LOVE AND HATE

Raven's pov

A bead of sweat trickles from the weathered face of the elderly gentleman sitting beside me. He mops away with a silk handkerchief and looks down again at the small island of chips in front of him, its not the overhead lights that has him sweating he started with a much larger pile but his cards haven't been kind.

The next player is doing the best out of all of us so far. Frau bergmann a German man whose shrewd eyes watch the table from under the shade of a wide brimmed black hat. he tapped his fingers on the edge of the table as he inspected his cards.

And then there's me my own pile hasn't shrunk to much yet, i may have a chance to take this game. But of course I'm not here for games i'm here to catch a killer.

New intelligence says that there's a meeting scheduled for tonight between Mikhail petrovic who's a suspected weapons smuggler he has a meeting with a minataur member known as Doctor archum. Minataur is a global crime syndicate as dangerous as it is shadowy, if i could at least get a positive ID on one of their top operatives it could give v.a.n.g.u.a.r.d the edge we so desparately needed.

And to do that i need to get up stairs where i can meet my contact and try to find petrovic. That's easier said than done so far. The upper floor the VIP section is only accessible to specially invited guests or those who have a lot of money to spend.

The light glints of the golden ring with the red ruby that he wears on his little finger. As a former criminal i know that its more than just jewelry, the highest ranking members of a criminal organization wear these, its earned after they've taken there hundredth life how did i know this well lets say I've owned a couple of them.

The other thing i know about this man is that he has traded with petrovic before which would make him important enough to get into the VIP section and take me with him. he's small fry compared to doctor archum but there's still blood on his hands so i had to decide.

a small smirk spreads across my lips.* Time to work my magic*." Frau Bergmann" i said as he turned away " could we talk for a moment". He looked me up and down like a cat wondering if somethings going to be food or amusement." About what?" He asked.

I held his gaze as i leaned in to whisper " oh nothing much just about the five million dollars worth of cocaine that you and your little gang shifted last month or maybe the rival dealer found in the river last week or maybe i whispered in his ears.

" your stealing from your boss the one person you know not to piss of you know what he's capable of what would he do if a little birdie told him about that shipment of military tech that you hijacked" i said leaving my threat open in the air.

His eyes hardens into flint " i have no idea what your talking about," he said through gritted teeth sweat now dripping from his brows. " fortunately for you i don't really care" i said. " my only interest is your old business partner help me get to him and I'm perfectly prepared to overlook any of your indiscretions and if you don't however i suppose there's nothing stopping me from telling the Dragon what i know.

" your bluffing" he said. I gave a cold smile " you know who i was and you know what im capable of so its either you or petrovic choose". The look on his face is pure ice,i could see him thinking about what to do next but his fear of the dragon ultimately wins and he beckons me to follow him stiffly.

I smiled a victorious smile while standing up " good boy now that wasn't so hard was it?" He just grunts and beckons me to follow him. I gave the security guard a fake name and he unhooks the velvet rope.

The guards step back as i ascend the staircase with Bergmann in tow into a spacious lounge. Crystal chandeliers illuminates the luxurious lounge where there are tables spaced out and there are men and women dancing on the dance floor as music fills the atmosphere.

Bergmann glowers " your here" he said in his clipped German . " I'm sure you don't need my help from here on". " no" i said and he nods and starts to back away towards the stairs "good ill leave you to it". I scanned the crowd but see no glimpse of my contact it seems like ill have to wait. I crossed the dance floor to the bar a curved slab of marble and brass and took a seat that allows me to view the rest of the room.

A bartender immediately rushes over to take my order. " good evening madam what are you having" he asked but before i could order my signature cocktail a thick European accent that i know all to well answered for me.

" she'll have a cosmopolitan and place it on my tab" the baretender bows then rushes to fetch my order. I turned around slowly to look into his golden eyes as he smirks at me.

" Hello Isabella or should i say The Knight raven" 

LUKE AKA THE DRAGON