Chapter 5

Outside, the cool night air hit her like a slap in the face. Claudine fumbled for her pack, her hands shaking. She lit one, the smoke a welcome burn in her throat. Please God don’t let him know it’s me, she prayed, her eyes darting around.

He wasn’t supposed to be here. Rumors said he hated these events, disgusted by his brother’s… shall we say, enthusiasm for the darker side of life.

She pulled out her burner phone and texted her handler. ‘Hades sighted. I might be compromised.’

As she tucked the phone away, she noticed a fight nearby. A woman and a man, going at it. The man was dragging the woman, his grip tight, his voice low and mean. The woman was almost crying, her voice loud and desperate.

Claudine, ever the reluctant hero, moved closer. She knew how to handle these things. It was part of her job.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, her voice calm but firm.

The man whirled around, his face twisted with anger. He yelled something in Russian, his words harsh and ugly. Then, he pulled out a gun.

Claudine stumbled back, her training kicking in. She was an agent, yes, but not really a fighter. Her weapons were her looks, her brain, her ability to charm and lie. Not bullets.

The man kept coming, the gun pointed right at her. She tripped, her heels catching on the uneven ground. Just as she was about to fall, a hand grabbed her arm. Strong, steady.

She remained still. She knew that smell. That mix of expensive cologne and something… scary. Something primal.

He was behind her.

Hades.

The angry man, seeing who held her, seemed to deflate. His anger vanished, replaced by a nervous fear.

Hades spoke, his voice low and dangerous. He said something sharp and dismissive in Russian. The angry man, without a word, let the woman go and slunk away, disappearing into the crowd.

How the hell did Hades speak Russian? Her mind was spiralling out of control with frightening questions.

Claudine didn’t dare turn around. Her cigarette was still in her hand, the smoke curling upwards like a white flag. This wasn’t in the plan. Not at all.

Finally, the silence stretched too long. Hades cleared his throat.

Still facing away from him, she muttered a shaky “Thanks.” She dipped her head slightly, then tried to walk past him.

He grabbed her arm, his grip tight. He tried to pull her mask off, but she twisted away, her heart hammering.

“Don’t,” she said, her voice tight. She smoothed down her dress, trying to look cool. She forced a small smile. “You don’t have the right. Sir.”

Sir? Really? Hades almost scoffed in return.

She thanked him again for his “interference,” then, with a shaky hand, offered him her cigarette. “Hi. I’m Claudine. Care for a Smoke?”

He looked at the cigarette, then back at her, his face unreadable. Hard. Cold. He took it, his fingers brushing hers. A spark of… something passed between them.

He leaned against the wall, his eyes drilling holes into her.

Hades watched her, every muscle tense. He knew, deep down, that this was her. Mia. The woman who’d stolen from him, the woman he’d spent seven years searching for. He’d imagined this moment a million times. He’d pictured himself slapping her hard across the face and then dragging her through the streets of new york, making her pay.

But now, standing before this… this creature, he didn’t know what to do. Was she really pretending? Who was this “Claudine”?

His jaw tightened. He finished the cigarette, the smoke burning his throat, and tossed the butt. He grabbed her arm, his fingers digging in. His eyes raked over her. She wore a black, see-through dress that left her back bare, a long, sexy “V” that hinted at the killer she was. A beautiful, deadly weapon.

She tried to pull away, but he held on. He turned her around, his gaze lingering on the curve of her ass, the narrowness of her waist. He leaned in, his nose inches from her skin, and inhaled. That scent. That mix of vanilla and something wild.

“Mia,” he dragged the name, his voice a low growl.

He knew. He knew it was her.

She denied it, of course. She stammered, she lied, she played the innocent. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “My name is Claudine. I’m here with my date.”

She tried to slip past him, but his grip tightened. He reached for the strap of her dress, trying to pull it down, to expose her right shoulder. The shoulder that bore the dragon tattoo, a cover-up for the gunshot wound he’d helped her with seven years ago.

She fought him, her panic rising. “Stop it! Let me go!” please.. she wanted to so badly add. If only he could just let her go and not draw attention to them.

Instead, Hades grabbed her throat, his fingers tightening. “Who sent you here tonight? And what the hell is this see through dress you’re wearing? Like some slut?” he paused, to take in her appearance again with an irritated scowl on his face. But she still didn’t dare meet up with his gaze, or act like his second question didn’t affect her as she struggled out of his grasp.

“I have so many questions for you baby girl, you better start talking!”

She choked, her vision blurring. “I… I don’t know… I’m with… with Gregory…”

He was about to break her, to force the truth out, when a voice interrupted.

“I see you’ve met my date for the night, brother,” Gregory spoke almost too loudly, his voice tight with forced sweetness. He stood there, a drink in his hand, his suit rumpled, his face a mask of possessive anger. The guy was a jerk, always had been, but he knew how to play nice when he wanted something.

Hades choked back the laugh that threatened to roll out. This? This… femme fatale was Gregory’s date?

“Mia? Your date?”

Gregory looked confused. For lack of better words, he was biblically irritated at that moment. “You two know each other? Who’s Mia? This is Claudine! I’ve been looking for her all night!”

Hades ignored him, his gaze locked on the woman in his grasp. He towered over her, his rage barely contained. He was about to speak when his phone rang. He cursed under his breath and turned away, striding into the night.

With one last dreadful look he turned to her “This isn’t over Mia.”

His mind reeled with several thoughts.

Was it her? The eyes were different, the face… altered. But that scent. Those lips. That fire. Was this Mia, or was this Claudine? Only one way to be sure. That bitch better be who she says she is. Because if she’s lying… after that night, he stopped trusting anyone. Even himself.

He touched his new silver cross chain, a pale imitation of the one she’d stolen. Mia or Claudine? Only one way to really find out.

Claudine staggered, catching herself on Gregory’s arm. That was too close. Way too close.

“Are you okay, Claud?” Gregory asked, his arm possessively around her waist, his tone a little too sharp.

“Fine,” she lied, her voice still shaky. “Just… a little overwhelmed.”

She needed to get out of here. Fast. If Hades recognized her, she was dead. The FBI wouldn’t lift a finger. They’d deny she even existed without blinking.

The party dragged on. Gregory, acting all charming and possessive, paraded her around, introducing her to his cronies. She played the part of the sophisticated socialite, flirting, laughing, asking the right questions, gathering intel. It was what she did best.

But all the while, she felt Hades’s eyes on her. Watching her. Waiting. It was unnerving. Like being stalked by a very attractive, very dangerous predator.

Finally, she saw him leave, his small army of heavily armed men parting the crowd like Moses parting the Red Sea. Gregory told her he’d left, and she felt a sliver of relief.

“I’m exhausted,” she told Gregory, faking a yawn. “I’d really rather not stay here alone.”

He brushed off her concerns, his smile a little too tight. “Nonsense, Claud. The estate is perfectly safe. Cameras everywhere. Guards patrolling the grounds. Besides, I have some urgent business to attend to. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

It was past 2 AM when the event finally ended. Gregory got a call, some “emergency” a few streets away. He insisted she stay. As soon as he was gone, she was on her feet. Cameras be damned. Guards be damned. She needed to find his office. Now.

Claudine called her handler, her voice low and urgent. “I’m going dark. Ten minutes, tops.”

She slipped off her heels, the silence of her bare feet a stark contrast to the pounding of her heart. She crept through the deserted halls, checking doors, her small phone clutched in her hand.

Finally, she found it. A heavy wooden door, locked. She pulled a hairpin from her elaborate updo, her fingers trembling. She worked the lock, her breath catching in her throat.

This was harder than she imagined.

Click. The door finally swung open.

She peered inside, gently taking her time. The room was dark, lit only by a small lamp on a desk. Her guts strongly informed her this was Gregory’s office, she needed to find whatever she could.

Claudine slipped inside, closing the door behind her. “I’m in,” she whispered into the phone, her voice hoarse with adrenaline.

She reached for the light switch which illuminated the room, too much light. She winced a little before taking in the space, allowing her eyes to adjust.

Immediately, her heart dropped.

She nearly had a heart attack with the way her brain was wheezing trying to register the surprise element before her.

Hadeson Vancouver was sitting on the couch by the window.

“Hello, baby girl. We meet again.”

She couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. The voice on the phone kept repeating, “Hello? Claudine?”

She was about to bolt when someone gripped her, something cold and metallic pressed against her temple.

Hades got up, his eyes burning into hers as he took slow steps towards her.

“Remain still,” he said, his voice a low, deadly growl. “Or you won’t live to regret today.”