LOGINThe drive to the port was quiet. The only sounds were the low hum of the engine and the ticking of Rico’s watch. His jaw was tight the whole ride. The call had been short and sharp—another shipment hit. The first happened weeks ago when he was with Calla. He got that call and had to leave.This being the third one this month with the same route and same pattern. Whoever was behind it knew exactly where to strike.When the car stopped at the dock, the smell of salt and metal hit him. Floodlights flashed across the wreck of broken crates, spilled cargo, and blood on the concrete. Two men were lying face down.Rico stepped out, the soles of his shoes echoing against the wet ground. The men nearby straightened the moment they saw him. He didn’t speak right away. He just looked around, at the bodies, the mess, and the missing half of what should’ve been his profit.It wasn't good."Chi era di guardia?" 'Who was on watch?' Rico finally asked, his voice calm, but it carried weight that made
Calla had no idea how she got home. She was so disoriented and out of it. Her hands, which held the business card Salvatore had given her before she left, trembled, and her heart raced."Fuck. What do I do now?" She cussed, gripping her hair painfully. She checked her phone and saw three texts from Luxe.She inhaled deeply and dialed Luxe’s number. It rang once before her friend’s voice burst through the speaker, loud and worried.“Babeee! I’ve been tryna reach ya, girl!” Luxe half-yelled, half-whispered like she didn’t care if anyone heard her. “How did it go? What they say?”Before meeting Salvatore, Calla had already told her everything. Luxe had warned her to behave, keep her head down, don’t argue, and most importantly, don’t piss them off. She knew how Calla could be sharp-tongued, and those people would hurt her if she didn't behave.Calla leaned against the cold counter in her kitchen, her hand shaking as she held the phone. “It’s bad, Luxe,” she muttered, her voice low and sh
Maybe she heard wrong. Perhaps the hangover from last night had fried her brain. Maybe she drank too much with Luxe at the bar, and now she was hearing things. Maybe she’d passed out somewhere, and this was just one of those twisted dreams her mind liked to play on her.Yeah, that had to be it.A nightmare. All she needed to do was shake it off.Calla’s shoulders began to shake. Her lips twitched into a smile, and then she laughed. A soft chuckle at first, then it got louder, almost hysterical. She threw her head back, laughing like someone who had finally lost it. Maybe she had lost it.This man really thinks she'll ploy against Rico? He's sick. He and whoever this boss of his is, they're both sick.When she looked back at Salvatore, her eyes were wet, but not from joy. “You’re joking, right?” she asked between shaky breaths. “You— you can’t be serious.”“Do I strike you like a man who jokes around, Lyra?”“Calla,” she bit out, her jaw clenching painfully. “My name is Calla.”Salvato
The air felt strange. A lot stranger than when Calla walked in. The evil smile on the scarred-brow man isn't making things any better. Her stomach twisted with disgust and her fingers curled into a fist.Before coming here, she told herself to expect anything and more. Like getting captured, walking into a trap, or even robbed. But this wasn't on the list.Hell, she would've never thought he'd ask her this. To be their spy? How? Why?"Your spy?" She asked, confusion in her tone and face. Her eyes turned to the girl who still spun on the pole, bored.The man who introduced himself as Mr Salvatore, nodded slowly. "Yes, a spy for me," he said, scratching his jaw that's covered with dark stubble. "My boss, I meant to say."He was confusing her further. Did he mistake her for someone? She's an escort and not a spy. Although, she's been approached by a handful of clients in the past, asking her to spy or blackmail someone. Either their business rival or family member—which was common in he
Calla didn’t sleep a wink all night. She tossed and turned until dawn, and now she was paying for it with a hangover and a pounding headache. Eli was supposed to be discharged today, but she decided to let him stay. Under Simon’s watchful eyes, he was safer there than with her. She sipped her coffee, Luxe’s words echoing in her head. The plan was risky, but it was the only way out. She’d start working again as they ordered—secretly—until she could clear the debt. Rico could never find out. That was the tricky part. How was she supposed to sneak around with Bruno always hovering nearby? Then again, he hadn’t been around much since the day he dropped her off with that warning. Guilt twisted in her chest. She couldn’t believe she was actually considering it. Her phone buzzed just as she rinsed her mug. A new text. [Meet us at the old warehouse on Miller Street. 12 a.m. Don’t be late.] Her stomach dropped. "This is it," she muttered under her breath. There was no turning b
It had been twenty-four hours since the text message, and Calla couldn't stop the fear from creeping into her heart and head. They needed full payment. Those men her father owed needed nothing less, but all of it. It was a huge amount... ridiculously large amount.Even though she'd been working for years as an escort to pay off the debt, it still couldn't pay off a quarter of what is owed.Makes her wonder how much and how long her father has been collecting from them.She couldn't eat, couldn't sleep well, and couldn't reason properly about what to do. She reread the text message a hundredth time and still couldn't find another meaning to it. It was clear. She had nowhere out of this, and it's either she pays or her brother would get hurt and she would never risk that.The worst part, they're asking her to go back to fucking men to earn more.Yes, Rico was generous, paying her exactly what he promised. But most of that money went into her brother's tuition and into another savings a







