to poke around in her business. She seems to be doing a fine job at it herself. I don''t want to ''ruin'' her ns." I could hear the huff he let out when he realized that I really didn''t have the inclination to know about the woman.


    "I could''ve honed my hacking skills," he muttered.


    "I think you''ve got that covered, kid. Now let''s go inside and look at the carnage that you guys left behind." He nodded and followed me inside the mansion.


    Not much seemed to be out of ce, I noticed. The searchers had been particr in putting things back into their ces so that they could escape the wrath of Anthony. He didn''t mind, I knew, but he would have made them clean up after them if he found the house turned upside down.


    Ethan still sat on the couch, watching animal as Anthony had said. He had this excited look on his face as he watched a documentary on eagles. People around him spoke in hushed tones, but he seemed to be shushing them at regr intervals so that he could watch the show in peace.


    "Where did you find the stash, anyway?" I asked Sean.


    "He had hidden them in the refrigerator behind the fish." He suppressed a chuckle as he saw the disgusted look on my face. "Go on, smell it!" he teased as he shoved the packet at me. I dodged the thing, but got the stench of raw fish, nheless.


    "Get that thing away from me." I wrinkled my nose trying to get the memory of the disgusting smell out of my mind. I shuddered as I moved away from where I couldn''t get the smell. Sean was shaking inughter at my reactions.


    "At least you won, huh?" I couldn''t hold back a smile that formed on my lips. The kid deserved to win for having a presence of mind and the capability to infuriate Cienna to the point of madness. That obviously fetched him brownie points from me.


    "It was a fishy find," he joked. "You helped. So, you deserve half of it," he told me. I shook my head. I had no job getting my hands dirty by epting any money that came from Anthony. Of course, I ''worked'' for him, but I wasn''t going to ept any of it. And I didn''t want any of that stinky money anywhere near me.


    So says the woman who kills and cheats people to earn money.


    Of course, my inner voice had to make its opinion known. Not that it was going to influence me to take half the cash. It was Sean''s.


    "I don''t need all of the money," he tried to reason, panicked that he''d said something to offend me and make me refuse the money. I shook my head again.


    "This was a stupid race. I participated because I''mpetitive. I don''t need the money." I winked at him, hinting at Cienna''s apparent displeasure at our win. I was happy that I''d won against the boss. I''d thought he waspetitive, but he had not taken any of it personally while Cienna had gone Godzi on everyone. He didn''t even look disappointed when Sean came out with the cash.


    It was Sean we were talking about, though. He did have a soft spot for the boy. Anthony probably thought of him as a little brother... or a son. Wherever this thought was headed, I wanted to put a stop to it. It was getting utterly creepy. To think that Anthony actually cared about someone was a sphemous idea.


    Or maybe that was what made him so dangerous in the first ce.


    ''A mobster with the heart of gold. One who vanquishes evil monsters to protect the innocent and helpless?''


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 47 I Dont Need You Anymore

    I almostughed my head off because I totally imagined him in a superhero suit with a cape and shy underwear.


    "You have a weird look on your face." I snapped out of my train of thought when I heard Sean say that.


    "Nah, it''s nothing. You go ahead and keep the money, okay? Don''t read too much into it. Those codes of yours are getting to your head. Not everything is asplicated as it seems." Seeming satisfied with my exnation, he huffed in resignation and lowering his head, scurried towards the room with theputers.


    My cell phone vibrated in my back pocket and I reached in to pull it out.


    "Yes?" I answered, knowing it was Anthony. The shing words that signaled that a private number was calling gave him away.


    "Come to my office, immediately." Click.


    ''Okay, that was enlightening.''


    I had to have known that the polite, teasing conversations were going tost for so long. ncing around the room, I could see that no one apart from Cienna was staring at me. She looked calmer, but the raw anger in her eyes hadn''t died down as of then.


    I ignored her and quietly walked into Anthony''s room. I realized with joy that the lesser attention they gave me, the better it was. It just meant that they were epting me into the group. Anthony was sitting behind his desk, his head buried in a huge piece of paper which I recognized as a map when I got closer.


    "Anthony?" I asked as I neared.


    "Come here, will you?" As usual, he didn''t look at me as he spoke. "I have some news and I need you to look into the matter." I nodded, sure that he couldn''t see the gesture but went nearer to him so that I could look at the map from over his shoulders. I could see him scribbling on the map with a red marker and drawing lines across the map with it.


    "This is the map of New York." Okay, I could see that it was clearly stated in the right-hand top corner of the map. "I''m trying to find out the location of the shipments."


    "I thought that the shipments would be in Syracuse. Wasn''t that the broader region that we should be trying to search in?"


    "I had people working on the locations, but it turns out that they could find nothing rted to Darcy near it. None of his associates have any property or storage facilities on rent in the region; nothing in the whole of the district of New York. It''s strange because Darcy functions and trades withpanies all over New York. His favorite ce in the world is Wall Street."


    "Have you tried searching for people who are associated with him, but are under the radar? A lot of people who trade with him would help him out so that they could have his favor," I tried to reason.


    "It''s a good thought, but I''m fairly sure that no one would want to help out Darcy when they had me to worry about."


    "Darcy might be lying about the ownership of the shipments."


    "Mia, haven''t you heard the saying, ''finders keepers, losers weepers?'' For all he cares, the shipments are his." I sighed in irritation.


    "Does Darcy have any connections to the guards posted on the port?" He shook his head no. "Money talks louder than fear, you know. He might have fed them enough to keep them working and their mouths shut." He looked up at me, his eyes alight with intrigue.


    "I think his name is enough to keep someone''s mouth shut." I shook my head.


    "A lot of people have not heard of Darcy or you, for that matter. They could very well not understand the weight of one name. Money, though, is important. You give anyone that and they start to service you at your beck and call."


    "Good point well made, Mia." He rubbed his jaw with his hands.


    "We could look into that matter, but I''m hoping that is not the case. I''ve been investing a pretty amount to those guards to make them do their tasks, smoothly." His jaw ticked. "I''m working on the other possible locations. The best option would be tob through these ces. We need to know the capacities and volumes of these storage houses."


    "Don''t you usually have trackers ced with the shipment? Surely we can try to search for the tracker."


    "We can, but I''m sure that they must have found it out and crushed it by now."


    "It''s worth a try."


    "We can call Sean in right now and let him get to work," he told me. It sounded like a question as he said it out loud. "I haven''t spoken to the kid in a while."


    "He''s just won this thing. Give him a break."


    "Sure." He shrugged and went back to plotting on the map.


    "Nomands, today? Are you alright, Boss?" It was meant to be a joke, but to be quite honest I had started to get a bit worried at his polite act.


    "I''m just giving my employees some space so that they can get over all that has been happening recently." His tone was low and angry. And then and there we were back to square one. "I highly value my employees, Mia. Don''t think otherwise. They''ve lost their support system¡ªScott, recently. I think they deserve a break."


    "I was wondering when my brooding boss went." I raised a brow, probably inviting a fight.


    "You should leave. Thank you for your suggestions. I''ll let Sean know when he''s done celebrating. I''ll let you know after that. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in the near future. I don''t want youcking in that department just because you think that I have started to favor you. For all I know, you''re exactly like Scott. I only have use for you until you serve your purpose. Choose your actions wisely because I won''t hesitate to kick you out the moment I think that I don''t need you anymore."


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 48 I Enjoy The Terror

    "I didn''t expect anything less from you, Anthony. You''re all sorts of brilliant and emotions are one thing that I don''t think I want you to possess. That will just make you weak in my eyes. I don''t want you weak." I want apetitor who I can rejoice in when I win against them.


    "Emotions are not a sign of weakness, kitten," he argued, quietly.


    "When ites to you, it is. I''ve put you on a high pedestal that I don''t want to dethrone you from. I might just walk out if the image of your invincibility falters." It was the truth. The fire in my veins to avenge the death of my mother burned because I had put him on this imaginary throne where there was no one as evil as him, as ruthless or brilliant as him. His mere presence made me want to ruin him just because he was this... evil protagonist in my life. This uncanny longing for the evil one was both a curse and a boon. It just made my blood burn with greater intensity. I wanted to fight him at all costs, just so that I could get an upper hand, but it was a stupid thing to do. If he liked our heated discussions or not, I didn''t know, but it seemed like it was a much-needed phenomenon for both of us. It gave us the anger we needed to get through the day. The evil one had slowly be my only purpose in life.


    Ruin him. Annihte. Conquer.


    A violent need, it was.


    "I won''t deny that Ick emotions, but you''re calling me an emotionless monster, my sweet little kitten," he told me, his voice still low. His face was unreadable. If he was offended, he didn''t let on.


    "Aren''t you?" I reasoned. "You''ve made yourself out to be a monster in all these years, haven''t you?" bitternessced my voice. Images of my mother''s corpse shed in front of my eyes. My body shook violently, protesting against the mental intrusion, trying to get as far away from possible from the possible killer of my mother.


    "Monster I am, but emotionless, I''m not. Emotions, the little that I possess just spur on my darker side. Therefore there is ack of emotion, not a total absence, my kitten. I can''t be a cold bastard and make people fear me as much as I can when feelings make others fear me more. I enjoy the terror." He stared right at me with those expressionless eyes.


    "Monster," I think I choked out augh after I uttered the words. "Emotionless thou art not, master, but evil." He cocked a brow at me for using early modern English, something that screamed ''are you sure you are not out of your mind?'' at me. "How did we end up having this conversation, again?"


    "I think you were using me of being a heartless bastard and overworking my people?" The brow remained cocked. It made me wonder about the amount of control he had over his body. First, that trick with keeping his voice down and now with the cocked brow holding trick.


    I almost burst outughing when I imagined him trying to do that eat the Oreo ced on your forehead by using your face muscles thing they showed on A minute to win it. Anthony must have sensed my amusement and demanded I exin.


    "Sorry, boss, I''m not gonna say. This servant of yours needs some rest. My mind is too heated to function right now."


    "I asked you to get some sleep. Try to control yourpulsion to not sleep and get some rest. You''ll need it." I nodded at his barkedmand. He was the boss after all and I was lucky that he had not chewed my head off for disrespecting him... again.


    "I''ll try, master." The slips were hard to hold back, and it seemed that the day had been too hard on me. He ignored my little taunt much like the previous one¡ªfor which I was extremely d and pointed his hand towards the door.


    ''Yup, that''s him dismissing me''.


    It was then I realized that my restless sleep had finally gotten to my head. I shook my head in disapproval, shoved my hands down the pockets of my jeans, tucked my head down and walked out of the room in a hurry. My cell phone vibrated in my back pocket signaling an iing text, but I didn''t fetch it out and check who it was.


    I got to my car and sat down. My heart was thumping strongly against my ribcage, adrenaline still pumped through my veins as if preparing me for an ambush. I sucked in a deep breath and lifted my hips to reach out for my cell.


    I clicked the text open and a smile formed as I finished reading it.


    [I don''t need you at my disposal for the next few days. I''ll inform you if you are needed. ¨CThe Monster.]


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 Chapter 49 Sniper Online

    I had actually thought that I''d get some rest while I was on ''vacation''. Turned out, I was incapable of enjoying my time alone and threw myself into cleaning up my apartment, washing my car and other such activities. After a long time, the apartment genuinely felt like home and not just a ce I crash at, at night. It was clean, without any dirty dishes in the sink or an overflowing trash can. Sometimes I wondered if I was just messy or didn''t have the time to take care of my chores. I hoped that it was thetter. Those were the first two days of my vacation. The third day had gone by and there had been not a single spot left to be cleaned. I thought I could see my face on the floor. Anthony was yet to call.


    That night, I didn''t get a blink of sleep. I cooked up all sorts of scenarios where Anthony nned to take action against Darcy without my help or knowledge. I wouldn''t mind if he excluded me from his ns of ruining Darcy, but it was pretty evident that I would get screwed if something went wrong and Darcy went after everyone who dared to go against him. Anthony, I realized, had yed a cruel game and introduced me to the ''visitors'' sent by Luke Darcy, thereby making them believe that I was someone of importance to the gang and Anthony. It was indeed a clever trick, and someday, I''d get back at Anthony for it. In retrospect, he had been unting me. More like rubbing my presence in their faces. I chalked that up tock of trust, obviously.


    Just because he''d stopped those trailing bastards didn''t mean that he had suddenly grown less cautious about me. This was the method he was using to ensure that I would be stered to his side at all costs so that I could save my own skin. He was right, of course. Anyone would have done the same, but I had no choice in it. I would have to blindly follow him anywhere and win his trust. If facing Luke Darcy with a blindfold was the beginning of gaining his trust, I would grab at the opportunity.


    I then deduced that my worries were unjustified. Anthony wouldn''t just barge into anything if he had been nning these under the radar projects for a long time. And leaving me behind was not an option. I was an asset to the mob, and both of us knew it.


    Which brought me to the functioning of the mob; it seemed to be working in some sort of a hierarchical pyramid on top of which sat Pharaoh Anthony Murray. There seemed to be heads of different portfolios. I had, had the privilege of meeting the head of security, Ethan and my personal favorite, Cienna. It turned out that she was head of the legal businesses. There were other important portfolios as well, I had found. One was media. It was definite. To keep Anthony''s existence under the wrap would take some serious influencing. I was sure I''d heard about some journalist¡ªwho was turning into the star of the nation, working for Anthony.


    Then there would be a Head for the illegal trades or maybe one head for each type of business. There was only one way to find out... research. I had one definite source I could use to get the answers from. That source would be Sean, but I assumed that Ethan would be more resourceful in these matters. I believed that he''d been there longer and knew more about the secretive ongoings in the mob than most.


    I remembered a guy named Alec who had been on the receiving end of Anthony''s wrath when a chunk of the shipments went missing. He probably looked out for the docks... probably not that high on the socialdder, but it was a pretty important job to have. Looking after the safe passage of shipments would be a tough job.


    Then there was Eric who seemed to be the head of the investigation department. When I looked closely into the matter, it made sense for Anthony to simply ask Eric to put a few boys to follow me. He didn''t need a private investigator or strangers to do the work for him. I decided that I would give Daisy a call to let her know of my assumption. Maybe she had already found everything but was extremely busy with her own work to let me know.


    Again, there was no use bing too dependent on her. I could do this the old fashioned way and find out for myself. There was no need to be stuck in front of aputer screen all day long to find answers that one could gain manually and probably without inflicting as much damage to the eye as that the re of theputer screen would.


    I should have made a list so that I hadn''t missed out on any of the queries that I had, but I think that would have turned out to be a bit, too, suspicious.


    ''So, who to call over, Ethan or Sean?''


    I needed an excuse, fast. If it was Sean, I could just call him over to celebrate his kick-ass performance in the treasure hunt, even though it was a bit bted, or I could call up Ethan and demand answers from him without any hesitation. Both the options seemed pretty convincing, but I chose Ethan because that was where the undisputed inside news could be gained from. We were going to work closely for a long period of time in the near future and discussing strategy seemed like a pretty amazing thing to do.


    Now, the question remained: how did one contact Ethan? I couldn''t possibly ask Anthony to give me Ethan''s number. That would just bring up a lot of questions that were better avoided. So, how did I go about doing it? I fired up my email and checked the people who were online. Of course, like the web addict that he was, the prince of the Organization¡ªnext in line to take the reins of his father''s business, sniper Jacob Hunt was online.


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 Chapter 50 On The Radar

    [MV: I need your help.]


    [JH212: That''s how you greet your husband-to-be?]


    [MV: Prince Beiber, would you kindly shove your humor up your pretty ass and help me?]


    [JH212: Ouch. Yes?]


    [MV: I need the contact details of one ''Ethan McCarthy''.]


    [JH212: And this person is...]


    [MV: Head of security. Works for Anthony.]


    [JH212: Know of him.]


    [JH212: Sent.]


    I saw the little one shing beside the sign that said ''inbox''.


    [MV: Thank you.]


    [JH212: Anything else?]


    [MV: Nothing for now.]


    [JH212: Be careful.]


    [MV: Will do.]


    [JH212: Stay away from the bastard.]


    [MV: Can''t. It''s in my current job description to stick to his side.]


    [JH212: That''s all?]


    [MV: That''s all.]


    I switched off the chat and felt regret coursing through me. I''d always had a one track mind, but I don''t think I''d ever spoken to the boy in that manner before. I outright used his resources and didn''t even acknowledge his legitimate worries about my safety. I mean, I understood that he cared, but it wasn''t something I needed to think about at the moment. I had to concentrate and believe that nothing was at risk. I didn''t need to add the fear of leaving someone behind if I died in the course of this mission, which was highly probable.


    It was the logical approach, but he''d always been my friend and talking to him in that manner struck a chord. Maybe, I should apologize. Well, then...


    The first call was made to a person named Jacob Hunt who sounded as surprised and ecstatic about the call as a kid would be to meet Santa use on Christmas. That was what he sounded like.


    "You called!" Yes, that definitely sounded like a squeal.


    "Jake," I choked out through a muffled augh. "You sound excited."


    "Really, Sherlock?" We burst intoughter. The conversation flowed after that. We asked each other about the progress we''d made on our cases. So far, it seemed like Jacob was far ahead on his mission than me. He was a sniper and preferred to stalk his targets before he actually killed them. He got some sick sort of satisfaction from knowing what the person he was going to murder would leave behind, how they lived their lives and how their absence would affect others. Or maybe it was just guilt. He did make it clear that he loved his job, though. He had already had another mission on hand as he had finished the one he was assigned a day before I began my mission.


    He was working on the CEO of apany who had gone rogue. Apparently, he had ended up on the radar of some dangerous people who wanted him dead. The guy must have been one hell of a CEO if he had managed to anger so many important people.


    "What about you?" he asked. I didn''t have much to divulge. So, I went over the basic things that I had found.


    "You''re doing well, then. Younded a position in the inner ring at first try." The reassurance was a wee one. "But be cautious, okay?" he warned.


    I really wanted to keep his warning in mind, but it would put me in danger of being exposed. Being careful would make me hesitant and hesitance would get me killed.


    The best secret keeper was one who didn''t move an unnatural muscle when asked a question. It also involved acting first and thinkingter, so, hesitance was out of the question. For now, that would be the strategy. Any mind games that I would want to y would backfire. Therefore, I was going to invest the little time that I had in my hand to gain as much information as I could.


    I realized after a few minutes that I''d been on the call with Jake for too long. Even though my calls couldn''t be tapped or traced, I didn''t want to take the risk.


    "I''ll be cautious." I sighed. "And that is why I''ll have to hang up. I''m sorry about before. I never got to the point."


    "I realize that you''re a bit stuck, but you''ll get through like you always do. At least you didn''t have to flirt with an olddy so that you could ess the roof where you can see your target, only to discover that he was having his way with a hooker." The irritation in his voice was evident.


    "I feel worse. I don''t think that is possible, but you must take it as apliment. You have invoked pity and fear in my heart and left me purified and cleansed of impure thoughts."


    "That must be a cathartic experience," heughed.


    "Yes, yes it was. You know I''ve always had a thing for such things."


    "Thank God you didn''t give me a lecture on how flirting with the olddy and watching the hairy ass of this man was predestined." I scoffed at that. I would''ve him tempted to make thatment just to piss him off, but I guess that never crossed my mind.


    "And we need to end this conversation before we go into a discussion about predestination and free will. Walk away, Beiber."


    "Yes, ma''am. I look forward to hearing from you. And be sure that you will be hearing from me. We need to hang out someday."


    "When I''ve finally settled in or finished the mission," I promised.


    "Yes, that."


    "Bye." I heard him echo the same before I hung up the phone.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 51 Dominatrix Gear

    The conversation had been refreshing and joking around with the boy had left me in a good mood and without any worries. Hopefully, there would be no allusions to Greek tragedy or Aristotle in the near future in my life. I didn''t want to end up dead or blind or worse. And I needed to stop with the references.


    Yup, I was done.


    I opened the unread mail and jotted down the cell phone number that Jake had sent. Surprisingly, there was also information about where Ethan lived and his bio-data. I left the data alone to specteter and dialed Ethan''s number.


    It took a few rings for him to pick it up.


    "McCarthy speaking," his voice sounded extremely formal; something that I had not personally expected of Ethan. It made me wonder about the type of work he did for Anthony, or if he had his own little business set up.


    "Mia, here. I have a favor to ask of you." My voice sounded apprehensive. And here I thought that I could handle to hide the hesitation if I felt it.


    "Oh, it''s you! Yes. Go on. What do you need?"


    "Actually, I''m going to be shameless and demand that you inform me about the important people that work for Anthony."


    "Ah, I wasn''t expecting that." I stiffened up at that. Was he suspicious? "When do you want to do this? I''ll be happy to help." I blew out a breath of relief and shook my head. Only Ethan would be so willing to divulge information without asking too many questions. Or he would bring on the inquisition when we next met.


    "How about, now? It''s not thatte, and I''ll bribe you with some takeout!" Yes, that sounded appealing.


    "You''re not going to cook for me?"


    "You don''t want to die of food poisoning or something do you?" I teased and he let out a chuckle.


    "That bad, huh?"


    "Yup. Now,e over to my apartment and we''ll go over things."


    "You''re a demanding little thing, aren''t you?" I expected that he had a smile on his face as he said that.


    "Eh, I guess. I''m sending you the address, okay?"


    "Yeah, I''ll be there in a few." And I thanked God for it. We hung up after saying our goodbye''s¡ªwhich was probably a first for both of us. I texted him my address and dialed the number of a Chinese restaurant that did home deliveries. I ordered a sufficient amount of food, keeping in mind that Ethan was a grown man who worked hard and possibly had the appetite of a horse.


    I didn''t bother to hide away anything to keep my identity secret. I had nothing personal in my apartment, anyways. I didn''t have any knick-knacks or family pictures. I only had those ck files that were hidden away with my secret stash of ammunition where no one could find them. In my job, my apartment was my only soft spot and I needed to make sure that nothing gave away any personal information.


    The doorbell rang about twenty minutester. I bounced up to get the door. Ethan was standing on the other side with a grin stered on his face. He was hunching so that he was fully visible, and what a hunch it was.


    "Come on in!" I ushered him in, sounding a bit too exciting. I would''ve been embarrassed if he''d not been as excited as well.


    "Damn, I feel extremely lucky. I get to see the apartment of the mysterious Mia who does not have a surname and she invited me herself." He helped himself inside and he looked around the apartment. Then he turned with an appreciative look in his eyes. "Nice ce you''ve got here, but it doesn''t say much about you." He huffed. "I was hoping to find something that would exin those superpowers of yours." I broke out intoughter.


    "Well, I wouldn''t want you to think I was boring, so I hid away my superwoman costume and my pictures with my husband," I joked, lightly. He snorted and then slumped down on the couch. Well, at least he wasfortable.


    "Do you wear any of Victoria''s Secret stuff under your suit or is it just grandma panties for you?" he yed along with a goofy smile on his face. Like that, he didn''t even seem to be as scary as he came off in the line of duty. He was like a big... stuffed bear with those red colored oversized hearts stered to their body.


    That was as creative as I could get topare him to any stuffed bear. Okay, maybe he looked like the wise, yet goofy monkey from The Lion King. That sounded better. I wished I could give those cat faced expressions, that smug, triumphant ones.


    I was sure by then that Ethan McCarthy brought out my childish side; one I hadn''t visited for a very long time.


    "I actually wear dominatrix gear, because I look sexy in it. I don''t think anyoneins when I fly overhead in the sexy lingerie."


    "Nice!" He shook withughter. "Now, give me something to drink before I rush to the washroom and lick the water from your toilet," he threatened. I recoiled in disgust.


    "Ew! I''ll bring you some soft drink. Which vor of RC do you prefer?" I asked him, disgruntled. I shivered in disgust when the image of him doing as he said shes through my head.


    "Anything ck works," he shouted behind me as I walked over to the kitchen to get him the whole bottle of RC C. I put it in front of him and sat across from him in the living room. He seemed satisfied with the bottle in his hand so I thought that it would be the right time to get down to business.


    "Now, I think we should go over the details about the people." He shook his head.


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 Chapter 52 Sense of Justice

    "First you tell me why you suddenly had to call me up for the information. You could''ve just waited until Anthony called you."


    "I''m getting utterly bored waiting for the call and I know nothing about who I''m supposed to work with! Hell, I was supposed to work closely with you but I didn''t know you until that little celebration."


    "Anthony told me that you''d be like this. You are a curious little thing," hemented.


    "And the two of you gossip like olddies, so what? I need the information as soon as possible," I demanded. He nodded at that.


    "You did bribe me with food. And don''t think for a second that I''m not wondering where the food is because I know you''ll not cook."


    "It will arrive in a while," I assured him. He nodded again and went back to drinking from the bottle.


    "What do you want to know? I need to know where to start from."


    "Start from how the mob functions. Who are the heads, what do they look after and who works under who; I need to know all of it."


    "Mob functioning? I think I understand what you mean. So, okay..." he let out a breath and a look of concentration came over his face. "We are not like the mafia, so we don''t have any names assigned to the positions we hold. But we do have this pyramid structure going on. The gang works in such a manner that the heads are always informed and actively take part in whatever happens. The heads are a group and everything is put under two norms: collective responsibility and isted responsibility. So if one section totally copses, the head is not the only one who gets caught or spared. There is a mass purging. But if it is one person causing all the problems then that person is discarded. I think that is how it normally functions, but Anthony is particr to remind everyone that anyone who makes a mistake is disposable. It works wonders. I''ve seen him doing away with a whole sector just because they were not doing their work." He shook his head, probably trying to forget about it. I would''ve asked about it but didn''t want to stop him from saying what he wanted to.


    "To be honest, even though they are scared of Anthony and his brutality, they can''t help but respect him for his sense of justice." I might have narrowed my eyes at that, so he smiled at me and rephrased. "Of course, there is no doubt that he also believes in using people to their full capacity. That exins why he kept up with Scott despite knowing that the guy was a rat."


    "He''s a dangerous man, isn''t he?" He nodded and it was answer enough for me.


    "Make no mistake, he is a bad man, but he also takes in strays and gives them sources of ie and protection. Take Sean for example. Anthony saved the boy from getting caught by the authorities and misled them. No, he didn''t need to do it, but he did, anyway." His voice softened as he spoke of Anthony''s kindness. The man obviously worshiped Anthony.


    "But didn''t he want to use Sean?"


    "He does make use of Sean''s talent, but he doesn''t need to. We do have a very good team of people who handle what Sean does, but Sean''s talent needed to be cultured and the boy needed saving from that mother of his. He is a luxury Anthony indulges in just to raise the demand for the boy, Sean is not a necessity. He loves the boy, nheless." The information stunned me.


    "You are close to Anthony?" I asked him softly.


    "Yes. The man saved me from dying years ago." And that was all he said. It piqued my curiosity, but I didn''t ask him to borate. "I owe him everything." He waited for a few moments before he continued.


    "So, that''s how he keeps everything working." He took a deep breath before starting again. "Now, there are a few sectors that you need to know about. There is a spy sector. Their work is to search for information and infiltrate other organizations so that we have a perfect flow of information and an upper hand in anticipating any future gain or loss that may ur. Eric is the head of that sphere. You''ll probably never meet him because he himself is a part of the programme and actively participates in the work. I think he is on a mission Anthony assigned him after Scott was exposed." I nodded for him to continue. "Then there is theputer and hacking section. It is a newer and smaller sector and we have about fifteen or so people working in it. Sean is one of them. Leo heads the group. The old loon learned these thingste in his life, but manages all those teenagers and college kids wonderfully."


    "We have Tanya Smith working for us. She has a wide contact base and a team across the world that ensure that Anthony''s existence is kept under the wraps and any activity that might give away our activities, downyed. You may have heard of her."


    Yes, as a matter of fact, I had. She was an award-winning journalist and supposed to be one of the most honest of the lot. It seemed like that assumption was wrong.


    "The team consists of publishing house editors, editors in newspapers, other journalists and on-field journalists. They even have a few frence photographer and cameraman working under her. She also takes care of publicizing other gangs and providing bad publicity to all those who go against us." I gulped a lump in my throat.


    They had it all figured out. Anthony didn''t trust frencers because they had the liberty to change teams. He worked with people who were loyal to him and him alone. It was a good way to go, I guessed. It was working out beautifully for him, anyway.


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 Chapter 53 Anthony Murrays Slave

    "This seems like an borate and sophisticated system. Who pays for all of these people?"


    "Anthony owns lots of profitable businesses. He lets others have control over the businesses and lets them make profits for themselves. Usually, these people do their jobs brilliantly and earn high rates of profit. Anthony takes up a part of the profit and what is left is distributed among the employees. It works like any other business."


    "What about the dead weight sectors? How does he pay for the hackers and security?" His eyes lit up with excitement as he goes on to exin.


    "The hackers produce newputer-based security systems and software which they are free to sell to a certain degree. They are sort of like ghostwriters for the software industry. They gained quite a fortune from those. The security people are paid by Anthony himself from the profit he gains from all the other businesses. In a way, we are probably the only people who are dependent on him to get our pay cheques every month. But he lets us set up our own businesses. We work in shift systems. Say one person works four days a week for Anthony and then works for three under me... Yes, I have my own business. I employ the people who work under Anthony in my business and they reap the benefits of both their jobs. They are trained inbat and the art of protecting individuals."


    "I guess I understand, but where do I stand?" This was getting more interesting by the minute.


    "You are actually nowhere. You are your own being and work only under Anthony. You can probably boss over everyone if you can prove yourself worth the respect," he said and gave me a wink, "but you can also not. Your job is to be with Anthony at all costs. You''ll be working closely with us because it''s one of your priorities, but you are also bound to go to meetings in ce of Anthony at times if he feels that he can be threatened... or he is bored. It can be any of the above." I chuckled at his exnation.


    "I''m his bodyguard?"


    "Andpanion. You have no set list of things you need to do. You could call yourself his personal secretary, too." I rolled my eyes.


    "Wonderful!" I have turned into Anthony Murray''s ve! "Now carry on with the heads and the sectors. Now, there are managers of illegal businesses. They usually work in different ports across the world. They handle the task of slipping the goods from under the noses of the authorities. That team is led by Alec. You''ll meet him quite often if you stick with Anthony for any period of time.


    "Then, there are the field workers. They are Anthony''s personal sellers. Anthony buys the goods from sources and lets some of their workers sell them on his turf, but limits their ess and takes a higher percentage of the profits from them. Does that make sense?" I nodded. "He safeguards the team from getting any organization in the locations that we usually deal in. Marcus heads that department. He''s the only one from Anthony''s father''s times who survived the purge when Anthony took over." And here I thought none of the old employees were left.


    "Next is the legal business managers. There are quite a few clubs, restaurants, and hotels that Anthony owns. Cienna is the general head but has full control over Poseidon''s Realm and some of the others. You will not meet the other people who run other businesses because they simply do not go to the mansion or meet with Anthony directly. Anthony believes that it might jeopardize the businesses. Apart from Realm, all the other businesses are kept hidden from the opposing mobs and authorities. There is no illegal money going into any of those businesses. It is also one of the biggest sectors; hence, Cienna is pretty popr among the gangsters." He gave me a look I couldn''t decipher but then turned away.


    "We have a group ofwyers that we use for legal purposes. They''re a small team, but they are free toe and go, mostly. There is no head for that group. And then there are a few doctors who frequent the members of the group. There are regr check-ups for all members and these doctors have their own practices. That ensures that none of the members have to worry about dying without medical care or getting arrested because they were injured."


    "Last, but not the least, we have the department of security. You already know that I am the head. We mainly guard the mansion and any escorts or guests that Anthony might entertain. We are also trained to fight in any and all conditions. We are sort of like Anthony''s private army. Any field work or operation that takes ce is usually through us. We are both the defense and the offense. And that''s the end of it." He took a huge breath, tired from all the talking. "Do I get any food now or was that a lie?"


    "It''ll be here any minute. It takes about forty-five minutes to reach." I checked my watch. Okay, they werete. "They arete. Let me check in."


    I pulled out my cell phone and called the restaurant, again. They informed me that my order had been dispatched and would soon arrive. I politely thanked them and hung up, wondering what how long it was going to take.


    I figured that we might as well help ourselves to a packet of chips and talk a bit more.


    "They assured me that it would arrive shortly, so we might as well talk some more." He nodded. "Let me take out some snacks to fill ourselves with until the food arrives. Which reminds me, do you have a problem with Chinese food?" He shook his head. "Great. I would''ve force fed you if you had a problem," I teased. He leaned back into the couch and startedughing.


    "Go bring me some food before I pass out." I quickly went over to the kitchen to fetch for a packet of potato chips. When I returned to the living room, I found Ethan lying down on the couch with his hands behind his head.


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 Chapter 54 Gossiping Like Grannies

    "Do you want to watch something on the television?" I enquired.


    "Nah. Ask me questions. I''m in a mood to share stories. Make the best out of it, woman."


    "You mentioned that Anthony picks up strays... Tell me more about that."


    "Let''s start from Sean because you know of the conditions back at home." I nodded. "The boy is just fourteen years old and lives with his mother. His father divorced her when he was seven because she is a drug addict. For some odd reason, the man never tried to take custody of the poor little boy. He grew up keeping away from his mother''s sight and trying to stay at school for most of the time. He avoided her for obvious reasons. She couldn''t stand to look at his face. Apparently, the boy was a mistake she despised and she used to mentally abuse the poor boy. It''s actually surprising because she adopted the boy when he was small. She didn''t offer him much to eat and didn''t have the money to feed himself. So, he took a job at a local cyber-cafe as a helping hand. That was when he was nine or so. The owner knew him and gave him the job. Sean grew interested and started tinkering withputers. That''s how he learned everything. After robbing that bank, he had enough money to run away, but being just a child, he didn''t. Anthony heard of this boy from the spy he had in thew enforcement and caught hold of him. He presented a job opportunity in front of the boy because he saw how much potential Sean had. And they''ve not looked back ever since."


    Hearing about Sean''s story left me a little numb. Sean had never told me the whole story, but it sounded better to have joined the mob than what he faced at home. With Anthony he could hone his skills and have a decent shot at doing what he loved to do, morality be damned.


    "Continue," I choked out.


    "Many of the other hackers that work for Anthony also didn''t have the money to go to college. So, Anthony loaned them the money in return for their services. They''ve all paid him off in a few years of taking the loan. Anthony likes intelligent, educated people working under him. He considers them invaluable assets."


    "I think you could say that he saved Cienna as well. She was a prostitute in the shadiest parts of town with a wicked sense of marketing. She found ways to sell herself that most couldn''t even imagine. She was famous, alright. She was making more than most working people did in town. Anthony had been down on business in those parts when he found her. She was inebriated and at the edge of dying of an overdose. He hauled her to the hospital, having heard of her and when she recovered he wanted to cash in his favor. He ordered her to leave her line of duty and join him. The offer was one she couldn''t refuse. She joined and Anthony has never sustained a loss ever since. Her wicked sense of marketing gets better and better day by day."


    "Wait, what?" My voice was close to a scream. "She was an escort?"


    "Way to put it mildly," he said. A snort followed soon after. "Yes, she was and a brilliant one from what I have heard. You don''t need to worry, though. Anthony got her tested before he went anywhere near her." He gave me a wink. His gaze was filled with mirth.


    "Thanks for the information, but I don''t think I''ll need it. Continue with the story, will you?"


    "The only stray left is me and I don''t think that I want to share this story. I''ve been generous enough."


    "You have. I guessed that you wouldn''t speak about yourself. Even though I''m choking with curiosity, I will not force you to speak," I said in a soft voice.


    Everyone had a right to choose the time when they would share their own story. It was a private matter and no one would understand it better than me, probably. It was ironic to acknowledge this because it was my work to push for information, but I knew limits. One has to respect the boundary of others to gain their trust and respect. That was part of the process when it came to Ethan. From what I remembered from Sean''sments, Ethan had a horrible past. I would let him tell me at his own pace if I wanted an ally in him.


    The doorbell rang then. Before I could manage to get up, I saw Ethan jumping off the couch and rushing towards the door. He pulled with open with immense force. He had effectively blocked my sight of who was standing on the other side, but I was sure that it was the delivery man, guessing from the enthusiasm that Ethan showed. I dug out my purse from the pocket of my pants and then moved towards the door. I had to push Ethan aside to finally take a look at the man. The delivery man seemed a bit scared as he looked at me and then let out a sigh of relief.


    "Your order, ma''am," he said, handing me the bill. I pulled out the money from my purse, even though Ethan tried to persuade me not to. In the end, I did pay. Then when the man tried to hand me the food, Ethan got in the way and took it instead, sending the man into another fit of fear. The scared man mumbled a thank you before rushing down the stairs.


    "Thanks for scaring the man. He''ll probably never want to make a delivery to my house ever again."


    "I was hungry and he waste. He had to leave a little scared. It would have hurt my pride if he had remained unaffected to my rugged and dangerous looks." He wiggled his brows at me before merrily looking inside the package like a pleased man. "Now let me eat, woman." He skipped towards the couch and plopped down on it. "Come over fast. I''m a minute away from burying the gentleman and gorging on the food, myself!" I hurried towards him with a heartyugh and found myself seated beside him. We didn''t bother to get ourselves tes and ate directly from the containers.


    He did have a good appetite and heplimented me of having a decent one, as well. He mentioned that he''d seen ''too many hare-brained women eat like sparrows''.


    The evening was a sess and ended with me having a feeling that Ethan would be one of those resources that I could count on gaining information from.


    We said goodbye with Ethan asking me to go over to his ce one day and a friendly, but tight hug.


    I''d been busy cleaning up after Ethan (for ack of a better word) when I felt my cell phone vibrate in my pocket. Fishing it out, I saw that I had a new message. Opening it, I was left with a sense of smugness.


    [I am impressed by your work ethic, but contain your excitement from next time. I will call you when you are needed. ¨CAnthony.]


    It was good to know that Ethan and Anthony indeed gossiped like grannies. Just made it a surety that any information I received from Ethan would be true or wouldn''t be ryed to me. Now, it would be a pleasure to work with them.


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 Chapter 55 Cee Doll

    The work had been cut out for me. After eight full hours of sleep (and I could sleep no more even though I didn''t set an rm or have any pressing matters to tend to as I was on vacation) I started doing background studies for each person that was mentioned in the conversation with Ethan. Ethan had been thorough with his stories and recounted most things that one would need to know. But I had to ce the stories chronologically to know the importance of each man to the mob and to Anthony. Ethan''s secret had also gotten me curious, and I wondered if I would be able to keep myself from checking the mail Jake had sent me the other day and invade the man''s privacy. That would, I decided, depending on my mood, and the extent unbearable nature of my curiosity.


    First, I put down each detail that I had heard from Ethan in a word document and separated them under differentbels. These would serve as my guidelines for further studies and searching for weaknesses and strengths of the people who I was trying to do a background check on.


    My primary resource would be checking criminal logs in the Organization''s blogs and unlimited ess to the government ports. They had information about every citizen and immigrant in the country. It wouldn''t fetch much information, but it would be a beginning.


    The first name in the list¡ªCienna, just because I wanted to know what she had gotten herself into in the beginning. I logged into the centralwork and fired up the search engine of the database. I typed in her name and got various options. Not knowing her full name, I tried to look at the pictures of the people until I found her. The picture of her was of her with her curly hair cut short. It looked like it had shriveled in the cold and recoiled into her scalp. Her eyes looked dted and sunken, and her skin was translucent. The freckles on her nose didn''t look cute inparison to her skin tone in the picture. I looked at her name. ''Cienna McLaughlin,'' it said. She was probably of Irish descent. I looked at the data provided then.


    The records dated back to seventeen years ago, when she was neen. The dates confirmed that she was older than Anthony by two years. They stated her street name and the number of cases she had been tried for. She hadn''t served any time because her pimp always got her out of trouble. The man apparently had some fondness for the woman.


    Her street name had been Cee Doll, but everyone lovingly called her Cee, which reminded me that it was what Ethan referred to her as. It infuriated her, and now I understood why. She''d been found on several opportunities inpromising positions with her clients who had walked away scot-free, and she had spent the night in jail until her pimp was done snorting whatever he was snorting ande to fetch her. The pimp''s name had been Joe Smith and he made a fortune out of her. She was his star whore and made him some good cash. Her pretty face had attracted some filthy rich clients who supposedly left when Cienna walked out.


    I had this urge to start referring to her as Cee because it was just so much easier and in character and my heart was overflowing with love for her... not.


    Going back to the topic at hand; indecent exposure and prostitution had been only some of her crimes. She had been charged with assaulting, grand theft auto, being caught possessing drugs, driving under influence and murder. I hadn''t expected that one. ording to what she had told the police, she had been on the streets looking for some new clients when a fellow prostitute tried to take the business. Things got heated up as days passed and she had gotten pissed when she lost some good fellow in a Mercedes who had chosen thepetitor. She had barged into the room that the two had been lodged in and pulled the trigger on both of them. She had been extremely high at the time and hadn''t expressed any guilt on killing a fellow prostitute and client. In her own words, "fucking bitch thought she could steal from me. I killed her. What''s so difficult about that?" When asked about the man she simply said, "he put his dick in her." That had seemed like exnation enough for her. She had been twenty-seven at the time. She had been sentenced for that one but came out on bail. A gig had gone wrong or was intentionally made to be wrong and she had ended up beaten brutally, on the verge of an overdose when she was found by the cops. She was hospitalized immediately but was reported missing shortly after. Everyone had thought that she had run away. Any record after that had not been of her getting involved with prostitution, but with questioning or possession of drugs.


    I imagined that Ethan had left the part about the meeting-gone-wrong out for some reason, but it painted the image that Cienna had needed protecting from someone who was after her. And the dates coincided perfectly with everything. These dates were only weeks after my mother''s death and her rescue a few weekster. Anthony had used that time period to build his empire and he had started with her.


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 Chapter 56 Creeping Fear

    Next were her ounts: how well she had run the different businesses that she was assigned to, and the details of Poseidon''s Realm. Poseidon''s Realm had been inaugurated five years ago after many other clubs that she ran and was an immediate hit due to its ambiance and mythological reference. She even had interviews with the top newspapers and news channels about market strategies. Turns out that she is a big face in the marketing business, yet has no business of her own. Her boss was never named, but her background had certainly made some influence. She had been popr among the rich crowd back in her prostituting days and those rich clients had followed her to the club. They wanted a glimpse of their favorite Cee Doll. The rich were followed by stars from across the country and then the globe and the stars attractedmoners. Cienna must have been ecstatic by the sess of her strategy. I assumed that Tanya had some hand in this and prevented any scandalous stories to leak. It was just Cienna''s face stered on the screen that had influenced the hitting off of her favorite club, Poseidon''s Realm.


    There were other unimportant details about her marital status and height, but one of the recent details caught my eyes. Despite her possession of drugs previously, she had never actually been found under influence until in recent times. About three months ago, Cienna had been found under the influence of some truly colorful drugs in the middle of a public park, screaming about her being the victim of some master n. The cops had tried to take her away, but she was safely escorted away from the ce after herpanions came into the picture as she refused to leave with the cops.


    I made some mental calctions in my head. Her strengths were her age, obviously. She knew far more than I did... and had inside information. She was a professional at sucking Anthony off, which was a bonus for Anthony to keep her around, I presumed (not that I wanted to do anything that had the word ''sucking'' and ''Anthony'' in the same sentence). And she had a wicked sense of marketing. She could make amodity that was not worth the attention of the public seem like the elixir of life. This seemed to be her strength.


    Her weaknesses were equal inparison. She had a nasty temper and stupidity to match it. Her past as a prostitute bothered her and she shunned away from it despite using it to her advantage at times and that she may or may not have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.


    I put these down in my file and let it stay there. Not satisfied with what I had found, I got over to other people in the organization. I found little to nothing about these people because of their non-criminal status. Most of them had gotten nothing worse than speeding tickets which were saying something.


    The ess to the government records proved that they were all citizens of America but some were early immigrants after the war. Even though the information said that there was not much to them, Anthony''s interest in them made me believe otherwise. I had heard about Sean and was in no mood to waste time researching about him because I knew that he would readily provide me with the answers that I wanted.


    Now there were two people that I could check out. One was Anthony and the other was Ethan. Some of Ethan''s information was lying with me in my email id as Jake had sent it to me. On the other hand, some information about Anthony was there in the ck files that I had received. Anthony was a lost cause because any concrete information about him had a chance of being false and may have misled me. Hence the only option left was Ethan. The dilemma was there, but not for long. It was for research purposes and he didn''t need to know anything about it.


    But there was a pang of nagging guilt in my head about how unfair it would be to give the man space at first and then sneak behind his back to find out more about him.


    ''They are doing the same about you! Don''t you think that they did a thorough check about you? It''s a different issue that they found nothing to hold against you, but they too went behind your backs. And none of that should matter because you are on a mission and no emotions can be involved. Any sense of duty, guilt, love, anger can lead to fading of the goal from in front of your eyes. Do you want to fail? You have been training for the opportunity to do this all your life and you throw it away just because you''ve suddenly gained some morals and want to act upon them. It does not work like that! This moment is yours and you must cease it because if you are exposed no moment will be spared to put an end to you. They do not need you like they needed Scott.''


    Fear crept into my body.


    ''They must need something from me, too.


    And you must hope that they never get what they want because it can''t be good. You must work and do so fast enough to umte information and ce yourself in a protection cell.


    Or you can kill the bastard for ruining your family and a chance at a normal life.''


    I jolted upright and typed furiously. My inner voice had been quite right. It was something to be scared off; their interest in me and my abilities. And I needed to umte all that I could even if it ate away at me. I was not betraying anyone. I was just going to betray myself if I went back on my promise and quit this and lose control over some part of this mission. I would never let that happen.


    There were not many Ethan''s in the database, only three and his surname was a dead giveaway. I opened his file and saw a picture of him in a uniform. His hair was cropped in an army cut. There was nothing unique about his face as such. He looked nothing like the Ethan that one would see today.


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 Chapter 57 Mission Impossible

    He didn''t look ''dangerous'' in the least. I scrolled down, looking through his date of birth, date of joining the army, date of honorary retirement from the army. He had been dismissed from his position in the army ten years ago. He had been part of a force of secret operations. The team had tried to ambush a hideout of terrorists in X country.


    It mentioned that the team he had been taken prior permission from the government authorities tond flights on thend and capture the members of the terrorist organization as instructed by the UNO, but the top-secret information had been leaked and the terrorists had been prepared. The modes of transport they had used had been shot down or forced tond. The nes that had been shot down had no survivors, while the only ne that was not hijacked (of the three) was raided by the terrorists, and the soldiers were taken hostage. The soldiers had been tortured for days as the reports said to reveal the ns of the US government and the actions that would be taken. They had even used the captive soldiers to make a pact with the US government. They also used the non-existent intelligence they had gotten from the soldiers as an incentive to make alliances with other terrorist groups of the world.


    Ethan had been one of the few who had survived the torture of the camp. He himself had exined how the terrorists found great pleasure in idolizing Hitler and even though they didn''t possess an ounce of the toxic charisma that the man possessed, used the methods that were the indicators of Hitler''s anti-Semitic policy. Soldiers had been left in gas chambers for hours (or so they thought) and given no food or drink. There were other methods of torture as well. Most soldiers did not want to speak. Ethan had been one of them. These soldiers had mostly died of hunger and malnutrition or had died due to the torture. The executors had forgotten that these soldiers knew mostly nothing about what happened next than what was told to them by higher authority. Or they simply knew and enjoyed torturing these people. Whatever be the reason, they had partially entertained the soldiers and used massive amounts of their funds to feed and inflict pain on them. In the end, only four out of the many who had initially left for the mission had survived.


    That was not the end of it. There must have been something missing because it never mentioned how these soldiers were finally rescued. One couldn''t put it past the government to do something about it, but to take the risk for saving such few lives seemed out of character. Having only limited ess meant that I probably wouldn''t get the whole story.


    This meant that there were a few juicier bits that most people wouldn''t have ess to. I was one of the less fortunate ones who didn''t have the authority to ess all the files, but Jake had that advantage. He could ess just about anything. I quickly put down the details of the contents and went over to check the mail that Jake had sent to me. I saw his address and cell phone number on the top, which I religiously copied down and then went on to, check other details. I found out that he had been the leader of the secret op team that had gone into the mission and was the only one who had possessed all the information that the terrorists had wanted to extract from the team. Ethan had been kept alive because they thought that it was a miracle that the ne he was in wasn''t shot down. They thought of it as divine providence and tortured him, obviously. ording to the time frame, this went on for over a year''s time before they were rescued.


    The rescue mission had been a tricky one to stomach. It had turned out that the government had paid quite arge sum of money to get the living soldiers back. Their outlook was to redeem the public image that had been projected about the government''sck of action to the apparent withholding of soldiers and toplete the mission that the primary group had been sent to execute.


    They had hired the Organization to get the work done and the offer had been taken up without a second thought. The government in a way would be in debt of the organization if the mission was a sess. A group of five had been sent into the field to exterminate the terrorist group and rescue the kidnapped soldiers. Two of the five members (all men) had been my father and the other¡ªthe elusive Jasper. That struck a chord. How close were they?


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 Chapter 58 Won The Challenge

    The mission had been a sess, obviously, and the soldiers were escorted back to US soil and their medical bills covered by the government. Two out of the four that were leftmitted suicide and the other two went through heavy therapy. Ethan had been discharged from duty with full honors while the other survivor had to be institutionalized. Coming out as the only one who truly survived, the man had found himself in a bit of a mess. He had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. The boy had been orphaned when he was right out of school and never attended college. He had opted for the army and continued to study free courses and took extensive training to reach where he had. He had no job or particr degree tond him one.


    He then tried his hand at applying for jobs for guards inpanies. He had believed that he would have to guardplexes and the sort but had ended up with no job. No one wanted to employ a man who was in therapy and in danger of being hazardous to people around him. Anthony had been the saving grace, as Ethan had earlier told me, and offered him a job as his bodyguard. This was before my mother was killed or him taking over the Murray businesses. So, it posed a huge question. Why had Anthony hired Ethan?


    Surely he had not been following the footsteps of the people who were on a mission to seek his father out. This was around the time when people still thought that he was dead or underground. But knowing the cunning nature of Anthony, he might have plotted this out and turned the man against the people who had rescued him. It was possible. If Anthony provided Ethan with the money to get ess to the basic necessities of his life he would, inadvertently, consider him his God or something of the sort. It was as simple as that.


    Though, I had to admit that they had developed a lot from that. They didn''t seem to have a rtionship where Ethan was eternally thankful to Anthony for employing him. Theirs was a simple rtionship. They could very well pass off as friends. They probably were.


    That was not the main question. I had to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the man. His weaknesses would be his mental instability and vulnerability in small ces. The man had a severe case of ustrophobia. His strength exceeded his weaknesses, though. He had a well-built man and able to employ a good level of force. Being a leader would make him a master strategist. His role as a bodyguard ensured that he could ovee any mental or physical attack. Last but not least, the man was fiercely loyal and would budge at no costs.


    I was highly impressed by what I found about Ethan and didn''t feel an ounce of pity for the man. He was a strong man and a soldier at that. He didn''t need any pity. That could be a reason why he did not like revealing his story. He had mentioned to me that he was ufortable and hadn''t opened his mouth during the debriefing after the interview as well. That was saying something. In light of the situation, his tattoos could also be a ploy to hide his wounds (the visible ones). I imagined that they would stretch over all of his body leading him to ink himself over. Or he fancied the tattoos and wore them in memory of his battle wounds.


    The mention of these things reminded me of what Sean had told me about Ethan being a brilliant secret-keeper. It made sense.


    The boy knew much more than one could give him credit for. He woulde in use inter times.


    A smile spread across my lips as I considered the strength of the pseudo-informants I had gained and the fact that they trusted me. Now that I knew about the people who were operating the show that Anthony controlled, I could go into battle with the knowledge and prior ns prepared to destroy their ns.


    All was done. What was left was to wait for Anthony to call me back to work. Waiting was not one of my strongest points. So, I tried proving Anthony wrong and went off to sleep. It was a personal challenge¡ªto sleep longer hours until I was summoned to do my duties.


    I won that challenge.


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 Chapter 59 Cloaked In Darkness

    I sat in front of the television watching a day-long marathon of all the episodes of Hell Girl. I had made myself some instant noodles and was enjoying the nd taste of it as I watched the show with great interest. The show had been a hit back in the day and had been inspired by a manga. I would say that I had acted out much like the female protagonist, Ai Enma, from the anime quite a few times during thest phases of a mission.


    "Pitiful shadow cloaked in darkness. Thy action cause men pain and suffering. Thy hollow soul drowns in thy sins. How would you like to see what death is like?" was my favorites. I had taken great pleasure in looking into the eyes of the criminal as they heard the lowering of my voice, the cold and dead nature to it making their skin crawl and their hair stand upright in fear. I had pressed the gun to their head¡ªright between their eyes, and looked right into their eyes, smiled and pulled the trigger when their eyes widened with fear and threatened to spill tears. The words gave me a sick sense of justice, a feeling of superiority that I had no right to feel. I might as well someday have to say the very same words to myself and pull the trigger.


    It was only a matter of time until I woulde up on the hit list because some wealthy enemy wanted me gone, finally... I had been quite ruthless in what I did and hadn''t been the best of Machiavel. It wasn''t my job to wipe out families and oppositions to retain power, I had never felt the need to do such things. And to be quite honest, that wasn''t what I nned on doing, ever. I supposed that I''d left a lot of people behind who would one day or another seek revenge ande after me like I had pursued Anthony throughout my life and made his untimely death the sole purpose of my life.


    It would happen eventually, and I couldn''t even be surprised if it happened in a few years. It was a work hazard one had to ovee and learn to embrace. This was divine justice in a way. Reminded me of a short story about some man who had murdered a woman by bashing her head in with a hammer and had produced his twin brother in court during the trial. One of those two had died right after being announced innocent and justice was, in a twisted way, served. Who the killer was, no one knew. But the ending was relevant.


    Justice would always be served.


    How would I be murdered? How would justice be served in my case? I had no one that could be hurt to make me feel hurt, so it had to be me. Would I have to kill myself?


    And even though I wasn''t sure that there was a God or anything up there looking at me, I wished that I would be able to fulfill my mission before I was finished off.


    And then I went on to wonder why I was thinking about all of it when I was missing out on some perfectly genius minutes of the episodes of Hell Girl.


    I shook my head to clear it and went back to watching the show.


    .


    Three more days had passed since Ethan''s visit. I was enjoying my time at home and taking great pleasure in catching up to the finer pleasures of life... such as bubble baths. On the other hand, I was a bit distressed about how long this vacation was going to go on for. My body was itching for some action and the only way I could scratch that itch was by doing the job that I was sent to do.


    My curiosity had led me to further my research and search for more about the locations of all the storehouses that Anthony controlled and others under the name of the heads. I calcte the profits that Anthony gained from Poseidon''s Realm and did some ounting to figure out how much everyone in the mob was making for a living. They were earning a lot. Most of the members lived in the posh areas of the city and some in other cities.


    Seemingly pleased with my discoveries, I had let the research go but had continuously wondered about if I could find out about the person who owned the ce that had the shipments stashed away.


    I took time in finding out more about Darcy and his arms. I didn''t need to do any particr research because I had always admired Luke Darcy as a criminal and written a paper on him while I was in training. The paper consisted of several details and fractures in the system that Darcy had employed in his mob and how one could easily infiltrate it and extract information or slowly destroy it from within. That was the paper that had made me a hit and a prime candidate for any of those extensive missions were I needed to hide out.


    The problem was, I had been the one to write about these things, but not the one trusted to execute the theories that I had put down in writing. They had chosen several people over the years to try and take down Darcy. It hadn''t worked. My theories, though still holding up had never been able to be executed. The brightest of agents had turned out to be incapacitated when it came to Darcy. They were easily persecuted.


    In reality, there had been three in the past five years. Each and every one of them had never been seen since the day they got the job. They lost contact with the agents within a week of them entering. To the day, Darcy has not been able to figure out the source of the agents, or he would have tried to take it down. He would hunt out each and every one of us and use every torturous method he knew to inflict pain on the others. He would do it just because he could.


    In a way, I was luckier to be working to extract information from Anthony. I decided that it was possible to take out Darcy through Anthony. Even though that was not part of the mission, it would be a good addition to my CV and a job well done. In addition, it would fetch me quite a beautiful some of currency as a reward and no doubt a pat on the back from everyone who had lost someone to Darcy and his wicked ways.


    And yes, three days of such thoughts had resulted in me lying in my bathtub, taking a bubble bath and listening to thetest album of Coldy. It was a funny thing. It felt like being on paid leave. But I guess that the lovely vacation wouldn''tst longer by the insistent buzzing of my cell-phone. I reached out to grab it and looked at the screen.


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 Chapter 60 Wasting Time

    I assumed that it was from Anthony, so I pulled off my headphones and tried to pick it up. The call registered as a missed call and made me wonder what the reaction from Bossman would be when I picked up the next time he called. The vibration of the phone didn''t startle me when it came. I calmly picked up the call and waited for him to speak.


    "Mia, I hope you are having a lovely time," his voice was clipped and I could almost imagine him twitching with the need to say something acidic. I won''t say that it would''ve spoiled my deliciously sweet mood. I would probably like to go back to work more than I would to soak in the water all day and end uping out like a wrinkled little creature.


    "I''m doing well, Anthony." My tone was obviously light, somewhat of a trial to infuriate him further. I''d say I got off on it, but it wasn''t anything as excited. It was just me having some fun. "Thank you for asking. Have you been doing well?" Polite conversations are fun when you want to piss someone off.


    "I''m extremely well, but am curious as to why my call went ignored thest time around," anger, he let it seep through his control.


    "I was a bit busy and couldn''t reach the phone in time to pick it up." I heard a huff of frustration from the other side. "And I must say you''ve got me curious. To what do I owe this pleasure? Is my vacation over? Can I go back to work?" I sounded a bit more enthusiastic than I would want to sound, but I didn''t ponder much on it.


    "Yes, Mia," I could hear him chuckling at my enthusiasm.


    "Thank you for remembering me, boss."


    "Everyone remembers the porter, Mia," hemented, making me jolt upright. Did he just make a Shakespeare reference? Ah, I guess not. I was probably just a gatekeeper for him, opening doors for the bastard.


    "When do you want me to drop by the mansion?" I asked.


    "I want you here in a few hours. Pack a bag for yourself; you''ll be staying over at the mansion for a few days." I stiffened at the prospect. I couldn''t stay over at the mansion. I was horrified to think that I would have no time to myself after I had finished pretending for the day. I tried to remind myself that I had done gigs where I had, had to go on pretending for months at a stretch. I could do it easily.


    "Are you asking me to move in?" I took the risk of teasing.


    "It''s too soon for that, my kitten, but businesses before pleasure. I''d give you both if you wanted." His voice was amused as he joked with me, but I was pretty sure that he was legitimately serious as well. The man was wicked.


    "No, thanks. I''m quite happy with the easy rtionship we seem to share. Business-oriented rtionships suit me just fine. I don''t n on changing that anytime soon, thank you."


    "I will ask you again, I promise." He cleared his throat before speaking again. "Yes, so be there. And pack somefortable clothes. We might need to go on a heist, so be prepared for that as well." I hummed the answer and waited for him to give me further instructions. "I''ll speak to youter, then."


    "Yes," I replied. With that, the conversation came to an end and he hung up on me.


    .


    I packed a small bag with a couple of t-shirts, afortable pair of jeans, a few pairs of underwear and my ammunition. It was aparatively small bag and I was proud that it was ideal for road trips. There was no time or security in being hygienic when on a mission. But a quick wash of clothes was enough and one didn''t need too many clothes if they weren''t doing much more than nning and hiding.


    My watch was in ce and I had worn a tracksuit, just for convenience. It could act as my makeshift sleeping clothes.


    In about half an hour, I had reached the mansion. It seemed that I had been the first one to arrive. I walked into the mansion and into the main hall to see that it was empty. It was actually peculiar for no one to be there in the great hall. I didn''t think I''d ever seen that before. Okay, maybe that one time when I had crashed in the mansion at night. I headed towards theputer room, to check if someone was there and found Sean sitting behind the screen of aptop which seemed to be connected to the main system.


    "Hey, Sean, where is everyone?" The boy jolted upright at my voice. Hazarding a look at me, he sunk down into the chair and went back to work. "An answer would be appreciated."


    "I''m trying to remember where they are, but failing at it," he told me in a sheepish voice, but never took his eyes off theputer screen. I didn''t even think that he had tried in the first ce. The boy was preupied with what he was doing. I hoped he was doing something productive, or else he would get his ass kicked by me.


    "And I''m supposed to run around the house searching for people?" I asked him. Of course, I was a little pissed at everyone for calling me and then disappearing.


    I wonder who else will attend the meeting.


    "You won''t believe what I just found!" he eximed all of a sudden. I stared at him for a moment and then gave him a re. "You won''t believe this! Come here." At his insistence, I went near him and grabbed the nearest stool to sit down and see what he was up to.


    I stared at the page of a bank server that seemed to be a detailed database of transactions made by a certain ount holder.


    My anger grew the moment I realized that the boy was wasting his time.


    "Do you have nothing to keep you preupied?" I could hear the anger in my voice. He stared back at me inplete shock. "Why did this get you so curious? You could have used your skills and your time doing something worthwhile, but no! You had to waste your time and find out about Cienna." I shook my head in disappointment.


    He gaped at me for a moment before looking away.


    "I just wanted to know what crawled up her bum," his voice was barely a cracked whisper.


    "I presume Anthony assigned you to find out more about the shipments. Have you done that, yet?"


    "Anthony asked the spies to do it as well-"


    "-which does not mean that you can have a g time finding the reason behind Cienna needing the money," I interrupted.


    "But look at this!"


    I huffed and gave him a pointed stare. He didn''t seem to move. Though nervous, he went on to exin what he had found.


    "She has been paying arge sum of money to someone called James for the past few years."


    He seemed enthusiastic, but I didn''t want him to do anything that could make Cienna turn on him.


    "I do not need to know any of this. I don''t want to know. Quit this and do your work. Get your head in your work. You don''t want trouble." With that little piece of advice, I left to find out Anthony.


    As I kept up my search my mind reverted back to Cienna and her pimp James, but I stopped myself right there. It was none of my business, anyway.


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 Chapter 61 Anatomy Of A Man

    Anthony was not in his office, which left me with too many ces to search for him. I hadn''t been around the house and didn''t know my way around it, but I remembered the way to his room.


    The door was unlocked, to my surprise. I knew that it was probable that he wasn''t there. So, I pushed the door slightly open and called out to him. I waited for a few seconds before I called out again.


    There was still no answer.


    I sighed in frustration and ran my hands through my hair roughly. It was then I heard the sound of running water. I figured that he was taking a shower and wandered out of the room. I heard the door open from inside his room and walked faster. Then I heard his voice.


    I flinched, considerably. I didn''t want to do this. Not now, not ever. I nted myself firmly where I was but didn''t dare to look back.


    The door slowly creaked open. I heard the padding of his feeting from behind me.


    "Did you want something?" he spoke softly, his voice rough. He cleared his throat and the awkwardness ensued. I realized that I couldn''t just stand there silently, so, I turned around to face him.


    I took great care in not looking south of his face.


    "I was trying to find you," I admitted in a tight voice. The tension rose in the room. He seemed to remain oblivious to it. He scratched his jaw as he scrutinized me.


    "I thought Sean was here already." His eyes returned to mine as he spoke. The pointed look left me a bit confused.


    "I... well I thought there would be others who would arrive as well." I shrugged at that. I heard a huffing from him.


    "They will arrive eventually. They are not as punctual as you are. You''ll get used to it as I have." He shrugged nonchntly. My eyes wandered to his shoulders and lower and lower and widened a bit. A greater portion of his left shoulder de was covered in ck ink. I would have tried to get a better look, but I imagined that would end badly.


    I could make out sharp patterns and its tribal nature, but nothing more.


    Obviously, my eyes wandered lower. What I saw below was equally... intriguing. Most men of all ages weren''t as well maintained as the thirty-four-year-old man standing in front of me. He was lean, yet muscr enough to show that he worked hard to keep fit. He had strong hands and the fingers of a master shooter. His fingers were unmoving, calmer than the slightly quaky fingers of experienced snipers. He had small scars over his skin¡ªsouvenirs from the battles he had won and survived to be where he was.


    The scrutiny took but one minute but left me a hell lot more curious. His unmoving hands and firm shoulders screamed, ''fighter.''


    I yearned to hear the story about every victory of his. I craved the knowledge that the man hid in his mind pce. He would never cease to be the mystery that dooms any seekers to eternal damnation.


    ''Ah, such beautiful thoughts.''


    I looked back to his face and saw him staring at me with those ever critical pair of eyes of his. It didn''t leave me nervous. It left me a bit excited and plot my way into his mind and soak in all its mysteries.


    "I''ll wait in the hall, then," I announced in the strongest voice I could manage. To my surprise, I heard no signs of the excitement I felt.


    "No, wait up. You need to help me move all the things we need for the meeting." His invitation made little to no sense to me. I went along, knowing that he would instruct me to do exactly as he wished, anyways. I followed him into his room.


    I hoped that my curiosity wouldn''t get the best of me and I won''t snoop around when I got the chance. But I don''t think it would be of any use. They do say that curiosity killed the cat. Being a kitten left me in a worse position.


    ''Did I just acknowledge the nickname he torments me with?''


    ''Yes, I believe I did.''


    ''Damn you, Anthony.''


    ''Fuck.''


    ''Concentrate!''


    ''Okay, then.''


    I stopped with the internal musings and found myself standing in the center of the room I had barged into the first night I went to Poseidon''s Realm. It had been in the wee hours of the morning, and I had been so pissed that I hadn''t taken a look around the ce.


    The room was huge; it was fit for the master of the house. The walls were a flurry of abstract strokes of silver and gold. One side of the room was upied with sliding doors that were made of textured ss.


    I assumed that it was the closet as that was where Anthony was headed for. He opened the door and entered, making me realize that he was in nothing but a ck towel.


    I wanted to act scandalized, but then I got a glimpse of his legs. They were the legs of a killer. They were made to be used inbat. He closed the door behind him, leaving me staring at the hazy silhouette of his body. I could clearly make out what he was doing behind the translucent door. I saw him reach out for something and pulling it over his head. And then the towel slowly went down until it was on the floor. I jolted straight and looked away.


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 Chapter 62 Eat You If You Let Me

    Scandalized, I tried to concentrate on other things in the room. The bed sheets were strewn and there were loads of papers scattered across the sheets. Clearly, he had slept on the edge of the bed where the sheets were rumpled. It seemed that he hadn''t put everything together because he had workedte into the night and hadn''t had the energy to clean up.


    I heard the doors open again and diverted my attention back to the man.


    "You''ve been busy," I stated.


    "As have you," he piped in. "Would you mind exining what that was about?" he asked out of¡ªwhat seemed like¡ªcuriosity. I understood what he meant immediately. He didn''t seem offended by my need to know more. That was a relief, but I already knew that nothing that was told to me went unnoticed by him.


    "I know too little, and I didn''t like not knowing." It was as simple as that.


    "You could have just asked me," he said, irritated. Apparently, the simple answer wasn''t enough for him.


    "I wanted an unbiased take on what was going on," I reasoned.


    "No one is as unbiased as me in this whole fiasco," he argued.


    "Unbiasedments about everyone, and that included you."


    "Why did you ask Ethan, then? You just met him a few days earlier. You''ve known Sean longer. You could''ve asked him."


    "Sean is biased and prone to emotions that make him easy to influence. Even though Ethan shows gratitude, he doesn''t get carried away. He doesn''t beat around the bush; he goes straight to the point. That is one thing I like about him." He raised his brows at my little deration.


    "You have a crush on Ethan." Silent anger made his voice shake. I smirked but made sure to control it enough to not get him angrier than he was.


    "No."


    "You invited him over to your ce."


    "And the two of you gossip more than olddies!"


    "We live in the same house," he admitted sheepishly. My eyes widened at that. From my research, I had known out that he lived near the mansion, but it must have been a new development.


    "I still don''t get the point. What''s the fuss about?" That was a good question. I really did want an answer to that.


    "You ask me anything you want and to no one else. No one has the authority to answer any of your questions apart from me." That hit a nerve and a conversation from weeks back struck me.


    "But sir, I believe you warned me in the past about my misdemeanor. You strictly asked me not to question you." Thatment brought along the narrowing of his eyes. Clearly, he remembered the heated conversation as well. And by the looks of it, most conversations we had were heated and led to the two of us seething in anger and loathing.


    "Don''t be a smartass, Mia. You ask me questions about everything apart from the reason behind my orders. Remember that I am the only one you are to approach with any of your questions. No one else." He almost made no sense in his anger, but somehow, I understood.


    "Yes, sir." I offered him a mock salute at which his lips twitched in amusement.


    "Get to work now; I need help transporting these things to the hall downstairs." I nodded and hurried to put together the materials and carried them downstairs. He followed me, his own hands filled with contents. When we reached the hall, he took over.


    He asked me to help me move all the furniture towards the wall and make an empty spot in the middle of the room. It took us a few minutes to do, but we did it. He then asked me to spread out the contents and put them in order for everyone''s convenience.


    It was easy. Both of us made no smartments and we didn''t reprimand the other for mistakes that were made. We just worked around each other, constantly bumping into one another but excusing ourselves with polite smiles.


    I had never imagined something like that could have ever happened. At the end of the task, I took a huge breath and looked at the neatly arranged papers on the floor. Yes, we were going to make battle ns on the floor. ssic idea, I must admit.


    We slumped into one of the sofas that we had pushed into the wall and leaned back.


    "Job well done, Mia. What shall we do next?" his voice was light.


    "Why don''t you debrief me on what you found? We could start working before the otherse," I suggested. He shook his head.


    "We''ll start when everyone arrives. In the meantime, I think it''s a good idea for us to help ourselves to some food." The way he said it made it sound like a question and not the usual way hemanded people around.


    "I am hungry. What do we have?"


    "Peanut butter and jam sandwiches." Heughed.


    "Oh, my. I would love to have one of those." I think I patted my stomach with a feeling of satisfaction even before we had made the sandwiches.


    "C''mon let''s make some for us and the others. I need to feed those wolves anyways. Or they won''t stop whining or start working."


    "Don''t want the wolves to start lying around doing nothing." I heard the growl of his stomach andughed. "I do think there is one wolf that is extremely hungry."


    "I''d eat you if you let me," he told me yfully.


    "I''d rather you treat yourself to peanut butter and jam sandwiches, boss."


    "Yes, those will taste better." I looked sharply at him and saw his eyes twinkling with wicked amusement. I shook my head and followed him into the kitchen.


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 Chapter 63 The Woman Of The House

    The sandwiches were made in twenty minutes. It turned out that Anthony was really picky about how he took his meals. He cut out the hard sides at the very beginning, then put peanut butter on each of the loaves. He went on to put ayer of jam on both and then went on to put anotheryer of peanut butter. Okay, so, he wasn''t so picky with that, but he took the sandwich, cut it into four smaller squares and then put tomato ketchup on it.


    Yes, he did that.


    I stared at him the whole time he went on with the process of making the hideous thing. He didn''t spare me a nce, of course. And then he brought out a ss of milk, too, and then ate those things with milk. My hands remained frozen over the sandwiches I was making, the knife pointed towards Anthony the whole time he went about cooking. A shiver of disgust ran down my spine, which was the first time he noticed me.


    "What? Are you going to kill me for eating food I like?" He nced down at the butter knife pointed his way and then back at my face.


    "Yes, I should try to saw your throat off painfully with a butter knife for thinking of consuming that weird thing." My voice was filled with the disgust I felt, and my eyes zoomed into his hand where one small, bitten piece of the peanut butter jelly ketchup sandwich was held.


    "Don''t hate my food." He flung the remnant into his mouth and happily chewed at it. I looked away with an exasperated sigh and went back to making snacks for the others. The sandwiches wereing out nicely and I imagined that there would be at least six or seven people who would attend the meeting.


    I was done by the time when I heard the hollering from the Hall. I could make out the voices of Sean and Ethan, but there were other voices that I couldn''t figure out. I assumed there were about three other people in the room.


    I heard Anthony mussing something about me being the "the woman of the house."


    I red at him andmented, "Don''t snatch the title from Lady Cienna. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." He, of course, let out a snort at thement and might have rolled his eyes.


    It turned out that he thought of the ex-prostitute as nothing but an employee. Well, no one would be hearing wedding bells in the Murray mansion in the near future, I presumed.


    Should I feel sorry for Cienna, or not?


    Not.


    "Woman, bring us our food!" I heard Ethan shout from the other room. I shoved the tes towards Anthony and walked out of the kitchen with only my own share of food in hand. "I hope we won''t die. She admitted she can''t cook the other day. I don''t want to test her skills," he said with a tinge of fear. I presumed that food was his kryptonite. One could probably torture him with bad food and I could understand where he came from after being held prisoner in a terrorist camp.


    "Get your own fucking food, you big oaf," I told him as I passed him and plopped down on a sofa that was shoved against the wall. Heughed it off and then swore. I looked up to see that they were all staring at Anthony who was mostly trying to gracefully ce the food on the floor so that everyone could get their hands on it.


    "Damn me, if this man hasn''t been domesticated, atst." I heard the snickering apanied by the telltale roll of Anthony''s eyes.


    "Thank you for your concern, but you may all sit down and shove your faces into the te." The jocr nature of the meeting made it seem like a slumber party and not a strategic meeting. After the food had been literally shoved into their faces, they put their game faces on and stared at the neatly piled papers on the floor. I slid to the floor and found myself beside them trying to figure out the meaning of all that was put in front of me.


    I could see the map that Anthony had been working on the day he dismissed me, lying in the center of the empty space. The others, too, had their eyes on the map. They, like me, were trying to figure out the significance of the map. I never really got to ask why he was plotting routes and marking with the red marker pen on that map a few days ago. The lines were radiating from one point in general, but none of us really found out where it was from. I looked up at Anthony and gave him a questioning look. He nodded and then leaned into the tight circle that had formed around the map. All the other paper was pushed behind us and all of us spread across the corners to inspect the details.


    "This map is that of Syracuse. The red dots across it are locations of known storehouses. As you can see, there aren''t many. There are about fifteen or so and the tight number leaves us with few possibilities." Everyone nodded in understanding and then went back to looking at the map. "The ones that have arger circle encircling the smaller one are those that have higher possibilities of being Luke''s. About three of them are currently upied by people we are both trading with, which make them prime targets for having stored the stolen shipments even if it is without their knowledge." Spotting them, we gestured him to continue. "Now, we have a problem. We cannot for sure know that these or one of these has the cargo." He scratched his jaw in concentration as we went back to thinking ourselves.


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 Chapter 64 Encryption

    "What are these radiating lines?" I asked pointing at them. He hummed in acknowledgment and then concentrated on my question again.


    "Those are the possible routes that can be taken to transport the cargo to each of them and within themselves. I believe that there will be more than one storehouse upied because of the sheer size of the cargo that was stolen, so it will have to be in close proximity to each other. Transportation costs are high and selling them and redeeming the cost of production isn''t an option Darcy has for those shipments. I''ll easily catch hold of him if he acts as stupidly."


    "So, it''s idle stock, which makes it easier for us to locate," Eric voiced the obvious. He was back from his mission, possibly having news of some sort.


    "That defeats the purpose of stealing the shipment. We never really found out why they would do it in the first ce!" That was Alec. He seemed to be the ever clueless lot who was good at his side of the work. But it seemed that he had not done his job well, hence the shipment went missing. Anthony seemed to think the same. He turned to Alec with a furious look as if to say that it was none of his business (or his fault that they were tangled in such a tricky situation, which was probably true), but answered instead.


    "Darcy is threatened by the rise in sales of my goods; hence, he is acting out. It is merely a problem of ego and nothing you should worry about." His answer was ambiguous and he was clearly equivocating. An honest opinion about Anthony''s rtionship with Alec would be described in one word¡ªcold. This distance between Anthony and Alec was uncanny. Anthony seemed to be pretty close to the other head''s and frequently let them into the plot, but Alec had, for ack of a better term, seemed to have been a disappointment to Anthony. Clearly, Anthonycked trust in the man. I wondered if the reason was only the recentpse, or something more.


    ''Something I could find out and exploit, maybe?''


    "Which brings us back to the primary concern: where is the cargo, exactly?" Ethan. He was intently going through the map trying to figure out something. "Let me get this straight. If this is some act of ego and clearly a challenge orpensation for lost business, Darcy would want to protect the stocks so that he can use them in the future or disintegrate the stock and sell it separately." That made sense. "Hence, we should be looking for somece where the stock is easily protected with fewer guards."


    "Hence, the lines would being in handy." I shook my head when someone voiced that assumption.


    "The lines wille in handy only if we consider the cost of transportation for the shipments. It won''t be of much help if he were looking for safer locations. Those would be two conflicting theories. The easier it is to reach them, the more unsafe the cargo bes," I try to convince the lot. After minutes of debate, we go on to considering other policies.


    "Eric, what news have you brought us?" Anthony asks at the end of the futile discussion on the approach that we should take in pursuing the goods. Eric seemed to nod in understanding and then turned to Anthony.


    "Would you mind passing me the sheets that I sent you over the past few days for everyone to see? I think those will be able to help." Anthony retrieves a pile of smaller sheets that he had neatly ced behind him. He keeps them at the center, over the map and goes back to his sitting position.


    "As you already know, we have an undercover agent after Darcy. He can be considered low in rank but is good with getting the information in the organization. He has been noticing some erratic activity on the part of Darcy and his associates. They have been sending arge number of people towards Syracuse. This snitch is inclined to believe that these people are headed towards Syracuse to protect the cargo. I think we can all agree to that." Everyone did.


    What shocked me that they had effectively nted a bug in Darcy''s organization when the Organization hadn''t been able to do it, yet. Anthony''s spy might not be in a high rank, but he was alive and constantly sending in new information. That I believed was an impossibly miraculous achievement.


    "Now, they have beenmunicating with their soldiers, but we couldn''t figure out what they were saying. We thought it was Morse, at first nce, but it just got more difficult." Both Anthony and I shared a nce at that, which the others seemed to notice. They all gave us questioning looks and Anthony pointed at me to rify.


    "The two of us suspect that it is the Caesar''s Box," I said with a smile. They looked bewildered, so I went ahead and exined why we were assuming such a thing. "We found a code sent by Luke or his headquarters a while back in which we found Morse codes, butter on decoding, we understood that it was moreplicated than that. So, we worked harder and found out that it was Caesar''s Box."


    "What is that?" I heard Alec voicing. Not many knew about codes and it had been a privilege of mine to be interested in such things from my childhood and be able to learn them.


    Again Anthony motioned me to exin further. He didn''t seem to hold any interest in what Alec was saying any longer; neither did he seem to have that angry yet disappointed look on his face. This was indeed intriguing.


    "So, a Caesar''s Box is a method of encryption that was invented by Julius Caesar. The purpose of the invention was to encode messages so that they wouldn''t be able to be read if they fell into the wrong hands." They nodded in understanding. This was the easy part. "The primary rule of this coding is that the total number of characters has to be a perfect square." They grimaced at that. "It''s a really difficult procedure if you ask me, but they went to a lot of work to get the news through without being revealed to us."


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 65 Banging On Doors

    "So, you''re saying that these things will take hours to make?" I shook my head.


    "Someone who is used to this sort of an encrypting will take a minute to solve it. Simrly, someone who has practiced making such codes will take a couple of minutes to make it."


    "So, these are all those codes?" He took one paper up and gave it an apprehensive look. I mumbled a yes and picked up a paper myself. The code was simple enough, it seemed.


    "Where did you find these?" I asked Eric.


    "They used texts to send the codes," he exined.


    "Can''t we track the cell phones that these messages were sent to?" Anthony inquired. Eric shook his head.


    "We tried that, but it turned out that these cell phones were disposable. The only consistent thing was the phones of the senders, and they will never go to ground zero, themselves. They know the risk they are running by sending the messages in such an open manner."


    A few moments of silence passed as everyone took in the news. It seemed obvious enough, but what struck me was the unknown reason why they kept the cell phones of the senders traceable. Suspicion spiked as I wondered the possibilities of Luke Darcy trying to lure us in and trap us. It was a possibility, but I was inclined to believe that there were fewer chances of it as Darcy was trying to maintain some sort of a rtionship with Anthony despite the cold rivalry between the two.


    "Should we start doing this?" one of them asked. I had been too busy contemting the reasons to truly recognize who had spoken.


    "Do you want to teach us or do you want to do it on your own?" Ethan asked.


    "Why don''t Anthony and I do it? It''ll take us less time and we will be able to avoid the hassle of teaching you lot how to properly decode a Caesar''s Box." They all seemed to agree, including Anthony.


    There were about eight sheets of paper. While the others changed the Norse to English letters, Anthony and I did our part of decoding further. We divided the pile among ourselves and started working.


    My procedure was clinical. First, I counted the number of letters. Then I went on to round up any numbers that were not a perfect square and determined the number of rows and columns would be made. Then I wrote the letters into the rows, concentrating on filling each column, starting from the first letter at the first-row first column, continuing until the number of columns allotted was fulfilled and then moving over to the next row to do the same. Then I started reading from the top left letter and read down, then started at the top of the next column and read down again. This continued until the very end. I wrote down thebinations I found after the vertical reading and then divided the letters that were put together into words, revealing the intended messages atst.


    There were eight sheets in total. All of them were signals of uing police stops and what they had to say to each of them. The amount of money allotted to these stops and the like. Other things that were hinted at were the routes that were to be taken to avoid others from attacking, namely us. The instructions were helpful and with them, we could plot out the routes that could have been taken to reach the location where the stolen shipment was being kept. It would make the selected pool smaller. But one had to have an open mind and forget about previous calctions and locations that were previously considered to be viable options.


    That would be the first step to sessfully finding out the exact location and thereafter formting a n to extract the shipment from under Darcy''s nose.


    "Have we tried to find out properties on the avable routes that belong to someone that works for Darcy or is an associate?" This was Ethan.


    "We can do that, but so far we''ve found no storehouse that was bought by someone Luke knows. We have a few people who both of us associate with, though," Anthony replied in a gruff voice. He was staring at the map, his teeth grinding together, making his jaws clench and twitch. He was trying to figure out something but was failing to do so.


    "What about other properties? Storehouses are too narrow a search to be sure. We need to look at other private properties as well." Everyone seemed to agree with Eric.


    "How do we do this, Boss?" I asked him in a small voice. Of course, I could find out the details myself with the help of the two databases that I could easily ess, but this was unknown to Anthony and the group, and I was never going to give it away. That brought us back to square one.


    "We could send out a team to investigate and go through each and every house in the possible areas, but it would take over two months to get the project done even if we work really fast," Eric suggested.


    "I don''t think that would be a good idea, really. This would involve arge number of civilians who would have no clue as to why people without badges were banging on their doors and asking for smuggled goods. And we''re talking about guns, here. These things are dangerous and sensitive. Civilians won''t take this lightly and you might get the cops called on you," I tried to reason with Eric. He seemed to smile and shake his head.


    "We''d have the cops on our side or produce fake ID''s. It''s not that difficult, you know." I shook my head at his defense.


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 Chapter 66 Cryptic Answers

    "It''s extremely risky to involve civilians in such ns. As a matter of fact, I don''t think King would involve them either. We need an alternative method."


    "The n stands null and void and the very root of it; we don''t have that much time in our hands. We need to act as fast as we can. The locations must be known. It ismon knowledge that these things take time. A house to house search would take months to achieve and it would give the troops time to relocate the stock before we can even reach it. They will have their eyes everywhere and we can''t risk losing this chance. They won''t make the same mistake twice. The next time they shift the goods, they won''t leave any traces behind." Anthony''s logic could not be refuted. He had made an extremely good point. And even though the n stood canceled, we were at a loss.


    "We could check government records about properties." Alec. Everyone turned to give him looks. Of course, if one thought about it, that was what we should have done, but it wasmon knowledge that we could under no circumstances raid the office of the mayor or osting him into giving us ess to the records.


    "We could hack into their system." The small voice came from behind us. We all looked around to see Sean standing at the end of the Hall. His fidgeted with his hands, nervously. It was probably because he was eavesdropping.


    "Excellent idea, but I don''t think that they have such a recording system," Anthony didn''t seem angry as he spoke to the boy. Sean thought about it for a moment.


    "Maybe, we can hack into the records of local real estate agencies," he suggested. The room fell silent.


    "That would take days to finish!" Ethan shouted out.


    "I think the n will fall apart," voiced Eric. "We need some field-work, as well." Anthony nodded at the suggestion.


    "How long do you think it will take to get a list of names of property owners?" he asked in a thoughtful voice.


    "A week, maybe. It could take more."


    "What if he brought in the whole team to finish the work?" Anthony prompted.


    "The estimate took into ount our full capacity. It will take a week to get the information." Sean spoke confidently.


    "Call in Leo and ask him to bring his boys to the mansion, tomorrow. I want them to meet me at ten in the morning. Is that clear?" Sean nodded and headed towards the direction of the kitchen.


    "Anthony, don''t you think that is a lot of time, too?" Alec''s voice was pleading. "Give me a chance... I''ll find out the location in no time." Anthony''s head snapped towards his direction.


    "You couldn''t even find out how they slipped the shipments from under your noses and you think you can find where it is at, now?" His eyes burned with rage and his lips pulled back over his teeth into a snarl. Alec cowered back, clearly afraid of him and with a small jerk of his head that I believed was a nod of eptance, went silent.


    "Boss, it is a good point. After the list is made, we will have to check the backgrounds of those people and see if they are connected to Darcy in any way. That will take us an additional week in the least." Anthony nodded at that. Eric had made an excellent point. The hacking and receiving information wouldn''t be enough. We would also have to precisely know where the raid was going to happen. If something went wrong, everyone would be screwed over.


    "We don''t have any other alternative n. The time period is long, but this method will prevent Darcy or the troops from knowing what we are up to. They won''t move the shipments in fear and we''ll be able to work slowly and know exactly where to hit." No one really seemed convinced, and to be honest, neither did Anthony. "This is the only feasible n. Until we cane up with a better idea... this is the n that we''ll follow."


    No one had anything to say. Each one of them realized that it was better to do something than to sit idle and waste time. And a little research never did anyone harm. Who knew, maybe something huge would be found that we could hold over Darcy in desperate times.


    Aftering to the conclusion that all further ns would be plotted out the next day, everyone disbanded. Ethan followed me into up the stairs and we found ourselves lodged in neighboring rooms. It turned out that Ethan lived in the mansion to ensure Anthony''s safety and be at his disposal at any time. I had picked out the room I had slipped into the night I crashed at the mansion, knowing that no one would tell me to relocate.


    I wondered where Cienna was. It seemed that she didn''t (surprisingly) live with Anthony. I asked Ethan as much and he let me know with a smug grin that she stayed at Poseidon''s Realm most nights and would asionallye over when Anthony needed to soothe an ''itch.'' Of course, I cracked a joke about sexually transmitted diseases at that which made himugh loudly.


    He then turned extremely silent and serious. "I wanted to speak to you," he said. His tone worried me.


    "I know that I was forting about all that information the other night, but I hope you realize that I only came over because it was okay with Anthony. I know you aren''tfortable with Anthony, but I think it best if you ask him the questions. I can only tell you as much as he permits me to tell you. I can''t help you any further." I nodded. He seemed to be too serious for something that wasn''t that important. His grave face told me otherwise.


    "Did he reprimand you for answering me?" He shook his head.


    "He knew that you were going to ask me questions when you called me. It was he who told me to go over to your ce and answer your questions," he admitted in a whisper. I realized that it was some sort of a secret¡ªhim going over to my ce to talk.


    "Then?"


    "You should hash it out with him. You can talk to me any time you want, but you might want to bring in the professional, mob-based questions in front of Anthony. That is how I would prefer it. He will not be biased, I suppose. He is the one with the ultimate knowledge; he knows the faults and is free to share such things with people around him." He looked behind him as if to check if anybody was there. "See, you are now a part of the inner ring of the mob. It''s a huge position and responsibility. You must tread carefully, okay?" With that, he opened the door to his room and lithely went inside and mmed the door behind him.


    ''Okay, that was cryptic,'' I thought to myself. Shrugging, and somewhat understanding what he meant, I went inside my room and decided to shut my eyes and relieve myself from the onught of the headache that I knew was fast approaching.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 67 Butting Heads

    Over the next few days, the mansion was flooded with what seemed like the whole hacking and tech team, who usually stayed in theputer room, but asionally came out to grab some food or go to the washroom. I was pretty sure that something big was happening. Anthony no longer sat in his office as he didn''t get the time to walk past the great hall and enter the room. People flocked to him to supply him with details of any new development orck thereof. I, on the other hand, enjoyed watching him being in action. It was entertaining to be at his side constantly gathering the information I needed.


    I hadn''t left Anthony''s side for the whole duration, apart from when we had to take care of personal business. He had avoided talking to me apart from when he needed me to look over important information. We had, in the beginning, been butting heads about everything. We were constantly bickering over every step of the n.


    ["Anthony, I think we should keep the field workers at bay, for now," I suggested calmly as we went over files.


    "Mia, I don''t think that''s a viable option." And that was supposedly the end of the conversation.


    "They will clearly do something to give our ns away. We can''t risk it," I said, aggravated by his s¨¦ attitude. He was being reckless, and I thought it was very unlike him. I was yet to understand if this was a ploy to do... something. He was a private man even when it came to the circle of people he supposedly trusted.


    "We don''t have the time to be slow."


    "We must make the time or else... This is Darcy we are talking about. He''s been in the game as long as you, hell, even longer. You might be making the same mistakes as he is making!" His eyes snapped up to mine and he looked furious.


    "I understand that you appreciate the man and his lethal charisma, but you work for me. I would appreciate some level of confidence in me from you," he deadpanned. He was beyond furious, I was led to believe and it was quite appropriate to the situation.


    "I''m not underestimating you! I just want this mission to be perfect." I sighed. "At least, let them be inconspicuous. We spoke about this and agreed that going door to door and attracting the attention of civilians was dangerous-" his hand raised as he signaled me to stop. As if on reflex, I shut my mouth and grumbled to myself in my mind.


    "No one is going door to door. We''re just going to keep track of Darcy''s men." I huffed, realizing that there was no use trying to make him see sense. I went back to reading the file and didn''t spare him a nce.


    "Mia?" he called out my name. I looked up, not wanting to look as defiant or irritated as I felt. "What do you think about this?" he leaned forward pointing at a specific space on the file he was looking through. I scanned through it and looked up in a few moments.


    "It seems interesting," I said. With that, I went back to my own file.


    "Your thoughts?" he pressed. I looked up again, gauging his reaction, and then shrugged. His eyes shed in anger and he mumbled something I couldn''t catch. I didn''t give him much time to do anything else as I went back to work. He didn''t speak to me for a few hours after that, but I could feel that he was growing angrier with each moment that passed.


    He had been brooding since then, and I hadn''t minded the asional grunts and sighs that came from his direction. I was quite enjoying it. It was after a few hours that he snapped. He turned to me and asked for my opinion again.


    "Mia, they have received another code that we need to figure out." I nodded and scooted closer to him so that I could look over the Morse and change it into an understandable notice. It took me more than a while to figure it out. The whole message was the longest I hade across. I was astounded by the number of dots and dashes scribbled throughout the sheet. Someone had taken the time to copy it down and leave it in front of us. I was horrified at what I saw.


    A bit intimidated, I produced a pencil and a paper and started to write down the English equivalents to the Morse code. It seemed to like it would take hours to finish. I kept slipping as people hollered about insignificant things and broke my concentration.


    After about fifteen minutes of starting over from the beginning, because I slipped up. I groaned in frustration. Someone, I had no clue as to who it was, burst into the room and shouted out for someone else. In that very moment, I lost it.


    "Ask your employees to calm down," I hissed. Anthony turned to me with what seemed like an amused expression and it made my blood boil. "Don''t smirk at me, boss. This code isn''t going to solve itself on its own, so ask them to calm the fuck down and work like civilized people!" I knew that my voice grew louder with each word I uttered. I was pretty sure that anyone who was on the same floor or on the floor above could hear me by the end of my angry demand.


    Anthony looked stunned. I was pleased but seething. The man who had made me snap shuffled out of the room hastily and I saw no sign of him since then. But Anthony, he seemed to snap as well.


    "You are the one screaming, here. Obviously, you''re not interested in working on this. Maybe you should go back home and do whatever the fuck you were doing while all the others were working their asses off to get the information that built the base of this n." He looked serious, and that was what offended me the most.]

 Chapter 68 Faithless Vagabond

    ["Excuse me for following the orders you gave me, sir. I thought that it was my duty and obligation to do whatever you ask me to do. YOU are the boss, not me. I''m not good with these games that you seem to love so much. Do me a favor, let me work in peace and follow your orders so that my work can meet the expectations that you seem to have of me. I''m clearlycking in the department much like your other employees; who seem to be utterly careless with how they work and let things slip." I breathed after that. I had already spoken too much, but it didn''t mean that I was done yet. I would get the bacsh, anyways; I didn''t give two shits about what would be the consequence of myshing out. "That reminds me... it was your very own employee who slipped up and led you to be caught up in this mess."


    "How dare you," he said with his hands awfully close to his thighs. I wondered if he would pull out his gun and point it at my head if he got any angrier. His face showed the fury that he was feeling and I didn''t care. I could imagine that I wore the same expression as he. "Leave, right now." I stood up but stared down at him. His fingers drummed against his thighs as if to try and calm himself down, I somehow came to appreciate his self-control, but wanted the sick sense of satisfaction in being able to give thest blow.


    "You should consider doing a more thorough background search of the people you appoint before you let them into your inner circle." His face contorted in rage. "Alec was obviously not a good choice and I think you know that."


    "Maybe I shouldn''t trust everyone who walks into my house demanding a position." I had been walking away with my back to him before he spoke the words. I bolted around as I absorbed the words and realized that they were directed at me.


    "I wouldn''t be surprised if Alec was working for Darcy. Keep your eyes open, Anthony. You never know who might stab you in the back and twist the knife so painfully that you can''t think of anything else but the pain." With that, I turned to leave again. He, not wanting to lose the heated argument must have gotten up on his feet as I perceived from the sound of his feet brushing against the floor.


    "Thank you for your concern, Mia. I think you are the one in need of a warning, not I. Enjoy your time alone in the guest room and finish the work assigned to you. I want the decoded message in the next half an hour." I heard the sound of his feet that grew fainter with each step and with a sigh walked away. The conversation had led us nowhere, but I was sure that it established the faulty rtionship between the Boss and me.


    That would be a serious problem and the others in the mob might refuse to look up to me.


    Too furious to ponder on it for long, I let the thought slip and entered the room that I was lodging in and worked on the codes in silence. I must have scared off half the employees because every one of them seemed to avoid me. Even Anthony seemed silent when I approached him with the decoded sheet of paper.


    The information was more of a paragraph and it made no sense whatsoever. Someone had copied the codes wrong. THAT, the Boss refused to believe.


    As pissed as I was, I silently kept listening to his barks and ill-tempered nonsense. I ground my teeth together to keep from speaking as he lectured me on how I should never put the me of my own mistakes over someone else''s head. I didn''t object to a word he said because I knew that the codes had been wrong when they were copied down and it hadn''t been my fault at all.


    Then, he questioned my loyalty. Something in me ticked.


    I was there on a mission, and I would do anything and everything to get the information, but his insult forced my blood to boil. I could feel a sarcastic smile ying on my lips. I think the moment he said that I would fucking betray him someday, I got this sense of righteousness. The moment was a perfect irony. He was a man speaking the truth, the ultimate truth of his life for all I cared, and it was amusing as to how he was clueless that I would be the one to ruin him.


    My loyalty to him, at that moment, was the most loyal I had been to anything or anyone. And he had questioned that. It offended me, but I pushed back the feeling because I had nothing to be offended about. I was a faithless vagabond who killed and cheated for money. I was amon criminal. I was no different, but I was surely more dangerous than most of them could ever imagine.


    "Thank you for all thepliments you have bestowed upon me. Calling me a faithless gangster makes me feel satisfied with my lifestyle." At my sarcasticeback, he pressed his lips together and I saw his hands ball up into fists from the corner of my eyes. I snickered softly, making him re openly at me.


    I loved every moment of it.]

 Chapter 69 Concrete Proof

    About ten minutes after Anthony was done snapping at me for something that was clearly not my fault, a scared looking older man stood in front of Anthony. He gulped, probably in fear, because he had been the one who had delivered the paper with the code before. He had a fresh sheet of paper which he silently handed to me and left.


    I realized that the man had gone wrong in writing the dots and dashes wrong. The whole argument over this mistake seemed futile at the moment, but it just proved how angry I was at the man despite him acting all sweet and caring and nice to me; it also showed that Anthony was nervous about his ns. It was a refreshing thought, to say the least.


    Anthony seemed to grow eerily quiet as I quickly worked on the sheet of paper that the man had presented and shoved the paper at him. Then I took great pleasure in handing with the rough work for the previous paper and had left the room.


    That was when we had spokenst. Since that moment, Anthony had promptly just pushed a few papers towards me or instructed someone to inform me of important matters. It was quite awkward as the two of us were sitting a meter or so away from each other most of the times.


    In the meantime, the spy department had almost given away their locations in one of the locations they had tried to spy on. They mentioned a few of Darcy''s people approaching them and trying to make conversation which came off as an angry inquisition. The spies, clearly trained had brilliantly yed the part of innocent bystanders and evaded the situation.


    But the difficulty level of our mission had risen the very same moment that the spies came inside the radar of the guards'' knowledge. They had called for reinforcement and made the security tighter. The location that the spies had found was a warehouse owned by one of Darcy''s associates who Anthony seemed to despise. It was pretty obvious that the particr associate had been into the n somewhere or another and supported Darcy in stealing from Anthony.


    Anthony, though, was relieved that it was an associate he seemed to dislike and not one of those that both of them mutually did business with. He was worried that he would suffer losses if business associates turned on him. Darcy would be a difficult obstacle to ovee, in the first ce. He had my sympathies in that department. I was trying to be supportive and trying not to do something that would crumble the organization or cripple it right at that moment. Anthony had been making phone calls to most of his associates, subtly talking business and making sure if they had taken notice of the turbulent conditions between Darcy and Anthony. They all seemed to be oblivious to the feud that had embedded itself like a bad wedgie. Yes, hrious.


    On a brighter note, all his shipments and contracts had been carried out to the T and no one wasining. On one hand, the organization was worked up with the plotting of the raid; while on the other hand, they were busy trying to keep the business side in check.


    It was peak season for the casinos and clubs in town and Cienna had been scarcely seen thest few days. From what we had heardst, she had no time toe by the mansion and help with the investigation. Poseidon''s Realm was overflowing with people and was bringing in a good amount of money as where all the other business ventures that Anthony indulged in.


    More notes flew in throughout the day and more days passed after that. There was definite progress in the spying that had been taking ce. The spies had been able to identify other groups of Darcy''s men as theybed through Syracuse in search of the location of the shipment. They had been specific about the numbers and the locations of these people.


    The hacking team, on the other hand, had gained ess to the servers of the Real Estatepanies of the region and had taken up my ideas of trying to see if there were any government database fornd and house owning things. It turned out they did. Both the databases didn''t provide any solid proof or location that was eptable but adding the things and behavior that the spies had noticed in Darcy''s men, they had somehow narrowed down the list of ces that could hold the cargo.


    As I was analyzing the paper in my hand I realized that another had been slid onto the desk, right in front of me. I leaned down to see what it was about and look up, impressed. I raised a brow, a smile lingering on my lips as I saw the smirk on Anthony''s face. He was standing with his hands shoved down his pockets. He looked smug enough for everyone in the house.


    I kept the paper I had been looking over previously and took up the interesting piece of paper that Michael had given me. I scanned through it,ughing out in delight as I looked into the details. It was a paper dering that a particr plot in Syracuse had been sold to our very own drug supplier¡ªNn. There was a partially built carcass of a building that was surrounded by dust and cement, still. The legal documents mentioned the amount of money paid by the dealer in question to purchase the plot ofnd while the building project was going up. Obviously, the building process had never finished, and the building had been left with walls and floors and roofs, but had no windows or doors, and not worth buying. It had been purchased about seven months ago, and from the looks of it, it had cost a pretty penny.


    Overjoyed that we had concrete proof that the man was working for Darcy, I jumped up and almost threw my fists into the air and did a few pumps here and there. He looked at me with amused eyes, gauging my reaction or power of restraint. I gave the paper back to him and an idea struck me.


    "Do you have any bank transaction records for the buying of this ce? I think it is appropriate to add this on our radar. They could very well hide piles of shipment in a building that size without the inconvenience of a civilian toe across it or calling the cops."


    "We could ask them toe up with it. I should go and speak to them about this matter," Anthony spoke. His eyes glittered with victory. We had finally spoken. Both of us were still excited and in no mood to argue over things.


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 Chapter 70 Godspeed

    "The hackers are awfully swamped, I don''t mind doing this bit of the work myself," I negotiated promptly, wondering if it would be the beginning of another heated up conversation, but I didn''t believe that it would. Despite me calling him a monster before, he had utmost faith in his employees and kept an eye out for not overworking them. He was a good Boss like that.


    "You can do that. Godspeed," hemanded as he took off from the room. I heard the thumping of his foot against the stairs as he climbed up the stairs towards what I presumed was his room.


    I wandered into theputer room which buzzed with people who spread across the room in different positions of rxation and typed away at theirputers andptops. The room was mostly filled with smoke as the hackers lit up cigarettes and sucked at them hungrily to ease some of the tension and ease into their work and actually do shit as fast as Anthony would take the time to ask them to find out whatever he wanted. It was a difficult task, but they were supposedly the best team of hackers that one could put together and expectations always ran high.


    I waved my hand in front of my face to stop from breathing in too much of the pungent air and moved across the room to get my hands on a freeptop which I could use while the others did their own thing with their own devices. Some of them didn''t even look up, while others nced at her curiously. Sean was one of them, and each one of them earned a barkedment about returning to work or a deadly re. It turned out that most of them were ruffled as easily as Sean was, and quite frankly I enjoyed tormenting people.


    I took ce on the couch on the hall (which of course had taken its ce back where it had been before we had relocated everything to hold the meeting between the heads) and gotfortable. I stretched my legs before curling into myself as I leaned against the couch and ced theptop between my body and legs. I tried to carefully find out more about the house and locate it with Google Earth and then go on to get into the details of the building and the transactions made.


    I found that ording to the contract with the constructors, the owner¡ªNn had signed an agreement to stop the progress of the building. I conjured more information about the architectural firm involved with the project and tried to find out specific connections to Darcy. As it turned out, nothing was out of ce. It had been the first time that the firm had ever done business with anyone who knew Luke Darcy.


    Eventually, feeling like a failure I hopped onto the actual task that I had taken upon myself toplete. Look through the transactions rted to the house. I checked over the legal document again, which Anthony had left of the sofa for me to look over and saw that the amount of money allotted for the buying of was too huge for someone mostly insignificant as Nn, but he was our first suspect. I checked into his ount and logged into various ATM sites where I could see his face, nervously moving around to check if anyone was looking. But the way he handled money just showed that he was not the criminal mastermind. The ATM CCTV camera left me utterly drained and I chuckled at one point of time where I had seen him picking his nose as he waited for the money to arrive.


    The amounts he took out for transacting were small, which lead to the suspicion that he didn''t have the money to pay the amount for thend. I assumed that he might have had another bank ount where he kept all his money for business purposes and so as to evade the taxw. In this way, he could pretend he was filthy rich but nevere under the radar of well-known people. Still, I looked through his own bank ount and found that there no traces of any transaction. It did, though, point towards another bank ount which was clearly a spinoff of his real name. This one had more money had than thest, but it was not enough. Never enough.


    I, then, realized with a start that one of the ounts could be a joint ount with Darcy. And after what seemed to be an hour of tinkering with the site and carefully treading on it so as to not get trapped and get me into trouble.


    The answer was right there. The payment had been made from an ount that Luke had been connected to. He had been the identity proof of the person in question and had made a joint ount for him. Pulling up the page of that particr ount I found that there had been numerous transactions made from and to the ount. A lot of money had been deposited on the day that I had met Nn at Poseidon''s Realm. Looking closely into the ount, I pulled up the markers that were visible and worked on finding the IP address of the person or people who had made the transactions.


    It turned out that the most recent transaction had been made from a cell phone which was located in Syracuse and under the name of some unrecognizable person. Following the lead, I slowly revealed that the man was in charge of the operation and let the tech team know about the proceedings. I pulled up Eric on my cell and checked with him to find out if Luke had been spotted in Syracuse during that time period.


    I hit the jackpot. Eric returned the call after an hour or so, during which I had taken a shower, changed intofortable clothes and grabbed a bite to drink and informed me that after checking through surveince videos, they had found Darcy getting off a ck car somewhere in Syracuse and meeting with the person from whose cell phone the transaction had been made.


    Nn was, truly, working for Darcy.


    It was time to let Anthony know.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 71 No Mistake Is Stupid

    We had found the ideal ce for the shipments to be kept in. This was our chance. Anthony shuffled down the stairs after a few minutes after my discovery, looking as fresh as a daisy and his wet hair dripped on the floor. If I had been the doting homemaker that the men were trying to imagine me as I would have handed him his ass on a tter from ruining the carpeted floor. He plopped down beside me with a curious look, possibly gauging from my excited expression that I must have found something worth the time. He cleared his throat as he leaned into me and stared at the screen of theputer where I had all the information needed.


    A smirk stered on his face as I exined the situation to him, "I found that Nn is, indeed, working for Darcy. The other important news is that this warehouse was bought by Nn, and the ount used for the payment was used jointly by Nn and Luke. It''s clear as day that this could possibly be the ce where the shipments are or at least a considerable portion of it."


    "It could also be a decoy. We could be set up, as well," he said, but he was still smiling. It was a possibility, but not one that would be considered to be evident. Darcy would never just push in a contact or spy in to reveal them so callously in the period of a couple of weeks.


    "You think so?" I asked him, lightly. He probably didn''t, but this was another thing that I didn''t want to assume. Everyone knows what they say about assuming.


    "No, I don''t. I''m just surprised that Darcy could be reckless enough to let this one slip. I don''t know what he''s trying to do, but this is definitely not his style."


    "I know. But could he make such a stupid mistake?"


    "No mistake is stupid, Mia. There is something we need to do before we actually go down and take back the cargo."


    "But Boss, I thought that you were in a hurry to get it all back!" I was perplexed.


    "Slow and steady, Mia. I was in a hurry until I found out that the connection was left in the open. We have signed Nn already and if we raid the ce before we take care of Darcy, he will get suspicious and pull Nn back before we can even understand what happened. I need to think about this and figure out how to approach the situation without losing out on Nn or the shipment."


    "I suppose I understand, but waiting would make you lose out on the shipments. Luke Darcy might not leave it lying around and spending valuable capital on it for very long. We would want to keep changing locations and we will have to do this all over again. He won''t make the same mistakes twice." I reasoned. He nodded, looking impressed that I had tried my hardest not to sound offensive. I think he appreciated the effort immensely.


    "We wait. I''ll start a rumor in the organized crimemunity about the danger of the shipment and how a defective batch of products had been stolen, mysteriously and might be circting in the market. It might affect the ck market, but it will give us time to get closer to Nn and wipe him out."


    "Do organized criminals gossip like olddies, as well?" I asked, humorously. Anthony seemed to appreciate that, too. Or so I gathered when he threw his head back andughed out loud. "What I don''t understand is how someone would know that Luke was the one selling the goods."


    "It''s a trick, really. When you''re in the business, you know who you shouldn''t mess with. Very few people will mess with me, and small-timers will stay away from the people who have the power to pull off something of this magnitude. The opposition will narrow it down to a limited few and try not to buy that product from them so that they don''t displease me. It''s as simple as that." I stared at him for a moment.


    "That is fucking brilliant... beautiful," I murmured, awed by the genius of his n. It was simple and exquisite. "And why would he not try to move it to a different location?"


    "Two reasons: firstly, it would cost him a lot of money that he would not be able to earn back even if he sells out the goods, which he won''t be able to do. And secondly, the opposition will be keeping an eye out for the shipment. They will want to be my ally as much as they don''t want to engage in battle with me."


    "How do you know all of this?" I asked, my tone colored with wonder.


    "All of thises with experience, my kitten. You''ll learn in a few years'' time. It''s not as difficult as you are making it out to be. It gets simpler with time. It is as simple as figuring out a Caesar''s Box when you get used to it and you know your opponents like the back of your hand. They aren''t that different from me and you. They have the same insecurity and strengths that you and I have. They have the same strategies as I can figure out; some, though, go further because they can use their instincts and y on their strengths and strategies. It''s also a good thing to keep your calm at all times."


    "I''ll keep these things in mind, Boss." I tilted my head to a side and smirked at him, which he seemed to return. Something shes in his eyes and he started scrutinizing me.


    "You should. They are important matters. These things should let you know how important it is to keep your calm in the hardest of times. One should never try to reveal frustration by taking it out on someone else. Remember that, Mia," he said sternly before he shoved his hands into his pocket and walked out of the room. I guessed that it was as close as he would go to providing me with an apology for his appalling behavior the past few days.


    I was d that the tension seemed to vanish from the house as soon as Anthony informed others of the ns and information that I had found. People started packing up their things, relieved that they would get a few days of rest after the gruesome few days of Anthony constantly pushing people to their limits. I was d, too.


    I was going back to my apartment.


    I had some major nning to do, so as to proceed with my mission and not get diverted by Anthony and his organization''s problem, despite them being extremely informative in nature. I needed some time to process what I had to do next and tread carefully so that I could kill two birds with one stone. Darcy could be destroyed by Anthony and he, in turn, could only be destroyed if Darcy inflicted damage that even Anthony could not rece. My n would be invincible when I figured out how it would y out.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 72 Decadence

    Maybe in my rush to get out of the mansion, I had not noticed how shady Cienna looked as she swayed and stumbled on the path that led to the mansion''s entrance. I could see that she had hailed a cab to reach her destination and was relieved that she hadn''t driven herself here or had taken a lift from someone who would find out too much about the organization and turn out to be a threat. Of course, most would trust Cienna to remember the security of the mob even before her life as she had been part of it for longer than most people, but I didn''t have that sort of faith in her. In my opinion, she could give away vital information to the wrong people.


    As I passed her, I smelled the alcohol on her. She reeked. And then there was something else, the pungent smell almost made me recoil in disgust. It''s as if she hadn''t had a shower in a few days and rolled around in the mud for the same period of time.


    "The newest whore is here!" she squealed as she turned to me. Okay, she was obviously a happy drunk, a very rude happy drunk.


    "Cienna," I sighed in frustration. She stumbled as she leaned in to whisper something in my ear and fell forward. I stepped away, making her fall on her face with a thud. I couldn''t say I felt sorry for letting her fall. I squatted down beside her to check if she was hurt and found her back shaking. I groaned, thinking that she was crying for getting hurt, but when I turned her face to a side, I saw her exhaling sharply from her nose,ughing silently. I tried to turn her whole body and apparently it was extremely amusing for her. She let out a guffaw and then broke out into a maniacal giggle.


    I might have just left her there, but the cab was still waiting outside the gate and the guards spoke to the cabbie with heated expressions. Sighing, I decided that I should get her inside before she makes a fool of herself andy there all night, and god forbid catches pneumonia.


    "Guards," I called in a loud voice that made Ciennaugh louder. I rolled my eyes as I tried to catch their attention. Atst, they seemed to take notice of me sitting in front of an inebriated Cienna and rushed to my aid. "Get her up and inside. I''ll take care of the cabbie." They nodded and stooped down to try to scoop Cienna up and take her inside. Two of them grabbed her hands and legs and suspended her into the air and swiftly carried her inside as if they were used to it or had at least done it before.


    I moved towards the cabbie, who was an older man. He looked distressed as he gazed above my shoulders to see what was happening to his customer. I gave him a reassuring smile when he finally turned to me. He looked suspiciously at me as if having seen me avoiding catching her when she fell. He probably did.


    "Thank you for dropping her, sir," I thanked him politely. His expression seemed to soften at my grateful words, but he still seemed suspicious. "Could you tell me how much the ride cost?" I made sure that my voice was soft and sweet.


    "First you gotta tell me what will gonna happen to that girl." I was surprised by her harshness in his voice. The older man was genuinely concerned for an inebriated girl. I wondered what Cienna had spewed while she was in the cab. I''d got to find out, and the only way I could do that was by reassuring the man and making him trust me enough to tell me what transpired while she was in the cab.


    "You don''t need to worry about her. I think we''ll give her some food and then let her sleep." I smiled the best I could to tell him that everything was fine, but he still seemed unsure. "I think I understand your concern, but this is where she lives most of the time. She''s thedy of the house," I told him, but I could hear the distaste that I felt.


    "Don''t y nice, girl. I saw how you let her go." He narrowed his eyes at me. So he had seen me let her fall. Well, that seemed okay to me.


    ''Can this man not let this go? I need to get inside and see what is going on.''


    "I''ll admit that I don''t get along with her, but I''m not here to harm her."


    "And don''t think for a moment that I don''t know that the girl is in danger."


    "Danger?" That got me curious.


    "She told me that her man was out for her blood. I''m guessing that this is his ce, so I''m not going until thedy asks me to." I huffed before I ran a hand through my hair.


    "You''ve got to tell me everything she said. If she''s in danger then I need to know."


    "You just came out of the house like you owned it. You think I''ll tell you a thing?" Okay, the old man was getting to my nerves by that time. But I didn''t think that involving anyone else in the matter would do any good.


    "I''m an employee here. I don''t need to exin myself to you. Just tell me how much she owes you and I''ll pay you." He shook his head. He bloody shook his head. I ground my teeth together and then turned around. "You can wait here as long as you want, then. She''s gonna stay here for as long as she needs to sleep and I''m not in a mood to have this conversation. Anyway, I need to see how she''s doing."


    "Let me know what you see," he grumbled and I shot him a look. "You might lie, but I need to get my peace of mind." I rolled my eyes and walked back into the mansion.


    She was lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling with a shit eating grin on her face. The guards were standing across the room with disturbed looks on their faces. They seemed unsettled as I approached Cienna. She seemed oblivious to her surroundings. When I was close enough to properly see her, I could see her mumbling to herself and smiling. I wondered if she''d lost her mind atst.


    "Do you know where Anthony is?" I asked the guards. They shook their heads and then looked anywhere but at Cienna. "Get him for me, now," I ordered. They scattered in different directions. I kneeled down beside Cienna and tried to make out what she was saying.


    "Kill... kill... he''s gonna... this is what love... hate it..." that''s all I could make out. I listened closer, trying to make sense of what she was saying, but it was useless. "He''ll take care of me," I heard her say suddenly and snapped my head up to look at her face. She was still staring at the ceiling with that dreamy look in her eyes. Her head turned almost dramatically towards me, slowly that I could count until ten before she was looking into my eyes. Kneeling down made my eyes in direct line of hers.


    "Who?" I asked when I realized that she had been talking to me.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 73 We Belong to Everyone

    [Warning: Drugs and loads of controversial topics. Proceed at your own risk.]


    "Anthony." I gave her a questioning look at that. How could she be so sure? "He''s always taken care of me. I''m older than him and more experienced. He''s my prince in the white shining armor. I trust him. He''ll never let me down. He''s a good boy." I stared at her. She had officially lost her mind. She had referred to the hardest man in the city to be her prince and what not and called him a ''good boy.'' If that wasn''t a sign, I don''t know what was.


    "Cienna, you''re scaring me." To be quite honest, it was. I hadn''t thought she''d snap like this. I really needed to make that cabbie talk. He''d be my only chance at figuring out where he''d picked her up and what he''d heard from her.


    "Am I, now? You''re gonna see so much more than this. You think I''m going nuts, don''t you? Anthony will do the same to you," she said and then grinned, her teeth showing, looking almost malicious in her gleefully inebriated state. "We? We''re the currency. We''re useful until we sell. I sold myself all those years back. Did you know that I got pregnant when I was in my teens? I''d just gotten into the business," she whispered, the smile still stered on her face. Her eyes were unfocused, but she went back to staring at the ceiling and not at me. "I know that you know where Ie from. I''m a top ss saleswoman, am I not? I loved my job, you know. I was the best anyone ever had. I wasn''t one of those high-ss escorts who worked at gentlemen clubs. I worked on the streets, only took the filthiest rich to bed and made them fall in love with my body." She paused then and thenughed out abruptly and shaking her head. "Ah, what I''d do to be young and beautiful again." She nodded to herself, and I wondered if she was talking to herself.


    "You''ll end up the same way I am: high and in denial. I love to be a whore, but Anthony. He''s robbed me of my love. He doesn''t even touch me anymore, and it''s your fault."


    "And how is it my fault that you''re not getting any?" I tried to suppress an amused chuckle at her usation.


    "He wants to fuck you. Are you happy?" Actually, I wasn''t.


    "No, I''m not. I''m not interested in fucking him, Cienna. He''s all yours. You can have him." I assured her. "Now tell me what happened to you."


    "No."


    "What is going on here?" I could hear the anger in Anthony''s voice. "You''re as high as a fucking kite!"


    He took longer, more aggressive steps and then stopped right in front of me and peered at Cienna. He bent forward and touched her face. He spread her eyelids with his fingers and swore.


    "What did you do?"


    "Molly knocked on my door. I couldn''t say no." She looked guiltily at Anthony who clenched his fists and shot me a look. I took the opportunity to stand up and wait for him to say something.


    "Molly?" he whispered harshly before running his hands through his hair.


    "Ecstasy, Anthony," her voice oozed reverie. I shook my head and sent Anthony a worried look of my own.


    "The drug that is ruining America," I thought out loud before shoving my hands into pockets.


    "What else did you have?" he practically growled out.


    "Molly wanted a dance with Johnnie Walker. Who was I to say no? We had a lovely threesome."


    "Do you want me to take her back to her apartment or do you want me to just leave her here?" I asked Anthony as he paced the room, furious.


    "She stays here. She has some answering to do." He turned to me, then.


    "There is a cab waiting outside. The man refuses to go before he knows that no one is going to harm her," I said and pointed at her. He swore again.


    "You need to find out what she said. Everything."


    "On it, boss. No need to worry."


    "No rest for the wicked, huh?" he tried to joke but failed miserably.


    "You should go off to sleep. I''ll leave her some food, water and something for her head."


    "Yeah, you do that. You''re a savior, Mia. I don''t know what I''d do without you."


    "Thank you, Anthony." I smiled at him and he returned it in earnest. As he went back upstairs, I sat beside Cienna and asked her the most obvious question.


    "Where were you all this time? Cienna?" I tried to shake her into focus.


    "''I belonged to no one, who belonged to everyone. Who had nothing, who wanted everything. With a fire for every experience and an obsession for freedom, that terrified me to the point that I couldn''t even talk about it. And pushed me to a nomadic point of madness that both dazzled and dizzied me...''"


    The words sounded vaguely familiar, but the implication was loaded. I guessed that she had been going back to the same ce she had been working before Anthony got her out of the business. She might resent Anthony for doing such a thing, but he did save her life.


    Having seen her bank ount left no confusion in my mind that she was somehow being dragged back into the prostitution ring again, either willfully or forcefully, but she was going back.


    I wasn''t worried about her, I was more worried about how that would affect the mob or my mission. If Cienna made one wrong move and somehow gave the mob away... I didn''t even want to think about it.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 74 Madhouse

    "I belong to no one... remember... no one... don''t let them get to you... shoot yourself before they get to you..." she mumbled to herself. I couldn''t make out most of it, but it was evident that everything that had happened to her and she''d done had taken a toll on her and she needed medical attention as soon as possible, but it wasn''t safe. She''d need to be put down if she became dangerous.


    How would Anthony react to that? She has a pretty big role in the mob. She took care of all legal businesses and advertisers. Without her, the economic receipts of the mob would be handicapped.


    I got her everything that she needed when she woke up and then left to see if the cabbie was still waiting outside. Much to my surprise, he was.


    He had probably fallen asleep while waiting. I jogged to his side and knocked on the closed window insistently until he jolted awake and stared at me for a moment. Being caught off guard, he took a few moments topose himself before rolling the ss down and poking his head out of the door.


    "Any news?" he asked her in his rough voice.


    "She passed out a few minutes back." He nodded to himself before he pulled his keys out from his pocket and leaned forward to start the engine.


    "Sir," I interrupted. "I really need you to tell me what she told you. This is important. If she''s in some sort of trouble, then you should probably tell us." The man huffed and considered my offer.


    "Miss, I don''t know who you are and what the two of you are involved in, but I wonder both of youe out alive. I don''t know how pretty women like you get tangled in these things."


    "These things?" I asked, bewildered about his implications. Did he know about the mob or something?


    "The girl couldn''t even stand when she stopped the cab. There was a man with her, looked like a sleaze. He hugged her and kissed her. I don''t know if there was something, but when I asked her where she needed to go, she pulled out a paper from inside her dress and handed it to me." He seemed horrified that I was listening to the story without much surprise on my face.


    "Can you tell me where you picked her up from?" I asked him in the softest voice I could manage. He looked away in embarrassment. "You need to tell me." It sounded like a demand when I said it. He flinched away and answered anyways.


    "The red light district," he choked out before he reached out to turn the engine on again. Satisfied with what I''d found out I let the cabbie drive away. I did memorize the number on his license te and tucked it in the back of my mind to pull out on ater date when I needed to track down the man again.


    I might need him for further informationter when I''d let Anthony know where the cabbie had picked her up from.


    [She was at the red light district. Cabbie said that there was a man who dropped her off. Didn''t offer much more. ¨CMia.]


    I sent the message and then went to the garage to take my car out. As I drove towards my house I felt my phone vibrating and knew that it was Anthony who had texted back, but waited until I was safely tucked into my nket to open the message and see what it was about.


    .


    I had taken a long hot shower and ordered supper from the local deli and was snuggling into my pillows with my cell phone on the nightstand. I was curious about what he had to say, but there was a lingering possibility that ate away at me.


    ''What would be of the n to annihte Nn and therefore Darcy if Cienna and her petty issuese in the way?''


    I shoved the ideas aside and reached for the cell phone.


    I had three messages waiting for me on my cell phone.


    [I''ll see to it that she doesn''t get out of the house anytime soon. Ethan will go to check Cienna''s apartment to see if he can find anything inside her apartment. worry about Cienna, I''ll handle the situation. Think about Nn. ¨CAnthony.]


    [Send me the number of the cab. ¨CAnthony.]


    I smiled at his faith in me. He somehow knew that I''d have noted the number and kept it in my memory. It was a wonder that he''d asked because he could have simply checked the recordings of the security cameras outside the gate to find out the number of the cab. A subtle way of letting me know that he trusted me? Maybe.


    I had one more message left.


    [I just saw Cienna. Can I snoop around her ounts and find out her secrets now? ¨CSean.]


    Iughed a bit and shook my head. The boy seemed excited to find out that Cienna had rpsed even after the warning she had received thest time around. I had warned him to stay clear of the matter, but he seemed to be unmoved by my words. I did understand that it took a lot of courage on his part to write out the message and actually send it to me after I had snapped at him as I had, but I think it would be a good thing if he was really interested and got to the bottom of the matter.


    Thinking it over, I decided that I was not the right person to sanction the task of him investigating the matter.


    [Ask Anthony. ¨CMia.]


    The reply came back instantaneously.


    [Thank you so much. You''re the best person I know! ¨CSean.]


    I tossed the phone aside and curled into myself to get some sleep. It came easily.


    .


    I was woken by an odd humming next to my hip. I jumped up to a sitting position from my sleep and frantically looked around, trying to get my bearings right. I realized that the cause of the buzzing had been my phone and hunted for it in the mess of my bed sheets to see who was pestering me sote at night.


    I found it after a few frustrating minutes and squinted at the illuminated screen for a long time.


    [1 new message.] It said.


    With a growl, I unlocked the phone and tried to read the message in my sleep induced haze.


    [Cienna is awake and catatonic. Sean is euphoric and has gone out of his way to seek my permission to spy on Cienna. Ethan has found some disturbing things in her apartment. He''s shouting the house down and nning on ambushing the red light district. Sean has locked himself up in theputer room. This ce has turned into a madhouse. Chase the sun this morning, and reach the mansion before they kill me or make a mental patient out of me. Morning can''te fast enough. ¨CAnthony]


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 75 Black and Bitter

    The man called me at half past one in the morning. I didn''t mind being calledte, but a text message pleading me to relieve the Boss of the anarchy that was currently taking ce at the mansion was uncalled for after the weeks I had spent getting little to no sleep, trying to solve the mystery of the location of the cargo. I think I deserved the rest.


    The funny thing was that, my squinted eyes jolted open when I read the message. All signs of sleep fled. My previously dazed brain suddenly received all the blood it needed to make my senses sharp. I pushed the covers from over my body and contemted the consequences of dashing the cell phone against the floor to get over my irritation. Huffing, I helped myself to a cup of coffee before I responded to the text.


    [How do you take your coffee? ¨CMia.]


    I breathed out the irritation and concentrated on the burning sensation in my throat. I suppose I understood why he needed help. He''d been working as hard as everyone else, if not more and he needed some time to recuperate before he is thrown to the dogs again; the dogs being his hyperactive and troublemaking employees.


    [ck and bitter. ¨CAnthony.]


    Holding back augh, I texted back a reply awkwardly with one hand.


    [Like your heart? ¨CMia.]


    [The coffee is less ck, I suppose. I can''t believe I''m saying this, but save me. ¨CAnthony.]


    I choked on my coffee as I hurried to take a screenshot of the message so that I could always remember this. The invincible Anthony Murray had asked someone for help, and as it turned out, it was me. I would have been overwhelmed if I hadn''t found the whole situation amusing.


    [I''ll be there before the light reaches your doorstep. Faster than sound, faster than light: me. ¨CMia.]


    I fetch out a sk from the cab which I remember someone from the organization had given me as a gift a few years back. This was probably the first time I was going to use it. Anyways, it took me quite a while to locate it and then a few more minutes to proceed and make Anthony''s coffee. I made his extra strong and sneaked some for myself, as well.


    The bitter coffee washed away whatever little hesitance I had. I packed myself some food, too, just to be on the safe side. I donned on a worn out t-shirt and cut up jeans and left the apartment in hope that the gate to the mansion would be open when I reach.


    The moment I reached the gate, I looked around. The night was cold, and I could see that the guards were all covered in warm sheets... sleeping. A bit disappointed, I sighed and did what I had dreaded doing when I left the building. I tried to open the locked gate.


    My fears had proven right. The guards had chosen that day to fall asleep on the job. They were probably exhausted of constantly being alert from the past couple of weeks without proper sleep.


    So, I took pity on them and tried to figure out a way I could get in. I checked the lock on the gate and realized that it was one of those automated locks that only opened when someone from inside would log in the password and open it. Of course, one could break in, literally, but that was not what I was going to do.


    Realizing that trying to open the gate was futile, I did the next best thing that came to my mind.


    Call Anthony.


    Why hadn''t I thought about that earlier? Because I likedplex things and calling Anthony would have been easy. I had to learn the ways of being an opportunist.


    "Could you please open the gate? I''m getting cold," I said as soon as he picked up the phone.


    "What?"


    "Open the gate. The guards have fallen asleep." And I could hear him take a surprised breath.


    "You really came?" he sounded delighted, but I wanted none of that.


    "Yes, now can you let me enter your castle, your majesty? It''s dark and cold out here." I heard him guffaw before he broke into augh. The phone went dead, then. I realized that he must have been running down the stairs to get the gate open.


    I could see him emerge from the front door a few momentster. He was wearing the same clothes as he had been when I left him, and he was jogging towards the gate. He approached the guards who slept soundly inside the room with the ss window. I saw him shake one awake and speak to him with an angry expression on his face. He pointed at me once and I saw the other man peek a nce at me, too. I tapped my foot on the ground and waited for Anthony to finally get to the point where the gate opens.


    After what seemed like an hour of Anthony lecturing the poor man (while his colleagues were still fast asleep), the gate slowly slid open. I breathed a sigh of relief as I walked over to my car. I could hear the sound of his foot against the ground as he jogged in my direction.


    "You okay?" I heard Anthony say as I unlocked the door. I turned around and nodded at him with a smile on my face. He smiled back. "You go sit down, I''ll park the car," he offered, politely. I was half suspicious that he was only doing it because I hade to save him, but I took the opportunity of him being nice to me. I felt triumph in being able to use someone''s weaknesses for myself. It was a small victory, but it was a beginning.


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 Chapter 76 Just Stay Pu

    I offered him a shrug and walked over to the passenger side of the car. He opened the door and smoothly slid into the driver''s seat and unlocked the passenger side door. I slid into the car as well, feeling silly that I was sitting inside for a few meters. But I thought that the Boss needed it. I hadn''t gotten a good look at his face, yet, but I was sure that he would not send a text in which heined about the havoc and how he could not handle it. He was just not the man for that.


    The car was warm, and it was silent enough for me to hear the soft sounds of breathing. There were two distinctly different sighs of breath, one was mine and the other his, but it was hard to recognize as they came in a coordinated manner. We just sat there for some time, almost like we were catching our breath. I looked over at Anthony who was leaning his head against the seat, his eyes closed and his mouth open. His hands were gripping the steering wheel, but he didn''t seem to have any ns to start the engine and park the car.


    I chanced a nce at the guard, who seemed alert, but a bit impatient with us as he waited for us to enter the premises and rid him of his duty. But Anthony, dutifully just sat there as if to punish the guard to a few more minutes of sleep deprivation for falling asleep on his job.


    I turned back and looked freely at Anthony.


    I probably hadn''t noticed how he looked when I had left the house. He had evident dark circles under his eyes and scruff that looked like it needed tending to. That was from the side, though. He was a handsome man and could carry off a considerable amount of facial hair with pride, but this scruff was not properly taken care of and made him look more tired. His lips were chapped, and his hair looked matted. He definitely needed a nice, long shower sleep and shampoo.


    I pried my eyes away from him, sensing that he would open his eyes soon enough and I was proven right. From the corner of my eyes, I saw him open his eyes slowly and then peek at me to see what I was doing. He sighed before he turned the key to bring the engine to life. The car lurched forward and inside the premises in the next three moments and then proceeded to take a circle of the whole ce before finding its ce inside the garage.


    I reached for the door, but Anthony stopped me by cing a hand on my arm. I jolted in my seat and snapped my head towards him.


    "Just stay put for a while, will you? I''m not ready to go inside just yet." I nodded in understanding as he undid the seatbelt and killed the engine.


    "So, what has been happening inside?" I whisper into the silence. He hums, acknowledging my question, but takes some time before he answers.


    "Sean came up to me saying that you asked him to take my permission about him looking into Cienna." I nodded, letting him know that I, indeed, had advised the boy to do it. "He told me that you knew that he had pulled up a page where Cienna''s bank ount history was clearly on the page." Again, I nodded. "He also tattled about how you had scolded him to do his work and not poke his nose where it was not needed." He gave me a slow smile and then frowned. "Thank you for that. The boy needs to mind his own business. I appreciate his skills and urgency to find out about Cienna, but I think that the reason for his motivation is not proper." He let out a frustrated breath. "So, you know that Cienna has been transferring a fair stipend to Joe, her ex-pimp. I thought they''d lost connection years ago, but I guess I was wrong. What worries me is why she is paying the money to that vile man."


    "Do you think that he is ckmailing her?" I asked him, trying to press him into giving more information.


    "Yes, but I can''t figure out what he might know. I had been hoping that it was something that only pertained to Cienna, but as it turns out there is more to the story." I silently listened on as he told me everything.


    "Ethan had broken into Cienna''s apartment and had found that there was nothing in the house to show that the apartment was Cienna''s. So he snooped around¡ªmore like ransacked the ce, and found out various stashes of drugs, images of photographs pinned on the wall. Most of Cienna, and they were all very controversial. The apartment had smelled dirty ording to Ethan and there were condoms strewn all over the main room. Ethan foundrge amounts of cash hidden in various spots in the room, too. There were a series of butchering knives and other knives along with guns and bullets lying around. The apartment had been locked from the outside, but Ethan felt something odd and went into the bedroom and found a naked girl who was clearly beaten up tied to the bed." I think my eyes widened in shock. Anthony just nodded as if trying to make me believe that what he was saying was true.


    "Why would Cienna kidnap some girl?" I think my voice had raised a few octaves higher.


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 Chapter 77 It Was Inevitable

    "That''s what Ethan wanted to find out as well, so he went down to the guard downstairs, tipped him off. He found out that Cienna hadn''t entered the building until a week ago. The guard mentioned that there was a man living in the apartment at that moment and that Cienna had let the guard know that he would be living there a while back. The guard mentioned no girl, so the girl wasn''t living with the man, obviously."


    "But what was Cienna doing there if she had already given this man the apartment? Do you think it is Joe?"


    "I''m sure it''s him because the guard''s description of the man matches." I nodded. "Cienna''s reasons for being at the apartment and not being at the apartment are not known as of yet."


    "But I thought Cienna was awake?" I was growing impatient by the moment. Nothing was adding up. One moment, I had been feeling sad about the woman and in the next, she turned out to be the most suspicious person in the room.


    "She is awake, only partially. She''s been talking in riddles. I know that she''s not drunk anymore, but she refuses to make sense. And she''s terribly scared of something. And Ethan is being extremely intimidating."


    "Okay, don''t think about any of this for a few minutes." I reached back to retrieve the sk I had prepared for Anthony. "Here you go. Your coffee," I informed him as he took it from my hands. He smiled, the side of his tired eyes crinkling as he did so.


    He didn''t need a mug for the coffee; he drank from straight from it, takingrge gulps of coffee at each go.


    "I needed that. Damn," he cursed under his breath and then ran his hand roughly over his face.


    "Now let us go inside and see what is going on."


    "We should give it a few more minutes before going. Ethan just stopped plotting the ambush of the red light district. He thinks its game to enter the area without precaution and kill anyone who tries to keep secrets." He let out a smallugh, making me feel sorry for him.


    "If it makes you feel better, you could go and take out your frustration on anyone who doesn''t answer truthfully by putting a bullet in their vital organs. It would be refreshing, I suppose." He seemed to find humor in my proposition and let out a genuineugh. I joined in, feeling good about myself.


    "I suppose I could, but we really need to get down to business and see what is going on with Cienna. I can''t let Ethan lose control like this at such a time. We need to find ws in Nn then curb Joe and then take care of Cienna. I don''t know where to start!"


    "Start with Cienna. If she needs to talk, she''ll talk. You think she''s scared, and she won''t open her mouth until she feels safe, so you need to let her feel safe. That is first. Secondly, we''ll think about Ethan. He''s clearly traumatized with what he saw. I know he''s a strong man and probably past the nightmares of his time as a prisoner, but something triggered it. He sees people meeting cruel ends all the time. You need to find out what got to him. Then we can tail Joe and not much work is needed after that. You already called your favors and spread the news of the stealing of shipments so you have time. We can leave Nn forst. Maybe, if we don''t think about it, his shorings will be ringly obvious." I was proud of myself for the little speech that I had just given him. He seemed a bit stunned.


    "You''re learning fast, aren''t you? Good job. I like the way you are thinking. We''ll do that."


    "You do realize that we always seem to either say too much or too little when we speak, right?" I say to lighten up the mood.


    "I think it''s because we''re alike. We don''t get along because we''re too much like each other and that includes being stubborn."


    "I''m not going to take that as apliment, Boss. I don''t think being like you is apliment." I gave him a wink to let him know that I was joking... partially.


    "You''lle to face the truth someday. You hate the bits of me that you know that you have."


    "And I love something about you? You wish." I scoffed. "You''re just being cocky."


    "I would''ve made a crudement, but I don''t think it''ll make me look any better than you already think me as." I could hear the truth behind his words. I appreciated theck of crudements on his parts, really. If it had been any other man¡ªa younger one, he would havemented, but being older and wiser, Anthony probably knew better than that. It''s not that he didn''t have bad moments.


    "Let''s go in, shall we? It''s gettingte, and I think it''s time to get some rest. I''ll stay the night and sort out the chaos tomorrow. You go get some beauty sleep. You look like an old hag without it." I don''t think I would be able to be so casual with him if we were not sitting there.


    Hell, I wasn''t even sure how I was getting the courage to tantly insult him and not worrying about being reprimanded for it. It was bing easier to speak to him. Of course, we would have arguments and both of us knew that. It was inevitable.


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 Chapter 78 Warn Me Off

    As he had pointed out, both of us were extremely stubborn and needed control. I think that was what made us sh. That is apart from the fact that I was supposed to be collecting information and destroying the man sitting before me. It was quite cruel that I was the most dangerous enemy he had and he was so casually baring his soul to me. I was the most dangerous because he knew his other enemies. I, on the other hand, was disguised as an ally.


    This time I felt no sense of satisfaction in knowing that I would get my revenge. I was merely indifferent. Maybe, I would do my job: both my jobs properly from now on.


    We got out of the car and then went inside the house. Anthony asked me to check on Cienna once before I went to sleep. As Anthony jogged up the stairs, I felt the urge to check on Sean who I was sure was still in theputer room working on shady things.


    I opened the door to the room as silently as possible and saw that the room was filled with the soft glow of lights from the screen of theputers in the room. Sean was sitting amidst the chaos, typing swiftly into theptop on hisp¡ªthe usual scenery that was seen in the room. In the blink of an eye, I saw him ce theptop on a small stool in front of him and hastily getting up to get some printouts from the machine. He then produced a pencil with which he started to mark various ces on the paper. As he worked, I felt a rush of irritation take over.


    "Does your mom know where you are?" I asked in a clear voice that cut through the silence in the room. He jumped up, scared, and the materials in his hand went flying and he let go of them. He stared at me in shock. "So?" I waited for him, crossing my arms above my chest: an image of sternness. I could see him gulping in fear in the dim light that illuminated the room.


    "Huh?" seemed to be the only answer he could produce. I shook my head in frustration and then repeated my question again, slowly and deliberately. "Oh, yeah. I told her that I was going to stay over at my friend''s ce," he answered absently. "She didn''t even stop to wonder when I''d made friends or the name of the friend who I was going to hang out with," he said. I was pretty sure that the words were his thoughts spoken aloud without his conscious consent, so I didn''t ponder on them for them. I did, though, feel a little bad for the kid. Maybe submerging himself in ridiculous work made him feel worthwhile.


    And then I choked on myughter as I chided myself for my understanding thoughts. They had be more frequent and were making me scared of my sanity. I wouldn''t want to turn into the model moral woman now, would I?


    I should be a shrink or something? I jokedmely.


    "Go to sleep, now. You can finish this tomorrow." My words were more of amand than a request, and I meant it.


    "I''ll just finish this-" I cut him off.


    "No. You''ll be going off to sleep right now. Don''t try to fool me. I was your age once."


    "You sound like an older sister."


    "Just go to sleep." He nodded and then proceeded to arrange the things that had fallen from his hands and saving all the information before shutting down theputers.


    "I found some new things. You''ll be happy to see the things I found. Cienna is messed up." He shook his head, sympathetically and it made me wonder what it was about. Sean was a bit prejudiced, but I couldn''t help but question her actions. But I would stop him right there.


    "Don''t talk about things you don''t understand. Now, go." He hung his head, properly chastised and then went towards the refrigerator from behind which I saw him reaching for a small cupboard that I had missed all the times I had been in the room. It was well concealed behind the freezer. It seemed like he was pulling out... a sleeping bag. I stared in horror as he spread it out and slid into it.


    "You''re going to sleep in this room?" I was definitely horrified. "Why?" I was bbergasted.


    "The house is too big and a bit eerie; I prefer sleeping with the machines. They keep mepany."


    "Okay, creep. Sleep tight." I closed the door behind me, leaving him with his belovedputers and then took and then dug out the box of food I had packed and munched on it.


    I heard the footsteps again and nced up, confused because I knew that it was not Anthony.


    It was Cienna, shaking uncontrobly and clutching on to herself as he moved across the room. She plopped down beside me, silently staring at nothing in particr. The silence seemed to be what was consuming the mansion. It was the opposite of what Anthony had been describing as in the urgent text. I pushed the box of food towards her, thinking that she might be hungry. I had no clue if she had had anything to eat before she reached the gate.


    She stared at my extended hands for a moment before reaching out hesitantly to pick up a cookie that I had bought. I almost wanted to tell her that I hadn''t poisoned it but thought otherwise. She was already depressed and scared for her life; I didn''t want to put in the fear of being killed by the mob into her head as well. As I had told Anthony earlier, it was our mission to make her feel safe enough to tell us what had happened.


    She took small bites of the cookie and after finishing it, reached out for another cookie. Pleased with herck the hesitance the second time, I took a cookie myself and munched on it. I had brought various other things that were still packed in my bag. I had some gran bars, a box of instant noodles, an apple and potato chips in the mystery back which we were yet to eat. We took our time, and the hour passed as we slowly ate every bit of food I had packed. Neither she nor I spoke a word. For the first time, Cienna did not spew expletives at me. Neither did she warn me off Anthony. That would be enough to let any sane person know that she was deeply affected by whatever it was that she had experienced.


    A few momentster, her eyes started to droop and I took up the responsibility to hold her elbows and guide her to the room that I had been using for the past few days. I made her get into bed after offering her a ss of water and covered her with the sheets. She snuggled into the covers and then fell asleep in no time.


    My exhaustion caught up to me and I felt it weighing down on it. I knew that I didn''t have a proper ce to upy to sleep so I took residence in the couch at the corner of the room and wrapped curled into myself.


    I hoped that Cienna wouldn''t wake up again or try to murder me while I slept.


    I also hoped that I wouldn''t have a terrible back pain the next morning.


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 Chapter 79 He Had Mercy

    I eventually woke up. My leg was cold and wet and I felt cold fingers curled around my ankles. To say that I was spooked would be an understatement. I took a moment before I opened my eyes, my hand gripping the gun that was resting between my skin and the waistband of my shorts. I pulled it out in one smooth move and pointed it towards whatever was gripping my leg in its frozen grip. My eyes were wide and waiting, half expecting to see pale, broken skin and bleeding eyes to the face of the creature that was holding onto me. Something slithering across the floor maybe, but I was not ready to see the tear-soaked face of Cienna who seemed to be fast asleep on the floor. Her body was curled up in front of my foot, her head resting on the floor right in front of my left foot, and her hands holding my foot like a vice.


    A cold chill went through me as I bend forward and tried to pry her hands away from my leg. Her grip tightened, and her face contorted into an expression of agony. I leaned in more, trying my best not to fall over or startle her and shook her shoulders gently.


    She groaned, and I felt nothing but pity for her. I remembered how she had spat at me and red at me whenever she had seen me. I had never seen her so... vulnerable. She looked like she knew too much about something and was trying to fight it and push the thoughts away as fast as they entered her mind.


    "Cienna," I whispered, a bit scared about how she would react when she woke up. Her eyes fluttered and she looked bewildered as her eyes darted around as she tried to understand where she was. She gasped and her fingers around my ankles left me suddenly, making me almost topple over. I gripped the hand rest of the couch and steadied myself, my eyes never leaving her frame.


    For the longest period of time, Cienna seemed to be transfixed by something on the bed... or something that was not on it. I watched it y out as it happened. She crawled on her knees and moved towards the bed almost hesitantly. She gripped the side of the bed and pulled herself upright.


    A wretched cry filled the room, and I lurched forward to get a hold on her as she copsed. Her body hit the bed and she started to wrack with sobs. I inched forward, perplexed and worried and looked at her face, she sobbed; her eyes were wide open, tears slid sideways into the bed sheets and she pushed her face into the mattress, her mouth was curved in a smile; not a ludicrous one, but a softer, sane one. Surprised, I sat on the bed and pushed the hair out of her face. She looked up, surprised by the gesture and smiled more freely at me. Her sobs ebbed down to sniffles and the tight hold of her fists of the sheets loosened. She gave out a startledugh and turned her body around. She was lying, with her face towards the ceiling.


    "Thank God... fuck... He had mercy. Thank you... thank you!" herugh died down after a few moments, and I found myself staring at her. I had never seen her like this, looking so vulnerable and human, so... liberated. This was not the Cienna I hade to know and be indifferent to (for most of the part). She was a whole different person, altogether; all light and joy and a chaotic past that left her catatonic and angry throughout her years. This was so different that for the first time I found myself sincerely wondering about what had happened to her without any hidden motive behind my curiosity.


    "What happened to you?" I found myself asking. She inched her hand closer to where mine was and ced it over mine. She ced her weight on the other and tried to sit up. I helped her sit up.


    "Thank you," she mumbled as she pulled her knees to her chest.


    "I''ll go call Anthony," I informed her as I tried to stand up.


    "Yes," she whispered. "He needs to be here when I say this." And when I looked into her eyes, I saw sadness. There was no fear. She noticed me looking and gave me a feeble smile. "He''s saved me for so long. I think he''s gotten used to it, but I don''t know what he''ll do this time. He''ll save me, I think. He does have a saviorplex. But then again..." she trailed off, scrutinizing me. "He is all set and he has you... maybe he doesn''t need me any longer."


    "You should rest," I told her as I left.


    "He doesn''t let me touch him. It''s all tonic, if you wanted to know." My whole body rotated as I yearned to look at her. My startled look amused her, it seemed. "Don''t look surprised. Anthony wouldn''t want to contact any diseases from a piece of trash like me. The man hatesmitting to a rtionship; he uses me to avoid those."


    "Don''t lie. And I don''t care if he''s celibate or not." It was mostly true. I hoped it was, at least.


    "And the sun rises out of my ass, darling," she scoffed.


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 Chapter 80 Speak Now

    "Thank you for the image, Cienna." Yes, sarcasm. I could work with that. Right now, that''s as close to the normal Cienna as she was going to get.


    "Don''t think this will go on forever. We''ll not be friends... ever. I''m grateful that you''re doing what you are, but you didn''t need to. It''s not going tost long. Go call Anthony before I fall asleep. I have a story to tell." She looked away from me then, almost like she was shooing me away. I wondered if I should remind her that the room was mine from what I had perceived. I left, though, without protesting. I needed to call Anthony anyways.


    As I opened the door to the room, I saw someone move at the far end of the corridor. Opening the door wider, I saw that it was Anthony who was rushing towards my room.


    "What the hell is going on, here?" he almost shouted as he took long steps towards me. "I heard the cries and then everything went silent. Did you kill her?" he panicked.


    "Hardly," I snorted leaving the door so that he can look outside. He must have been surprised by what he saw because his eyes widened and then he gaped at me.


    "It would be believable if you had killed her." I shrugged, knowing that what he said was true. If someone would have told me that I would be taking care of Cienna while she was living the most vulnerable moments in her life, I would haveughed on their faces, but now, it seemed pretty natural to do so. Curiosity had, in the end, gotten to me. The thirst for knowing what screwed her up had left me with a fire burning hot inside my mind.


    "It would," I sighed and then turned around to look at Cienna, who was now lying down on the bed, her hands and legs spread eagle and her eyes staring into nothing.


    "Holy shit, why is she smiling like a loon?" I heard the voice from right behind me.


    "Ethan," Anthony hissed and I heard a distinct thumping from behind me. I turned around again and ushered them into the room. They came in without a word and then took seats across from Cienna on the very same couch that I had been sleeping on. Cienna snickered when I stood near the foot of the bed.


    "Mia, dear, the men have returned I see. Did you have a nice time trying to escape helping out a poordy in need?" she sounded amused, but I could see that her face turned into a slight frown as she spoke. "You should have been born a couple of decades ago when the escaping act was popr. You could''ve beat Houdini at his game!" she scoffed.


    "Cienna," I warned. She had been the one who had asked me to bring them, and now she was scorning them for giving her space. "Get down to business. We''ve been waiting long enough for this." I tried to keep my tone light, but the adamant curiosity reared its ugly head.


    "Curiosity killed the cat, kitten," she snickered, self-satisfied with using the much-hated nickname as ammunition to fire back at me.


    "Don''t stall, Vee. I''ve had enough of your shit. What do you think you''re doing?" he barked.


    "I didn''t do anything!" She shot up from her lying position. Her hair hallowed around her pale face, her eyes darted around the room as if in search of something. "I didn''t do one thing!" she screamed. Her hand went to her hair which she pulled at painfully hard.


    "Yeah? I''ve had enough of your bullshit, Cienna. I gave you thest warning that one time. I am not hauling your ass from some seedy ce ever again. I don''t care if you end up in a ditch smelling of rotten fish and decay. I don''t care if you die, but you don''t do it when you are risking me. You have been running your mouth and you know how I hate that. What should we do to you, huh?" The sneer on his face was terrifying, but I was satisfied. The damned smug conceptions in her mind of being invincible were breaking in bits with every passing second that Anthony seethed in rage.


    "I-" she couldn''t speak as her mouth opened in shock. "I didn''t rat you out, Anthony. I swear on my life!"


    "And maybe I should take you up on your word and take your life!" he spat at her. His fists were clenched at his sides and he bolted to his feet. He sauntered menacingly towards the frightened Cienna. When I took another look at him, I saw that his hands were easily ced at his sides and there was a calm expression on his face. Fearing that he had forgiven Cienna, I moaned to myself. "Tell me what happened, Cienna." The icy glint in his tone made me shudder. He had not forgiven her; on the other hand, he was preparing to give her something to remember for her whole life.


    "James called me up a week back." And like that answered everything she stopped exining. The faraway look in her eyes returned as she stared towards the general direction of Anthony.


    "And?" I prompted, feeling the temperature in the room rising. I saw Ethan shift on the couch from the corner of my eyes. When I actually turned to look at him, I saw him giving Cienna a scrutinizing stare. He looked at her like she was his science experiment.


    "He told me that he''d gotten hold of Brianna," she whispered out. A gust of wind left her body as her facade fell off and she started to sob. "I can''t do this. I''m not prepared," she cried. I couldn''t help but feel a bit sad for her.


    "Speak," the boss barked. "NOW!"


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 Chapter 81 Broken Glass And Blood

    "I went." And then she cried out louder. My eyes never left Ethan who seemed to flinch. Whatever he saw or had seen in her apartment had yed some part in him snapping. He had screamed his head off, from what Anthony had informed me, but it seemed that he had gotten his control back even though he was a bit ufortable with the situation.


    "I went and when I entered, I saw that the front door was unlocked. I walked straight in. You- you should have seen what he had turned the ce into. It was like he had opened a brothel inside the apartment. I saw lingerie of different sizes, bottle lying around everywhere... there was broken ss as well... and blood. I-" and she proceeded to cry. "Please..." she whimpered. "Don''t make me do this!" she screamed in frustration as she tore at her hair.


    "Finish the story. You don''t want it to kill you from inside." The words echoed throughout the room. Like the voice of reason, the experienced textures of the voice made the room buzz with intensity. Ethan had spoken, and to ignore his ideas would be a fool''s act.


    "I''m trying!"


    "No, you''re not. Try harder. What the hell spooked you?"


    "Joe! He is... a monster. Anthony, please, you have to save me. I didn''t tell him a word."


    "Cienna, continue with the story. You''re not convincing anyone, here," I asked her softly, knowing that the tension in the room was close tobustion.


    "No, you stop with your bickering! I didn''t open my mouth. You''re just using my state as ammunition and using me of things I haven''t done! To think that I trusted you and told you all that shit," she screamed, and grumbled and whimpered throughout the sentence. She was still in no control of her body, but she was recovering, and the glimpses of the non-bitchy Cienna were slowly making an appearance.


    "Just like you trusted Joe and the cabbie, Cienna?" I taunted. I couldn''t help myself. If she was going to be ungrateful and ignore my advice, she could go to hell with her pride and her imperfect memories.


    "You-" she scrambled off the bed and threw herself at me, but I moved an inch away, making her tumble over. She fought to regain her bnce and stay on the bed, but couldn''t do so until I lend her a hand and repositioned her firmly on the bed.


    "Sit tight and answer their questions before they squeeze your neck like a lemon and kill you." She red openly at me, and I gave her the cold eyes and turned towards Anthony. He, on the other hand, was staring at me with an appreciative smirk. What he was appreciating, was not in my knowledge.


    "So, Cienna. Do you need an invitation to fucking talk?" Anthony said as he turned away from me and looked straight at her. Her head snapped towards his direction and she hung her head in defeat.


    "There was blood." She breathed. "A lot of it." Her lips trembled as she tried to resumeposure. "He made me clean it," she whispered. Her eyes fell to her feet and tears rolled down her cheeks. "It was all dried and..." she sucked in a breath.


    I wondered why I felt nothing. At this rate, I would give myself whish. I stared at her face and around the room. Anthony seemed more angry than worried. Ethan, though, was squirming in his seat, looking like he was about to bolt at any minute. And as I stared at him, for a moment he turned his head and his eyes met mine. For the first time since I had known Ethan, I saw fear in his eyes. They had a faraway look in them, and his mouth was agape, his breathing in pants, yet not making much sound over the insistent sobbing of Cienna. Anthony; didn''t take notice of the other vulnerable person in the room, but I clearly did. And as his gaze flicked away from mine, I couldn''t help but wonder if it was necessary for me to stand beside him and give him a sense offort. I felt like a opportunist. I had used him as a source of information and yet had not reciprocated the trust that he''d ced on me. Therefore I was an opportunist, and I felt bad for it. But was it my ce of my duty tofort the tormented man when he was clearly cing the torture on himself by being present in the room and sharing the space with the cause of his suffering. Or it was partially the reason of his suffering and probably a trigger of him remembering his time in captivity.


    No, I didn''t move from my spot beside Cienna. I knew that I was needed right there to handle her and take care of her if that was what Anthony asked of me.


    "While I was in the living room, I heard a weird noise. I also heard Joe speaking. I-I went inside." Her gaze locked with every person in the room. "He had her tied¡ªSamantha. And he was... god. He was forcing himself on her." And therein began the sobs, again.

 Chapter 82 Shut Him Up With Money

    [Warning: Violent images of physical and sexual abuse.]


    "Because he had her gagged and she was choking!" she screamed as if it was the most natural thing to say. In the world of crime, the questions asked were normal, procedure even, but for a victim or bystander, even if they were part of the world of crime, these questions would seem sphemous to them. Here, neither Anthony nor I was the victim.


    From somewhere behind us, we heard a breathy voice whispering. "She was badly bruised and half-dead when I found her, and she was still tied to the bed. I don''t think she''d eaten in days, probably was dehydrated." And that was what had made him snap. The look on his face said it all. The condition that the girl was in was very simr to what he had been through and being a victim himself, it would be natural for him to tell us that what Cienna had assumed was true.


    "Thank you," Cienna mumbled, appreciating the voice of reason in the room. She waited for a few minutes, trying to regain her bearings and then proceeded to tell us the story. By some miracle, no one stopped her and she didn''t stop herself. "I tried to fight him off of her, but he had at least fifty pounds on me. He got off her and overpowered me. My n failed and I ended up tied by my feet and hands on the floor. He continued to assault her in front of me. I don''t remember much, but somewhere down the line I snapped and begged him to let me go. He wouldn''t until I had told him everything about my employer. I didn''t open my mouth, Anthony. I swear. He used Samantha to ckmail me. She''s just a kid. Her mom was a colleague of mine and got pregnant while she was working. Eventually, her mom took her away from the area when she turned ten... She''s barely grown into her adulthood and he''s destroyed her. She wasn''t even in the business. He must have kidnapped her. He knows I had a soft spot for that girl. FUCK!" and she breathed deeply.


    "Things got out of hand and I convinced him to let me go. He was reluctant at first, but then I promised to give him information and he let me go. He stopped tormenting the poor girl. He didn''t keep his hands off, though. He offered me some Ecstasy: both the kinds and I couldn''t refuse one of them. I was repulsed by the idea of having him anywhere near me, so I took rounds and got high over and over until I didn''t remember feeling any repulsion. I just wanted to protect the girl. I don''t know if I did a good job. I don''t know..." she whispered.


    "I''m not sure if I gave in, but I don''t think I slept with him. I hope I didn''t." She gave out a humorlessugh. "There was a time when I would''ve jumped his bones at any given moment. He was a sexy bastard, but he couldn''t see me go away. He was toxic for me. He didn''t want me leaving him with his business. He''s wanted to sell all the proof he has about my past life to the media. It would be bad business. With the number of connections he''d umted in the past few years, I didn''t think even Tanya could have stopped him from ruining me. I did what I could. I tried to shut him up with money. Every month I send him a fat cheque to keep his mouth shut. Recently, he''s been acting up and demanding more. He''s been threatening me to give me out to the media even if I did pay him. I was so desperate that I didn''t have enough money to pay him this month that I... he asked me to meet him to settle the deal. I didn''t think much of it, but... you know how it turned out.


    "I think I was there for two or three days, I''m not sure. But he had good drugs. I hadn''t had a taste in a while. Ipsed. You know how that works. Eventually, he started threatening me and pressurizing me into spilling things. We got into a fight. I hit him with a vase, I think. He was too high to get out of the way, I think. I took the opportunity to run. I regret it, now, but I couldn''t think of anything better at that moment. I went straight to where I knew Samantha''s mom lived. I couldn''t find her there. She lived in a shitty apartment and from what thendlord said she''d been behind on rent. I asked the neighbors and they told me that they hadn''t seen her. So, I called up a few old timers who kept contact with her. There was no trace of her. I spent days trying to find her out. Nothing. One day while I was trying to find her, James surprised me. He took me up to his own apartment and got me high; offered me some alcohol and I was so scared that I couldn''t do anything. I just went with the flow. I don''t know where I ended up, but he got me on the cab and threatened me that there were some dangerous people trying to get their ws on me. I didn''t believe him, at first. But... I''m scared."

 Chapter 83 Suffer the Punishmen

    The room was silent when her story ended. I had kept my eyes strictly on Anthony who seemed infuriated with that she had just heard. What I couldn''t understand was the reason why. No, I knew what he could be the reason for his anger, but the problem was: which one was it?


    "So, you couldn''t call anyone to help you out?" Cienna gaped at the man who seemed to be least bothered about what had happened to her. She shook her head as if to clear it, but Anthony took it as an answer. "How stupid can one woman get? You''ve faced these situations enough times to know how you should react. You call for back up. You save your ass from all the trouble that you''ve caused." Stunned, she kept shut. "You have no idea what you said to him or to the cabbie. Do you realize the amount of damage that you have caused by not doing the simple task of preserving your safety and calling us?"


    "At least you care," she mumbled to herself. Anthony obviously heard the mumble just as I had.


    "No. Do not for one second think that I care about your well being. I do not care if you die. I have told you so already. Stop acting like you can get away with murder just because I hold you in high regard. You can''t get out of spilling inside information, even if you were inebriated at the moment. You spilled, end of. You suffer the punishment."


    "You''ll kill me?" He shook his head.


    "I can''t. You''re good at your job. Your personal life is the bane of my life, but I need you to earn me profits. And I don''t have a substitute for your position, right now. You''ll live until I find someone else to take over." And he shoved his hands inside his pockets and tried to walk out. "Oh, and she stays under constant surveince for as long as it takes to find out how much of an idiot she was. She will not be allowed to leave the house at any cost. If there is a fire, she will stay inside and suffocate to death. Do you understand?" He waited to see the two of us nod our head and then walked out of the room like nothing had happened in the past half an hour.


    "Thank you for showing mercy, Anthony," she whispered to herself. Across the room, Ethan huffed and got off from the couch. He looked straight at me with unreadable eyes and motioned for me to follow him. Not in a mood to keep up with Cienna''s insults, I followed him wordlessly. I closed the door behind me, just in case if Cienna felt defiant and tried to escape, ending up getting hurt and infuriating Anthony further.


    "What happened to the girl?" I asked as I followed Ethan.


    "I took care of her. No one needs to worry about her."


    "How?" I wondered if he had killed the poor girl, but I doubted Ethan would be able to do it.


    "I took her to one of the private practitioners Anthony consults when someone needs tending to. I''ll pay for her medical bills and take care of her. As I said, no one needs to worry about her opening her mouth."


    "And what of her mother?" I asked curiously, sensing that he had no intention of letting the girl go.


    "Dead. Someone reported her missing and the police found her body."


    "Who identified it?"


    "Thendlord," he replied. I didn''t ask him more questions. He didn''t offer me any other information, either.


    .


    "I want you to find out about James, Eric. I need the information as fast as I can," the boss instructed in the meeting two days from when Cienna had freely offered her story.


    "Okay, boss. Is there anything in particr that you want me to do?"


    "Yes, inform me when you find any leverage that he has on us or on Cienna. We will want to see it gone. Do it yourself and make sure there is no evidence." Eric nodded and stood back. Anthony turned towards Ethan who was waiting patiently for his turn.


    "I know that you have the girl in your custody. Is she well enough to answer our questions?"


    "She is still recovering and is traumatized by what has transpired," Ethan replied formally. Anyone in the room could tell that he was nervous and hesitant to talk about the girl.


    "Good. Inform me when she is able to speak to us."


    "Yes, sir."


    "On the meanwhile, I want you to search Cienna''s apartment again for clues and increase the security at the mansion. I want one guard always with Cienna. She is not allowed to move without me being informed of it. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, sir."


    "Mia," he called me out.


    "Yes, sir?"


    "You will be helping us out to interview the girl. You seem to be good with them." I nodded and then stepped back. "Also, I''ll need you to set up another meeting with that Nichs boy."


    "I will do that, sir. Do you want to meet him yourself?"


    "Yes. I think it''s about time that I meet the man and find out his secrets myself. I don''t trust anyone else to unnerve others as much as I do." I think I snickered at his overconfidence, but with the questioning look he shot me, I shook my head and then minded my own business.


    "Now, everyone go home and take a nap. Things are going to get really interesting, really fast."

 Chapter 84 At Your Service

    The people dispersed rather fast. Things were getting interesting but at the expense of great losses. Not a single person was feeling good about the change in ns. But all of them agreed that it was best to deal with matters as they were agreed to by Anthony and I. After a few minutes of going over ns, everyone split up and went to set up strategies over how they would go about doing their tasks. Eric had been reluctant to take up the assignment of tailing James; he had stayed back and was yet to leave as Anthony spoke to me in hushed tones.


    "Mia, make sure that you are the one who interviews the girl. Samantha is her name, I think. I''m a bit worried that she won''t be able to tell us much because she is going to try and repress the memories. I want you to go slow on her. There should be no permanent damage to the girl''s mind. She has been through enough for now."


    "You''re pretty confusing, did you know that?" He nods and then nces behind me.


    "Eric, could you wait for a bit while I talk to Mia?" I assumed that Eric hadn''t protested because Anthony turned back to look at me.


    "Why do you think I am confusing?" he asks, a bit curious, and dare I say¡ªirritated. I chuckled to myself.


    "You''re clearly a bit worried about the girl. And you''re being extremely benevolent when ites to Cienna. Yet you act like you do not care in the least. Am I misapprehending or do you have a soft spot for victims?"


    "I don''t have a soft spot for them. I sincerely wish for people to get the chance to achieve their potentials. Giving second chances to people is not benevolent. I am just giving an opportunity to these people so that they can prove themselves worth the sort of trust or duty I have entrusted them with." I stared at him, surprised by the idea. It still seemed unlike the businesslike tone he tried to maintain while he was in thepany of others.


    "It still seems extremely kind of you," Imented matter-of-factly.


    "If you say so, but I like to think that giving them a shot at their potential will benefit me in the long run. It is mutually beneficial," he exined calmly. I rolled my eyes at him but then gave him an appreciative smile.


    "Coming back to the topic, I think you should keep Ethan out of the scene. He''s a bit hyper and in need of some rest. I''ve asked him to get an appointment with his therapist, but I don''t think he will. It''s my responsibility to see to it that he doesn''t get into trouble."


    "So, I just don''t work for now?"


    "For now, you stay by my side and see to it that I don''t get mad handling them. I also need you to have a spare key to Ethan''s, Cienna''s and the mansion. You might need it if you need to run errands. Will you be able to do that?" he asked as he gave me a worried look.


    "I''m at your service twenty-four-seven, Boss. I cannot discard any word that falls from your lips," I said cheekily.


    "How sweet of you, my genie." He smirked and as he shook his head, he ushered Eric inside the room. Eric, who seemed a bit confused by the expressions on our faces stared in turn at each of us and then shrugged his shoulders and put all his attention to Anthony who waited patiently for Eric to speak.


    "Anthony, I must speak to you urgently," Eric rushed as he appealed to Anthony to listen to him.


    "I know that. Now speak," Anthony voiced lightly as he avoided the desk to go and sit on his reclining chair. The leather squeaked as he sat down and Eric watched with worried impatience as Anthony went about casually moving papers on his desk.


    "I have too much on my te right now. I don''t think I can handle tailing James as well," he confessed. The regret was evident in his low voice and the hesitance was there as well.


    "And what am I supposed to do about that, Eric?" Anthony pressed harshly. "Everyone is busy, everyone has too much on their hands, and everyone is doing what is assigned to them."


    "I realize that everyone is overworked, but all our men are either in Syracuse investigating about Darcy''s people, or the property. Some are looking for clues on Nn, and others are prating other mobs. We have the whole team already behind so many things that I cannot extract even one person. The whole operation will copse if I pull someone out. It''s unwise to think of it."


    "I see that you are free, and not working in anything. Why don''t you go ahead and tail James yourself?" Anthony spoke in that bored tone of his.


    "But sir, I need to travel to Syracuse tonight to look through the newest information that I have received from the base there," his pitch elevated a few notches and made him sound like a scared but emphatic mouse. It was quite funny if it hadn''t been about such a serious topic.


    "And that doesn''t need to be taken care of right at this moment. If I remember correctly then this operation was not to be carried on until we got rid of James, then Nn and finally went over to Darcy. Or did you forget?"


    "These ns had been made before the rming situation arose, Boss."


    "And one must always be prepared to adjust their routine when they are in the business. I understand that you had ns, but I am astonished that I have not been informed about any new news that you might have received. I like confirmed news, yes, but I would like notice when there is a possibility that I will get to know something of importance."


    I believed that Anthony was being intentionally harsh so that he can put forward the message that he was trying to convey.


    "I don''t know what to tell you, Anthony."


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 85 Exceedingly Stupid

    "You don''t need to tell me anything, Eric. I know that you are doing an excellent job in all the operations that your team is carrying out, but you must also understand that everyone is in the same situation as you. None of them has resources to carry out new possibilities, but they are stretching their limits to do everything they can. I know it frustrates you to no end that you don''t have the sort of resources that cannot be stretched and I cannot help you in any way, Eric." Eric sighed, knowing that what had been said was true. I, on the other hand, was feeling useless standing there like a dumb person doing nothing much concentrating on narrating the conversation that was taking ce in the room.


    "Anthony, do you mind if I intercede?" I asked as politely as I could manage. Both the men in the room turned to look at them. One looked utterly bewildered and a bit shocked at my reaction while the other seemed pleased and proud. You must figure out which is which.


    "Yes?" he smiled as he spoke to me.


    "I''m probably the only one who''s doing mostly nothing while others are drowning with work. Would you mind terribly if I took on the task of finding out about Joe and relieved Eric of this particr duty?" Eric was the one who seemed most surprised. Anthony broke into a loudugh, and I waited for him to finish.


    "I suppose I was waiting for you to say that," Anthony said and then turned to Eric. "There you go, problem solved." And just like that, Eric left the room with his mouth slightly open and an expression of shock on his face.


    "Thank you for that, Mia."


    "You didn''t have to be so harsh on him, you know," I chided.


    "I didn''t, but I needed him to sympathise with his colleagues. I knew that he wouldn''t be able to do it, and I would have assigned the job to you when he left, but I knew you would volunteer, my genie."


    "Why am I not surprised?" I mumbled with a shake of my head. "And when did I be your genie? I thought I was the kitten?"


    "You became the genie when you started giving wind to my dreams, Mia."


    "Very dreamy, Anthony." I rolled my eyes at his cheesiness.


    "And you''ll always be my kitten." My head rolled back as I gave in to uncontroble bastard. The man was dreamy, indeed.


    .


    I had been stuck at the mansion for the next two days. The reason for staying over would be Cienna''s panic attacks and refusal to let anyone near her. Despite her apparent hatred towards me, she only trusted food that I served her and slept only when I was in the same room. To say that my backside was aching would be an understatement. I could feel my eyes burning from exhaustion as I tried to stay awake after the restless sleep I''d achieved on the couch for the past two days.


    Currently, I was staring silently at Cienna, who seemed to be engrossed in the fish roll in her hand. She was better now, one could say. She was showing definite signs of progress, and the after-effects of consuming drugs were slowly fading. She wasn''t zoning out any longer, and it was a definite sign that her immune system was regaining control over her cognitive system. I could swear that she was keeping me around on purpose to torture me, but I couldn''t be sure because I''d never been in a situation such as hers.


    I was pissed off at her for being such a dimwit and forgetting that she was a woman in power. Even though she didn''t have a gun on her, it was expected of her to know some self-defence if she was socialising with mobsters. And I could assume from her track record that she could pass colourfully in attacking someone if the opportunity arose. All of these inferences were based on assumptions that I had made in the span of the past few days, and I had found a way to justify her actions. She hadn''t known what to do when she was directly at the line of fire, figuratively. What she had been doing for the past years and why she had condoned the torture that was her former boss was beyond me, but I wondered if she was somehow emotionally attached to him.


    The way she had called him a monster... a beast had been a dead giveaway. She appreciated the man at one point of time in her life, and the infatuation had not entirely dissipated. But did that mean that she was smuggling information from under Anthony''s nose? No. I had made it a point to check about the sort of contact that the two had shared in the past few years, not out of curiosity but as an opportunity that ced itself in front of me when I started investigating about Joe.


    My investigation was basic in nature and it was mainly focusing on the rtionship that Cienna and Joe had shared. The man didn''t seem to have any financial problems, yet he had continuously extracted money from Cienna. That had been the first thing that struck me. I had gone over the arguments dozens of times before I conquered that no one had enough money and that Cienna was exceedingly stupid.


    Anthony agreed.


    The contact between the two of us has been limited for the time being as I have turned out to be the butler for none other than Cienna or Cee Doll as many lovingly called her. She sneered at me when I teased her about my nickname, though. I don''t know why she bothers to annoy me with her needs. Coming back to the topic at hand, I was pretty sure I was talking about theck ofmunicating between Anthony and me.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 86 Predictable Person

    Anthony had been locked inside Poseidon''s Realm for these days because Cienna was not in the scene and wouldn''t be for a considerable amount of time. It was a wonder that she could manage to invade every thought that passed my mind. Exceedingly stupid and irritating, I concluded.


    So, he had been scarce and had stumbled into the mansion or the kitchen while I was preparing something to eat. I would set up a te for him or keep it aside so he could heat it and eat it. For someone who couldn''t cook, I was getting good at cooking simple things. My sandwiches were suddenly that delicacy that was to die for. At least, that was what Anthony said while he chewed on the food on his te and finished up everyst crumb of bread. It was sort of cute. And we spoke little to each other, so there were no arguments. Out of the two of us, he was the only one who got a good night''s sleep.


    I snapped back to the present when I heard the clinking of the spoon against the te. I focused on the person on the bed, who huffed andined about how unhealthy the food was.


    "That''s as healthy as the food can get. At least you''re getting some vegetables in that tter of noodles of yours," I reminded her as I left my seat on the couch and tried to take the te from her.


    "You''re the worst cook on the," sheined as she pulled her hand back as if to keep the te to herself, but immediately gave it to me when she was finished using me of horrible culinary skills.


    "I might be the worst cook, but I keep you fed. Don''t be such a pain in the ass and let me off the hook for not being able to cook like those Masterchef candidates." She rolled her eyes at me and stuck her tongue out.


    "The least you could do is try to make a different meal for lunch and breakfast. Slurping on noodles isn''t fun when you do it all the time," she grumbled.


    "Get some rest."


    "Leave the door open, please?" she pleaded in a soft voice. As Anthony had ordered, she was to be kept under lock and key until he saw her fit to leave the room or the mansion or talk to people. Apart from Anthony and me, no one was allowed to enter the room, not even Ethan. She refused to leave my room and go take up another room, and she refused to let me shift into another room as well. And then she was always asking me to do small favours for her. It was like trying to scold a whiney child¡ªtedious.


    "No."


    "Please, Mia. I won''t give you a hard time, I promise." I think she might have pouted, but I didn''t spare her another nce. Her tactics wouldn''t work on me. I didn''t trust her in the least, and I was sure going to act on it until that feeling changed.


    "Rest," I told her in that authoritative voice that made even Anthony sit down in a blink. She nodded solemnly and then eased back into the bed.


    My bed.


    I needed sleep... a lot of it.


    I did lock the door and tried not to think about how it must have felt for Cienna to sit on the bed all day and do nothing but stare at the face of the woman she hated the most. Did I mention that she insisted that I remain with her? Could she get any more annoying? I had mentioned all of that, and the realisation made me grow more irritated with the woman for hogging my bed.


    As I set up a te of food for myself, I heard the light footsteps behind me and steadily started serving food on another te. Without much acknowledgement, he seemed to have taken his seat and waited for his te to arrive. Like the predictable person that I was, I ced the food in front of him and took a seat across from him.


    "Cienna giving you a hard time?" he asked after he had finished chewing on the second bite of his noodles.


    "No, she''s no problem," I replied casually and went back to eating.


    "Are you going to eat noodles tomorrow as well?" I heard him ask after a long pause. I hummed as I ate and tried not to reply to that particrment. What was with everyone and their aversion to noodles? Noodles were utterly delicious meals that one could gorge on for every meal. Did these people not learn to appreciate the more beautiful things in life? Like packaged food!


    "You don''t like noodles?" I ask him after a while, uncannily curious about how he couldn''t seem to appreciate the things I liked.


    "I love noodles, just not the kind where you just boil it and go at it," he admitted sheepishly.


    "I can''t cook," I admitted.


    "Neither can I," he winked as he replied.


    "You''re gonna starve if we don''t order out," I warned him lightly as I twirled the noodles on my fork.


    "I''ll survive." He smirked and looked at me in a way that filled me with suspicion.


    "What are you nning on doing?" I whispered harshly.


    "Nothing. I wonder what Cienna will eat," he snickered. "I guess I''ll have to ask someone to drop off some home cooked meal tomorrow. I don''t think she can stand looking at noodles after the constant feeding."


    "She''ll have to manage, as well. She''ll survive," I assured light-heartedly.


    "I know, but we''re gonna eat outside tomorrow. We have work to catch up to."


    "You''ve been working non-stop. Take some rest."


    "You need to rest as well. You should try sleeping alone tonight. Try leaving her alone in her room for the night; we''ll always be in hearing range if she needs us. I want you to be alert and fresh tomorrow because we''re going to investigate this Joe person and finish this job as fast as we can." He seemed so sure of himself as he said the words. The chair that he was sitting on made a sound as he got up. He then moved to the sink and began cleaning the dishes that had umted.


    "I thought that was my job," I stressed, a bit offended.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 87 Wandering Hands

    "Two can work faster than one, and we make a good team. We''ll take no time to figure out everything." I watched him clean each utensil diligently as I ate. When I tried to do my dish, he snatched it from me and proceeded to work on it with a smile on his face.


    "Go to sleep, Mia. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," was all he said as he finished the dishes and guided me out of the kitchen and into one of the rooms which was close to where Cienna was sleeping in.


    "Wake me up if Cienna gets worse," he told me as he opened the door to the room for me. He switched on the lights and looked around the room. Seeming satisfied with what he saw, he turned to leave. "Do you want me to tuck you in, or something?" he teased as he shoved his hands down his pockets.


    "If you want to then you could, but I think that would be highly inappropriate, and I do know that you have wandering hands, so I think that I''ll take a rain check." I gave him a wink and reached out to close the door.


    "Don''t be rude, Mia. I don''t have wandering hands. I do nothing that you don''t want me to do."


    "Suddenly, you sound like a rapist. Until I explicitly tell you that I want your hands to wander, your hands don''t wander. Don''t be a dick and assume things, boss," I smirked, knowing that he knew what I meant.


    "Don''t worry, my kitten... I''ll noty a finger on you unless you ''explicitly'' ask me to touch you," he leaned forward, cing his lips right beside my ears and then whispered in a husky voice. I might have gulped at the proximity, but I knew that he didn''t notice because he turned his face and ced a sweet, innocent kiss on my cheeks. Stunned, I stared at him.


    "Good night, Anthony," I mumbled. I had no clue as to how I was supposed to react to that gesture. It had been innocent enough to leave me no choice but to remain silent and not protest about it.


    "Good night, Mia. I hope you have sweet dreams," he wished and then with his hands still in his pockets turned, and left.


    I stood there for a few minutes waiting for something else to happen, for him to return, possibly, but nothing of the sort happened. Eventually, I closed the door and took in a deep breath to cleanse my mind of whatever jumbled thoughts that were racing in it. Of course, it was of no use, but it didn''t hurt to try. I slid into the covers and closed my eyes. With a content sigh, for the first time in days, I fell asleep.


    .


    Even in the darkness, I felt my body freely falling. Where I didn''t know. I tried to regain bnce or hold on to something, but right there in the darkness, I could see nothing. shes of purple and green lighting pashed in front of my eyes but did nothing to electrocute me. My limbs didn''t even budge, and I couldn''t find my voice. I felt myself being shaken by something but didn''t know if I imagined it or not.


    Suddenly, my mouth opened, and I gasped for breath. My eyes flew open and squeezed together immediately as the light reached my retina. My eyes burned like my lungs. I took calming breaths realising that I had felt a sudden moment of sleep paralysis. I opened my eyes slowly and saw the blurred image of Anthony leaning over me. My eyes widened, and my mouth opened to a gasp. He looked a bit worried.


    "You were suffocating under the pillow, I think," he told me sheepishly, but his face showed that he had been a bit worried about what he had seen. "Wee to the world of reality. We have to work."


    "I know. I''m surprised Cienna didn''t act up at night." He shook his head, smiling a bit.


    "I checked on her before I came in to wake you up. She''s sound asleep and probably has been since you left her roomst night."


    "That''s an improvement if you ask me," I admitted. He nodded his head and then scrutinised me for a few seconds.


    "You should get dressed. We''ll leave in twenty minutes, okay?" I nodded and then slowly got into a sitting position. How I''d managed to carry on a conversation with Anthony while I was sleeping and he was hovering over me was beyond my imaginations and ideas of reality.


    While I was worked up with my thoughts, Anthony had already left, and I had gotten up and mechanically put my clothes on. I checked to see if I had worn all the right garments and then jogged down the stairs to see that Anthony was sitting in the great hall with a remote in his hand and the news channel on.


    He didn''t look away as I passed him and went to the kitchen. I got myself a big bowl of cereal and then plopped down beside him to watch the news flicker by. He gave me a passing nce and then reached for the spoon in my hands. I tried to keep it away from him, but he took it anyways. Next, he reached for the bowl and took a spoonful of cereal and shoved it into his mouth.


    "Thank you," he mumbled and went back to watching the television. I rolled my eyes, shoved the bowl into his hands, and then got myself another bowl. He seemed satisfied with how the whole thing had gone about. While we ate, I fussed over how we seemed to be ying some twisted game of house. He just shrugged and told me that as long as he got food and sleep, he didn''t care. I, too, shrugged and epted his exnation. As long as it didn''t turn ufortable or into apulsion, I was alright with it.


    Just like that, we got into the car; Anthony drove, and I found myself in the red district area where Cienna had hailed the cab from.


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 Chapter 88 Im A Genius

    For an hour or so, Anthony''s car waited outside a cluster of ill-ventted buildings. From where we were parked, we could see a dumpster that hadn''t been cleared in probably years; it probably had a few rotten and decaying bodies piled up under all the garbage from the look of it. The windows of the car were rolled up, preventing the distasteful smell of the street from filtering into the car. The tinted ss hid us from the view of the passerby''s. It was a wonder that Anthony had picked an inconspicuous car for the errand.


    It was an old Chevy with numerous spray painted graffiti on it to cover all the bumps on it. Despite appearances, the interior had been redesigned to have tinted sses, up to date interior decorations and a wonderful music system. From the outside, this car looked like it belonged on the road, parked right outside those buildings.


    But we knew better than to believe that it was deceiving anyone. The curious gazes of the people that passed us were enough to let us know that they knew that we were not from around the locality. Some started walking faster than before as if expecting the cops to jump out any moment and take them into custody. It was quite amusing to watch, really.


    Anthony, who was smoking a cigarette at that moment, suddenly nudged me on the knee. My head snapped towards his direction, and I saw his head jerk towards the opposite pavement when I looked my eyes with him. The shady looking metal door in the dark indented part between two buildings opened slightly. Light filtered through the crack and we waited patiently as it opened wider.


    My eyes caught the sight of the flickering sign that read ''Red Lady.'' I must have snorted out aloud because Anthony turned to look at me curiously. I pointed at the sign with a chuckle, and he followed the direction of my finger. He snorted as well, but then stiffened. A girl emerged from behind the door; she wore ripped jeans and a red top. I could clearly see that something glittered over her left breast pocket. Obviously, it meant that she was an employee at the bar. She reached back into her back pocket and hunted for something. I presumed that it was a phone, but was disappointed to see that she pulled out a pack of cigarette. Anthony sat up straight in his seat as we saw the head of the smoke lighting up in an angry red. In the dim light that she stood in, her face was illuminated by the ironic red light of the sign that came of miraculously. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the general direction of our car and I cursed under my breath.


    "Time to get out of this car," I mumbled under my breath and I saw Anthony nod. He then sighed and then reached out to open his door.


    "Don''t," I almost shouted at him. He let go of the door with a start and stared at me. "Let me go out first. We need an alibi for sitting here under such suspicious conditions." I suppressed a giggle as the image formed in my mind.


    "I don''t trust that smirk on your face," he admitted, but let me go ahead anyway. I loosened the rubber band on my hair and then unbuttoned the first button of my blouse. "What th-" he started and moved away like an innocent little boy, but then realization dawned on him. He burst outughing and then shook his head as he tried to suppress a smile.


    "You y the part of the smug bastard beautifully," I rolled my eyes.


    "I''m going to let that one slide." I wrenched the door open and then put on my game face. As I moved out I gasped for air and then opened my hair further. My hands instinctively went to my face as I wiped the non-existent sweat from my brows. I hurried and looked down at the buttons and pretended to humble as I put it together. Chancing a sly look towards the girl, I saw that she was staring at me with her eyes wide and her mouth open. I tried to hide the satisfied smile as I wiped out all the suspicion from her mind. I straightened my shirt and I walked rapidly towards the direction of the bar. I heard the door on the other side open, and I imagined Anthony moving out of the car, with the cigarette pressed between his lips. I saw the girl wink at him and realized that the smug smile was still on his lips.


    As I said: smug bastard.


    "You know, it was a good n." I heard him say into my ears.


    "I''m a genius, I know," I fired back not sparing him a nce. The interior of the bar was nothing like Poseidon''s Realm and I couldn''t imagine the sort of change that Cienna must have gone through to shift from this to the ethereal world of Realm.


    "Of course you are," I could hear the sarcasm rolling off of his words. I would''ve snapped at him, but I instantly spotted Joe sitting across the bar.


    "Does Joe know what you look like?" I asked over my shoulder.


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 Chapter 89 Heir To The Throne

    "No. No one apart from the most important associates and my employees know what I look like. I try to keep my face a secret. My name is enough to get the job done."


    "Don''t be cocky. We gotta concentrate on the mission in our hands. I can''t handle stroking your ego while we''re trying to do something serious."


    "And we''re in here, and he could be out there. This is probably a dumb idea and we might need toe back another day."


    "It''s not a dumb idea. He''s here." I jerked my head inconspicuously towards where Joe was and headed towards the opposite direction. I heard an audible sigh from behind me and knew that he was following me wordlessly. I knew that I had more experience in the stalking department than he did. He was the boss. He usually didn''t run behind people, he could have other people do it. That was what happened when people took over their father''s empire. Anthony did have the brains, though, which was a given plus for someone in his position. No one could question that he was the rightful heir to the throne.


    We took a seat at the bar and waited for the bartender to notice us. Anthony, who usually demanded that he be served first waited patiently and looked around the ce.


    "They''ve got good business here," hemented with a hint of appreciation in the tenor of his voice.


    "It''s a good ce to get drunk and have sex. I''ll bet you ten dors that the washrooms are always upied." I quirked a brow and heughed.


    "People take a dump here?" he acted as if he was surprised, and it made me roll my eyes.


    The bartender came around soon enough and asked us what we wanted. I would be inclined to say that he looked me up and down for a moment before he shed a grin and asked me what I wanted.


    "Any beer that you''ve got," I ordered, much to Anthony''s surprise. "Chameleon... I can''t trust a think they''re trying to sell these unsuspected people, so I''m gonna go safe with this one." It was his time to roll his eyes.


    "So much for being a survivor," he snorted. I ignored his little quip and turned to get a better look at Joe.


    He was at the pool table, surrounded by a group ofdies who were hanging off of him like leeches. It was quite a scene. All of these women were dressed in sexy clothes which made it impossible for them to be recognized as prostitutes, but everyone knew that that is what they were. I also noticed a few men in the vicinity looking at the group curiously. Joe put on quite a show as he kissed the neck of a girl. He acted like she was his lover, probably what she had done while Cienna worked for him. Joe was probably marking her as the lead woman, the costliest professional in the bar. And he kissed her like a lover. Any girl would fall for a kiss like that; it was no wonder that Cienna was still attached to the bastard.


    It was then that my eyes locked on someone who looked uncannily familiar. And this person had no business here.


    What the fuck is he doing here?


    And I hoped that the re that I shot his way was enough to let him know what I thought of his presence here. I gulped the mug of beer down and wiped my lips with the back of my hand. I turned to Anthony and saw that he was staring at Joe and the gang.


    "Anthony, I''ll be back in a few," I told him and didn''t wait for him to reply. I shot a warning look at Jacob and then walked out the door to the street. He''d follow soon enough, but I wondered how much time it would take until Anthony followed me out as well. I wondered how I would get away with it, but I took the risk, anyway.


    Heavy footsteps that he should have never let anyone hear followed me.


    "You''re losing your touch, Jake," I chided.


    "And you''re getting cosy with the enemy," he barked. I turned around slowly knowing that I should have been expecting that reaction. "What the fuck are you doing?" he demanded.


    "No, what are you doing?" I fired back.


    "Answer me first. I just saw you walk into that ce like you owned it. You walked inside that ce with him. You looked like you were fucking each other!" and the dramatics had started.


    "Way to be crass, Jake. I''m not fucking him, and you know that if I did... it would be because I had a job toplete," I lowered my voice and looked around to see if anyone was hearing. My eyes were nted on the closed door, ready to shut up the moment the door creaked open.


    "Your job? You look like you''ve forgotten. Let me remind you: he killed your mother." And even though he had whispered, the words echoed throughout the alley. It was deafening.


    "I remember. I saw her body."


    "And you''re still forgetting."


    "I saw the pictures as well. I''ve not forgotten. I''m just trying to push down all the anger and do my job properly."


    "No, you''re not pushing your anger out. I don''t know what they call the mental disease where someone falls in lust with their parent''s murderer, but you have it," he sneered. It didn''t hurt one bit when he said it. It was close to true.


    "I''m sure there is no illness like that, but I''ll be sure to brush up on my Freud and let you know," I replied calmly.


    "And you''re cracking jokes about this! You didn''t even try to say that I was wrong!"


    "Get your emotions under control, Jake. You know how this works. You do it all the time. We get obsessed with our subjects. I got obsessed with him. This obsession turns into fantasy. It always happens," I rationalized.


    "Did Freud say this?" he asked me sarcastically.


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 Chapter 90 Spilled Information

    "No, he didn''t, but I''ll be sure to ask him the next time I meet him." I deadpanned.


    "This is not a joke. It''s not hrious! You have never gotten obsessed with anything-"


    "I was always obsessed with Anthony," I cut him off to correct him. "That is the exact reason why I never got obsessed with anyone else. He''s my life''s mission; I have to end him. Don''t you get it?" I was getting more irritated with the passing minutes. My eyes though stayed on the door more often than not.


    "I''ve never beenfortable with someone I was working on," he said it like it was the most natural thing to do.


    "That is where the difference in the two of us lies, you are a hit-man. I, on the other hand, am an undercover agent. I need to slither closer into people''s minds and under their skin to get my job done."


    "You''re stupid if you think that getting involved is a good thing," he groaned as he stared right at my eyes.


    "I have never gotten involved. This is the only one. This will be the first andst time I''ll ever get involved. This is way too personal to rush through. I''ll relish every tormenting moment of this job. I''ll work on him and with him. Do you get me?"


    "No, I don''t." My eyes flickered to the door again.


    "I thought we''d meet under better circumstances," I admitted.


    "Which reminds me, why are you even here?" he asked wearily.


    "Some inside business that we need to do." I left it at that. "What are you doing here?" I got to the sole purpose of this conversation.


    "Someone put a hit on the pimp. I''ve got a few more hours until I need to carry it out."


    "Joe?" I whisper, shocked. "Who put a hit on him?" I didn''t know which emotion I should embrace, the panic or the excitement.


    "Luke fucking Darcy," he said, running his hand over his face. The shock didn''t let me register the full truth of the matter. I was just about to ask when he started speaking again. "Its one of those conditional hits. Someone will call me in three hours to let me know if I have to get the job done or not. I don''t know what the fuck is going on."


    "What does that mean?"


    "This pimp has been putting his hand in the wrong jar, or he made the wrong allies. I don''t know the details, but this dude has something that Luke wants, I think." My eyes narrowed on his face, but I saw that he was telling the truth.


    "Get inside," I ordered him. "I need to think this through. This is huge." I swore under my breath as I saw him turn around and walk away. Just as he was about to pull the door opened, the thing opened on its own. My body instinctively turned around and snapped the cell-phone I had been gripping in my hand to my ears. I heard the light shuffling of feet and mumbled greetings. I pulled the phone from my ears and pretended to stare at the screen for a moment as if checking the screen.


    "Mia," I heard him say. I was pretty sure that he hadn''t seen anything, but I had to be sure.


    I turned around slowly with a smile on my lips. It came effortlessly, and I felt more confident than I had hoped to feel.


    "Hey," I sighed as if exhausted. "I was just on the phone." He nodded, and I spected his expression and figured that he''d not heard or seen anything suspicious.


    "I''ve got some info on what happened that day in the bar." I scrunched my brow. "There were some regrs who were gossiping about Joe''s old girl who had appeared at the pub a few days back. I figured it was Cienna."


    "And?" I pressed for more information.


    "Let''s go back inside the car and talk about this." I nodded and we got inside the car. "She came here in search of the girl''s mom and Joe caught up to her. Things got heated and he took her to the washroom that you said was always preupied." He gave me a meaningful look. I tried to hold back a groan.


    "You think she spilt information?" I asked, pretty damn sure that she had done just that.


    "No. He got her intoxicated. I''m sure she didn''t even know what she was saying by the time he was done with her."


    "She still opened her mouth, Anthony." I ran my hand through my hair and wondered out loud, "Why don''t you make every member of the group at least be able to work their brains when under pressure?" The frustration got the better of me. "I mean... even one vulnerable person is dangerous!" He stared at me like I had lost my mind.


    "I would expect that anyone who wilfully works for me would know the odds of their employment and act on their sense of self-preservation. One can expect that much from humans, I suppose," he shrugs, not fazed by the admission. The fact that he left a base uncovered is... uneptable.


    "You can''t know that."


    "I can. They are all affluent in martial arts and know what they are doing. I interview every person myself or make Ethan do it for me. If you hadn''t barged into my office that first day, it might have been Ethan who would''ve asked you to prove your skills to him." I stared at him for a moment disgruntled by the idea that he had not done the uneptable. And therein he had reinforced my obsession with his meticulous processing of ns.


    "Cienna?" I grumbled, trying to find a weak spot.


    "She''s a fool. She doesn''t have the presence of mind that I thought she did. She''s awfully stupid for someone who ims to take on the top businessmen in the nation," he grunted.


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 Chapter 91 Terribly Clumsy

    We sat in silence for a few minutes before I took charge and broke the silence.


    "So, she sang and now we''ll have to take care of Joe." In my mind, I had already started to formte how Darcy had wanted to take the information. I wondered if he had put Joe up to it. Then I had wondered why he would put a hit on the man if that was the case. And that was when it struck me. The greedy bastard had raised his price or had intended to withhold the information because he wanted something more out of it. Security, maybe? And soon, I would find out.


    But I could mention none of this to Anthony. What was I supposed to do with the information? If this could be pinned down to Darcy, it would be a huge factor and a possible reason to carry out the raid as soon as possible.


    "We can''t be sure that he''s not passed the information on to someone. We tail him until we know if he has." I nod sharply and feel the relief pulsing through my veins. Whatever be the consequence, I would be able to see the end of the bargain. But I also needed to hear the transaction, and I had a feeling that Anthony would appreciate it as well. And I would tell him the n concocting in my little brain.


    "Why don''t we put on a microphone on him? We could hear every conversation he has, then. What do you think about that?" I ask him hesitantly. He nods thoughtfully and then gives me a look that I can''t decipher.


    "How are you going to do it?"


    "I know that we have the equipment. Eric made sure that I knew what all I needed for tailing someone. Not that I didn''t know myself, but he supplied some really neat things. So, that won''t be a problem," I passed on my thoughts to him.


    "How will you get in on him?" he asked, now interested.


    "I''ll wait until he extracts himself from thedies for a while and trip on him and then apologizes for being terribly clumsy and then walk out." He burst intoughter and shook his head. I think he mumbled best of luck, but I couldn''t be sure.


    I grabbed the little machine and went right back into the bar. Joe, though, was missing. And I knew that this ce only had one entrance and exit: the one that could be seen from the street. So he could only be in one ce.


    The washroom.


    The other girls had dispersed throughout the room and were trying to get their job done. I sauntered over to the loo and found that the door was opened. There was no real sounding from inside the damn ce, so I carefully entered it. My nerves were on end, prepared to pounce on the first object of threat that came my way. Nothing of the sort happened. I heard the soft soundsing from one of the stalls and smirked to myself. I had caught them in the spot that I had hoped to. Izily turned on the tap of the sink and pretended to do whatever it was that people did. I washed my hands until I thought they were cleaner than ever. Then I dried them on my jeans and went to fix my hair with the rubber band on my wrist. When I tried to knot my hair into a bun, I heard the sound of the stall right behind me opening. I looked at the reflection of the door in the mirror and saw Joe emerge from the stall and then the girl I hadbeled as his finest prostitute.


    While he fumbled with his shirt, she just straightened her shirt like she was used to it. She probably was. Joe looked at me through the mirror and gave me a smirk. I tried to give him a polite smirk and continued to work on my hair, taking longer than usual to tie it.


    Once he was done, he pulled out his cell phone and started speaking in hushed tones with whoever was on the other side. I couldn''t make out much of what he was saying as I looked around the room to make the perfect ident happen. I heard him huff and knew that he was done. I hurried past him or pretended to. I ced my foot on the small puddle of water near his foot and forcefully slipped. Instinctively, my hands tried to grip the first thing it found near it. In a knee jerk reaction, his grip loosened and the cell phone fell on the floor and scattered. Despite that, he tried to bnce me and then helped me on my foot.


    I smiled at him with false nervousness and then apologized profusely as I assembled the pieces of the phone. He flirted with me through the process not giving me a hand as I crouched on the floor and put the pieces of his cell phone together.


    "Come back soon, sugar," I heard him say as I rushed out of the washroom and out of the bar. A smirk formed on my lips as I entered the truck and raised an eyebrow at Anthony.


    "Done," I announced and heughed just a little.


    "I heard," he shook his head. "Nice one, slipping the mic inside the phone. I''m highly impressed."


    "I figured that he''d change his clothes, but he''d never keep the phone away," I shrugged and turned to the music system that now transmitted the sounds around Joe.


    "Good thinking," he appreciated and then we went back to listening in on the conversation.


    Everything that happened after that seemed to be insignificant. Time ticked by and the long minutes stretched into an hour. It wasn''t until then that we saw someone else trying to enter the bar. So far, we had only seen people leaving, not one single person had moved out of the bar at its peak hour.


    We sat straighter as we saw the neer. When he turned to look around to check if anyone was looking, I burst out into a fit ofughter. Anthony was startled by my reaction and hissed at me to shut up. I listened eventually, but couldn''t control the shaking of my body.


    "Fuck, there you have it. You''ve got him by the balls, Anthony. He''s going down." And he seemed pleased with that. It was like hitting two birds with one bullet, that too point nk.


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 Chapter 92 Spoke Like a Parro

    We put our concentration on the audio system once more and listened in to their conversation as they exchanged harsh pleasantries. Yes, that was possible.


    "We need to record it," he mumbled as he fumbled with the controls. Satisfied with what he had done he leaned back, closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head.


    "I''ll be acting as the middleman in the transfer of information between you and Darcy," Nn said. I looked over at Anthony who had a satisfied smile on his lips, his eyes still closed. "You know the price we are offering to pay in exchange for the information, Joe. Just give the details to me and you''ll receive the money."


    "Would you mind repeating everything? I would like to re-establish the contract so that I can find no loopholes in it. I want to protect myself. That is why I asked you to meet me in a public setting. I do not trust you or your master." I could hear the sneer in Joe''s voice and I would assume that he had caught the wind of gossip and found out the treatment of low life informants that Darcy contacted. Darcy skilfully did away with these people so that his business decisions couldn''te back to bite him in the ass. It was probably a good thing that he did so because I would be rather pleased if we had nothing to do with the murder of the pimp. And this little game made people fear Darcy. You were either resourceful and loyal to the man, or dead; if you were loyal to him: he would shower you with money and make you a rich man.


    "You''re going to be twenty grand richer if your news is authenticated as true," Nn began. Of course, Joe had to cut in and put forward a piece of his own licentious mind.


    "But I could get the money from anywhere that I wanted. Someone would be prepared to pay a higher price for this invaluable information than you are."


    "I am not paying you, Luke Darcy is." The firmness in Nn''s voice was new and I had imagined him to be fidgety. Was it the pressure of going undercover that had him off his game during the meeting? Or was it my presence and not Anthony''s that threw him off? It was a curious case, but we would find out.


    "That doesn''t make a difference. I don''t like you lot. There is no security in trading with you," I heard Joe say. It was an act of self-preservation then, and a good one at that. He would get killed if he made the wrong choice this day and I didn''t even know which decision was wrong.


    "There is no security in not trading with us, either. I think you are intelligent enough to realize that the odds are stacked against you in both cases and that chances are that you''ll survive if you give us the information that we demand of you." The authority in his tone stunned me. I was intrigued by the turn of events. I didn''t have to wonder for long as to if the man would spill his guts or not. "You are a poor businessman to have not listened to the proposal in details when I was offering it to you, Joe. As I was about to tell you previously, you may be richer if the information you provide is true or no one will even look at your corpse as youy in the dumpster with the cash stuffed in every orifice of yours." At this sudden threat, both Anthony and I broke out into surprisedughter at the culturednguage that the man was using.


    "She spoke like a parrot. I''ll give you the information, but you need to give me the cash first," I heard Joe bargain. It was uncannily amusing when you knew that the man was going to die and he still cared so much about the cash that he was being offered. He didn''t even seem to miss a beat to reply to that threat that was issued to him. Was he that shameless or was he crass enough to think that the threats would not be carried out? When one was living in the alternate world as long as he was, he was a matured man and was bound to know that a threat was always carried out and given the same importance as a blood oath in witchcraft.


    We heard the shuffling of feet and then it seemed like they had isted themselves in a silent ce where they started talking.


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 Chapter 93 Control Freak

    He spoke about Anthony and me and surprisingly about us trying to find out where the shipment was. My eyes widened when I heard the news, but Anthony seemed like the portrait of calmness and his smile widened.


    "Aren''t you worried?" I asked him.


    "No. They''re giving me all the excuses that I need to do whatever I want. Everyone who gets into the business knows that someone else is going to try and steal from them, finish off thepetition, and no one really thinks much about it until you get caught. Stealing is bad enough, but getting caught is the worst. Having proof that they''ve made this colossal mistake makes me have an upper hand in this whole situation."


    "You''re a control freak," I chuckled as I listened in on Joe saying goodbye to Nn.


    "You''re one as well, Mia." I shrugged, epting the statement and then waited for Nn toe out. We saw the door open and Nn emerged from behind it. He had his cell phone clutched in his hand and he was dialing a number on it. He pulled the phone to his ears and waited for the other person to pick up. I kept close eyes on his lips, ready to lip read if I needed to. Suddenly his lips moved and I made out the words as clear as day.


    "I have it," I repeated in hushed tones. Anthony nodded in agreement with my correct lip reading and then sighed.


    "I''ll be going off to sleep now," he mumbled, and just as he did his head snapped up again. This time it was Jacob who walked past the car in the confident gait of his. I took in his gear and smiled. He had a long ck coat on and his head sported a beanie. On his shoulder was a strap that held a guitar case. One would presume that he was a musician, and that worked for him. He hid his equipment in the case and it made it inconspicuous.


    I stared at Anthony as I watched his eyes follow Jake''s form until he was out of sight. Anthony then sighed and slumped back on the seat.


    We waited for another hour after which we saw Joe stumbling out of the bar. He was intoxicated, yet had none of his girls to escort him. He seemed happy enough as he sang and stumbled across the road. Suddenly, the wind changed and his body jerked. As if coughing, his shoulder slouched. I looked on, horrified by the admission that it had taken just one clean shot. The body now lurched forward and hit the pavement with a thud.


    I heard Anthony swear under his breath, but I remained rooted to the memory of the small hole at the back of Joe''s head, right between where his hair ended and the cor of his round necked t-shirt. It was a clean shot meant to kill and it had been done artfully.


    No doubt, Jacob was a good shot, and this time he didn''t even miss a single one.


    "Let''s get out of here before Luke can pin this on us." And as the engine came alive, I felt a small smile forming on my lips.


    "We didn''t really need to do much," I snickered.


    "I need a drink," I heard Anthony grumble. I couldn''t have agreed more.


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 Chapter 94 Meticulous Strategy

    As soon as we had driven away from the dingy alleys of the red street areas, I noticed that Anthony was ring at the scenery that we drove past. The congested streets of the metropolitan city demanded that everything looked to grey to concentrate on. Everything was in, indistinguishable and unimportant. There was no need to concentrate on details when it came to driving on the streets of the dull roads of cement mass. For people who watched over their back and took in every detail around them, the concrete was our personal hell. The paranoia of walking among things so unimportant only showed what secretsy veil right in front of our eyes. In a moment of unguarded exalting of a victory that wasn''t ours to celebrate, we almost got caught in the conspiracy of having the usation of Joe''s murder on our head. It would have pleased both Anthony and I to do it ourselves, but it would have led us toe in the fire of Anthony''s associates who would have med him for the ongoing feud between Darcy and him. It could turn the game around in a fraction of a second, I realized.


    It seemed almost mechanically choreographed. If our location had beenpromised was not known, but it was a long shot. So far, the only one who was in the direct line of suspicion was locked up in her room with no way to contact the outside world. And there was no chance that there were bugs nted in the mansion or on any of us, the thorough checks that Ethan did on every person in the mansion and in every corner of the mansion were thorough and like the meticulous strategy the ck cats used tob through congested cement blocks and in the wilderness.


    Then, in a moment of coincidence, we had experienced the joyful event of Joe death. Despite the worry marring Anthony''s brow and the click of his jaws clearly stating that the sheer timing of such an incident had hit a nerve.


    And just like that, our paranoia was proved.


    The proof that we needed to throw Nn out and kill him off was in our hands. We could use it as leverage to take the cargo back or we could use it as an excuse to track the man down and take him down. He had acted as an unprofessional agent by revealing himself so openly in front of everyone.


    It left the question of his ns open for us to specte on. What was his purpose for trying to maintain contact with the mob for such a short period of time? The way that he had gotten about dealing with Joe would have inadvertently ended in him being exposed and it wouldn''t have taken us more than a few months to catch his scent. If he was there to ensure that the loss of losing business with Anthony could be ovee by eluding him, then why would he make such a stupid mistake? He looked like someone who knew how to handle situations, but then everyone makes their own share of mistakes. Maybe he had left it to chance to see how long he could y out the borate plot of being new to the business. What was improbable was that we hadn''t estimated his rank in rtion to Darcy. He was obviously someone who Darcy trusted, but he also seemed to fear the man (as any sane man would, Darcy was a cold-blooded mobster).


    The urge to run over to my ce and take out the records and review them again rushed through me. It was obvious that we would have a drastically different take on the conversation caught on tape, now that we had a better idea about the people who were involved. What fascinated me was theyered nature of the conversation. My memory of the exact words was blurred, and it only incited further interest on the topic. The urge to rush home seemed like the best thing to do. The curiosity and piqued interest could soon fade away or our minds could be less receptive to any new information that we might gain from the tape, and that would be highly inappropriate. It seemed like the logical thing to do¡ªto go over to my ce, but I was ufortable with the idea of Anthony inside my apartment.


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 Chapter 95 Detour

    Despite the space being as impersonal as it could get, my mind went over a nightmarish thought over and over again. The fear that my secret would be prematurely exposed was something that I feared more now than I had at the beginning of the mission. The revtion would lead to not only my death but to a mission that could make the job of the organization so much easier. Death wasn''t that much of a deal when I had the opportunity of doing something as fantastic as taking down Darcy single-handedly under the pretense of working for Anthony. Letting go of such an opportunity would be terribly foolish. So, I decided on the most natural and logical solution.


    Anthony was still deep in thought when I peered at him while I drove. When I went off the designated path his head snapped up and he gave me an incredulous look. I could see the suspicion lingering in his eyes, and to say that I felt a crushing defeat would be an understatement. My goal to make him have an irrevocable faith on my loyalty to him seemed not to have worked ording to n.


    "Are we taking a detour?" he asked me with a huff. "Do I get a drink wherever you''re taking me?" The statement that was supposed to havee out as a joke, fell t and made him sound in real need of a drink.


    "Easy there," I tried to soothe him with a chuckle. He rolled his eyes at me, but the tension in his shoulders didn''t go away. "I''m just going to go over to my ce. Mine is closer than yours and I really need to look through that CCTV footage from the night I signed the deal with Nn." My exnation seemed tofort him, but he needed more exnation. "I think we''ll have a better understanding of what they were talking about, now. I think that would be good for us. What do you think?" He cleared his throat as he contemted the possibilities.


    "It''s a good idea. I just need a drink," he assured me.


    As we waited at a red-light I voiced my reassuring thoughts to him. The reception was just as happy as I had expected it to be.


    "It''s a legitimate worry-" He cut me off before I could even specify what was the obvious reason for him to worry. With Anthony, you never knew what was obvious.


    "I''m not worried, Mia," I heard him scoff. "I am not worried about any of those things because I''ve been through worse situations and taken decisions which were far more difficult than these. What you are presuming is me worrying is simply me concocting ns to run through this mess smoothly." I would have said that he seemed cocky, but there was nothing cocky about how he spoke those words. It was sheer confidence thatced his voice. His eyes glittered with the intensity of his belief. He knew that it would be a piece of cake for him like he had already calcted the oue and predicted the future. "We''re walking on thin ice here. It will either be war, or it will end up in a negotiation. Both will be costly, but as I said, it is nothing that I''ve not done before." He paused as he gave me a meaningful look.


    The signal turned green then and I started up the engine.


    After a while, he spoke again.


    "While you watch the video''s I''ll be making some calls and talking strategy with the core team. We''ll have a conference and see if we want higher casualties or a deal."


    "I have beer at my ce," I confirmed without looking away from the road in front of me.


    "That would be exactly what I need right now: something bitter to make me alert." He ran a hand through his hair and then stared out of the window again.


    "You''ll get prematurely old and get grey hair at the rate you''re going. I don''t think you''ll look any good with wrinkles on your face, Anthony," I tried teasing him. He guffawed.


    "Men never get old," he yed along to my childish demand.


    "They do," I arguedmely. He raised a brow at me.


    "And that''s your argument? I thought that I had employed you because of your wit and strength. Clearly, I was wrong." Amusement colored the tenor of his voice. "Women age faster than men," he went on to exin. "Did you know that a twelve year age gap in a couple is considered the ideal gap? They are supposed to be physically and mentallypatible that way." The way he said it one would think that it was as obvious as Newton''s firstw of motion.


    "Did you read this in one of those magazines?" I askedmely.


    "I''m pretty sure that it was a medical article-"


    "-in your dreams," Ipleted the sentence for him. If I hadn''t known better I would have thought that he was trying to be subtle and hitting on me, but I didn''t think that he was doing anything of the sort. He was simply not in the condition to crack jokes about the non-existent rtionship between us.


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 Chapter 96 Envelope

    When I pulled in front of my building, I saw Anthony duck and give the building an odd look.


    "Nice ce," hemented cryptically and I let him know what I thought of his reaction. "You find me creepy? Please. I''m anything but creepy. Take me up to your apartment and get to work woman. Some food wouldn''t be bad, either."


    "Chinese?" I prompted and he shrugged. I supposed that it was time to order some Chinese yet again. Pulling out my cell phone from my pocket I pressed the number one and let the speed dial take over. The phone rang twice before the person on the other side picked it up. As if recognizing my voice, the man greeted me and asked me the order. I rattled off the best food from the menu for two. I already knew what the bill was going to be. I also didn''t have to tell them my address. They informed me that my order would be delivered in fifteen minutes. I thanked them before hanging up. When I looked up, I saw that Anthony was giving me the same look that he had given when he had first seen my apartment.


    "How much do you order food from outside?" he asked, his voice gruff. He pressed his lips together as he stared at me.


    "I can''t cook and I don''t have anyone to take care of me, so I live off of takeout and instant made mood," I shrugged lightly.


    "But you cooked for everyone when you were staying over at my ce," the weird look had made a reappearance.


    "I don''t get what you are getting at. I made food because I had the time to. I usually do not have time to cook or am too exhausted to pull something edible off. It''s understandable." I didn''t like how defensive I felt at the moment. If this was what he was doing outside the building, I took only imagine the sort of questions he would start asking when he entered the apartment.


    "Keep a maid or something," he huffed. "And this apartment is too big for you."


    "Firstly, I like my privacy and don''t need anyone to encroach on my personal space. Secondly, no ce is too big. I live alone and I like to live infort."


    "We''ll see when we get inside."


    "The primary reason why I didn''t go into police academy was because of the mour of the world of the criminals, remember? I like luxury. I spend money on material things."


    "If privacy was such a huge thing for you, you would have bought the whole building." I raised a brow at him, feeling smug that he''d fallen right into the trap. "You''re kidding, right?" I shook my head. "Oh, goodness. Ethan was right. You''re seriously not letting anyone know what is up with you. You let no one know your story." He shook his head and then turned to me with a smile on his face. "Let''s go upstairs and see if I can unveil all your secrets, shall we?" The challenge was clear in his eyes. My fears throbbed at my limbs, but a shot of excitement ran through my veins at the prospect ofing undone in front of the man. To test his deducing skills would be a treat, a fearful treat if he figured out my secret.


    When I passed the mailbox, I saw that the butts of envelopes were peeping from the slit. I unlocked the box and took out the mail. I stared at the number of letters that I had received. I knew for a fact that none of the bills came to my mail. My mail was usually empty with only unsettled dust flying around inside the box. The letters were all unassuming at best. The covers provided no indication as to what would be inside. The only thing that I could probably deduce anything from was the handwritten address at the back of the envelope.


    Not wanting to look suspicious or draw attention to the letters, I tucked them under my arms and motioned Anthony to follow me.


    When we stood in front of the door I heard Anthony chuckle. Disturbed by the sudden intrusion in silence I turned and gave him a scathing look. Expecting another round of assumptions, I put one hand on my waist and waited for him to speak up.


    "You don''t even have a namete on your door!" and like he had cracked the funniest joke of the century he startedughing loudly.


    "I don''t need it. I don''t want people to know where I live. I don''t want to startle awake one night to see a gun pressed against my forehead, thank you very much," I sneered at him. Clearly, this was a bad idea. And the fact that I was banking on Anthony''s need to n out things so that he wouldn''t poke around had left me at a disadvantage. Therefore I had struck the axe on my own foot.


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 Chapter 97 Blistering Warmth

    "No need to be defensive. I''m just ying around. You''re falling for my trap and eliciting reactions that I want to see." I gave him the stink eye before I turned around with a huff and pulled out my key to enter the apartment. I heard no other sound from Anthony. It seemed that he had started acting his age from that point in time. The smug look on his face didn''t change, though.


    "You go ahead and confer with the others. I''ll go change and take care of some business. I need to search for the videos as well." As I left him, I saw him take in the room. I also noticed the critical look he gave. He was really trying to analyze me.


    When I reached my bedroom, I ced all the letters on the bed and divided the letters into two sets. There were two sets of letters in general because of the difference in penmanship. I reached out for the neater writing. I switched on the bedsidemp and put the letters over it one by one. I saw the word Jasper written on top of it and realized that the letters were from him. There were more than five letters in total in the bunch and it left me curious. Why would Jasper try to contact me, now? I got the first letter letting me know that he was following me, but all the other letters made little sense to me. I tore the top of the first envelope and pulled the letter out. The texture of the paper showed that it was the handmade quality. I opened the letter which was folded into three to see two handwritten lines written on it.


    [''Nothing suspected by me,


    Nothing proved can be...


    -Written with a Diamond on her Window at Woodstock (Queen Elizabeth I)


    Yours,


    Jasper.'']


    It made little sense to me. But the words ''suspect'' and ''proved'' popped out. As I took a closer look, I realized that he was either implying that he had been used of something that he had either not done or had done, but there was no proof of it, or he was meaning to tell me that he thought Anthony suspected me but that no concrete proof to put me to the same fate as Scott. If the words had any other implications, they didn''te to my mind. Deeply unsettled, I folded the letter and put it inside the envelope again.


    The next letter was on an A-4 sheet with the same bold print as the first letter.


    ''Who was your father, Mia? Both of us wish you knew. His death was not an ident.''


    There was no signature, but the handwriting on the envelope was simr to that of the writing style in the previous letter. So, there was no doubt that it had been Jasper who had sent this message. One letter after the other, it went. Poetry had never been something that I had had a strong affinity towards and the hidden meanings alluded me. Every letter made a new sense of confusion fill me. I tried to overshadow the dread with the mist of confusion so that I wouldn''t lose my mind while Anthony was in the same apartment. He would get curious and he would search for me. I couldn''t figure out how that was going to work in my favour.


    I wondered what excuse I would give him for taking so long. I shoved all the letters indiscriminately into the private cab behind my bed, reminding myself to grab them as soon as Anthony left the building. The answer came easily as I shoved the letters inside. I grabbed a towel and somefortable clothes to wear and took a long, much-needed shower. The heat of the water scorched my skin, by soothed my muscles as well. The blistering warmth of the steam kept my mind from wandering to darker ces.


    The shower didn''t take long, as I needed an alibi. I knew exactly where the videos were so that wouldn''t take too much time. One would call me paranoid. I was that and someone who cared for insignificant information. I wanted no part of the story to go wrong and be caught. Always be cautious. Never change your story. Never let your guard down. These values had been drilled into me the moment I had joined the academy to be an agent in the organization. It was just as twisted as fight club, only I wasn''t as crazy as the protagonist, neither was I Ma Singer. And this twisted version of Fight Club was more real than the whole concept could get.


    When I exited the room, I saw Anthony still standing with his eyes zoomed at the balcony. I ced myptop on the couch and realized that the food had arrived.


    "The boy delivering the food seemed traumatized. He didn''t look particrly happy to be the one to deliver the order." He startled me. I looked up at him to see that he was staring at me.


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 Chapter 98 Look Them in The Eye

    "Must have been the boy fromst time. Ethan properly traumatized him that time," I waved it off. His keenness to observe things seemed sillier with the passing minutes. Where he was getting at with all these assumptions was beyond me.


    "I''ll bring us home food and then we can do our own work, okay?" I told him, ignoring his assumptions. I followed his previous quip and didn''t give him the satisfaction of getting a reaction out of me. I saw him nod and went to the kitchen to grab some tes and spoons and forks. I kneeled beside the ss table in front of the couch and ced the dishes filled with food on it. After disposing of the packets I came back and sat down. Anthony had his hands on his cell phone and he was typing furiously at it.


    I ced the te of food on myp and then connected the headphone to myptop knowing that things would be getting loud really soon in the room. I took a few bites of the food and then pressed y to watch what was going on. I nned on not missing even a single minute of the whole footage. I looked at every face that entered and exited the room. I saw the cleaning staff cking in their task. I saw Ron enter to check the room once. I saw little details. In a fleeting moment, I looked at Anthony from the corner of my eyes. I saw that the phone was pressed to his years and his face was scrunched up in concentration. I presumed that the conversation had not heated up yet and everyone was being actively productive in the discussion and being careful to not piss Anthony off.


    Clearly, the extremely calm man with mood swings was slipping away. The mood swings were ever present, but the calmness he exuded was muted. With so much going on it was no wonder that he was hyper. It was also a surprise that he hadn''t taken any reckless decisions as of yet. He hadn''t snapped as such and was still capable of taking rational decisions. Imended him for that.


    Turning back to the task at hand I rewound the video and started from the moment I had lost concentration.


    The group of men had entered the room and were warily looking around the room. Nn, for instance, was staring up at the ceilings and pressing his hands under the furniture to make sure that nothing was wired. Little did he know that the cameras were hidden from view because of their camouging properties and their eerie simrity to the decor. They looked like those modernmpshades but were in all actually hidden cameras designed to take care of security in high-end hotels and multi-nationalpanies. They were the best and costliest of its kind.


    I saw the slight change in his sly movements that I had missed out in my exhausted haze thest time around. He definitely knew what he was doing, and if I recalled correctly, he had acted to be one of the victims and not the one executing the n. I could feel the ironic smile spreading across my lips as I watched the whole scene y out again. The fidgeting lot had been in need of a pep talk and Nn had yed the part of a nervous novice like a professional.


    "It took us so many years to get here. Don''t act like brats while I try to save the day!"


    "You know what will happen if we fail."


    "Nole, we can''t help it. We didn''t know what we were getting into when you contacted us..."


    "Even I didn''t know what I was doing when I contacted you."


    "We need to get out of this mess, man. We can''t handle this. I don''t want to die."


    "None of us want to die. I''m sorry¡­"


    "We need to stop feeling sorry for ourselves. We can''t change anything."


    "We''re trapped."


    "What''s going to happen?"


    "We need to pull our act together. If any of them finds out, we''re dead. Nothing is going to touch the two sitting on the thrones, they''ll just swear peace and walk away; we¡­ we will be ambushed. We must remain in his good books. Only he can protect us."


    "You think Darcy will help us if we are found out?"


    "Shut up, you idiot!"


    "They''ll hear you. You''ll be good as dead, then."


    "If we can do what he wants, then we''ll be safe."


    "What about Anthony?"


    "Come here."


    "Listen. You guys thought you would earn some quick cash, and I understand that. But this shit is dangerous." He warned them. "What you need to do is shut your trap, hide and do what you are told to do. You do not ask questions and you do not look them in the eye. They''ll know if you do. Do NOT look them in the eye."


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 Chapter 99 Return Alive

    "Don''t fuck thi-"


    As I clearly saw what had gone about in that house over and over again; I''d yed it a dozen times before I saw a sly smile spreading across his lips. I could imagine that he was skilled in the art of deceiving, but he had gone wrong by opening his mouth while he was inside the premises of the enemy, anyways. He thorough checks were nothingpared to what thetest technology could do. And he should have been wiser than to underestimate his enemies. He was close to Luke, he should have been careful.


    He was confident under all theyers of deception that he had donned on. It was amusing to see him feign concern for the poor fellows who had done the mistake of following him even after they had found out about his ns. I wondered where he picked those up from. People who knew him closely would never have acted in such a manner. Obviously, as I had presumed earlier, these were just kids in need of money who thought that they were tough enough to enter the realm of the big dogs and get out alive. Even if they did have the potential, it was too great a threat for them to be on the wrong side of things. And it was unlucky for them that neither side was the right side. And Nn had brought them to be ughtered... intentionally. I snickered as I fast forwarded to the part where the phone starts ringing.


    "Boss, I was just about to call you..."


    "No, sir. I didn''t meet Anthony, but there was this girl who came in his ce."


    "I haven''t forgotten. We''ll find her, sir."


    "Yes, sir. I''ll keep an eye out. I''ll bring you all the information you need."


    "Thank you, sir¡­ Yes, sir."


    "Darcy called."


    "We''re doing well, boys. Let''s just hope we find the girl and we are on his good books."


    "Poor kids. Being sent to the ughterhouse to be murdered. Hopefully, I''ll return alive from this."


    And everything made so much more sense at that moment. They had hoped to meet Anthony and had gotten to meet me instead, and they had assumed that they would find Cienna with Anthony. But because Anthony never showed up, they had no hope of meeting Cienna as well. She was, without doubt, the ''her'' that Darcy and Nn were trying to find. They knew that they didn''t have much time on their hands.


    Still not satisfied with the information I had, I log into all the other videos from that day and look through the recordings for the moment that Nn and the boys leave. The videos droned on until I found a quick moment where I saw a sh of red hair bumping into Nn. He politely spoke to the woman and seemed to talk her into buying her a drink. I watched him flirt with the woman for a long time before one of the boys came to fetch him. He reluctantly left his ce from beside her and walked away from her. He looked back asionally with an expression of pure delight. He had found her that night, and she had walked right into his trap.


    Her having a drink which was offered to her was not the problem. She could do anything she wanted with her free time, but I explicitly remember being told that there would be no one apart from me (who was part of the mob) in Realm that night. Anthony had warned everyone to stay away. He had formed a n that he wanted to follow and Cienna had fucked it up, big time. She had disobeyed his orders probably because she was either jealous of the attention I was getting, or she thought me ipetent andst but not the least because all the aforementioned were true. I decided to go with the third option.


    To say that I was furious would be an understatement. I was seething as I pulled my earphones out and dropped them unceremoniously on the couch. I was in need of venting and the only person who I could turn to was the only other person in the room. He, too, seemed to be speaking into his cell phone. I took a moment to realize that he was still in the conference with the heads. His brows were scrunched together as he tried to concentrate on the series of voices that I could hearing from his cell phone. All the voices were hard and seemed to be serious. Their tones, unlike Anthony, were harsher and they spoke rapidly trying to gain attention and conveying their views.


    I tapped on Anthony''s shoulder. He seemed to have expected the intrusion. He looked at me with a look of acknowledgement and pulled the phone away from his ears. His fingers glided over the keys and then the voices became clearer. On the loudspeaker, I could hear the others fighting over who had the better idea, and so far, I had heard nothing of consequence.


    "Guys, could you hold your horses and present your ideas like civilised people?" I could see the surprise reflecting in Anthony''s eyes as he heard me loud and clear speech. Silence followed and as if on cue a smile graced on Anthony''s lips. I smiled back at him and turned to the phone. "Now, tell me. What do you know about everything? I need to know if you have a clear perception of the situation or not." I nodded at Anthony who seemed to rx and then he got up.


    "I''m getting myself something to drink," he informed me as he walked away. I shrugged and went back to the concentration.


    "Darcy wants information on us and he used the most vulnerable member of our group."


    "And she fell for it." Disorder broke out again as they mumbled in agreement or protested and tried to defend Cienna.


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 Chapter 100 Going Down

    "Okay, I just found out that Cienna was inside the premises of Poseidon''s Realm on the night when the business deal was closed with Nn. I presume that she was warned about not going in there, even though I was not informed about the arrangement until recently. It is safe to say that she didn''t follow orders." There is no doubt in my mind. Stupidity and defiance were always a threat in the real world. Both of them could get you killed. Cienna was in a position where the sword was dangling over her head.


    "You hate her," I heard someone say, and even though the disembodied voice seemed familiar, I couldn''t recognize who it was. And frankly, I didn''t care enough about the opinion of one person to get offended.


    "It is my duty to stay at Anthony''s side at all times and at all costs. I was assigned a duty and I simply wished to fulfil it. I''m trying to protect the interests of the mob by cing the simple facts in front of all of you. My prejudice, as you put it, has nothing to do with the raw facts that I have found." I saw Anthony return to sit seat and he seemed to open whatever he had found in my kitchen.


    "We want a copy of all the facts and the proof you have. We will decide if we want to believe you or not."


    "I think you don''t understand the situation correctly. You do not get a choice in this decision. Anthony is the boss, he decides what to do. He is simply letting you in the loop so that he can find out your limitations and act ordingly," I said. I looked over at Anthony for his approval and he seemed indifferent to my daring statement. I knew that if he hadn''t stopped me right there, he believed that what I had said was true or was not offensive... for him.


    "I think she is right. Could you have the Boss on the phone?" I heard Ethan say. And Anthony straightened and spoke into the phone.


    "I''m right here. Now stop with your cat fighting and give me your ideas in a coherent manner." Anthonymanded. "Alec, you go first."


    "I will refrain frommenting, boss. I am just a spectator." This was when I realized that the previous venomousment had been spewed by him.


    The others too went over the limitations and strengths of their departments and left the decision up to Anthony.


    "Ethan, what do you think?" Anthony''s voice was gruff. He was clearly irritated with theck of creativity on the part of his crew.


    On the other side of the cell phone, I heard Ethan clear his throat and proceed to speak, "I say we maintain contact with Luke Darcy. If Nn has the information then Darcy already knows all of it. It is a good idea for me to look over the things that you have recorded today and the night before, Mia. I should look over to see if we need to tread carefully or not."


    "What do you think of goading the enemy?" I could hear the amusement in Anthony''s voice as he said the words.


    "I think we shouldy off of any goading until I''m sure about the consequences of said goading." I was pretty sure that Ethan liked the idea, but I, on the other hand, was horrified by the crude... medieval outlook to a confrontation.


    "You let me know, Ethan," Anthony said before reaching out and hanging up. I stared at him for a moment before shaking my head and speaking to him in a low voice.


    "I thought you needed a drink after what happened with Joe. Are you sure you''ll be able to handle all the excitement?" Inside I was seething. I wondered if he knew.


    "It''s about time that I get over with all the excitement." His words seemed honest enough to me, but they didn''t mollify me, not even in the least. "And I quite enjoy goading people."


    "I''ve noticed," I reply dryly.


    "You must have." He smirked. "And I can''t wait to get some action. All these mind games get boring without some barging into with cocked guns."


    "Is that what we''re going to do?"


    "As soon as Ethan is done with his little research," he assures me.


    "And what conclusions will prompt us to fuck with them?" I can''t keep my curiosity at bay.


    "I just want to make sure that I''ve crawled under his skin and making his brain rot with worry." The wicked grin is in ce. I''ve never seen him look more evil than at that moment.


    And at that moment I knew that Darcy was going down. And what a fall it would be.


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 Chapter 102 Vice of Women

    "I love the image of you on your knees in front of me. But I don''t want you to worship me reluctantly," he said, yfully. Honestly, I quite enjoyed the yful banter that we engaged in once in a while. I also enjoyed the wicked arguments we had that ended in us making snarky remarks at each other for the major portion of the day. Not one single day with Anthony Murray was dull, or anything close to the definition of the word.


    "I''m sorry to say that I find that image distasteful, Boss." I retorted. The words flew out before I could stop them, "I''d say that I didn''t want to be like Cienna, but she says that you didn''t get a piece of her." I should have stopped myself, but I saw something sh in his eyes that made me think otherwise. This was the part where I enjoyed hispany the most: the argument. His eyes zed with rage and he snagged a piece of fruit and turned away. He fiddled with his phone for a moment before he turned to me and seethed.


    "What do you want me to tell you, Mia? I have needs. I don''t care if Cienna runs her mouth about my sexual activities, because frankly, I don''t hide it from anyone." He gave me a pointed look. It was true, he was purely a sexual creature and I was sure that he didn''t hide that he used his charms to getid pretty often. He was a grown man with needs, right. But it was a weird thought, thinking of him with other women. The fact that they held power over him to attract his attention made me want to strangle someone. He wasn''t supposed to give in to temptation or the vice of women. He was all powerful and no one should have had the control over him. Wasn''t that what I''d been hoping for? To break his absolute power by making him so attracted to me that he wouldn''t be able to see straight? That I''d covet all his ns and his treasures and he would give it up willingly because he''d lose that tightly bound control that he seemed to hold on him at all points in time? It was unnerving.


    "I was just cracking a joke, Boss. You don''t need to get that defensive. And I know that who you fuck is none of my business." I shrugged. My mouth was running again, but I was d that it remained as nonchnt as it had. I hadn''t expected to sound so calm about the topic.


    "Make it your business. I''m the most vulnerable when I''m fucking someone, as you put it," he grumbled demurely and I realized that the sudden re of rage that he had felt was a defence mechanism that I didn''t know why it triggered.


    "Would you rather I guard you at all times when you are doing said fucking?" I tried to lighten the mood and I knew that I was sessful when his lips quirked up, in what I assumed was an ironic smile.


    "I''d prefer if you were inside the room with me, just to be sure that the woman didn''t kill me after she blew me." I think I snorted because he chuckled at my reaction. "Maybe voyeurism is your thing?" he teased and I shook my head with a responding chuckle.


    "But I''d do anything to protect you," I joked, but we both knew that it was right. Even to me and my deceiving ways, I was pretty sure that I would protect him against everything¡ªeverything that was not me.


    "You''re the perfect bodyguard, don''t you think? You don''t have people to go back home to, flexible hours... you aren''t bad to look at... and you''re extremely good at what you do." The smirk that graced his lips dared me to say something.


    "ttery won''t get you anywhere. I already work for you. What do you want to achieve myplimenting me?" His eyes glittered as I spoke. I''d caught him, he knew.


    "Always so perceptive! Yes, I want you to attend a conference with me and help me mess around with Luke''s mind a bit. The old man needs to be shaken up just a little. Things must be getting so boring for him."


    "Do I have a choice in this? Don''t you know by now that I love ruffling people''s feathers? What do you need me to do?"


    "I''m going to call Darcy from your untraceable cell-phone," he gave me a pointed look letting me know just how well versed he was when it came to me. "And then I''m going to be a sarcastic asshole. You, my kitten, are going to be the good cop to my bad cop." I bit back augh at thement.


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 Chapter 103 Morals Be Damned

    "To think that you wouldpare us to cops," I snorted.


    "That''s what you wanted to be!" he shrugged. The tone of his voice made it clear that he found the idea gullible, and I knew that it probably was. Morals be damned, being a cold assassin was so much more fun than being under the thumb of too many people and working in a uniform.


    "I did, but see me, now? I''m so much cooler," I remarked. He rolled his eyes and then extended his hands, palm up at me. I realized after a few seconds that he was asking me for my cell-phone and not my hand.


    "I suppose you''re cooler," he said as I handed over the phone to him. "Now, pull out all your acting skills and act like a shrewd, but nice mobster." And then his eyes turned cold and he typed into the cell-phone furiously.


    He pulled the phone away from his ears and discreetly pressed the loudspeaker icon on the screen, making the sound filter through the room. The insistent ringing of the phone left me jittery. I wondered anxiously as to who would pick up the phone. I almost missed the serious look on Anthony''s face as he instructed me to be the first to speak. I was mostly at a loss as the ringing abruptly stopped and the person from the other side spoke up.


    "Good evening, Nn," I greeted. I could hear him suck the air in from the other side. It took him a few minutes topose himself and I couldn''t help but feel a bit smug that he recognized me immediately.


    "Ma''am," the tenor of lingering fear was nothing but a pleasurable experience. He didn''t have anything to fear, though. He was in a higher position than me under one of the highly respected and feared arms dealer sh mobster on the. I hadn''t met half of them; he had probably shared a drink with all of them.


    "Nn," I said trying to put on a professional voice. "Could you hand the phone over to Mr. Luke Darcy? I need to speak to him about a pressing matter," I said lightly. I think I heard a choke from the other side of the phone. From beside me, I heard a low snickeringing from Anthony. I turned to him and gave him a wink, to which he shook his head with an amused smile on his face.


    "I do not understand what you are saying, ma''am." There was undisputed control in his voice. It was like he had switched roles in a matter of seconds. It was a fascinating turn of events. Now, he sounded like the man that I had heard speaking to Joe.


    "Nn, let''s not pretend that we don''t know what is going on here. We should act maturely and treat this like the business that it is." I found Anthony looking at me with impressed eyes. "Could you please transfer the call for Darcy? I really need to speak to him."


    "I''m extremely sorry, but that''s not possible right now. Maybe you should call backter." The reluctance he showed in replying made me sure of the fact that he was trying to stall or dodge the conversation before it hit him.


    "Mr. Murray will not be pleased to hear that you refused his call because of some issues that we had in past."


    "Darcy is not here."


    "Nn, please let Luke know that I am anxiously waiting for him to call back." It was Anthony who seemed to be the trump card. The cool texture of his voice could make a shiver crawl up one''s spine. He had the hard look on his face that despite being invisible to Nn would reach his ears without a doubt.


    "I will ask him to call you back, Mr. Murray." The quiver in his voice gave his weakness away. Luke was really not near him at the moment, but not far enough that he couldn''t reach out. He''d have to tell Luke about the call and he would be reprimanded for not handling it better. I could imagine that speaking to me was not a priority, but not giving head to the boss of the most dangerous enemy of your boss would sphemy as he knew it.


    "He''ll be calling in five minutes," I concluded when Anthony had cut the phone. He nodded and then plopped down on the sofa. "They are going to be extremely defensive from what I heard from Nn. I''m a weak spot at this moment because I''m the person they do not know. I think we are going to be fine." Again, he just nodded.


    "Listen..." he began, sitting up. "We''re going to renegotiate the drug deal with them first. We will cancel the deal we made with Nn officially, and then propose continuing to buy their goods if they give us back the shipment." I quirked a brow, a bit distressed that there was no goading taking ce. "They will obviously refuse. We then go into goading them." A hint of a smile makes his lips quirk and gives me a knowing look. "I lead him into either attacking us or having a motive to carry out an operation to get the shipments back."


    "Is there going to be definite signs of goading?"


    "Lots of it," he assured me with a chuckle.


    "Two minutes to go," I counted.


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 Chapter 104 Illegal Business

    I was bouncing by the time Anthony''s phone started ringing. We stared at it for a moment, pleased that they had been unable to trace my cell-phone as of yet. We let them ring through one round and then cut the phone. I knew this routine. This was an immature, yet crueleback on the part of Anthony. He was giving off the message that he was utterly pissed and that this would not end well. It was exactly what he wanted to do. The idea was to keep them guessing and on their toes. It would lead us to be one step ahead of them and in control of the situation. Their anxiety to deal with the situation would be higher than inspecting the main reason behind the sudden need for negotiation.


    The phone rang again and I reached out to pick it up as Anthony had instructed me to. I held the phone to my ears to check to was speaking and then put the phone on the loudspeaker.


    "Anthony, I hear you have news for me." Clearly, Nn had been sent out of the scene because of his rash decision to ignore Anthony''s request to have a chat with Luke.


    "Mr. Darcy, thank you for calling back. My name is Mia. It was me who tried to contact you earlier." I heard Darcy huff in frustration as he heard my voice. He had wanted to have a private conversation with Anthony from what I gathered. He had to do some serious grovelling if he wanted to dodge the consequences of his stealing from Anthony.


    "Is he anywhere close to where you are?" Irritationced his voice.


    "Of course, sir. But he is extremely angry because of how your assistant has treated him." I imagined myself getting an Oscar for acting so professional when all I wanted to do was reach back and pat myself for keeping the smugness out of my voice.


    Childish, yes, but I was speaking to Luke. In my final year at the academy, we were asked to write thesis papers on the man, I had written my paper on him. The man was a legend, having a reputation of doing away with anyone who got into his way. I was speaking to him, and I held a position of authority in the conversation.


    As irritated as he would grow of my interruptions, he would have to bear me and hope that he doesn''t disrespect me. On the other hand, we would sincerely hope that I can get on his nerves and make him have an outburst which we could then use against him to ambush him. A confession made in a moment of fashion was truer than that when tortured out of a person. Everyone knew that. Anger made people speak more truth than inflicting pain could ever do.


    "Would you kindly mention to the boy that I am extremely sorry for the ipetence my staff has shown." His voice sounded more like amand than it did a request, so I chose to ignore it.


    "I have been led to believe that you have reason enough to be ignoring Anthony at such a crucial time. Mr. Murray suspects that your employees are not ipetent but highly efficient in following your orders, sir." With an extreme sense of joy, I turned to Anthony for approval. He gave me a thumbs-up and then typed into my cell phone. He was fast with his typing and I smiled when I read what was written.


    Put forward all the prove me have.


    I nodded at him and then went back to concentrating on the phone. The line had grown silent, but it was clear that there was someone else breathing into the line. I could hear the whirring sound of a machine¡ªpossibly aputer, in the background. He was there all right, thinking over things or waiting for me to say something. He might have known that this was an orchestrated conversation where he would only be led where we wanted him to.


    "Do you have something to say to defend this suspicion, sir?" I managed the politest tone I could muster up.


    "What am I being used of?" I heard slowughter in the background which I knew hade from Luke Darcy. He had moved away from the cell-phone and was possibly making himselffortable in a chair.


    "Sure, sir," I cleared my throat as if to indicate that I was reading off of a paper which had recounted all the offences that Luke hadmitted against Anthony. "Firstly, you sent in Nn as a spy who would get information from us through the business deal that he had secured. Secondly, you asked him to involve Cienna who is not connected to the illegal side of the business at all. And thirdly, you murdered Joe after achieving the information that he had managed to extract from my colleague."


    "And these are my offences?" heughed. I had not mentioned that it was the best of his offences.


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 Chapter 105 Teaching You Well

    "Sir, I did explicitly mention that I was noting thepetence of the help you keep, sir. Your own indiscretions are being ignored for this part of the conversation." There was no sense of nervousnessing from the other side of the call. I hoped that it was the calm before the storm where Luke Darcy would lose hisposure. "The person that seems to be carrying out these ns of yours is Nn, and to be quite honest, we want our hands on him. He has made our lives difficult as is." I felt like snickering as I said the words. What an immature brat, I was acting like.


    "And you think I will agree to this preposterous demand because..." he trailed off, the statement packed with a challenge and a mocking question.


    "All is fair in a littlepetitiveness in mobs, sir; airing people''s dirtyundry is never out of limits." The chill in my voice sounded uncannily like the times I had heard Anthony speak. Luke voiced the very same thoughts that passed my head.


    "So, you''re the new girl who Anthony has with him at all times. He is teaching you well. I hope you remember all that he teaches you and not be a weakling like thest one. It''s a pity that she would be a pawn to our games. She was, indeed, a very talented and brightdy," I could hear the snort that followed the mockery of a sympathetic statement. A sense of foreboding hit me, but I shunned it away and deemed it a ploy he constructed to put me out of my game.


    "Thank you for your concern, sir, it is highly appreciated." I then turned to Anthony for the sign. "Coming back to the subject of airing dirtyundry. We do have evidence that it was you that stole the shipment from Mr. Murray and nned to sell off the products with your own name. We also have a detailed record of your poor techniques to get back at Boss."


    "And what harm would that do me, girl?"


    "Anthony was your highest paying customer. If you could turn on him, you could turn on any of them. The economy is fragile, and despite knowing that you are the monopoly in most parts of the world in the armament industry, it is a known fact that Anthony has been recently venturing into the field as well. I will be sorry to inform you that in all possibility, you will be portrayed as the bad man who tried to usurp themodities of a customer. The demand for your goods will fall, and you will face a bit of a fix, then. Do you think you will be able to manage the loss that your decision could incur?"


    "And what of Nn? What do you want to do with him?"


    "We just want to let you know that the man has been too nosey and the Boss doesn''t like it. He will be punished for his wrong-doings and not you simply because we don''t have the concrete proof as to if he was acting onmand or not."


    "Where does he fit into all of his?"


    "He will be murdered, Darcy," Anthony interrupted. "Now be the good old fe and admit your mistake." The message was loud and clear.


    "Sir, we are just trying to renegotiate the drug deal," I assured in a sickeningly sweet voice. "In exchange of enjoying the benefits of trade with Anthony, you will have to give up on Nn."


    "I still do not understand your fascination with this man. He is just a kid."


    "Then the boy must be precious to you, Darcy. You really don''t want to give him up?" Anthony acted as if he was disappointed, but a wicked smile dominated his features. "Then I have another deal for you."


    "Mr. Darcy, do you think that this could be a renegotiation of the terms of trade between the two of you among a few other issues?" I voiced, taking the reins in my hand again. "You must choose one of the options."


    "I need to hear what I am going to be offering in both cases before I can make a decision on the matter... miss..." he trailed off, trying to goad me into telling him my name.


    "I''m sure Nn has been kind enough to mention my name in passing conversations, sir. I don''t think that my name is something we should waste time on." I kept the impatience as bay. He would not find even a single slip in my demeanour.


    "Ah," he eximed before letting out a chortle. Yes, a chortle. He definitely sounded like a horse at that moment. "Tell me about my options."


    "You either handover Nn to us or you renegotiate your terms of business with Mr. Murray." The other side of the line went silent. Obviously, to make a choice without knowing the bargain was a reckless deed. But all of us knew that Nn was precious enough to take any risk. As far as we had collected, the boy was Darcy''s rtive of sorts. He would never jeopardize the life of someone who shared the same blood as he did.


    "I''ll say that I am interested in negotiating," he replied rather predictably after a few minutes. Anthony nodded at me and then asked me to hand him the cell phone.


    "Thank you for cooperating, sir. Mr. Murray will shortly confer with you." The cell phone was now ced in front of Anthony whose face was harder than stone as he exined the terms he was putting forward, in front of Luke Darcy.


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 Chapter 106 Well-Calculated

    "Firstly, you will have you call off your forces in Syracuse and handover my things to me," the authority in his voice was astounding. The way he held his demands showed me the true identity of Anthony Murray, the man who ran the mob. This subtle jab at Darcy had been to inform him that we had cracked his codes, picked up all the clues his sloppy employees had left behind and were prepared to raid the ce if we needed to. It was an extremely well-calcted move. The voice from the other side waited patiently for the list of demands to finish.


    "Secondly, you will stop selling products in my markets-" Anthony was cut off by Darcy, whose silence I had beenmending for the past few minutes. As it seemed, Anthony''s demand had made him uneasy.


    "Those were my markets, to begin with. You were the one who weaselled into the areas and started selling your stupid shit." Yes, that sounded extremely matureing from a middle-aged man.


    "I didn''t steal from you, I won those territories from you fair and square, and you wouldn''t even have known if you hadn''t checked the records yourself. Your little gangsters are extremely easy to buy. Their prices are low, as well. You should think before choosing thepany you keep." Anthony feigned a sigh and then cut down on the dramatics. "If you''re quite done with your sentimental bullshit about how who crossed the line first, could we talk about the problem at hand?"


    "This doesn''t sound like a negotiation," came Darcy''s gruff voice.


    "It''s not supposed to. You''re old and senile; you keep forgetting how this world works. I don''t negotiate with people, who I know do not respect the word of others, I demand it of them."


    "You expect me to go with this unattainable series of demands?" Incredulityced his tone.


    "Yes." That was all he said. I was impressed. He sounded like the bad cop that he had wanted toe off as. I wondered who else had helped him go through the process. Scott? I was pretty sure that he came nowhere near the conversation.


    "You''re up against the wrong forces, Anthony. You know that I''ll never say yes, what are you ying at?" And there he had it. He already knew. He might have been old and senile and whatever else Anthony thought of him, but he probably knew every nook in the book. Anthony was banking on it.


    "Are you sure you know me very well? I''m just giving you the offer of your life. This will ruin you. Don''t make me do it, Luke." The teasing lilt to his voice made me snicker, silently. He winked and then waited for Luke to reply.


    "I dare you to try. You know you''ll never seed in your stupid plot."


    "THAT, my dear Luke is where you are wrong. I''ve done a considerably good job in taking away fifty percent of your clients in the past three years. Are you sure that I can''t break you apart in this year?"


    "As I said, you can try. You will never seed."


    "Always so cocky, Luke. You know what happenedst time!" My eyes snapped but at that. Last time? What does that mean? Anthony didn''t even look at me as he stared intently at the cell phone.


    "I didn''t lose, remember? It came close, but nothing happened."


    "Cain Vincent came close; you know that I won''t fail." My breath stopped. Nothing filtered through. My eyes were fixed on the man who seemed to be gaining immense pleasure from this conversation. I gulped a lump in my throat and


    "Cain Vincent was killed in an ident." The boom of his voice snapped me out of my trance.


    "Now, now, Luke. We all know that Cain didn''t due to that ident. You''d be the first person to know, wouldn''t you?" Frozen on my spot I waited patiently for this conversation to y out.


    "I do not want to talk about this," Luke sneered. I could imagine him curling his lips over his teeth and ring at his hand as he spoke.


    "Then, do you want to talk about how I''m going to ruin you?" Anthony goaded.


    "You could try. I''d like to watch you try... so hard. I''ll be waiting for you. Do you worst." We heard the click of the phone then. With thoughts stuck on the mention of Cain Vincent, I turned to Anthony. He had a huge grin on his face and he stared back at me with an amused re.


    "What do you say, Mia? That was a sess." I nodded, mutely and then gathered up the courage to ask him the one question that will make or break my conception of him.


    "Who''s he?" My voice sounded rough to my ears. His eyes turned calcting then. It was as if he had picked up on my thoughts instantly. He scrutinized me for a moment before opening his mouth to answer. His lips didn''t move, they just slipped upwards as he smiled. I waited for them... the words, but they took too long toe. I was going to walk out when he started speaking.


    "He used to work for this anti-crime organization that calls itself ''The Organization.'' Yes, they were as unoriginal as that. He was one of the founding members of the group and a brilliant man at that. He made Luke and my lives difficult for quite some time. All these years he''s been a tough as fuck dude who won''t budge. It is rumoured that he died in an ident, but I have my doubts."


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 Chapter 107 Three Bullets

    "What? Why do you have doubts?" The words were spheming. The reports had shown that it was his body that was found inside the car. I had seen them myself.


    "The fucker is too cunning for his own good. I know that he is alive," he smirked as he turned away.


    "And that''s a problem?"


    "For Luke? Yes."And I couldn''t for the life of me imagine how Luke would be the one who would get into trouble and not Anthony. Because it was Anthony that Cain had been after, he had killed mom.


    "And what is Cain''s reason for disliking you lot?" I was sounding highly suspicious to myself, but I always came off as a curious person so I was going to use it to my advantage. I just hoped that he didn''t see through it.


    "Everyone hates a criminal, Mia. It just happened to me that his wife died in the mansion while they were raiding the ce. He uses it as a reason, but I know that it''s not." I wish I could feel the anger that would please me, but deep down I didn''t even know if I could mistrust what he had said. I was never sure if my father had ever loved my mother. Sure, they had been in love back in the day while they were working and new, but mom had always said that he was in love with the idea of the girl who could kill without blinking her eyes and love him in that moment as well. She said that he''d never love the wife, just the agent. I never believed it, but if she said so herself, maybe it had been true. But it was Anthony speaking. My gut said that I should believe him, but the hatred programmed in my brain told me otherwise. So, I trusted my mom. I trusted neither of the men, I trusted her.


    I kept silent after that. I didn''t know what to say; first, the letters from the mysterious Jasper, and now the cryptic conversation between Luke and Anthony. I consoled myself by saying that whoever Anthony was, knew what happened to dad. There was no other option. On a better note, I had now got the advantage of gaining Anthony''s trust. I was sure that he was attracted to me, and in the process of liking me, as well. Did that make me feel good about myself? Yes, extremely.


    "Everyone does hate criminals, don''t they?" I suddenly spoke up. There was no thought involved. Did they really hate every criminal? I don''t know, I don''t think so. A lot of people fall in love with criminals, right? Right. What am I even thinking about?


    "Mostly other criminals. It''s either a sense of guilt ying out or it''s a rivalry at its bud or summit. Normal people, they do hate criminals... but they''re cool with it... as long as they don''t know about it. They are ignorant, they form opinions faster than you can say the word, but they like to not know things."


    "You''re an opinionated man, Anthony." He tipped his imaginary hat and then got up.


    "We all are, Mia." He shoved his hands inside his pocket.


    .


    We waited for Darcy to call for another hour. It was a precaution that we intended to take so that he could not me us for ignoring his calls or ignoring his eptance of the deal. In the meantime, we watched some animes that I had recorded in my free time. He turned out to love them, much to my pleasure. That particr one was a detective anime about kids who solved mysteries. As it turned out, we figured out the mysteries together, much before the characters could andughed about how we would have had brilliant careers as detectives. Our conversation from earlier was not visited, I all but forgot about it.


    When the hour passed, Anthony decided that it was time he left. He asked me to drive with him and take my car from his ce so that I could travel to the mansion again the next morning.


    I locked up and secured the apartment as Anthony waited for me outside. We walked down the stairs in silence. When we reached outside, I saw Anthony walking towards the car. I jogged towards him as he opened the car. Suddenly his head snapped upwards and he muttered a curse under his breath.


    "Down!" He ducked himself. Bewildered I did the same. As I crouched behind the car, I realized that two bullets had been shot. One had missed Anthony by mere centimetres and the other had made a dent in the car''s side (by the sound of it).


    He slid the door open as he produced his gun out of the back of his jeans and I did the same. As we slid into the car and Anthony slides into the driver''s seat. The car drives off, and I feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins.


    "Are you alright?" His voice was loud, loud enough to make me jump. I nodded frantically and turned to look at him.


    "Are you?" I asked him. His eyes flickered towards me for a second and then widened.


    "Shit!" His eyes zoomed on my arm, I followed his gaze.


    That was when I realized that there were three bullets.


    Well, damn.


    Before we could do anything about it, Anthony''s phone started ringing. I pulled his phone out of his pocket and picked it up. I was not given the time to speak.


    "I hope you liked your present, Anthony. Enjoy."


    And then the phone went dead.


    "Who was it?" Anthony asked, seething.


    "Luke."


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 Chapter 108 Good Doctor

    "He asked you to enjoy the present," I muttered as I shot my wounded arm a nce. I sighed then, turning to Anthony who stared intently at the rear-view mirror to check if we were being followed.


    "Call Edward from my cell-phone." I nodded and scrolled through his contacts in an instant. I found the number and hit call. "Put it on speakerphone," he ordered, still seething. His anger was directed at me, I realized.


    Following his orders, I put the call on speaker and waited for the person on the other side to pick up.


    The call was picked and someone from the other side spoke.


    "Michael, son. What can I do for you?" Surprised at the cheerful tone, and the use of a ulterior name for Anthony, I turned to stare at it. Anthony ignored my shocked expression and replied to the man gruffly.


    "Could youe over in a bit? I have someone who is in need of getting bullets extracted from their arm." At this, he openly red at me. Had I not been hanging out with him for the past couple of months, I would have cowered in fear, but I was immune to that deadly re in that period, which he seemed to throw my way quite often.


    "Back to exciting grounds, Michael?" the man chuckled. "I''ll be waiting in your room when you arrive." He paused for a bit. "Take care, Michael." He paused for a moment then he hung up. I''m astounded by howfortable this Edward character seemed to be with Anthony. He called him Michael and there was no sense of rm in Anthony when that happened. It was as if it was almost natural for him to hear that name, yet I had never heard anyone refer to him like that. Who was this man?


    Certainly a doctor, I knew. He had a rough, butforting voice that went with being a doctor. He was patient and adept in taking care of difficult patients such as Anthony, I presumed. He was also someone Anthony knew extremely well. These were all assumptions that I knew to be correct, but there was an added catch. This man was probably one of the freence doctors that Anthony called on, but a definite trusted one if he had ess to Anthony''s room. No one went up to Anthony''s room.


    As the car sped across the roads, I lost track of my thoughts about the Good Doctor. I concentrated on the enraged look on Boss'' face as broke record speed limits. He drove like a maniac, but one who was so used to drive in the manner he did that he could probably do it without much thought about it. The thought wasforting because I didn''t want my pretty face, or his, for that matter to be stered to the ss. We wouldn''t look that pretty dead, anyways.


    My thoughts reverted back to why he looked so angry. I''d assume it was the surprise of the attack on us that led him to process it in that manner, but I suspected that there was more to it. I remembered my dy in ducking which had led to me getting hit. He couldn''t be possibly angry at me for being a bit bewildered at his attitude, could he? Probably, anything was possible. You could chalk it up to him to pour out his frustration and anger out on me. Even though I felt like a personal assistant half the time I spent with him, I also felt empowered that I was the only one who he could open up to and snap at. I would call that, the ultimate trust in someone. Not only that, he freely spoke to me and told me his ideas. Most of the times, he''d ask for what I thought about things, and sometimes he would goad me into defying him and forgetting that he was the leader of the mob just so that he could get pleasure out of scorning me. It infuriated me to no end, but then it kept things extremely interesting. And it was difficult keeping me interested at all times. He achieved that; I would give him credit for that.


    And just because of that, he could be angry at me. I could handle it, I told myself confidently.


    We reached the mansion in no time. He got out of the car before I could and I gaped as he stomped around it and came to open the door at my side. He held his hand out to me, and I stared at him in surprise.


    "Are you being polite because I was shot?" I asked, almost teasing, but the question held genuine curiosity. He didn''t answer me, but his jaw clicked. It told me that, that was probably not the case. I took his hand anyway and felt him tug at my unwounded arm insistently. I got up and then tried to pull my hand away, but he held on tight as he pulled me out of the path of the door and then mmed it shut harder than what was necessary.


    Okay, I get the message. You are pissed.


    He dragged me inside the mansion, and up the stairs. The pressure on my hands increased as he pulled harder with each set of stairs we went up. When we were finally standing in front of his room, he opened the door and let my hands go. Yes, he just dropped his hands and then motioned me inside the room.


    Always the gentleman, I thought sarcastically.


    A white-haired man sat on a folding chair that he had ced beside the bed. It was Edward. Anthony cleared his throat as I entered. The older man turned towards me and his eyes widened just a bit before a warm smile spread across his face.


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 Chapter 109 Coming At You

    "Come here," he patted on a spot on the bed that was directly in front of him. I saw that he had ced some cotton, gauze and spirit on the bedside table.


    I did as he asked and found himself sitting in front of him. My eyes curiously devoured the older man''s face, trying not to miss even a single feature that could help me deduce further on his character and position.


    "Show me your arm, dear," he asked me soothingly. I rolled up the arm of my shirt and saw that I couldn''t reach it over the wound. I winced as I felt the ufortable pressure over my wound.


    "I''ll bring you something to change into," I heard a grumble from across the room. Risking a nce, I saw that he still looked angry, but there was worry in his features. His feet padded on the floor as he crossed the room and went into his closet. Somewhere in my mind, the image of thest time I had seen him behind those stained sses emerged in my head. I shook the thoughts of naked silhouettes out of my head and concentrated on Anthony''s clothes form that glided across the dresser and he collected things. I heard the muted ringing of his phone and concentrated further on him.


    I heard someone snicker. My head snapped towards the direction to see that the doctor had a small, but amused smile on his face. Disturbed that he had caught me in the act on following Anthony''s every move, I looked down and concentrated on the pressure he was putting on my arm.


    "What a pleasant surprise, Luke!" I recognized the irritation in his voice. "Of course, I loved the present you sent me, you motherfucker!" he roared. My eyes widened as I listened closer. His voice dropped a few notches and it became a bit difficult to hear him. But I managed to make out his words. "I hope you realize that this means war, Luke. I''ll being at you. Be prepared." With that, the call was ended.


    I kept my eyes downcast as I heard the door of the closet close and the footstepse towards me. I saw a few materials hit the bed beside me and nced up.


    "Get changed," he ordered and then went back to his earlier position of leaning against the closed door. I took up the cut t-shirt that he had given me and with a faint smile directed at the doctor, sauntered off to the closet.


    Closing the door behind me, I strategically started to undo the buttons. It was a mammoth task with one hand wounded. The pressure that the doctor had been applying to my wound had ended up making me conscious of the bullet lodged in my arm, and it stung like a bitch, now. I slowly dropped the arm to my side and then unbuttoned the rest of the buttons with my unwounded arm. After that, I mostly relocated a few times so that I could shrug out of one side of the jacket and then used my unwounded arm to extract the arm that hurt from the material. I muttered a curse as I felt the material slide against the aching spot. It was evident that some of the blood had dried and made the shirt stick to my skin. It was difficulting out of that situation without hurting myself further. So, I did the best thing I could think of. Pulled it out of my arm in one go, just like pulling out a band-aid. It would suffice to say that it hurt.


    From inside, I could hear parts of the conversation that was taking part outside the stained ss. I could hear the low, muffled voice of the doctor questioning Boss.


    "She must be damned special if you are waging war over something that is an upational hazard." He seemed rather interested in the reason behind that. I would dare to say that he sounded almost delighted by the prospect that someone was special to Anthony. "Michael?" he asked, a teasing lilt in his voice.


    "We''ve been nning on waging this war, as you put it, for quite some time now, Edward. There''s nothing going on." He sounded so damn defensive that it almost made meugh. I could imagine that he was a bit flustered at the sudden questions that were directed at him.


    "It doesn''t seem like that. I saw you drag her by her hand." The older man grew more amused by the minute.


    "For god''s sake, Edward, she''s right here."


    "Nothing to be ashamed of, Michael, my boy. You have a crush on a girl. Every boy does. She''s pretty looking too." It seemed that Anthony hissed something out after that, but I couldn''t quite catch it.


    Trying to be as inconspicuous about my spying as I can, I tried to put the cut up shirt that Anthony had given me. The act of raising my hand over my head, made me curse out loud and I heard a huff from outside.


    "Do you want me to help you?" I heard him say from the other side.


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 Chapter 110 Partner In Crime

    "No," I choked out as I manoeuvred my arm to pull the article of clothing on. I looked at the mirror that was ced across from me and saw that the oversized grey t-shirt with arms that had been cut out with scissors looked definitely good on me. I turned and opened the door only to find Anthony standing outside with an unreadable expression on his face. He eyed me for a moment before he moved away from my path, clearlymanding me without any words to take my seat in front of Edward and get my wound tended to.


    I instantly took a liking to the older man who smiled at me after he had given Anthony a meaningful look. He checked my arm for a few moments before he looked up.


    "Michael, could you please bring me a bowl of hot water? I need to get my things sterilized." I heard Anthony walk out of the room and close the door behind him.


    The doctor just appraised me silently, just as I did the same with him.


    "You''re a hardworking girl," he proudly announced his inference. "And I suppose you''re the new partner in crime?" he snickered at his own joke. I had to admit, it was sort of funny. I nodded, anyway, trying to hide the smirk on my face. Anthony had obviously mentioned me in passing.


    "You''ve known Anthony for a while?" I asked, curiosity gnawing at my mind. He smiled and then nodded. I deduced from his expression that this was the reason why he had sent Anthony out to fetch hot water. If he was used to being called at odd hours to treat patients, he would always bring a sterilized set of tools so that he could use it as soon as possible, but he had seen the condition of my arm and thought that he should have an interaction with me in private, for some odd reason.


    "I see that you have figured out my motive here," he gave a heartyugh. My eyes narrowed instantly as he said the words. He knew what I was thinking about. I would deem that a danger.


    "I think I have, Good Doctor." To say that he had a goodugh with his anointed name would be an understatement.


    "I''ve known him since before he was born. I knew his parents. He''s my boy''s age," his eyes glittered as he spoke. "They used to y together as kids, but then his mother and he got into an ident and I lost them. It was tough for me. I was actively working for both the mob and the local hospital at the time and I met Anthony quite often when I woulde over." The faraway look in his eyes stung me. Nostalgia was heady in the air. "I love the boy like my own son. It''s just that sometimes I need to remind myself that he is the same little boy who wanted his parents'' approval and not the ruthless mob boss that everyone thinks him to be."


    "Is that why you call him Michael?" I asked my voice small and almost scared. I knew that I was crossing a very sensitive line here, but I couldn''t keep my curiosity at bay. The Good Doctor nodded.


    "Michael... that was my son''s name. They were the same age, loved the same things... Your boss is the only person who was there for me when no one else could understand what I was going through. The boy helped me through my grief. I believe him to be my son, you see," the watery smile made me worried about where this story was headed. Was Anthony so important to him? To someone... anyone?


    "No one else..." I trailed off, not knowing as to how I should proceed with the question.


    "He had never told anyone. And I don''t think he ever will." My eyes widened further. "You seem like someone he trusts. I needed to tell this to someone. A man of my age needs to pass down knowledge to someone, don''t they?" he joked. Iughed with him. He looked like he was in his sixties, but I couldn''t be sure. If he was supposed to have a son who has Anthony''s age... even then, he could be a lot younger. But he did look over sixty.


    "He''d never let me use his special nickname, Doctor." He shook his head and then looked me right in the eye.


    "You won''t know until you try," he advised, sagely. "You are familiar with his anger-" he snickered, again. "-so you won''t have to worry about a little heated conversation that may or may not ur when you utter the forbidden name." I nodded, amused and excited at the prospect of getting to know him more than anyone else. This would be extremely entertaining.


    "Thanks for the wicked ideas," I shot back, teasing. He winked at me and then all of a sudden sat more seriously than he was before. That was when I heard the door open and turned to see Anthony walking towards us with a huge bowl in his hands.


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 Chapter 111 Storehouse at Syracuse

    "I had to boil the water," he grumbled as he ced it on the bedside table with the other things. Edward hunted for his tools before he proceeded to sterilise each of the articles. Before long, I felt his hand sping around my arm and the cool tip of a tool (that I didn''t care to take a look at) probing at the damaged flesh. The burning in my arm increased as the ministrations grew and time wore on. I flinched here and there, but I kept my eyes fixed on Anthony, who was the only engaging thing in the room apart from the pain tearing at me.


    To my relief, he too stared at me with those zing eyes of his. Not even for one moment did he look away as my arm went through torture.


    .


    "You''re staying at the mansion from now on." The warning was clear.


    "I don''t understand, Boss. It''s just a bullet," I reasonedmely. We had been going over this argument for the past hour and had yet toe to a conclusion.


    "No, they know where you live and we are this close to getting our shipment back. I don''t want my ns to go down the gutter because of your stubbornness." I rolled my eyes.


    "I can take care of myself, Bo-"


    "That is what I thought, as well, Mia." His eyes bore into mine as he spat at me. "How can I trust you to be prepared when we are out there on the field after what I saw today?" his voice grew louder. "You got hit by a bullet, Mia. I warned you, but you couldn''t dodge it in time. You just stood there. It took you longer than it should process the situation and you got hit. My life is supposed to be in your hands, but you couldn''t even protect yourself!"


    "Why the fuck are you screaming at me, Anthony? I was there. I know what happened."


    "I''m screaming at you because you broke my faith in your capabilities today." Disappointment rushed through me.


    "I wasn''t prepared!" I screamed back.


    "You should have been!" he went around his desk and was now looming over me with a dark expression on his face. He grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet. "Why did you notprehend me?" I grit my teeth as I waited for him to finish his rant.


    "I am not a machine, I am human. Don''t treat me like shit because I didn''t notice the sniper or duck in time. You reached before me and had time to recognize the problem. I just walked in and was bombarded by that order of yours." His eyes narrowed as his grip on my arm tightened.


    "Always be prepared, or you''re gonna get yourself killed, Mia." I nodded, realizing that his anger had dissipated. I had managed to get through to him, somehow. His eyes zoomed in on where he was gripping me and then he froze. Instantly, he let his arm drop and he stumbled a few steps back. "Fuck, I''m so sorry." His eyes eyed my arm and then flickered to my face. I nodded faintly, relieved to have his hand off my arm. "Are you hurt?" he asked, unsure. I raised my brow at him. "Just answer me, dammit." I just shook my head. He let his breath in a gush and then went over to his chair and sat down. He scrubbed his face with his hands and then looked up at me with a pained look.


    "I''m sorry," he said again, surprising me.


    "It''s okay," I assured him softly. After that, we just sat there silently as we went over files that everyone had sent us to inform us of the progress that was being made in conjuring a team to raid Luke Darcy''s storehouse at Syracuse.


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 Chapter 112 Battle Strategy

    "They''ll have men ready at each front to wee us," his voice rang, loud and clear throughout the room. The whirring of the air conditioner was the only sound in the room. The men sat stoically, looking at the projection on the screen in front of the room. The screen projected the image of a map of Syracuse. It was the very same image that Anthony had taken time to map out with different markings. It was a sight to behold¡ªa truly well-nned battle strategy. He was extremely good at it.


    "They have three ces that they have distributed the shipment in. Those three are in blood red on the map. We need to surround these three locations, but we have limited resources, hence we will have small groups securing the area." There were a few murmurs that rose, but Anthony silenced them with the raise of his hand. "Take your turns and make your opinions known." His voice was calm and collected. He had expected it. These men were well versed with the art of confrontations and knew when to point out problems or when to ask questions. Anthony trusted their judgement to find out problems in the ns.


    "The third location that you have highlighted seems to have been situated in a position which makes it have only one entrance and exit. I think it gives us a definite advantage. We could send in a smaller group for that one to secure the location. The others are more open and reinforcements are easily avable in those spots, it would be harmful if we didn''t make the groups stronger for those ones." Anthony nodded at the suggestion. The man was part of Ethan''s crew, and despite not knowing his name, I knew that he was one of the best men working under Ethan. Ethan, who was leaning on the wall beside Anthony, looked on with a look of pride. The man was clearly his subordinate and someone he had helped train or the like.


    "That is a good n, but what do you think will happen after securing the area? This is not legal war, you need to take what you get and get the hell out of the scene before reinforcementes," Anthony said. The idea was good, but mostly not well thought out. If he came up with something worthwhile, it would be a good n to go with.


    "It is safe to assume that the security will be highest there, so it will take time for the people there to secure the spot. We need to get a head start on things and the bigger groups can clean up faster and send for reinforcement to that area as soon as the work is done."


    "That would be incredibly risky," I let my opinion know. Anthony looked at me and gave me a nod of approval to proceed. "Whoever goes in there would be at risk. Just because the ce has one entry and exit doesn''t mean that it is easier to secure. You also need to think about the people that we are sending in. If by any chance, which is very high, they get surrounded or the exit is blocked, they will have no other way than to surrender." The man gulped and looked down. "And forget about getting reinforcements in time. If they startter than the other two groups they will be warned and the people going in will be doomed. It is an incredibly stupid n," I summarized.


    "Mia," Anthony called me out. "Do you have any other ns?" His eyes glittered at the prospect.


    "Maybe," I replied, my intention to tease... almost. His smirk grew and he waved at me to proceed.


    "From reports that we have gotten from Eric and his team, we havee to the conclusion that arger portion of the shipment¡ªthat is sixty percent of it, is inside that deserted, half-constructed building." I looked at Anthony and gave him a nod. He nodded, too, and changed the image to that of the building in question. "As you all can see, this ce offers no area to hide people. What you-" I point at the man who had given the previous suggestion, "have said does in a way work here. We need to let a very small group enter the premises. We have a team ready a few miles away so that no one gets stuck in the building." The crowd murmured again. This time, it was Ethan, who silenced them. "There is minimum chance of civilians being involved." I turned to the group for any questions, but it was Anthony who asked his question anyway.


    "And where do you n to get such a force from? We have a crunch of resources and not enough people to distribute between the three spots; we cannot spare people for that location."


    "Firstly, Anthony, you underestimate me." I gave him an inconspicuous wink that I was sure no one saw. I was at the back of the room and everyone had turned to face Anthony as he had spoken. As the words left my mouth, they seemed to turn around and gape at me. I was making quite an impression. Anthony, on the other hand, just smirked and returned my wink.


    "Go ahead. Exin to me, Mia," he challenged, yfully.


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 Chapter 113 Scarcity of Resources

    "As I said before, this location has more than half of the stock stored inside its premises. We need all the manpower than we can get, but we cannot let too many people try to enter because the guards will be cautious and may call for more people." I took in a deep breath. "The more crowded it is, the moreplicated and ill-coordinated the mission will be." Several people started murmuring. "To help with the scarcity of resources, I propose that we attack this building the day before we attack the other two." Gasps filled the room.


    A disappointed look passed Ethan''s face. Anthony, on the other hand, seemed curious.


    "Would that not inform them that we areing?" he reasoned. Everyone agreed with him.


    "He already knows that we areing and he gave quite a present for that reason, didn''t he?" His eyes narrowed at thement and he grudgingly listened on to my reasoning. "It would be our present to him. We take away a major share of the shipments, making his lossrger and then the next day ambush the other two locations. In that way, we will be able to recover most of the goods. If we try to be at too many ces at once, we will end up winning nothing. We don''t and won''t do that."


    "But why would we risk our lives for some silly reason?" I could only imagine the sneer that came over my face. The man who had suggested the thought curled back, almost in fear.


    "Do you not see? You will be hopelessly outnumbered if you split the group in three. If it is two, then there are high chances that we will have a better chance ating out alive. For once, don''t think from the point of view of a prejudiced man, but from one who wants to survive the shit storm." The men flinched and shrink back, knowing full well that I had caught them in their hateful act.


    I had known full well that it was how me rising in the ranks as fast as I had would impact the image that I would project to the other people. People who knew how hard I worked, didn''t doubt my elerated rate of climbing the ranks, but people who didn''t always assume the worse. What else could they do but form opinions?


    "Forgive me," he stuttered and looked away from me. I saw his gaze flicker towards Michael and I did the same. He, though, was looking straight at me. I could see from the crinkle at the corner of his eyes that he was trying his best to control hisughter. After a while, he seemed to have regained hisposure. He went on toment on how my n was something we would keep in mind for further consideration.


    "Who do you think should go into each of the locations? We need to n ahead so that we don''t waste time at thest moment." Anthony diffused the tension in the room. Many people seemed to look anywhere but at us, while others cleared their throats and agreed to the offer.


    "We should nominate people for the first day first," I advised. Everyone seemed to be pleased with the suggestion. Quite a few people volunteered, Ethan, being one of them. Anthony, on the other hand, frowned with each person who put their hands up and was backed up by the approval of other people. He didn''t like the people who were volunteering, obviously.


    I looked at the people who were standing and concluded that most of them were hard-headed males who would probably not be as inconspicuous as we wanted to be in the mission. Knowing full well that what I was about to say next would put me on the shit-list of most people in the room, I proceeded.


    "We need people who can work wlessly on both days." I voiced. Anthony turned to look at me, his frown still set in ce. The disappointment still carved on his face. I mentally urged him to back me up so that my argument was stronger.


    "Mia is right." It was Ethan who spoke. I was surprised at that. He, too, was staring at Anthony, who seemed somewhat cated with where the conversation was heading. "We need people who will not jump first and thinkter. I need volunteers who can patiently wait to pounce." Instantly, around half of the group huffed and sat down. Ethan''s men had extreme respect for him and knowledge of what they were good at. Some of them were there because of how brutally they could plough through a scene, it helped to keep both lithe as well as bold people on the team. It confused the enemy. The other half that still stood were not as confident as they had seemed before.


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 Chapter 114 Taste of Carnage

    "Anthony, what else do you think is required?" I asked. Anthony hummed in acknowledgement and scrutinized the men who were still standing.


    "I will say that the team will have no more than six people. I need three volunteers from here." The statement seemed to make a few of the men more nervous. Two more sat down. "I need people who are coordinated. You must decide among yourselves as to who you can work with without even speaking a word to them. Am I clear?" The idea was clear; Anthony would do nothing to help them. They knew their own strengths and they had been to enough operations in trust each other''s abilities.


    What surprised me was that he needed only three volunteers. What of the other three? What was to happen to them?


    By the gleam I saw in Anthony''s eyes when the raid was mentioned, I knew that he wanted to be a part of the team and blow things up just to get a first-hand taste of the carnage that will badly affect Darcy. So, one was out. He would not go without him. That was in my job description. I was to be with him at ground zero no matter what. Two down. Who was the third?


    My eyes shifted to Ethan, who still leaned on the wall and kept staring at Anthony. And I understood. He wanted Ethan.


    Curiosity ate at me. Why Ethan? Would we be a good team? I wondered. Only he could answer all my questions.


    "The next day..." the conversation went on with people asking Anthony and Ethan various questions. I, on the other hand, remained silent and bickered with my internal monologue about the uncanny choice of people in the group. Surely, I would never be able to work with Ethan like that. I wasn''t even sure I''d be a good choice to work with Anthony. We were getting close, but was I a good choice for the first mission? I could handle it, but what did it say about his trust in me? What of Ethan? He also seemed to have no thoughts over how peculiar it was that Anthony wanted me to go with them. Me going was a given, but Anthony could put me off the mission if he thought that I wasn''t a good candidate for the job.


    Dread speared through me as I considered myself being deprived of my primary job description. That would definitely not be a good thing for me.


    As I pondered over these trivial matters, a certain bold question caught my attention.


    "If we are still outnumbered after splitting up between two days, don''t you think we should call in a few favors and use the help of mercenaries?" The question made Anthony''s eyes sh with anger.


    "No," he simply answered, not offering any exnation for his denial. I had no real context of the question, but I took a guess and figured that the matter of having fewer resources hade up.


    "We are yet to know how many people are there at the locations as of now. Eric will let us know as soon as he can." Anthony spoke with his jaw clenched together. "We leave in three days. Pack your bags, boys. We''ll treat this as a pic and bust some Russian ass, okay?" he gave them a tight-lipped smile and then walked out of the room. No one noticed the change in his mood.


    .


    I followed him after everyone had left. It had taken an hour to get those people out. Ethan had joined me as I left the room, but never spoke a word as we headed towards Anthony''s office. Of course, he had noticed the change in Anthony''s mood, as well. I would expect nothing else from him.


    I took the initiative to knock on the door, and Ethan retreated. I gave him a curious look, in reply of which he just smiled apologetically and then turned to leave. Shrugging, I waited, or should I say, expected his gruff voice to ask me to enter. When a moment passed and he still hadn''t answered, I turned the knob of the door and peered in. He seemed to be facing away from me, sitting on that leather chair of his. I knocked again, but he didn''t answer again.


    I scrunched my brows and then entered, anyways. I softly approached him, making sure that he didn''t get startled. And I didn''t think it possible, but it was; there he was, his head leaning back on the chair and his eyes shut. I leaned over him and pressed my hands into his forehead to check if he had a fever. He was sweating and the air conditioner was doing nothing to help him.


    His forehead was burning and his breath came in hot, but soft pants. Worry overcame me as I stared at his face. I wondered why he had a fever. Emotional suppression? Maybe.


    "Anthony," I whispered softly, but he just kept breathing evenly. Has he fallen asleep? I wondered. "Michael?" I tried. I''d wanted to say that name ever since I had heard him being called that.


    This time he responded. He moaned and then turned his face to seek out my hand. I pressed my palm to his cheeks, my hand cold against his heated skin and I smiled. He replied.


    Pressing my palm to his cheek, I reached into the pocket of his jeans to search for the handkerchief that I knew he carried around with him but never told anyone because it would hinder that badass image of his. Pulling the small, folded material I dabbed it at his sweaty face. He shivered the moment the cloth pressed against his neck.


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 Chapter 115 Trusting Me

    I fumbled and reached for the remote to the air conditioner and switched it off. It was incredibly hot, but it was making Anthony ufortable. Next, I made him lean forward, and I held him so that I could pull off the suit that he was wearing. For some odd reason, he had thought that wearing a suit would somehow make the meeting seem formal. How much more formal could a strategic meeting be? I huffed as I threw the offending thing at the corner of the room.


    "Michael," I whispered again. He seemed to hear what I was saying.


    "What?" he groaned.


    "Are you okay?" I asked.


    "Do I look it?" I suppose that he hadn''t lost his touch even when he was ill. I chuckled and mumbled a no.


    "Can you open your eyes?" He just groaned again; I took that as a no. "What''s wrong?" I whispered.


    "My head... hurts," his voice grew raspy.


    "I''ll take care of you," I promised, surprising myself a little bit. He made this throat sound that I couldn''t decipher. I tucked myself under his arm and held him in my grasp before I pulled him up on his feet. He was heavy, the good sort, but I knew that it was going to be difficult to transfer him to his room.


    I could have called for Ethan, but somehow, I didn''t feel the need to. I could do this myself without having to tell Ethan. He had backed out from the confrontation with Anthony, anyways.


    I would have to ask him about that.


    It was impressive that Anthony could hold his weight a bit. He had seemed like he didn''t have the strength to speak, but he tried his best to stay upright and act strong.


    "Let your weight go. I can handle you," I told him. He let out a strangled chuckle and then went silent.


    "Of course you can," he replied as we neared the stairs, but he made no move to put his entire weight on me.


    So much for trusting me.


    He''s just trying to act strong.


    Egotistical creature, that one.


    It took us a few more minutes to manoeuvre ourselves on the stairs and reach his room. He huffed when I leaned away from him to open the door. His weight suddenly fell on me, and my breath whooshed out of my lungs. His head was low and his breathing came harsher. I cursed as I shuffled to the bed with him. I feared that he''d lean away from me and he''d end up falling over.


    Once I put him to bed, I rushed to his bathroom and wet his towel. I rushed back and dabbed it at his face until his forehead felt cooler to me. He groaned every now and then, and it did things to me. I didn''t like seeing him weak. I had always supposed that seeing him weak would make me feel powerful, but now, it made me feel useless.


    I slipped into the bed beside his head and re-positioned his head so that it was on myp. I frowned as I looked at him try to roll over and snuggle into my stomach. I might haveughed, but it seemed too intimate to me. I supposed that he wasn''t doing it consciously, so I didn''t need to feel like I should shake him awake or ask him to move away. Hesitantly, I pressed my fingers to his temple and saw that his facial muscles rxed minutely. Satisfied, I worked whatever magic I could conjure and tried to bring him as much relief as I could. Soon, he had fallen asleep, and I continued with my ministrations. I was drained in a few minutes, my arms ached and legs felt numb from the weight of his head. I tried to move away from him, but he wouldn''t let me. I chuckled as I manoeuvred my body to get away from him, but it was no use. His hands awkwardly encircled my waist and he turned his face and pressed it against my tummy.


    I just used the word ''tummy.''


    "Are you doing this on purpose?" I leaned down and whispered to him.


    "No." His body shook as heughed.


    "Anthony," I said, trying my best to put up a stern voice.


    "Michael..." he mumbled as if to correct me. My brows scrunched together at first, but then I found myself smiling.


    "Michael," I pleaded. "Let me go." He snuggled closer and shook his head.


    "I''m sick." He stated. "I''ll not let you go." I groaned at his insistence and let it go.


    I threaded my fingers through his hair and closed my eyes.


    I might as well enjoy this while itsts.


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 Chapter 116 Jump

    ["Jump," he said. I craned my neck to get one glimpse of his face; he held onto me and rested his head on my shoulder.


    "What sort of question is that?" I asked, scoffing. His fingers traced soothing circles on my abdomen as he inched closer¡ªif that was even possible.


    "Would you? If I asked?" There was no curiosity in that voice. He seemed worried about something.


    "What are you asking me, Michael?" I tried onest time to look at him, but he tilted his face so that I felt his hot breath on my neck.


    This feels so weird, I thought to myself. What are we doing?


    "I don''t know what I''m asking you!" he groaned. He started pulling away from me. I don''t know what came over me, but I grasped his hands in mine and secured them to me.


    I''ll never let you go.


    "If you told me to jump," I began. I felt him kiss my throat ever so lightly. "I''d ask you how high..." his hands curved up my body and pulled me flush against him. "What are you doing?" my lungs ached with the need to copse. It needed to suck in invaluable air or it would pass out with the sheer force of the shock that my body registered in varying magnitudes.


    "Love you," he stated simply.


    "For now," I agreed.


    "Yes."


    And then he turned me around and kissed me.]


    .


    Anthony''s fever had broken when I woke up. He had somehow rolled away from me and was on the other side of the bed. I, on the other hand, had woken up with a sore neck. He was sound asleep as I slipped out of bed and trudged towards the kitchen to help myself to some food. Finding myself in a good mood, despite my protesting neck, I fixed him a te as well.


    The man was extremely lucky to be receiving breakfast in bed. Not everyone has the fortune to be served every day. When I nudged him awake, he groaned and rolled over to shove his face into the pillow.


    "Delighted to know that you feel better," I deadpanned.


    "Go away," he groaned.


    "I brought you breakfast and medicine..." I tried to tempt him. I could hear a distinct huff as he turned over and squinted at me. "Get up, Michael," I teased. A smile appeared on his lips but soon faded away when another groan escaped him, his brows scrunched up as he threw a hand over his eyes to block the rays of the sun.


    "Someone needs to tell the goddamn sun to take a break."


    "Yes, boss, I''ll call him up in a few and let him know," I snorted.


    "Just give me the medicine, woman," he almost growled. I decided that I was suddenly really happy that he had gotten sick. I reached over with a ss of water and a pill in my hand. He seemed to be ignorant of the fact that I was fully prepared and hovering over him, waiting for him to relieve me of my nursing duties.


    "Do you want me to shove it down your throat, my Highness?" His hands left his face and rested midair as he peered at me.


    "Calm down, wife," he teased. I rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to sincerely shove said pills down his throat and make him choke on water, out of love, I assure you.


    "Take them," I ordered in a low, dangerous voice. He was pliant and followed the order. He seemed to have no residual weakness apart from the raging headache (which he himself was. It served him right!). He leaned back into the headboard and took the medicine from me. He then washed it down with the water.


    "Thank you, Mia," he expressed as he sat straighter and reached out to grip my hands. An inconsble sting spread through my arm, but I didn''t react. Suddenly his eyes flew to where he held me. His hand dropped like it was on fire. I chuckled lightly, knowing that he was still worried about the bullet incident.


    It was endearing to the point that it could turn irritating at any moment of time.


    "Help yourself to breakfast and catch up on some sleep," I advised before I stood up. "I''ll go downstairs and see to the fact that the preparations for our trip goes smoothly." He nodded absently.


    "Hey, Mia?" he called me out, just as I was about to leave. I swivelled back and stared at him expectantly. "Did I ask you to stayst night?" his voice dropped a few notches as he stared right back at me.


    "No, you didn''t, Boss." Not wanting to embarrass him with the details of his feverish yammering, I hastily retreated from the room.


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 Chapter 117 Theatrics

    "Did you sleep with him?" I heard her growl the moment I entered the room. I huffed and turned to her.


    "Have they been feeding you or did they leave you for dead while I was away?" I ask her ignoring her question.


    "Yes, now answer me, bitch," she sneered as she crouched on all fours and red at me from the bed.


    "Back to your usual antics, I see, Cienna," I used in a light voice as I looked around the room, scrutinizing it. It looked like a storm had turned the ce over. "You''ve been busy," my voice was unattached as I gave her a fleeting look and then looked back around the room. The room stank of sweat. I scrunched up my nose, trying to avoid breathing in the smell of an unwashed Cienna and wondered how I had not been able to smell it before.


    "You''ve gone missing, as has Anthony. Don''t you dare think that I don''t know what you are trying to do!" she screamed andunched herself at me. I moved out of her way, making her fall andnd on her hands which came out to protect her from crashing to the ground on her face. She hissed and she turned around and tried to fight to her feet again. She looked like an animal that was ready to escape her prison, but she was the one that we could not let go. We had no clue as to how vtile she was, I had yet to check in with Ethan and find out how she had reacted after she was locked in. From the looks of it, it had not gone over well; she certainly did not like to be locked in a room without any of us. She wasshing out at me because she had just for a few moments in her vulnerability found sce in me.


    "I am not in a mood for your theatrics. I just stopped by to check on you," I sneered at her in irritation. My feelings towards varied from one moment to the other, but after observing the ongoing trend, I realized that I only, remotely liked her if she was nowhere near me. All the other times, her presence had been just a nuisance. It was a situation that I need to correct by slitting her throat or something equally gory. I had a few ideas.


    "You slept with him, you bitch!" she screamed. My nicked neck chose the moment to start throbbing with greater intensity. I cupped the back of my neck with my hands and tried to massage the sore spot. Cienna, on the other hand, took these gestures as a sign of guilt, or whatever.


    For the life of me, I couldn''t understand how she could think of that.


    Feeling a bit sassy myself, I shrugged my shoulders and made a ''meh'' sound. I wasn''t lying, of course, and I sincerely hoped that Anthony would get the hint and y along.


    "How can you be so s¨¦ about it?"


    "I''m not a gold digger or an informant rat. I don''t care about the position of a person, I only care about if I want to sleep with them or not." Those words were ideal, but I knew for a fact that so far, I had never slept with a man who was not in a position of power or I got something in return.


    "He''s Anthony."


    "So, I hear," I wave her off in a nonchnt manner.


    "You''re a power hungry whore, Mia. Even at such a young age..." she shook her head as if disgusted. "You really don''t know what you are getting yourself into," she spat at me. I raised a brow at her, a bit amused that she of all people could call me a prostitute.


    "I really don''t like to ponder on people''s past, but Cienna, you don''t have a good track record yourself," I said with a grin. Her eyes narrowed at me for the slightest moment, but then they flitted over my shoulder. Her eyes widenedically, and I nced over my shoulder to see what had gotten her spooked.


    Apparently, the source of her fear was Anthony, who looked pinched. He seemed wide awake, but I could understand from the furrowing of his brows that his headache was not fully gone. He nced between the two of us and then sauntered into the room.


    "So, I see that you have gained your strength," his voice was low and menacing. "And you are screaming the house down," he stated with an irritated look at me. I shrugged and then took a voluntary step back so that he could take over the show.


    "I''ll be downstairs with the others, then," I announced as I turned to go.


    "No," I heard him order and froze instantly. I turned around in the next moment to face him again.


    "Yes, Boss?" The question in my voice was more out of confusion and indecisiveness about what to call him to his face than the dilemma of remaining in the room.


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 Chapter 118 Blurred Emotions

    He didn''t really acknowledge me after that moment. He red at Cienna for a few moments, and she curled into herself as he remained staring at her. His mouth parted slightly and he licked his lips before a sneer overtook his face.


    "I had a little chat with James the other day," he barked at her. She jumped back in shock, but we saw an array of emotions passing through her face. Somewhere in blurred series of emotions, I saw realization, then guilt and finally... fear.


    Her eyes widened and she jumped out of the bed and tried to run out. I, on instinct, threw myself at her and pinned her to the ground to restrain her. She fidgeted in my hold and tried to kick me off her in vain. With my arm securely holding her hands to her back, I bunched her hair in my fist and pulled her head back. Her breath left her body and she whimpered as I yanked her back further cutting off her air supply.


    "Do not try to run from me. Do you understand?" I growled into her ears. She choked as if to say yes, but I didn''t let go of her hair. I decided that this was how this was going to happen. If she didn''t have the power to have a civil conversation we would use force to take out all the information we need.


    "Thank you, Mia." He nodded at me but didn''t take his eyes off Cienna. "Now tell me, Cienna..." he bent his knees and kneeled down beside us. His hands were ced firmly on his knees. "Why did you do it?" When I saw that she wasn''t going to answer as easily, I yanked her head back further just to make her yelp.


    He waved his hands and I let her head go instantly. Her face collided with the floor of the room with a loud thud. I knew that it had hurt, but I also knew that her nose was definitely not broken. She gasped for air as the side of her head rested on the floor. She was facing towards Anthony but her eyes were screwed shut.


    "Why did you run to him? Tell me!" Sobs wracked through her body as he screamed at her. I gripped her hands tighter and pushed my knee against her side. She tried to jerk away, but I held her down.


    I leaned into her. "Tell him before I render your useless little body useless," I whispered in her ear. Her sobs stopped immediately, making me chuckle.


    She''s gonna break! I rejoiced.


    "He''s the only one who understands..." she whimpered.


    "So you needed a fix?" Anthony reiterated calmly. I could see the fire ze in his eyes.


    "No." I presumed that it was what her strangled sob was trying to convey.


    "Why?" his voice grew quiet. shes of the executioner who I had met when Scott was tried sh through my head. A sick sense of fascination ovees me as I go over the ways that he could torture her. She could be innocent, but she had involuntarily let out information. She could not be trusted; therefore, she needed to be killed.


    "He contacted me..." I yanked her head up as a small reminder and an encouragement to spill her gut. I''m sure she was going to start in a while.


    "And?" he prompted calmly, lulling her into a false sense offort.


    "I love him!" she screamed. I turned to look at Anthony with an impressed look. He turned to me, too, clearly not expecting the answer. "He called me and I loved him... I knew he loved me... You don''t love me. You''re a fool." I had never been more awestruck in my life. I had just taken a bullet because she wanted revenge for not being loved by Anthony? Was she some hormonal teenager? No, teenagers don''t do this. How screwed up was she in the head?


    "Are you out of your ever-loving mind?" I don''t think I had ever heard him shout so loudly. I could also feel the ground shake with the intensity.


    "I went to him because I needed someone. Every girl needs someone!" she tried to justify. As amusing as this conversation was I found myself looking at Anthony, who looked at me to confirm the theory that Cienna had presented in front of us. I shook my head, hoping that I had the look of disgust on my face to show him how wrong her statement was.


    "Continue," hemanded when she stopped for a bit longer than he wanted her to.


    "He had my friend''s daughter tied up and I..." she froze in her ce. Her arms gave out as if in resignation, and that was the moment I realized that she was not innocent.


    "What did you do?" I asked her with all the hatred I felt towards her.


    "I helped him." Her voice was strangled and it was a good thing. She knew that she had signed her death warrant. "We drank a lot, and she was alwaysing in the way, demanding for some extra cash so that she could buy shit. I hated her guts," she blurted out. "So, I helped him." It was as simple as that.


    "What did he want?" Anthony asked.


    "Her," she said. Both our heads snapped up and they stared at each other for a moment. Who was this elusive her? Even Nn had mentioned about it.


    "Who?" Anthony''s hand was dangerously close to her face, his fingers shaking, itching with the need to grab hold of her jaw and force her to speak.


    "WHO?" He screamed as he grabbed her jaw and twisted her head a little.


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 Chapter 119 Sell You Ou

    "M..." and she couldn''t get out any more. Anthony let go of her face instantly. He jumped back on his feet and paced. I, on the other hand, watched transfixed as he scratched his face, thoughtfully.


    "Why do you think they want to know about you?" He directed his question towards me, clearly forgetting about the person I was pinning to the floor.


    "I don''t know." Something shed in his eyes, and I didn''t like it one bit, but he didn''t meet my eyes after that. He focused solely on Cienna, who was gasping for air.


    "We''ll have to find out, then." The calcting look didn''t leave his eyes.


    "Don''t," I whispered. It almost sounded like a plea. I didn''t know what I was asking for, but he seemed to snap out of his thoughtful stupor and look directly into my eyes. This time he had no residual coldness that was present a few seconds ago.


    "Don''t what?" he asked, as expected. At that moment, I suddenly realized what I was asking him not to do.


    "Don''t think about selling me out to regain some closure with Darcy." The paranoia was lingering between her. His eyes widened and then narrowed as anger seeped into his features.


    "Let her go," he growled and jerked his head towards Cienna. My body, as if tuned to hismand, let its grip loosen and then I got up without any further question.


    "What of her?" I asked, doubtcing my thoughts. What was he nning to do?


    "Run." Hemanded. I knew it was not directed towards me, but it rattled me to the core of my being. The anger that was there made me want to take a step back.


    At a distance, I could hear Cienna scrambling on the floor trying to get off and run for her life.


    "I asked you to run before I cock my gun at you and blow your skull to pieces." She didn''t wait around to see if he would carry out his threats. He usually meant what he said. I could very well imagine the spatter of bits and pieces of her grey matter strewn across the furnished floor and the sides of the white linen sheets of the bed. It was not a pretty image. I could understand why she would run like someone had put fire on her non-existent tail.


    "What if she runs away?" I asked him incredulously. He just red at me without giving my question any heed. As he took two strong steps towards me, I fought the urge to prepare my body to fight. The unadulterated fury that I saw on his face beckoned me to crouch and be prepared for his assault. It never came. He just came too close and then stared. I looked up at him and just kept our gaze locked as I saw the swirls of anger moving around his pupil waiting to burst and incinerate me.


    I waited patiently.


    It never came.


    What doese, is a low string of words that leave me dumbfounded.


    "Not even for a second did I think of selling you out to befriend that piece-of-trash, Luke." My heart almost melted when I heard the words. The shock made my body go still, and my knees go rigid before starting to weaken. I held my breath in and urge my knees to remain strong. And then in a snap, he ruined the moment. "He''s stolen much from me. I will not let him get off so easily. Do you understand me?" The low, menacing quality to his voice, suddenly, did nothing to me. I was mostly amused that he felt the need to state the obvious reason. I''m a bit pissed that I even thought that he would care enough about me to protect me even if it was of no interest to him and I was confused because one part of me didn''t believe that he didn''t care for me. He would protect me. He had gone mad over a single bullet that stuck in my arm. How would he risk leaving me for dead? He wouldn''t.


    He cared.


    I was ecstatic.


    "I wouldn''t sell you out, either," I blurt out suddenly. There was a rush of excitement at the prospect. My heart started beating faster as a smile spread across his face. But then it vanished as soon as it arrives.


    "Never doubt me again," he growled and then takes one more intrusive step towards me. "You''re my partner. If we can''t trust each other, I can''t trust anyone." I nod curtly before taking a step back. The distance provided me with rity.


    "We are two very different people, Anthony," I stated the obvious.


    "I don''t think so," he admitted matter-of-factly. "We''re so much alike that it''s scary to even think that we are two different people with different goals in life."


    "Different goals? We both earn money and live in the world of organized crime?" And that was when I started to entertain the idea that I was like him, just a bit younger.


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 Chapter 120 I Killed Him

    "Crime runs in my blood, Mia. My family has been in the business for as long as I have been alive and even before that, but you... you are purer and not used to being close to the deadly games. You are a fast learner, but you didn''t grow up facing the adversaries of life or threats to your existence." I suppressed a chuckle as I fought off the image of me in sweatpants and sweatshirts trying to go about and finish before anyone else in the academy. I didn''t give up until I got it right. Most of all I hade from a family who eradicated disturbing people in broad daylight and cooked up some bullshit about normal jobs, until the day I realized that someone had killed my mother while she was away at a business meeting. I faintly knew what business meant, but I had never expected her to die. And the man who I was romanticizing was the person snatched my mother away from me before it was time. I wondered if he had any repercussions. I doubt he would feel anything that was close to repercussion.


    "You thought you knew things about me, Anthony. I''m pretty sure you have no clue about anything when ites to me." The coldness that seeped into my voice left him intrigued. He scrutinized my face for a moment, his mouth opening and closing as if contemting the best answer to my judgement.


    "I don''t care about your past, Mia. I only care about the woman... the warrior you have be today." His eyes brighten at the thought, and from the corner of my eyes I see his hand twitch. "You might have had a life where you knew what loss was, but you''ve nevere face to face with people who you knew wanted you dead. They might have been your best friend or your father, but they will never hesitate to pull the trigger when the timees. Just remember that, Mia because I learned it the hard way. I did everything I had to do to please my father, but it was never enough. He tried to do away with me... I didn''t budge. I made him believe that I was dead. He, of course, knew me too well to let me go. My mom died of grief..." he frowned as he spoke of her. "He hunted me down when he should have been with the woman who he said that he loved with his very existence. He used to say that he loved her the most the day she gave birth to him. The man betrayed the two people he loved most in the world because he could not fathom a future where he was not in power, yet alive. He could not for the life of him, let me take over in fear that I would do away with him. If he had not alienated me and tried to kill me, I would have spared his life, I would have let him help me to build the empire that I call mine today, but he didn''t. So, I went back on the promise I made to myself. I killed him." I stared at him in shock. His reality was something I could not grasp. We were different, yes. But to think that this man was the way he was because he was capable to feel... to feel vengeance; it shocked me to my very core.


    "Do you miss her?" I whispered gently, trying not to startle him as he stared at my face. He blinked once, and then twice before he opened his mouth to answer.


    "I killed him because he was a lousy husband."


    "You killed him?" I gasped.


    "Yes. I entered the house while Cain and his partner were raiding the house. I murdered him with my own hands. I didn''t want to miss the look on his face as he realized what a big mistake he had made by shunning me." The records started floating in my head. Thousands of words that testified how Cain had murdered the Boss filled my head.


    ording to his testimony, during the assassination of Dorian Murray, Cain had been the one who killed Dorian. Ray was supposed to be breaking into the security system without detection, and Jasper was across the Murray estate acting as a sniper.


    Something didn''t add up. Cain had lied in his report? Why would he do that?


    "You killed your own father? It wasn''t Cain or his wife?" Confirmation was the key. I didn''t know why I did it, but he did.


    "Are you horrified?" he asked. The hands that had been balled up at his side moments ago, cupped my face. He leaned into me until our faces were inches apart. I couldn''t even shake my head. His eyes bore into mine as he spoke. "I killed him because I loved my mother. She was the only person I loved in the world, Mia. I do not spare anyone who hurts people I love."


    "You speak in the present tense, Boss."


    "I do," he admitted.


    "What do you remember about your mother?" I ask him.


    "Nothing," he choked. I felt the need to grab hold of him and never let him go. That was what I did. My arms wrapped around his neck and his hands fell from my face in shock. I pulled him to me and held him as tight as I could.


    "It''s okay..." He let his head fall to my shoulder. His breath spread over my neck. "I trust you. I''ll never leave you. Even if I can''t be with you; if I die... I will never let you forget me."


    "Don''t."


    "I promise," I vowed.


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 Chapter 121 A Mistake

    The search for Cienna had not been a difficult one. She had been confused about what to do and had run out of the house without a second thought. She had no cell phone to call anyone with, and when the guards saw her running towards the gates, they stopped her. She told them off somehow and ran. Ethan, apparently, had heard part of the argument and signalled them to let her go, which they followed. They tailed her until her apartment which was in shambles because of the thorough checking that Ethan had done previously. She had picked up the closest phone and dialed a number that James had slipped inside her blouse while she was high.


    I still couldn''t understand why she would do something so horrid for a man who had tormented her. I was sure that she thought of Anthony as someone she respected¡ªher savior, but how she had sided up with a man she had deluded herself into thinking she loved, was a situation I couldn''t ce myself in. Why would she love someone enough to try and kill the people who have sheltered her for the past decade?


    When I got my hands on her I would strangle her myself.


    "I don''t understand why you would let her go like that!" my voice is a little louder than I expected it to. He looks up from that unbelievably difficult videogame he keeps ying when he thinks no one is looking. He gives me a passing nce before he goes back to his gaming. To his credit, his exuberance has faded through the time and he seems to have settled into his leather chair and not jumping around to y the game like the first time I had walked in on him ying the darn game. It was a hrious sight, though.


    "Anthony," I snapped at him, trying to make him concentrate for once.


    "It seems that our trust issues will not vanish over the span of a heartfelt conversation," he sighed, dramatically. I rolled my eyes and waved my hand at him to gesture him to get over himself. "I knew she would try to call someone the moment she got the chance. I just wanted to know who it would be. I wanted to know to what extent she would go to prove that she loved a pimp that caught her with her pants around her ankles, one too many times." I believe I snickered at the expression, to which Anthony just gave me a wink.


    "I do trust you, but I didn''t understand. I just wanted to rify things. You know, trust each other blindly. Be the partner you need..." He smirked at me before going back to his game.


    "When do you think we will find out who she called?" he asked me in a disinterested manner.


    "The techs are working on it. They''re scanning through phone records as well just to see how many times she has contacted the number. I hope I get a result that makes me happy."


    "Meaning, that a result that ends with you wrapping your fingers around her neck and squeezing the life out of her?" he chuckled.


    "Yes," I snickered. "I suppose, you do know me!" I tried to give my voice some fake incredulity, but it failed as unrestrainedughs stumbled out of my lips.


    "Who do you think it was?"


    "Nn," I answer without hesitation. He nods his head before he looks away from theputer screen and focusespletely on me.


    "Tell me why."


    "Because this isn''t new. There''s something extremely fishy here. Either Cienna is a fool and they have emotionally ckmailed her or brainwashed her into thinking that we are against her, or she has been involved with them for a long time. I don''t trust the woman, Anthony. I don''t know if she is guilty or not, but I don''t think that we should continue being so lenient with her. I think it''s high time she is put down."


    "Like a dog?" he asked, with a raised brow.


    "Like a rabid dog." His jaws clenched, but I could see that there was an eptance in his eyes. For the most part, I knew that there was no sentimental value to his uncertainty. It was more about the business front and how it would suffer without her being there.


    "What are you worried about?" I asked him after a few minutes of silence. He hummed absent-mindedly. I repeat my question to him and he just frowned.


    "Just wondering about who has the capability to handle the position that Cienna has been holding." He was thoughtful.


    "You move on fast, don''t you? I hope you choose better next time. It seems like you are making an awful lot of bad choices these few months." I prompted. He tilted his head to a side and gave me a critical look.


    "Are you saying that you are a mistake, Mia?" he asked me, and he almost had me thinking that he was serious.


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 Chapter 122 He Does Care

    "I was the best choice you ever made." A cocky smile spread across his lips and he leaned towards the table.


    "Why, Mia... I believe that you, making the choice of barging into my room was the best choice you ever made." And the smugness that was ever present on his present, glowed like the sun. I looked away with a roll of my eyes and stared at the back of theputer monitor.


    "It was one hell of a sparring session, wasn''t it?" I chuckled, remembering how revolted I had been when he had made some crude remarks.


    "It was." Something in his voice makes me snap my head towards his direction. The look he has in his eyes makes me stiffen. My lungs refuse to suck in the air that it needs. I just stare at him for a moment or two, wondering how I was going to escape the charm of this man. "They do say practice makes perfect," he suggested in the most innocent tone he could muster. A shocked chuckle left me, and he soon joined me in theughter that followed.


    "Smart-ass."


    The door opened then. We looked towards the door; Anthony just nced up while I craned my neck to see a guy whom I had seen a few times in the mansion. He was panting like he had run a marathon. Sweat rolled down from his forehead and soaked his shirt. As far as I knew, he worked with Sean in the air-conditioned room and it wasn''t even much of a distance from the room to Anthony''s office. Interested in what he had to say, we waited patiently for him to catch his breath.


    "We found out the person she was making calls to." I gripped the chair I was in and swivelled to face the guy. He was my age and looked awfully tired. He stopped his rant for a few moments, staring at me openly.


    See? He does care... a bit.


    "To whom were the calls made, Michael?" Anthony''s stern voice snapped the guy from his staring. He cleared his throat in embarrassment and then fiddled with the soaked cor of his T-shirt. I quirked a brow at him, and waved my hand, imploring him to continue before one of us snapped at him and scared him.


    "The number is registered under the name of someone named Scott Bashov." His eyes flitted between our faces. My chair swivelled around towards Anthony to find that he was already looking at me.


    "So, they''re using a number Scott bought." I nodded my head.


    "It''s a clear challenge if you ask me. They know that you did away with Scott and if he was one of Darcy''s confidants. Darcy is going to want to get back at you." His eyes widened suddenly and then realization seeped in. "What is it?" I asked, incapable of holding my curiosity in.


    "An eye for an eye," he said as if it was the easiest thing to understand on this.


    "I can''t seem to grasp where you are going with this."


    "It''s Scott''s life for yours. You know how we work. Everything has a bnce. We are vengeful beings, so we take the same things that the others take from you."


    "So, you think they want to kill me in exchange for Scott''s death?" he nodded eagerly. "I don''t like the enthusiasm to are disying, Boss," I joked, but in a clipped tone.


    "Michael, thank you. You may leave," hismand rang through the room. As we heard the door close behind us, we just stared at each other for a moment.


    "If that was the case, then they would want Ethan, not me," I reasoned, breaking the silence.


    "That''s where you are wrong." I quirked a brow, demanding an exnation.


    "Ethan is the brute. They know that he has been around for a long time and can defend himself."


    "But so could Scott."


    "Don''t interrupt me, Mia. Let me finish," he scolded me.


    "They don''t know you, nor how able you are and therefore as a girl you are an easy target." I wanted to protest, but I could understand where he wasing from. The underworld was a deeply patriarchal society where women were pawns and mediums of exchange; it was not umon for a woman to be deemed weak despite her being the second to the Boss of an able mob. It just didn''t matter to them. "They probably think that younded the job because you were good in bed." I rolled my eyes because that is a stupid assumption to make. "Men do weirder things when ites to women, Mia. Don''t roll your eyes at the passion in the heart of a man. We are blind when ites to our women." He winks at me.


    "What is with you and calling me your woman?" I ask him rudely.


    "I think it''s the idea of being domesticated... civilized by a woman that fascinates me. I suppose the idea of having someone to take care of me at the end of the day, the touch of a female is something that I have craved since I got into hiding," he whispered. His eyes fluttered towards the door as if to check that it was locked. His voice was tight but confident as if feeling soothed by the fact that he was able to make the most difficult and dark confession.


    "Is that why you kept Cienna around?" I asked him, thoughtfully. He shook his head.


    "That was a product of anotherplex I seem to possess. I have a thing for saving people," he snickered.


    "Isn''t it weird for a mob boss to be as passionate about saving people as you are? I mean, having a saviorplex is okay, but when you''re in the business all you see are strays. Who do you pick and who do you leave behind?"


    "I pick the people with the most potential." Pride seeped from the tenor of his voice.


    "So, I am a stray you saw potential in?" He smirked.


    "You, my dear kitten, are not a stray. But you do have potential. On top of that, you fit the whole bill with the feminine touch. Might I add that you are an expert with giving people head massages?" I groan as the words y over in my head.


    "That sounds so wrong, Anthony!"


    "You know what? Now that you and I are buddies... why don''t you start calling me Michael?" My head tilts to a side as I praise his face. This beautiful killer was giving me a very special part of him that no one else had.


    "Why does he call you that?" I ask him, not only out of curiosity but because I have no idea what to make out of his request. Had I any right to call him by a nickname that was given to him by someone he had known for most of his life and trusted to call into his bedroom and treat him while he was most vulnerable? Was I the person that he should trust with his life? I was honored that he thought I was capable, but...


    "You will have to ask him that."


    "Why?"


    "Because that is his story to tell. And to be honest, he''s a much better storyteller than I will ever be," he admits before getting up from his seat. "I''ll go take a nap. I need to be fresh for tomorrow." I nod.


    "They know that we areing. Cienna called them," I said. I was sure that she had. "What will we do?"


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 Chapter 123 Itching For Some Action

    "We will face the weing party and annihte them, my kitten." His cocky smirk made me trust his judgement.


    "And what about Cienna?" I asked him, knowing full well that it would be the end of her.


    "I would have let you have her all to yourself, but I n on showing you how we do things here. Do you think you will be up to join a few of us in a party where we will torture information out of our dear friend?" His handsbed through his hair as the smug grin permanently stered itself on his face.


    "That''s a stupid question to ask," I faked a huff.


    "If you behave like a good little girl, I might let you have a little fun yourself, my kitten," he whispered into my ears as he passed me.


    "I''ll try my best to meet your expectations, sir," I gave him a wink as he gave me onest look before he opened the lock.


    "I know you will," he said and then left the room.


    .


    "Let''s go over the list. We have locked all the windows and doors and put on all the rms. We have packed ourselves two days worth clothes and food that will keep us fed for two weeks, and we have kept Cienna in that cottage of yours?"


    "Tied and gagged," he added with a smug smile. We had dragged Cienna by her hair, literally, and had dumped her in a cottage Michael owned (yes, he demanded that I call him that in private. Why? I am yet to find out) and had made the right decision of soundproofing for torture purposes. I had peeked inside the ce and was rather surprised at how well furnished the ce was... for torturing people, of course. But they had also incorporated a huge refrigerator, keeping in mind that some people talkedter than others and the procedure could take over weeks of torturing before all the information could be found out.


    The refrigerator had stocks of all sorts of food and beverages. It also had a stock of some peculiar acid that Michael assured me didn''t kill but made people want to die when poured over their skin. I had given him a pointed look when he had asked me if I wanted to see if it worked or not. He was satisfied with my answer, to say the least.


    It was a fun pic for us; not for Cienna, obviously. She pled through her gag, which was soaked with saliva by the time that we reached the basement and strapped her to a horizontal bed that looked uncannily like ones used in an operation theatre.


    Upon asking, Michaelughed and told me that Edward had done him a favor and not asked him what he needed an operating table for. I was slightly horrified that the older man had given something so precious and healing to a man who would use it to hurt others. It was ironic, really and Michael knew it. He had a twisted sense of humor; just the kind I liked.


    "I''d fall in love with you if you were not such an arrogant ass, Michael." I rolled my eyes at him.


    "Because I can tie people up?" he chuckled. "Baby, you''d fall in love with me despite my assholery," he gloated.


    "You are a cocky bastard." And I raised my brow at him to challenge him into cracking the joke that I knew was hanging off the tip of his tongue. "Don''t you dare," I warned. He narrowed his eyes at me, but I could see the mirth in them.


    "Are you sure you want me to keep my mouth shut, kitten? I promise that my mouth will please you," he licked his lips as he spoke.


    "You''d need to shut your mouth for a few moments to please me, Michael." He sighed and stroked his hand over his heart, mocking me.


    "You wound me, woman." Heughed. "If wee back alive and ughter those pansies Darcy has waiting for us, I promise I''ll show you how good I am with my mouth." I think my breath caught in my throat. He was a sassy bastard, but I hadn''t expected him to make a pass at me while he was talking about killing people. To be honest, it turned me on, immensely.


    "Maybe, I''ll let you. But believe me, you''ll have to kick lots of ass to evene close..." I winked at him and then went over to the passenger side of the car. "You drive," I said and then threw the key at him, which he caught graciously.


    Hot.


    He smirked and then caught on. He jogged towards the car and entered it with ease, and I shortly followed after.


    "Are you ready to drive over to Syracuse, my kitten?" I peered at him from the corner of my eyes and chuckled. He looked as eager as a child during Christmas.


    "You are just itching for some action, aren''t you?" He tipped his head to a side.


    "You have no idea," he confessed. Weughed together and enjoyed the ride.


    It was going to be an interesting mission; I knew it the moment we started. No one woulde back the way they were before.


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 Chapter 124 Ill Cover You

    We were about five miles from the location of the attack. The n was spread over the hood of our car and a few of the other men surrounded it to carefully listen to what Anthony had to say.


    "Now, here," he pointed to a particr spot on his sketch map. "-is where I want five of you to be waiting." He pointed at a few men who stood beside me. They nodded in understanding. "Mia, you''ll be the first one to go in. Ethan will cover you when you enter after which you will hold the door." I nodded. "Ethan, I need you to be inmand of the people who are outside. You are our only link.


    "I will enter right after you have held the door and given me a count. You will not shoot until you are by my side." He gave me a pointed look, knowing that I would be tempted to start without him. "When I get in, you will cover me as I target the people who are farthest from me while you will be taking out the ones who are closer."


    "The chances of you getting hit are higher. Don''t you think it will be more efficient if you took cover before we start shooting, Anthony?" he tilted his head to a side.


    "I want them thinking that they have me on the spot with nowhere to go. We need to have that surprise element. They might know that we areing, but we cannot give them the chance to stop us."


    "I''ll cover you," I promised. He gave me a little smile before he went back to stare at the map. His hands were ced firmly on the hood of the car, and he was hunched over it as he spected as to what should be done next.


    "Ethan," he called out, suddenly. "You will note in. It will take around thirty minutes to sweep the ce and put them all down," like dogs "and then we''ll signal you over and you can bring the boys in."


    "Boys: if you see anyone trying to enter this ce while we are inside, shoot them between the eyes."


    "Yes, Boss," they said in unison. To be honest, I was a bit ufortable having these people in the team. I felt at risk because I didn''t know them personally, neither had I ever interacted with them. They had been in that meeting the other day, but they''d not been as confident in my capabilities as I had wished they would be. It wasmon knowledge that I was going to be treated lower than them despite being higher in the mob hierarchy. I was trying my best to be at peace with Michael''s judgement and cing them to guard us while we put ourselves at risk.


    The n seemed almost impable to me, apart from the possibility that they had snipers on the rooftop to take us down even before we could reach the doorless frame of the unfinished building. Michael assured me that nothing of the sort was going to happen. It had been on the ride to Syracuse that we reflected on how much risk we were in. After what seemed like hours thinking about how bad it was going to cost us, Michael stopped the car at the side of the door, letting the others pass by. We sat there for a few moments before he shifted his body to face me.


    "They can''t risk killing us, Mia," he had told me with a confidence that made me want to believe him. I really did try, but I had snorted, and then we hadughed. Humans, we knew, would act in their own interest; they would shoot if they thought that their life was in danger, and their life would be in danger. They would try to kill us even if they had orders to not go to that extent.


    We couldn''t lose men; we were in scarcity as it was. Everyone knew that.


    "Nothing will happen to us," he had promised. His voice was coated in honey, the deadly kind that would get you stung by a thousand bees because you put your hand inside the beehive you extract it.


    "Nothing will happen to you," I corrected and he raised a brow at me. I could see his brain working as he realized what I meant. His eyes shed as he stared at me for a moment.


    "I''d shoot any and all of those fuckers down if it came to it. No one will touch you."


    "Because I''ll kill them myself." He smirked.


    "We''ll kill them together, my kitten."


    And we sat there for minutes in silence. I had never felt more equal to him than at that moment. We were partners in crime¡ªthe team that no one could prate without losing a limb. He would work around each other in perfect synchronization with blindfolds over our eyes and our listening hampered. We knew the exact amount of time the other took to take the next breath and how much reaction time it took to analyze a situation. We knew who would ask the questions and who would y the good cop. It came to us naturally, and he had known from the very beginning; the moment I had pulled my own gun out and pointed at his head to show him that he could never take me down: that I was just as bull-headed a bitch as he was.


    "Shall we?" he chuckled, and I smirked at him. He had given me a wink and then we had driven off into the proverbial sunset.


    I thought back on the conversation and felt lighter because I was oddlyforted that he would have my back the whole time. We decided to take a nap, with a few people keeping guard for the night. Michael and I found ourselves inside the car with the heater on. The back seat of the car had a few bags on them, so we reclined on the front seats and chatted until sleep took us. I was sure that I was going to be carrying out a raid with a sore neck the next morning.


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 Chapter 125 Count Of Three

    All my ammunition was packed and easily essible, and I put a knife inside my boots just in case I need it. Michael frowned at me when I did, but I told him that it was for protection. He just shook his head and went back to loading the cartridges.


    It was about four thirty in the morning when we started the operation. From what we could see, there was minor activity inside the building and a hell lot of light; a clear indication of sloppy work.


    "Ethan, take your position," hemanded as soon as we were done. We were still on our base camp, but it was a mile away from the location. Ethan signalled to the five others who would be hidden along the perimeter and called on when needed. "Don''t die," Michael barked at them as they went off. We knew that we were up next.


    He checked his gun onest time before we trudged towards the direction they had gone in. There was barely any light and it was difficult to see where we were going. We kept close; close enough that we could feel the other''s body heat and react ordingly. We didn''t utter a word as we moved forward. We stopped right behind Ethan, who would be covering us. We were a good two hundred meters from the entrance to the building, and with little to no space to get cover, I was a little worried. We sat there for a while as it got lighted a little more, and sighed in relief when we saw the creepy glow from the rooftop. It was so low that it could have only been one of the snipers indulging in a smoke. I sighed in relief.


    "You ready?" he whispered into my ears. I nodded and prepared myself for the run. "Go." And I ran.


    My footsteps made no sound, but I could see a head peeping from behind the parapet of the ceiling. Shit.


    A shot whizzed past me as I ran. Others followed. I heard indistinct sounds of falling from above and knew that Ethan was doing his job properly, maybe Michael was already pissed off enough to take out a few as well.


    I was determined as to not stop. I knew, eventually, it would eithere to me being shot or all of them dying. I sincerely hoped that it would be thetter. It was then I felt one errant shot graze past my leg.


    Holy shit. Barely survived that. The scrape didn''t hurt much, but I could feel a n forming in my mind. The closer I got, the easier they will be able to shoot, and I will use that to my advantage. From the general direction of the shooting, there is probably only one shooter left.


    It''s now or never, Mia. I told myself. Another shot came minutely close to me and I dropped. Like a sack of potatoes, I waited there for a few seconds in whom I knew the cocky sniper would peep out of his hiding ce and be visible to my minions. When I heard the dull thuding from above me, I manoeuvred my legs under me and sat in a crouch. With one look back, I saw that Michael had his gun pointed to the roof. I smiled and closed the gap between the entrance and myself.


    I peeked inside and saw that most of the men were huddled in the centre, chatting and napping. I was thankful for the silencers. Being met with an ambushing party might have been an exciting idea, but no one wants to be weed with a shower of bullets. I signalled behind me to let them know that I was going inside and then slithered into the room. From what I could see, there were about seven men on this floor.


    I heard him slide into position beside me in a moment. His legs were spread in front of him and he was furiously changing the magazine. He pulled out another one from the back of his belt and then put it in.


    "Are you okay?" he whispered, huskily. I nodded, still staring straight at the group of men at the centre of the room. "Give me the count." I could still hear the worry in his voice. It pissed me off just a wee bit.


    So much for having faith in me.


    "Seven men in sight on this floor. A good share of the shipment is down here, so we need to be careful." He nodded.


    "They would be stupid to let the bullets fly."


    "They are already extremely stupid. I think they are partying down here." He snickered.


    "We don''t want to hurt ourselves, so take clear shots. We can''t damage any of these things." I nodded and then took a position. I crawled across his legs and then walked straight to the other end of the door, pointing the gun at the group all the time. They didn''t even notice me there. I might have rolled my eyes before I gave Michael thumbs up. He smirked and then signalled me to follow his shots.


    He shot the first fire, the next followed. In coordination, we took out each one with single shots. Happy with the massacre, we had created, we took moved to the staircase. We could see footstepsing down the staircase, and we gave each other an exasperated look. We ran back to our hiding spots and waited for them to filter into the room. I could hear five more voices, and Michael agreed. Again on the count of three, we shot them down. Taking in a deep breath, I saw him putting his current gun into the belt and then pulling out another one. We moved across the room again and carefully moved up the stairs, knowing full well that they would be covering the door.


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 Chapter 126 Dud

    Adrenaline pulsed through my veins as I let him lead me. He was a step away from the entrance when he turned and pressed his back to the wall. We silently stood there until we heard the cussing from inside. Smiling, I bent forward and pulled my knife out my boots. Michael gave me another weird look before grabbing my waist and pulling me closer to the door. Almost pressed together, we breathed in unison and waited for them to make the first move. Soon, we heard the faint noise of someoneing in our direction. We waited until thest moment. The man turned the corner and almost missed seeing us. On reflex, I slid the knife forward and plunged it in his heart. He took two steps forward, his hands on his gun, but then he almost toppled over giving me ess to his throat which I slit with beautiful precision.


    "They are not near the door," he whispered keenly into my ears.


    "Let''s spook them a bit, then," I told him conspiratorially. He let go of my waist and then inched his gun closer to the door. He shot a few warning shots, which seemed to work wonders. I think he even hit someone at the attempt. I might haveughed if I hadn''t been in such a precarious situation. "Go!" I barked at him and he broke through the door. I followed soon after, shooting at any hands that peeked out from behind their covers. No one was getting a chance to hit Michael. No one. I suppose he did the same, I never got shot either. The knife dug into my sides as I found a hiding spot. He did the same. Nodding to each other, we followed the visible drops of blood on the floor. We shot at pirs they were closest to. We heard curses and groans of pain. Shot after shot we fired. None of them came out.


    Out of mere frustration, I lunged out of my hiding ce and sprinted to another shot. From that angle, I could see the feet of people who sunk low and waited for an opportunity to shoot. They were unaware of my movement, but I figured that if I didn''t move fast enough I''d get shot at repeatedly. I signalled Michael to shoot a few warning shots, directing him to the right directions. I could see that he was impressed, and I revelled in the proud look in his eyes.


    He shot at the damaged windows that shattered on impact. Some sucked it up and kept silent, while others rolled over for cover. I took the opportunity to shoot at them. It seemed like there were too many to handle, and yet we had one more floor to clear. Just as I was about to take another leap of faith and run across the room, I heard the telltale click of the gun. I spun around, confused and then gasped.


    "Fuck!" I heard him scream, and cursed myself. Trying not to give much away, I peered around my hiding ce and saw that he was trying mercilessly to dispose of the dud fire.


    "Are you okay?" I screamed, knowing that there was no use trying to conceal the truth.


    "I need a gun," I heard him shout back. That was all it took for chaos to break out. The formerly hidden pansies now came into action and bounced out from different directions. One came from directly behind me, but I shot him before he could get me. I crawled to him after I was sure that none of them was targeting me. I knew for a fact that they would be hounding Michael and taking a shot at him because they knew that he was vulnerable.


    The man I had previously killedy on the cement floor with his mouth hung open. I scrambled to pull out all his ammo. Taking out another gun from my back, I started shooting at anyone who got close?


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 Chapter 127 Dear God

    "You still there?" I heard him call out.


    "Always," I assured him, as I took out two more people. They kepting. Out of nowhere. I could tell that the building was heavily protected, but I had never expected to be outnumbered like this.


    I saw Michael duck and then sprint closer to me. Relieved, I slid the only gun that was fully loaded at him. He nodded and then pulled the trigger. Clearly appeased by the lithe quality of my gun he shouted out to me, "I''m keeping this baby."


    "Sure," I replied, as I refurbished the dead man''s gun and put it in my belt.


    "Clear the next floor. I''ll take care of whoever is left." I nodded, and then sprinted towards the staircase, knowing well that he would have my back, again. Not one bullet reached me. Taking a liberating breath, I swiftly climbed the stairs and jumped into the room. There seemed to be no one in the room at first nce, but I could see that there had been people here. Worried, I slid out my knife and raced up the staircase to the rooftop. Surely, the door was slightly open and I could see the shadow of a foot on the other side of the door. I dropped to the floor and aimed directly at the angle in which I knew I would find the foot. Screams could be heard, and I jumped back to safety as the door got annihted by a barrage of shots. I sighed in relief that I had gotten out of the way in time and then used the holes to my own advantage. Gauging the angles, I finalized that there would be around three or four men on the other side, one of whom I had already injured. Downstairs, I could hear the shots cease to be fired. My breath hitched in my throat as worry seized me.


    Fuck, is he alright?


    I shook the thoughts out of my mind and barged into the rooftop. I heard shooting from outside and realized that people had either escaped the building or where being shot at as they were on the roof. I hoped it was thetter because the former would mean that Michael was...


    ''Don''t think about it.''


    I kicked the door open and fired random shots to clear my path. Once, I saw that my path was cleared, I mmed the door against the wall, getting a loud ''oomph'' from behind it. I chuckled and used one of the bullet holes to kill the motherfucker.


    Like a boss. I thought to myself and then took my position behind the corpse. I could see that one of them was peeping from behind the wall I was leaning on and used the corpse as my shield and shot at him. His body fell forward, with a string of curses that followed at a distance. Apparently, the man was checking to see if I was dead. And his friend was right behind him, waiting. Now, I supposed that he was the only one left.


    At least, that''s what I hoped.


    I let the body in front of me drop and then tiptoed over to the corner of the wall. I could hear the erratic breathing of the man, and I smiled in content. This was not going to take much longer. In a blink of an eye, I shifted my hands and shot out fires consecutive to each other. I breathed, unsure if I had finished the job and turned the corner. The man was sitting on the floor, his hand gripping his chest. His head turned and his hand lifted. I shook my head and picked up my gun as well. I waited patiently as I saw his finger pull the trigger. I did the same. His shoulder pushed back in recoil and the bullet flew way off the mark. Mine stayed on point: between his eyes, serving him a quick death. Satisfied, I pushed the gun back into my belt and then strut out of the rooftop.


    Another shot ricocheted past me and I dropped to the floor.


    "Mia!" I heard him scream. I sighed in relief as I looked up. He ran to me and then dropped to his knees. "Are you okay?" he asked with urgency, I had never heard in his voice. I nodded, taking the time to look back and see that there was another dead man on the rooftop.


    "Are you alright?" I whispered to him. He nodded, his hands still gripping my shoulders.


    "Fuck," he mumbled. His eyes were dark, his jaws set. He looked like death frozen over. "I-" his lips crashed into mine. I stumbled back but held on.


    Dear God, I held on. I pressed my lips to his and pushed my hand against his chest. We collided and stumbled. We didn''t care. I had nothing left in me to care. I tugged at his hair and pulled him closer. He pulled me closer, closer still.


    My mind wouldn''t stop, but he pressed on. He never let go.


    ''Don''t let me go just yet,'' I wanted to tell him.


    My bravado had dissipated. I was worried; I was worried out of my mind. He didn''t let me. He made me forget.


    Cold worry washed over me, the nights of nning caught up to me, and I surrendered myself.


    You are brave, his lips said.


    ''You kept your promise.''


    ''I''d never let anyone hurt you.''


    ''I know.''


    ''Yes.''


    ''Always.''


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 Chapter 128 Only His Name

    As he held me right there, in his arms, as tight as he could, I could feel my eyes prickle. In an attempt to move away and keep my tears at bay, I pushed at him with all I had. I didn''t seem to seed in doing so. He held on firmly, His hands gripping me to his chest like there was no escaping. And I didn''t think that I could escape. It was a lost cause. How could I escape him?


    My whole life was intricately woven around the man. He was my source of life. The reason for my being. He had been my sole target throughout my life. I had ruthlessly stomped on everyone that came in my way. I had waited years to be near him, to wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze the life out of him, and I was squeezing him, as hard as I could, I admit. But I had no intention of killing him... not anymore. I didn''t feel like he had killed anyone... no one of consequence, and what was I to do if he had indeed killed my mother? Was I not attracted to the cold-blooded man who sliced through his enemies and conquered everything he set his eyes on? I had. My hopeless attraction had somehow transformed my hatred of him into something much stronger. The hatred was there, more prominent than ever, but it was so strong that I could no longer recognize it. It had grown wings and taken flight. It had let itself be known and then cocooned up to navigate me to a different path altogether.


    My mission was long forgotten, and my loyalties had changed.


    Now that I thought about it, my loyalties had always been with my own person, and Michael was part of me.


    His name¡ªonly his name, could send me into a state of awareness like no other. If I had thought that my senses were strong in the past, it was nothingpared to the savage, inhuman intellect that I had seemed to gain as I worked under Anthony.


    Yes, Anthony. His identity was split in half. First, the man who butchered and plotted to eradicate every obstacle, and the second was benevolent and intelligent¡ªhe cared about people who were in need. Together, they formed this transient being, a man who was inescapable. The lethal killer mirrored the potential of a benevolent man. No, he didn''t have a heart of gold. His soul was wrought in darkness, yet the lure seemed to heighten with every passing day as his passion grew. Our fights were our way of escape, our flirting¡ªa way tomunicate.


    Somewhere down the line, I had been irrevocably altered by the man, and I didn''t think I would be able to get out of it. There was no hope left for me or my heart. I was slowly falling in love with the purpose of my being.


    The man who killed my mother.


    "Michael, let me go," I whispered against his chest. It was a weird thing¡ªlife. How it threw you into the arms of a person who would have sworn you hated.


    "Not yet," he whispered back. "I need to know that you''re safe." And he gripped me closer.


    "There are other ways," I tell him begrudgingly.


    "I can''t think right now," he chuckled. "And I happen to like this better than the other ways," he confessed. I might have joined him in his erraticughter, but I felt too self-conscious for my own taste.


    Well, well, well... What do we have here? Mia Vincent, shy?


    I thought I would never see the day!


    "Please," I pleaded. "Not here. Not now," I reasoned. I don''t think I believed myself. "We are surrounded by dead bodies," I told him. Heughed louder.


    "I think that makes this little rendezvous much more interesting, don''t you think?"


    "I''d rather not let the corpses watch me get a taste of romance," I grumbled. "And we need to dispose of the bodies."


    "Corpses are better audience than most people, Mia. I think they do not interrupt."


    "Necrophilia... that''s what it feels like." Heughed impossibly loudly.


    "Neither you nor I am dead. I''m d of that status, though." His voice lowered as his head bowed. He turned his head and into my hair and mumbled incoherently into it.


    "What are you saying?" I sighed.


    "I think Ethan thinks that we are dead. He''s screaming for us from downstairs," he sighed.


    "Let''s go downstairs, then. We have a lot of work to do," I told him in a stern voice. "Anthony, move." He jolted away from me, petntly ncing at me every now and then. I chuckled as I followed him down the stairs and saw the havoc we had created. It was a beautiful sight, really. We dodged the bleeding bodies and checked the ce. There was no indication of life throughout the rooms. Ethan was downstairs, doing a thorough check. He turned to look at us as we entered. He gave us a re as he went back to work.


    "A little warning would have helped," he growled.


    "Of what, may I ask?" Michael asked, his sullen mood still seemed to linger.


    "That you were alive," Ethan huffed.


    "I''m reassured to know that you want me dead, Ethan," Michael joked.


    "Boss, I don''t think anyone wants to see you alive when you are being an asshole," he yed along.


    "And Anthony is always acting like an asshole," I conceded. Ethan snickered, while Michael red at me openly.


    The weird thing was, I could see a pattern forming. I thought of him as Michael, but called him by his real name when we were around people. Once, I thought about it, it made sense in a perfectly twisted way. I wanted him all to myself. And I didn''t even know why I called him by the name I did. Why did Edward call him by that name?


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 129 Big Ball Of Mush

    I have to find out.


    "And we have a winner," Ethan snickered as he inspected the bodies. "Give us a hand, why don''t you? Move yourzy asses," he barked out with augh. We rolled our eyes at him and took our ce on some crates at the corner of the room. "Just because you killed a few people, you guys think that you are untouchable," he snorted and then sorted through the identification of the pansies Darcy had hired to stop us.


    "What do you think you are doing?" I asked him.


    He gave me a passing nce before pocketing the IDs. "You should always keep spare identification. Didn''t you know, kitten?" I sneered at him in true cat fashion, and he raised his brows at me in amusement.


    "You don''t get to call me that, you big oaf," I said, jocundly. "You will face copyright issues if you repeat said indiscretion, are we clear?" I warned him yfully. He nodded emphatically, before letting out a loudugh and then moving up the stairs.


    "You alright?" Michael said suddenly. I looked at him incredulously, but I could only see the worry in his eyes.


    "If you ask that question one more time, I promise to break your bones."


    "Stop threatening my life, woman. It will get you nowhere," he sighed. "I''m just worried. Today was tough. We got carried away." He looked away for a few moments before he red at me. "It''s all your fault."


    "The dud? The sneaky bastard who tried to kill me, or the fact that Scott got his hands on your shipments and you let him take it?" I was trying to suppress the smile that was threatening to break out. I was sure that he wouldn''t appreciate it. And it was fun pulling his leg. It was familiar; nothing like the sudden change in attitude that he had gone through.


    "Mia," he growled. "You know what I mean."


    "No, I don''t." We stared at each other for the longest time. The others passed by us, pulling people up from their positions and repositioning them at the centre of the room. "What are they doing?" I asked him.


    "Making a statement." He stared ahead, now. "One needs to put fear in the hearts of their opponents, and what better way than to adorn the battleground with the corpses of people the opponent trusted to protect them?"


    "One does fear for their existence when they see every pir they build crumbling to the ground in the blink of an eye. I can imagine it would be horrifying when someone finds the dead here."


    "Let''s get up and help them. We have a lot of work to get done." We left our ces and scattered to different floors and got to work. I was stationed with Ethan, who smugly sauntered around the room and then dragging the bodies to the centre of the room.


    "So, you seem thoroughly worked up," he said suddenly after we had stowed away almost half of the bodies.


    "I don''t know what you mean," I yed the coy mistress. How apt.


    He let out a snort and then went back to putting the corpses in the wanted formation.


    "Don''t mix pleasure with business, Mia. It''s a dangerous thing. Once your rationality bes blurry, you don''t understand what is right and what is wrong. You lose suspicion. You be weak." He huffed as he wiped the sweat off his brows. "You don''t have the time to be weak in this world. You die if you are weak, even if it is for just a moment."


    "What brought on this lecture, may I ask?" I was disturbed by how affected he sounded.


    "I am happy to see you with Boss, truly. I mean, it''s high time that he found someone he could confide in, but if you lose yourself in being only his confidant, you will suffer," he gave me a meaningful look.


    "You can rest assured that my life does not revolve around the obnoxious man. I know that he is a vice of mine, but I won''t make the mistake of forgetting who I am to mould into the life he leads. Our paths are not the same, Ethan," I admitted in a hushed tone.


    "So you know that this will lead to doom?"


    "Ethan... Why would I ponder on something that will probably never happen? We will never be together. We are ipatible. He is incorrigible and I hate him." He snickered at that. "Laugh all you want, but you will see."


    "Trust in yourself and your ability as a killer, girl. If anything can attract Anthony, it is a woman who can carry herself like he carries the gun. He searches for power in a woman, and I think he''s found his match."


    "Shut up and do your work, you big ball of mush," I elbowed him. "Who knew that you of all people could be such a big romantic?"


    "There is nothing romantic about attraction. It''s carnal and inmmable, and you know it. It burns you alive."


    "And now you are a poet," I chuckled.


    "Pull up thatst dude, will you? Let''s get this over with," he sighed and I nodded.


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 130 Scream Bloody Murder

    After fifteen minutes, we were done with the building of the wall of corpses. It looked pretty beautiful. I thought we stared for a little too long to be considered sane. We admitted to the same.


    It was the same view in all of the other floors as well. It was sort of creepy to walk around them as he transported the stolen shipments out of the building. To our relief, we were not alone. More people hade in to do the hardbor and carry the heavy boxes out. They were impressed by the mounds of dead people as well. For two people to have killed as many were astounding to them. Once we heard the count, I was a bit awed myself.


    Fifty-nine men. How had we managed that?


    Michael had just patted my back awkwardly in front of all the people and then left the building. Under the strict order of the Boss himself, I was not to be allowed on the site of tomorrow''s ambush. Apparently, I was in a delicate condition and had fought my share of people for this mission. I hadn''t even known that we had a quota of dead people that we had to fulfil before being allowed to rest.


    I wonder what incentive I will receive for killing all those people.


    As I sat in the base camp surrounded by cars the next day, I was furious. No one was at the base except for me. I felt like an invalid. Only some of the tech people were hanging out. They had literally turned the mission into an impromptu pic. They had marshmallows and dry food and whatnot. It was a mini party in the middle of nowhere. I was sitting among people my own age who had no clue as to how much danger they were in. They were obliviously joking around and running about doing absolutely no productive work. I couldn''t figure out why Anthony had brought them in the first ce.


    I would like to think that I was protecting the base and the newly reimed shipments from being taken by Darcy''s men, but mypanions were no guards. They were naive little kids who did not know what the fear of death was.


    I got up and left them partying. Inside the car, I cranked up the music and spread out on the back seat. I fully intended to take advantage of the time I had gotten off, even if I was pissed off that Michael left me behind.


    What was he thinking?


    I groaned as I tried to getfortable in the small space. I don''t know how long I saty there, waiting for sleep to take me. It never came, but paranoia crept in. I kept my eyes wide open. The music on the radio got annoying, so I reached over to turn it off. From the corner of my eyes, I saw something move in a distance. Convinced that it was one of the boys taking a leak, I let it go. But after a few seconds, this shadow moved again, and rather peculiarly. I froze in my spot as I waited for it to move away. Of course, it did.


    I wrenched the door open, throwing myself out. I pulled my gun out and ran as fast as I could.


    "Run!" I screamed. They seemed too lost in their own conversation to even turn around. Fucking fools!


    "Take cover!" I tried again, but I was toote. I heard the sound of firing, and then the sound of screaming. Everything in me screamed to turn around and take cover, but I couldn''t let the foolish brats sit there unprotected. I had to take the risk.


    I saw them fall down. Some did so to take cover, while others fell forward by the impact of the bullets hitting them.


    "Crawl out of the way!" I ordered them. It would be just a matter of seconds before the target would change. I knew it. That was what I was trying to do. I felt the adrenaline rush through my veins as I screamed bloody murder and pulled my gun up. I had no time to take aim, but I shot nkly in their genuine direction. Two fell, to my relief. Others just scattered. I saw the tech guys crawling away and taking shelter behind cars. I sighed in relief and barrelled forward, moving closer to the attackers so that I could aim better.


    They shot at me, but I ducked every time. I was d.


    Taking shelter behind one of the cars in the outer circle of the base, I reloaded the gun and waited for any indication of the assantsing closer. Sooner than I had expected, I heard the sound of their foot hitting the ground and smiled. I had a chance.


    From what I had seen, there were five of them. There was one of me. I had gotten two already, so I had to take our three more. I had no one to cover me. These scared little boys couldn''t hold a gun for their lives... or could they?


    My eyes widened as I saw one of them peer out from behind one car, and a bullet flew at him. Fortunately, he moved his head back and was spared from facing an untimely death. Again, he peered out but seemed to be spared from the attention of the shooters. I signalled him to look at me, and he gasped as he stared. I recognized him as the boy from earlier, who had checked me out in Michael''s office. I held my gun up and tried to send a message across. I didn''t know how much I seeded, but I think I saw him nod just a bit. I was d that I had the reassurance that he had understood.


    I saw him move back into safety and thene back again. This time he had a gun in his hand. I smiled. He nodded at me and tried to aim ahead of the car I had taken shelter behind. His hands shook violently, but he kept trying. He breathed in and out until his hands shook less. He aimed and then shot.

 Chapter 131 Lets Go Home

    I didn''t think that he''d managed to hit anyone, but it was distraction enough for me to crawl to the other direction and then peer around the car. I was rather surprised to see that the boy had managed to hit someone in the shoulder. Pleased, I took aim at the injured man and put a bullet between his eyes. Knowing that they would now figure out where I was, I sucked in a deep breath and then ran for another car. I heard shots being fired again, but it came from both sides. The boy had taken my warning seriously and shot at our attackers as best as he could. I was proud. I sighed in relief as I ced myself behind the hood of a car and looked at the men. They were trying to find a spot to hide but didn''t know if they would encounter one of us. They had set themselves at a disadvantage. Taking my time, I let the boy have his share of fun. They came closer than I wasfortable with, but the boy seemed to be a source of worry for them. I waited for a bit, then bit down as I saw another bullet fly at the boy, this time hitting the daring boy''s arm.


    The boy had moved out of safety and tried to take them out and he had been hit. I didn''t know if I wanted to call him brave or stupid. He clutched his arm, thrown off and vulnerable. Quickly, I aimed and shot the first one down. The second one gave a puzzled look at hisrade and then snapped his head to my direction. I didn''t lose much time as I aimed again and shot him before he could pull the trigger. He froze on the spot and then fell forward, his head hitting the ground with a gruesome thud. I stood up from my hiding spot and then went over to inspect the attackers.


    They were all dead, much to my relief, but so were two of our boys. The poor brats had not heard my call and died.


    If only I had not been so pissed off and stayed with them...


    It''s not your bloody fault.


    I put my gun back in the holster and then moved towards the injured boys. The boy that had helped me was still sitting there in shock, his eyes wide and mouth open. I shook him awake and then pped him right across the face.


    "Lesson number one: Hold the gun with one hand." With that, I stood up and went over to the other guys checking them over. Some were seriously hit, while others were just shaken up by what had transpired in thest five minutes.


    I gathered them together and then rushed to get the first aid box. I used the alcohol and the fire that they had been using and boiled the alcohol. I disinfected the knife I always kept on me and then heated it to my needs. I tended to them one by one, scolding them about how stupid they are and how they put everyone at risk. They seemed to stay awake and not go into shock. My irritation was good for their health, I was relieved.


    I would have cursed Michael for leaving me behind before, but I couldn''t imagine these boys being ughtered in their own base. It was a horrifying thought, and I couldn''t imagine the shame and agony it would bring Michael when he came to see this bloodbath. He had lost two men who didn''t know what was going to happen to them, it was better that he hadn''t lost all of them.


    I didn''t know what to do with the bodies, so I left them lying right where they had died. I don''t think the living people in the camp appreciated it, but I didn''t have the strength to lift them and dispose of the bodies. Michael would simply have to do it himself.


    I sat with them as they processed the happenings of the day and grew more scared with every passing moment. I tried to soothe them but knew that it wouldn''t help one single bit. So, I let them twist and turn in their nightmares as I sat watching over them, waiting for another attacking party to start their reign of terror.


    It took forever, but the footsteps came. There were too many footsteps. I realized that I had nowhere to hide. I had to protect these boys the best that I could. There were two possibilities: one was that Michael and the team had returned from the mission and had seeded, or it had been Darcy, who had overthrown the raid and sent reinforcements to clean up the whole party. We were part of the party.


    I heard the sound of shuffling and then full blown running. I knew then that it was the first. The raiding team had returned. I gasped as I put the gun down and plopped back down in front of the fire. I could hear the panic in their voices as they saw the carnage that had taken ce.


    They had seen the shattered ss and the blood on the ground. I could only imagine what had run through their minds. I heard more shouting and then gasping as they saw us at the centre, wounded and sleeping.


    "What happened here?" I heard one of them whisper.


    "Ambush." I breathed out, standing up from my ce and wiping my hands on my pants. I heard people scatter and start cleaning up as Michael barked at them to get to work. I walked over to the car and opened the door. I heard footsteps approaching me and sighed in resignation.


    "How many?" I heard him choke out.


    "Five," I whispered back.


    "Ours?"


    "Two." I heard him take in a shaky breath. "What are you going to tell their families?" I wondered. He didn''t reply. "How many?" I asked him back.


    "Six."


    "And the other group?"


    "All." I heard a strangledughing from him. I felt his arms wrap around me and then squeeze me.


    "I survived an ambush. Don''t kill me by squeezing my life out of me." He breathed into my neck and just held me.


    "Alone?"


    "No. One boy helped."


    "Did he survive?"


    "Surprisingly, yes." He pulled me in closer and then mumbled apologies.


    "I''m d I was here. They''d have all been butchered," I admitted. It was true. They wouldn''t havested a minute without someone covering for them.


    "Thank god for that."


    "Did you get all the recements?" He nodded into my hair. "Good. We kicked their ass."


    "I''m proud of you," he whispered into my ear.


    "I''d hope so, Boss." I sighed. "Can we please go home? I don''t think I''ve had this much excitement in a long time," I groaned.


    "I concur," he groaned as well. "Let''s go home."


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 132 Im Listening

    I woke up in a strange bed, magically having changed my clothes. The silken texture of the bed sheet felt cool against my skin. I fisted it, trying to remember where I had seen the ck sheet before in my state of grogginess. The bed dipped beside me, startling me. Sleep left mepletely and I became aware of my surroundings. At a distance, I could see the stained ss changing room inside Anthony''s room. I could see the familiar falls and feel the heat on my back.


    I rolled to the other side and saw the mischief maker, right beside me. He was fast asleep and looking more handsome than ever. His mouth was slightly parted and he was snoring. I chuckled as I scooted away from him and looked him over. He had one hand over his crotch while the other hand was behind his head. And he looked handsome, in a human way.


    "What are you staring at?" the sneaky bastard spoke.


    "I''m a bit disturbed to see you grab your crotch in your sleep," I replied, calmly.


    "There is nothing abnormal about groping your own genitals, Mia," he mumbled as he turned to face me. His eyes were still closed. His hands were now firmly ced under his head.


    "That is exactly the source of my distress, Anthony," I whispered as if uttering a confession.


    "Why?" he breathed.


    "There''s nothing normal about you, Anthony," I told him softly. He scoffed, opening his eyes a bit. He squinted at me, unwilling to hurt his eyes because of the light. A crooked grin spread across his lips as he looked at me. I found myself rolling to my side so that I was closer to him. My position mirrored his. He smiled sweetly, then. And we just stayed there, staring at each other.


    "I wonder if you realize that you do that every time we are around people." He broke the silence. I gave him a questioning look. He obliged, kindly. "You call me Anthony whenever someone is around," he told me confidently. Iughed out loud, feeling ashamed that he had figured it out. "But what has gotten you wound up, now?"


    "Nothing," I assured him.


    "Bullshit. What has gotten your panties in a twist? Why are you calling me Anthony?" My eyes widened as I recognized the contrast. Insecure and overwhelmed, I pulled up from my position and leaned back into the headboard of the bed.


    "I don''t react well to unfamiliar ces," I retorted, sensing the hardening of my voice. I was defensive and rightfully so.


    "I did tell you that you could always crash here, right?" he chuckled.


    "Why am I here, Anthony?"


    "Michael," he corrected, immediately. I felt his hand making its way to my thigh and cing it on bare skin. I stared at him in shock as he smiled at me. "I''m just making sure that you don''t run away."


    "Yes, a palm would hinder my ns to leave you." I rolled my eyes and went forward to push off the sheet that covered my legs. As I tried to move away, I heard him speak in the softest voice. I froze in ce and listened intently.


    "And now good-morrow to our waking souls, which watch not one another out of fear; for love, all love of other sights controls, and makes one little room an everywhere."


    "Donne?" I choked out. I was rewarded with silence. I could feel his palm. It barely grazed the side of my thigh, but it scorched my skin. I fisted the sheet in my hand and went over the words through my head.


    "That''s what you do when you are with me," he told me in a spective tone. "You build this little space where you can only imagine the two of us there... it''s a fantasy of yours, isn''t it? A microcosm. A world within a world." My head snapped around and I stared at him. He stared right back at me. He tried to lure me with one of those challenging looks of his. I might have red, but I couldn''t help but fascinate over the fact that he could quote Donne without having to think much about it.


    "You really think that you are important, don''t you?" I asked him.


    "I am important, and you love me because of that." I scoffed on his face. My retort made his smile falter. I smiled, overjoyed that I had gotten a reaction out of him¡ªhowever small it had been.


    "You''re sorely mistaken if you think I''m going to fall for that," I told him with the best smile I had up my sleeve. He stared at me for a moment, frozen to the spot in the bed.


    "What do you think we''re doing, Mia?" his voice was low and almost menacing. I could feel a shiver crawling up my spine.


    "You tell me, Anthony," I asked him calmly. His eyes narrowed as he red at me. His lips dipped down in a frown as he scrutinized my face.


    "I thought I made it clear that I like you." I might have rolled my eyes at that. He pushed up on all four and neared me. His gait was that of a predator. I tried to move away, but he grabbed onto my hand and pulled me back. "Listen to me," he whispered forcefully. Despite my instincts, I quit my protests and stayed put.


    "I''m listening," I assured him in a tight voice, but both of us knew that it. I was mostly lying. I was trying my best to break his control over me and take the fastest route out.


    "Look at me," hemanded. I followed wordlessly and turned to him. My legs were curled under me, my hands in his grasp as he kept me from falling over the edge of the bed. It was a thin line, the moment he let me go, I would topple over, yet I was just sitting there, wondering what would happen next.


    "I am." He shook his head.


    "No, you''re not."


    "What else do you want me to do?" Incredulous, I could hear my voice rising.


    "I need you to stop thinking and look at me." I could almost feel my anger drop. My hands felt numb inside his and I felt the urge to pull away grow stronger than ever. "We need to figure out what we are doing, Mia."


    "I have been asking you the same thing!"


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 Chapter 133 One Good Reason

    "And what do you think is the answer? Why are you in my bed?" I could hear the clicking of my jaw as I ground my teeth together.


    "You''ve wanted me there for a while, and even though I piss you off all the time, you got carried away with everything that is happening and invited me into your bed." Yes. That was it.


    "Inviting you to bed to fuck you is one thing, Mia," he snapped, harshly. "But you are still here..." I quirked my brow at him. "Oh, Mia," he whispered... "You are too distrusting. Why do you not understand? Is it so difficult?"


    "Yes, Anthony."


    "Do you trust me?" he asked, sincerity clear in his eyes.


    "No. You said so yourself." I was proud of myself. I was acting like a bitch, but it was the best I could do to distance myself from him until I figured out what the fuck I was doing with my life. This was a suicide mission. Now I was wilfullymitting to it without gaining anything in return. It was going to end in disaster; Ethan was right. There was no turning back from here. If I went back without doing my job, I would be thrown out of the organization. If I stayed and was found, I would die. I would die in any case. And Anthony would kill me. He would be the one to put a hit on me the moment I walked out on him, and the funniest part would be that he would contact my own organization to take me out. He was the sort of bastard that would get a kick out of the irony of the situation.


    "I did, didn''t I? And you trusted me on that... so trust me on this, too," he was pleading, and my confusion was wavering. Finally, I had found a man who could save himself, a man who could hold a gun to my head and not shoot.


    Yet, I thought to myself.


    The way he held the gun.


    The way his fingers never twitched when they pulled the trigger.


    The fire in his eyes when he fought me.


    The cold look he had reserved for business.


    The cunning mind that could concoct ns to take down dynasties.


    Those were things that I would never find again.


    Those were the things I was searching for all my life and I had found it in him. The only person who I was supposed to hate for being the way he was.


    Someday I would get over the infatuation.


    Someday I would understand that this toxic obsession that we nurtured for each other was a product of pure hatred and nothing else.


    Someday, I would stop denying everything.


    "Give me one good reason why I should believe you."


    "You''re the only one who can touch my lucky gun." He smiled conspiratorially.


    Everyone tells me that you killed my mother.


    "The first day you came in? I knew that I had found my match."


    I vowed to kill you.


    "That moment I heard the shots from the ceiling? I thought I had lost you."


    I suspect that you know who I am.


    "I can''t stand the thought of losing you."


    But when did you have me? We don''t know each other.


    "One good reason, Anthony," I forced the words through my gritted teeth.


    With one hand still on my wrist, steadying me, he pressed the other palm to my cheek.


    "Edward calls me Michael because he had a son... he was my friend. Michael Gray. The boy was my best friend and we were going to grow up together." I stayed quiet. I could sense the impending doom. "Edward''s wife was my mom''s best friend. They had grown up together. I would probably have married Michael if he were a girl. They were that close." He waited for me to interrupt, but I offered me nothing.


    "Edward was working overnight at the hospital that night and there was snow. Something went wrong."


    "They were killed in the ident."


    "Edward lost his family."


    "Mom lost her best friend."


    "I lost mine."


    "I haven''t made any friends since then... I couldn''t."


    "Anth-" he cut me off. He pressed his palm over my lips and just stared into my eyes for a moment.


    "Edward calls me by his son''s name. He''s the only family I have. He was the one who saved me from my father."


    "What is your reason, Anthony?" I could feel the lump in my throat growing.


    "I trust you with my only weakness. I am putting my whole life at your feet. You decide if I have lied to you or not."


    "Anthony," I shook my head.


    "Michael. That is what I want you to call me," he demanded. Why?


    "It wipes away all the things I did to be where I am. Michael is innocent. He is the only redeeming thing about me. I want to think that you can want one of us... any one of us. I don''t care." I felt something inside me shake. It threatened to ooze out from every pore. I wondered if my body shook with the intensity of it.


    It was like stone cracking and then melting into hot, moltenva; only to flow and solidify into something much more binding.


    It scared me.


    "Michael..." It almost broke me.


    "Thank god," he whispered as he closed the distance between us. His lips were warm against mine. We sat there, pressed together. Unmoving¡ªwe relished the heat of the other.


    There was no going back.


    Death was near.


    I was closer to embracing it.


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 Chapter 134 Deranged

    "Anthony, did you know that in ssical Greece there was a rather amusing torture device that was widely popr." I gave a slight pause, taking time to gauge the reaction of our captive from the corner of my eyes. "They called it the brazen bull..." I proimed proudly.


    Anthony looked at me with amused eyes and then just hummed in acknowledgement.


    "Do you know why they called it that?" I asked him yfully. He chuckled lightly and shook his head.


    "Why don''t you enlighten me, Mia? I can see that you are rather eager to inform me about this gruesome torture method that you seem to be so obsessed with." I gave him a pointed look before continuing.


    "Because you seem to be so keen on knowing about it, I will do you the honor of getting to know this ingenious method," I bit back. "Supposedly, a man by the name of Perrilus took it upon himself to please his ruler, the great dictator, Phris Agigentum. It looked like a life-sized bull but had a door like entrance in it. The incredible part was that there were holes in the nostrils and horns of the bronze bull. A criminal who would be convicted of a capital crime would be put into this enclosed, but hollow bull and then slowly roasted to-"


    "What?" he interrupted, looking at me with shock filled eyes. "They cooked this person and ate them?" an incredulous chuckle left his lips.


    "Of course, not! As cool as cannibalism may seem to you, this device is slightly moreplex." He huffed and gestured me to carry on. He seemed rather intrigued.


    "So? What did they do next?" he urged when I didn''t continue.


    "As the bull was ced over the me and the person inside roasted in the heat, they would scream in agony. The bull was so built that these screams would filter through the holes in the horn and nostrils and sound like a raging bull, thereby fulfilling the irony of the name."


    "That was rather... intriguing."


    "I know," I said, seeing that Cienna looked rather shaken.


    "Where did you get this information from, Mia? I''m sure you''ve never seen this ritual happen before."


    "Who told you that I haven''t?" I asked him with a challenging look.


    As a matter of fact, I found out about this method from a drug lord who was obsessed with Greek ssicism. He happened to love torture and Greece. I was rather horrified when I heard of what was to happen, and a bit flustered when he tortured his subordinate for lying to him, but I shortly understood the beauty of the method.


    Cruel, gruesome, and painful.


    "Who have you been mixing with?" he asked me, his voice as low as a whisper.


    "Fanatics and psychopaths?" I offered, innocently.


    "How did you survive?" he asked me. No, the curiosity in his voice was shrouded with fear and worry. It was rather endearing.


    "Let me finish the story," I gave him a yful re.


    It helped that I killed them all in the end. It helped to know that I was invincible.


    "Go on," he resigned after giving me a heated stare.


    "The dictator, though, wasn''t pleased with Perrilus. Because he had a sense of humor, he put Perrilus into his own device and put him to death. Unfortunately, karma is a bitch. The people of the kingdom rebelled against the tyranny of the king and he too was put to death in the very same brazen bull." I ended with a deep breath.


    "What was the moral of the story, Mia?" he asked, a bit amused. I giggled at the fact that he had picked up the subtle hint.


    "What goes around...es around," I pronounced.


    "And that karma is a bitch." Iughed loudly. "Are you Karma?" he teased.


    "A bitch? Yes. Karma?" I let it hang there.


    "No?" he taunted.


    "Maybe."


    .


    "You want the mark to be right; you can''t strangle her, Ethan!"


    "You want to pin this as a suicide?" Ethan guffawed. "You fed her acid, which is proof enough."


    "Not that it worked on her!" I came to the rescue. "She has poisoned her body to the extent that it got immune to acid, do you think that is easy?" I shook my head. I was rather impressed that she had rendered herself indestructible to all things liquid and poisonous. It was one thing about her that impressed me. For the life of me, I couldn''t remember anything else about her.


    Of course, this conversation was taking ce while she was still lying in front of us, mostly catatonic. She was not dead; not even after sixteen hours of consuming the acid that Michael had assured me would kill slowly. It seemed that it didn''t really work on the killing part and concentrated more on the pain when it came to Cienna.


    At that moment, Michael and Ethan were engaging in a verbal duel where they decided how they would kill her off. While Michael was opting for sending a message by letting the cops find her body and deem it a suicide, Ethan thought it was all tooplicated for us to carry out. It was an engaging conversation. I was siding with Michael on it.


    "People are known to survive acid consumption, Ethan," Michael argued.


    "What would happen after the autopsy report? They would find out then."


    "They would also find out that it was not the acid that killed her, but the rope. That is why we need to make it look like suicide."


    "I think both of you are deranged," he huffed and then shook his head at the motionless prisoner.


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 Chapter 135 Loyalty

    "So, we''re going to her apartment, then?" I was a bit too excited for my own good.


    "Yes. I''m pretty sure that it''s in the same ransacked state as we had left it in."


    "Do you think the doorman won''t notice that we''re carrying a half-dead woman up to her apartment?"


    "How many times do you think he has seen her doing that?"


    "Still..."


    "He has been on my payroll for quite some time now. Don''t worry; he will not say a word about anything to anyone." He strode away, leaving us to device a method to carry Cienna out of the basement to the car.


    Ethan and I stared at Cienna for a moment before getting into action.


    "Get the tapes out... we need the blood to rush back into ce. I hope the adhesive doesn''t stick to her skin," I grumbled. Ethan nodded as he started ripping the tape off her skin.


    It was fun.


    .


    The doorman had promptly nodded when Michael passed him. Michael didn''t acknowledge him. He concentrated on helping Ethan carry Cienna to the elevator. I was happy to open doors and listen to them grunting and groaning about how heavy Cienna had be.


    "So, she was trying to help the love of her life..." Ethan scoffed.


    "The only time she had tried to contact Luke was when she had run from the mansion..." Michael injected.


    "And Luke wants me." I helped to end the list of things that Cienna had confessed to.


    "Everyone wants you," Michael rolled his eyes.


    "Here we go again..." Ethan sighed as he quickened his pace.


    "No, they don''t!" I retorted.


    "You just don''t know yet," he said as he ran his hands through his hair.


    "Cut it out, guys. Keep the romance at bay, until Ethan is away..."


    We chuckled as we followed him inside the minivan.


    .


    This was it; our little piece of heaven, or hell. I couldn''t say that we were always happy because we were bickering more often than not. We found ourselves constantly arguing about things: sometimes it was about how peculiar his table manners were or how defensive I was when he asked me questions about myself. It always ended with the two of us sitting on either side of Sean and silently watch him re at hisputer screen in concentration.


    He had fidgeted in the beginning, but then got used to the pattern. The boy was constantly working, building new software that would make him rich someday, or strengthening Michael''s system. He kept an impable record of invoices and reprieves and had a chart of every penny that anyone spent. I supposed that being a tech genius had its own perks. The finance team usually fell to his feet and took information from him. As it turned out, Michael kept the loyalty of his employees in check by keeping their economic transactions under surveince. Once he became suspicious of someone, he could dig out the intricacies of their spending and question their loyalty.


    "I think you should take some rest," I advised.


    "No!" Michael barked.


    "You don''t want to run him down."


    "He knows when to stop."


    "Look at him! Of course, he doesn''t know when to pause."


    "Don''t be ridiculous."


    "I am the one being ridiculous?" my voice rose.


    "Yes!" he hissed.


    "Could you guys keep it down? I''m trying to work here," scolded the small voice from between us. We looked down to see that Sean was staring at us with a peculiar expression on his face.


    "Oh, sorry," we apologized at once.


    "I''ll work for a few more minutes before going back to my ce to crash. I haven''t seen mom in a while." A smile spread over my face as I nodded. "Thanks for the idea, Mia," he smiled back as he spoke. He then went back to stare at hisputer and proceeded to write out codes for the next half an hour.


    "Continue with your bickering," he said in a muffled voice as he wrapped up. He covered all theputers and shut them off manually.


    "What are you snickering about?" Michael growled. The snickers became louder until it turned into a full blown giggle.


    "Nothing," he snorted.


    He walked out with his hands covering his mouth and errand snickers escaping every now and then.


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 Chapter 136 Persecution

    "Cienna Marshal was found dead in her apartmentst evening. The manager of Poseidon''s Realm was known to have led a disturbed life. A reliable source reported that the doorman had seen her two days ago, entering the building, seeming to be extremely disturbed and drunk. She was found by the weekly cleaningdyst evening, havingmitted suicide. The authorities have refused toment on the matter, but assure us that the results of the autopsy will be revealed shortly. Despite her reputation, she was known as a highly influential business head of the city and a budding entrepreneur. The mysterious circumstances behind her death point towards an internal or rather business-rted conflict gone wrong. Spections are being made that she was involved with the infamous Russian arms dealer. No such rumor can be proven as of now, but they are worth considering..."


    "Do you think that they actually bought the story?" I was extremely worried about how the media was slowly crawling in on the story.


    "Don''t worry, Mia. They will only report what we want them to."


    "You seem uncannily cocky about this."


    "Tanya is handling it. You don''t need to worry about it," he said as he switched the channel. He was going to change it again when Cienna''s face sshed onto the screen once again. "There you go." He turned up the sound and concentrated on what they had to say.


    "The world of business is shaken up, yet again, by the loss of Cienna Marshal. As the head of several restaurants and night clubs, the woman was known for her ruthlessness. Lately, she was seen in and out of rehab for sexual deviance, alcoholism and substance abuse. Under further study, some very unsettling stories havee to the forefront..." he changed the channel.


    "There is something fishy here, Jessica."


    "What do you mean, Ben?" the reported on the screen read out.


    "Miss Marshal was found in her apartment two days after her estimated death, yet no one really found out."


    "That''s how things work in this world."


    "And no one noticed her absence? I would not believe what is being shown to us, Jessica. We''ve all seen her body and heard the spections. I smell a conflict here. I say she messed with the wrong people."


    "That would make sense. The tight-lipped attitude that the police is disying does raise suspicions, as well."


    "They''re all falling for the stories. Let them keep specting..." I heard him mumble under his breath.


    "So, you''re basically feeding the stories of her being tied to Luke and then getting him noticed?"


    "Yes," he admitted, seemingly overjoyed.


    "And then you''re going to sugarcoat the whole thing and clear Poseidon''s Realm''s name from the bad books?"


    "I didn''t really think of it at first, but I have the management team working on the issue. They know how to handle negative media. I suppose their motto is, ''all publicity is good publicity,''" he shrugged and then went back to staring at the television.


    "Michael..." I called him, trying to get his attention. His head snapped in my direction and a smile spread across his lips.


    "Yes?" he breathed and then smiled even wider than before.


    "Turn down the television," I ordered in a low voice. He pressed a button on the remote, never looking away from me. The loud-voiced seized and all I heard was our synchronized breathing. "Thank you," I murmured. I leaned in, cradling his face in my hands and then kissing the side of his mouth.


    He tried to turn his head, but I stopped him with a firm shake of my head.


    I needed control. I needed to know that not everything was about revenge.


    He was deeply hurt by what Cienna had done to him after all he had done for her. He had cared for her and helped her in his own special way and she had betrayed him because he could not love her romantically. She had been revealed to him, all her lies and shame naked in front of him, and he had epted her. She had failed to realize what I precious gift that was. I never wanted to her, or turn out the way she did, but deep down I craved that he knew everything... I craved his approval. I hoped that he would understand my reasons.


    My hatred for him.


    The need to avenge my mother.


    The need to finish my job.


    My love for him.


    My reasons to want to hold him close to me.


    My reason to drink in his murderous yet mirthful eyes.


    I wanted his affections, his irritation, his anger, and his jokes.


    I wanted his mornings and his nights.


    I wanted to be by his side when we fought.


    I wanted to be by his side when he fought everyone else.


    These were all wants... cravings that Cienna had a chance at, but she blew it. Now, I''m stuck here craving the things that she had a shot at and wondering how I wille out of this. How I will be the person that he thinks I am. To be honest, some days I really thought he knew who I was. Then on the others, he seemed so clueless and so carefree.


    It was a constant worry.


    Every day, I packed my gun and tugged it into the back of my jeans, but then wondered how I would be able to pull it out if he pulled the gun on me. The dilemma ate at me, but what scared me was that it would be worse. His revenge would be scarring but would leave me alive. Those days I go back to the time when Daisy told me that it was a suicide mission, I wonder if that was what it wille down to. The gun that I loved so much, pressed against my head because I knew I couldn''t take the pain any longer. Those days are the worst.


    And then they are the best, because every time I wonder, I remember his face and his words. I believe that he would follow me to hell and drag me by the hair back into this realm so that he could watch me suffer. It was a deranged, yetforting thought.


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 Chapter 137 I Love You

    He would follow me into the darkness and back.


    Who doesn''t want someone who would?


    I didn''t.


    Now, I do.


    "Can I ask you a question?" I heard him ask, his voice was husky and sweet.


    "Shoot." He stared into my eyes for the longest moment before opening his mouth. His lips darted out as if to taste my skin, but he licked his lips to wet them.


    "If I ever asked you to put a gun to my head and shoot, would you be able to do it?" My eyes widened at the question. My hands fell to my sides, and my body recoiled. "Don''t," he gulped as he closed the space I had created between us.


    "What is the meaning of the question?"


    "Answer me, Mia," he ordered, firmly. The palm of his hands slid from my arms to my shoulders and then went on to cradle my cheeks. How the tables had turned.


    "If you betrayed me... if you pulled your gun out first. I would." I lied.


    "What if I pointed it at your head and told you that I didn''t love you? What if I lied?" He stunned me.


    "Lie?" I choked out.


    "Yes, what if I lied and told you that I didn''t love you? That I never did?"


    "I would believe you," I whispered. His hands grew firmer and his face came closer to mine.


    "Why?" he whispered. Agony... that was what I heard.


    "You can say that the earth is t and I would believe you... You can lie to people unlike any other. You would make me believe you."


    "Why would you not believe in me?"


    "Because..." I couldn''t tell him why. How could I tell him that I was the one that should not be believed in? That I couldn''t expect honesty when I was lying.


    "I love you," he whispered. Frozen, I listened to him murmur to me. I stared at him, unable to figure out a word he had said.


    "I love you, Mia..." he whispered again, breaking through the haze of murky water under which I was drowning.


    "No."


    "Yes..." he hissed.


    "How do you know?"


    "I''ve told you... " I shook my head. "And you love me, I know."


    "No." He smiled and then lowered his face to mine. His tongue tasted me first, and then his lips pressed to mine, hesitant and searching. I let him in, resigned and sad. I felt betrayed.


    Why would he say that to me?


    He pressed harder, urging me to tell him everything.


    This time, I did.


    I told him that I was scared.


    I told him that I would pull the trigger if he betrayed me.


    I told him that if he wanted me to trust him, he would have to earn it.


    He told me to never lie to him.


    He pledged to annihte me if I ever plotted against him.


    He told me that he would prove himself to him, only if I let him.


    I closed my eyes,bed my hands through his hair and then peppered his face with faces.


    Cienna''s face was forgotten, we remained seated, making promises and getting to know each other because there was nowhere else I wanted to be. Him, I was not sure about. But as he had said, he would gain my trust if I let him.


    I realized that it would be easy to let go and just let him win me over.


    I realized that I would never have to lie about who I was.


    I realized that I could change everything.


    I realized that he... he loved me.


    I thought... I thought...


    I loved him.


    I did.


    I loved him.


    I do.


    God, I do.


    "I have to go somewhere," I breathed as I pulled apart. He tried to move closer, but I shook my head at him.


    "Don''t go," he pleaded.


    "I have some business to take care of," I tried to tell him. He tilted his head to a side... his eyes went somewhere so far away that I thought that he would nevere back. I wanted to jump back into his arms and tell him that I was right here.


    "I''ll let you go if you promise that you''lle back to me."


    "Always," I promised. I felt it swimming in my veins¡ªthe need to be near him.


    "Then... then you can go," he sighed. He scooted to a side and then fished in his pockets. "I have to make a call, anyways," he gulped and then looked back at me. Apprehension colored his eyes.


    "Make the call, Michael. I''ll be back by tonight."


    "Yes."


    "Yes," I answered all the unasked questions. I hoped that he would understand.


    I saw it in his eyes.


    He did see.


    He saw everything.


    And after today, it would not scare me as much as it was in that moment.


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 Chapter 138 Jeopardy

    The car sped across the streets. My foot was firmly nted on the elerator as I skidded past other cars. I ran red lights and took sharp turns. I could hear the curses flying at me, telling me to go to hell. And I wanted tough. I almost did. That was exactly where I was going.


    Why I was driving as fast as I was, I didn''t know... but I knew that I needed it. What I was going to do was going to make me an outcast. There was no other way toe out of this than to handle the situation as neutrally as possible. I could imagine the screams and the anger that would be directed towards me, but I couldn''t jeopardize my sanity for any longer.


    As I halted in front of an unassuming building that I had grown ustomed to, I felt a sliver of fear crawling up my spine. There was no mortal danger here, but I knew that I would note out unscathed. I sat in the parking lot for the better part of fifteen minutes before opening the door and walking towards the entrance. People turned and stared. I could imagine that I looked unconventional in one of Michael''s shirts and my sweatpants, none of the behind-the-desk workers in the organization had seen me out of my war gear. At least I would not have much problem discarding my clothes for a full body scan.


    As the stares gave away to hushed controversies being passed from one person to the next, I walked towards the elevator whose password I had memorized. As the sliding door closed on me, I saw thest one them, having abandoned their unaffected posture into one of curiosity. They peaked from behind desks, craned their necks to get a look at me. This was going to be the only time they would see me like this, the prodigy who is human. I sincerely didn''t think that they considered me human; I must have been a killing machine by how my reputation had spread¡ªkilling everything that came in my way. I suppose, we all have to end out winning streaks.


    "Name," the robotic female voice asked.


    "Agent Vincent," I replied just as ndly.


    "Prepare for a full body scan, Agent Vincent." I unceremoniously pulled my clothes off. They slid along my skin, reminding me of the reason why I was here. I needed it. The temperature of the room dropped a few degrees before the voice asked me to clothe myself again. I wondered how removing my clothes had be a chore¡ªan obligation. After all the time I spent going through the same process, I wondered if other agents thought if it was tedious.


    As the door to the Chief''s room slid open I saw that there were other people in the room. I raised a brow at Jacob, who was leaning against the wall behind his father. The chief was seated at the head of the room, while other board members surrounded him in a semi circle and spoke to him.


    "Agent Vincent," Chief greeted. His lips pressed into a tight line as he took in my appearance.


    "Chief, I''m sorry that I didn''t inform you about a meeting prior to this, but I hope that it is okay."


    "You''ve been undercover, agent. I understand that you were unable to contact us to protect your identity," he reasoned, but I could hear the judgment clear in his voice. He could be a family friend, but he would be harder on me for the decision I was making.


    "I plead the board to pardon my attire; I didn''t have the time or the mind to change my clothes before attending the meeting." They nodded as they asked me to take a seat.


    "I am here today to ask you for a favor." The Chief''s eyes widened a bit as he leaned forward. I could see his hands balling up into fists over the paperwork on his desk. Jacob stood there, frozen to the spot as he stared. His eyes were not on my face, but on the T-shirt that I was wearing.


    "Agent Vincent, please proceed," one of the board members said. I nodded before beginning.


    "I was assigned the task to infiltrate the Murray chapter of the mob in the state a few months ago. I will admit that I took the mission up for some selfish reasons that I do not want to reiterate in front of the respected members of the board. Because of the unprofessional nature of my decision, I havee to face with some diverse situations that affect my personal life immensely." I took in a cleansing breath before starting again. "I will take the opportunity to inform the people present in this room that I am no longer capable of continuing the mission. I have pushed my biased idea along with the mission since the mission, and it is not ethical on my part to go ahead in this manner. I plead the members to dismiss me from this case."


    "But agent, you will put yourself in jeopardy if you leave so abruptly." I listened patiently as they put their two dimes in. I didn''t give a damn.


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 Chapter 139 Slipping

    "I wasn''t asking to bepletely taken out of the scene, really," I informed them in a firm voice. I could see that they were confused but eager to know what my curious little brain had cooked up. "I would like to pursue Luke Darcy while I am still undercover. Despite not partaking in extracting information from Anthony Murray''s section, I will try to curb the armament dealing between the two. I can ensure you that the hit on Luke Darcy will be carried out and that he will be wiped off from the face of the earth."


    "No!" I heard Jacob. His face was red and angry. He was standing upright, his shoulders curved forward, ready for confrontation.


    "Agent Hunt, the question was directed towards the board members and not you," I stated rudely, before giving a meaningful look to said members.


    "We will not pretend to understand your reasons, agent Vincent," one of them spoke. He cleared his throat and suck permission from his colleagues so that he could speak. "As reluctant as we are to remove you from the Murray case, we are delighted to see you take the initiative and actively participate in such a huge deal."


    "Thank you," I said, relief flooding through me.


    "Bringing down Luke Darcy is no easy task, agent. Let me remind you of the fact," another one spoke up.


    "We all agree that you are perfect for the job, but we have a few demands that we will want to make. And we demand that you give us time to consider the pros and cons and decide if we will go with your n or not."


    "As you wish," I breathed and then stood up. "I will be waiting outside to receive the final verdict," I promised and turned to leave. I could hear Jacob''s footsteps behind me. As the door hissed closed, I heard his breathing be harsher and his footsteps be lighter.


    "How long are we going to ignore what is really happening over here, Mia?"


    "Agent Hunt, shall I remind you that we are in our ce of employment and speaking so informally to a fellow agent is frowned upon inside the premises. It shows weakness. The heir to the throne of this organization has no ce for showing weakness. You must remember that in the future," I informed him. My words were scalding, but there was sarcasm there to soothe the heat.


    "Fuck you, Mia Vincent. You talk about weakness!" he scoffed. I didn''t stop, though. I kept walking. I had expected the outburst. "You are the one showing weakness. That evening when I saw you outside that seedy bar, I knew what was going to happen. Did you think that I couldn''t see how you leaned into him as you spoke?" he spat out. "All this while you told tales of hatred and revenge, and now you are cowering in a corner, purring like a cat as he strokes your ego and bewitches you."


    "He has not bewitched me," I growled as I walked faster.


    "Oh, really? You are wearing his shirt, you look freshly fucked and you have mad eyes. He makes you have those eyes. You look so pathetic right now that I can''t even remember the woman whose thirst for revenge drove her to practice day in and day out to shoot right between the eyes every fucking time."


    "She''s right here, but your over-imaginative mind has warped the image," I told him with all the spite I had in my body.


    "I''m your friend, Mia. I can see that you are slipping. He has you. Don''t you see it? He''s taking you away from me¡ªfrom who you are. He''s doing this on purpose. You know it! You''ve always known it."


    "This decision has nothing to do with it, Jake. I am preserving my life. I know what will happen in the end. I can see it shing in front of my eyes every time I close my eyes. I can''t sleep because of the fear of dying... the fear of turning into fodder for weeds to grow in scared me. I can kill an army and sleep without a wink of guilt, but I cannot do that with the fear that I now have embedded in my system. I need to get rid of it. I need to purify myself and burn all signs of weakness. This fear is my weakness. I must stop it from infesting all over me. I want to live."


    "There are other ways."


    "I don''t think so. I don''t want it any other way." I confessed.


    "You''re in love with him," his strangled whisper made me want to reach out and put my hands over his mouth to stop him from saying anything else.


    I hissed as he removed my hand and then just stared at me.


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 Chapter 140 Two Goals

    "I can''t even hate you for it." His hands gripped his hair. "You won''t even deny it!" he screamed out in frustration. "Do you love him?" he asked. It sounded more like a plea. He wanted me to deny. I didn''t answer him. I just turned and walked away.


    The door slid open once more, and the faces turned to look at me.


    "I hope that all of you don''t mind. I found it rather embarrassing to go in front of the other employees in my attire. I can''t quite say that they''ve caught me in such a state before. I have a reputation to uphold, and my disheveled state will only tarnish my image." They nodded and ushered me in. Some of them smiled, some stared at me critically; there was one face¡ªa critical one that furiously gauged my every move. The chief was judgmental and disgusted by the turn of events. If I ever aplished what I aspired to, I would be thrown out of the organization on the grounds of being fickle minded.


    I didn''t have it in me to care.


    I had two goals in mind.


    The first was Michael, the man who possessed my every w and love. On the other hand, there was Luke Darcy, the man whom I had idealized as the perfect criminal. I have been obsessed with these two for the majority of my teenage life, and I could still see my grown-up version pining for them. This was my only chance to have them both in my grasp at the same time.


    "Mia," I heard the chief speak up. "We have had an extensive discussion on the turn of events in your mission. We have mutually agreed that you are indeed unsuitable to pursue Anthony Murray because you are excessively invested in the man personally. We understand that you thrive to get your revenge from the man who murdered your mother, but that is no proper reason to pursue someone in a professional atmosphere." It was his way of subtly reminding me that Anthony had killed the most precious person in this world. I didn''t have the strength to give in to his maniption. I had had enough of his little games.


    "I will justify myself by saying that we only learn from our mistakes." I quipped. His eyes narrowed, but before any of the others present in the room could catch the tension in the conversation, he schooled his expression into a calm and cold facade. I could see the rage swirling in his eyes, his jaws ticked every now and then to punctuate his true intentions.


    "Agent Vincent, we believe that it was honorable of you toe to us personally and let us know that you could not carry out the mission any longer. We fully understand that you can''t extract yourself from the system you have sneaked your way into, and respect that you are using this connection as a stepping stone to pursue someone much more valuable." Someone else spoke. I spared them a passing nce, offering them a measured smile before staring back at the Chief.


    "We would like to know as to what you n on doing after this."


    "Is this just some fantasy that you have cooked up in your head about bringing Luke Darcy under our thumb?"


    "You all will be pleased to hear that none of this is a fantasy and that I fully intend on carrying out the mission myself. I have found myself in a position where I have valuable internal information about conflicts raging in the world of criminals. As it turns out, Anthony Murray is an active part of this feud and is on the path of curbing Darcy''s powers. This is the weakest we will get Luke and I fully intend on exploiting the situation." They all nodded, seeming impressed by the peculiarity and practicality of the n. I felt pride bubbling in my chest when I thought about how Michael had taught me to manipte the situation to my advantage. It was a lesson that I had learned a lot from and used thoroughly.


    "Then you have our permission to go forward with the mission," another of them spoke up. I bowed my head in curtsy and then turned to look at the Chief again. His eyes had hardened further and his schooled features had been abandoned.


    "Agent Vincent, you might forfeit yourself from the mission, but we demand that you provide all the information that you have gained while you were invested in the mission." That stopped me for a moment. The members of the board conceded, much to my distaste.


    "That would be no problem," I assured them. The lie slipped through my lips as easily as taking a breath. "The full information will be submitted with a detailed report about the events up until today," I announced firmly. It was their time to grumble.


    "Thank you for your time, gentlemen." I tipped my head for onest time and hastily moved out of the room. Jacob stared at me as I passed him in the hall. His silent gaze burned into me. I tried to ignore him and his words but felt them seeping into my bones. I shook it off and got in the car.


    It was time to admit to myself.


    Anthony loved me.


    ---------


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 Chapter 141 Unlike You

    [This is where the lemony goodness will start. You are forewarned.]


    He sat on the couch, gripping his hair. His face was hidden behind his overgrown hair, and his knuckles were white with how tightly he gripped at his own hair. Silently moving to him, I put my hand on his elbows, making him jump.


    "You caught me off guard," he whispered. He gulped a lump in his throat as he stared. "You''re so beautiful," his hushed tone sent a chill up my spine.


    "I know," I told him. There was no smugness in my voice. I just conceded to what he said, because that was what his words made me feel.


    "Do you want to go out for a smoke?" I shook my head.


    "How did the call go?" I asked him. His eyes widened and panic shed in his eyes. "You can''t hide anything from me anymore. Did you know that?" his pained eyes turned to me.


    "You read me because I want you to read me. I would have it no other way."


    "That is so unlike you, Michael."


    "Tell me, Mia. Will I always remain Michael to you? My dead best friend?" So, that was the source of worry. He offered every part of himself, and now he was scared that I like the part of him that he thought didn''t exist.


    "You''re sort of cute when you are insecure and almost catatonic," I teased. He gave me a re, almost and went back to gripping his hair. My hands slipped from his elbows to gently circle over his knuckles. I gently untangled them from his hand and brought it to my hands. I traced the zigzag of patterns in his palms. He shuddered as I did so. I peeked at him, curiously and found him giving me a serene look.


    "You don''t believe me, do you?" he said suddenly. Stricken, I moved away.


    I did.


    I did believe that he loved me.


    I was sure that it was what he was referring to.


    "I know. I understand," I assured him. "I have no other option than to believe me... it just took me a little time."


    "But that''s not how it should be. I would want you to throw yourself into my arms and trust me to catch you. I would want you to kiss me first and show everyone that I''m yours," he sighed in exasperation.


    "What is this about?" I asked him, confused. "I always thought that men asked women to be their possession. Do you not have the need to possess me?"


    "I want to consume you, Mia. I do. I want to overpower you and make you mine, but not at the cost that you do not feel the same for me."He rolled his shoulders and then stood up.


    "That is a fascinating concept, but I don''t think that is how it works," I told him in a soft voice. His head turned to mine. His stance changed. A slow smile spread across his lips as he turned fully to face me.


    "Ask me to show you," he challenged. "I want to show you," it was the most pleasurable proposal someone had given me.


    "Let me devour you," he took one step towards me. I took two backward.


    "Let me worship every cell in your body and light them on fire." Another step back.


    "Let me show you that love is just as violent as shooting a gun."


    "Let me show you that the bullet is what you love. You love me, Mia." I breathed. I tried desperately to shake my head and say no. At least I didn''t say yes.


    "Kiss me," he demanded. This time, I shook my head. "Kiss me." I jerked upright. I sucked in a breath and then let myself go.


    Two steps forward. One more.


    My hands found his face. His eyes burned as they stared right back at me. He licked his lips, his eyes flickering to my lips. I inched onto my toes and then kissed his neck.


    His chin.


    His jaw.


    The corner of his lips.


    I gave him a quick lick.


    He leaned in, but I pulled back.


    "You asked me..." I breathed out. "Now let me," I demanded.


    His lips parted as he conceded. His Adam''s apple bobbed as he waited.


    Anticipation, I realized, made the moment sweeter than anything I had ever experienced. He was right... every cell in my body was zing hotter than the sun, and he just stood there. He had made one small attempt to get closer, but nothing else.


    "What are you capable of?" I asked, knowing the answer well. "What can you do to me?" I wish I could keep the amusement out of my voice. I parted my mouth slowly and then pressed our mouths together. My hands found his hair. I pulled his head back and then kissed him harder, pressing forward until we were stumbling onto the couch.


    "Are you ready?" he asked.


    "To see?" he nodded. "Yes," I gulped. "Show me." All signs of teasing vanished. His hands gripped my waist as he kissed me. He was slow and deliberate. He pulled a hand away from my waist and brought it to my neck.


    ---------


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 Chapter 142 Finally

    [This is where the lemony goodness will start. You are forewarned.]


    "Can you hear your heart thumping, Mia?" he moaned against my lips. "I can feel your blood rushing through your veins." He muttered in awe. I think I hear him say the word ''alive,'' but I am too far gone to ponder over something so trivial. His lips left mine, then. He traveled to where his fingers had pressed against my pulse. He licked and sucked until I felt myself squirming on hisp. He chuckled slowly as his hands cupped my breasts.


    The sly bastard brushed his fingers over my nipples for the shortest period of time before letting his hand find my waist again.


    He didn''t utter a single word and he held me firmly. He stood up, holding me against him: his chest pressed against mine. I wrapped my legs around him, instinctively and leaned into him. I let my head rest on his shoulder.


    I tried to distract him with kisses. He shook his head and then took us up the stairs.


    This is what it feels like to be taken care of, I realized.


    He ced me onto the bed gently. Something I hadn''t expected from him. He adjusted his pants and then winked at me. I tried to pull up and go nearer, but he shook his head.


    His hands vanished behind him. In a matter of moments, I saw him pull his gun out.


    I quirked my brow at him.


    I waited for it.


    He pointed it towards my head, from what I saw, if he pulled the trigger it would get me right between the eyes. In the blink of an eye, he moved and pulled out the bullets, each of them dropping to the floor one after the other. He saved one, though. He ced it in one hand, and the gun in the other. He went around the bed and ced them on his bedside table.


    I followed each movement curiously.


    "What are you doing?" I asked him, curiosity getting the best of me.


    "Trust me, you will find out in time," he told me with a cocky smirk as he sauntered back between my legs.


    "You''d actually shoot me?" I asked him. He raised his brow and grasped my knees. I kept them tight shut, but his hands pressed harder. "Would you?"


    "If you gave me a reason, yes," he told me. I recoiled from his touch and then shot my foot out to get him in the stomach. He grasped my ankles before I could reach him and pulled me closer. "I love you," he affirmed. My legs fell open for him; my hands gripped the sheets as he leaned over and pressed his lips to mine. My hands loosened on the sheets and went for his hair. Yanking him closer, I pushed my hips up. He ced one hand on my hip to push me down again. I swore under my breath and he chuckled.


    "Patience, my kitten." His lips trailed down my chin... down my neck and stopped at my sternum. My eyes fluttered open as he ced an open-mouthed kiss there. Breath hitching, I let my hands travel from his hair to his forehead. I pushed the unruly hair to find him staring at me. His lips remained the only part of him that touched me.


    He moved away suddenly. I lurched forward to hold on, but he stopped me with a re.


    "Up," he ordered as he yed with the hem of my shirt. It came off easily as I arched my back. He moaned as I did. "Fuck," he muttered.


    "Have you ever used this method to torture a prisoner, Anthony?"


    "No... I''ve never wanted to keep a prisoner until you."


    "I''m that special, huh?" he answered me by wrapping his lips around my nipples. Tingles shot across my nerves. Just looking at him made me wonder. What next?


    What next?


    Seeming toprehend my thoughts, he tapped on my hip bones and then teased the edge of my pants. I arched up, again, desperately seeking the friction that he was denying me.


    "Hush," he whispered as he slipped his hands into my pants. I nearly shot off the bed when he made a careless pass at my clit. "No panties?" he asked, breathlessly, already knowing the answer.


    "I believe that good air cirction keeps the body healthy," I gasped as he rubbed my folds.


    "Yes, air cirction is very important," he agreed, pressing his hips to mine.


    Finally!


    My lungs almost copsed as I felt him press against me, hard and insistent.


    He wants me...


    He really wants me...


    At that moment I had no doubt in my mind.


    He sucked at my flesh and pressed his fingers into my wet folds. I groaned as the pressure on my entrance increased.


    "Michael," I warned. His lips left me and set on smirking.


    ---------


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 Chapter 143 No Shame

    [Warning: Snu snu ahead. Still. I am sorry. I don''t know how long this will go on. I am enjoying myself. Expicit content. So, read at your own risk.]


    "The first thing that enters you will be me, darling. I will not let my fingers have the privilege of feeling youe before I have you wrapped in my arms and am deep inside you." I shut up instantly. I hoped he could keep his promise.


    "You are getting old... are you sure you can keep up?" I teased, but he took it as a challenge. He removed his fingers from my entrance and pressed his thumb against my clit again. The pressure was almost excruciating. It took me on the verge of release, but kept me hanging, not letting me escape.


    "Please..." he smirked as he went back to kiss my ribs. His tongue circled my navel suggestively before kissing right over my waistband. His fingers delved into my pants and then fidgeted to pull them off. I raised my hips a bit, helping me pull it offpletely. He gave me a wink before widening my legs and pulling my hips off the bed my thighs. He kneeled in front of me, almost reverently and then kissed me from toe to knee.


    His eyes¡ªever burning, settled on mine as he leaned in and gave a courtesy kiss to my hip bone. And after that, Iprehended little more than his tonguepping at my wet flesh, and his lips sucking hungrily on my clit.


    "Not yet," he ground out, every time I came close to breaking. I hissed every time he withdrew after that. Over and over again, he repeated the process until my thoughts were a jumble of sounds and the only sound in the room were my gasps for breath.


    "If you don''t let mee in the next thirty seconds, I will grab your cock and squeeze it to death," I threatened. He chuckled as he left mepletely. "What the f-" I couldn''t even finish my sentence as I felt him join me on the bed and turn me to a side.


    "Your wish is mymand, my kitten," he licked the shell of my ears as kept one of my legs on his hips.


    He let mee.


    I don''t know if it was within thirty seconds...


    I don''t know how he opened his pants that fast.


    I just know that I threw my head back as he entered me. His lips were on my neck; his hands circled my torso. His legs kept mine apart as he moved inside me. I whimpered as he held back. The maddeningly slow rhythm, made me want to rip my hair out.


    My overheated center wanted relief, but he wasn''t letting up. I had to plead.


    I felt no shame doing it.


    He groaned into my neck as he moved away, his cock still inside me.


    "Come back," I groaned as I felt him slipping away.


    "Yes," he whispered. His muscles tightened as he moved back close to me. "Do you trust me, Mia?" I nodded. "Show me."


    "Close your eyes and let me take care of you."


    His hands travelled down my stomach and rested right over my center. As I whimpered, he thrust into me.


    I could feel the scream bubbling. The restraint he had shown slipped away. His mouth bit down on my shoulder as he set a punishing pace.


    "Too hot," I managed to groan. My voice was raspy. Theck of oxygen in my body wasn''t helping me, either.


    "Let me cool you down." Fear gripped me. The tone of his voice made me think that he would move away, but he didn''t.


    I cried out as something cold touched my heated skin.


    "Let go," hemanded, harshly.


    "W-What is that?" He chuckled.


    "Bullet," he said. My eyes widened as I tried to move away. "Don''t," he barked out. His hands circled my clit in tight motions. The harmony of heat and cold gave it a maddening aura. "Feel it," he insisted. I let him. I didn''t have anything left in me.


    The scream that had been stuck in my throat escaped and rang through the walls. The heat seared through my body at lightning pace. I choked on my own breath as I felt him stiffen behind me. As he held on to me, I felt myself shatter... over and over again, taking him further... letting him consume mepletely.


    I felt no shame.


    I felt no shame.


    I only felt relief.


    Having him there with me...


    Of having felt no hate in that moment.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 144 Reveren

    [Warning: Some more snu snu. Beware.]


    "Get off me," I swatted at his chest as he grinned.


    "No." He shook his head as he leaned into me and gave my lips a quick peck.


    "Stop being a petnt, overgrown mob boss." His eyes narrowed considerably, but his smile stayed on his lips. He pulled my legs around his hips so that my legs were wrapped around him.


    "You''re in love with me, baby..." he snickered as I groaned. "You can''t resist me," he cooed.


    "You''re a dirty old man, Anthony." I rolled my eyes. A gasp escaped me midway as he pushed into me.


    "Ten times, baby. This old man made youe ten times tonight. I didn''t hear youining then," he teased. Each swivel of his hip made me clutch onto him tighter.


    "I wonder when your balls will shrivel and fall off," I muttered under my breath. "I mean, all this abuse must have taken a toll on the poor thing."


    "He is in no way poor, my kitten. He''s satiated but greedy." He licked my jaw sciously. Shivering, I pulled him closer. "He wants you," he dered. His steady pace faltered for a bit when I moaned into his ears.


    "God, what you do to me..." his shaky breath resonated within me.


    "I love you," he whispered before he renewed his ministrations.


    "I know," I choked. My breath caught in my throat as I felt him pushing deeper, right into that spot. It made my legs shake. My legs ached. I needed to free them and put them somewhere stable.


    "No," he growled. He pulled my legs over his hips again, slipping in deeper.


    "Please," I whimpered as he pulled me closer to ecstasy. It was almost painful. The look on his face told me that he felt the same.


    "Tell me you love me," he pleaded. I shook my head, faltering, unable to perform any cognitive function apart from grinding mindlessly into him.


    "Say it." He gritted his teeth together and mmed into me harder, never letting me fall over the edge. He measured his thrusts as kept me on the brink.


    "I don''t love you." There. How do you like that?


    He stopped all of a sudden.


    His eyes hardened as he scrutinized my face.


    "You''re a good liar, my kitten, but I am a master tormentor." He slid into me again but never moved. Deep inside, I could feel him shift his hip to different angles until he was there... pressing up into that magical spot with a delicious amount of pressure. He let my foot go. He knew well that I wouldn''t let go... I was too close toing to let him go. His fingers found my clit. He didn''t move them. He just kept them there, pressing hard. The sensation would have made me burst.


    I felt full.


    I needed to let go.


    He wouldn''t let me.


    When did he acquire suchmand over your body?


    "Please..." I begged. He shook his head.


    "I know you love me. Say it."


    "Don''t make me, please." I might have cried at that moment. How can I want him so much after ten rounds? "Michael, please..." his eyes softened immediately.


    "Tell me, please..." he whispered.


    "I can''t."


    "Why not?" The pain in his voice shot through me.


    "I-" I couldn''t say it. I just couldn''t. He knew it, but he just... he never let it go.


    I felt him move. Surprised, I opened my eyes. I hadn''t even realized that I had squeezed them close.


    "It''s okay..." He cradled my face and pulled out. Sucking in a breath, I sumbed to him again, moving with him. "Watch," hemanded, caressing my face. I let out a whimper before following his orders.


    Shocks rippled through my body as I stared.


    "God," I threw my head back.


    Three months of this.


    Every night.


    Every day.


    It never ceased to shock me.


    I remembered the reflection of us... thinking that we looked good together. We did look good together.


    But this was only for our own eyes.


    He breathed in harmony.


    Chaos reigned as he chased the end.


    His honeyed voice helped me through the darkness.


    Myshes fluttered as I focused on his face again.


    Azy smile came over his face as he copsed on top of me.


    I stroked his hair gently as he breathed on my chest. His hot breath made my heart stutter and pulse.


    "Someday," he whispered. It was a reverent promise.


    "Someday," I told him. It was no assurance. Just a fact. I would tell him... it was too soon. Three months was too short... I couldn''t let him know yet.


    "I love you." I gulped and then sighed.


    This was it.


    I wanted nothing more.


    ---------


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 Chapter 145 Celibacy

    "Things have been quiettely," Sean mutters as he sits beside Michael and ys their favorite video game. While Michael''s face is scrunched up in concentration, Sean has a rxed look on his face. He''s not even trying hard enough.


    "You''ll never win against him," I let him know. Sean gives me a smug smirk, while Michael res at me.


    "Don''t re at me," I tell him in a nd voice. His anger had spurred me on, as always. As did his yful side...


    "If I lose, it''s your fault," he grumbled as he cursed over some aspect of the game. After a few minutes of silence, the swearing became louder and crasser. The loud bang against his desk, let me know that he has lost for the third time today. I chuckled under my breath as I tried to concentrate on the book I was trying to read.


    "Again?" I heard Sean say in an amused voice.


    "Yes," I heard him hiss.


    This went on for another fifteen minutes until he lost for the fourth time and grudgingly admitted defeat. It was a sweet moment.


    He plopped down beside me and leaned in to give me a quick peck. A smile spread across my lips, but I ignored him from then on. The book was rather interesting and taking a turn for the better.


    "It''s a good thing... the calm."


    "It could also be the calm before the storm." I cut in. I saw him give me a nce before he turned away.


    "It could be, but what is life without a few tornadoes to bring it to the brink of extinction?"


    "A happy life?" I replied sarcastically.


    "A boring life."


    "I think I like boring. I don''t believe my poor heart can take any more excitement. That old one of yours surely can''t." I snorted. I put my book down, realizing that I had no clue what I was reading.


    "One day... you''ll get old, too, and then we''ll travel to the Himyas and rid ourselves of our material desires."


    "Celibacy would not suit you," I admitted.


    "Neither you, my kitten." I shrugged. I didn''t want to find that one out.


    Sean cleared his throat, visibly embarrassed, but delighted to have caught us in a rare, romantic moment.


    We loved the boy.


    He was making great progress, taking online sses and developing his conventionalputing skills. His theoretical knowledge of technology had increased ten folds over the time he started preparing for the education of the world.


    As reluctant as Anthony was to let him go, he knew that the day woulde soon. Sean had enough money to pull through college, and everyone knew that he had the brains to survive the world. What scared Anthony was that he was going to lose his star. He never failed to remind me how important the boy was to him.


    Sometimes, I called him selfish.


    Other times, I understood that he processed emotions in a different way. He valued people by their talent, and he held them close to his heart. Competency: that is what he looked for in people who surrounded him. And he was lucky to find it at every turn.


    "Speaking of excitement and storms. We have to throw a huge party..."


    "Poseidon?" I suggested. He gave me a brilliant smile.


    "Yes. In Cienna''s absence, you will be looking over every detail." I chuckled, shaking my head. "You are thedy of the house," he gave me a sly wink.


    "Yes, kind sir, I will be a gracious host and take care of your business partners."


    "Now, you will find all the important faces of the underworld present. They will have different needs that we should cater to. There will be a theme and a grand performance. It will be nothing short of excellent." He gave me a pointed look. "I can count on you. I know." The pride in his voice made the butterflies in my stomach go wild.


    I gave him the sexiest smile I could muster.


    "You''d better give me a list before I start working," I warned him. "How long do I have?"


    "A week," he informed, somewhat apologetically. "You can do it."


    "I know."


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 Chapter 146 Hit Me

    Luke Darcy.


    His invite was in my hand. I stared at it for the longest time, before sealing it and adding it to the pile of invites that were to be sent out today. Rob, who was sitting beside me, was firing instructions around.


    My favorite mixologist had been a great help. The preparations were almost over. We had worked day in and day out to hire workers who would serve. We had contacted the best DJ''s who would y all around the day. We had prepared for costumes and masks for all the members of the staff and designed the invitation cards. The menu was decided. The food had been ordered.


    It was almost like I was preparing for a wedding. The guest list had a solid number that scared the crap out of me. How the staff would manage catering to every whim of the scumbags and high handed bastards, I did not know.


    Anthony was rxed. He seemed happy and calctive.


    He was plotting.


    Darcy''s fall was nearing.


    I had a sinking feeling in my stomach.


    Where would that lead us?


    After dealing with Luke Darcy, I would be left with the choice of leaving the organization or leaving Anthony. It seemed like an easy choice, but I didn''t know how long I would be able to hide my identity. He was loving and thoughtful. He asked me questions about my life. I made shit up and went with the flow. He had probably caught my lies more often than not.


    He still loved me.


    My phone started buzzing in my pocket. I got up, excused myself and then left the room.


    "We should meet," she said.


    "Daisy," I greeted. "Now is not a good time."


    "Mia. I know about this grand party that Anthony Murray is throwing. Everyone knows." I heard her huff. "I need to meet you. There are a few precautionary procedures that I want to go over with you before the party. We need to coborate."


    "You think something is going to happen?" I ask.


    "I am pretty sure. Keeping Murray and Darcy in the same room is vtile. You should be prepared." I sighed in frustration.


    "I can handle myself," I hissed out.


    "Precautionary procedures, Mia. It is my duty. I have been covering your ass since the beginning of this mission and I will continue to do so until it ends." There was finality in her tone that I hated.


    "I have not heard a word from you in the past three months, Daisy. Do you expect me to jump at the first opportunity I get to meet you? In your own words, there is a risk. I cannot take the chance."


    "You don''t need to," she stated. "Just stay in Poseidon''s Realm this evening. I''ll call you and set you up."


    "This better be worth it."


    "I wouldn''t bother if it wasn''t," she replied, frustrated. We hung up. I went back to the invites.


    As I posted them, the sinking feeling in my stomach grew.


    Paranoia crept in.


    Run, screamed my gut.


    Stay, screamed the heart.


    I remembered his face.


    I gave him and Daisy the benefit of doubt.


    .


    Daisy was sitting at the bar, sipping on a Martini when I spotted her from the VIP room. Ethan, who was helping me out with decorating the room, sensed the sudden change in mood.


    "Are you okay?" he asked me. I gave him a firm nod.


    "I have someone important to meet. I''ll be gone for a while." I let him know. "Cover for me, okay?"


    "Who are you meeting?" he asked me rather suspiciously.


    "An old associate," I informed him.


    "You still meet people from your past?" he asked incredulously. I nodded, not giving him any more information before leaving the room. I was pretty sure that Ethan would see her from up there, and the questions would follow, but if I took her out of the club, he would grow suspicious. He would try to protect Anthony, and naturally, find out what was happening.


    Striding purposefully towards her, I waved Rob over. He tilted his head to a side to acknowledge me.


    "Keep the drinksing..." I slipped some money to him. "Make sure no one is overhearing." He nodded, curtly before giving a full scan of the room.


    "You''ve made some friends, I see." Her bored tone made me want to re at her. But I kept it all in and waited for her to continue.


    "Why are you here?" I asked her. I didn''t even try to hide the disdain in my voice. "I don''t have time for this. You''re putting me in jeopardy."


    "I''m sure you cane out of it, Mia. Just like you got out of the mission," her voice was so low that I almost missed it.


    "That is none of your business."


    "I must say... I have grown rather fond of your scathing personality," she sighed. "I''m d that you backed out when you did." She looked around once, making sure that no one was overhearing.


    "Don''t worry," I reassured her.


    "I''ve been digging into everything, doing background checks and..." She looked straight into my eyes and said the words that followed. "I have found some disturbing things. I have been sworn to secrecy. The organization will take action if I utter a word of their n to you, but I needed to warn you. They can''t use me of anything."


    "They will kill you if they found out."


    "I know, so you better keep this a secret."


    "Hit me."


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    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 147 Password

    "I''ve been monitoring your mail for some time now and got some news about Jasper."


    "Where is he?"


    "I can''t be sure, but I think that he is a rat. He works for the organization but maybe works under Anthony for now. He didn''t seem like a threat before but on further investigation... I havee to question his intentions. I don''t know if he means you harm, but he certainly had a huge role to y in the murder of Melody and Dorian."


    "I need details, Daisy."


    Her voice dropped further.


    "I looked through all the records on him, and his file states everything different from what Cain''s file said." I was sure that my eyes had narrowed to slits because an apologetic look crossed her face. She knew that I didn''t really trust her at the moment.


    "It says that Anthony killed Dorian Murray... and that Jasper was inside the house at the moment." I sucked in a breath. Believe the tale of a dead man or two living people. Not that Anthony and Jasper were noble... For all knew Jasper was working for Anthony and was having a st fucking with my head.


    "You knew this," she stated in awe. I nodded and then motioned to her to continue speaking. "So..." she cleared her throat. "I went through the files and hacked into the system again, and found the pictures. The times suggest that what Jasper is saying is true. Now, this could mean two things..."


    "Spit it out," I hissed when I saw her hesitating.


    "Either the organization is tampering with evidence to point at something or instigate someone, or Anthony Murray is ying you."


    "Both are possible," I admitted, begrudgingly. "What do you suggest I do?"


    "Do you still have your watch on you?" I nodded. "Change the code, be prepared. If you think that there is no escaping, remember that they will not kill you. They will torture you. They want something from you, and you can never give it to them. If you think it best... kill yourself." A startled breath escapes me.


    "Kill myself?"


    My throat feels dry. My heart pumps heat into my veins.


    "Kill yourself, Mia," she repeats. "This is still a suicide mission. At least die with dignity." I nodded.


    All these images... musings of a brain that had epted the fate.


    "What are the statistics?" I ask her, trying to stay collected.


    "There is a ny percent chance that you will die." A small smile spread across my lips.


    "Ten percent is more than I had hoped for. I think I''ll manage."


    "Mia," I heard Rob whisper. Instantly, I found myself looking around. I located Ethan closing in on us.


    "That is Ethan-"


    "I know of him," I heard Daisy say. "He''s sexy."


    "He is," I admitted, offering her a small smile. She gave me a tight-lipped smile of hers.


    The conversation was silent but pressing.


    It would never happen. He would kill me if he found out who I am, her eyes said.


    I know how you feel, I assured her.


    We bonded over deceptions and lost love.


    "Who is this lovelydy?" the charmer asked.


    "Daisy at your service, kind sir," she replied saucily. I chuckled, as I watched them banter. I could see the tightening around her eyes. She really wanted to get loose and get to know him, but she reeled herself in when he came on too strong. It was almost heartbreaking to watch. I wondered if someone had ever thought that Anthony and I were that way.


    Rob probably had.


    When Ethan was done trying to take her back home or at least get her number, he let out an exasperated sigh and then turned to me.


    "Give her my number, please. Maybe she will change her mind." He gave me a meaningful look before saying, "we have to prepare for tomorrow." I nodded and then shooed him away.


    "I''m sorry," I told her. She nodded, clearly understanding what I was hinting at.


    "I''m happy for you... just don''t fall into a trap, okay? I''ve worked too damn hard to let you die in the end. Find a way to hang on."


    "Change the password, Daisy. Tell me how it works." She gulped as she looked down at my extended hand.


    "What will your password be?"


    "It would be something that I would want to say or remember before I die. Like a token that made me help exist," I reasoned, philosophically. She stared at me for a moment before shrugging. "I know," I smiled.


    She grabbed my hand and then started tampering with my watch.


    "Password?"


    "One. One. Four. Two. Zero. One. Five. One. Four. Two. Five." She frowned before feeding it in.


    "Will you remember it?" I nodded.


    "I have a pretty good memory. I don''t forget things; it makes it easier to hold grudges, you know," I tried to joke,mely.


    "If I may ask... what does it signify?" I raised a brow at her.


    "None of your business," I tell her. "Now, you better get going before they find out and shoot you for being a traitor."


    "Believe me, Mia. I am not the worst they have seen."


    "I sure hope not," I mumble under my breath as I see her walking away.


    ---------


    [Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi/sunscar9 to ensure I don''t starve.]

 Chapter 148 If I Asked

    "Are you done yet?" I shouted. My dress was lying on the bed, and I was standing outside waiting for Anthony to get dressed. He had been upying the closet for the past fifteen minutes.


    "Why are you in such a hurry?" he shouted back. I huffed in frustration but didn''t answer. A few momentster, the door slid open and he walked out. He was fidgeting with the sleeve of his shirt. His tie was hanging loosely from his neck. I sighed and got up.


    I could see his eyes slide down in appreciation.


    "You look nice," hemented with a sly grin.


    "Of course, I do. I''m only wearing my underwear."


    "And the heels..." Like a horny teenager, he pulled me to him and kissed me roughly. Shoving him away, I gave him a disapproving look.


    "Hold still," Imanded as I grabbed the ends of his tie and made the knot. He fell silent, then. I could feel his eyes on me. When I patted his chest and let him go, he held on to my waist.


    "You... You are not going."


    "Why?" I asked him, irritationcing my voice.


    "I don''t know how it is going to turn out. All these hot-headed bastards are going to be there and someone might blow up. I don''t want you there-"


    "And that is exactly why I should be there. Just because you sleep with me now, doesn''t mean that it is not my job to be at your side at all costs. I am your partner. I will take the damn bullet for you if ites to that."


    "You don''t understand," his voice rose and his hands found their way to his hair. He clutched onto it and pulled it so hard, that I flinched... almost.


    "Then make me understand," I implored.


    "Something..." he trailed off. Words that had been spoken by Daisy swirled in my mind, drawing horrific images. I shoved them away and red at him.


    "I will stay out of sight, but I will not leave the club. Do you understand?" It was a fairpromise on my part. I would be able to handle the needs of the people and oversee the staff.


    "Thank you," he whispered as he nuzzled my face.


    "Now let me get dressed." He shook his head yfully. "Do you want all those men seeing your woman half naked?" I teased, lightly. A growl escaped his throat. "Leave," I chuckled. He shook his head as if to clear it and then walked out of the room.


    .


    "Mia," he whispered as we stopped in front of the club. The space where the regr queue would be was empty. Two of the staff members were acting as valets.


    I turned to him as I saw one of them approach. They recognized my car.


    "I need you to enter through the back door. Do you understand?" I nodded, not needing an exnation. "You will note to the VIP room unless I call for you." I raised my brow at him but nodded anyway. "Things will go smoothly," he said. The way he said it, made me think that he was trying to convince himself. It was a disconcerting thought, but it was amusing to see him so... unsure about his decisions.


    "Have faith in my abilities, Michael," I assured him. "You know you can trust me," I whispered to him. I leaned forward and cradled his face in my palms. I ced a small peck on his lips. He tried to deepen it, but I moved away, shaking my head.


    "I love you," he gulped. I kissed him again, letting him know that I understood. "You know, right?" his eyes heldyers of unwavering fear and doubt. Of what, I didn''t know.


    "Are you sure about this?" I asked him. It was his party, but he could leave if he wanted to. "We can go home and spend time on your bed," I teased.


    "I can''t," he cleared his throat and then tightened the tie around his neck.


    "Do you want me to go home?" his head snapped towards my direction.


    "You would go if I asked?"


    "Anthony, I know there is something wrong. I can feel it in my gut, but I don''t want to run. I want to face it with you by my side." I breathed. "But if you want me to leave, I will."


    "God, I love you." His features rxed, and a smile appeared on his lips. The light tap on the window alerted us. I rolled the window down and looked at the valet who was waiting patiently.


    "We''ll be parking the car ourselves. No one should know that we have arrived." He nodded and then moved back to his position. Michael looked surprised, but he didn''tment. I chuckled under my breath as I started the engine again.


    "Care for a quickie in the back seat?" I offered, mostly teasing.


    "No, thanks. I''d rather not let my business associates smell you on me. I don''t like people having inappropriate thoughts about my wench." He stifled augh as he looked away.


    "Always a romantic." I rolled my eyes.


    "Park the car, wench."


    "Yes, my lord."

 Chapter 149 Let Me Pass

    "How many people are present?" I asked Rob. He was running around the ce, trying to manage everything when I entered.


    "Too many," he groaned. I nodded. Not that it was much help, but at the time, his condition made me sympathetic.


    "I''m taking over," I told him. "Take a break." He scurried away, thankful for the break.


    I threw myself into work, enjoying ordering people around. I realized that it was what Anthony must feel every day.


    "Ma''am," a girl whispered. I turned to her and gave her a stern look. "We need one more bartender," her voice grew to a whisper as I red at her.


    "I thought we had enough bartenders this evening."


    "We miscalcted. The crowd is bigger than we anticipated."


    "Put Rob behind the bar," I told her, frustrated. She opened her mouth to speak but hesitated. "Tell me."


    "He''s serving the VIP room, ma''am. No one else is allowed up there." I might have growled in response.


    "Just put him behind the bar. I''ll see what I can do." She nodded and hastily retreated. I pulled out my cell phone from under my dress and dialled Michael''s number. He picked up after a couple of rings.


    "What is it?" he sounded irritated.


    "We need another server in the VIP room. I''ming in."


    "No!" he ground out.


    "Michael..."


    "Don''te up here." I heard the door closing behind him. "I aming downstairs. Wait for me." He hung up on me. I waited for a few minutes as I ced the cell phone back into the strap. The tray was sitting beside me. I just had to pick it up and take it to him.


    "Mia," he greeted as he burst through the door to the kitchen. "What are you thinking? What is the problem?" I exined everything to him and he gaped at me.


    "You tend to the bar!" he suggested, frantically.


    "Anthony, I don''t know the first thing mixing up drinks. You know that," I hissed. He shook his head. "Send some other girl in. I don''t care. You are noting."


    "If you are worried that they will find out who I am, then you don''t need to be."


    "Luke will take you." The worry was clear in his eyes. "Don''t," he pleaded.


    "All the servers are wearing masks. I will wear a mask as well. There are a few good things thate out of having a masquerade party," I gave him a smirk. He tried to smile but failed.


    "Send someone else in," hemanded and then left the room. Gritting my teeth, I ushered all the servers over. None of them had the guts to go up there. All of them knew that the world''s most dangerous people were sitting inside. I asked around for people with bartending experience, but no one was capable in that field either. After half an hour of ignoring orders and quarrelling over assigned spots, I gave up and took it upon myself.


    "I suppose we have spare uniforms?" One of them asked me to follow. Changing into the designated clothes, I donned on the mask. The only person who would be able to recognize me would be Anthony. He would be angry, but he would get over it.


    I took the tray and memorized the orders.


    The guards outside the door stopped me from going inside. I smiled, satisfied that they were doing their jobs well.


    "Let me pass," I ordered as I pulled the mask up, momentarily. They moved away from the entrance, holding it open for me.


    "-hear that you have a partner, now." Anthony hummed in reply. "I also hear that she is beautiful." I saw him stiffen at thement. He had yet to look up. I moved forward going around the room, serving everyone. Anthony seemed fixated on the man who had made the particr remark.


    His suit was pressed and new. He was a tall man, judging from how he bent his legs in front of the couch. His hair was a dead giveaway. Blond, cropped hair with slivers of white in it.


    Luke Darcy.


    I stopped in front of him, stooping low to ce his flute on the ss table.


    "Ah, a new server!" Darcy muttered overjoyed. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Anthony''s eyes fall on me. His eyes widened just a fraction and he clenched his fist.


    "And you''re a beautifuldy..." someone else muttered. I mumbled a thank you, stered a smile on my lips and served the drinks.


    "What are you doing?" I heard him hiss. I gave him a scathing look before handing him the drink and walking away without answering.


    About ten minutes after I had left the room, I heard Anthony enter the kitchen area. His eyes were hard and his hands were fisted at his side.


    "I told you not toe up, didn''t I?" he hissed. I saw the other servers nce our way.


    "Get back to work!" I ordered. He took a moment to nce around and then led me away from the staff.


    "No one can handle them better than you. I need you to oversee everything. Why did you go up despite of my orders?"


    "I was given the responsibility that this party should run smoothly and that is exactly what I am doing right now."


    "You are disobeying the orders of the Boss by entering the room; do you realize that, Mia?" I nod.


    "I had no other option. None of the staff is ready to take that sort of responsibility. They were scared out of their wits when I proposed someone to volunteer."


    "You let them have a choice. That is the problem. You are here to work, Mia. Be a professional. You should not be concerned about their feelings."

 Chapter 150 Hellca

    "And what of their lives? They are innocent people? You are keeping me out because you don''t want me to be killed. The same applies to them. They are just here to earn and wage and go on with their lives. I can''t y with their safety," I ground out. I was not going to let him win in that argument.


    "I don''t care about their lives," he growled. "I only give a damn about what happens to you."


    "You''re a bloody hypocrite. What happened to acting professionally? I am being professional. You are being a selfish asshole by putting them in danger." He looked stricken as the words sunk in. "I know how you feel," I took a step towards him. He fisted his hair as he saw me approach. Warily, he let me take his hand. "You care about me. You want me safe. I understand," my voice was a balm to sores and aches. "But you have to let me fight my own battles. I have a lot to prove. I am not fragile. We both know that. Let me take care of myself. Let me take care of you... enjoy..."


    "I promise you that I will kill any of those morons who try to touch you. I''ll finish Luke if he tries to take you."


    "Your protective alpha side is arousing, but irritating, too. Go put up pretences before they get suspicious." He nodded. He stopped as he was leaving and turned back.


    "I will say a lot of things tonight. Do not listen to a word... I love you. Remember that."


    I knew that he had to seem indifferent. I had slowly be his weakness, and he would be wise not to show it off in front of his enemies.


    .


    The next time I entered the VIP area, I heard them discussing some rogue who was making a name for himself in Asia. I quickly went about serving the drinks and picking up empty sses.


    For most of the night, it turned into afortable routine. I heard secrets that I hadn''t known. I got the names of enemies and allies.


    "Speaking of rats. I hear you did away with Scott."


    "Rats are fun to have around, but they get greedy and messy once you let them be." I saw Anthony shrug nonchntly.


    "And that partner of yours? The one that reced Scott? What of her? Is she any good?" Darcy asked, sounding offended.


    "Easy there, Luke. I know that Bashov was a personal favorite of yours, but you don''t need to get so fired up about something so trivial. We took what was ours fair and square. We even gave you a warning before we came."


    "That you did. I appreciate that girl of yours, though. I hear she took down a lot of my men singlehanded." He sounded intrigued. I saw Anthony nce at me for a second. I looked around once, myself; just to be sure that no one had seen him do it. The man in the ck Death mask had his eyes trained on me. There was a distinct possibility that he had seen Anthony''s slip.


    Fucking idiot.


    "She must be a damned goody, then," the man said, his eyes moving from me to Anthony. It was a familiar voice, but I couldn''t point out where I had heard it.


    Anthony turned to him and his lips curled into a rxed smile.


    "She could be Satan if we are talking about the damned." I held back a scoff as I went towards him to pick up his empty ss.


    "A scotch," Anthony told me gruffly.


    "Babe," someone called out as I started to move towards the door. I turned around, anyways, realizing that the indignant man was referring to me. "Come here." He gave him a huge grin that made me question his intentions.


    "Yes, sir?" I asked sweetly.


    "What''s your name, sweet girl?" I kept my face straight, but I could feel the tension in the room rising. He leaned over the couch he was sitting in and grabbed my free hand. I had the most incredible need to smash a ss into his face as he smirked at me.


    "I''m sorry, but I have rounds to make," I told him politely, doing nothing to free my hand. Maybe speaking politely would throw him off and make him let go of my hand. I didn''t want to piss off any of Anthony''s associates. Not when it was my responsibility as the hostess to take good care of them.


    "She is not allowed to say her name," I heard Anthony growl.


    "Anthony, you always keep the pretty ones to yourself. Let me have this one. You already have one hellcat sucking your cock every night." With that, he tugged on my limp hand, catching me off guard. I tripped over, the tray slipping from my fingers. I bent forward to catch it before it fell, but the tug turned into a furious pull. I fell backwards,nding on the arm of the sofa next to the man.

 Chapter 151 You Lied

    Suddenly it fell into perspective. I knew that voice. He was the mysterious man I had seen with Anthony when I first started working for him. Only, the alcohol had made him unsophisticated. He spoke like a rowdy boy from a street gang rather than the cultured man whom I had heard the first time around.


    "She works here, and she is not at your beck and call." I turned to look at Anthony for some sort of a signal. He blinked once, insisting I stay where I was. His eyes were narrowed to slits and his whole body was tense as he thought over the words he would say next.


    "Let her go. We''ll take you to some nice ce where you can get any girl you like," he assured her. The man ignored himpletely, much to my surprise. He freed my hair from my ponytail and ran his fingers through them. The shattered sses on the floor of my feet were inviting. They were shimmering and ready to be used if things got out of hand.


    "You''re so pretty, sweet girl," he cooed.


    "Thank you, sir." The room had gone silent. I could see that the others were staring openly at me.


    "She reminds me of my wife," I stiffened. I certainly didn''t want to hear this.


    "I will be taking my leave now," I muttered under my breath as I got up on my feet. His hand fell away from my hair, but he made a displeased sound.


    "You will be called when you are needed," I heard Anthony say firmly. It was a warning that I would follow. I turned around to leave, but he caught me again.


    "You sound like her, too," he was speaking to me, now. I felt a chill run down my spine. "Your hair. The shape of your face... If I didn''t know better, I''d think that my dead wife had been resuscitated," he snickered.


    "Let her go," Anthony growled.


    "Don''t get your knickers in a twist. It''s not like Melody ising back... I put the bullet in her myself." Frozen in the spot, I waited for something to snap.


    "Fuck," I heard Michael swear.


    That did it.


    My body jerked.


    My instincts took over.


    My hand grasped the man''s, and I squeezed.


    "You bitch," he cried as he tried to free from my grip.


    I could hearughter.


    It was me.


    Michael... he didn''t kill my mother...


    I was numb.


    My hand slid inside my skirt.


    The gun came out.


    I pointed it at the man who had killed my mother.


    "What is the meaning of this?" he screeched. The men in the room were on their feet. They stared wide eyed as I pointed the gun at him.


    "Remove your mask," I choked. I needed to be sure. This could all be another trick...


    "Don''t," I heard Anthony whisper. He was right behind me, holding me back by my waist.


    "Let me go, Anthony."


    "Stop it... this is why..." I knew... I knew what he meant. I shouldn''t havee here.


    He knew who I was all along.


    "You knew," I whispered, usingly. I didn''t dare to look at him. I stared at the offensive man who clutched his injured hand. "You knew he did it and let me..." It was difficult to breathe. The other men shifted and left. They knew when to pick a fight.


    "Please," Anthony pleaded.


    He knows.


    "I thought you were dead," I asked the man.


    "No one thought I was dead," he replied. "Who are you?"


    "You fabricated your own death? What did you get out of it?" Suddenly, my voice was calm. I was not an orphan. I would turn the rat in.


    "Anthony, get this bitch out of here before I put a bullet between her eyes."


    His own hand went for the concealed gun in his belt. I reacted by aiming mine at his head. Not heeding the warning, he pulled out his gun and pointed it at me.


    "Remove the damned mask, Cain," I growled. He pulled it off in one go and then waited.


    "So?" he challenged.


    "Mia," Anthony warned me.


    "Why did you do it, Dad?" I left all pretenses.


    The mask came off.


    "Mia?"


    Anthony stiffened beside me. He pulled away after a moment. I wish he had stood by me. I really did. But I needed to do this alone.


    I was going to die.


    I heard a gun being pulled out and knew that it was Anthony. I was pretty sure that he was going to point it at me. I had deceived him, and he had the right to kill me. But he had known... all this time, he had known.


    "Why did you do it, Dad?" He swore under his breath and cocked the gun.


    "Your mother was in my way."


    "Why?"


    "My business," Anthony answered from the other end of the room. "He was trying to take over my business and call it his own. He failed."


    "You lied," I stated tly.

 Chapter 152 You Had No Righ

    "I asked you not toe into this room," Anthony countered. I turned away, not giving him the satisfaction of hearing my answer.


    "I thought you loved her."


    "Oh, daughter of mine... Your mother fed you all that bullshit while you were growing up." I could hear a distinct ''told you'' from beside me. It irritated me so much that I wanted to strangle him. "Your mother thought that I loved her, and I preferred to keep it that way."


    "You''re a sick bastard, you know that?"


    "You''re my daughter. Who would know better?"


    "She was pregnant?" I screamed at him.


    "I wouldn''t care less. I''m happy you''re here, Mia. Now, I can finally get what I want."


    "What the hell do you want?"


    "You. Gone."


    A strangledugh left my throat.


    My father wants to kill me.


    He also killed my mother.


    Everyone made me think that the love of my life hadmitted the crime.


    My life was a twisted plot of meandering paths.


    "Don''t threaten her," I heard him hiss.


    "You won''t kill me over this pussy, Anthony. It would mean war. You would lose to Luke."


    I soaked the conversation in.


    They were allies. I should have known, but it stung.


    "I will kill everyone for her," he swore. My limbs almost faltered. A sob threatened to break through.


    No more.


    No more...


    I yed the words over and over in my head.


    "So, you killed your wife so that you could be a crime lord? Why would you do that?"


    "Money is the anthem of sess," he told me. "You will not be the reason why I lose it, Mia Vincent."


    I dreaded what would happen next. I was ovee by the urge to pull the trigger and kill the disgusting man.


    I pressed the button on my watch and spoke into it.


    "Send reinforcement to location. Rat found." The clock buzzed once, indicating that the message had been received.


    "They won''t do anything to me. They know I am alive. Don''t you dare think for a minute that you are getting out of this alive," he sneered.


    His finger twitched on the trigger. A devious smile spread across his face.


    "You made one mistake, Mia. You are with the man you love, not a man who loves you. These bitches fuck you and throw you away. He is no different. Too bad you didn''t get to see the day when he changed his tune." He guffawed.


    Guns went off.


    It was followed by silence.


    I saw his body fall forward. Two bullet holes gaped at me. His eyes were wide open, his mouth frozen in that demonic smile.


    A sob tore out of me as I remembered.


    "You''re hurt!" I heard his rmed voice. I pped his arm away as he ced it on my stomach. I looked down, seeing the blood soak through the uniform.


    I swore loudly and continued to shove him away from me.


    "You bastard. You lied!" I screamed at him. I waved my gun in front of his face to scare him off. He fought back, gripping my hands and pushing me away from the body.


    "You killed my father!" I cried.


    Thank you.


    Please...


    No more.


    "He was going to kill you..." he shouted right back at me.


    "You had no right!"


    "Get a grip of yourself, Mia." His calm voice spurred me on. I couldn''t even look at him.


    "Now... we all know everything. Should I kill you?" The voice was not my own.


    "Jesus, Mia. It''s me... calm the fuck down..." he pleaded. I slumped forward. "You''ll bleed out. We need to get you looked at... please..."


    "Why did you put up with me? Why not kill me?"


    So tired...


    No more...


    "I need you..."


    "I..." He held on to me as I slid to the floor. "I can''t take it any longer. Please, let me go."


    "Never. I need you. Do you understand?"


    So tired...


    Can''t take any more...


    "Listen to me. Don''t you fucking dare... Mia..." I sighed and then let my head rest on his chest.


    "Please..."

 Chapter 153 Whose Voice

    Have you ever felt your body imploding? Your body curls into itself to fill the voids. As you swim inside your head and try to embrace the darkness, you feel that small barrier¡ªthe one that divides your conscience fromfort. The hardest thing you have to do is let go and embrace it.


    I tried.


    I fought hard to recover from the darkness that paralyzed me. My mind had locked me in my own body and refused to let me go. It was one of the most terrifying moments in my life. The colors danced behind my lids as I tried to open them. I thought that I was dreaming, but they seemed so real. Battered and mutted, every time a new scene came to mind, I poised to fight, but I could never move. In moments like that, I contemted how frail my existence really was. It was a deep thought¡ªone that I wasn''t quite ready to face.


    Eventually, I heard noises. Cracked voices whispered into my ears to get me to gain consciousness. I wondered if they were loving or urgent. I cooked romantic images in my mind as to how Michael would pick me up in his arms and nurse me to health.


    The fear of what was toe after my heart stopped beating, pushed me to consider such stupid notions. Had it been any other day after that, I would haveughed humorlessly and killed the person who would make me think of such things.


    Harsher words and curses followed. Things came into perspective as time passed by. I could feel the cutting fabric of the rope digging into my wrists and ankles. I could feel the salty rag pressing up against my dry mouth. I could feel the pain radiating from my stomach and projecting outwards.


    I tried to think of thest thing I remembered happening to me.


    Images of my father''s body shed in my mind.


    Fighting Anthony followed soon after.


    His pleas for me to hold on confused me.


    And I remembered the darkness as I tried to remove the feeling of warmth from my body.


    I had never imagined that the scenario would change like that. Had he bound me up so that I won''t be able to escape? A little paranoid part of me screamed at me to realize that everything that had been said to me or I had seen had been fabricated.


    There had to be an exnation for everything.


    Was I ready to face it?


    Yes.


    Yes, I was.


    I forced my eyes to open. They weighed a thousand kilos. I tried to focus on the blurry shapes in front of me.


    "The princess is finally awake!" I heard someone say. I knew that voice.


    Focus, I hissed to myself.


    I shook my head to gain some rity. It somehow worked.


    Aware of my surroundings, I looked around to find the room filled with men who were chatting among themselves. Fear crept into my veins and I tried harder to search for the face that I knew wouldfort me.


    I saw him. I could see him standing in the shadows, the cigarette hanging from his lips. His posture gave him away. As he leaned away from the wall, I saw the nonchnt look on his face. He looked at me with curious eyes, seeming happy that I had opened my eyes.


    Imanded my body to rx, and judge my environment.


    Why was I bound?


    Whose voice did I hear?


    Look around.


    I did.


    I could see Luke Darcy kneeling in front of me. He was on his knees with his face split in a grin.


    "Hello there, dear." He got off his knees to remove the gag from my mouth. I licked my teeth and lips to moisten them. He chuckled as he offered me a ss of water. I gave him a hard look. "Don''t be shy..." he teased. I ground my teeth together, fighting the urge to tell him to fuck off.


    He grabbed my chin to force my mouth open. He tipped the ss to pour the water down my throat. I had half expected it to be something that would burn down my throat, but I was shocked to find that it was in water. I tried to act angry but was d that I was offered the water.


    I wouldn''t let them know, though.


    "Good girl," he cooed. "Now, I am going to ask you some questions, and you are going to answer me. After you do, I will unbind you and let you go." It was my turn to smirk. "Do you have something to say?" he asked, the challenge clear in his voice.


    Might as well y a little with the man.


    "As a matter of fact, I do." My voice came out more like a raspy whisper. I didn''t find the humor seeping through the words, either. My throat was too dry to help me add some dramatics to the act. "You can stop bullshitting me."


    "Which part of what I said sounded like shit to you, girl?" the glimmer in his eyes betrayed the sneer on his face. He was clearly enjoying the game. Like I knew he would.


    "You say you will let me go." I chuckled under my breath and shook my head.


    "What have you been teaching the girl, Anthony?" he hollered out. My eyes wandered to Anthony, too. He looked at Darcy and shrugged.


    "That came with the package. She''s too much of a self-righteous bitch to learn anything from me."


    I rolled my eyes to myself.


    Anthony Murray knew how to act. There was no doubt about that.

 Chapter 154 Sell Ou

    "Do they make you this pretty in the academy or do get your mother''s genes?" Darcy asked. "Because your dad was an ugly mother fucker. I wonder why that pretty little thing ever married that piece of shit. He wasn''t even good agent," he snickered. I felt the anger rising, but I tried to remind myself that my father had tried to kill me. He had killed my mother, as well. They were not wrong in abusing him.


    But he was my father.


    "She gets it from her pretty mother..." said Anthony. His hands were shoved down the pocket of his dress pants. The tie I had helped him knot was sitting perfectly around his neck. Of course, he had to look perfect while I was sitting in a bloodied uniform, gagged and tied.


    "Anthony," I greeted. He met my eyes with a levelled stare. For a moment, doubt crept through my mind.


    Did he sell me out to Luke Darcy? He promised...


    "She''s bleeding out. You''ll want to wrap that wound up before she passes out again," he advised.


    He cares. See?


    Luke nodded in acknowledgement, but a wicked grin came over his lips.


    "We love to y doctor, you know?" he snickered as he waved his hand. He looked away from me for a few seconds. "Bring the family doctor, yeah?" His hands inched towards my face. He brushed a strand of my hair out of my face. He pulled me by my hair until my head was tilted back and the sensation burned my scalp. I controlled my reflexes and refrained from flinching. "We''ll bring you the best doctor, okay darling?" He released my hair and then moved closer to Anthony.


    "We had a deal, Murray!" he hissed in a low voice, but I could hear him. "You said that you would keep the Vincent bitch in line and get the information about Cain."


    "And I''ve kept my side of the bargain, don''t you think?" What?


    "Do you think she''ll break that easily? She looks like a tough cookie."


    "She''ll speak when you ask her the right questions. She''s a passionate little thing." His eyes turned to me. A wolfish grin graced his lips as he sauntered to my side. He kissed my lips, suddenly. His lips lingered above mine for a moment.


    "Get me out of here," I ground out.


    "No," he breathed and then burst out intoughter. "I won''t."


    "Mi-"


    "Shut up. Your work is over. Now be a good little girl and tell him what he wants to know." His eyes bore into mine.


    Has he gone out of his mind? Is he acting? Did he-did he betray me?


    "Don''t look so surprised, my kitten." I gulped the lump in my throat and listened intently. There must be some clue in something he will say. "You were merely acting as bait. We killed Cain, and we have no work left for you."


    "Exin."


    "Remember when you asked me how important Scott was?" I didn''t answer. "I told you that no one was important, Mia. Everyone can be reced." He looked so smug.


    Don''t trust his words. Look at his eyes. He can''t lie. You know him.


    Hard.


    Cold.


    Indifferent.


    "The doctor is here," someone announced. I didn''t budge. My eyes were glued to him. I knew him. He wouldn''t betray me. I''d misunderstood him and was led to believe the worst about him all my life, but not today. I would only believe the truth.


    There was pain. Lots of it.


    I could feel that whoever was trying to get the bullet lodged in my body out was not doing a good job, but I didn''t care. I kept my eyes on him. He was staring at the man fixing me up. The stitches were jagged, I could tell. They would scar, I knew. I would worry about themter.


    "You okay there, Mia?" I could hear Luke ask. He sounded far away... like a figment of my imagination.


    "Perfect."


    I heard low murmurs. I felt more pain.


    The seeds of doubt spread like wildfire in my helpless brain.


    "You need to stop ying that game with them, you know..." I heard him say. It was not Anthony, his lips didn''t move. "Making them think that you love them? That''s cruel," he said. "I mean, you did it with Cienna. The poor girl warned Vincent, but she didn''t listen. And now this girl. Murray, tell me your secret. What magic do you use on these girls?"


    Laughter.


    I could see his lips part and his head thrown back as he contemted the words.


    "It''s very easy, really."


    Oh, the secrets.


    I think I am losing my mind.


    "You make them think that they get under your skin. You make them think you are good together. You fight with them. You push them over the edge over and over again. You tell them lies. They are women, they trust. You can tell them not to, but they never listen." Moreughter. This time, it''s not him.


    "What do you think of this n, Mia?" Darcy asks me.


    "Tell them how you fell for it, love," he snickered.


    "The perfect crime," I whispered. "It was a brilliant n," I smiled.


    "She''s lost her mind," I heard Darcy say. He sounded awed.

 Chapter 155 Play The Game

    "I''m just tired," I said to no one in particr. "No more lies. Tell me when you found out I saw Melody Vincent''s daughter." Anthony looked at me curiously.


    "I knew all along that you were Melody Vincent''s daughter. I knew Cain Vincent was your father. He faked his death so that he could exploit his property and take over his business." He grabbed one of my shoulders and I flinched back. My wrists hurt badly. The emotional turmoil was sucking my life out.


    "What else did you know?" I asked him.


    "I had known that I''d have to earn your trust. Everything about you is like your mother. The determination in your eyes... I remember seeing it in hers, too. I knew I had to lure you in. You were a good investment. Your parents had left a mark in the business. I knew that people would go to great heights to have you."


    "What would you have done? Would you have sold me? I wouldn''t have gone down without a fight." I let the chill seep into my voice. I had tried to grab onto thest ray of hope, but it slipped from between my fingers. I had fallen into his web of lies.


    He''s doing everything for himself. He''s not trying to protect anyone. I was stupid enough to believe him¡­ stupid enough to actually think that he would care about other people.


    "I know that you would fight until yourst breath. I trust you," he said cheekily. "How could I ever sell you out, my love? You''re mine. I would never share you with anyone." His words made my blood boil. He leaned in to press another kiss to my lips. My mind fought, but my body: it rxed under his touch.


    To think that the lips of a traitor would bring me peace.


    When he pulled away, he had a scowl on his face.


    I red at him. Conjuring all my strength and with the consent of my body, mind and heart, I spat at him. He staggered back in shock. A sense of victory overcame me. I had gotten thest word.


    Guess Daisy was right about the whole ''people throwing away people after they fucked'' thing.


    "Get her up from that fucking chair," he growled as he wiped his cheek with the back of his hands.


    I had iting for a long time.


    It was fucking time to face the music.


    I knew how it would y out.


    They would drag it out for days, starving me, giving me hope, trying to torture information I didn''t have out of me.


    I would keep them busy.


    I would give them trivial details about their life, just to spook them out.


    I would cut off my sense of pain like I had so many times before.


    I would wait it out and kill myself when I got the perfect opportunity.


    I couldn''t get out of it.


    It was the end.


    It was time to embrace reality.


    I wondered why the watch was still on my wrist.


    I realized only I could take it out.


    I wondered why no one wasing to get me out.


    I rationalized that I was too big a liability to have around.


    I was no longer useful to anyone. I was better left for dead.


    I could hear the sound of the metal scissors snipping away the grimyyer of fabric from my skin. I felt the cool, sharp tips of it dig into my side, ever so often. I never once looked into the eyes of the people who surrounded me. I kept my eyes on him.


    He seemed unaffected.


    I loved to y the game.


    I had nothing more to lose.


    This would be my final revenge.


    "I love you," I whispered. Heads snapped towards me. His eyes stayed locked on Darcy. He didn''t dare look at me. He knew what I was doing.


    "Are you talking to the little bastard?" Darcyughed. I shook my head. Finally, I pulled my eyes away and stared at the older man.


    "You," I said, firmly. Pride burst through my chest as I saw his eyes widen a bit. "I am no ballerina. I can''t show you my ckened feathers, but I love you... I always have."


    "Ballerina?" Luke muttered, suspiciously. "What do you mean, girl?"


    "Do you remember the theatre? The red velvet seats, the silence that overcame the crowd as the curtains slid open? Didn''t she look beautiful? I wished I was her. To have your affection, the time of your day. It must have been a boon. Tell me, did you see her for the first time on that stage?" My voice was barely over a whisper, but I knew that the man had heard me. He had fallen in love with a dancer. A woman so passionate that she could turn her tears into liquid perfection on the stage.


    "Are you trying to rattle me, girl?" I shook my head.


    "I''m just awed to finally be in your presence. I always wondered if I would be lucky enough to survive meeting you. I think I got my answer today."


    "So, you''ve been stalking me all your life?"

 Chapter 156 Countdown

    "Two loves I have, offort and despair," I quoted.


    "Am I the fairer angel or the demon?" Darcy asked, amused. "Of course, I can imagine myself sitting on the throne of mes," he chortled.


    "You''re the angel, Luke. You''re my love offort. I wanted to reach you. I went through months of pretending to be someone I am not to get to you." The fiery green eyes felt like moltenva. My face burned, my jaw hurt from the grin that split my face in half.


    "You''re a smooth talker, Vincent," hemented, not unkindly. "Are you saying that poor little Anthony, here, has been just a distraction?"


    "Nope." I shook my head from side to side. "He''s my bad angel... and he''s going to fire my good one out!" I faked a gasp before letting the hysterical string ofughter escape my lips.


    Suddenly, the thought shed through me. Like lightening, it struck me.


    I was Cienna.


    This was what had happened to her.


    "Oh, Anthony." I heard someoneugh. I didn''t really know the voice, but I could feel my tongue move. I could feel the vibration in my throat. I was saying the words. "Your sense of irony kills me... literally." More fits of giggles.


    "Shut up," he hissed. He strode towards me and yanked at something. I felt pain in my shoulders and I finally had to look around to see how they had tied me down.


    It was quite a scene. My feet nted on the ground, but they were crossed and attached to opposing poles with chains. My arms were behind me, crossed at an odd angle that made my limbs ache. Chains crossed over to the poles to hold me in ce.


    I calcted the amount of force needed to tear my ligaments.


    It wasn''t much.


    You feel no pain.


    You feel nothing.


    You are nobody.


    You know nothing.


    You love nothing.


    You feel no pain.


    You feel no pain...


    Questions were asked, knives were pressed against my skin.


    I bled, over and over.


    Somewhere in those moments, a familiar face came forward, a knife in his hands.


    I remembered him from training. He was a good agent. I was d they sent him in using my n.


    I think I tried to smile at him, but I don''t think I could manage it.


    As he pushed the knife inside my body, I heard him whisper an apology. My lips curled up then. It felt good to be remembered. It felt good to be honored.


    "Tell me, damn it!" I heard the traitor shout.


    I felt no pain in that moment.


    I felt powerful.


    "No one wille to set you free... Your tracker will not work in this area. They will hear your screams, but they will not know where to search for you."


    "When I die, I want to be buried beside my mother..." I told no one in particr.


    It was just a passing thought. I was certain that was how I would like to spend eternity.


    "But I wonder... will it be suffocating? What if I wake up and find myself in an enclosed space. I try to scratch my way out, but the top copses and I get smothered in the soil I was buried in."


    Clearly, Mia Vincent has lost her mind.


    I wonder how long she will stretch this out.


    She''s a damned sexydy.


    What dress would they put her in?


    "Listen to me, Mia," Anthony growled. "Speak to me." I could see someone ce their hand on his shoulder. It was the older man... Luke.


    "I think you should leave. Keeping you here is making her fight harder. We''ll break her," he assured. Never. "Leave." No.


    "I have something to tell you."I wish they could hear how-


    I had no clue what I felt.


    How does feeling nothing feel?


    Not numb... that is feeling something...


    Nothing.


    It''s nothing.


    He turned around. He stared at me.


    "I know you loved me. You love me."


    "You love me."


    "You love me."


    Whispers.


    Caresses.


    If I had a choice, I''d miss his love.


    I don''t like feeling nothing.


    This has to stop.


    "You love me, Michael." Frozen. I would have thest word. Always.


    "You love me so much that you will remember me until yourst breath. You will not die today, or tomorrow, or anytime soon. You will live a long life, and every night before you go to sleep, you''ll remember how it felt to move inside me. You''ll say my name in your nightmares. You''ll look at every woman you fuck and wonder where I am. And in thest millisecond of your life, a disembodied, mangled picture of my face will greet you." Pause. Breathe. "You''ll know that you loved me to ruins. Dying in front of the man who loves me so much..." Lie. "I can''t take that away from either of us."


    Indulge in a few lies in thest moment of your life, I say to myself.


    No, he didn''t love you, but if you say it over and over again... maybe you will believe it? Maybe it wille true.


    Click the small button.


    Say the magic number.


    Endure the prick of the needle.


    Wait.


    What a way to die, huh?


    His name was my doom.


    "One."


    "One."


    "Four."


    "Two."


    "Zero."


    "One."


    "Five."


    "One."


    "Four."


    "Two."


    "Five."


    All the world''s a stage... Smile. Perform. Perish. Repeat.


    Three.


    Two.


    On-

 Chapter 157 Awaiting Attack

    The first thing I noticed was the sound of air. It was an odd thing to notice, but I could not concentrate on much else. My skull felt like it would crack open and spew all its contents at any moment. The insistent beeping far away, reminded me that I was alive. My lips felt chapped, and there was a huge pressure on my chest that was slowly suffocating me.


    For a second, I wondered why I was alive. In the next, I grieved the loss of certainty in life. I prayed inconsbly to be given the power to cry, or at leastsh out in anger at the injustice of being kept alive when all I wanted to do was punish him and myself for the mistakes that we had made.


    I had no idea where I was, or how I had ended up there in the first ce.


    There had been no hope of anyone finding me. They had made it clear that my tracker had been deactivated.


    I choked on the air that forced its way inside my lungs. I tried to cough, but the gusts strangled me.


    The sound of urgency broke out around me. I tried to move, to tell them that I was alive.


    They understood.


    I heard familiar voices. I heard arguments. I couldn''t catch most of it, but I heard anger and disapproval. I didn''t know who had spoken the words, but in some part of my mind, I realized that I was not wee in the lives of people I thought I knew.


    Time seemed to pass slowly from where I was. I wouldn''t have known if days passed. I kept track of the number of times I felt an extra dose of cold fluid mix with the saline and my blood. I wanted to protest. I wanted to wake up, but I had no intentions of recovering just yet.


    "God damn it. How long are you going to keep up this act?" Words were spoken in my ears. I wondered how many days it had taken them to understand that I was conscious. I would have loved to hear the colorful terms the doctors must have used to rationalize my behavior.


    I had half a mind to respond, but I was not ready.


    "Come back to me," I heard him say. If my face wasn''t frozen from theck of moisture, I might have broken into a smile. "Fuck," I heard him curse. At the back of the room, I heard the beeping slow down.


    I understood that it certainly did not seem like good news.


    He called the doctors. I heard the crush of medical professionals swarmed into the room and kept tabs on my vitals with keen interest.


    They thought that the lowering of my heartbeat was a good sign. Apparently, the rise in heart rate had developed after the irregr heartbeats had subsided. I did hear them mentioning that I was now out of danger.


    There goes my only chance, I thought.


    There was no use in pretending any longer. When I had the strength to open my eyes, I would. It was time to get up and pull myself together.


    .


    It took me hours to get used to the silence in the room. When I finally opened my eyes, I couldn''t see anything. Panic rushed into my heart as I blinked and wondered.


    Have I somehow lost my eyesight?


    No...


    It''s something else.


    I tried to speak. I couldn''t. My throat was scratchy, and the mask made it impossibly hard to get the words out.


    I reached out for the call button. I couldn''t find it.


    I waited for someone to check on me.


    How much time passed as I stared into the darkness, I did not know.


    Somewhere in my fear wrought mind, I realized that in a distance, a sliver of light grew bigger and bigger with every moment that passed. The door opened slowly, and I saw a figure slip inside the room.


    As ecstatic as I was to be able to see, I feared for my life. I clutched the coarse sheet of the bed and waited for the attack.


    My eyes followed the ghostly figure as it moved around the room. The light from the machines illuminated her face.


    A nurse, I recognized.


    I held my breath, trying to push down the agonizing need to run.


    Suddenly, my eyes burned as I squinted through the ring lights. As the nurse turned to inject something into my arm, I saw her eyes flicker to my face. She gasped and staggered back. She turned back, moving towards the door and then ran out.


    The suspicion that had found shelter at the back of my mind now grew bolder. It clung to me like the scent of alcohol. I tried to move my body slowly. Pulling the IV out of my hand with shaking fingers, I tried to bite back the pain. The slightest movement of my fingers caused an excruciating pain to shoot throughout my body. Almost immediately, I wished that the nurse had injected the painkiller.

 Chapter 158 Gestures

    Shaking off the thought, I willed my legs to move. I slipped out of the bed with effort and then padded across the hospital room. The stale white walls and the smell of chemicals were overwhelming. I concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other and moving towards the door. It was a Herculean task¡ªopening that door. I felt weak and dizzy. My feet were loud as I trudged forward.


    I was rather satisfied that I had managed to escape the room without being noticed. The reception area was empty, with the woman behind the desk nodding off. I snorted as I moved past her. I hoped that she would not wake up.


    At a distance, I heard themotion. I pushed my body forward, knowing well that they would find me if I wasn''t fast enough. I could hear them frantically calling for the guards.


    They missed me as they stormed past the wall I was standing behind. I slid past as the guards made a turn and finally stood in front of the elevator. Breathing a sigh of relief, I pushed the button and waited for the car to arrive.


    The door slid open and I found myself wedged between the doors before it was fully open. I bit back the sh of pain when I brushed my shoulder against the side of one of the sliding doors.


    There were definitely a few broken bones involved.


    I ground my teeth together as I waited for the elevator to reach the basement. The n had formed in my mind by the time I reached the first floor.


    I would choose a car, break into it and then drive it off to the nearest safe ce.


    My apartment was the first ce to go, I decided. I would load the ammunition, some clothes and all the cash I had in the apartment and then I would disappear. It would have been as easy as that.


    When the elevator pinged, I pushed myself off the elevator walls and waited to move out as soon as the door opened.


    The door slid open slowly.


    I froze as I saw the shadow of a man on the other side.


    That was it.


    There was no escaping.


    "Mia," he grinned as he stared at me. "If you''re done with the theatrics, they need to check you over." He motioned me to move to the other side and then stepped into the elevator.


    We remained silent for the rest of the ride. When the ping came again, I was too exhausted to look for another exit. I felt something being ced on my shoulder and craned my neck to look at him. I flinched in pain but managed to give him a pointed look.


    "I don''t want anyone to see you half-naked," he shrugged. He patted the jacket and then ced his hand on my back. He guided me through the hallways and never once insisted to help me walk.


    That was the thing about Jacob; he never made me feel weak.


    Apparently, he never deceived me, either.


    He was probably the only one.


    It seemed like the entire staff was running up and down the floor. The amount of noise they produced was giving me a raging headache. I wanted to throw something at them, but I knew that my body would not cooperate. I think Jacob would have helped me if I asked him.


    .


    It took me a while to realize that I had somehow lost my voice.


    My throat was swollen, and it hurt whenever I tried to swallow. It felt as it I was rubbing sandpaper against it. I just answered with affirmative or negative gestures when I was asked any question. Anything beyond that was hopeless.


    I quite enjoyed the frustration on their faces, though.


    They had no clue why I was in the condition that I was; they just knew that all cameras near the room where to be deactivated and the doctors on the floor had to be approved by Jacob. He had proudly boasted about how he had bribed them into clearing all the patients to another facility so that there was no unauthorized person on the particr floor.


    I was a bit impressed, but I couldn''t understand why he was going to such extents to keep me protected. It was not as if I was of any use to the organization any longer. What personal gains could he possibly have?

 Chapter 159 Funeral

    I learned that the ''lethal'' chemical that was injected in me was a fluke. Knowing that I would have to use it some time, my childhood friend had tinkered with my watch when it was being handed out to Daisy. What it ensured was to shut down my brain and my heart for a given amount of time and send out homing signals. He also made sure to let me know that he had nned on getting me medical attention as soon as the injection was used.


    He also apologized for beingte. The homing device had sent a signal, but it had taken them five minutes to estimate my location.


    The catch of the unrealistic story was that there was a high chance that I would suffer from frequent myocardial infarctions and seizures.


    I wanted to thank him for taking such a big decision about my life without having my consent first.


    I pressed that button and said the password because I wanted to end my pain there. I didn''t want the spill the mess I had made and carry it around like a badge of honor for the remainder of my life.


    Nothing about the situation made me proud. I was ashamed of myself, of my weakness. I was ashamed that I let the betrayal get the better of me and make me say things that I would regret until myst breath.


    I did not scream at him. I did not re at him. I didn''t even smile at him. I just stared at the ceiling for the longest time, until he sighed and left the room.


    .oO00Oo.


    I wish I could scream when they turned the lights off.


    The pain killers had done nothing to make me drowsy. I began hyperventting as the walls seemed to close in on me.


    One week had gone by. I had found myself strapped to the bed, my body wrapped in bandages, and nurses frequenting my room to check my vitals. I cooperated and let them treat my body during the day. At nights, I red at them and pleaded with my eyes to keep the lights on.


    They never seemed to notice.


    ustrophobia gripped my throat.


    It was a new development, and I was thrown off by it. I had never feared anything. It made me paranoid.


    As usual, the door opened after a few hours of darkness. Instead of a nurse, someone else entered the room.


    The light flicked on within a few moments. I saw a woman with blonde hair facing away from me. When she turned around, I was surprised.


    Daisy looked tired, to put it mildly.


    She smiled as she saw me. I, on the other hand, stared at her. She sat down on the stool beside my bed.


    "You look like shit," shemented as she took my hand. I flinched, knowing that I didn''t have to pretend that I was strong. "So... dislocated shoulders... shattered bones and torn ligaments. Have I got it right?" I gave her a small smile. "I... damn," she swore.


    For a few seconds, I just stared at her as she thought of something appropriate to say.


    "I am sorry," she started. "I know that they can''t get you to talk, and I am happy. I don''t want you to talk to them. I did not let them listen to the recording. If you ever want to know what happened after you... cked out, I can give it to you." She gulped and then looked at our joined hands. "You don''t want it; I know. But I just wanted you to know that you had that option.". She had a small smile on her lips as she proceeded to exin.


    "They didn''t think you''d pull through, obviously. So, they asked me to write down the report on the case. Jacob Hunt led the team that rescued you. I think he already told you what he did." She stopped again, trying to gauge my reaction. "While you were out, I cleared out all your records and made a new identity for you. You can thank me for that when you are ready to speak to me."


    Those were the moments when you couldn''t help but like the woman.


    "I will get them," she promised.


    "They did a little public funeral to make your death a bit more believable," she said out of the blue. "Sean was there. I spoke to him. He seemed guilty," she exined. I looked at her curiously, hoping she would figure out the questions running through my head.


    "I was going to ask you if you want the money transferred to his ount. Do you think it''s wise to name him as the heir to your estates? You''ll be left with nothing." I sighed and then nodded. "Anthony could use the link to find you out."


    I gave her a pointed look.


    "You might think that he will not want to, but... he was there, okay? At the funeral." Who was there? "Anthony Murray." He was? Why? "I don''t know what he was doing there, but he was just sitting in the car, waiting for Sean." She shrugged. I nodded.


    Maybe he wanted to make sure I was dead.


    Daisy didn''tment about anything else. She didn''t tell me about what she heard. She didn''t tell me that I was wrong in anything that I did or said. She heard everything, but she was the only one who nevermented. She sat there with me all night long and sang random songs to me.

 Chapter 160 New Name

    I had acquired a new name.


    For once, I was d that I was no longer Mia Vincent. She had suffered too much pain. Mia Vincent was strong, but she almost lost the battle. I won it. By a twist of fate, I survived and I had a new name. No one knew me. The organization had hidden my identity well. Half of the board members had no clue about my status. Billy ck and Jacob Hunt knew.


    The Organization was a bad ce, but it was the only thing that was left for me. My apartment had been demolished, I had found out. Everything was destroyed. Jacob sometimes came over and gave me letters. They were always in stark white envelopes and carried a small box with it.


    Until that day, I had never dared to open them. I had a faint idea as to who had sent me these presents, but not even for a single moment did I want to entertain the idea that someone close to Anthony Murray knew that I was alive. Reading the letters would bring back the terror of living through my own death. I was not ready for it. I didn''t think I would ever be.


    "Marie," she called.


    My eyes hurt. I had been staring at the ck box for far too long. I looked up and saw Daisy holding a te out towards me. I gave her a polite smile and took it from her.


    She took good care of me.


    She had installed some of the best security facilities around her apartment so that I felt safe. She knew that no one woulde after me, but she took great care. She even installed a dim night light in the guest room so that I didn''t have to sleep inplete darkness. Four months of staying at her ce had made me grow fond of her.


    "Do you want me to dump all the mail? You don''t need to read them." I shook my head. "I know that you are tempted to read, and I support you, but please... think about it," she said as she patted my back. She plopped down beside me on the couch and then switched the television on.


    She switched to an anime channel and nonchntly proceeded to dig into her Chinese takeout. I kept my eyes at her as I chewed the noodles carefully.


    ording to the numerous specialists that were catering to my physical needs, I was supposed to go easy. That included eating my food slowly after masticating it, thoroughly. She even dropped a bottle of my favorite soft drink. She wanted to feed me nutritional food but ended up letting me indulge in my love for Chinese takeout.


    I wonder if she ever met Ethan again.


    The thought made my back stiffen. Pain radiated from my shoulders and down my back. She turned to me with a worried look when I let out a soft, breathless noise. The pain always managed to catch me off guard and render me incapable of breathing.


    "Are you alright?" she asked, setting her te down on the table in front of us. I tried my hardest to nod but felt the pain sharpen. The cramp grew worse and I could no longer breathe. Sometimes, my body just doesn''t cooperate. That was what I had been left with. A sob tore through my lips as I tried desperately to ease my shoulders.


    "I''ll bring you the medicines," she gulped and then dashed towards my bedroom. Within seconds, I had a pill in my hand and a big bottle of water. She unscrewed it and tilted it towards my lips. I didn''t resist her. I parted my lips and let her help me.


    It took minutes before I felt better again.


    "Sometimes the cramps can get worse and lead to thrombosis. Be very careful and always keep your medicines with you. I don''t want you in the emergency room again." I remembered the doctor saying.


    This was the seventh time it had happened. Physiotherapy sessions were the worst, the cramps were frequent, but nothing of this magnitude. It was once¡ªthe first time when it had turned bad and my therapist had to massage my back as we called in the in house doctor for emergency medicine. The incidents had grown worse every time.


    .


    "Marie, I need you to do three sets of this exercise," the therapist told me enthusiastically. I nodded, not looking away from my cuffed leg. Unlike before, physical exertion came easier. My T-shirt was soaked with perspiration and my breathing was hard. We hadn''t even started working on the running part yet.


    My throat constricted as I tried to push myself to pick my legs up a few more times. I couldn''t give up, I wasn''t that weak, I told myself. I wished I believed it, but even I could see that I would never be capable of recovering to the point where I was brand new. Physically, I would carry my failures with me.

 Chapter 161 Love Me

    "Mia!" I shook my head. "You need to speak to me," he whimpered. His head was buried in myp and hands engulfed mine. "I love you... please," he said.


    I gasped, closing my eyes in surprise.


    No, I won''t think about it.


    "Can''t you see that I am telling the truth? I am not him," he pleaded. My eyes blurred and I felt wetness travel down my eyes. "Please..."


    Jacob had asked me to marry him. I had refused to be involved with him. He had taken advantage of Daisy''s absence to enter her apartment. He had known that I would never shut the door on his face; he was too close a friend for me to treat him like that.


    "It has been six months since you have spoken! You have to let it go. You knew that this is how our world worked!" he shouted, then. I hadn''t met really seen him since that time in the hospital. I refused to speak to anyone who had been a part of the plot. I had wondered if he had known what was going to happen. I wondered if he, too, was as corrupt as Cain Vincent had made them out to be.


    I shook my head to remove the wretched thoughts.


    He looked up, rage filling his eyes. I knew that the fire in my eyes matched his.


    "I told you," he sneered. "and you still fell in love with him. He killed your mother, and you fell in love with him!" he hissed. Unwilling to give in to his taunts, I soaked in his rage and tried to build my anger. If I believed the things he thought were true, then I would feel rage in ce of helplessness. I would use it as a weapon to rejuvenate myself and seek revenge.


    Had this not started with you trying to be the judge and the executioner?


    Have you not learned anything?


    "How can you still be in love with a man who used you and left you for dead? Do you think that is love?" He didn''t mean a word of it. I could see it in his eyes. He knew that making me angry would fire me up. I would hit him and scream at him. I was tempted, but I would wait. I would see how far I could take his blows.


    He waited for my reply, and then he just sighed.


    "How many times do you want to do this? I will ask you every day if you want," he told me. He kissed the back of my hand and cradled my face in his palms. "I am not a fool, Mia. I know that you may never love me, but I want to do this? I have to keep you safe and Daisy... she... she has no one who answers to her. She can''t protect you physically!" he reasoned. "I just waited for the right opportunity and came inside," he shrugged. I raised my brow at him. "You are still recovering, and you would never be able to take down a dozen men with your shoulder. They wouldn''t even have to put a bullet through you. You would just strain a muscle and die from a heart attack."


    I gulped, knowing that what he said was true.


    "I promise to keep you safe. I will kill any motherfucker who wants to hurt you." My lips twitched and I fought from smiling widely. This, too, was true. He would really kill anyone who came in his way. "And if you want, I will take him out." He never said the name. I knew what he meant. I wrapped my hands around his neck and hugged him. He held me tightly against me and whispered in my ear.


    "Please, marry me. I know it''s a bad time, and we don''t have to get married now, but I just want everyone to know that they will have to answer to me if anything happens to you." My tears flowed freely as I sobbed into his neck.


    I didn''t give him an answer.


    I remembered what Cain Vincent had told me.


    I should always stay with someone who loves me...

 Chapter 162 Sorry

    Two weeks after the confrontation with Jacob, I decided that I had been putting Daisy in danger. I pick my new phone up and text him.


    [Yes.]


    Half an hourter, I found myself assuring Daisy. I didn''t speak to her, I just kept my hand on her shoulder and shook my head at her. She fought the panic when there was a loud knock on the door. I opened the door myself. He hugged me tightly when he saw that it was me.


    It had been so simple.


    It had only taken one word for him to understand exactly what I meant.


    Daisy stared in horror as realization dawned on her. She frowned as Jacob dropped to his knees and slid the ring on my finger. I closed my eyes, knowing that he was too busy appreciating the mark of possession. A rushed breath left me as I opened them again and smiled at him as best as I could.


    "I will protect you," he promised. "I will find out every man who helped him and ughter them." Anger spread through my body. I felt no anger towards him. I directed it all towards Anthony Murray.


    He deserved everyst bit of Jacob''s punishment.


    No one could escape Jacob''s justice.


    He never missed a shot.


    .


    Shoot.


    Shoot.


    Shoot.


    Shoot.


    Over and over again, I let the bullets fly. Now that I could use my shoulders more, I took full advantage of the situation and push them to their limit. The past week had been spent at Jacob''s personal shooting range or on hisputer. I used the resources at his disposal and logged into the organization''s files.


    They had taught me how to catch a fucking criminal. I would catch the criminals that betrayed me, even if it was them.


    I was slowly getting better anding closer to shooting in the same spot every time.


    Jacob had been impressed with my dedication and moaned at how much money I was costing him to buy bullets.


    Somehow, I had managed to gain control over my body and stop it from falling into cardiac arrest. It was getting easier to strain my muscles. My shoulders still protested with every bullet I shot, but I pushed forward. I kept myself limited to lighter guns that were easier to handle at this point.


    "You need to drop by your apartment. See if there is anything salvageable." Jacob had been spending equal time with me inside the shooting area. He stood beside me, practising himself. Sometimes, he would gently massage my shoulders to ease the tension or reposition me so that it was easier to shoot.


    "Your mail is overflowing, by the way," he said absent-mindedly. "I wonder who sends dead women letters." He had a faraway look on his face.


    I ignored him, mostly.


    .


    Two more boxes.


    Letters attached to them.


    Who writes to a dead girl? This time, I was the one who thought it.


    I kept the mail inside my bag and walked back to Daisy''s apartment.


    When I was about to cross a road, I heard someone call me. I ground my teeth together and kept walking. Before I could start crossing, the cars started moving again, blocking my escape.


    "Mia?" I heard the person call out. I looked straight ahead. "Ma''am?" I heard the man say again.


    There was no way he could recognize me.


    The doctors had shaved all my hair because of the injuries to my head. I had just kept it short, letting one side grow out. I knew that without my hair, it was impossible to recognize me.


    I heard cursing and saw the man cutting through people to reach me. I panicked, briefly, but regained myposure.


    "Mia, is that you?" the man said. He was standing right beside me, staring at me expectantly. I turned to look at him. I kept my face void of any emotions. I willed my eyes to show no signs of recognition.


    I recognized the man.


    It was the IT guy who had helped me out when Luke''s men had attacked the base.


    Curiosity tried to make it be known, but I pushed it back.


    "Urm..." like any other woman my age, I answered awkwardly. "Do I know you?" I gave him a nervous smile. He seemed to be thrown off. His cheek flushed as he looked at his feet.


    "I''m so sorry. I thought I knew you-" The light turned green and I walked away, maintaining a steady pace. When I turned again, I saw him standing on the other side of the road, dumbfounded.


    I sighed in relief and did not turn back.


    .


    ck roses covered the surface of my bed. Open letters beckoned me to read them.


    Jasper.


    It had to be him.


    Being the masochist that I was, I picked up a letter and read through it.


    ''I''m sorry, Mia.'' One said.


    The next: "Your mother loved you, Mia. I wish I could have told you when I had the time. I''m sorry you found out about Cain like you did."


    My eyes widened as I read over the words again. He had been there or had to have found out somehow.


    ''I failed, Mia. It was my job to protect you.''


    I shivered.


    I dream of you every night. You''re slipping away. I wish I were the Messiah. I wish you were Lazarus. I want to resuscitate you. The roses will die, too. Be kind to my soul, dear Mia. Be gentle.


    I gulped as I crumbled the papers and threw them across the room. I tore the roses to bits. The cuts on my fingers sang songs of my victory against my demons. They bled onto the floor, mixing with the dark petals of the flowers. I picked them all up¡ªthe letters and the organic remains and incinerated them.


    The list only grew.


    Names were added to it.


    Jasper, I thought to myself. He will have to die, too.


    But first, I would have to find him.

 Chapter 163 Destroy

    Sybil had been a fool. All she had to do was bed Apollo to get immortality, and bed him, she did. She rode him until he gave in to her demands and bestowed the heavenly boon on her. He promised to let her live a year for each grain of sand she could keep in her fist.


    "Yes, give me all the years as the sand on the beach... give me all the years as the sand in my palm," she had cried and greedily picked a fistful. White sand escaped from the crack of her fingers. Stricken, she grabbed on tighter and saw as more sand slipped... she was horrified, but somehow learned to manoeuvre the sand. Apollo gave her eternal life. She grew old. She dposed. She had forgotten that words mattered more than anything in the world. She had used her body to gain more power. Her prophecies were stronger, but she withered away, for she had never asked for eternal youth. She defied thews of the underworld and ferried in heroes. She seethed with envy as the Goddesses paraded around in all their glory.


    She died alone, in a deste, unknown cave; her flesh barely covering her bones, her jaws agape, and her eyes bulging out from her sockets.


    The cold water felt like sharp needles stabbing the surface of my skin. I clung on to my knees as I let the droplets scar my face. I kept my eyes open and gave myself over to hatred. My body revolted against the darkness, but I clung on, savoring the bitter taste of it at the back of my tongue.


    Augh escaped my lips and I choked on a rush of water that went down my windpipe. Iughed despite of it.


    Euphoria seeped in as pain and bitterness turned into pleasure and the deranged jumble of words in my head seemed to coordinate and form some mystical Gregorian chant. I sang along, letting the pleas of Caedmon Sybil wash over me and color me a rebel. I sang to betrayal and to the power to foresee. I sang as I had escaped the inescapable clutches of Death. I sang because I knew that like Charon, I would ferry the dead to the underworld. They would never drink from the Lethe. They would never forget the vice of death.


    Wake.


    Live.


    Destroy.


    Repeat.


    .


    "Do you still want to transfer your estates to Sean Clearwater?" Daisy asked, her voice hard. She meant business, of course. I gave her a prompt nod and then went back to pretending to read.


    In my head, I was conjuring thousands of images that would help me conclude every life that plotted against me. They say that the idle mind is the devil''s workshop, and I can''t help but agree. It was as if all the demons of Hell had taken possession of my mind. Years of studying medieval torture rituals suddenly made sense.


    They must all suffer ording to their crimes, I justified.


    One would be kept in a cage of needles; another would be tied to horses and ripped from limb to limb.


    I could imagine the satisfaction that would rip through my soul. The demons would dance with joy. Satan himself would embrace me and cloak me in his ck robe.


    "Are you listening to me?" I heard her say. I gave her a passing look and went back to my plotting after giving her a nod. "Think about it. You have options. The boy doesn''t want to leave Anthony Murray."


    I loved the way she referred to Murray as if he were the sole reason that the world was a bad ce. She made his name sound like a curse so profound that anyone would gasp in horror.


    I didn''t answer her.


    I had already asked her to hand over my estate to the boy, what else could I use all that money for? Nothing woulde from using the money that I had made from bedding him.


    Maybe I would use it for onest time to put him to bed. He would be in need of rest, and I had pledged to take care of him through every hardship. We had given the other the control of our bodies, minds and souls for a few fleeting moments. Why could I not use the mammoth duty vested in me and use it to help him ease into sleep? It was the best anaesthesia¡ªthe countenance of sleep, Death.


    I stared at the darkenedputer screen across the room. I pulled a chair out and went through my bank details... I could destroy him, or kill him. As the organization''s page came up, I filled out the forms and waited for thest page to arrive. I clicked the send button and waited patiently for the phone call.


    Destroy or Kill?


    The dilemma...


    When the phone call meant to confirm the hit came, I found Daisy staring at me intently. She made noment. There was no judgement in her eyes. She waited patiently.


    "To confirm the hit-" I pulled the phone away from my ears and threw it against the wall.


    Destroy, I decided.


    That was the only way.

 Chapter 164 Freshman

    The sses for the freshman batch of the organization had started a week ago. Jacob had personally called me to oversee a group of bullies, who thought they were better than the others.


    I remember having some of those in my first year. They didn''tst a week on their assignments. They went missing, their bodies never to be found. Sometimes, it was just parts of them.


    When I entered the ss, I saw them turn to me and whisper to each other. I had no intention of condoning their foul behavior. I was doing this as a favor to Jacob. These sses were top secret, and these bullies had the most potential in the batch. They needed to be taught a lesson.


    "We''ve never seen you around here," the boy, who seemed to be the leader of the band, spoke. "Will you be joining our ss, too?" I heard them snicker. I turned away towards the board and wrote my name.


    The screech of the chalk hitting the board made them groan. They grumbled as I turned around to give them a pointed look.


    "That was not necessary," one said.


    "I don''t think she can talk," another whispered. The girl at the back of the ss giggled and continued texting.


    I bent down and pulled my ck jeans up. They giggled and fawned over what they thought was a ''hot ass.'' I pulled out my loaded gun and pointed it at the girl at the end.


    They gasped.


    For a couple of eighteen-year-olds, they were extremely annoying. I could understand why they needed someone to take care of them.


    The girl didn''t even look up. She was too busy twirling her hair and making faces at the screen of her phone.


    I pulled the trigger. It went by the side of her forearm. She screamed when she felt it against the arm. It was just a bruise, but she acted like someone had shot her in the gut. They got up to help her, but I banged my hand on the desk. They froze in their seats, their eyes wide in fear.


    I turned around to slowly rub out my new name.


    In its ce, I wrote down their first lesson.


    ''They will want to kill you, make sure you are paying attention when they do.''


    As I left the room, I pulled out my cell phone and typed out a quick reply.


    [Medical attention needed in room 108.]


    [Thank you,] was the simple reply.


    .


    Jasper.


    Agent Jasper had been the reason for many a sleepless night. I had searched the name on the inte again. This time, I made note of all the details I found. I wrote them down one after the other, not caring if the facts were interesting or not.


    The list went on and on...


    All the information... it made no sense.


    The man was deeply intellectual and influenced by a variety of literary texts that contributed to his letters. His name was not something that was decided upon by some miracle. It was something that he had thought about and been thorough in researching.


    I quickly jotted down the words that I thought were relevant.


    Beauty.


    Bnce.


    Healing.


    Protector.


    Mystical Knowledge.


    Emperor.


    Glory.


    Daisy, who had not left my side since I shattered my phone, looked at me with worried eyes.


    "There is no use doing this," she tried to convince me. I looked at her with a shocked expression as she went on to exin. "The organization will not budge. They will protect his identity." Why? "He is important to them."


    And that was when I figured out that she knew who Jasper was. Sometime between warning me and visiting me at the hospital, she had managed to find out his true identity.


    For a moment, I considered opening my mouth and asking her why she would not let me have my revenge. But she had answered that question already.


    "I read the letters too, Marie. I saw the roses. He clearly regrets whatever he thinks he did." He had betrayed me, I had stubbornly thought. How could a man who I had never seen betray me? What was in it for him?

 Chapter 165 Stun

    The group of hooligans had been pushed inside a ss again. Apparently, they had developed the fear of being killed after my little lesson. I had hoped that they would quieten down, but not to the extent, where the giggling girl at the back of the ssroom would start crying whenever an instructed called her out. The others had been eager to help her, I had been happy to see that they were gaining a sense of camaraderie that many groupscked. If they truly possessed the potential, they would turn out into a great team that could fluidly work around a target. It would be beautiful to watch.


    I entered the ss and locked the door behind me. They jumped when they heard the soft click of the lock and then stared in horror. I pulled out my gun from the back pocket of my jeans. They flinched away, ready to duck under the desk if I started firing again.


    I smile to myself and ced it gently on the table. Slowly, and carefully, I dismantled the gun and separated all the portions. I let them soak in the vulnerable state of the lethal weapon. It was nothing when not assembled. I moved around their tables, pulling out the unloaded guns from the shelf under their desk and dismantled them all in front of their eyes.


    After the task was done, I let them just stare at the abstractness of each part that built the beautiful ammunition. Like a canonical Gothic structure, I put the pieces back together slowly. I saw them follow my lead, eager to learn something new. When they were done, they stared in awe at the piece in their hands. I smiled, triumphant, and turned towards the ckboard and scribbled.


    ''Lesson Two: Lincoln said, "a house divided is a house fallen." Learn from your fears, use them to build your knowledge and gain experience. Combine the three and flourish. Nothing can stop you then, for fear, knowledge and experience are infinite. Bnce is as close to immortality as you will get.''


    .


    I needed an ess card.


    As it turned out, despite my efforts to hack into the organization''s server, I was unable to pull out Jasper''s files. I realized that they had tightened up the security after Daisy''s little stunt. The only way I could get into his file was if I could somehow figure out Jacob''s personal identification code and password. If it was his fingerprints or the like, it would make the situation impossibly difficult. Knowing Jacob Hunt, that was exactly how he had gone about it.


    Beauty.


    Bnce.


    Healing.


    Protector.


    Mystical Knowledge.


    Emperor.


    Glory.


    That was all I thought about.


    .


    Guns were drawn and targets annihted. Tattered garments remained on the lifelike mannequins that Jake had acquired. We had been silently practicing for the past hour, without a break or even a word shared.


    He was angry about something.


    I had a n in my mind.


    Suddenly, he turned to me. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped. He turned back around, his jaw clenched. He shot through every target, making sure it hit the mark between the eyes, every time.


    As he was leaving, I snuck up behind him. I pretended to clean my gun as he changed into fresh clothing. As he went out, he finally mustered up the courage to speak.


    "I love you," he said. Without giving me a chance, he walked away.


    I smiled, satisfied. I carefully picked up the gun he used and ced it inside the ziplock bag forter use.


    .


    It''s a wonder what some regr powder and some scotch tape can do. Within moments, I had his fingerprints. I carefully ced it into the sensor monitor that he insisted on keeping with him at all times. That had been the first clue to figuring out his password. His identification had been pretty easy. It was his regr username.


    While he was busy taking the longest shower in the history of civilization, I hacked into his system and downloaded all the top secret files of the organization.


    I almost felt guilty for using the diamond ring he had so lovingly ced on my finger to get what I wanted.


    My pen drive was tucked inside the pocket of my jeans by the time he returned. I gulped down the need to look through the files, immediately, and waited until I went back home.


    That was the first day I let him touch me.


    It was different.


    He seemed almost reverent.


    The way he touched my skin made me want to believe that somewhere... sometime in the future, I would be capable of appreciating the love the man felt for me.


    His touch was nothing like his. It wasn''t scorching; no, it was warm. It wasn''t ufortable... it was guilty.


    I wished that I had the strength to cry afterwards.


    I felt sick to my stomach.


    I had let my guilt take over me. I had let myself feel wanted.


    That day, I hated myself almost as much as I hated Anthony Murray.

 Chapter 166 Jasper

    Lesson Three: Pull the trigger to be sure; plunge the knife to see them die.


    Lesson Four: Kill them before they get the chance to kill you.


    Lesson Five: Act like a flower, but be the serpent under it.


    Lesson Six: When in doubt, create havoc.


    .


    Beauty.


    Bnce.


    ["It''s Scott''s life for yours. You know how we work. Everything has a bnce. We are vengeful beings, so we take the same things that the others take from you."]


    Healer.


    Protector.


    ["Nothing will happen to us," he had promised. His voice was coated in honey, the deadly kind that would get you stung by a thousand bees because you put your hand inside the beehive you extract it.


    "Nothing will happen to you," I corrected and he raised a brow at me. I could see his brain working as he realized what I meant. His eyes shed as he stared at me for a moment.


    "I''d shoot any and all of those fuckers down if it came to it. No one will touch you."


    "Because I''ll kill them myself." He smirked.


    "We''ll kill them together, my kitten."]


    Mystical Knowledge.


    ["That''s what you do when you are with me," he told me in a spective tone. "You build this little space where you can only imagine the two of us there... it''s a fantasy of yours, isn''t it? A microcosm. A world within a world." My head snapped around and I stared at him. He stared right back at me. He tried to lure me with one of those challenging looks of his. I might have red, but I couldn''t help but fascinate over the fact that he could quote Donne without having to think much about it.]


    Emperor.


    ["Us¡ªthe bad guys, we''ve seen the worst of everything. You don''t think I know what nightmares are? I used to get those when I was younger. I am where I am because of them. They made me stay awake, focus and build my empire from scratch."]


    Glory.


    Image after image after image went by. Like a slideshow after a ughter, I stared at the scene as I saw my mother, read the various files. The records were minutely detailed; the transcripts of conversations sounded like things my mother would say. Little hints of Cain Vincent''s betrayal were evident in the information. Pictures of crime scenes and sessful missions flew by.


    "I dream of you every night. You''re slipping away. I wish I were the Messiah. I wish you were Lazarus. I want to resuscitate you. The roses will die, too. Be kind to my soul, dear Mia. Be gentle."


    ''No. Stop thinking about it,'' I urged my fevered brain.


    ["Give me one good reason why I should believe you."


    "You''re the only one who can touch my lucky gun." He smiled conspiratorially.


    Everyone tells me that you killed my mother.


    "The first day you came in? I knew that I had found my match."


    I vowed to kill you.


    "That moment I heard the shots from the ceiling? I thought I had lost you."


    I suspect that you know who I am.


    "I can''t stand the thought of losing you."]


    No.


    It can''t be.


    "Marie?" I heard the shuffling of feet. "What are you doing?" Daisy screamed. I turned towards her slowly, making sure that my mind was not ying tricks with me. "What is this?" I wondered why she was so scared... No.


    She looked terrified.


    Her eyes were fixed on the screen. She didn''t even dare to look at me.


    "Did you know?" Like a child speaking her first words, the words slurred and faded into the silence. Her head snapped towards me.


    She realized that I was ready to speak.


    "Did you know?" I repeated. I felt stronger. I felt a surge of hatred ovee me.


    "Yes."


    Anthony was Jasper.


    .


    The cold water felt like sharp needles stabbing the surface of my skin. I clung on to my knees as I let the droplets scar my face. I kept my eyes open and gave myself over to hatred. My body revolted against the darkness, but I clung on, savoring the bitter taste of it at the back of my tongue.


    Augh escaped my lips and I choked on a rush of water that went down my windpipe. Iughed despite of it.


    Euphoria seeped in as pain and bitterness turned into pleasure and the deranged jumble of words in my head seemed to coordinate and form some mystical Gregorian chant. I sang along, letting the pleas of Caedmon Sybil wash over me and color me a rebel. I sang to betrayal and to the power to foresee. I sang as I had escaped the inescapable clutches of Death. I sang because I knew that like Charon, I would ferry the dead to the underworld. They would never drink from the Lethe. They would never forget the vice of death.


    Wake.


    Live.


    Destroy.


    Repeat.

 Chapter 167 Continue

    Guilt shed in her eyes. Her shoulders sagged in defeat after she had failed to find an exit. Her lips trembled as she searched for the words that would be sufficient to answer the life-altering question. Her mouth opened as if to say something, but then she closed them shut, tightly, so that she would not speak.


    The need to rip the truth from her swam through my voice. I wrapped my hands around my chests so that I could stop myself from wrapping them around her neck and wringing the words out of her.


    "Mia-"


    "Marie," I snapped. "You were the one who made that identity," I hissed at her. She flinched, taking an unconscious step back.


    "I''m sorry," she whispered, finally. "I didn''t mean it toe out like this..." her voice was pleading, trying to make me understand.


    "Why didn''t you tell me yourself, save yourself the trouble?" I asked her.


    "They would have killed me." My sneer disappeared, and a frown stered itself on my face. "I mean... the day I came to the club to warn you... I had gotten a call from the chief," she gulped. "He gave me full ess to the server and told me to take care of some things. I was so scared and worried..."


    "And you warned me about it?" She nodded earnestly in reply.


    "I tried my best to make you understand the level of danger you were in, but..." she shook her head as if to shake an evil thought from her mind.


    "What was the n? Tell me... I need to know." My voice was strained. My eyes were narrowed as I openly red at her.


    "The chief was involved with... your father." I should have known. "The n was formed a few months before the mission was assigned to you."


    They had always been close friends. I am not surprised that they plotted together.


    "Did Jacob know about this?" she shook her head.


    "He would have never let it happen if he knew. His father never told him about the n. He didn''t even know that you were being sent in until you were actually involved. He would have never allowed it." She looked up at me from under hershes, trying to gauge my reaction. I knew that I was calmer than before, but I was still angry at her. She had gotten the chance to tell me in thest few months.


    "Continue," I told her.


    "The Chief thought that you were bing a threat to the organization. Your power was increasing and you had gained quite a fan following while you were working for them. Cain wanted you gone. The alliance with Anthony was bringing in money, but his ego had been bruised when he had lost to Anthony all those years ago.


    "The Chief also wanted a portion of the money Cain would gain after overthrowing Anthony, so he yed along," she said. The hesitance in her voice added to my irritation.


    "What about Anthony? Why would they include him in this n? He was the enemy!" That part made no sense.


    "The easiest way to take out Anthony was by assigning you the task. You hated him, and you wanted revenge. They were counting on it to do the work. The only way Anthony would take you in was if they concocted some n to make you seem useful." I cocked my brow at her.


    "Anthony remembered you from when he saw you at your mother''s funeral, and you look a bit like her, so... it was pretty easy. They told him that they would help him in the feud with Luke Darcy if he took you in. It was a win-win situation for them. If you failed and let your identity out, Anthony would be forced to kill you. If you killed Anthony they would get someone from his mob to take you out. If Luke had the upper hand, both of you would have died. They had nothing to lose!"


    "Anthony is not that foolish. He must have had another motive." She nodded, a smile ying on her lips.


    "He wanted Luke out of the way. You devised a brilliant n to do it. Everyone knows you, Mia. You would have never let the chance go. He would have used your knowledge to his advantage when he had to." So, he hadn''t gone into the deal blind. That was better.


    "And if it worked out in Anthony''s favor?" I prompted.


    "He would have to kill you when the job was done. That was the use."


    "And he agreed," I whisper.

 Chapter 168 Devastation

    "He did-" she gulped. "but he called... the day you took yourself out of the mission... he called," she blurted out. I looked at her suspiciously.


    "And that changes his ns somehow?" I seethed. To know that he had nned on killing me from the very beginning; that he had yed me for a fool... it...


    Fuck.


    "It matters!" she eximed, catching me off guard. "He told the Chief that the deal was off."


    Shock.


    Fear.


    Disbelief.


    "Wha-" I mped my mouth shut, unprepared for the onught of the hopeful thoughts at the back of my mind. The thoughts crept up on me and took over my mind, rendering me useless for a few devastating moments.


    No. I stopped myself from going any further.


    "What did you say?"


    "He told them to fuck off and that he didn''t need any help from them," she paused, if only for a second, but then spoke again. "I think he... he did it for you." I shook my head vigorously.


    "If he had done it for me, he would have owned up to it."


    "You would have killed him."


    "He left me for dead! He betrayed me!"


    "He loved you!"


    "Yes, when he was fucking me, he loved me."


    "You don''t understand!"


    "You don''t know him. He... I meant nothing to him, a pawn in his game. I admire him for it, but it doesn''t make me hate him any less."


    "You loved him... it''s okay..."


    "He''s the secret agent that betrayed my mother. She was killed because of it."


    "Your father killed your mother."


    "And he did nothing to stop him. He let it happen... Why?"


    "Because he was proving that he was worth the throne... He became Jasper so that he could show the worthless father of his that he was more than capable to handle the empire." She stepped forward, trying to cradle my face in her palms. I moved away from her, revolted that she was taking his side. "You are just like him..."


    "I am nothing like him, Daisy. He has so many faces that... I don''t even know which one of them is true," I choked.


    "Why are you defending him?" I asked her when she didn''t reply. My eyes were shut and I was trying not to imagine his face... I was trying to push the nightmares away; trying to prevent them from resurfacing.


    "I don''t want to... I really don''t... but I feel that you should know..." I could hear her ragged breathing. I could hear how worried she was about me. I wondered if she thought I would have another heart attack. I realized that she did.


    "I can protect myself this way... I won''t feel lost." I had no fight left in me.


    "You''re only hurting yourself," she said. "Your anger is justified, Mia, but you cannot harm yourself in the process. What they did was wrong, and I promised that I would get them back. Jacob promised that they would die for their mistakes. Isn''t that enough? Must you fill yourself with all these thoughts and kill yourself slowly?" Her words had made sense; I found myself at a loss for words.


    I kept my knees close so that they wouldn''t betray me. Everyone, it seems, was betraying me.


    I felt her arms encircle me. She pulled me into her arms and whispered her ns to me. I nodded, merely, letting the brilliance of it wash over me. She was divinely inspired, she told me as she soothed me. Words of revenge calmed me down. She told me that Sean, himself, had helped her figure out a way to destroy Anthony Murray, I listened to her intently. I smiled when I heard her say that she needed one more person toplete the n. I felt tears escape my eyes as Iughed. I told her that I would do it. I told her that nothing in this world would make me happier than it.


    She hugged me and let me cry on her shoulder.

 Chapter 169 High-Security

    When I entered the ss a weekter, they sat in silence. Over the sessions, they had gained perspective on what I was willing to teach them. They weed me into their ssroom and actively participated in conversations I initiated. I never uttered a word. They spoke in length about nning escapes before starting a mission. They were supposed to learn from their mistakes, but I didn''t want them to cost them their lives.


    That day, I had a different n.


    They waited patiently for me to scribble something, but that was not part of the n.


    "Today, I will be giving you situations, and you will be telling me how you will escape from it." Gasps filled the room.


    "You speak?" I heard someone say. I pressed my lips together in irritation and gave them a fierce look. They quieted down and then waited for me to proceed.


    "Adam," I called the boy in the front row. He was good with knives but was even better withputers. He couldn''t shoot a target to save his life.


    His head jerked up and he stood up, nervous.


    "Sit down," I ordered, kindly. I didn''t feel like punishing them that day. "You are asked to carry out a robbery in a high-security building. The diamonds are in your hands, and you find yourself on the rooftop, surrounded by guards. What do you do?" He stares at me for a moment and then starts panicking. "Sit down and think about it," I tell him. He is probably the smartest in the ss, which is why I let him go first. I was hoping that he woulde up with an interesting answer for me.


    There was nothing like a little challenge in the ssroom.


    "John... You have been asked to infiltrate a terrorist group who is nning to bomb the major metropolitan cities in India at one go. Let us imagine for a moment that you were sessful and you got the job of nting the bomb inside the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata. You know that you will be safe if you leave the location within 3 minutes of nting the bomb. You have two options. nt the bomb and somehow run out of the premises, or not nt the bomb at all and die at the hands of the terrorists." His eyes told me that he already had an answer for me. I knew what his choice would be.


    "I would nt the bomb and run, of course." He said it so simply.


    "How fast do you run?" I asked him critically.


    "Fast enough," he said smugly.


    "Well, John. The premise of the Victoria Memorial is well over 60 acres ofnd."


    "I would just have to run as far away as I can to avoid the st."


    "Lets just imagine for a moment that you do run away from the spot, the police would mark you as a suspicious candidate immediately. Damn, I''ll let that go, as well. You somehow manage to go unnoticed... Did you know that there are over thousands of people trying to get inside the memorial every day? It is a chore even trying to walk fast because of all the people, and running? Think twice." He eyed me suspiciously.


    "So, what do you propose? I die in there?" I shake my head. "You want me to not nt the bomb, then? I die anyways." I shrug. "You are painting an impossible image here. Tell me... what would you have done? Would you have been a moral citizen and died before nting the bomb?" he retorted, thinking that he had trapped me.


    "I would find an alternate option. If I refuse to do it myself, they would kill me and ask someone else do it. So, everyone dies. I can''t run... so I don''t run."


    "What do you do then?" Adam asked, baffled.


    "I take the bomb to the safest spot possible and then try to deactivate it. The gardens itself is sixty acres. The number of people in the garden is lower than those surrounding the building. Even if the bomb goes off, fewer people die."


    "And you don''t think about yourself?"


    "I think about myself and try to defuse the bomb." It is as simple as that. It is just that selfish.


    "Then what happens to morality? You die anyway!" John argues.


    "And you have no other option than to take it on. When you are there, sorting through the options... something will pop out at you. If it doesn''t, you die. You can''t possibly figure out the circumstances when you are not in them. If you try, you give yourself away and die anyway. Your hard work serves no purpose. So you wait, gauge the atmosphere and form your ns ording to what happens around you."


    I was surprised that they argued further.


    "Adam, have you thought through your situation?" He shook his head with a small smile on his lips. "If it were up to me, I would just crash their security system before trying to steal anything." I smiled, feeling a bit smug that my faith in him was not misced. The others retorted, saying that it wasn''t rted to the options given.


    Adam held his ground.


    "That is exactly the point!" he eximed, passion pouring out of him. "It is not about the choices you have, but how you mould them and dodge them to get what you want!" The others still refused to believe him.


    "So, is this lesson about how we should expect the unexpected?" I heard an enraged girl, who I called Molly because that is what the others called her.


    "I''m saying that you shouldn''t expect anything. When you have a job, you n on how to do it, and you use whatever they throw at you to make you stronger and reach your goals."


    "This is bullshit," said another sixteen-year-old. Their disrespect was weing, though. It made me want to think that they could stand their ground and fight for what they thought was best. Decision making was something that came with practice, and they seemed to be having a good time learning how to debate it out and make their decisions.


    "Why would we trust someone, who hides herself behind long sleeved clothes and chopped off hair? You''re creating this look, which is supposed to make you seem hard and shit, but if you know so much then why aren''t you on the field practicing what you preach, huh?"


    "John..." I heard someone whisper, their voice strained. Silence prevailed inside the ssroom.


    "Stand up," I ordered. He stood up.


    "Open your shirt." He hesitated. "Open it!" His hands trembled as he unbuttoned the shirt. He hung his head as he waited for me to tell him what to do next.


    The others looked on in horror as I called him to stand beside me.


    "I was asked to show you what it means to be a true agent."

 Chapter 170 Happy Birthday

    "Have you ever wondered why you were sworn to secrecy about this ss?" I hissed. "This ss is for only those that Jacob Hunt thought were the best," I continued.


    "You were a lot of bullies and assholes before I shot that girl," I pointed at the girl in question. She ducked down, terrified and embarrassed.


    "If you ask anyone who I am, they will not be able to tell you. That is how good I am."


    "You think you are so good, don''t you? Have you ever been on a mission, boy? Looked into the eyes of the most feared men in the society and shot them between the eyes?" He trembled under my re. "I''ve been doing this since I was your age. While all of you sit here and chat away your time, I was on the field, undercover and taking down every man that came in my way."


    "Do you want more proof?" I goaded. None of them spoke. I removed the long sweater at one go and stood in front of them in my jeans and my bra. I knew no shame. I had lost it long back. I pointed at each scar on my skin, I told them who had made them, what had happened to them.


    "They are all dead," I told them. "That is how good I am. I am in front of you because I have fucked up so many people on this that it is better if I disappeared." With that, I slipped the sweater back on and started to walk away.


    "You''re Agent Vincent," I heard Adam say. I turned back and saw the conviction in his eyes.


    "Come with me." He followed wordlessly.


    He was going to be a wonderful addition to the team.


    .


    "Are we set for today?" I asked as I entered the huge hall we had rented. Normally used to hold weddings and gs, the hall looked phenomenal with the crisscross of electrical wires. There were desktops andptops all set up. Huge screens surrounded the room; microphones to enhance coordination. It was the wet dream of every hacker.


    "What is this?" Adam sounded awed by what he saw.


    "We''re set," Daisy answered, ignoring the boy. "Are you ready to take over the controls?" I shook my head. "I thought you were excited about it."


    "I am, but I''d rather watch the n run smoothly and Murray''s empire burn down," I told her casually. "The boy here," I gestured to Adam, "will be taking my ce," I informed her. "He''s a hell lot better than me, and he knows his shit. I trust him not to blow our ns." I was starting to walk away when I heard her call me back.


    "Yes?"


    "Have you told him what is going to happen?" she asked, exasperated.


    "I''ll let you do it. You''re way better at exining things than I am," I told her. She knew that it was a subtle jab. I had not forgiven her from hiding the truth from me.


    "Ma''am?" I heard him call.


    "Yes?"


    "Thank you for the opportunity," he bowed his head.


    "Keep up the good work, kid."


    That was when I realized that I missed Sean horribly.


    There were only ten minutes until the clock struck twelve. Every person in the room had their fingers on the keyboard. I stood above them, looking over them as theypleted their final checks. My eyes scanned the floor to see Daisy. She was staring back at me, her expression somber. I gave her a prompt nod and saw her give them the orders.


    "We are supposed to create a zero hit. We coordinate and attack the weak points in the system all at once." She went on to exin which groups would work on which parts.


    "Today, the Web of Lies shall fall," she announced. She looked up at me and returned my nod.


    I clutched my phone in my hands and waited for anarchy to take over.


    A minute before the clock struck twelve, the silence was reced by the furious noise of typing. It was music to my ears. A smile spread across my lips asyer afteryer of protection fell away. The hackers retreated, extracting all the information. The mission wasplete. I heard the cheers, but I wanted to hear the devastation in his voice.


    I pressed the cellphone to my ears and waited for the rings to give away to his voice. I heard the dial tone disappear.


    I could hear him breathing harshly. Reality had dawned. I could almost hear the moment when he knew... he just knew that it was me.


    "Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday dear Anthony... Happy birthday to you..." I can hear theughter in my voice. Oh, how I enjoyed wishing him on his birthday. "Thank you, dear Anthony... for all the love you''ve shown, the lives that you have torn. The rampage ends today; so does your dynasty."


    He had the audacity tough. That is when I truly know that he feels nothing. I shake my head as I hear the wonder in his voice.


    "Mia," he says. I shudder.


    "Anthony." I switch off the phone.

 Chapter 171 Tyran

    rms red.


    The screech pierced through the hollow air of the room. It was a suffocating noise¡ªsphemous in its origin. It was a product of sin, shame, and the end of an era. I could almost hear the dripping sound of blood or the pool it formed in front of my feet. The knife dropped to the floor with a tter, louder than the noise of the rm. The blood running down my hands soaked the sleeve of my shirt.


    For the first time, I saw my hands tremble.


    I had done it.


    I shook my head to clear the sudden rush of excitement and wiped my already drying fingers in my light wash jean. I dropped to my knees. My breath came in gasps as I reached out for the gory de. I grasped it with shaky hands and pulled it close to me. I held it like a child¡ªthe love pouring out of my chest, directed at the de that had ended the beginning of my revenge.


    I produced the handkerchief I had chosen for the asion¡ªthe whitest and most innocent looking one I had found. It had a small heart and the letter B stitched on it. I took the de between the cloth and wiped it with precision.


    The knife had always been my favorite weapon. To feel the euphoria rushing through my veins when I saw the shock and horror in the face of my victim... there was nothing like it. It made my spine straighten with pride and a chill run down it... in ecstasy.


    There was no shock in the act, though. There was no guilt in the eyes of my victim, either. There was just a sneer that kept stered on his face even in death. His eyes were wide open, his chest torn by the numerous times my knife had pierced deep into his body. His throat was a fountain of blood, a sight to behold.


    I took care to remove all the spots on my precious child. I nned on cleaning it until I could see my own face smiling back at me.


    The rms ceased.


    I didn''t look up to see why.


    I heard the door crash open.


    I heard the cocking of the gun.


    I lifted my head up and smirked at the people who had dared to point their guns at me.


    Being the fianc¨¦ of the heir had worked out in my favor, just as I had nned.


    "Wee to Utopia," I whispered, raising my hands to my side and beckoning them in. I moved away from their way, letting them see for the first time. I heard gasps, I heard the murmurs rise, but no one pulled the trigger.


    They moved away from my way as I walked out of the room, their eyes following me.


    A few steps out of the door, I saw his figureing towards me. His eyes were frantic as he looked me over, I could imagine that I was a sight to behold.


    "Jacob," I greeted him warmly.


    "What have you done?" horrified, he took a step away from me.


    "I crushed the head of the snake."


    .


    "Agent Vincent; we were not informed that you were still alive." One of the traitors said.


    "I was not informed that I had to inform the organization about my living status after I hadpleted my mission," I answered.


    "We were told that you had been killed during the siege in the warehouse. Your homing signals were picked up and we sent a rescue team immediately to finish Luke and his followers."


    "You must not lie to me, kind board members. I have been informed that you had no hand in the working of the team that was sent to the warehouse. In fact, I have proof that you curbed any advance that was made to get me out of the mission alive."


    "We will not condone any of those rancid usations you are throwing our way, Agent Vincent."


    "You seem to forget that I am no longer the beloved Agent Vincent that you old, corrupted goons used to clear out anyone that came in your way." The hard look in my eyes stopped them from arguing with me. They knew well that I had gone through the secret files of the organization. The words I used were particr. I quoted them on instances where they had specifically contacted other agents who were at the time assigned to Luke. The correspondence had been clear¡ªI was wanted dead. The reason was not as clear as I hoped it would be.


    Daisy had made it rather easy for me.


    I had gone through the amount of influence each person in the organization had. The board were simple ythings in the hands of the Chief. They had simply nodded and gone along with any n the man had introduced. I could imagine their excitement at hearing that I had taken care of their little problems.


    Personal problems aside, being subordinate to the Chief meant that they had little or no say in the affairs of the organization. I, on the other hand, had gained a considerable amount of contacts in my time working for them. With Jacob ready to take over, and his obvious affection for me, it was quite clear that it was going to be a one-woman show. Somewhere down the line, I think even Chief had thought the same. Despite his personal gains, his instincts had led him to try and protect his son from a tyrant.


    I was the tyrant.

 Chapter 172 Interrogation

    And he had been right.


    "You are still alive and working for the organization."


    "Unfortunately, I am not. I believe that a death certificate was issued after the warehouse event. So, Agent Vincent has been dead for the past ten months. Hence, I am not an employee any longer."


    "We also have record that you took some sses, Agent Vincent."


    This is what they feared most, I realized. Another important influence. I had taught the new recruits, and it meant that I had somehow grown close to them. That was not the case, but it was fun watching them squirm.


    "That is where you are wrong. I took approximately fifteen sses with a group of recruits that needed my help. I put the fear of death in their hearts and showed them that they meant nothing in this world." I could see the surprise and the shock on their faces.


    "So, you were involved with them?"


    "They had no clue who I was until recently. And I was just helping out my fianc¨¦ train a few hooligans. I had no mary of extra-curricr gain from the interaction."


    "That is not even the topic we should be discussing," said one old, plump man. He was bbergasted by how calm everyone seemed. I gave him a wink before I spoke back to him, taunting him to say something wrong.


    "And what would that be?"


    He clenched his fists at his side and then leaned forward to scream at me.


    "You killed Billy Hunt three hours ago, and here you sit without any signs of fear or guilt." I shook withughter.


    "Your jokes never cease to make meugh, kind sir. Please don''t y dumb. You are more than d that I stepped in when I did and killed the man before one of you had to taint your reputation and do it yourselves. You know very well that he was nning to get rid of all of you. You are a greedy lot, it would be impossible to coexist with a man who was not nning to share."


    "You dare call us names?"


    "I know who you are. Remove those masks and tell me what you really want."


    "I am impressed that a girl of your age coulde up with such a concrete n," a younger man said, sounding impressed.


    "It had always been my job to be the best at what I did. I have worked undercover for too long. People are visual creatures who are easily fooled. A slight change in the style of body posture can turn you into a stranger in anyone''s eyes." I shrugged as if it had been nothing. I had been nning for the moment for a month now.


    "How did you enter the premises without identification?" Another man asked.


    "You forget that I am Jacob Hunt''s lover. I was simply here to meet my soon-to-be father inw. He is dead, but I did meet him."


    "We could remove him from this organization for your actions." Iughed.


    "You could try, but I must warn you. He is the heir. No one wants to see the organization in the hand of a band of old men who have no clue how to manage such a big entity."


    "That is where you are wrong, Mia."


    "Marie," I corrected automatically.


    "Listen to me carefully, girl. You are new to this game. Killing everyone whoes in your path will do no good. You need to think with your head."


    "So, you realize that what I have been saying is true and that you won''t stand a chance if Jacob sides with me and decides to remove all of you."


    He ground his teeth together, frustrated that I had transformed the meaning of his words.


    Ah, but therein lies the ambiguity ofnguage.


    "Billy Hunt nned on killing me while I was in aa in the hospital. I just killed him. I know the ns that all of you had for me... how are you sure that I will not make you suffer through them, yourselves?"


    Fear.


    That is what beauty looked like.


    "Are you threatening us?"


    "If that is how you want to look at the simple question, then yes. I am threatening your existence."


    "What if Agent Hunt doesn''t side with you?" one asked, acting smug.


    "He will. He already has."


    "What do you mean?" I kept my mouth shut.


    He promised that he would destroy anyone that wanted to hurt me. I know he meant it.


    "You should run before we have to end up digging more graves than we anticipated."


    "You will be dealt with," I heard one of them sneer. I snickered and waited for them to run away, scared.


    "I will look forward to it," I said, epting the open challenge. I promised to take my revenge slowly and painfully.


    They scattered like rats as I produced the knife and went back to cleaning it.

 Chapter 173 Long Enough

    "Agent Hunt, to what do I owe this pleasure?" I asked, honey dripping from my tongue.


    "Don''t be cross with me, Mia. You know very well that I tried my best to talk to the agents before I came to you." He was frustrated, and I could see it. His eyes had dark circles under them, and he was wearing the same clothes that he had a day ago.


    I was kept sitting in the Chief''s office, where the meeting with the board members had taken ce. There were teams of researches moving in and out of the room, artistically moving around me, not daring toe anywhere near.


    "So, did you convince your team to take me out for killing your father?" I asked him with a cheeky smile.


    "Not yet. I hope you are going to exin why you did what you did." He was too calm. I had expected him to show anger and betrayal, but there was none of it. The evidence was there and I had pretty much confessed to killing the man myself, but no one had dared to touch me, not even the man''s own son.


    "I suppose Daisy already gave you the file," I realized. He gave me a small nod, but I could see the distress in his eyes. He would open up, eventually.


    "Why didn''t you tell me everything? I could have helped." I shook my head.


    "You would feel guilty if you had known. If you found out that you were ipetent enough to not use the information you had, it would crush your confidence," I taunted. He gave me a scowl. "I took your fingerprints and logged into your ount. I took out all the information and found out that three people were involved in the n: Anthony, your father, and my own father. I didn''t get the opportunity to kill my father, neither do I have the heart to kill Anthony. The only one who could quench my need for revenge was your father. He was a bastard, I will let you know. He probably nned on getting you killed once you put a ring on my finger. Or maybe he wanted me dead. He had the power; it was only a matter of time. I did you a favor by taking care of him. I saved you the guilt." Self-righteousness was the only thing that protected me from the storm surrounding me. I had convinced myself that what I had done was right. There was a small part of me that contemted the theory that I had finally snapped. Maybe, that was why they avoided me like the gue.


    Maybe they would put me down like a rabid dog.


    "At least I would have known how to protect you." He grumbled. I was utterly confused.


    "Why aren''t you angry, Jacob?" I asked. "I wanted to kill my father with my own hands, but I still hate the man who killed him for doing it."


    "You have a lot of hatred for the man, Mia. I didn''t have much hatred for my father, just resentment. He had wanted to use the lethal injection while you were in aa. I had somehow managed to ban him from the hospital and bribed everyone on the floor handsomely so that he would have no way to influence someone to kill you." That surprised me. It really did. Not much surprises me any longer, dare I say. "You might think that I am stupid, but the mistake was one of omission." He smiled a reluctant smile that made me want to feel guilty for taking his father away from him.


    "You aren''t as curious as the others?" I teased.


    "I''m a sniper, for god''s sake. I stalk my prey to get to know them. I have never wanted to know more about the organization than I had to. I never wanted to take over, I wish someone else would do it in my ce, but after what I see has transpired in it, I don''t trust anyone to control it in the spirit in which it was formed."


    He leaned forward, grabbing my hands. He took the knife out of it and ced it on the table beside the chair. He encased my hands in his and then leaned in to press his lips to mine.


    "We keep the society safe from crime, but make money out of it," Imented.


    "And everyone wins in the end," he sighed as he stared at our hands.


    "Will you do something for me?" I asked, knowing well what the answer would be.


    "Kill him for me. Make him feel pain. Make him repent."


    "Only if you do something in return," he smiled. I gave him a pointed look. "Help me lead these men. Show them how to work. Be their role-model. Resume your position, Agent Vincent."


    "You took long enough to ask." He threw his head back as heughed. Soon, I joined him.

 Chapter 174 Disposal

    I always wondered why Jacob hadn''t been mad when I told him that I had murdered his father in cold blood. I had thought about it until I had almost lost polishing my new found love¡ªthe shining de.


    He had always been fond of his father, despite the old chief''s lukewarm attitude towards him. The Ol'' Chief had been prouder of me than he had ever been of Jacob. He never failed to tell me that I had far exceeded everyone''s expectations. The uncertainty nagged at me when I was younger, I had considered that he resented me for being the apple of his father''s eye. When I had approached him with the same inquiry, he hadughed it off and had informed me that he would rather not raise the bars. Expectations broke easily and they lead to adverse consequences, he had told me. He had been a bloodied wise kid.


    "I am a soldier," I remembered him telling me, "not a leader. You are better at handling mind games." His words had echoed in my ears.


    As I spent more time around Jacob and saw him function as the head of the organization, I realized that he really did believe that he was incapable of leading and instigating his employees.


    No, he was not free from ambition, quite the opposite, actually. He hadn''t acted on his ambition, but neither had he let anyone on about its existence. Despite being apprehensive about taking over, he seemed to wee the title of ''chief,'' wearing it as a badge of honor.


    Not for a single moment did I doubt his love for me. He loved me with all his heart, but Jacob Hunt was not as noble as he thought he was.


    He used me as a shield to hide the changes he was making in the organization. Anyone who saw me would associate me with his pride and the strength of the organization. After the unfortunate death of his father at my hands, most agents believed that it would be a matter of time before the organization was in shambles, but Jacob yed on their emotions and used their awe of me to keep them back, reassuring them and giving them hope that the business would grow bigger than ever before. His calm demeanor and my lethal temperament bound the rest of the flock in.


    His ideas were radical. He divided the sses into teams, training them as a unit like he had intended for the group of hooligans. He introduced what he called "refresher courses" to keep the agents up to date with thetest technology and information on the crime scene of the world. He nurtured each and every member, tutored them so that he could easily bend them to his will. He did it all with amanding voice and a smile that could win over hearts. They looked up to him as the just employer.


    It had taken me a few months toe to the conclusion that Jacob Hunt was a devious bastard.


    Going undercover was not in the cards for me. My experience in the field, though extremely exciting, wasn''t worth the trouble. The number of times my life was threatened in such situations made me want to reconsider taking back my job in the organization. I hated being a sniper, too. I wasn''t impatient, but I found no thrill in waiting for my target all day long to get a clear shot. There was no anticipation, no adrenaline rush when the trigger was pulled. It was too far away from the action, for me to enjoy it. So I had turned to fast hits. Ipiled information, formed a n and then executed it as soon as the opportunity arose. I had no time to be obsessed with just one situation, the other arose instantly. The fun part was that I could see my target dying. Shooting at an inanimate target could keep me happy for so long, right? It was the only way I could let out all the pent out anger and resentment.


    He used my inclination to his benefit and formed another n out of it. He thought I was a good teacher (albeit a really strict and unconventional one); I was supposed to take practical sses where I would question targets, murder them or have to cut them up for one cause or another.


    "I have a new assignment for you," he said as soon as I entered the room. I gave a once over to the room, still fascinated by the change in the appearance in the room. A year did not make it easy to ept the change in the Chief''s room. The whitewashed walls have been painted in masculine tones, and the overall mood of the room had changed from cold to professional and inviting.


    I gave him a level stare before sitting right across from him. He leaned forward, cing his elbows on the desk and his chin on his fisted knuckles. A smile yed across his lips.


    "Hello, Chief," I greeted. "How are you doing this morning? I thought we were going to discuss the financial fronts today," I teased, light-heartedly.


    "We always do that," he replied, dismissively. "Aren''t you excited to find out who you are going to take out this time?" the conspiratorial tone almost ignited my curiosity.


    "I''ve killed over forty people over the past year," I eximed. "Have you heard the newstely? Thew enforcement has divided opinions about me: some think I am a hero, others think I am a serial killer with a penchant for murdering criminals." I sigh. "The name doesn''t really matter anymore. It''s be somewhat of a routine," I shrugged. I liked challenges in fair amounts. If things got boring, I would have to find another way to get my adrenaline rushing. I wondered if the assignment Jacob had for me would bring about the necessary change.


    "The disposal team does a good job, Marie."

 Chapter 175 Adjus

    "And they leave bleached floors that are way more suspicious," I snorted. "The cops think I am a cleanliness freak," I rolled my eyes at that. I was far from it.


    "You aren''t even messy or reckless. They barely do anything at the crime scene. You are a cleanliness freak. You''re sort of scary when you start cleaning your weapons," he admitted with a lightugh. It was not the first time someone had told me that. Daisy reminded me rather frequently that she kept away when I got to the task of leaving my equipment spotless.


    "So, you were going to tell me about my next target," I prompted.


    "Armando Francis," he said as if it was exnation enough. I motioned to him to continue. "After Luke''s sudden ''demise,''" he scoffed, "there was a void in the arms market. Francis had been around for some time but wasn''t as infamous as Luke. Because of high demand, his sales went up and the void in the supply was filled. He''s a pretty big name, now."


    "These criminals never stop, do they? Nothing scares them." I shook my head in distaste. Jacob seemed disinterested by my monologue. "So, he has made a few enemies already?" It would be extremely unfortunate if he couldn''t manage to retain a good attitude in front of people and made enemies so close to going global.


    "No enemies, just an evil brother." I quirked a brow at him. He chuckled, shrugging. "Not my fault that people have some bad blood, you know?"


    "What''s their story?"


    "Armando''s elder brother doesn''t like the spotlight being on his younger sibling, and he''s greedy," his tone seemed bored. It was not an umon story.


    "How difficult will it be to kill him? Will it present any challenge?"


    "Knowing you, probably not, but you are allowed to have your fun." He knew how much I craved some action. He knew that I would stir up some trouble if I didn''t get my dose of excitement soon enough. He let me free to take some control and y with the target.


    "You''re a darling, fianc¨¦ of mine," I kissed his cheek and then skipped out of the room.


    .oO00Oo.


    "What do you have on Francis?" I ask Daisy as I see her locking the door to the bathroom behind her.


    "A minute topose myself would be nice," she mumbled as she towelled her hair dry. She shot me a withering look when I tried to rush her. I waved her off and let her get dressed.


    I had yet to move out of Daisy''s apartment. It was in a secure spot and no one could contact me without my permission. Also, I kind of liked living with someone; Daisy also stocked her fridge and sometimes cooked. She was a better cook than I was, so I didn''tin.


    "He''s in town for a week," I heard her say. She plopped down beside me on the couch and hunted for the remote between the cushions. When she finally found it, she switched the television on.


    "And where will he be going?"


    "That is not my work. Use your superior spying skills and your contacts to find him out. His picture is on your desk." She smiled at me smugly when I gave her a curious look. "You''re gettingzy. You needed a shove to get back into the move. Have some fun tracking Armando down and then kill him."


    "Why does everyone know me so well?" I groaned. "That is not a good thing when you are a hired killer."


    "Consider yourself lucky for having a few friends. Without them, you would be rotting in some gutter, naked and covered in filth." With that, she went back to changing the channels.


    Indeed, I was lucky to have some friends.


    .


    Getting information on Armando Francis was easier than I had anticipated. The man had no clue that there was a chance that someone could try to kill him. He carried a convoy of guards with him, but none of them looked alert. Either Francis was stupid or his guards were sloppy. There would be no fun in killing the man if there was no resistance.


    He preferred blondes and boots.


    This one was probably going to be as boring as ever.


    .


    It seemed as though someone had tipped off my target. I was not furious when I saw his security acting like they had work to do. I was excited, to say the least, but I had not been nning on the extensiveness of the searches they would carry out. Five days, I followed the man, watching him from different locations trying to find a weakness in his shield. I watched him go through the motions of his life every day.


    His brother was ying a dangerous game. Like a chameleon, he changed his color very often. When he was with Armando, he was kind and brotherly, seeming conscious of his health and constantly warning him. It was then I found out that the brother had been the one to tip Armando off.


    Rodriguez Francis was his name. He was asmon as any man got. Apart from his greed, he had no fine qualities that would help him take over the business. Though, it seemed like Armando''s little gang was rather respectful of him. He was a devious bastard who had set an obscene amount of money aside to get his beloved brother killed. I was pretty sure that he was acting sweet so that he could win over the associates as soon as the contract was yed out.


    I wondered just how cunning the man was.


    He was definitely making the game more interesting. Any scene of human depravity gave me great joy, especially when I got to take part in them.


    I had put on a nice wig for the asion. My top looked sexy in a ssy way, while my denim was extremelyfortable to move in even though it ttered my figure. I donned on a thick coat and adjusted my gun in the inner pocket. I hid my knife in my left boot and was ready to head out for the kill.

 Chapter 176 Beginning

    I spotted a middle-aged man in a distance, sitting on one end of the seesaw and ncing at me asionally. The park was empty, fortunately with no possibility of interference. It was still snowing quite badly, and I thanked God for it. I didn''t have to endanger the lives of innocents this way. I quickly repositioned my hand so that it was easier to pull out my gun if the man tried to attack. His eyes were glued to my hands and he, too, pulled his hand inside the pocket of his jacket and prepared to take a shot. I calmed my nerves when I saw his hesitation. His muscles were tensed like he was holding onto the gun for dear life. He thought he could shoot me if he had to, but I knew better. He pulled his hand out of his pocket when he noticed my handing back to his view. He sighed in relief and kept staring at me. I nced around the park, unnerved by his unwavering stare, searching for possible escape routes if any attack began.


    Mytest hit knew that I wasing for him and that made him want to finish me off even before I came close. I had been protecting my back for the past week, unable to concentrate on killing him, but today his hide-and-seek game would end.


    I saw the man shift ufortably from one foot to the other. He was staring past me. His eyes widened for a bit and then he quickly turned to leave. I stiffened immediately and took in deep breaths to be ready for the pain. It never came. I was stunned into silence when I heard a familiar voice. No, not just any voice, but the voice of the man I hade to loathe with all my existence.


    "Mia?" his voice was soft, almost a whisper. I didn''t turn, trying to keep my heart in control as it thudded loudly against my chest. I took in a deep breath and ignoring my heart, I turned to him with the coldest expression that I could manage.


    I was shocked to see his face. It was still perfect with sharp features and undeniable beauty, but he seemed ¡­ younger. Though I hated him ardently, I couldn''t help than be in awe of him. His velvety voice pulled me out of my thoughts again.


    "Where have you been all this time?" he asked, false concerncing his words. He was a perfect actor. Even if he spoke to someone with a smile, everyone knew that he was going to use him or her; his heart was cold and ck.


    I shrugged indifferently, making him wrinkle his nose.


    "Where did you go?" he tried again, and I let out a snort. His eyes burned with curiosity as he locked his eyes with mine and tried to get his answers. I had learned with time how to keep him out of my head and not let anything rted to him affect me, but facing him was so much harder. I could feel my shield crumpling as he kept on searching.


    "Damn it!" I smiled victoriously to myself as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration.


    "Speak to me!" he shook me and myposure broke. I saw red as I pushed him away from me and ground my teeth together to keep from shouting at him.


    "None of your bloody business." An unknown emotion crosses his features, but before I could recognize it¡­ it was gone. A cocky grin spread across his face and the only thought that came to my mind was that I was up for some serious torture.


    "You haven''t changed one bit, my kitten." His grin widened. Two memories from years before flitted through my mind. One made me want to rip his head apart and the other to kiss his smile right off his face, but ripping his head seemed to be more satisfying.


    "If you call me that one more time, I will chop off your balls and feed them to your watchdogs, Anthony." He didn''tment because he knew I could do it. His eyes softened a bit and he pulled me into an embrace.


    "I''m not Anthony for you, Mia. It''s me¡­ Michael."


    I knew he wanted me to call him by that name, but my cold heart forbade me from giving him any kind offort. I wanted to hurt him as much as I could; he was a criminal in every-ones'' eyes, including mine.


    I was too shocked to speak as he held me tightly against his chest. My body went limp, and my eyes blurred. I fought back the tears that threatened to spill. I took in another deep breath and umted all my control and pushed him away. He didn''t let go, but I struggled until I broke free from his arms. He dropped his eyes to the ground and smiled. He was too confident, and I wasn''t ashamed to say that I liked it.


    I clenched my hands into fists as I tried to refrain from jumping him. I thought before I spoke out the words.


    "I''m no different from any of those other people in the world. You prefer to be a man who is feared of. You are Anthony, a criminal that needs to be punished." My harsh words didn''t make an effect on him, but heughed wickedly.


    "Still the same," he whispered and leaned down to kiss my cheek.


    The sound of footsteps made me crouch into a defensive position with my gun waiting to be pulled out and used. I growled at him as I pointed the gun to his head.


    "I knew it!"

 Chapter 177 Never Miss a Sho

    "I don''t think you see the clear image, Mia. They are trying to kill us," he said tly. I groaned and looked him at the eyes. We both nodded in agreement as we silently decided between the two of us.


    Both of us turned at the same time and our backs met. I pointed the gun at each of the men one at a time, making sure I got the ranges right.


    "Seven against two?" the man who seemed to be the leader of the party spoke.


    "Seems hardly fair for you," The cockiness was back in Michael''s voice, and I couldn''t help, but smile.


    They all scowled at us, preparing to shoot.


    "Now!" I heard him say and I aimed for their heads. I pulled the trigger three times, one after the other and saw the men fall heavily to the ground and coloring the white snowy ground in red. I heard four shots from behind me, and I knew that it was over.


    Both of us turned to look at each other, just to check if the other was breathless, but we both smiled as we saw each other, clearly happy to have finished the job.


    "Good shot," he said impressed.


    "I have only ever missed one." The crooked grin spread over his face.


    "You didn''t fire that time." He leaned down brushing his lips across my neck, "We''re still good together, my kitten." My lips tugged down into a grimace as his words pierced me like a thousand knives, and I hissed under my breath. I was not going to take any of that crap from him anymore about being together. He was either trying to make me mad or intentionally trying to delude me into believing that he didn''t want to use me for his benefit.


    "We were never together in the first ce, Anthony." My voice seemed dead even to me. He faked a flinch, and I rolled my eyes. His acting meant nothing to me, but deep down I wanted him to suffer and make him feel something.


    Pain.


    Hate.


    Love.


    Passion?


    Anything.


    I would take anything he would offer. I had loved him once, and even if I denied the fact that I wasn''t that girl, I couldn''t escape the reality. I was that girl who couldn''t shoot at him when her father was going to die. I was still that girl who would dive into the fire just to save him even if it meant that I had to ruin my chances of having a life.


    Yes. I was pathetic.


    "Maybe I have changed!" His eyes shined with humor as he spoke the words. I let out a guffaw, making him burst into a fit ofughter.


    "Even if you try ¡­" I began. Despite knowing that I didn''t have to reply to his ridiculous words, I did. "A donkey remains a donkey and never miraculously turns into a horse."


    "Really?" He grins mischievously.


    I pointed the gun right at his head, making his eyes sparkle with amusement.


    "Are you going to shoot me, baby?" I was seething by the time he finished the sentence. I pressed the gun harder to his forehead and tightened my hold on the trigger.


    "Maybe I will," I said through my teeth. A devious smile reced the amusement and before he could retaliate at me, the threat came out hastily. "Don''t tempt me."


    His eyes locked with mine for another long second and then he ced his hand right over mine and pulled it where he could clearly see it. He pressed his lips lightly on my wrist and then his eyebrows knit together in concentration. He recovered quickly and didn''t even let me prepare for what came next. His hold on my wrist tightened and a dull ache spread across my arm.


    "What the fuck is this?" His voice was deafening in the silence that surrounded us. I didn''t even blink, but I was surprised. Was he bing possessive?


    Never.


    He was a cold-hearted bastard.


    "This is called a ring." My voice shook a bit. I rolled my eyes trying to control my scattered thoughts.


    "Why?" His voice strained to keep from shouting again. At that moment, I wanted nothing but to hug him and keep him all to myself. I wanted to tell him that it was all a lie. Then suddenly Jacob''s face shed in my mind and myst memories of Michael Gray came rushing in.


    His provoking speeches and unreliable promises came to my mind first. Followed by the moment when he told me that he wanted me to be safe even if it cost him his life, and then after that, him leaving me injured and telling me that I was of no use to him any longer.


    My blood started to boil when I realized that his current drama was all based on what he needed. Again, I was going to be a pawn in his nning and fight for him.


    This time, no such thing would happen.


    He silently waited for my answer, his eyes never leaving my face.


    "Because he is a good man. He loves me." I smiled a bit remembering Jacob''s bad jokes and proposal. He did love me very much.


    "But you don''t love him. You should be with the one you love!" His implication didn''t go unnoticed by me. I clenched my fist in preparation to punch his pretty face hard enough to mutte it.


    "No. You should stay with the one who loves you because they keep you happy and protected. And not use you," I spat out. His jaws clenched, and he tilted his face to look at me for onest time. He pulled out his phone and typed in the number.


    "Clean up this mess," he ordered the person on the other side of the phone. I took that as the cue to leave.


    "See you soon," he called from behind me, and I shook my head in frustration.


    "I hope I never meet you again, Anthony." I turned around once again and walked till I was sure I was out of his view. I turned and saw him standing among three other men who nodded silently to what he was saying.


    Relief washed over me soon after, telling me that I had sessfully dodged a great danger. It told me that my concentration should be focused on Armando Francis, an illegal ammunition dealer who was in town. I had to kill him ¡­ tonight.


    There was going to be no posing. No disguise. Just a bullet between his eyes.


    As for Michael Gray or should I call Anthony ¡­ He was going to die as soon as Jacob finds him. He never misses a shot, just like me.

 Chapter 178 Instinc

    The bar was dimly lit. It was on the outskirts of town, and very few people ever visited it. Armando had been frequenting this bar since he hade to the city. He went there every evening and stayed there until the bar closed down.


    I squinted as I tried to locate the man. There were a few people ordering drinks.


    Before I could spot the man, I felt someone tap on my shoulder. I reigned in my instincts but prepared my body to react if needed. My back stiffened slightly as I turned around.


    Anthony Murray, it seemed, had no ns on leaving me alone. I had the urge to shoo him away, or maybe roll my eyes at him, but the seriousness of the situation stopped me from acting foolishly. I didn''t want to create a scene. Today was the day that I had to take out Francis. He would be leaving in two days and I would be obvious if the CCTV cameras caught me snooping around on consecutive nights.


    "Mr. Murray, is there something you want from me?" I kept my voice professional and free from any anger.


    "I wish to speak to you privately," he told me in a low voice as if anyone would be interested to hear what he had to say to me.


    "I don''t think there is any need for this conversation."


    "And why not?" he challenged, moving closer to me. "I''ve waited two years for this," he hissed. I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to gauge the truth behind his words. He seemed honest enough, but I knew better than to trust him.


    In the end, I had taken a huge step to show him how very vulnerable he was by blowing up his information system. There was a high chance that he was looking for revenge, or that he still had some use for me.


    "Mia Vincent is dead, Mr. Murray. You took care of that, didn''t you?" I replied calmly. He didn''t even deserve my anger. I would not slip again and show him how much he had affected me.


    "And that is the reason why you need to listen to me, dammit."


    "I am on an important mission, Mr. Murray, and let me assure you: I take my job seriously. I would rather not mix any private feelings in it." My voice sounded hollow. His eyes darkened as he brushed his fingers against my arm.


    "Is that so, Mia?" A shiver ran up my spine. I hid it by ring at him. "Was I only that to you? A bloodied project?" he inquired, betrayal clear in his voice.


    Oh, what a good actor you are, Anthony.


    "I thought you knew that," I sneered. "I do remember denying any form of love towards you." I gave him a cold smile.


    "You are a lying witch, you know that right, my kitten?" he chuckled, pulling his hands back and shoving it inside his pocket.


    "You didn''t think so when you were fucking me, Boss." His eyes widened fractionally before he regainedposure.


    He clucked his tongue before speaking, "here I thought that I had you wrapped up in my game. You are fierce, my kitten. I underestimated you. You''re a cold-hearted bitch, aren''t you?" he cooed. I rolled my eyes at his attempt to get a reaction out of me.


    "Just like you," I taunted. "I don''t think I''m up to your level, though. I haven''t left anyone for dead yet..." I gave him a sly look. "If I had a chance, I would. And I would enjoy it thoroughly." As I turned around to look for my target again, I felt him pressing into my body.


    "What would you know? It seems you have grown up to be a hellcat," he whispered into my ear. I felt his shoulder brush past me as he walked ahead. He headed straight for the bar, ordering.


    A few seats down from him, I saw Armando Francis seated with a group of people. Two of them hung off of him. I assessed his interest in them and then let a slow grin spread across my face.


    I sauntered over towards him and waited for him to notice me.


    Armando Francis was a man in his early fifties with cropped golden hair and grey eyes. He wasn''t good looking, but he was powerful enough to keep a dozen of women at his side.


    I observed the women he surrounded himself with. They were all decked up, ready to do his bidding, and they were certainly not adding to any conversation that took ce. They looked extremely content with where they were. They did not care, or realize that Armando''s attention was not at them. When I looked up from my drink, I saw him eyeing me.


    I checked the watch on my wrist and calcted that I had attracted his interest within five minutes of taking my seat. I decided to act aloof and went back to sipping my drink. I could feel him staring at me as I made polite conversation with a woman sitting next to me.


    I paused to give him a coy look. I offered him a small smile, trying to gain his interest. It seemed to work. The woman beside me had conveniently fallen silent, and Francis was growing more and more distant from hispanions. His eyes were glued to me. I beckoned the bartender over again, making another order, but I was stopped.

 Chapter 179 Star-Struck

    "Get thedy whatever she wants," the man said. I felt myself smile as I realized that I had finally reached the stage where he could no longer keep away. He slid into the spot where thedy had previously been seated. "Could I interest you in joining me?" he asked, as politely as possible.


    I nodded, pretending to be shy. I kept a little distance from him, trying to y with his mind. I didn''t want him to think that I was as easy as the others, but I didn''t want to look unavable either. Even though the act would notst longer than a few hours, I was excited to have to use my skills to gauge the proportion of emotions that I was supposed to disy. The thrill made me flush with pleasure.


    I knew that I was being watched, but it was not the women who were ring at me. It was more than just spite; there was something intensely curious about the stare I was receiving. I had no doubt about who it was.


    "Drink for thedy," he announced as the bartender ced the sses in front of us. "May I?" he requested, moving forward. I nodded at him, letting him take my ss. "Would you like to join me and my friends?" he asked me quietly. I smiled, waiting for him to continue. "We are headed towards the booths, so that no one can disturb us. You can join if you want."


    I gave out a breathyugh before shrugging and replying with a brief, "why not?"


    He seemed pleased with my answer. He guided me towards an empty booth. It was secluded from the other parts of the bar, and had a curtain that seemed to make the area a bit more private. He asked his otherpanions to follow him.


    I noticed the guards speaking among themselves, trying to understand if I was safe enough to be allowed near their boss. But I knew that despite their opinions, their boss would want me by his side that evening.


    From where I was sitting, I could see Anthony clearly. His eyes were fixed on my form; he paid no mind to the others surrounding me. I leaned back into the couch and took rxing sips of my drink.


    A slow smile spread across my lips as I felt warm hands on my knees. I pretended not to notice. The hand soon shifted up to my thigh and traced patterns on my denim. I refrained from chuckling and turned to the older man with the sexiest smile I could muster up. Seeing the light tinge of mischievousness, Armando leaned in to press his lips against my chin and forming a trail down my neck.


    I let him take his time as I continued drinking.


    He had no effect on me, that was for sure, and I grew impatient with him and hispanions soon enough. I turned my head towards him, trying to rush the process. He took advantage and ced his lips on mine. I felt his tongue against my skin. I used one hand to hold on to his hair, making sure that I could pull back when I wanted to. He moaned in earnest and I found myself growing more amused as time passed.


    The disy came to a sudden halt when we heard the clearing of someone''s throat. It was not one of Armando''spanions, but the devil himself.


    How dare hee in here and ruin my ns!


    I pulled my hands out of Francis'' hair and went back to my original spot. Anthony, on the other hand, looked dangerous. His hair was wild and his eyes manic. He had a wicked smile on his lips. The vein in his forehead was pulsing and his smile looked almost like a sneer.


    "Armando," his voice was grave. A spark travelled down my veins and pumped my muscles to react. I rolled my eyes, internally, at the reaction of my body. I have a full make-out session with someone and it stays by my side, but one angry snarl from the bastard and she starts dancing.


    Traitor.


    "Mr. Murray, what a surprise!" he eximed, bouncing up to his feet. I found myself reclining back, amused by the star-struck expression on the man''s face. The n formed in my head slowly. I let it sink in, feeling devious.


    It would be a pleasure to kill someone in front of Anthony, just to remind him. I inched my hands nearer to my gun and waited for the right opportunity. The most delicious thought ran across my mind.


    Kill Anthony.


    Kill him.


    Yes, I had the gun ready and all I needed to do was point and shoot. It would definitely spice things up, but would I want to ruin my chances at finishing my mission before taking the man out?


    No.


    I trusted Jacob to do it for me, and frankly, I didn''t want to dirty my hands by having his blood on them. He didn''t deserve it.


    "And who might the lovelydy be?" he asked, turning his eyes towards me. He dipped his head, his eyes staring intensely back at me. I looked away, waiting for Armando''s reaction.


    "She is mydy love," heughed, heartily. I found myself cocking my brow at him, mirroring Anthony''s reaction.


    "Love, eh?" Anthony tried to suppress his amusement. "Tell me, Armando, where did you meet this bewitching creature?" he offered me a sly wink.


    Armandoughed again, embarrassing himself further.


    Foolish man.


    "I don''t mind sharing, Mr. Murray-"


    "I''m sure you don''t mind, but I don''t like to share things that are mine, Armando." He turned to re at the idiotic man. "The art of possession is a difficult one, and you seem to have no training in it." He turned to the others in the booth and gave them a stern look. "Could you leave us alone for a bit? I have some business rted matters to discuss with Francis."


    Francis took in a shuddering breath, delighted at the prospect. He nodded at the others, and they left silently. I, too, got up begrudgingly and tried to walk out.


    "Not you, Mia," he hissed. "Sit back down." I didn''t know why Iughed, but I think it was surprise.


    He was definitely trying to ruin my ns.


    He turned back to close the curtains and then turned back towards us.


    I could see the bewildered expression on Armando''s face.


    "I will assume that you know by now about my little spat with Luke," he began. Armando nodded. "You will also know that I dabble in dealing of armaments," his voice was low and menacing. "I appreciate that you have been trying to keep out of my path for the past few years, and I hope it remains that way in the future."


    "Rest assured that I am here for pleasure and not on business, Mr. Murray. I would never dream of trying to encroach on your area." His voice was almost apologetic and pleading.


    "Do you have any sample of your products?" Anthony asked, suddenly, his eyes alight with humor. Armando nodded, pulling out his gun from behind him. He handed it to Anthony in haste and waited for the reaction.


    Anthony, on the other hand, took his sweet time to check the gun over and the bullets. He then pointed it at Armando with a smile.


    "Mr. Murray?" he gasped. His eyes turned to me, a lot crossed his eyes and I knew that he nned on using me to escape.


    "No offence, Francis, but I already told you that I don''t share." The growl that followed made me chuckle.


    "Do it and I will kill you, you bastard," I hissed. Anthony''s eyes slowly turned to me.


    "My kitten," he acknowledged before turning back to Armando. "You see, yourdy love is trying to protect you. I hate it. And honestly, I don''t like you." His fingers twitched on the trigger and Francis slumped against me.


    I clenched my jaw, trying to reign in my anger as I pushed the body aside and then stood up.


    "I should kill you for that stunt, Anthony, but you are not my project any longer. Rest assured, your time wille," I shoved my hands inside my jacket and then moved out of the room.


    "You are wee," I heard him say. I moved faster, knowing what wasing. I heard the rushed footsteps and the usations flying. His voice was there, too.


    Before they could catch me, I slid into my intended vehicle and sped off.


    Anthony Murray was a hound, he tore everything in his path to get what he wanted. This time, it seemed, he wanted me.

 Chapter 180 Phase One

    One thing I had learned from Anthony''s betrayal was to keep no stone unturned. I had learned to erase my track like the bad little Girl Scout that I was and throw everyone off my track, and that is exactly what I did. The car could have only taken me so far. I knew that I had not been fast enough to escape without notice and that anyone could have followed me. It was an exhrating thought as I found car races rather instigating, they reminded me of nightmares that I had ages ago.


    ording to n, I headed towards a huge shoppingplex a couple of miles from the bar. I chose to park underground and left the keys inside the car, itself. If anyone felt the need to steal it, they could go ahead and knock themselves out. They would probably die within a few days because any person seen in the same car as I escaped in would not be safe to travel in. So, any thief was wee to steal it. I would be d that there would be less wastage of our precious oxygen.


    I took the elevator to the highest floor of theplex and then went around the ce buying whatever I could remember Daisyining about. I was not much of a homely person, so I had no clue what we were short on until Daisy grumbled to herself¡ªas she often did, and inadvertently told me of all her grievances and theck of food in our refrigerator. I chose some vegetables, which I knew we could make something out of and all the snacks I could manage.


    Daisy wasn''t the homely type either, as one could imagine.


    Armed with groceries worth a few days, I found myself walking out of the main gate without even giving another person a thought. Phase one of destroying my track wasplete.


    The next step was to appear like a civilian who enjoyed strolling at odd ces.


    I took the longer route home. I found the darkest alleys and slithered across them. I saw people in variouspromising situations, some confused by my presence, others unaffected by it; I didn''t care much for them either.


    It started from the tips of my finger. It was a slight alteration in body temperature, a tingle thatced itself with an ufortable heat, but then the flinching began. It took me a few minutes to realize that it was not the odd case of cutting off of blood flow from the fingers, but a cramp in the making.


    I told myself that I had no reason to panic unless I was sure that I would have another attack. I found myself trying to remember if I had shoved the little pill the doctor had asked me to use in case of emergencies. It was the only thing, apart from my equipment, that I bought on a mission. The pill, though, was a recent development.


    Within a few minutes, my wrists and upper arm were seizing up, as well. I took inrge gulps of air, trying not to panic. There was no use panicking. The shortage of oxygen would only worsen the cramp.


    It seemed like I would have to take a detour. Having not felt the need to bring any means ofmunication, I had to take an unwanted detour; I didn''t have enough time to reach home. I needed to take the medicine as soon as possible, and I needed a bottle of water for it.


    Dumping my ns to familiarize myself with the nooks of the city, I headed for the main road, where I prayed I would find a store that would have bottled water.


    Spotting a departmental store, I broke into a jog. By then, the upper left portion of my body was frozen and my chest was on fire. Jogging didn''t make the situation any better. My throat constricted with the need to fill my lungs with air, but even as my mouth dropped open and sucked on the atmosphere with vigor, nothing seemed to quench the need. It was the pains that left me breathless, the gut-wrenching feeling made me want to double over or curl up in a ball and just die.


    I felt eyes on me, but I ignored them. If I didn''t take the medication soon, there would be no me left to spy on. Whoever it was that tried to follow me would be sorely disappointed if that happened. I did take a quick peek around, though. No, it was not out of panic, but the product of a long honed habit.


    Satisfied that no one seemed interested with my whereabouts, I strolled into the store, massaging my chest absently. The man behind the counter shot me a disapproving nce. I realized that I still had the contents of the other store I had stopped by.


    I politely asked him to point towards the direction of the bottle and he did so without much question.


    I had difficulty walking. Much like my hand, my legs, too, started seizing up. I unscrewed the bottle in haste, paying the man no mind and started hunting for the little pill I knew that I had kept in someone''s pockets.


    The cashier protested of course, but I was not in a mental state to even speak to the people.


    Atst, I found the undeniably breakable little oval pill that kept me alive in the stickiest situations. I triumphantly pulled it out and ced it on the tip of my tongue. I took in a gulp of water to wash the medicine down. Then I proceeded on to pour the water into my face, until my stomach felt fuller than ever before. Wiping the few droplets of water from the corner of my lips, I looked over my arm.

 Chapter 181 Bump Into an Old Lover

    After paying the disdainful cashier the amount I owed him, I sauntered out of the store, hoping that I did not miss a step. I stood on the sidewalk and tried to get my bearings right. I had no clue where I was, and the pain made no effort to decrease any time soon. I plopped down onto the floor, keeping my back against a wall and hoping that the medicine works.


    The pain did somewhat decrease, but not enough for me to find the strength to drag my body home. So, I sat there, watching weary people walk past me. At a distance, I found the source of my paranoia. At first, it was just a silhouette as the man was facing away from the lights on the street, but the form was familiar. There was no way in hell I could make a mistake in recognizing that body.


    A sh of irritation overcame me, filling me with a strength I did not know I possessed. I pushed off the sidewalk, sneered at the shadowy figure and then tried to walk back home as fast as it was possible.


    .


    Daisy was waiting for me when I returned. She was worried and looked me over when I entered the room.


    "What took you so long?" she asked.


    "I bumped into an old lover," I replied ndly. Her brows scrunched together in confusion. I waited for the realization to dawn on her. It took quite a while.


    "Anthony was there?" I nodded, heading towards the small kitchen, hoping to find something to eat. I had grown quite hungry after the painful cramping.


    "Yeah, he went ape-shit when he saw me on the target''sp. Killed the man like the possessive bastard he is," I snorted.


    "So, you basically had to do nothing to kill the man?"


    "Except escape," I told her as I plopped down beside her on the couch. "The people thought that I killed Armando, as I should have."


    "And he did nothing?" she asked, confused.


    "Of course not. He is not stupid or idealistic. He would never defend me. You know this. The bastard wouldn''t do it for his own mother." It seemed a little too harsh, but to me, at that moment, nothing was truer.


    "I don''t get why he didn''t try to follow you." The suspicion was clear in her voice.


    "Maybe he doesn''t care," I shrugged.


    "And maybe you are lying." I chuckled as I took a bite of my sandwich.


    "I am," I confirmed. "Don''t know how he kept up with me, though. The fucker is good, that is all I can say."


    "You are using rather colorfulnguage today," shemented. "Did something else happen? Something more stimting?"


    "I might have had an attack, again," my voice was lower than I intended it to be. I had no intention of letting her know. "I slowed down a bit, I think that is why he could catch up to me," I reasoned, trying to change the subject.


    "And you did not tell me as soon as you entered the room?" her voice rose to an unpleasant scream. It was not often one heard Daisy scream, but when they did, they hoped that they would never be near her again. She had an ugly scream; it hurt one''s ears and made their ears bleed. Sometimes I thought that she did it on purpose to torture people and take out her anger on them.


    "If they start again, you will need to get back to the doctor, Marie. You can''tpromise with your health like this. And the man, he is no good for you!" Exasperated, I sighed.


    "It wasn''t much," I groaned. "Don''t spoil my mood." I was not in a good mood, but I didn''t want to murder Anthony Murray with my own hands at the moment.


    "So, he caught up to you," she asked heatedly. "What did he do?"


    "He just kept a distance and watched me convulse in pain," I said simply. She raised a brow. "I don''t think he followed me to the apartment. I checked. And there is no way he can enter the ce."


    "Have you ever considered the possibility that you want him to follow you?" she said suddenly. I stopped eating, my jaw clenching, ready to burst out and rain my wrath down on her. But she didn''t give me the time to react.


    "You walked. I know you did. You could have easily changed your ns with one phone call, but you chose to walk despite meeting Anthony suddenly. He killed a man because he put a hand on you: a hand that you willingly let the man put on you. Did you think that he would not try to follow you or convince you to listen to him?" she scoffed, she had the courage to. I seethed. "You are not foolish, Mia. You know from experience that he is a cunning man, yet you took the chance and let him follow you. You just sat there while he kept tabs on you. If he needed to approach you in that moment, he would have, and it would have been wise of you to kill him before he got anywhere near you, but no, you did no such thing. You let him follow you again. You say that you think he didn''t follow you, but there is a high chance that he did." She sucked in a breath. "I think that in some corner of your mind, you envisioned him bulldozing through that door, breaking through all the barriers we have ced to keep people out. I think you wanted him to see how much pain he has caused you¡ªphysically of course. You would never stand for anyone getting to know that you loved the man and that he hurt you by betraying you."


    "Shut up."

 Chapter 182 Face Reality

    "That is why you let him see you in such a vulnerable position, am I right?" I sneered at her. "You can''t kill him because it would be impossible for you to kill the man you love. You could never evene to listen to those tapes I saved for you. Maybe it scares you to think that despite loving you in his own way, he did not love you enough to protect you; that he stood by and saw you suffer."


    "That you are not important enough for him."


    "Does it make you happy to try to analyze me? I think your judgement is clouded, Daisy. I think it is a manifestation of your romantic side. I think you crave the taboo rtionship you would have with a certain man you met long ago and knew you couldn''t have."


    "Of course, it is the romantic in me talking, Mia. I am not going to deny it, and I want you to face reality as well. We live in a world where deception is as easy as breathing and you can''t hold a grudge against a man for getting what he wanted at any cost."


    "And what did he want?"


    "Why don''t you ask him yourself and stop ying the little victim? You are not the victim! You went into the mission, knowing that you would likely die, gruesomely. You knew, but you are still holding it over his head for doing what he does best: strengthening his empire."


    "Fuck you."


    "At least have the decency to pretend that you want to know the truth."


    "I should go to a doctor," I whispered, the thoughting to me suddenly.


    "You should," she looked at me from the corner of her eyes. "If he burst through that door right now, what would you do?" she asked. I couldn''t quite ce the expression on her face.


    "Wha-"


    The loud boom made me jump up. Within seconds my gun was in the hand and pointed towards the closed door.


    "Why didn''t you tell me?"


    "I just saw the video. I was busy talking to you." I hissed in frustration. I sucked in a breath, preparing myself to pull the trigger as soon as his face became visible. The door wrenched open, I sucked in a breath as I saw him. His face was furious.


    "WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU PLACE SENSORS OUTSIDE THE APARTMENT?" the apartment seemed to shake under his fury. My fingers on the trigger almost faltered. All ns of shooting him went out of my mind. "And why was I electrocuted? Seven times if I may ask."


    My finger jerked. In a moment of horror, panic seized me. I saw his wide eyes mirroring mine. His hands were on his knees, his mouth hanging open.


    I gulped as I raised the gun again to shoot him.


    "Do you think this is funny, Mia?" he growled. He stood straighter, sparing no nce at the bullet that whizzed over his head and embedded itself into the wall on the other end.


    "Leave me alone," I spat at him.


    "Two years. For two years I have been searching for you. Did you think that you could get away with trying to destroy me?" He sauntered over to me. Within seconds, his hands grabbed on to mine. I fought. I kicked him in the balls. I pounded his head with my elbow. I tried to beat him to pulp. I really did.


    He blocked every move, anticipating them before they formed in my head.


    I imagined trying to bend and take the gun in my hand again. I had a fair chance in killed him at a close range. He would not be able to duck away in time.


    As I bent over, I saw his legs move. I stumbled over, my hands breaking my fall. I bit back a scream. He straddled me and grabbed my throat.


    "L-et-" I gagged.


    Just a little bit more... I told myself.


    Just a few inches more... and... god... please...


    I had not felt such a burn in my chest for a long time. It was nothing like a heart attack, it felt like my insides were set on fire. The inferno sucked in the oxygen, leaving nothing behind in my poor body. I don''t know how long we stayed like that, his teeth curling over his lips, my vision ckening.


    The butt of the gun brushed against my fingers. I spread my fingers to grab it.


    A lit-


    With a swipe of his free hand, he pushed it away.


    All was lost.


    I was dying at his hand.


    He let me go, a little toote maybe. I could see nothing.


    I heard his ragged breath.


    I felt the slowing of my heartbeat.


    I sensed the lightness of my head.


    I suspected that he did, too.


    "Sleep," he murmured.


    I listened to him.

 Chapter 183 Breathe

    The dancing lights behind my closed lids were the first thing I observed. As consciousness seeped into my oxygen-deprived brain, I started noticing the change in my surrounding. There was no doubt that I was no longer being held down. My arms were free, heated and tingling, and too heavy for me to move. The chill of the floor was missing. In its ce was the warmth of freshly washed bed covers. The temperature in the room was pleasant, something I had not expected to feel.


    My mind started to question the legitimacy of thest lucid memory I possessed. I remembered the hard body pushing mine down; I remembered the long fingers wrapped around my throat. Had that incident really taken ce? I was quite sure that I would not be alive if that were the case. Anthony Murray had every intention to leave me breathless¡ªliterally, and punish me for causing trouble.


    I humorlessly wondered what our scores would be if we were keeping tabs on how threatened one''s life was because of another. I was pretty sure that he would be winning. He would gain extra points of being a pretentious prick that did not know when to drop his charade.


    Sincerely, the meddling part of my mind interjected, we must take into ount how many times you pulled your gun on him.


    I grit my jaw as I tried to fend off the offending thought.


    "When are you going to stop pretending that you are still unconscious?" Instantly, anger bubbled in my veins. My breath left my nostrils in a rush as I tried to bite back the sinister reply. Instead, I told him the truth as politely as was humanly possible.


    "The moment you stop pretending to care." I tested the light inside the room, opening one lid slowly. I squinted, realizing that only the dim bedsidemp was turned on beside the bed. Thanking the gods, I tried to put my weight on my dead arms and push myself back against the headboard and sit. After a few tries, I found myself in the mostfortable position I could find.


    "Mia," I heard her disapproving voice. My eyes moved towards the direction of her voice. I scanned her form, trying to see the damage. Apparently, she had none.


    "Where were you when he was strangling me?" I asked, coolly. I raised a brow at the upraised gun in her hand. It was pointed at Anthony, who sat at the foot of the bed, waiting for the slightest movement so that he could make his move.


    "I was being held back." I shot her a questioning look. Maybe, I made a judgement on her as well. I could imagine that it was Ethan, who had apanied Anthony in his little break-in. No one else had the time or inclination to indulge in the Boss'' games.


    "Oh? Did you not fight your detainee off?" I quipped. Her eyes, which had been trained on Anthony''s form, shifted towards me.


    "I tried, but you were too busy being angry and fighting off the abusive lover of yours." The chill in her voice brought me a sense of rity.


    "He is not-" she did not let me finish. She scoffed... on my face. I should have been furious, but I was tired off bursting out at every turn. It was time I squeezed out my answers and give them no asion to exploit my emotions.


    She returned her gaze to the man that she kept at gunpoint.


    "So, now you took it on yourself to protect my unconscious person?" She nodded.


    "Right," I murmured, begrudgingly. If I really distanced myself from the situation and went over the scenario, I might haveughed. Daisy stood no chance in front of Anthony, even if he didn''t have a gun on him. She was not a bad shot, but she was definitely not an excellent one. Anthony would be easily able to anticipate her moves, as he had done mine.


    I understood where the problemy: how he understood my next move. My raging emotions had made my moves predictable.


    The woman was not trained to protect anyone, yet she had taken it upon herself to look after me when I couldn''t.


    "Where is Ethan?" I asked suddenly, curiosity getting the best of me.


    "Trying to contact Sean to delete all the footage from our CCTV. They don''t want to leave any evidence of their forced entry behind," she stated.


    "Of course," I snorted, "you would think that the best way to take revenge was to go to the cops and file a trespassing report." I groaned. "I''m not a saint and I know very well that the cops are on your payroll and at your beck and call." I let the sneere over my features. "Don''t try to fool me, Anthony. What other motive do you have?"


    "Ethan and Sean used some unorthodox methods which I do not wish to reveal to you," he spoke up. The sudden outburst made me jump.


    "And now you are trying to use me of giarism!" I said yfully.


    "You are quite a trouble maker and I don''t want to take a risk," he told me, too defensive to be true.


    "Speak the truth, you bastard."


    "Ethan had been keeping tabs on Daisy for the past two years trying to figure out how to approach the woman." He tilted his head towards her direction.


    "And he freely gave you this information because he thought you wanted to chat with her?" I prompted, helpfully.


    "No, Ethan was the one that found out that you two met frequently. He may even have had the security information to the building if he were being thorough."


    "He gave you the address knowing that you would try to murder me? And he tagged along to watch the drama unfold?" Frankly, I was scaring myself by sounding so calctive and formal.


    "I did not try to murder you!" he retorted, his hands thrown over his head in exasperation.

 Chapter 184 Strangle

    "You tried to strangle me! I think that is considered as an attempt to murder."


    "I knew what I was doing. You needed to calm down and were in need of a sedative. I improvised with what I had." He offered me an unconvincing shrug.


    "Calm me down by strangling me?" I hissed, controlling my rising voice. "I could have died!" I seethed. The images were clear in my head, my body, pale and lifeless, lying alone in an open casket. The funeral wasmencing, but there was not a single person attending. It was a sad thought that I pushed into the darkest corners of my mind.


    "Yes, I calmed you down. A near-death experience is known to make a person concentrate on better things than trivial emotions. If you have not noticed yet, you are calm and don''t want to kill me."


    "You would not have died," he assured me. I was not assured.


    "How can you be so sure?" I argued, leaning forward, the strength returning to my limbs.


    "I have enough experience in induced strangtion to know when to stop." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Strangtion is amon kink, Mia. A lot of my partners enjoyed being held down and used." His eye flickered towards Daisy before meeting mine again. "Theck of oxygen in your brain can cause you to create an alternate consciousness. It also produces a euphoric sense which is quite addictive."


    "I would have thought that you gained your experience by strangling people you interrogated. You seemed to enjoy torturing people if I remember correctly," I sneered, not willing to lose the opportunity.


    "I do have experience with asphyxiating people at interrogations, but I usually just try to scare them. And I will retort that subtle jab of yours at ater date."


    "No, I want to hear you now!" I demanded. Damn it if I had to wait for the exnation.


    "Not in front of her," he said sternly, but in his eyes, I saw a sort of vulnerability that I had never seen before.


    "Oh, she knows everything already. Probably even better than me-"


    "So, you should be asking her all the questions. You don''t fucking need me to tell you why I did what I did, Mia," he snapped.


    "Oh, yeah... I don''t need you, Anthony. But I want to hear you say it. I won''t pretend that I understand why you did any of what you did. Why try to kill me on ater date when you could have done it in the beginning?" I let the calmness wash over me, keeping my anger inside, giving him no openings to evade the answer.


    "You were my only chance at securing dominance over the Russian market without going through Luke." Had I expected him to say anything else? No. Had I wished that he had shown an ounce of emotion in how he said it? Given me an indication that he had somehow actually liked me? Yes. I would have loved that. It would have soothed the cut on my pride. I would never ovee how disgraced I was when I had fallen into his trap.


    "And what did you promise them in exchange?" I asked. It felt nice to be on the interrogating end: to make him have a taste of his own medicine.


    His stare was prating. I held my ground, giving him no room to analyze my question.


    "They wanted you taken care of. You were the sacrificialmb, so to speak. They would get rid of you, and I would get to further the power of my empire. I was winning anyway, and you would have been a nuisance if I let you live after Luke was overthrown."


    "So, you took the opportunity and disposed off of me?" His head snapped up towards me at that. In his re, I found surprise. The slight widening of his eyes at the question gave him away.


    "That was not something I nned or intended to do. If I wanted to overthrow Luke, I had to pretend that you didn''t matter. Do you think you would have been as lucky as to get out of the situation alive if he had known that you were my little lover? They would have killed you without a second thought!"


    "And that is exactly what you wanted right?" I eximed. "I was lucky, you say? I was hopeless and I thought that I had been abandoned. I did not want to believe that everything that I went through with you was all a big joke. I got the joke, I tried to end it, you know!"


    "I do," it was nothing more than a whisper.


    "I was not lucky while I was in there, Anthony, having those men touch me. I was trained to be able to withstand disgrace and objectification, but I never expected that you would stand by and watch someone touch what you proudly thought was yours," I scoffed. "Is that not what you said when I was sitting with Armando? Why not let him touch me, too. I wanted it: his touch," I taunted.


    What I would give to get a rise out of him.


    "You didn''t want it. You just wanted to make me jealous."

 Chapter 185 Jealous

    "Make you jealous?" I raised a brow in challenge. "I have no reason to do any such thing, Anthony. We both pretended to be doing our job, right? I feel no sense of possession over you that will stimte me to make you jealous. I can touch whomsoever I want."


    "You do enjoy lying to yourself, don''t you?" His jaw clenched as he fought the anger. "I would have saved you if I could," he hissed. I realized that the anger was directed towards himself. "All myments inside the warehouse was that you could live longer. If I had told them that I knew your father and his ns, that would be the end of you. You weren''t important enough for him to keep alive. I, on the other hand, could have just told him everything and walked out without a scratch."


    "Thank you for reminding me that you knew my father."


    "He was a scumbag. Thank god I killed him. He deserved it after what he did with Melody," he said offhandedly. "What?" he asked, amused when he caught my wide-eyed stare. "The woman taught me everything she knew. I built my strength on those and created my own style. Your mother shaped me, Mia." Somehow, that pissed me off.


    "Why did you let her die, then?" He shook his head, refusing what allegation, I did not know.


    "I was supposed to be on sniping duty, not letting anyone get in. Ipleted that and tracked down my father like I had promised myself. I had to kill him, it was about my pride. I never break my promises." I might have burst out inughter. He stared at me incredulously. It must have been a long time since he had seen meugh. Moreover, I didn''t think that he expected me to react in the way I did. I was a bit surprised by the boisterous expression myself.


    "Yes, you did promise not to sell me out to the highest bidder." I rolled my eyes and stifled another burst ofughter.


    "What do I say to make you believe that I did not sell you out?" he seemed on the brink of his wit.


    "You can''t," I retorted stubbornly.


    "I had asked for backup from your organization before they took you in and tied you down. I didn''t tell them that you were there. They thought that you were dead; that I had killed you. They send in Jacob and his little merry crew because they were going to take out Luke. Jacob''s team was chosen because I knew that he would be the person to save you. I lowered all the electromaic shields so that they could locate you."


    I blinked, feeling at a loss.


    "Do you know where they found you, Mia?" his eyes were wild, his voice low and haunting. "They were trying to bury your body behind the warehouse when Jacob came in. I had been long gone by then. I couldn''t turn back and ruin your chances. I did not know that you were dead, I hoped you were not," he corrected immediately. "I hacked into that watch of yours and listened to the doctor announce that you were dead," he whispered. "I tried my fucking best to get to you, see you for onest time, but Jacob. I didn''t even know where he took your body. I searched every morgue in the city and outside, and I couldn''t find you. I thought... I thought... I couldn''t even honor you in your death."


    "Do you really want me to forgive you because you had it all nned out? All you had to do was tell me what was happening and we would have found another way!" I panted. I was on my knees, the sheets clenched in my fists. "All you needed to do was tell me, dammit!"


    "Calm down-" I heard Daisy say.


    "Leave!" I screamed. "I will not kill him, don''t worry. I have a score to settle with him. He won''t die without telling me why he did the things that he did," I sneered, not looking away from the man in question.


    "You need to calm down!"


    "Yes, because strangling me worked out so well for him!"


    "If you don''t stop, you know what might happen." The thought was sobering. Imagining the pain returning made me stop in my tracks. I flinched as I tried to erase the memory from my brain.


    "What will happen?" inquired the bastard. The clueless man did not know a thing.


    "Did you know that if you cut off the flow of oxygen to the brain, it not only slows down the heart to calm the body but sometimes leads to erratic beating of the heart. The heart rate can speed up in an attempt to provide more oxygen to the brain and copse. I could have had a heart failure. I could have gone into aa, for fuck''s sake!"


    "I know how long to hold! I know all of this," he growled.


    "Of course you don''t." I bit back.


    "A person who is at risk of having a heart attack or has shown symptoms of heart disease is at higher risk of a heart fail in case there is ack of oxygen inside the body for a considerable period of time." Daisy''s words made me shudder. Yes, theck of oxygen had made me see things clearly and made me concentrate, but it could have gone bad. There was always a chance.


    "I don''t understand how that pertains to our situation," he said, bewildered.


    "Why do you think I was sitting on a sidewalk while I should have been running to save my ass from Armando''s people?" Sarcasm was my weapon.


    "What are you implying?" the urgency in his voice wasforting.


    "I tried to kill myself when things got bad. The fluid that was supposed to kill me, didn''t work, but screwed me up."


    "You-" yes, he realized. He had done the calction in his brain.


    "Yes!" I snapped.


    "Daisy, please leave. I need to speak to him privately."

 Chapter 186 One Wrong Move

    "I don''t mind sitting here and pretending not to exist," she offered. "It is not like the two of you are paying me any attention, anyway," she grumbled but got up. Her gun was still pointed at his head. "One wrong move," she warned. "You make one wrong move and I will blow your head to pieces, Murray, I promise you." With that, she moved away. She did not turn her back towards us.


    She retreated slowly, reaching the door and closing it to give us a sense of privacy. You could hear everything from outside. The walls were thin.


    "You are sick?"


    "There is nothing wrong with me, I assure you. Contrary to everyone''s belief, I am fine!" I let him know. "What is the meaning of all this? Why do you want to talk to me?"


    "I had to exin myself!" he exined, incredulously. "I can''t just let you think that I made up all my feelings and let you marry some half-wit that has so clue how to handle a woman like you-"


    "Handle a woman like me?" I questioned, furious.


    "Oh, don''t pull that feminist card on me. You are a free spirit. You need to kill and be cunning to be happy. He wants to build a house with you and get you pregnant?" the humor was not lost on me. Jacob was definitely not the type to even think about these things. Hell, he hadn''t even pressured me to marry him after two years of being engaged.


    "And you would handle me differently?" he shook his head.


    "I would not try at all. I enjoy your wild temperament. I am thrilled that I can die at your hands if I do something wrong or offend you," heughed when he saw the are-you-insane look I was giving him. "We are passionate people, Mia, and sometimes it is difficult for us to discern right from wrong and we do things that we might regret. We have our own reasons for it, and we have our own set of morals. We shouldn''t even care about right or wrong. We fight it out because we need it. We need to brainstorm and fight to assert our power: to reassure ourselves. We arepatible. So different and alike that no one can deny that we are the most fucked up people that are meant to be together."


    "Is this supposed to be some sort of a revtion or proposal?" I asked, a bit ttered by his long speech on rtionships.


    "No. I was just stating a fact. I don''t need to propose anything to you. I know you would never agree to anything that I had to offer."


    "What would you propose if I did indeed listen to you?"


    "To let me in," he said.


    "To let you in," I echoed, disdaincing my words. "And how do you propose I do that?" I demanded. I could see the small smile ying across his lips. He knew that my curiosity got the best of me. It was one of the many fatal ws in my character.


    "Open the floodgates and tell me everything you feel. Tell me how much you hate me, tell me that you love me, too. Tell me everything. Make me suffer."


    "Why do you want to suffer?" I ask, bbergasted.


    "I love you, Mia."


    "I may want to kill you at times, but I want you by my side, ruling beside me and telling the world to fuck off. I hate that you are suffering. It is my fault. I should have talked to you, but can''t I be ignorant, can''t I hope that you would understand that I was struggling every day?"


    "What are you saying?"


    "I thought you knew that I loved you. I thought you were stronger than that and that you would hold on until someone came to rescue you."


    "And you surely thought wrong. I never knew that you loved me. You might have told me a thousand times, but I could never be sure. Now, more than ever, I know that I cannot trust you to betray in again. I will never forgive you, Anthony."


    "Please."


    "Leave before I hunt down my gun again," I threatened. How much more could a woman handle. He could love me, but I could never trust him. His reasons were wed, and all I could think about was what other motive he could have to use me for. What did he need me to do this time? When would he dispose of me?


    "Tell me what to do!" he shouted. "How do I fix this?" he pleaded.


    "A life for a life," I whispered. "You left me for dead. You almost took my life away. You cannot fix this, Anthony. There are no pieces, just dust. This will go on until one of us loses our life. A life for a life... remember that. Maybe then, I will forgive you."


    Frozen to the spot, he waited for my dismissal. I didn''t have the heart to do it. I was too tired.


    The door opened slowly. I understood that Daisy did not want to interrupt our conversation. I was sure that she had heard us screaming.


    "Murray," I heard her say. "Please leave."


    I saw him gulp and then nod. He turned away from me. He walked away slowly as if waiting for me to call him back. As he was about to leave, I took onest chance.


    "Anthony?" I called. He turned, a shimmer of hope in his posture. "Nevere back." I dashed it brutally. He flinched as he turned away and left.


    I hoped that I would never see him again.


    I didn''t think that I would survive another encounter.

 Chapter 187 Heal

    I heard the tapping of his foot against the floor. I heard him pull the front door open... then hesitate and finally, the click of the lock telling me that he was gone¡ªpossibly forever. The silence was deafening. It sucked the oxygen out of the room. For the longest moment, I craved to clutch onto my throat.


    No, the air was fine. It was just me, unable to ovee my circumstances.


    "Are you alright?" I heard Daisy whisper. Her soft inquiry broke the silence. I focused on her. It was a difficult task, but I managed it somehow. She seemed to think that I had missed her question. So, she repeated herself.


    "I heard you the first time you asked," I told her. She didn''t seem stunned by my reply. "I sent him away," I informed her in a small voice. I don''t know why I did it; I knew that she had seen him leave the apartment, there was no hiding spot in the apartment if one thought about it.


    She nodded. Her eyes were guarded; her hesitant steps towards my direction told me the same. She was probably clever to be approaching me with caution. I felt like a vtile substance, ready to explode at any time. I recognized that I had been feeling that way for the longest time.


    "He¡ªfor some unknown fucked up reason, thought that he was going to be forgiven for his twisted justification." I snorted, pulling my eyes away from her searching eyes.


    "I''m sorry," was all she offered me. I felt the bed dip beside me, and then the warmth of her hand on my shoulder.


    "His reasons make sense to him," she began speaking again, after some thought. "Rational thought is something that reflects the mechanics of our mind. It is like our perception of a certain situation¡ªit differs from one person to the other." I shook my head in annoyance.


    No, she would not be taking his side again.


    She always seemed to take his side. Why would she do that?


    "There is no one right way to react to a situation," she tried to make me understand. I was having none of it.


    "I feel like you keep defending him because he put you up to it." I slowly turned my head back towards her, letting her see the suspicion in my eyes. It was enough to startle her. I only saw the shock in her eyes.


    "I saw how he kept looking at you when he said something tricky..."


    Like a poisonous vine, suspicion had dug its roots too deep. It was present in every facet of my mind.


    I questioned Daisy''s motive in helping me, her continued support and speeches in favor of Anthony.


    "I want to say that I am not surprised, but I am."


    "What is there to be surprised about?" I asked her indignantly.


    "I thought that you knew that I admired your re, your talents and knew how poorly you were treated. I had no other objective than to be of help to you. I thought you considered me to be your friend, just as I did you." For all I knew, then, the demanding dialogue was an attempt to make me feel guilty for questioning her. But I also knew that Daisy was not guilty.


    "I understand where you areing from. You have been betrayed at every turn, but I need you to trust me-"


    "I don''t know who to trust any longer. I feel as if I am suffocating like I am a prisoner here!" my voice raised beyond control.


    "Then maybe you should leave."


    "And do what? This is the only life I know!"


    "You are twenty-five! Your life is just beginning!" she eximed. "I know you feel like you have been through enough, but you can''t live if you stay where you are slowly dying. Nothing is holding you back." Her words made sense to me, I didn''t tell her, though. I tested the n in my head. It sounded enticing but too dangerous.


    "What of Jacob?" I asked, feeling triumphant that I found a loophole.


    "What of him?" she asked nonchntly. I narrowed my eyes at her. She sighed, going into an exnation on why my independence was so much more important than one man. "You can''t pretend that you love him with everything in you," she added. "The two of you were friends. He loves what you represent and you love what he means. He likes you because you wield raw power, and you... you found safety in him. Also, you wanted to spite Anthony Murray."


    It was true. Had I note to the same conclusion?


    Yes, of course, I had.


    "Oh," I whispered. I slid back down onto the bed, feeling all the energy draining out of my body.


    What would I do with myself? I wondered as I felt the cool sheets being pulled over me.


    Find my own way. Make mistakes. Survive. Live.


    It did make sense.


    Maybe, Daisy is right?


    "I don''t care what decision you take," she brushed a strand of hair away from my face. "I just want you to be healthy and happy."


    "And Anthony?" she seemed stunned by the sudden change in topic. She recovered quickly enough, and seemed to lose herself in her thoughts.


    "Sometimes, we tend to forget the good things that we had. We forget that there were moments in our life when we sat with the people we think we loath now, and ate with them and felt as if there was no greater happiness in the world. We never remember the good things, only the bad ones."


    "You want me to remember the times when I thought I loved him?" I replied, critically.


    "Yes," she said. "Mia... hating someone is so easy. Loving them is difficult, and trying not to love them even more so. I don''t want you to hurt yourself by trying to control your love for him. You love him, embrace it. The more you keep inside you, the worse it will get."


    "Does this mean that you want me to sort it out with him?" She shook her head.


    "I just want you to talk to him when you feel that you are ready. It will make you feel better, and who knows? Maybe you won''t love him then."


    A huge rush of air left my lungs instantly. I embraced the thought she put in front of me, but thest deration made me cringe.


    Doubtful, I thought immediately.

 Chapter 188 Sever 1

    My cellphone had broken down during my little scuffle with Anthony. It was not like I couldn''t live without it, quite the opposite, really. The things were a bit troublesome if one thought about it properly. On a mission, just one vibration of the damned piece of technology could ruin a fullyid down n. If the ringer was on and the phone went off¡ªbang! My cover would be broken. It was as simple as that.


    Death by technology¡ªthe finest example of it.


    But my cellphone breaking down was not a happy cause. I wanted to take care of business. I wanted to talk to Jacob about my newfound need for change, my ns, and my dreams. I had thought over what Daisy had said, and I realized that I, indeed, needed to get out there, leave my connections and do what I wanted with myself. It was scary to think that I would have to start from scratch and that I had no clue as to what I would do with myself, but I also knew that it was okay to feel that way. There was no need to panic; lots of people go through the same change every day. I could make it in the world and figure out what I wanted in life like all those other people¡ªit was a difficult task, but not an impossible one, and it needed me to speak to my fianc¨¦.


    So, when Daisy provided me with a new phone, I was excited. The messages crept into the archaic piece of technology Daisy had found in her cupboard, constantly vibrating. I read through them, finding nothing of consequence. There seemed to be an awful lot of voice messages, which I kept forter.


    Punching in the numbers, I waited for Jacob to pick up his phone.


    "Jacob," I sighed when he finally took the call.


    "Mia?" his voice was urgent. I heard his voice be faint as he took his leave. "Where have you been?" he hissed. I heard the sound of his footsteps. He was pacing in the corridor outside his room, as he always did when he was worried about something.


    "My cell broke," I told him lightly.


    "How?" he asked, suspiciously.


    "Nothing special."


    "I have been trying to get hold of you since yesterday. I needed to know how it went!" At that point, I was sure that he was waving his hands in exasperation.


    "The mission went fine," I told him, the lie easy. The target was killed, whom the target was killed by should not matter as much.


    "And what are you hiding from me?" Of course, he would find out if there was something amiss about the mission. The brother was the instigator in the first ce.


    "I may have been followed by Francis'' men," I added. In no way was I telling him about my encounter with Anthony, not over the phone at least.


    I heard him sigh in frustration. I waited for him to overreact, and soon enough, it came.


    "Did you manage to lose them?" I bit back a smart reply and went with a simple ''yes.'' "That''s good," his tone was thoughtful. "Mia, I need you to stay low for a few days," he informed me. "I need to talk to one of my informants about how the situation is around Armando''s death, okay?"


    "You don''t need to worry so much about me, you know." My own frustration was growing beyond bounds.


    "I''m just trying to keep you safe, for now," he told me, and I believed him. That didn''t seem necessary any longer. I could take care of myself, I always had.


    "I know you are, but I need space to breathe, okay?" The results of my newfound desires oozed out of my words. I wanted to change my life, and in an attempt to push Jake away, I had given him a slight hint. From the silence on the other end of the receiver, I knew that he had some idea of what was running through my mind. Every man knew the meaning of those words.


    "Take care of yourself," he whispered. "I will call you as soon as I get some news worth sharing."With that promise, he hung up on me.

 Chapter 189 Sever 2

    The next few days passed in the blink of an eye. Daisy''s presence was scarce and not felt when she was around. Where she had been, I was not sure, but I had a suspicion that she had been meeting up with Anthony''s head of security. It was about time they started dating. Without me in the picture, it would not be hical for her to date Ethan.


    I had surfed the inte day and night, plotted on maps and made grand ns. Still, I had no clue what I was going to do. I was in the process of figuring out if I could live without killing any longer.


    How dependent could I be on it? I wondered, absent-mindedly as I looked at pictures of distant Greek inds.


    All these ces were beautiful, but how could I escape the danger that is my life and create a new identity for myself? The question seemed to chase away sleep without much effort. I had promised to not stop until I knew what I was going to do.


    I started when I heard the familiar ringtone near me. I reached out and stared at the screen. It was Jacob. I didn''t know what I was supposed to do.


    He had said that he would contact his informants and that he would call if he had something important to convey. I was worried about the news he had received.


    What if someone chases me all across the world? How would I live my dreams of a new life, then?


    Hesitantly, I picked up the phone and pulled it to my ears.


    "What news do you have for me this fine morning," I asked him in the most yful voice I could manage.


    "Why didn''t you tell me?" Panic seized me. I didn''t know what he was talking about. I had kept too many secrets from him; the point was: which one did he find out about?


    "What are you talking about?" I asked, ying the innocent flower.


    "You know what I am talking about, Mia! Don''t act so coy!" I pulled the cell phone away from my ear to protect it from his loud scream.


    "I don''t have the slightest clue-"


    "Why didn''t you mention that Anthony Murray was there," he cut me off, impatiently.


    "I didn''t think it was important," I told him, schooling my voice into a nonchnt baritone.


    "Not important?" he hissed. "It makes me question your loyalty, Mia. How do I know that this is the only lie you have told me?"


    "This is not the only lie I was told you, Jacob. You know that as well as I do." I sighed. "Do you really want to go over the same things again? I am tired of talking about a man who does not influence my life in any way," I lied. wless in my performance, I waited for him to reply.


    "Does not influence- No, I can''t believe you are saying this. You are the way you are because of him. Why do you think I haven''t asked you to marry yet, Mia? Have you ever thought about that?" That snapped me out of my sassy stupor.


    "No. I have always wondered, though. What made you change your mind today, Jacob."


    "The man you say doesn''t influence you in any way. His presence in your life matters to me. You were in love with him until he left you for dead. You never know, you might start remembering your pre-betrayal feelings for him."


    "Is that the reason why you haven''t married me yet?" He scoffed.


    "No, Mia. That is not the only reason..." he trailed off and an ufortable silence filled the void.


    "We should talk, Jacob," I whispered. He cleared his throat, and I knew that it wasing; both of us knew it. We had deferred it for a long time, but it had been inevitable since the beginning.


    "Yes," he agreed. "You cane to the office whenever you want. I have no appointments today or tomorrow."


    The battle was lost. A rtionship based on benefits alone could neverst. Both of us had hoped. Despite Jacob''s love, his need for power and my need for simple conveniences had doomed the rtionship since the beginning.


    The worst part was that I felt no pain; I felt like a great burden was lifted off my shoulder.


    I felt as if I had taken one step closer to finally live my life.

 Chapter 190 No Stone Unturned

    I used to think that the worst part of being a secret agent was going undercover and being detected. Once, I stopped going on those missions, I realized that the fear never subsides. The lingering paranoia that someone is going to put their hand on your shoulder, and point the gun at your temple just as you turn to see who it is, is an overwhelming and a repetitive part of your haunting dream. Agents acquire these fears over time, and the happier they get, the worse the fear bes. Creatures that lived for one moment to the next, never are able to adjust to lives that they had dreamed of.


    It is worse for people who leave the business. It is a dangerous sector, and every person involved in it thinks of escaping once or another, but it''s not that easy. If you hold key information about missions that can leak out, you are at high risk. Further, higher the position you were in, worse are the chances that you will be found and killed. That is the way of life, and one must do everything to feel safe, to not let their fears overtake the few moments of joy they receive in their short lives.


    As I pulled out of the parking lot, I made sure that all the windows were secured. I double checked.


    The car was, of course, tank proof, and hopefully, no one was stupid enough to try and bomb it. The sses were the darkest shade avable, and the car in itself, inconspicuous.


    I left no stone unturned to ensure that I was not recognized.


    My hair was matted down, and my hairstyle was not understandable. I''d worn a pair of nice earrings, which I never did, and put on the happiest clothes I could manage. No one that wanted to kill me would ever see through my sunny disposition.


    I hoped that I could escape Jacob''s notice as long as I could, but the task needed to be done. We didn''t'' have much to talk about, but a formal apology and an exnation were necessary; we had been best friends for the longest time. I could respect that.


    My real reason for avoiding the meeting was my embedded paranoia. I could preach about inculcating happiness, but deep down my fear ate up my soul. No, it was notmon for people to leave the business and assume new identities, but it was rarer for them to survive.


    I wanted to survive.


    I cared for my life, and now that I finally had a chance to live it like I wanted to, I didn''t know if it was possible.


    Some of the people who tried to leave the business were the luckiest kind. And then there were some that came too close and then lost their chance. It was considered a curse really, leaving your job as an agent. People were discovered on theirst day as an agent or murdered the first day of their new lives.


    Somewhere at the back of my mind, I had grown sure that the moment I quit my position, something would happen to me. And for many hours I wondered what would happen if something did happen. I would die. I wanted to live, but I don''t know a better world, I wouldn''t miss anyone.


    I know, I was not making much sense to myself, either, at that point. It wasn''t even funny like it would have been years ago.


    I had made a few more calls to Jacob in the days following my revtion. He had been pleased to hear from me. He was willing to step out from his office and his mindset as the chief so that he could talk to me as we really needed to. As two people who had known each other for far too long and didn''t know where their rtionship was headed. Of course, we knew, but the ambiguity of the terms of separation made both of us anxious, I suppose.


    We had decided on a small restaurant inside the city and promised to avoid drinking. That never took anyone, anywhere.


    When I parked opposite the restaurant, I looked around first to see if I had been followed. I performed this routine every thirty seconds while I was on the road. I slid out of the car and kept my head down as I entered the little ce. It was raining, and my coat had dark blots of raindrops on it. I shrugged it off and ced it over my arm as I tried to search for him.

 Chapter 191 Goodbye

    He was easily spotted, being as tall as he was. Indeed, he was not wearing his regr suit, but a nice pair of jeans and a nnel shirt. When he saw me approaching, he gave me the best smile that he could manage.


    "How has work been?" I asked him slyly, remembering that the question seemed to be a protocol for dates.


    "All fine," he grumbled, sipping at the ss of water, disdainfully. It was clear that he didn''t like the no-alcohol use of this meeting.


    "So, should we order first and see where it goes after that?" I suggested. He yed along.


    There was no anger or pride from either of our sides when the waiter seemed to check us both out. I would say it was a sign that we were doing the right thing. We were better off as friends.


    "You''re nning on relocating?" he asked as he shoved a forkful of noodles into his face. I nodded, cutting the piece of chicken. Finally giving it up I just stuck the fork into it and bit down on it instead.


    "Have you decided where you''ll go or what you want to do?"


    "I have some ns, but I don''t want to say it out loud, yet. I want it to be kept under the wraps." He sighed.


    "You trust me, right?" his voice was filled with insecurity.


    "I do, but it''s more of a luck thing than you giving me away. I just don''t want anyone overhearing," I assured him.


    "I hope you will contact me when you feel secure." There was no hope in his voice, though. I almost felt sad. I also considered lying, but that wouldn''t solve any problems either.


    "Don''t expect me to, that''s all I am going to say."


    "I know that it is difficult to go through so many changes in such a short time, Bells, but I just wanted you to know that I''ll be here if you need me. I don''t need to put a ring on your finger to protect you from other people. I was selfish when I did it, and I know it had a huge impact... but... it was selfish on my part to even propose when you were in such a vulnerable position."


    "We are all human. You were looking out for yourself, too. I understand, Jake. It''s fine." I wanted to make it sound trivial, but we needed to fight through this¡ªclear the air. "The ring brought me some sort of protection and it got you the position and respect that you needed. We all won in the end." I shrugged.


    "How can you say those words so nonchntly?" The fork fell on the te and I saw his hands fist around the table cloth.


    "There is no use crying a river over something that can''t be changed. Beating around the bush and pretending that we were actually in love is moot." I stopped, waiting for the flinch, but it never came. "Jake, I know you wanted more, but why did you..."


    "It was a fantasy. I just needed to fulfil it, I think. I''ve always wanted to marry you... since we were children actually." He chuckled as he picked his fork up again. "When you said yes, I was so happy!" and then he shook his head. "I soon realized that you would never marry me if you had the choice. And I let you have it."


    "I wondered about that. I still don''t know why you would never push me to marry you."


    "I thought about doing it sometimes, but it never felt right. I love you, I really do, but in a real-world where you didn''t love me back, it was impossible for me to force you into a marriage."


    "So you were happy letting me be your fianc¨¦?"


    "I was." I smiled back at him.


    "You could have asked to have the ring back, you know?" he shook his head.


    "It belongs to you," he whispered. "That ring was meant for you, and for no one else."


    "Thank you, Jacob," I whispered. We ate our food in silence after that.


    "So, this is it," he said. I nodded. "This is thest time we meet." The words were for him more than they were for me.


    "I hope you will remember me," I joked.


    "No one can forget you. It''s impossible." And I knew that he truly believed in what he was saying.


    His phone¡ªthe one that never seemed to stop ringing, started vibrating again. He tried his best to ignore it, but it just went on and on.


    "Why don''t you pick that up," I suggested. "I should be leaving, now. I''ve been out for a few hours, and I''m trying toy low."


    "Just a bit longer," he whined. I giggled, shaking my head.


    "I really need to get nning. I''m supposed to leave within a few days."


    "Okay," he muttered, resigned. We shared the bill. And then we walked out of the restaurant together. We turned and stared at each other for a moment.


    "Last meeting, huh?"


    "Yeah."


    "You look beautiful today," hemented.


    "Goodbye, Jake..." I took the opportunity to sprint across the street and get into the car. I watched him in the rear-view mirror as I drove away.

 Chapter 192 Chasing You

    At a red light, I rxed back into my seat and fiddled with the ring that was still on my finger. I had forgotten to give it back. I don''t think I would want to give it back, either. I wanted some part of the life I had lived for twenty-five years to share with me¡ªa part where there was no deception.


    I didn''t have much that I was taking with me: just a pair of clothes, my identification and the details of my new bank ounts. It had taken me a day to set it all up.


    Daisy had helped considerably in getting me a new identity, again. I was causing the woman grief, but I hoped that it would give her something good in return. I know that she was going to meet Ethan again when I left. The least I could do was y the wicked matchmaker, though unknowingly, and have someonee out happy from all the mess I had gotten myself into.


    Adam had been taken out of the agent training program and shifted to the hackers'' department. Under Daisy''s supervision, he was flourishing. I had not spoken to him in a while, but I was sure that I would get news if something bad happened to him. He would, of course, not know where I was. And it would be impossible to find me where I was going.


    Daisy would know where I was, but I had sworn her to secrecy. She wouldn''t tell anyone. I was safe with my secrets and my past. It was time for me to do something good.


    Having these thoughts on my mind, I finally pulled the ring off my finger and ced it on the dashboard. I smiled to myself, content that it would be myst day on the continent. I nned on travelling; I nned on healing and doing something good for a change.


    As the light turned green, I started my car again and started out slowly. I checked the mirrors ever so often, leaving out no bases to ensure that myst day on the continent would go without a hitch. I would not end up like the unfortunate agents who fall to their death on thest day of their service.


    That is when I noticed it: the most conspicuous car on the street. It was diagonally behind me. He couldn''t have followed me from the beginning, I reasoned with myself. I had been extremely careful and kept looking over my shoulders. Maybe he was just on the same street as me, within ten feet and looking at my car...


    Doubtful.


    I sighed, not wanting to acknowledge his presence for as long as I could. I had no intention of talking to him. I had thought that I had seen thest of him, but no he had to drop by when I was perfectly content with not thinking about him.


    Was I really going to leave without telling him?


    I couldn''t think about it. There was no ce for guilt. I had made a decision when I had asked him to stay away from me. He might not have been keeping his side of the promise, but I sure as hell would. Not that he made any such promise.


    So, to avoid confusion, I did that one thing that I had artistically mastered¡ªrunning away. I stepped on the elerator and prayed to God that there would be no cop in the vicinity. To my discontent, there were no cops trying to catch up to me, but the ostentatious foreign car that looked powerful enough to bulldoze anything that came in its way.


    I would have taken the cops over that, any day.


    My feet seemed like they would be permanently stered to the elerator. My hands gripped the wheel so tight, that I felt my palms start to tingle with theck of blood. I cursed as a car unexpectedly came at me. I swerved out of the way, hoping that I had not left an ident in my wake. On a second note, I hoped that there were no casualties, but that Anthony would get caught up in the chaos. I had no such luck. I saw himing at me; he did not pretend to go slow.


    I felt the familiar thrill trickle into my bloodstream as I saw him reach my side. Our cars were a foot apart, and a little tilt of my hands to send him crashing into the divider. I tried to push down my need to taunt him and looked straight ahead. I waited for it. At the next crossing, I took a sharp turn.


    My paranoia had gotten the better of me. I had taken to living in hotels, and not putting an address beside my name. He wouldn''t know that I had shifted from the apartment I had been sharing with Daisy.


    I pumped my fists into the air. A millisecondter, I realized what a child I was acting like. My foot left the elerator and the car slowed down. There was less traffic on the road. As I drove further, I felt a crippling sense of loss.


    I wanted to leave all the nonsense behind, but I loved the chase.


    No, you love the fact that he is still chasing you.

 Chapter 193 On Purpose

    Was acting maturely so difficult? Couldn''t I find it in myself to exorcise myself? I should havee to a conclusion by then. Either I could just end his life or I could tell him one final goodbye and leave the scene forever. Was it so difficult to be the better person and let him rot in his guilt and sadness?


    The love I felt for him had turned to bitter that it tasted foul in my gut. My anger had left me long ago, but the memories of it kept me from doing anything. I couldn''t kill him, no. I had wanted to, god, I had wanted to kill him with my bare hands all my life. But now I saw that I was such a child about all of it. I had done everything wrong. I thought that an experienced man such as him would truly fall for my petty ns to get revenge and I didn''t have my eyes on the game. I had been lusting after him, putting him on a pedestal, both the good and the evil one, and I had brought it all on myself.


    And he... he wasn''t any better. If he would have handled the situation like a grownup, we wouldn''t be on the cusp of killing each other every second we spent breathing in the same air.


    And I admitted it.


    It was unadulterated love that I felt for him; the savage experience of having shared it with him had dposed it beyond recognition, but one could not deny that love was not the plight for all our misfortunes.


    My metaphors make little sense to me, and I clutch on to my hair and I stumble over them, trying to understand if I should turn around, track him down and finally do it. Tell him that it is goodbye.


    No. There would be no screaming. I hoped that there wouldn''t at least.


    Just as I had resolved to do it, I heard the unmistakable growl of the monster further away. An astonished smile spread across my face as I waited for it toe into view. When I did see it, I waited until I could see the sh of his eyes trained on me. And then I stepped on the pedal. The vehicle lurched forward under the force and tried to outdo the monster that was catching up.


    I widened my eyes as I heard the loud clinking noise against the metal of the car.


    Not again, I thought.


    My eyes flew to his, using him of nning this. He must have found out, I tried to reason.


    And I told him so.


    "You fucking asshole!" I screamed at him as he pulled up beside me and kept pace.


    His brows scrunched as he stared at my livid face.


    "I died back there trying to get to you!" he screamed back.


    "You set this up. Who is shooting at me?"


    "Shoo-" he stopped suddenly. He ducked down, eyes scanning the rooftops. He came up again and then gave me one of those intense looks that used to excite me. It meant that there was going to be some action, preferably with guns involved. That time, though, it made me regret going out of my hideout. How had anyone found me? How had he known that I would be here?


    That was when I saw that I was close to the hotel I was staying at.


    I cursed under my breath.


    "I didn''t do this," he tried to exin. "I just saw you on the street and couldn''t resist." My heart fluttered in my chest.


    Oh, no.


    My anguished monologue about lost love was cut short when the car went out of control. I swerved, bumping into his car and then swerved to the other side, before losing controlpletely. I felt the care to a stop, jump and then thump back onto the ground. The stinging pain in my head kept me conscious. My breathing ragged as I tried to remain calm. They could not get me unless they could see me, which meant I could see them, too.


    "Mia!" I heard his voice.


    I let out a soft groan of pain, as I raised my head from the steering wheel and ced it on my forehead to see if there was any blood. Unfortunately, I could feel a knot growing under my fingers. My side of the door wrenched open. The gun that had been tucked into my boots was out in no time and pointed at the aggressor.


    "Put that down," hemanded. "The fucker is still on the rooftop. I need to get you out of there."


    "How do I know that you didn''t do this on purpose?" I snapped.

 Chapter 194 New Life

    "Goodness, woman. Why do you always point a gun at my head when you meet me?" he huffed. He cradled my head and tried to help me out. "Contrary to what you believe, I have a lot of other work than to find out ways how to kill you or win your heart over." He paused, giving me a firm stare. I stood by myself, but I could see that he was prepared to hold me up if I faltered.


    "You don''t need to be here," I groaned. "I can take care of myself."


    "I know," he ground out, but his eyes were not on me. His eyes were nted on the building towering over us. "He''s not on the roof anymore."


    "He''ll be down in a minute," I told him pointlessly. "You can go. I''ll handle this from here."


    "Don''t be stubborn, Mia. I haven''t been following you just so I could leave without talking to you," he ground out. I don''t even know who these people are, or how many of them are there, but I didn''t want him helping me anymore.


    "I''m not being stu-"


    "Then let me stay," he whispered. He ced his hand on my shoulder, firmly squeezing it. I knew that the chances of surviving an ambush were higher if I had backup, and he could be my backup, we had always worked so well together.


    "I don''t have time for this," I mumbled before I sighed. A triumphant smile spread over his features and his hand dropped from my shoulders. He pulled out the gun from his waistband and then ced himself in front of me. The urge to grab hold of his shirt was strong, but my need to protect myself, stronger. I shouldn''t even need him to save myself.


    I would not be one of those other agents, I promised myself.


    A dark figure appeared out of the alley and then found its way towards us. As the face of the shooter became visible, I cringed.


    "John?" I called out, shocked.


    "Who is that?" Anthony asked, confusion evident in his voice. He did not turn back to look at me, though.


    "A student of mine..." I grumbled. "Why did they send him on such a mission when they knew that he could die?" And then I remembered that the organization never saw the age of the people who were being pushed into the ughterhouse, just that the task was done.


    "What?"


    "Finally found you. For all those bullshit lectures you gave us, you sure are easy to find," he guffawed. I would have rolled my eyes if I didn''t pity the boy.


    "Who sent you?" Anthony asked. I knew the answer already, but I wasn''t ready to acknowledge the irony of the situation.


    "This is my first mission," John spoke proudly.


    "And yourst," Anthony replied. There was little sound and the sound of a body hitting the concrete. I didn''t turn to look at the body; I didn''t need to see it to know that it was a clean kill.


    "Mia," he said sternly. "What does this mean?" Anthony Murray did not know what was happening for the first time in his life, and it made me giddy. It made me feel like he was indeed human, that we were on the same ne. This time I had an advantage over him.


    "Someone put a hit on me," I told him matter-of-factly.


    Forgive


    His face turned hard and his finger twitched on the trigger. I kept my smile to myself and walked back to my car.


    "How can you be so nonchnt about this? Don''t you remember how it works?" his voice sounded strained. I could imagine his free hand travelling to his hair and pulling at it painfully as he spoke the words.


    "I''ve been working for them for a long time, so yes. I know." I turned to him, my hand nted firmly on my hips. No point in beating around the bush.


    "They are going to send more people until the mission is done. This is a hit, not an undercover job. They sent in a sniper, for heaven''s sake!" he threw his hands up in the air.


    "You can hardly call that boy a sniper;" I snorted. "He was a spoiled brat that needed to be taught a lesson... I bet he was delighted when he got the assignment. He always had a thing against me." I pondered on the thought for a second. "He didn''t have to die for his attitude problem, though." I sighed.


    I crawled inside the thing and retrieved my cell phone and ring.


    "Why didn''t that pitiful fianc¨¦ of yours not stop the hit from being carried out?" he hissed. Of course, the words were meant to insult.


    "He was with me," I rolled my eyes as I saw his fists clench at his sides. "He''s not my fianc¨¦ any longer, though," I informed him. There was no need to, but I couldn''t control the information from slipping out of my lips. His eyes widened with surprise at the news.


    "Is that why he put a hit on you?" he asked, astonished that someone could do that, but he¡ªof all people, should know how easy it would be to betray someone you said you loved. I think the look in my eyes told him exactly what I thought. He stood his ground, though. He knew what he had done, and if he thought someone had done the same, he would be a hypocrite and kick their ass for me. I knew he would.


    In reality, I just wanted to believe that I knew him. Loving him was not an easy task, and disillusionment seemed like the best way for it to hurt me less, to part without letting my hands get tainted with more blood. I wanted a new life and none of the grief from my present one.

 Chapter 195 One Lef

    "He didn''t put a hit on me," I told him. The challenging rise of his brow sent a spike of anger through me. "He''s not like you," I attacked. That seemed to throw him off his track, only if for a moment or so. He recovered quickly, giving me a re and then stepping closer to grab my shoulder.


    "We can talk on our way. Where are you staying?" he asked me, a sudden change overcame him. The re, which was still in ce, was apanied with the tone of firm concern.


    "I would be an idiot to reveal my shelter to you."


    "Your location has beenpromised already, from what I understand. No point hiding," he said smugly. All I heard was, ''Yes, you are an idiot, then.''


    I ground my teeth together but said nothing.


    I checked my phone silently, and let him guide me. I might have mumbled the name of the hotel I was currently hiding in. He had shaken his head and chuckled.


    "You''re in in sight!" I didn''t understand why he would find that amusing.


    "Sometimes, no one looks at the most obvious ces-"


    "Obviously, that didn''t work out well for you," he snickered, but then he turned stoic. "Who is it?" he asked gruffly, probably knowing the answer.


    "You''re in a good mood all of a sudden," I muttered gruffly, evading the question. I pressed the cell phone to my ear and let it ring. I had received an awful lot of missed calls from Jacob. I could only imagine what he would want to tell me about the situation. A little insight into why I''m being dragged out and shot out would have been nice, though.


    "Hi," I breathed into the cell phone awkwardly.


    "I have been calling you for so long!" Jacob replied, frantically. "I thought they got to you already."


    "Fortunately for me, they didn''t. And we speak again..."


    "Listen... I really didn''t know that someone put a hit on you," he apologized.


    "I know, don''t worry about it. This is why I asked you to change the policy on the skimming system. One of these days you''re going to receive a hit on the President and you won''t be able to do anything to stop an agent from fulfilling the mission. You don''t want the bad word; change the procedure as fast as you can."


    "Yes," he breathed. "Listen, Rodriquez Francis put the hit on you." I stopped, suddenly, shocked by the revtion.


    "Why would he do that?" I asked.


    "He is taking over, and trying to not make the situation hostile. The only way that can happen is if the murderer gets done away with. They saw you, so you are the target." I sighed in frustration.


    "This is so tiring," I growled. "How many?" I asked indignantly.


    "Five."


    "Four, now," I mumbled. "Is there anything else I need to know?" I could hear him say no. "And stop sending in agents who have no clue what they are doing. They are just kids." With that, I hung up on him.


    "There is someone around the corner," I heard Anthony whisper. His grip on my shoulder loosened, leaving me to focus on the scene and staying alive. I spotted the silhouette at the first go. Definitely female, but I was not sure if this person was sent to kill me or not. I couldn''t just shoot at a random person on the street. Even I had a conscience when it came to these things.


    "We need to get closer," I muttered, anxiously walking beside him. His hand brushed against mine with each pass. I refused to look down and blow my concentration.


    I saw the shadow shifting, something emerging from beside them, and I fired.


    "Good one," he told me as we jogged over to the body.


    I turned the head over slightly and flinched.


    "You know her?" I nodded. "Student, too?" I nodded again.


    "She was too busy checking her cell phone to concentrate on my first ss with her," I began. "I shot her hand." Suddenly, a surge of guilt filled me. It was so unlike anything I had felt after killing someone. There was no intent or grief to undo it, but just a displeasing feeling... something I didn''t want to feel again.


    "Three more to go," he said, tugging my hand. "I''m sorry," he told me, trying to lead me out.


    "Why is this happening, now? I just want to stop running for a moment and breathe, goddamnit!" I screamed.


    "It''s okay," he hushed me, his hands cupping my cheeks. "No more running, I promise. Today will be thest day." He promised. I nodded, trying to believe him. "Now take a calm breath." I did. "Let''s go." I followed him.


    .


    Two more people were killed by our hands by the time we reached the hotel I was staying at. Anthony seemed to be on alert, and he felt none of the displeasure I did, every time I heard another dead body hit the floor.


    I had this odd feeling that things were going to change once we entered the ten by ten room. I had no clue what, but I could feel the tingling of my nerves foreshadowing big things toe.


    Somewhere down the line, he had grasped my hand firmly. It swayed between us as we crossed the road and entered the hotel. My keys, which had been ced at the reception for safekeeping, were taken and then we were off.


    My thoughts were not coherent when we opened the door. He seemed ill at ease, and I out of my mind. He gave me a slow smile as he ushered me in and locked the door behind me. I watched in fascination as he checked the lock over at least five times, almost aspulsively as me, and then turned to look at me. His eyes were bright, with a certain amount of restraint that I had never seen in him. That day, I got to see a very different side of Anthony, or it would be better to say that I rediscovered that side of Anthony that was there, listening and guiding, steering me in the right direction. I just hoped that on that asion, he would not push his biased opinion on me. And he didn''t.


    "One left," he sighed.

 Chapter 196 Ready

    "Is that longing I hear in your voice?" I asked, a bit surprised, but mostly teasing. He gave me a lopsided grin as he walked over to the bathroom and flung the door open. He peeked inside, and then went on to thoroughly inspect the room. I plopped down on the side of the bed and waited patiently for him.


    "I fear that when we kill thest one, I will have to leave," he confessed. I could feel the breath rushing out of me, and I stared in astonishment as uncertainty stained his features. "I don''t want to leave, Mia," he whispered, his voice pleading.


    "You don''t need to leave," I told him. I wondered for a long time what he had seen in my eyes that day when he stared at me so intensely.


    "You haven''t unpacked your things..." he stated, ever the observant Boss.


    "No."


    "You''re going somewhere else," he said simply as if it didn''t hurt me.


    "Yes."


    "Where?"


    "I can''t tell you," I insisted. Wasn''t that the whole point? No one finding out where I went?


    But I wanted him to know. Hell, I wanted him toe with me. Maybe we could go to some exotic ind where we could hide the rest of our lives, but how would that be possible, we would suffocate each other, we wouldn''t be able to handle the poison that runs through us.


    "Don''t leave," he pleaded. I shook my head, almost frantically as I shoved the idea out of my head instantly. "Why are you leaving?"


    "Because I can''t live like this any longer. I want to do something with my life, something that I would have done if my mother wasn''t dead, if my father wasn''t an asshole, and I never met you." He flinched at that. "I am twenty-five and I feel like I have lived for too long. I just can''t do this any longer."


    "That is understandable," he said stiffly. "But what about me? I know you never wanted to meet me, and I''ve been pretending that you have forgiven me since we saw each other, but it''s not true. What do I do in this situation? Where do I stand?" Let me be selfish for thest time, please.


    "I don''t know." The truth: that was all I could offer.


    "Then give me a solution to this!" he burst out.


    "Run away with me," I spoke up, knowing what wasing next. His eyes widened, his lips parted as he stared at me with disbelieving eyes. "Leave behind your money, your identity, and your business and run away with me." There was no change in his expression. "We will live a small, content life and no one will find us where we will go. We will be happy and together..." I trailed off, seeing the turbulence in his posture.


    "Mia..." he whispered. A small, sad smile yed across my lips as I waited for his rejection. "I can''t-"


    "I know, Anthony. And that is why I won''t ask you to." Pained and guilty, he faced me, dropped down to his knees and hugged me by the waist. His head rested against myp and he breathed against my leg. I let one hand glide through his head, fingerscing through his hair, pressing against his scalp to relieve his tension¡ªjust the way he liked it.


    "But I want you... there has to be another way," he groaned. "This can''t be the end. We have made so many mistakes, and... I can''t not spend my life with you."


    "You managed thesest couple of years," I teased him.


    "Barely. Despite everything I did, I loved you like no other."


    "Past tense?"


    "Still do," he corrected quickly, his breathing in pants and he pressed his head further into myp.


    "I love you, too." I sucked in a breath and waited for the chaos to begin. Nothing happened. I felt the subtle tightening of his arms around my waist and the feel of his lips brushing against my knees. My eyes snapped open and I shivered as I felt him mumble a "thank you" against my skin.


    "I still want to kill you sometimes," I confessed, a shakyugh following soon after. "I hate you, too... for what you did."


    "And you are right to. Some days I hate myself more than you do me, others I just wish that you would follow through and put a bullet through my head. I''m not sure which side is going to win out in the end."


    "Why do you feel that way?" I asked. I had never thought that he would have such a strong reaction to thement. I wanted to find out why.


    "I really had no choice at the time than to pretend to have betrayed you. It was Cain one moment, and then you were screaming because I had to kill him to save you... then Darcy''s men were barging in and trying to take you... the only way I could ensure that you woulde out of it alive was if I could y along and somehow get the forces to reach the location on time. When you woke up, I really thought that you would know that I was lying through my teeth, but soon enough, you too thought the worst of me." He gasped for words. "I''ve been in the business for some time. I suppose it makes me someone that cannot be trusted."


    "I never thought you could feel so guilty. Thest time you tried to exin, you sounded so self-righteous that I wanted to strangle you." He chuckled. I joined in.


    "Will we ever meet?" he broke the silence.


    "Maybe, someday, when I am ready..."

 Chapter 197 I Mus

    "I really wish I could make you stay¡ªentice you into going to the shooting range, or participating in a bike race. I don''t know. I have nothing to hold you back."


    "I don''t even know myself. When I do, I wille back. I just need time... and a lot of space to understand where I am standing, if I can ever forgive you for what you did."


    "But you said that you understand why I did what I did," he whined, not understanding what I meant.


    "There is a fundamental difference between understanding the reason for something, epting it, and forgiving someone for them. The difference is so huge that sometimes people can''t cross over all of them." I exined, softly, hoping that he would understand... finally.


    "What if you''re one of those people, Mia," and there it was, all his fears.


    "Then we never meet again, Anthony." He lifted his head from myp and pulled himself up from the ground.


    "You don''t need to worry about looking over your shoulder any longer. I''ll arrange for thest person to be sent back and the situation handled." His hands were pushed inside the pocket of his jeans and he stared at my face intently.


    "You don''t need to do that," I said in a small voice, but the confidence of having someone look out for me gave me such pleasure.


    "If I never get to see you again, the least I can hope for is you being safe wherever you are." I sighed.


    "Promise me that you will not try to find me," I demanded. He shook his head. "Please," I pleaded.


    "No. That is one thing I can''t do. I won''t contact you, don''t worry, but I won''t shy away from finding out where you are."


    "And if you can''t locate me?"


    "I will," so confident in his speech, he almost glowed. This was what I loved most about him: his confidence in his skills and resources. And I loved him so much.


    "Let''s sleep, okay?" he asked me, softly. "It has been a while since I slept properly. I would like one chance of peace," he exined.


    I gave him a slight nod and pushed myself to the centre of the bed. He crawled across the sheets and plopped down right next to me. We stared at the ceiling for some time, him telling me about the new game he is ying obsessively. I asked him who made his sandwiches and he said no one.


    Eventually, I found myself being sheltered by him: my back to his chest, feet entwined, cheeks pressing together and the soft sound of humminging from him.


    I fantasized about not leaving, staying right there with him and forgetting about my ns. For hours I listened to his even breathing and the slight tremor of his fingers over my stomach.


    "No," I spoke out loud, making my decision tangible. I had to leave.


    It was time, I realized, as I nced at the clock.


    I slowly untangled myself from his embrace and stared at him as I changed into my travelling clothes. He stirred once as I flitted across the room, putting my luggage in one ce. Then he grumbled when I just sat in front of him and tried to memorize the lines of his face.


    With another nce towards the clock, I knew that I had no more time to spare. I inched forward to him and took his face in my palms.


    "Anthony," I whispered, hoping he would wake. "Anthony," I choked. His eyes fluttered, and his sleepy smile greeted me. His hand ran over my arms as he enjoyed my touch. "I have to leave," I told him. His brow scrunched and he shook his head a little. "Yes," I told him, caressing his cheek. I leaned in and pressed my lips against his.


    It had been so long...


    "Don''t leave..." he asked me. I shook my head as I felt him pull me back to him. I didn''t protest.


    Just a few more minutes.


    "Please..." he whispered as he pressed me up against the bed and peppered my face his kisses. "I love you..." he breathed before kissing me once more. He pulled my hands over my head, his willing captive. He pushed his weight into me, banishing me from even thinking of leaving him.


    "Please," I echoed. "I must."


    He sucked in a breath and then nodded.


    "Just once... Onest time," he groaned, pulling my lip between his teeth. I whimpered as I let him do what he wanted. I don''t know how long itsted, but the heat of his lips against my mind left a mark that seared itself into my mind.


    "Goodbye, my kitten," he smiled, a fake smile and then closed his eyes as I started to walk away.


    "Goodbye, Anthony."


    I turned around and prayed to God that he would not call me back.

 Chapter 198 Epilogue: Name 1

    [Warning: This epilogue was written for those that wanted our leads to end up together. If you are strongly against their pairing, I would ask you to skip these few chapters or read them with a grain of salt. As for the others? Enjoy.]


    It was a fairly rainy day. The sun was scarce, and the droning of intellectuals on the Vedic education system would have put me to sleep had it not been for my own paper. My days of diligently taking notes of all the important aspects of one''s speech had often helped me to question parts of the thesis throughout my time at different conferences. It had been a surprise when the University of sgow had chosen my paper on the possible impact of the Vedic education in African tribalmunities for the conference. Despite my interest in child welfare and female workforce development in the underprivileged strata of the society over the past few years, I had never considered myself to be a part of therger intellectual movement. It felt right to contribute to society as it had helped nurture me into who I was.


    Today''s presentation had been a risk. I had remained out of the public eye for quite some time and by putting my name out there, I was risking my safety. Somewhere deep in my heart, I was hoping that Anthony would make good on his promise and protect me. I wasn''t insecure enough to believe that he had forgotten me, not only because of his impable memory but because of his boundless love for me.


    When my name was called¡ªyes, my real name, I felt my body react instinctively. No one had called me by that name in years, but I was moving towards the podium, offering a polite smile to the host and expressing my gratitude to the people present in the room.


    I felt a buzz in my bones, almost at edge. No, I was certainly happy, not nervous in the least, but there was something different about the room. The bright lights, the expectant faces were new for me. No one had expected something as benign as a speech from me¡ªever.


    Once, it had been expectations of fulfilled contracts, then the faces of young children trying to find a ray of hope. In between, there had been lonely human beings who did not share my idea of solitude. They wanted mypany, wanted to know my story. I would jokingly tell them the truth, and they wouldugh it away because who in this world would face such a strange yet movie-like turn of events in their life?


    It was strange, indeed.


    In my moment of reminiscence, I realized that I had stopped talking. The slight confusion in the crowd vanished when I began speaking about my topic with renewed vigor.


    They seemed in awe with how well informed I was, and it was expected as none of them had ever been to the ces, experienced firsthand as to what these children went through to gain a proper education. They had an impersonal look on education, while I wanted it to be the weapon that eradicated grief and poverty in the world. We came from different worlds.


    The pleasure of helping someone with your own hands, feeding them and sharing stories of lost childhoods had been far more satisfying than hearing the click of the safety lock or the whizzing of the bullet through the air. Trigger happiness was nothingpared to the feeling of fulfillment that came with knowing that it was you that put a smile on someone''s face.


    My outlook on life had changed drastically, and I couldn''t very well me it on my own superhuman healing. It had more to do with numerous specialists who tried to make me talk, but one who actually was able to break through and guide me through the darkness. Her name was trivial as mine was to her, but she was a good listener. She asked me the weirdest questions, and if I didn''t know better, I would think that she knew me better than anyone else on the.


    Yes, she was my therapist. I wonder where I would have been without her help. Maybe, lying in a gutter somewhere because I was too bitter to let my past go, to keep away from Anthony, let go of my past... so many things. I might have even decided to kill myself, but I didn''t. I worked through it all, and I was finally happy.

 Chapter 199 Epilogue: Name 2

    You know that feeling? When you understand that your life can be better than ''alright,'' and that happiness was approaching at the speed of light.


    Yes, that was the feeling I felt these days.


    Content.


    At peace with myself.


    My life was good and it could only get better.


    As I finished my paper, I heard the crowd pping. I looked up, surprised by the positive reaction. No one had fallen asleep, but what astounded me more was the blur of bronze hair at the end of the room.


    Was it time to get me a pair of sses?


    The illusion vanished as soon as it had formed in my head.


    I didn''t pay it much mind, my head was known for its delusional dreams. Today would not be the day I would meet him.


    I wondered what was taking him so long to locate me this time.


    It usually took him a couple of weeks to get my exact location, but I know that he restrained himself from flying out the very moment he found out. Anthony gave it a month or so, all the while keeping tabs on me, before pursuing me. He would remain in the shadows, nevering forward. Sometimes, I would catch a glimpse of him. He would never look at me when I stared at him. He acted like a stranger, and he never came close enough to touch.


    One time I saw him standing across the road as the cars zoomed by. But then he would disappear as soon as I started to cross the street.


    It pained me to see him so far, but I knew what he was doing.


    He was keeping his end of the promise.


    And I enjoyed being reminded of something so grand happening to me, however dangerous it had been for me at the moment.


    At first, I had been furious at him for following me, but after some time I came to terms with just who he was. He took time off to stalk me. It gave me a strange sense of pleasure. He kept his word, and it made me look at his indiscretions in a new light.


    I won''t deny that the therapist had something to do with it.


    This time it had been six months since I had seen him. I kept waiting to see him on the street or from the windows of cafes. He never showed up.


    A sliver of fear rushed through me as I stepped down from the podium. I took a seat at the end of the room and zoned out for the time being. At the end of the session, I saw peopleing towards me. Panicking, I stood up and tightened my grip on my bag.


    Some things never change, it seems.


    When all of them had left I saw someone waiting behind the party. I peered over the heads of the retreating figures. The man had his hands shoved inside his pocket. He had pulled on a jacket and seemed ready to leave. I smiled at him, wondering if he was going to stop to speak to me.


    I thought he would brush past me, but I stopped in his tracks and returned my unsure smile.


    "I''m David Martin. It was a pleasure listening to your paper," he politely told me. I extended my hand towards him. He looked at it, and then his smile grew bigger as he shook it fervently.


    "Thank you so much. I can say the same about you. Your paper on the history and socio-cultural impact of the Vedic education system was fascinating. I did have some questions, but I never had the opportunity to ask." I wasn''t lying.


    I wondered what Anthony would think if he saw me talking about these things with people in ce of spewing threats.


    "If you want, we could go get a bite to eat and discuss the questions you had!" he seemed excited, and I knew I was too.


    "Sure," I chirped. I grabbed my jacket and slung it over my hand.


    We walked side by side and went to the registration desk to return our IDs. When I was penning down my exit time, I noticed something funny.


    "Urm..." I began. David looked over curiously. "Excuse me," I called the volunteer. "Do you know who this person is?" I asked, pointing at the name.


    Tony Gray.


    [I hope you all are enjoying it and not cursing me. I worked hard for this story. Please praise me to the heavens. Just a few more chapters until the very end.]

 Chapter 200 Epilogue: Name 3

    "Mr. Gray attended both days of the conference. He left midway today, though."


    I gulped.


    "Thank you," I whispered before turning away.


    "Are you okay?" David asked.


    "Yes!" I replied a bit too quickly. "I just thought that the name sounded familiar." I shook my head, chuckling, trying to make light of the situation.


    He shrugged it off. We entered a mall close by and tried to figure out where the restaurants were. It was pretty easy when we realized it was on the top floor. We took the esctor. I leaned against a side and started chatting with David.


    "Is this your first time in sgow?" I asked him. He said that it was. "I came here for a conference on gender studies a while ago and it was wond-"


    My head whipped around.


    "Mia?" I heard him say, but my eyes were fixated on the person on the other esctor. My hand throbbed with the contact. The faint brush of warmth against my fingers seemed to burn. It had been years since I had felt his touch.


    Anthony...


    "Mia?"


    "Yes?" I turned back to David.


    "Is there something wrong? Where did you go just now?" He seemed ufortable, suddenly.


    "I am sorry I am acting so weird. I am a bit spooked from earlier. Don''t mind me. I''m usually not such a bother." He smiled reassuringly as we got off the esctor. He guided me towards a restaurant and found us a seat.


    It was easy to get my mind off Anthony from then on. We spoke about our interests and what had inspired us to write our papers. He asked about what had me speaking so passionately, and I told him about the viges I had stayed in, the NGOs I had worked with. He was impressed.


    Food was ordered and weughed at our choice. He had ordered a pasta while I went with the noodles. Just like old times. My days of eating instant food had stopped once I had more time on my hand to learn how to cook. That day was full of nostalgia.


    I nced up to thank the waitress when she arrived with the food. The strangled thank you didn''t seem to register with either of the two people in front of me. I was not even looking at them.


    I was staring at Anthony.


    He was sitting across the room, facing me, his eyes fixed on me. I could tell that he had something on his mind. The small smile on his lips intrigued me. He raised his fork in acknowledgement. I looked down andughed when I saw that he had ordered the same as I had.


    "What is it?" David asked.


    "Nothing," I said, shaking my head. I twirled my fork and picked up a chunk of my noodles. I took the opportunity to risk a sly nce at Anthony as I put the fork in my mouth. "So, tell me more about your area of expertise."


    As he spoke, I found myself thoroughly distracted. I heard him, I understood him, but I just couldn''t take my mind off the man across the room, now that he had acknowledged my existence.


    The butterflies in my stomach didn''t help matters in the least.


    "Hey, David?" I spoke up. I could see that he was about to say something. "I am sorry to interrupt, but would you mind if I go over and speak to an acquaintance of mine?" He seemed surprised.


    "Sure, go ahead. I would love to meet her!" I slid off my seat and headed towards him.


    Anthony''s eyes widened as I closed in on him.


    He wouldn''t be able to run this time.


    I stopped right beside his chair. I stared at his eyes. They seemed soft but panicked.


    "Hi," I whispered. He nodded, not knowing what to do.


    "Your friend is rather curious and unsure as to why you are so shyly speaking to such an elderly man," hemented, trying to sound as disinterested as he could. Either his acting skills had deteriorated, or I was a little bit better at reading him. Maybe it was a little of both.


    "Did you like my paper?" It was very important to me. I knew he was there, dammit, and I needed to know what he thought of it.


    "It was wonderful. I could see how hard you had worked. You were so patient while answering all the silly questions, too. I am so proud of you." I sucked in a breath.


    [Yourments are most wee. Actually, I crave yourments. I hope all of you are doing well and can make me feel a whole lot better about ending the story. It''s been a while since I have ended posting a story and be unbelievably sad about it. Like,ment, and spread the word about my story. Let''s do this!]

 Chapter 201 Epilogue: Name 4

    "Did I look like I knew what I was talking about?" Speak, for god''s sake.


    "You looked beautiful." He looked away for a minute. "Oh, boy. The shy fellow from the conference is very worried about how single you are. After all the courage it took him to ask you out..." he trailed off. "You should go back to him."


    I chose to ignore him.


    "Is hugging considered to be public indecency?" He straightened up instantly. "Well, it doesn''t matter. We''ve already done much worse."


    "Mia..." he warned.


    "Get up," I groaned, impatient. He did protest but did as I asked.


    It took me some time to familiarize myself with how tall he was. He was in a suit, probably trying to fit in with the academics at the conference. His tie was a little poorly tied, so I reached up to fix it.


    "What have you been doing all this time without me?" I asked as I retied it with care.


    "Waiting for you..." he gulped. "To forgive me."


    I could literally feel my heart drop.


    I pressed my palm against his chest, relishing the warmth before I pretended to straighten out his shirt.


    "You look nice today," Imented.


    "Mia." He sighed. He raised his hand, plunging his fingers into his hair and tugging at it.


    It crashed down on me.


    Just... how much I had missed him.


    I gently ced my arms around his waist, snickering when I heard him gasp in surprise. He recovered quickly. cing his hand on my hair, he stroked it gently.


    "You shampooed your hair this morning."


    "I did."


    "It''s really soft. But you changed the brand you use. It doesn''t smell the same."


    "Still a dog, I see. Sniffing around things that don''t belong to you..."


    "Still such a venomous little thing, my kitten."


    "Speaking of... you stink. Have you been sweating bullets about me ending my sentence of celibacy?"


    "Didn''t you just call me a dog who knows no boundaries?"


    I giggled.


    "Thank you foring today. I can''t tell you how much this means to me." I sobered up.


    "I know," he whispered. As usual, I thought.


    "Are people staring at us?" I could feel him hum. "I don''t care."


    "That''s a good thing." Silence. "Sean is still tinkering with hisputers in that little room and Ethan has almost worn Daisy down. They have been dating for a while. The club is doing well and Jacob is a fucking disaster, as always. That boy is going to run the organization to the ground one of these days, I tell you."


    "I have something to tell you."


    "You should hurry about it. Your friend is agitated and contemting getting up from his seat. He thinks that I drugged you and that is why you won''t move. Funny, he knows so little about drugs. Why are you talking to him again?"


    "I don''t associate with intellectual criminals any longer, remember? And don''t distract me," I scolded him light-heartedly.


    "At least let me go and sit down. I do want to appear like a normal person. Being ostentatious doesn''t suit people in my position." I grumbled, but I let go of him anyway. I plopped down on the seat across him and motioned him to follow suit.


    "You are acting younger... more... your age," hemented, staring at my face. "You look happy." I nodded.


    "I am... so happy." Heughed.


    "If I knew that letting you go would make you so happy, then I would have done it earlier." I shook my head.


    "You are too selfish to have let me go. I am, as well." I stared at his te of noodles. "You can''t imagine how happy it makes me to see you. I know who I am now, and I need to know that... Anthony... I don''t want to hide. It felt so liberating to hear my name again."


    "What do you want me to do?" he asked, perplexed. "You won''t go back with me, you have a life now and I will just hold you back."


    "Listen..." I huffed. "I forgave you a long time back."


    No response. I could hear the footstepsing towards me, but chose to inspect Anthony''s expression instead.


    "Have you been watching romantic movies, Mia?" I shook my head. "I don''t understand. You¡ªyou are acting like nothing was ever wrong. I spent years trying to redeem myself, keeping my distance because I thought you hated the thought of me and here you are, telling me that you forgave me a long time ago. Do you understand how that makes me feel? Could you not have put me out of my misery... given me a call or just fucking written me a letter and told me that you wanted to talk to me? I would havee. I would have gone anywhere you told me to-"


    [All the curses I had received for ruining your time has been overturned. I don''t know if you like it or not, but I hope you will let me know.]

 Chapter 202 Epilogue: Name 5

    "Even to hell?" I asked him, trying to stop his rant. "See... I needed to figure out who I was, what I wanted to do with my life before I lunged back into the swamp again. It hurts me to tell you this, but I just started to understand what my true calling in life is, and I have so much left to aplish."


    "Don''t you think I understand? I can see it in you. I have been seeing it for years and it is the sole reason I keep pushing. I keep making changes; try to do what little I can so that I can call myself worthy of you."


    "What is going on here?" David.


    Anthony''s head snapped up towards him.


    "How long have you been here?" Harmless intimidation. He is just pouring out his frustrations on the man who dared to ask me out while he was watching.


    "Long enough," he said with a forced smile. "Mia, is this the acquaintance of yours?" I nodded.


    "Anthony, this is David. He presented a paper!" I introduced.


    "I did hear you present. It was a well-researched paper. It may not be my area of expertise, but you could read a couple of books tranted from Sanskrit that venture into the function of the Vedic system and also how literature had an impact on the overall growth of the empire."


    Let the pissing contest begin.


    "Thank you. I will surely look this up. I didn''t catch your name, though..." he didn''t sound like the shy man that I had first heard him to be. He was almost angry for being kept from hispanion. I had forgotten how people could change when they sensedpetition, I could clearly see what Anthony was doing.


    He was telling this academician that he may not have the degree, but his knowledge exceeded David''s. I would have found it amusing had I not admired the David.


    "Anthony Murray," he said, his arms extending forward. David took his hand, looking confused for a moment. And then something akin to recognition shed across his features. Not knowing what to do, I stood up and ced myself between them.


    "Anthony. I will see youter. I need to speak to David. I promised him a lot of questions and food." I gave him a slight nod before turning and moving towards the table we had been upying earlier.


    I sat down and tried to eat my already cold noodles. I saw David plop down on his chair a whileter. I looked up to see him staring at me.


    "You said he was an acquaintance of yours?" he sounded so confused. I nodded. "His name sounds familiar, and I must be mistaken by his identity." Iughed it off, pretending to not know what he meant.


    Of course, a lot of people had heard Anthony''s name; he was a big name in the underworld, after all.


    "You''ve known him for a long time?" he asked. His curiosity was overshadowed with worry.


    "Since I was a child," I whispered conspiratorially. "I hated him for the longest time." My heart skipped a beat when I remembered all those moments when I felt nothing but love for the very same man.


    That day was really a day filled with memories.


    "Well, let''s discuss your paper again," I told him and then proceeded on to asking him questions. I would have hoped that he was engaged in the conversation, but he seemed distracted, like meeting with Anthony had left me not only confused but a bit uneasy with the situation.


    "It seems like today is not for free-flowing conversations!" I giggled when he snapped out of his reverie. "Everything okay?"


    "I suppose." He paused. "You really know him?" I nodded. "And you like him?" I shrugged. I wasn''t lying. Not for something so trivial. "You''re friends with a mobster?" he gasped, his words came out strangled and forceful. I, myself, choked on my food and coughed for a moment to regainposure.


    "I am sorry?"


    [I forgot to mention, we reached 200 chapters a while back and I am so happy. Thank you so much for your continued support. Be sure to share the story with others and leave a couple ofments in thements section so that I can ovee the bout of sadness I feel at the moment. Looking forward to reading what you thought. See you soon.]

 Chapter 203 Epilogue: Name 6

    "It is him, right?" I huffed, shaking my head, profusely. "I heard bits and pieces of your conversation. It seemed like you knew him a little better than a friend should, and that is fine, but as a fellow human being that respects human intelligence, I don''t want you to get hurt at the hands of a decrepit ouw."


    "You are thinking too much about this, really." I was irritated at that point. I had chosen to spend time with this person over a man who had been waiting forever for me to forgive him. I am sure Anthony had more conversation, the meaningful kind, to offer than this man had at the moment.


    Holy fuck. I sound like my old self. I am reverting back to my old tendencies? No! I can''t do that again!


    "If he kills you?" I scoffed.


    "He won''t. You are mistaken about his identity. I don''t know who you think he is, but please refrain from making such usations in public."


    "You think this sounds like the rantings of a madman, don''t you?" He said softly, but his tone was anything but it. He seemed almost grieved. "Mobs spread terror, and if he is who he is, I would never let anyone go near him."


    "David. I think it is best if we do it some other time. I can see that both of us are exhausted and not in the mood to have a pleasant conversation. If we are ever in the same ce at the same time again, we should give this conversation another shot. It would be good for both our minds."


    "But you don''t have my number!" he eximed, scrambling off his seat as he saw me standing up.


    "Don''t worry, I can find it out," I told him with a small smile.


    I knew that he was following me, but I didn''t care that much at the moment, it''s not like he could do much. And he wasn''t even sure who Anthony was much less my identity. I could hear another set of footsteps and I wasn''t quite sure what that meant. I nced over to see Anthony walking behind us with a slight smile on his face. He had a packet in his hand, which he raised for me to see.


    I smiled back at him, shaking my head. When I looked forward I heard the sound of footsteps bing faster.


    "Mia." I nced at him.


    "I hope the food is for me. I am famished." I groaned.


    "Mixed gravy noodles, Kathmandu momos, and crispy chilli baby corn."


    "Are you feeding an army?" I scoffed.


    "No. Just umting sustenance. You never know... I may be bunked into a room with a hungry you, praying for my life. Cannibalism wouldn''t look sexy even on you." He smirked.


    "Your fantasies astound me Mr. Murray."


    "Fantasies are that which cannot be achieved in reality, a concoction of the mind. So, no... I do not depend on fantasies. There is a high probability that we will be spending some much needed time in the near future."


    I rolled my eyes but gave in to his demands anyways.


    "We need to talk." He nodded.


    "Did you think that I was alluding to something else?" he teased. Iughed silently and followed him.


    I couldn''t see us reproducing or being the average couple, but I could imagine us living in peace, trying to catch up to one another as we surpass our goals. We would have to wait and see, huh?


    [This is the end of the epilogue. We simply have one set of chapters that is in Anthony''s point of view and it shows the time he thought Mia was dead. I have been looking forward to posting it as I had an amazing time writing it. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I did. On another note, I must exin why I go missing all the time. My inte connection sucks and for some reason, I can only avail it once in a couple of days. I apologize. I feel like I have beenpensating with mass releases for too long. I hope you stick with me as I write my other stories. I can promise they are a bit more impressive than this one that I wrote years ago and merely tweaked to post it in WN. I wish I could give you my paypal but I''m toozy to put that in here. There are links of it littered across my stories. Donate and feed this poor author if you feel like it. See you in a bit.]

 Chapter 204 Outtake- Insomnia 1

    [Macbeth: Methought I heard a voice cry ''Sleep no more!


    Macbeth does murder sleep'', the innocent sleep,


    Sleep that knits up the ravell''d sleeve of care,


    The death of each day''s life, sorebour''s bath,


    Balm of hurt minds, great nature''s second course,


    Chief nourisher in life''s feast,-


    Lady Macbeth: What do you mean?


    Macbeth: Still it cried ''Sleep no more!'' to all the house:


    ''mis hath murder''d sleep, and therefore Cawdor


    Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more.''


    -Macbeth. II. ii. 32-42.]


    Most of your life, you consider the true meaning of your existence. You go to sleepte at night, after sipping at the ss of cognac and reading a book on existential crisis. When you close the book, youy it down, remove your sses, gulp down the remaining alcohol and forget about your worries. You don''t question why you are wasting time by simply sleeping, and even if you do... you justify it by saying that you are dreaming of better things. As your head hits the pillow, you snuggle in and cover yourself. In the warmth of your little cocoon, you forget that everything you went through¡ªevery minute you spent questioning your existence. It simply vanishes into thin air.


    That is how you lead your life. Sometimes, I wish I was like you. Trifling my life away and reconsidering my existence. But all I find myself doing is reloading my gun and cing it carefully under the pillow. I snuggle into the pillow, trying to find the distinct scent that I know will bring me sce, but I only find the burning stench of detergent. All traces of her presence have slowly seeped out of my life. It is appalling. The stench makes my stomach uneasy.


    I wish to take out the gun and point it at my forehead. I want every word she said toe true because she was right.


    I would see her face when I took myst breath¡ªhell, I couldn''t help but imagine it every second of the day. When outer appearances speak volumes, I know what is brewing beneath the stagnant water that is my face. The whirlpool that threatens to swallow me alive is slowly nearing. I can''t contain the guilt and grief that rushes through my veins. Their presence, though unknown to the world, makes my heart lose a single beat with every passing second. I feel my life shortening. Life just gets worse and worse.


    I think the funeral had been the worst.


    It had been the blonde. I think Daisy Green is her name. She spoke to Sean at the funeral. She saw me from where she was standing. I could see that she didn''t like me. Maybe she knew what I had done to her.


    ''I wonder when I will be able to say her name again.''


    The worst part was listening to Jacob Hunt.


    I could hear the love clearly in his words, and he was a naive little boy who thought that this boyish charm and years of friendship would make him special in her heart. He was wrong. I knew what we had. He could never love her like I did. It was impossible.


    ''I wonder what he will do when he finds out that he is responsible for everything.''


    No one present at the funeral knew her. They had a picture of her where she had purple hair. I remember frowning at it as I tried to understand why she would do something like that. I found out that she had been undercover in some nut job mob where the boss was fond of women who could carve out meat and feed it to him, and I''m not even talking about regr meat.


    [I am currently watching horror movies and posting this story. Safe to say my heart is pounding in both fear and excitement. I just want to remind you all that I am on Discord and well... I am social. I would love to have a chat with you. See you in a couple of minutes.]

 Chapter 205 Outtake: Insomnia 2

    She went through all that face peeling shit and then ended up with the worst of them all¡ªme. What had she done to deserve this punishment? She was always faithful to the organization. She taught her ssmates how to take care of sticky situations. She was a master of deception, yet she had failed when she first stepped into my house.


    She had been a little minx, unting her body like that. d in a leather jacket and some worn jeans, I could imagine fighting beside her. She had a sharp tongue that would cut you just as quickly as the mocking expression on her face. Her eyes sparkled as shepleted every challenge I threw at her. She surprised me with her skill in hand to handbat,ing close to besting me several times. Her presence of mind made her a force to be reckoned with. It made her all the more irresistible to me.


    She was the Goddess I could never get my hands on. I knew who she was, but she, the woman, beguiled me. The way she spoke to the other members, the way she controlled them, made me wonder... Would she share my glory if she was given the chance? She had the potential to rule by my side. She was not meant to be stepped over, and she hadn''t been.


    I had done everything in my power to get her out of the situation. I pleaded with her to not follow. I had fallen at her feet and begged her to stay at home and wait for me. She loved me. She loved me until I gave in to my weakness and let her slip through my fingers.


    Should I have called off the contract when I realized that I could never let her die? I could have, I had every opportunity to, but her strength... She reassured me.


    Certainly, a few hours of torture would not kill my Mia. She was a Valkyrie, soaked in blood and victory. She woulde out of it with a smile on her face. She would hate me, I knew, but I never imagined that she would hate me enough to curse me to a life of¡­


    I still have no words to describe where I was. I was certainly not trying to analyze my reason for being, but somewhere inside me, I could hear the screams of defiance growing louder. What I want to defy against, I don''t know.


    I want her back. She was the Earth, where I was her moon. Gravity beckoned me towards her, yet she remained out of my grasp-forever the unattainable centre of my universe. I''d be the cow and jump over the moon if it meant that I would get even the smallest glimpse of her. I would know she existed, and the evil that was I hadn''t erased her from the sands of time.


    I should have unloaded the gun before I went to sleep, I decide. It is a wonder that I haven''t picked up a gun and gone through the city, killing every living creature in my way. I could do that, I could.


    Is there any chance that once and for all, I would see her?


    I would point the gun to her head and scream.


    I would scream bloody murder.


    "Mia Vincent..." I would say. "I promised you."


    She would stand still for a moment. And then she would move. Her lips would curve down. There would be no fear on her face.


    "Who are you?" she would whisper.


    My finger would twitch on the trigger and I would look on in horror.


    "How dare you!" I would scream at her. I would wave my gun at her and shout at her until she remembered me. I would feel relief, but I would still point the gun at her. "I promised you that I would kill you the day you betrayed me." I would hear how crazy I sounded. And I would be crazy. I don''t even think I would realize it, but I would be so far gone by then, that I wouldugh at my own reflection.


    I¡ªI would!


    "I should shoot you, then," she would say. I can almost imagine the cold expression on her face. She would betray nothing. She is good at it, too. She would give me that soul-shattering stare of hers and say in a level voice, "Anthony, you let me down. You should kill yourself." And a sneer woulde over her face.


    It might have looked ugly on the face of another being, but on her, it looked like that of a cheetah stalking its prey. She would pin me down under her venomous gaze and convince me to turn the gun on myself.


    I would point it at my head because she asked me to. She deserved that much. I never did give her anything she wanted. Maybe I would grant her this¡ªthe satisfaction of seeing my life leaving my body. She would enjoy it, too. She doesn''t take well to betrayal.


    "Shoot yourself," she would beckon. My fingers would twitch and I would try to rationalize. Do I love myself more, or her? The question would be difficult to answer.

 Chapter 206 Outtake: Insomnia 3

    I was selfish when I let them take her from my arms and tie her to the chair. I had wanted nothing more than to shut her up and send out the signal for the rescue team to save her.


    The answer to my question would lead to my downfall. I would kill myself out of love for her, or kill myself from the abhorrent self-loathing that would ovee me if I realized that after all this time, I loved myself above everything.


    And as I would pull the trigger, I would hear herugh.


    I would remember that I had no one to slide me a new gun when my bullets ran out.


    Standing on the blood-soaked street, between corpses I had shot, I would run to her and embrace her. She would stand there, stoically.


    I could imagine the pain that would spread throughout my body. I would smile, though. I would smile as she stabbed me in my back. I would fall on the street and look up to her. I would spill my blood to worship at the feet of my Goddess.


    I snap out of my thoughts as I remember that it can never happen.


    She would have never let me touch her in the first ce.


    Suddenly, the image of us embracing shes through my mind. I stare at the ceiling as I remind myself of the moment when I held her by the throat and forced her to look at us in the yellowed reflecting surface of the ss window. We looked the image of perfection¡ªmeant to be, everyone would say if they saw the picture. And I had recognized that the first moment I saw it. We were meant to be.


    I remember the times when I would just hold her at night. She didn''t like to wear clothes when she went to bed; at least that was what she told me. I think it was just because she wanted us together, nothing keeping us apart. Sometimes I would slip inside her wet warmth and just revel in the moment. Being a light sleeper, she would wake instantly, and sweetly smile at me.


    I was not a religious man, but as I moved inside her, I would bury my face in her hair and whisper reverent words of worship of her.


    Once, she asked me why I could never keep away from her for long. I remember being smug about it. She kissed all the wickedness out of me after that.


    "I like the holidays," I had told her. She furrowed her eyebrows and peeked at me from under her eyshes. Her eyes were droopy, and her elbows were going to give away soon. I gathered her in my arms andughed softly into her ears. "Baby, if your left leg is Thanksgiving, and your right leg is Christmas... I want toe between the holidays as long as you want me to." She had pped my arm yfully and then snuggled in closer.


    "If you had used that pick-up line earlier, I would have wrapped my legs around your waist and taken you right there." I had chuckled into her hair and waited for her to fall asleep in my arms again.


    I feel myself hardening, and consider rubbing one out. I wonder what I would imagine.


    Would it be her smart mouth working out the Caesar''s box, or would it be the scene where she slipped me the gun and then ran out to take out a dozen men on the roof of the abandoned building? I could imagine the time when she let me put a bullet on her clit and help her ride out her orgasm... Heck, I could just imagine her crawling towards me like the predator she was and pouncing on me.


    I gripped harder, but then felt myself softening.


    "Necrophilia... that''s what it feels like!" She was bordering on hysteria when she said that on the rooftop. We had kissed for the first time there. She gave me a piece of herself as she submitted to my advances. I still can''t believe that we tried to be romantic when we were surrounded by corpses.


    I sigh as I stare at the ceiling and wonder if it will ever get better. Would it always feel sacrilegious to touch another woman?


    I shudder as I remember her face. It has been months since Ist saw her, and I feared for my sanity. Her glorious face had twisted into a nightmare and haunted me in my sleep. Shepelled me to stop trying. Resistance was futile.

 Chapter 207 Outtake: Insomnia 4

    In my dreams, her face was filled with sorrow one moment, and in the next, it had turned into a sneer. The corners of her eyes appeared to tighten; her face became rounder and fuller. In ce of her trademark leather jacket and T-shirt, I saw her in the silk pyjamas with ducks on them. Her hands were bound, and someone had a knife at her throat.


    It dug into her skin, blood oozing from it, but the expression on her face never changed. Her hatred grew bolder as the knife dug deeper. She knew no pain; she had never experienced a loss that was bigger than the loss of her childhood. She was punishing me for it.


    She was making promises she could never keep.


    "Someday," she said, "I will kill you with my own hands. I will slice you open from your throat to the navel and then bathe in your blood," she promised. Her lips curled up and sheughed.


    I wanted to tell her that I would let her do it if it made her hate me any less, but within seconds, the weight of the world crashed down on her shoulders. The shoulders slumped down for the fraction of a moment, defeated. Then, in a sudden motion, determination glittered in her eyes. She fought back in earnest, pushing her shoulders back and struggling, but the knife slid across her throat and left her choking. Her eyes rolled back as I stared at her helplessly.


    I realized toote that I was paralyzed throughout this ck hole of a dream. I had wanted to reach out and hold my hands firmly to her wound. There was no chance of survival, but I shook off the frost from my limbs in a moment of strength and ran towards her. As I pressed and tried to stop the blood from soaking her and swallowing her life, I saw her transform.


    Her clothes vanished, her eyes sank, and her mouth grew ck.


    As the days went by, the girl in my arms grew colder, until her face started to blur and turned into sand. I tried to hold on to her, but she slipped through the cracks between my fingers. The tighter I gripped, the faster she slipped away from me.


    I cried and pleaded with the gods of war and medicine to listen.


    Bring her back to me, I chanted.


    The blood in my veins cried her name with each pass.


    I held her until her face turned to dust, and all that remained was the stain of her blood on my fingers.


    I would wake up every night, awarenessing slowly. The few moments of sce were shattered when I remember where you were-what I did. Those moments were of falsefort.


    I seek out those dreams every night just to spend a few more seconds with her, have her in my arms... cry.


    But then she faded.


    Then, what was existence when you lived in a desert. All your life you kept finding the source of water, where you could rest and gain rity. For the first time in your insignificant life, you could see the reflection of your face and wonder how you had ended up with such a beautiful face. As you leaned forward to touch the surface, to feel the coolness of the mirror, your image would blur. You would lose yourself in the pursuit of the image, but the grains of sand would blow away your dreams. The mirage of the sanctuary would suddenly break, and you would see your body soaking in every drop of water from thegoon to satisfy its greed. You would will it to stop, but in the end, your body would rejoice. For a few moments, you would be satisfied with your victory¡ªthe nourishment and the gift of life, but in the next, the devastation would set in. You had destroyed the source of your life.


    "You killed her," Sean had used me one fine day, then he just waited for me to deny it.


    "I did," I told him.


    I have not spoken to him since.

 Chapter 208 Outtake: Insomnia 5

    As I calmly stood in front of her rebelling body, my mind had been pleading for her to understand¡ªto hold on, until I could concoct a n to destroy everything and then preserve her. In retrospect, I found myself unable to reach out and tell her.


    As they tore her apart and fed her lies, I stood there, cheering them on. I could feel her stare at me, and I knew that there was not much time left.


    Her shoulder gave away and she slid forward, I ran towards her. I could hear the popping in her joints as they tried to keep her weight. Others slowly followed, untying her.


    I found myself turning on my heels and exiting the warehouse.


    Ethan, who had been keeping guard, looked up at me and then frowned.


    "Where is she?" he asked me, confused.


    "Not here," I told him as I went towards the car.


    "You left her there?" he shouted.


    "Call Hunt. Tell them to send reinforcement."


    I did not hear the crunch of gravel. I knew that he was not going to follow me. I turned back, staring him down.


    "She''s dead. Call them." I saw anger flicker on his face. I saw the disappointment. He pulled his cell phone out, never looking away.


    "Bring out the fireworks," he said into the phone.


    I took out my own cell phone and dialled the first number that came to my mind.


    "Take down the shield." As I walked away, I heard him sigh.


    I let him drive.


    "I should have saved her while I had the chance," he spoke to himself. Not once did he acknowledge me.


    Traffic centres all over the city were hacked into. Cameras only caught footage we wanted them to capture. My eyes flickered from one screen to another as I desperately tried to calcte how fast they could reach her.


    "Tap into her transmitting device," I ordered Sean.


    The boy cried as he did the task.


    We silently listened in and hoped that they had the antidote to the poison they had created.


    The minutes flew by as I listened to themotion of the doctors trying to get her heart beating again. I could hear the jolts of electricity and themands of the doctor in the background. I could hear Jacob Hunt cursing her. I could hear him tell her that he loved her.


    I wanted to find him and strangle him, but who was I to begrudge him his love for her? Was he not the one who was trying his best to resuscitate her? I had done no such thing. He deserved her love.


    "Mia Vincent, time of death: eleven fifteen am." As I heard the doctor rattling out the time of death, I stood there, staring at the big screen that showed the warehouse.


    Guards saturated the ce. I wish they had done a better job and reached it earlier.


    Maybe¡ªjust maybe¡­


    They sent out cars to morgues all over the city to secure her body. I went to each and every one.


    I never found her.


    They tricked me.


    "I told her not to get mixed up with you..." Ethan had said. Sean had not protested. I silently agreed with the disgust they felt for me.


    I close my eyes as I try to recreate the canvas. The image of her eyes appears first. Her pupils look like a gctic explosion within the space of a marble. The glimmer of stars is just a portrayal of her mirth and affection. The gxy is framed within white. Her darkshes are made with the masterful strokes of ancient artists, full of the knowledge of the mystical realm. Her brows are slightly asymmetrical, but they are smooth, no worry mars the skin of her forehead. It shines and gives way to the roots of her hair. A lock of hair escapes from its confines and falls over her eyes. I picture her hand tucking it behind her ears. Her beautiful white fingers have the faintest trace of gunpowder on them. They make her look like an angelic executioner. She cups her neck with the same stained fingers and I really look at them.

 Chapter 209 Outtake: Insomnia 6

    I wonder if I had ever noticed them.


    I sincerely hope that I did, as such beauty should be disyed on the walls of the Ajanta Ellora Caves, preserved for generations to see, unmarred by nature and time¡ªdefiant of thews of the world and of man.


    Yet, the image is iplete. As Ivish my attention on each feature, the others blur. I recreate them over and over again, only to lose them faster each time.


    I give up. I slip out of bed and take to wandering around the mansion.


    I see the lights in the furthest part of the corridor filter through the crack under the door. I push the door open and find the two deste rebels sitting side by side, fuming over something.


    "Why are the two of you still here?" I ask, not expecting to be acknowledged.


    "Sean just received a rather indecent contribution from one deceased Mia Vincent, who loved the boy enough to leave everything that was hers to him,"es the monotonousmentary.


    What did she leave me?


    I do not realize that the words are spoken aloud.


    "The knowledge that she knew that her time was up." As I stare at the people sitting inside the room. I look around me. The corridor is deserted. I stand alone in it, trying to understand where I belong.


    I know where I belong.


    I finally understand.


    "You don''t need any more money," I speak up. I cannot believe the words that spill out of my mouth. "You can now pursue your dreams." As I turn around, I hear him curse out loud. For a second, I wonder if he feels bad for me. In the next, I hear him cursing again and groaning as he hits the keyboard at inhuman speed.


    I turn around, shocked.


    He is on his feet, his hands on his head, his eyes stered to the huge screen in front of us. I shuffle over and take in the carnage in front of me. The screens go dark, a cry escapes the boy and I look on in horror.


    "What is this?" I whisper as I stare in horror.


    "Boo yah. Boo yah. Boo ya-" the speakers go.


    ''YOU''VE BEEN SERVED!'' Bold letters sh on the now illuminated screen.


    "Someone just hacked into the system..." he says the words that I never thought I would hear.


    My phone rings¡ªonce, twice¡­


    I ignore it.


    The Web of Lies has been annihted. Everything is over.


    I put the irritating piece of technology to my ear and then wait.


    There is silence.


    Goosebumps erupted all over me.


    "Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday dear Anthony... Happy birthday to you..." she croons. I can hear her smile. I grip the phone tighter against my ear. "Thank you, dear Anthony... for all the love you''ve shown, the lives that you have torn. The rampage ends today; so does your dynasty."


    I rejoice in my destruction. She was back.


    Finally, Iughed.


    [This is the literal end. There are no more outtakes that will be written. Instead, I will be telling you how this story came to be. The author has a fascination with crime and criminals. I know, it shows from my other story. And seven years ago, as a teenager, I had written this plot because I needed someone to write something this twisted. Is it dramatic? Yes. Is it skewed? Yes. It is a lot of things, but this was my very first story. One I took months writing. Almost years. The story came to me in a dream after I had watched a movie and I couldn''t shake it off. I decided to start writing it.


    Yearster, I am d that this story still makes people want to read it. I am d you happened to stumble across it and stay for the whole journey. I might joke here and there about being broke or getting to top whatever, but in all actuality I just want people to read andment on my stories, discuss what they feel about it.


    On that note, I have decided to have long discussions with all of you in thements section to hopefully answer any further questions that you may have. This story was my first love and I will never forget it.


    Coming to what happens next. This story isplete. I will be concentrating on Autopsy for some time and updating the other CEO novel once in a while until I get used to writing a lot. I am also thinking of looking for a job. So please pray and have me in your heart.


    Until next time,


    SunScar9.]

 Chapter 210: Futuretake 1

    Chapter 210: Futuretake 1


    "Are you prepared for the business meeting?" Seth asked as he peered at me.


    "I''m actually confident about my PR skills. I think we will get this project even though a lot ofpanies are bidding for it," I said confidently as I waved my arms in front of my face. We were waiting for the car to arrive. For some reason, Seth had insisted that a drivere to pick me up.


    It made sense when I thought that I would probably have to consume some alcohol and driving under influence was not my thing. I wasn''t into breakingws any more. Safe to say Anthony was the same.


    He was in Japan at the moment, probably busy entertaining and running over some business deal that would spread his securitypany farther than it had gotten in the past couple of years. He had abandoned all his shady dealings and started apany from the ground, using money he had saved up to train the kids who were working under him and employing them gainfully in legal businesses. I had been so proud of him when I had found out.


    When I left with my hand in his all those years ago, I hadn''t expected him to choose ande back into society. I hadn''t expected him to be up for the challenge and create a new identity for himself. He had been rich enough to live his life without having to work a single day in his life, but he said that he wanted to live an upstart life for me. He wanted to build a life that I would be proud to share with people.


    Not that I wasn''t proud of who I used to be. I was just in a better ce as a human being now that I had finally figured out my passions.


    I had been flitting across careers ever since we met again and trying to figure out what it was that I enjoyed. Turned out, I enjoyed a lot of things at once and no two days could be the same for me. I enjoyed business and the thrill of the media, I enjoyed writing and I enjoyed just meeting people and getting to know their stories. It was all that. So I did whatever I could to help thepany stand up.


    Anthony always told me that I was a great addition to the team and that my help had made it possible for thepany to grow so quickly. I admit, my confidence wasn''t as high as his, but I was d he felt that way.


    I crept out of my thoughts once the car arrived. I bid Seth farewell and slid into the car.


    I gasped when I saw his warm eyes looking at me. He drank me in as I stared at him.


    "You look beautiful, my kitten," he said, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against mine.


    "What are you doing here?" I was out of breath and confused by what was happening.


    "Can''t Ie to see my wife when I meet her?" he asked, his eyes molten and filled with need. "I''ve missed you," he whispered before pressing a chaste kiss on my lips.


    I craved for more but quickly nced at the driver. The man was not paying us any attention, and I finally came to realize why we were being driven around.


    Anthony couldn''t keep his hands to himself. Of course, he wanted to be a lecher.


    I swatted his hand away when it came to my thigh.


    "Safe to say I don''t have a meeting today," I said ndly, tilting my head to the side and waiting for an exnation.


    "No, you are not. We are having dinner at a luxury restaurant and it is going to be romantic," he grinned cockily.


    "You''re not one to be this generous! What is the asion?" He almost looked defensive when I said the words. Iughed in joy, pinching his cheek, pronouncing him cute.


    "It''s nothing," he pouted, looking away from me and out of the window. "We will arrive soon." he sighed.


    And surely, we arrived soon. The car had sped towards its destination like the driver wanted them out of the car as soon as possible. Knowing Anthony, I was sure that everyone knew how frisky he could get in such a situation.


    When we arrived, two men dressed in formals stood in front of the door, waiting for us. We got off, Anthony taking the lead to move first and thene over to my side to open my door and pull me out.


    I smirked as I ced my hand in his.


    "So romantic," I whispered as I leaned into his ears. He gave me a wicked look apanied with that smile of his and left me to lead the way.


    I followed silently, tucking my head down and giving his ass a long stare.


    It had been a long time since I hadst seen him and I had missed him so much. Seeing his ass in those tailored pants of his did things to me that was rude to be said out in the open. Now, that wasn''t all. It seemed that the man grew sexier with each passing year and was bing more ferocious in bed.


    "I have to keep up with you in your thirties when your libido is at the highest," he had said on one asion when she caught him working out early in the morning.


    "I''m very satisfied with our sex life," I told him nonchntly, irking him. It had been intentional.


    "The way you said it makes me think that you need a good spanking and a rigorous session under me. How could you sound so unconvincing?" He was offended. Iughed it off and walked away. He had left for Japan shortly after that and I had to say, he had been right about my libido increasing.


    For the past few months, I had done nothing but work and fantasize about my sexy husband. And now that he was in front of me, I couldn''t help but gape in awe.


    He still looked as good as ever, even though he was no longer a gun-totting goon. He would be so averse to that term. He still doesn''t mind what he had done for a living and I wasn''t one to give him ck for it. We were both proud creatures.


    "Ma''am," I heard one of the men say as I stepped inside the restaurant.


    "Top floor?" The other one in front of Anthony asked. He nodded, looking over his shoulders towards me with a frown. I gave him a curious look and his eyes narrowed. He was now looking beside me and not at me.


    "Eyes off my wife," he growled. His voice shot through me like ance, hitting the exact spot in my body that made me wet. It was this voice that always got to me.


    "My husband is getting to me today," I taunted as I made my way to his side. He looked ted when I joined him. He possessively took my hand in his warm ones and guided me forward like before, all petnce for not being able to take me in the car forgotten.


    We arrived in the corridor and the two left us alone.


    "Order," he said in a low voice, eyeing me like his prey. I looked around making sure no one was around and moved down to undo my shoe. Once it was off, I wiped my hand on the towel and slid my foot forward, finding his calf and slowly caressing it with my toe.


    He hissed as he red at me.


    "Behave," he said. I just smiled innocently and continued on with my ministration, my leg slowly making its way up his leg to his thigh.


    The waitress entered then and looked at the two of us. Of course, I didn''t mind if she understood what I was up to. He was my husband and we were out on a date. I didn''t mind.


    I continued to toe him and he fluently gave both our orders without asking for my opinion.


    "Aren''t you being a little too disobedient today, kitten?"


    "I feel adventurous today," I confessed, cing my elbows on the table and cing my head on my palms.


    "Haven''t you missed me?" I asked as my foot slid to between his legs. He jerked but didn''t make a single sound as he gave me another re.


    "I wanted to slide inside you the moment I saw you, my kitten. To think that you were dressed up that way for other men to see. I am jealous. I will never let you out of my sight if you look that sinful in everything you wear." He cocked his head to the side and didn''t make a single noise.


    "Then why don''t you take it off me and bend me over the table?"


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