A cop for the mafia boss

CHAPTER 1"Happy birthday, Alex!” Albert removed the blindfold with a proud grin on his face.Alex blinked repeatedly as he stared at the grand sign above them. “Aurelia Bloom?” His jaw dropped. No way! He closed his eyes and opened them again.This was one of the city’s most exclusive restaurants—booked out for months. How had Albert managed this? He turned to him."Albert, you're a joker. I hope this isn't one of your stupid pranks? He asked. Albert chuckled. "This isn't, it's a birthday gift from me to you." He wrapped his arm around Alex's shoulder.“Happy birthday again, man. You’re almost thirty,” Albert said, giving him a hearty slap on the back.“Are we going to stand here all day, or are we going in to eat?” Alex asked, already pushing open the door. He could smell the delicacies that were being served.Inside, the place buzzed with life. Every table was full. But at the far end, they spotted a vacant table and made their way toward it.They had just sat down when a woman in

CHAPTER 3Alex followed closely behind Trout, who walked briskly down the long hallway, briefing off everything Alex needed to know about the job.“Cameras, every corner of the house,” Trout said. Alex took mental notes, memorizing the layout. He'd need to know the safe angles just in case.Trout stopped in front of a room and handed Alex a key. “This is your room. Change into your uniform. I’ll be waiting.”Alex entered the small space. Bare but adequate, just enough for one person. A single bed, a table, a chair, and a wardrobe. A tuxedo lay neatly on the bed, his uniform. Fancy.He changed quickly and stepped back out to find Trout leaning against the wall.“Took you long enough,” Trout said, scanning him up and down. “Let’s go.”“Where exactly—”“Don’t speak unless spoken to,” Trout snapped, placing a finger to his lips. He turned and began walking, leaving Alex to follow silently.They descended to the fourth floor and entered a large, soundproof room, a shooting range.“Being a

CHAPTER 5 Alex didn’t say a word, even as his jaw was shoved hard against the cold wall. If he opened his mouth now, if he let even a fraction of the rage inside him slip out, he might just grab a gun and shoot every damned person in that room.From across the room, Trout, who’d been leaning casually against the wall, broke the silence. “We’ve been shipping for a long time without issues. Now this new guy shows up, and suddenly the police are sniffing around.”A tall, lanky man nodded quickly. “Yeah, boss. Can’t be a coincidence, right? Maybe he’s a plant. A spy.”The rest of the men murmured in agreement, suspicion growing like a storm cloud.Idiots, Alex thought. They were starting to suspect him, and that was dangerous. If things kept going this way, he'd be kicked out before he had the chance to gather a piece of evidence.His gaze sharpened, landing on Trout. From the moment he walked into the house, he’d pegged the man as a problem. Always watching him, always lurking. If Alex

Alex slipped back into the mansion, the file tucked beneath his jacket.Just as he slipped past the guards and into his room, a knock came at the door.He glanced at it for a moment, then quickly pulled off his jacket before approaching the door.“Hey, what's up?” he said with a grin, his hands resting on the door as he stared at the guard.The guard gave him a weird look, “The boss called for you. Meet him at the penthouse.” he turned and left.Alex closed the door behind him quickly, swept into the bathroom, and changed into new clothes.The sun had risen, the light seeping through his windows. He believed Trout wouldn't have left for the operation.Yesterday's call still rang in his mind. He shut the door behind him, his hands dipping into his black jean jacket pocket as he made his way to the penthouse.Alex entered; Lucian stood by the railing, his back turned to him.“You called for me.” Alex’s tone was stern.“I came for you earlier but you weren't in your room. Where'd you go,

EVENING Alex left for the warehouse at exactly four.Trout turned to see him approaching. “He's here,” he said to Lucian, who stood beside him announcing Alex's presence.Alex walked toward them. Lucian held a cigarette in hand, putting on a shirt and tailored trousers, a black jacket hung over his shoulder.He had that unreadable look that made it hard to tell what he was thinking.“Don't screw this up, Alex. Those goods are worth millions. You can back out now,” Trout suggested.Alex straightened his shoulders. Ahead of him, some boys were packing the mattresses into the vehicle.“I'm doing this,” he said with determination.“Treat those babies like your life. They get a scratch and you get double.” Lucian's voice was grim, his eyes on the goods as the boys shut the vehicle door.“You can trust me.”Lucian turned to him; his eyes darted slowly as he exhaled smoke directly into Alex's face.“Show me with your actions. I don't do words, Alex,” Lucian said.Trout glanced at Alex, a mis